

# The Four Towers of Alacantar

Episode 1

By

Stephen Carmer

Illustrated by

Gregory L. Otvos

Third Age of Timare the Series

...

The Celtic Dragon

Copyright 2010 by Stephen I. Carmer. All rights reserved.

Smashwords Edition

Discover other titles by Stephen I. Carmer at Smashwords.com

No part of this publication may be reproduced in any way, stored in a retrieval system of any type, or transmitted by any means or media, electronic, or mechanical. Including, but not limited to, photocopy, recording, scanning, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.

This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this novel are either fictitious or are used fictitiously.

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

...

Dedication

This series is dedicated to all who have helped me along the way, particularly a large number of phantoms who have been dedicated ghost writers.

...

See the illustrations full-sized and colorized in the gallery at:

http://oldmagiclibrary.net

More adventures, colorized illustrations, and fun filled pages!

Ancient Map of Timare

Land of Timare in Deki and Hanta's Time

Visit http://oldmagiclibrary.net for colorized illustrations and more!

Fun facts, fabulous fiction, phenomenal phantoms!

# The Forbidden Prologue

Great Hall of Alaric

Deeply buried underground, the dark chamber suddenly became illuminated. Shadowy figures with whispering voices crept along the rough, blackened stone walls. A roaring fire igniting on the massive hearth drove out the musty dampness. A gust of wind swept away years of dust from the walls, ceiling, and floor. Symbols long forgotten were suddenly revealed on the floor. The shape of a twelve pointed star filled the floor in the center of the hall. Around the star at the tip of each point were symbols. One represented humankind, their figures engraved into the grey stone as they went about their daily task of surviving. More figures at the points of the star represented elves and dwarves. Birds, wolves, bears, and other creatures occupied other points. At the top of the star, most prominently were figures that represented the Enlightened Immortals. Destiny gave them only a moment of an eternity as living beings, but forever they lingered as ghosts. Those perpetual souls were the Tomares, or inhabitants of Timare.

The Mosaic Star

The entombed castle once stood proudly looking out over the harbor. But with the passing of an age lasting thousands of years, the castle had vanished from view. A city had grown up over and around the castle. The thick stone walls had merely become the foundation for many buildings. Once even a fort stood above the castle, but that fortress too was destroyed eons ago. Later, new towers were built as the castle's stones were strong and deeply entrenched in the ground. Even those towers fell eventually. Ordinary people carried off the old stone to build their hovels. Then those hovels were replaced with a new castle. This castle stood tall and like the early castle, it looked out over the harbor. A view of the Pillars of Ganeth could be seen from the only windows high up in the towers. That castle stood for hundreds of years before it too was abandoned. Then a nobleman purchased the property to build the School of Arts and Letters. Only those wealthy enough could attend. After serving many generations, that school was decrepit. Now the School of Arts and Letters was considered second best to other find boarding academies in the City of Cres. Soon, the school would be moving to a far more modern castle where the Board of Directors aspired to making a fresh start.

The Pillars of Ganeth

But the old and decrepit school covered up a great secret. Deep under the ground, the Great Hall of Alaric was expecting visitors. As old as the Great Hall of Alaric was, it was new by comparison to what lurked beneath. An even older stronghold that few would dare enter, the Temple of Eudoxia.

First to arrive in the Great Hall of Alaric was a tall, but very thin man. His elf ears were hidden under a tall top hat. Next arrived another elf, and like the first, he stood unusually tall. The elf greeted the other elf with a warm handshake and brotherly hug. With a popping sound, several more guests appeared. The ghosts quickly mingling were renewing old friendships and waiting patiently for the last member of the Order to arrive. Announced by the roar of two beasts, the Throne of King Hassium arrived, and was ceremoniously placed at the very top of the star. Then with boisterous laughter, King Hassium appeared on his throne with a loud pop. Older than the Hall of Alaric itself, King Hassium made his presence known with a witty jest. His beasts roared for silence while the other guests took their places around the star.

King Hassium was melancholy as he listened to the opening remarks of a silver robed ghost.

"The time is upon us," the silver robed ghost spoke in a deep and compelling manner. He turned and faced each member of the Order looking for agreement. "The signs have been seen!"

"Yet there are no Mortal Heralds!" A member of the Order pointed out.

"Not as yet!" Another countered.

"We are watching One," the silver robed ghosts stated loudly.

"Where is he?" A demanding ghost of a dwarf stepped out.

"The name of the One?"

"He has been exiled," the silver robed ghost stated evasively not revealing the name of the One.

The bickering among the members of the Order began, each having their own notions of what the future held.

"The Name of the One?" A ghost stepped forward and demanded again.

"The name shall not be revealed!" A white robed ghost taking sides with the ghost in the center of the star proclaimed. "Treachery may be among us!"

"Who do you accuse of treachery?" An angry voice spat.

"Any of you," the white robed ghost stated coldly.

"Until we are certain of the identity of the One, let us agree to maintain our silence," the very tall man who wore the top hat stepped forward. His brother took his side and together the two oddly tall members of the Order stared down at the dissenters. The Order divided into a rift, some still demanding the name of the One. Distrust across the rift grew and the secret meeting was deteriorating into a shouting match of accusations.

A voice rose above the rumble. Bellowing loudly, the voice either in treachery or in simple lack of concern blurted out. "He is the son of a peasant King!"

"A peasant King?"

The two brothers stepped forward again and glared at the one that betrayed the secret.

"By what madness do we entrust our entire civilization to the son of a peasant?" A voice shouted.

"Tell me that you are mistaken!"

The silver robed ghost in the middle glared angrily, particularly at the betrayer and his supporters.

"An oath of secrecy shall be sworn, for if you do not swear it, then you will not leave this chamber!" The silver robed ghost demanded.

King Hassium leaned forward in his throne to listen to the opposing perspectives. Then growing bored he drifted off into his memories. He was thousands of years old. Once while he bore the burden of the flesh, he was impatient and demanding. With a greater sense of worth than is justified, he ruled a mighty Kingdom with a fist of iron. Humbled by failures, harsh lessons, and eons of immortality, King Hassium was much different now. Some even considered him patient and kindly. As the arguments grew with different members of the Order taking opposing sides, King Hassium recalled his most foolish days some six thousand years ago.

The Castle of Timare

The Castle of Timare stood in a basin surrounded by ragged, rock strewn mountains inhabited by dragons. Armies of men marched from the white castle through the few passes under the watchful eyes of the wicked dragons. The dragons too, had been conquered by Timare, but the dragons' allegiance was suspect. Beyond one pass a wide road paved with white stones led to the western coast. From there, ships under the command of the King of Timare maintained a firm grip over the Kingdom's distant lands.

The domination of the Kingdom of Timare had been hard earned as it spread across an entire continent. Forces clashed as Deities wrestled for territories. Dragons had been a menace to be reckoned with. Elves and Dwarves carved out vast regions and accused Timare of greed in endless border disputes. Enemies to Timare, the elves were to the south while the dwarves were in the highlands of the east. Ruled with an iron fist, the Kingdom of Timare struggled to maintain its grasp. Wars, some between the Deities, some between men, others between dragons, elves, and dwarves reshaped the map frequently.

The Tower of Aria

The Tomares, or people of Timare were known for great magic, mighty stones of power, and an ability to withstand the onslaught of tumultuous changes. The Tomares built a grand civilization that spread from the cold and mountainous regions of the North to the sea in the far South. One of the great wonders of the world, the Pillars of Ganeth stood watchfully over the southern harbor. A white tower rose near the pillars and that was home to Eudoxia, the Esteemed One. A Deity who demanded the allegiance of Timare, she protected the land in return. Eudoxia was vigilant and invaders from the sea were few. To the east, the Kingdom of Timare crossed great expanses of land before culminating at the rugged fjords and whirlpools of the eastern seaboard. Another temple stood on the very top of a ragged mountain. Turned to face westward, Aria, the Deity of Song incessantly spread her influence against her rival sister, Eudoxia with a sweet but deceptive song. In spite, Aria empowered the dwarves to thwart the Kingdom of Timare. To the North in the rugged snow-covered mountains was their brother, Entrophious, the Deity of Disorder. Entrophious created the constant, barbaric battles to maintain dominion over a vulnerable pass from the North.

Entrophious, Deity of Disorder

The Castle of Timare was built of white stone harvested from quarries in the nearby mountains. Surrounded by a city with high, white walls, the civilization was far advanced for its time. Temples, pillars, and statuary stood to either side of a wide avenue that led to the very center of the city. Here, the great castle opened upon a wide plaza. The fortress standing high over the city was guarded by thousands of warriors.

King Hassium in his recollection could still see the events clearly. On that day more than six thousand years ago, lookouts from the city walls heard the trumpeting sounds of an approaching army. Marching from the North, through the Pass of Rime, the great army of Timare was returning triumphantly. Entrophious' ceaseless demands to battle the barbarians of the North were the bane of the people's existence. The Tomares had long been cursed by the Deity of Disorder. The sound of drums and trumpets grew louder as the host of more than ten thousand marched. Dragons infuriated by the upheaval blasted the skies high over the mountains with angry fire. But it was not just the victorious return of the great army that marked the day in history. For just ahead of the army, a single man cloaked in a gray robe slipped through the Gates of Timare. Wrapped in leather, he carried a bundle that was beyond the sight of any that dared take notice. With a flash in his eyes, the man quickly made his way along the wide avenue to the castle. Nobody dared challenge him.

Petitioning the council of King Hassium, the man was shown in through the mighty doors of the white fortress. Inside, a Court rose two stories to a vaulted ceiling adorned with a mosaic that testified to Timare's greatness. On the balcony stood the Council while the King's throne was in the back of the Court. Raised on a platform, King Hassium towered over his Court. Behind pillars, daring not to show their faces, various members of the Court stood, some scheming with their own intentions. The man approached the Throne of King Hassium cautiously while taking glances at the shrouded white-robed men hiding in the shadows of the pillars. Hearing the sound of metal clinking on the marble floor, he stopped to glare at one who threatened him. His eyes flared with rage and the Court was silenced. The man continued his slow march to the throne. Two beasts to either side of the King rose up and snarled.

"Approach the Throne, Emirdore!" King Hassium's voice bellowed.

Emirdore bowed and then he held out the leather bundle for the King's approval.

"You have delivered what I have demanded!" King Hassium looked pleased. He rose from his throne and looked with greed in his eyes at what Emirdore was holding.

"I have searched the far east," Emirdore spoke loudly with determination. Turning, he stared down the doubters hiding behind the white pillars. "I have battled dragons and dwarves! I return victorious!"

King Hassium's beasts roared. The Council in the balcony refuted Emirdore's claim with blatant insults. Emirdore turned and glared angrily at the mob. Then King Hassium's beasts roared even louder and the sounds far out in the city were silenced. A hoard of guards marched through doors and stood facing the mob with lowered spears. King Hassium's eyes flared as his beasts glared over the dissenters.

The King's Vatic stepped forward and read prophecies from an ancient book. Her fingers were moving nervously as she followed the words.

"The Sage of Cent Fois!" the Vatic proclaimed. "A fitting tribute Emirdore presents to King Hassium!"

"Allow me to see it," King Hassium demanded. His eyes were betraying his greed, even as his voice appeared calm.

A servant in white robes stepped forward and presented a burgundy pillow piped with gold trim and tassels. Emirdore reluctantly unwrapped the leather bundle.

The Vatic stepped forward and read the prophecies from the Great Book of Prophecies.

"The Third Age shalt commence and conclude on the fires of dragon's foul breath," the Vatic spoke while King Hassium ignored her words. It was the Sage about to be presented to him that captured his desire.

"The Third Age shalt be glorious, but will pass," the Vatic continued even as King Hassium's beasts roared for silence again. "A great Court will stand watch. Four will be born. Immortality will be granted upon their victory, but in failure all will be lost in perpetuity."

"Then the four shall not fail! So I command!" King Hassium roar was punctuated by his beasts that filled the great Court with such a roar that the distant mountains quaked.

"Your Proclamation is Just," the Vatic declared with a trembling bow.

"The Sage of Cent Fois!" Emirdore bowed as he set the egg-shaped orb on the burgundy pillow. Inside two black eyes blinked.

King Hassium stared with greed.

The Sage of Cent Fois

"Show me the Third Age!" King Hassium arrogantly demanded of the Sage.

The Sage neither intimidated nor impressed by the rude manners of the mighty King, blinked and remained silent.

"Speak!" King Hassium demanded.

Slowly, the Court began to fill with the murky vision of the future. Great armies marched over the land and Timare was victorious. The Kingdom of Timare would flourish for all of the Third Age while King Hassium would be held in the highest esteem. Silently the King's Vatic read the Great Book of Prophecy and knew that the vision was a fraud. The Sage was flawed! She spoke out, but the King refused to hear the Vatic's doubting words. Instead, the King basked in the vision of his own greatness and immortality.

...

Thousands of years had passed and now while the Order argued over the names of the One. King Hassium considered how the Age had passed. Entrophious was defeated and driven into the sea. Eudoxia was captured and confined to a temple where she was forgotten. Aria, amid a bitter battle against her army of goblins was captured and imprisoned in a cave high up Mount Aria. And with the end of the Age of Deities came the fall of Timare. The future was not the one predicted by the Sage, but the one seen by the Vatic in the Great Book of Prophecy.

The influence of ancient Timare had survived time. The land, once all the Kingdom of Timare became divided. New Kingdoms rose up, but all shared a common heritage, that of the ancient Tomares. Like the eternal volatility of the mighty seas, borders of the Kingdoms changed frequently. But throughout the upheavals, the people had flourished. The Tomares mixing their blood with the common mortals gave rise to the wizards who shared many of the traits of the old race. Thousands of years after the Sage fell into the grasp of King Hassium there were many Kingdoms, but all of them shared a common destiny. For the Third Age would be the last age of the wizards, elves, dragons, and dwarves. The people would survive the end of the Third Age as people always succeed in some way, but the Fourth Age would bring irrevocable changes and in the end, even the people would not survive the last age.

King Hassium snapped his attention back on the arguments of the Order. He had made his mistakes and was determined this time to not be the one that would be humbled so decisively.

Even as the silver robed ghost stared down his opposition, he knew the One would be returning from exile. A ship was being prepared in the nearby harbor. Loaded with provisions for a long journey, the ship was awaiting its passengers. Called the Star Flyer, the ship was the fastest sailing ship in the Kingdom's fleet. Captain Tarr, a short, staunch man awaited the arrival of Madam Ka' and Tommes the Third. As soon as they were aboard, the ship would set sail and travel across the oceans with a special and highly secret mission. Having received word that Madam Ka' was delayed and with growing impatience, Captain Tarr reviewed the preparations.

"It is written. A dragon seeks to devour the One," the Vatic whispered in King Hassium's ear. The King nodded but kept the revelation secret.

...

# Chapter 1: The Unexpected Visitors

The Star Flyer

Toldare the Dark One scrutinized his gazing ball with undying curiosity. Meddling, manipulating, ensnaring, entangling, eavesdropping, snooping, and spying on people of interest was the infamous Sorcerer's preferred past-time, and he was well-equipped for the task. Today his curiosity was piqued. The Star Flyer was in Nacapa and that was most peculiar. Curiously, the ship was the finest in King Otto's fleet, but so very far from Albaland.

Aboard the ship was a woman whom Toldare recognized. She was of Nobility and he noted the stiff formal manner in which she walked from the ship to a waiting carriage. Toldare gazed into the ball searching the surrounding port. To his delight, he noted that not only was the Star Flyer moored in the harbor but so was the Sea Dragon. That ship was piloted by none other than Captain Dakar, a known opportunist. Toldare suspected the pirate smelled a magnificent fortune.

****

Deki peeked from through the balusters of the second floor balcony. Light flooded into the foyer downstairs as Senor Madeira cracked open the front door. A gust of hot, midday salty sea air rushed upwards into Deki's face. Visitors were a rare event in the Madeira's household. In fact, Deki could not remember when anyone had ever dropped by.

"Go back to your room," Senora Madeira scolded as she brushed past Deki. Wearing a fine dress with high heel shoes and black stockings, she was intent on making a fine impression on whoever was visiting.

Deki dashed into his room leaving the door cracked open so he could listen. He had celebrated his tenth birthday a few weeks earlier and already his blond hair was beginning to darken. He never thought it odd that his skin tone was pale by comparison to the Madeiras. He had known for some time now that the Madeiras were not his parents. Deki's younger brother Hanta still had very blond hair. In any case, Senior Madeira always insisted that their hair be kept short. He was quick with the scissors as soon as either boy began looking the least bit scruffy. Hanta had green eyes whereas Deki's were more brownish. Both boys were slim, but Deki was just starting a growth spurt and had shot up several inches taller than Hanta in the last year. Hanta was after all just a bit over a year younger.

As soon as Senora Madeira had gone down the narrow staircase, Deki tiptoed back to the balcony to peek. Still in the room, Hanta was different from Deki. He had always been the one who tested the Madeira's patience. Emotional, defiant, sullen, and often temperamental, Hanta was not one to remain silent. He was angry now and becoming very distrustful. They had both been dressed up in fancy clothing that was terribly hot, itchy, and uncomfortably stiff. Something was going on and neither of them knew exactly what.

The evening before, Senora Madeira had packed two heavy wooden trunks with everything that belonged to the boys. Tucked into the top of the trunk were silhouettes of Senor and Senora Madeira that had been framed in ornate gold-leafed frames. An envelope with a fancy wax seal had been slipped in behind the silhouettes. Senora Madeira was sniffling and it was clear that the boys were going somewhere. But everything was hushed over as the truth was being deliberately withheld. After bedtime, Deki had peeked in his trunk. The letter was addressed to him, curiously he slipped it back in place without opening it.

For Deki and Hanta, it was no secret the Madeiras were not their parents. The boys had lived with them for the last eight years. Usually when the boys were being troublesome, Senora Madeira would make mention of other places and sometimes other people. But then she always became very tight lipped afterwards and never explained anything to the boys.

Deki watched from between the balusters as Senor Madeira welcomed a tall, elegantly dressed woman and a short, fat, oddly dressed man into the house. Senora Madeira greeted them and politely showed the two visitors into the next room. The parlor was a stiff formal room the boys were not allowed to set foot in except on special occasions. Those occasions were as rare as were visitors.

Deki squatted down hiding himself from Senora Madeira's view. Her footsteps clacked on the downstairs hallways as she set off toward the kitchen. She was acting particularly odd today and kept sighing every time either Deki or Hanta were within sight. One moment she was in tears and then the next she would snap, telling them to go back to their room. They would be called when the time came, she insisted.

Senora Madeira's footsteps sounded again as her high heels clattered on the hardwood floor. She was returning with a tray of refreshments for the guests. Deki slid back from the balcony hiding from view again while Hanta peeked out from behind the bedroom door.

The men were talking loudly. To Deki it was clear that the strangers had come for them. Business was being discussed.

"The boys have never been much trouble," Senora Madeira said. "The sound of footsteps in our house has been joyful."

There was a rustling sound and then the oddly dressed man said. "Your services have been much appreciated, Senor Madeira."

"Boys," Senor Madeira's voice bellowed from beyond the parlor doorway. "Come at once!"

Hanta sprung out from behind the door and pushed passed Deki. Together they bounced down the stairs making enough noise for both women to turn and stare as they entered the parlor. The tall woman barely smiled as Deki looked at her. She wore a very ornate hat with a stern look in her hazel eyes. Her nose was pointed and her face was covered with make-up. Around her neck, she wore a scarf that draped over a long dark purple dress. A jade green brooch that resembled a butterfly was pinned to her dress. The broach had jewels that caught the sunlight from the window and sparkled.

Deki quickly took in the room, his eyes instantly finding the source of the rustling. A pile of delicately handwritten papers with a large amount of money neatly stacked nearby. They had been sold to the strangers!

Deki back away towards the parlor doors.

"This is Deki," Senor Madeira said, as he grabbed him by the forearm and dragged him to the middle of the parlor. "And this is Hanta." He motioned towards the younger who was keeping his distance near the doorway with a scowl on his face. He was making no effort at being polite to the guests.

The tall women nodded while her piercing eyes darted between the two boys. She smiled slightly while her hands remained neatly folded in her lap. She had not touched the crystal glass that Senora Madeira had set out for her on a nearby table.

"Deki and Hanta," the oddly dressed man said, as he stood up from his seat with some effort. He walked with a limp and seemed unable to balance himself. Deki reluctantly shook the man's hand while Hanta cringed and looked away.

"Deki does well with his lessons," Senor Madeira said, as he beamed over the boys. "Hanta—well he needs only to try harder."

"I see," the odd man said, as he glanced back and forth between Senor Madeira and the two boys.

"Boys," Senor Madeira said boldly. "This is Captain Tarr and Madam Ka', and you will be leaving with them now."

"Where are we going?" Deki asked distrustfully.

"Have you ever been aboard a sailing ship?" Captain Tarr said with a broad smile that made his slim mustache lift.

"No," Hanta answered stiffly.

"We shall be taking a long trip," Captain Tarr said in the way adults talk to children, as if a change from his normal speaking voice would somehow make it seem even more exciting. "We shall cross the great ocean, would you like that?"

Deki nodded as he looked between the adults who were all beaming at him. Senora Madeira was upset, he could tell. She stood up and then hugged them both. And then Senor Madeira shook the boys' hands and gave them each a pat on the back. He was saying how they should come back and visit someday.

Much too quickly they were being swept through the front door and onto the narrow street. Madam Ka' ushered them toward a waiting open-air carriage. A uniformed coachman loaded their trunks onto the back. Captain Tarr and Senora Madeira were talking loudly while Senora Madeira sobbed. With a handkerchief, she kept patting her nose. Everyone waved to each other as the carriage pulled by two strong horses lurched forward. Madam Ka' smelled of perfume, something that caused both boys to squirm in their seats.

The carriage came to the main road. With a crack of the whip, the coachmen drove the horses to the right. The carriage fell in between other carriages and wagons on the busy roadway. Horses' hooves sounding on the cobblestone filled their ears even as the salty smell of the sea filled their nostrils. They were heading for the market square.

The market was furiously busy as vendors of all sorts hawked their wares while other people scurried about with baskets in their hands. Deki and Hanta had been to the market on a few rare occasions. With so much to see, the boys were excitedly trying to take it all in at once, much to Madam Ka's annoyance. There were crates of birds, baskets, fruits piled high on carts, meat that hung in nets, fish which smelled, leather belts, clothing, blankets, and several one-eyed merchants watching them. There were old women who walked with canes, and younger people who rushed by. Men, some old and wrinkled stared at them. Roughnecks were everywhere, unloading wagons or arguing loudly. A young boy in tattered gray clothing seemed to have stolen an apple while the angry merchant chased after him. Deki watched as the boy tossed the apple back and took off into the shadows.

A man dressed in drab clothing came to the side of their carriage, running alongside them. He had a basket of fruit that he was trying to entice Madam Ka' into purchasing. She waved him off, but the man persisted. Captain Tarr gave him a several coins and accepted the basket of fruit. Madam Ka' glared at him as if he had committed a crime. Reaching the end of the market square the crowds began to thin. The carriage gained speed having pushed through the congestion of people, wagons, mules, horses, geese, and even a small herd of pigs.

Looking out at the people, Deki caught sight of a frightening roughneck. Their eyes caught for a moment. The roughneck snarled and then Deki saw him talking to another man hidden in the shadows. That man wore a hat, much like Captain Tarr's but in the shadow, Deki could not make out much detail. He glanced backwards watching the two curiously and noted that they were now walking in the same direction. Meanwhile, the ships were coming into view. The tall, wooden sailing ships tied up at the docks bobbed up and down ever so slightly.

The docks were no place to go, not in Nacapa at least. Roughnecks worked the quays unloading the cargo ships. The men were loud and boisterous. Just staring at them made them mutter vulgar words, something that Madam Ka' found abhorrent. She maintained her long pointed nose in an upward position and pretended as though the men were not even there. The smell on the docks was pungent. A mixture of saltwater, fish, exotic fruits, vegetables, animals, and birds all at once. There were animals and birds in cages, some of which were being loaded onto ships while other cages were put on carts destined for the market.

A monkey jumped onto the back of their carriage squealing and hissing. Madam Ka' glared while Captain Tarr brushed the creature away. Deki looked out over the port area and realized that there were even more monkeys. Some were sitting on crates, while others were harassing the dockworkers. The monkey that had jumped onto the back of the carriage was passing them by. The horses reared slightly while the coachman shouted words.

The carriage continued down the docks and eventually came to a halt near a decorated ship. On the hull, the words 'Star Flyer' were painted in gold on an ornately carved name board. The offensive monkey was waiting at the boarding plank. Deki imagined that it was looking for a handout. The creature remained undeterred as several uniformed men tried to chase it off. The monkeys seemed to know how to get scraps of food and were not so easily frightened off. Deki wondered why he had not noticed the monkeys before, but then he had never been to the docks either.

The Star Flyer was larger and cleaner than most of the other ships. Freshly painted it looked quite seaworthy. Colorful flags flew from the masts, while a host of sailors peered over the side of the ship. Another uniformed man walked quickly down the ramp. He threw an apple at the monkey, which the critter immediately caught and scampered off behind some crates to devour.

Beneath starring eyes, Madam Ka', Deki, and Hanta were whisked aboard the ship. The sailors bowed to them as they made their way onto the deck of the ship. Their trunks were carried by men who followed the Captain up the plank. A bell was sounding and as if not to waste another moment, the mooring ropes were pulled and the ship began to drift toward the sea. There was barely enough time to take in the sight of everything as the ship moved out into the harbor. Hurriedly, the mates began raising the sails.

Deki and Hanta aboard the Star Flyer

Deki stood by the railing watching with Hanta. A uniformed man was standing behind them, while Captain Tarr and Madam Ka' had gone off somewhere. The ship swayed with the ever-increasing swells of the approaching ocean. Deki held the ship's brass railing tightly. Excitedly the boys pointed out the other ships plowing through the harbor. They watched as the deckhands climbed the tall masts and unfurled the rest of the sails. More sailors were stowing the mooring ropes, while another sailor climbed to the top of the main mast. Deki watched while that sailor dropped himself into the crow's nest at the very top of the mast. He had a brass spyglass that he flicked from side to side watching the other ships closely. With the wind in their faces, the ship began reaching its top speed. Now the air smelled like saltwater, but the eye watering smell of fish and seaweed was fading away. All around them large sea birds dove into the water. The boys stood at the bulwarks until the ship cleared the harbor and hit headlong into the ocean swells. The ship rose and fell with each wave, while white water lapped at the hull with a steady thumping sound.

The uniformed man's name was Mister Doran and he was the First Mate. He wore a white uniform with several stripes on his sleeves. He led them to a cabin and made them sit down on hard wooden chairs. Mister Doran closed the door behind them and the boys were left alone in the cabin.

"I think I am going to be sick," Hanta said while looking a little flush.

The cabin was like an office with a cluttered table in the middle. The walls were made of dark paneling with heavy wooden beams that came up from the floor. There were brass instruments on the desk and maps piled high on another table. Lanterns hung from the wall, but being daytime the lanterns were not lit. Around the walls hung more maps, some of which had been defaced with bold pencil marks.

"Where are we going?" Deki asked. He too was beginning to feel sick as the ship rolled and pitched.

"Do you think they will eat us?" Hanta asked.

Deki shrugged, he knew nothing of the strangers' intentions. They sat quietly listening to the groaning and creaking sounds of the ship. The sea was becoming calmer now and the feeling of being tossed about was just beginning to subside. Deki boldly stood up and went to the porthole. He peered out through the glass at the open sea. Deki could not see very much of the ship from the porthole, but he could see many birds darting around the sides of the ship.

Then the door creaked open as Captain Tarr and another very strangely dressed man entered the room. Mister Doran was the last to arrive and closing the door, he took a stance nearby. Deki quickly jumped back into the hard wooden chair and sat up straight.

"Deki and Hanta, I would like to introduce to you Tommes," Captain Tarr said with official formality. "Of course, you have already met Doran, the First Mate."

The Dragon Staff

Tommes was even stranger looking than Captain Tarr. Tommes wore a robe, pointed hat, and carried a staff in one hand. Just above his hand at the top of the staff was a claw that grasped a large red ruby jewel. The large red jewel seemed to flash sporadically as if lightning had been trapped inside. As for Tommes, he was bearded and looked neither old nor young. His wide-brimmed pointed hat was covered in strange symbols and flopped over at the very tip. Tommes' dark eyes were more piercing than Madam Ka's were, but a twinkle suggested a friendliness that was noticeably absent from Madam Ka'. His beard and hair were long, flowing, and dark black in color. His robe was dark blue with gold piping and stitching. Around his waist, a simple rope was tied together forming a loose belt. An awkward silence followed while everyone stared at each other. Then Tommes smiled and his face was jolly looking while a sparkle flashed across his eyes. Deki was most interested in the ruby stone, grasped by claws. He was watching that wondering what made it flash with inner lightning the way it did.

"Well, we meet again," Tommes said. His voice was strong and reminded Deki of the Sunday school teacher at the Madeira's church.

"I do not know you," Deki eventually replied. Hanta remained sullen and silent in his chair.

Tommes' Hat

# Chapter 2: Taking the Long Way

Deki and Hanta's Cabin

The cabin seemed to have grown a bit smaller as Deki gazed back upwards at the bearded man with the staff.

'What is with the hat?' Deki wondered. He was examining the pointed hat Tommes was wearing. The hat was covered in five pointed stars, a crescent moon, and a few other strange symbols that Deki could not quite make out. Looking Tommes over a bit more closely, he noticed a silver pendant that hung from his rope belt. It was shaped like a coiled dragon. Deki took a second look and thought he saw a whiff of smoke rising from the nostrils of the silver pendant. A large gold chain around his neck held another ruby colored jewel surrounded by a gold fitting. Like the jewel on the end of the staff, the ruby stone hanging from the man's neck seemed to glow, but in a different way. Looking at it as closely as he could, he thought he saw the stone throb while clouds whirled around inside. Deki blinked his eyes and looked again.

Tommes' Strange Amulet

"You were too young to remember," Captain Tarr said. "You would not know any of us, but we do remember you. Say Tommes, has it been almost nine years? How you two have grown?"

"Indeed," Tommes said. He pulled two candy sticks from his pocket. "I snitched these from the scullery," he said, as he handed each boy a stick wrapped in waxy paper.

"Sweeten us up before you eat us!" Hanta blurted out. He was ready to explode off into total rage. That was what he was prone to doing when faced with untrustworthy circumstances.

Doran laughed first, followed quickly by Tommes. Captain Tarr must have missed what was said and looked between the faces with an odd expression.

"I daresay," Tommes roared. "The King would certainly be disappointed if we should eat you."

"Is that not why you took us?" Hanta asked, while refusing to remove the wax paper wrapping from the candy stick.

"We saw the money," Deki said suspiciously. "You paid Senor Madeira money..."

Tommes laughed. "I think you are very imaginative. Go on Hanta have the candy. I swiped it right under the cook's nose, I am sure he intended them for after dinner."

"I suppose that all of this has been a bit unexpected." Captain Tarr said reassuringly. He took a seat behind the table. "We have no intention of eating you. Besides you do not look very tasty."

"I am taking you to my home, Alacantar," Tommes said. "We will be at sea for a while. We will travel to the other side of the world. I am sure the abruptness from which you have departed the Madeira's has been a little frightening, but all will be fine."

Deki tugged the wrapping off the candy and stuck it in his mouth. It was sweet and tasted like peppermint. The taste seemed to help his churning stomach. Hanta relaxed a little and tried to sit back in the stiff chair. He was very uncomfortable in the clothes Senora Madeira had made them wear. They waited silently for the adults to say something else.

Tommes' Dragon Pendant

A bit later Mister Doran led them out into the corridor. He set off towards the stern of the ship and once he realized that he was walking too fast stopped and waited for the boys to catch up. He was tall, had long legs, and showed little difficulty walking as the ship rolled.

"This will be your cabin," Doran said, as he opened a door. "If you like you can change your clothes. That way they will be fresh when you arrive."

The boys stepped inside the small cabin. The trunks had already been unpacked and their everyday clothes were hanging inside tall cabinets.

"I shall come for you when it is time for dinner," Doran said, and then he stepped out of the cabin.

Deki explored the cabin, but there was not much to see. The walls were constructed of dark panels and beams while a small bunk was built into either side of the cabin. There were two tables at the ends of the beds and in between the tables was one small porthole. A door with shiny brass hinges and latches could be closed over the porthole. Deki fiddled with the door for moment and then lost interest. He peered outside and saw the ocean outside frothing with sea foam. There were far fewer birds than the last time he had looked over the water. He sat on the edge of the bed feeling uncomfortable, while Hanta took the other berth. There had always been differences between the boys and while they sat on the berths, each was eyeing the other one's berth as if it was different and perhaps therefore better. Then with no words between them, they each changed sides as if to prove that there was no difference. Hanta after trying out the other berth switched back to the first while pushing Deki away.

An hour later Madam Ka' came to the door. She was very disapproving of their choice of clothing and made them put their stiff itchy clothing back on. She stood with her arms crossed while they did so. Then she began brushing Hanta's blond hair with her long bony fingers. Hanta glared defiantly. Deki seeing the rough way that Madam Ka' was handling his brother took to brushing his own hair.

Then Madam Ka' escorted them out into the corridor setting off towards the stern of the ship. Walking on the ship was a challenge and every time the ship swayed a bit to one side or the other, they fell against the corridor walls. The temptation was too much and they both started to make a game out of it. Madam Ka' frowned furiously.

"Behave!" She scolded and then opened the doorway into a new room. A bell sounded across the ship as Madam Ka' marched them inside the cabin. The room was set with tables and chairs. Madam Ka' walked toward a small table near the portholes. That table was covered in a cloth while ornate china and silver were set in each place. A bouquet of flowers was neatly arranged in a vase, while napkins had been folded into a swan shape. She pointed at the hard wooden chairs and made the boys sit. As if expecting someone else, she glanced around the room and then seeing that the room was empty pulled out her own chair. With a sigh, she sat down delicately. The chair scraped on the wooden deck as she pulled herself closer to the table.

Deki looked over at the big table and noticed that the settings were not fancy nor was the wooden table covered in a cloth. A moment later, the dining room began to fill with men who took seats at the big table. Some men wore uniforms, including Mister Doran, while others were dressed as shipmates in gray work clothes. All eyes darted back towards the boys. Deki had seen the men climbing the masts and unfurling the sails earlier. Captain Tarr and Tommes arrived last, taking seats at the big table.

Rigidly, Madam Ka' stared at the boys as Deki fiddled with his silverware.

"Sit up straight," Madam Ka' scolded. "Put your hands in your lap."

Then the food came out in large bowls that were first passed around the little table. The cook, a heavy man wearing a dirty apron stuck his round nose out the galley door to watch. The men were loud and spoke funny. Deki tried understanding what they were saying but could not understand the words they spoke. Occasionally Madam Ka' glanced over at the big table, her lips as always were formed in a disapproving frown.

As the dinner plates were cleared, the servants brought out dessert cakes allowing Deki and Hanta first choice. Madam Ka' laid her fork over her plate and politely sat back in her chair, so the servants did not offer her any cake. The dining room was quiet now as the men settled back into their chairs. Ever so often, Deki noticed the men glancing over toward him.

After dessert, the fireworks began. Apparently, Tommes was not satisfied with Madam Ka's choice of clothing for the boys. An intense argument broke out in the hallway. Deki strained his ears to listen. Captain Tarr on the other hand sat at the table silently. Then as the argument grew louder, he casually strolled out of the room. He closed the door behind him and all of the men stared in that direction without a word. The argument came to a lull as Captain Tarr spoke. Then there was a minute or two of silence.

Madam Ka' started again only to be interrupted by Tommes. Then Captain Tarr's voice rose up loudly and the argument came to an abrupt ending. A moment later, Madam Ka' came through the door with a sullen expression. Tommes was behind her with a grin on his face. Arguing with Madam Ka' seemed more of a sport to Tommes, something that he enjoyed. Deki noticed the dragon pendent again as several victorious puffs of fire shot from its nostrils. He blinked and pointed to the pendant while Hanta looked on equally mystified.

"Return to your cabins and change your clothes," Madam Ka' ordered. "Tommes prefers that you dress as deck hands."

"Madam Ka'," Tommes continued. "It is for the best. We do not wish to arouse any suspicions. I think that I have made the best decision for the boys' well-being."

"And who, out here in the middle of the sea will have their suspicions aroused?" Madam Ka' argued her voice rising. The men at the table quickly looked away.

"My dear lady," Captain Tarr interrupted. "We shall pass other ships as we venture across the sea."

"I feel it is for the best," Tommes said. "Besides I think the boys would prefer to keep their good clothes clean for a special occasion."

"We have an entire ship of servants to maintain their clothing," Madam Ka' snipped.

"Still, secrecy is our best hope of arriving in Albaland without any incidents," Tommes said.

"Very well, then," Madam Ka' curtly answered. Captain Tarr cringed under her furious gaze.

Deki and Hanta went back to their cabin and changed into the clothing laid out by the cabin boy. They were both happy to get out of the itchy clothing. Afterwards, having been invited by Mister Doran, they went out on deck.

A moment later, Madam Ka' arrived still smoldering with outrage. Apparently, it was suggested that she too should dress down a bit. She had changed into a drab light blue outfit that was not much better than a servant's dress.

"It is for the best," she muttered glacially, glowering with defeat.

Doran led them on a tour of the ship starting on the top deck. They went all the way to the bow of the ship and then following the railing back around the other side they went up into the pilothouse. Here they found all sorts of things to touch and look at including a world globe. Deki made it spin with the slightest touch.

The pilot was an older bearded man who looked around nervously while the boys fidgeted with whatever they could lay their hands on. Hanta was surprised to learn that the Captain of the ship did not pilot the ship. He was fascinated by the ship much more than Deki.

Cannons in the Gunnery

From the pilothouse, they followed a narrow staircase that went below the deck. To Deki's amazement, the lower deck was lined with a neat row of cannons down each side of the ship. In front of each cannon, a small-hinged door could be opened whereby the nozzles could be pushed outside.

"The Star Flyer is the fastest and best equipped war ship in the King's fleet," Mister Doran said proudly.

"Who is the King?" Hanta whispered to Deki as they skipped down the gunnery.

"I do not know," Deki whispered back with a shrug of his shoulders.

After the tour of the gunnery, they were taken to a small cabin that Tommes was using as an office. He was sitting behind a table, while an old scruffy dog lay curled up in the corner contently sleeping. The dog had an old stuffed woolen sock under its chin as if it were a pillow to rest his snout on. Madam Ka' was seated in a large comfortable leather chair, while the boys were shown to nearby wooden stools.

Tommes looked up and laid his spectacles down on the table. Looking closely at Tommes, Deki could see the slightest twinkle in his eyes. Apparently, Tommes found humor in nearly everything.

"Much better," he said, as he looked the boys over. "And Madam Ka' I thank you for your co-operation."

"It is for the best," Madam Ka' said politely but insincerely.

"We've hardly been at sea for a few hours now," Tommes said turning his attention back toward the boys. But he was really speaking for Madam Ka's benefit. "The pilot reports that there is another ship off our stern."

"Is the ship following us?" Madam Ka' asked.

"We do not know at this time," Tommes answered. "Captain Dakar was seen at the docks when we left. I believe he may be following us."

"He is no match for the Star Flyer," Madam Ka' said coldly. "It is the King's finest and fastest ship."

"The Sea Dragon is very fast as well." Tommes said referring to Captain Dakar's ship.

Deki's interest piqued and he boldly interrupted just as the two adults were beginning to squabble. That just happened without any thought to whatever punishment his rudeness might have brought. Senor Madeira would never have tolerated such an interruption when adults were speaking.

"Who is this King?" Deki blurted out.

"King Otto the Sixteenth," Tommes answered quickly and then immediately turned back toward Madam Ka'. "I have ordered Captain Tarr to change our course. We will sail in an unusual direction and see what the other ship does in turn."

"Then we shall not arrive in Albaland on time," Madam Ka' snipped.

"We have all of the time in the world to arrive in Albaland," Tommes replied.

"Surely," Madam Ka' persisted. "The Star Flyer can be put to full sail."

"The Captain will decide which sails to unfurl." Tommes answered. "Madam Ka', please allow the Captain to command his ship as he sees fit. It is not the work of a fine lady such as you."

"Who is King Otto the Sixteenth?" Deki interrupted again. The adults were getting on his nerves with their overly polite yet hostile bantering. Hanta shrunk down on his stool to avoid any blame for Deki's second interruption. Senor Madeira would have them both sent to their rooms without supper for Deki's rudeness.

"You are upsetting the boys," Madam Ka' said coldly.

"King Otto the Sixteenth," Tommes said. "Is the King of Albaland and brother to Madam Ka' and your late mother. He is your uncle." He swept his arms towards Madam Ka' with the utmost politeness while an extra-large sparkle flashed across his eyes.

Madam Ka' nodded.

"Oh," Deki nodded no less confused about matters. He wanted to ask more questions but a stern look from Madam Ka' suggested that he remain silent.

"Nevertheless," Tommes began the argument again. "King Orr expects me to deliver the boys in one piece. It is best that we avoid any confrontation with Captain Dakar while we are at sea. We shall take a less traveled course."

"Of course," Madam Ka' said with a wave of her hands.

"But who is King Orr?" Deki interrupted again. Hanta tried to sink into his stool, but since it was wooden, he made very little progress in disappearing. He glared at Deki.

"King Orr the Fourteenth is the King of Hadzi," Tommes answered returning his attention to Madam Ka'. He stared her down with his whimsical eyes.

"King Orr is your father," Madam Ka' answered. "Since Tommes, who is so fond of secrecy, has let the cat out of the bag I shall tell you. I am your aunt and your mother was my older sister."

"Oh," Deki answered while thinking it over. "What is Hadzi?"

"Our mother?" Hanta mumbled.

"See what you have done, Tommes," Madam Ka' scolded. "You have upset the boys. They know nothing of either their parents or their Kingdom."

"All will be explained," Tommes said with a wave of his hands. "I have something for you both." With a flick of his fingers, he made two hats appear in his hands magically. Deki blinked while Hanta sat up and pointed.

"How did you do that?" Deki asked.

"Just a little talent," Tommes said and then he tossed the hats to the boys.

They looked worn and very much like the woolen knitted hats that he had seen the roughnecks on the docks wearing earlier.

"Wear them," Tommes said. "They will help you to understand matters better."

"Tommes," Madam Ka' stood up visibly outraged. "It is enough that the boys must wear clothing of deck hands, now you expect them to wear filthy hats!"

"My dear," Tommes said already prepared to argue. "I believe that these hats are special. They will serve the boys well as they both have much to learn. Try them on."

Madam Ka's outrage worsened as Deki pulled his knit hat over his head. The hat felt funny and it seemed rather hot to be wearing a hat anyhow. Nevertheless, the hat stretched and fit finely. The boys pointed at each other and laughed, something that only irritated Madam Ka' more. Tommes on the other hand was enjoying the spectacle, his eyes twinkled.

"Why do you not conjure up a fog?" Madam Ka' said unkindly. She stood up and stepped towards the door. Mister Doran moved swiftly to open the cabin door for her.

"Surely you could do that." Madam Ka' taunted.

"I will consider my options," Tommes said. "Captain Dakar would not attempt to cross our paths anyhow. I believe the pirate knows his limits. He will be waiting for a better opportunity to strike."

"I should think so," Madam Ka' said then abruptly left the room.

"A pirate?" Deki muttered quite perplexed. Hanta was too busy toying with his knit cap to take notice of Deki's bold interruption.

"An unfortunate complication to our plans," Tommes answered. "Captain Dakar may have gotten wind of our plans somehow. But do not be concerned, it is my job to worry, not yours."

Deki was confused. Two Kings had been mentioned by the bickering adults, one an uncle and the other their father. They had a very strict aunt who before today he had never heard of. The man with the funny hat was a magician and to make matters more complicated, they were being followed by a pirate. And only this morning they had been living peacefully in Senor Madeira's house where none of these things were ever even imagined. The two left the room befuddled while Mister Doran closed the door behind them. Madam Ka' was waiting for them in the passageway and she spared them nothing in her fiery glare.

Tommes, Keeper of Alacantar

# Chapter 3: The Isles of Lost Fortune

Storm at Sea

Early in the morning, a flash of lightning and a bang of thunder startled the boys out of their sleep. The ship was pitching and rolling violently. Deki bolted up in his berth. Another flash of light was followed quickly by a loud clap of thunder that made the ship rattle. The Star Flyer had sailed into a storm and seemed not like a mighty warship, but merely a toy for the sea to toss about for mere amusement. Hanta was holding his stomach, already seasick. Deki stared at the porthole. Rain and sea foam splattered the glass. The storm raged on for several hours, before the first light of dawn flashed across the horizon. The violent motion of the Star Flyer began to calm while a thick mist shrouded the endless sea.

Over breakfast that morning, neither Captain Tarr nor the Star Flyer seemed any worse for the wear. Hanta was still too sick to eat and Madam Ka' was actually being nice to him. The remainder of the day was spent confined to their cabins as more storms churned up the sea and tossed the Star Flyer about. None of the day's storms was as bad as the storm that had rocked the boys out of bed in the early hours of the morning.

By evening, Mister Doran came for them. The uniformed officer escorted the boys up on the deck. Off in the distance the horizon was black as magnificent storm clouds darkened the sky. Flashes of lightning swept downward to the sea, while distant rumbles of thunder followed. The sea all around was churned up with white caps. Still a brisk trade wind was pushing the Star Flyer eastward at a fast clip. The sound of the sails snapping with the wind filled their ears. Occasionally a spray of water flew up from the sea, dampening their faces and clothing. The seawater was icy cold, but in the heat of the day, it was refreshing. The boys stayed on the deck and watched the sky turn red as the sun sank into the western horizon.

By the following day, the ship had sailed north towards the equator. Now the ship was moving very slowly. There was hardly even a slight breeze to fill the sails. The ocean stunk while they passed over the corpses of millions of dead fish floating on the water. The nasty smell burned Deki's nostrils while his eyes watered and his skin pricked. Mister Doran called it a red tide and said the fish had been poisoned. Even the sea birds were not swooping down to gobble up the dead fish. Progress through the sea of dead fish was sickeningly slow through air noxiously suffocating.

Bored and unable to stay outside on deck, Deki and Hanta went to the pilothouse. Captain Tarr was measuring distances with calipers that he held against the revolving globe. The ship was constantly changing course. First, the ship sailed west, and then abruptly changed directions to move eastward. Captain Tarr explained how he was using the scant trade winds slowly easing the ship northward. Once they passed over the equator, he believed the trade winds would resume in an easterly direction. If they traveled far enough to the north, the ship would pick up very strong winds of the horse latitudes, he explained. Deki became bored with the Captain's work and took to using the spyglasses to search the distant horizon for any sign of another ship.

Hanta on the other hand was quite enthusiastic about the ship and spent the afternoon delivering messages to the pilot for Captain Tarr. When he was not delivering messages, he would examine the globe and other tools that lay within his reach.

As the ship passed beyond the sea of dead fish, Deki took to wandering around the ship. There was not much for him to do other than get underfoot with the crew. He watched them rig the sails for a while and then stood by the railing, watching porpoises skimming the sea alongside the ship. By late afternoon, he was tired and wandered back to his cabin, stopping only for a moment to try to get Yaps, the scruffy dog to play with him. The dog still had the old sock in its jaw and seemed to have no interest in playing. Deki's curiosity rose as he watched Yaps open the door to Tommes' cabin with little difficulty as he touched his paw to the doorknob. The old dog disappeared inside the cabin while the door closed behind him. Deki continued towards the galley while carefully avoiding Madam Ka's door. Complaining of a headache earlier, she had not been seen since breakfast.

In the galley, the cook was busy preparing dinner and paid little attention to him. A bit later, he let Deki ring the early dinner bell. He threw his hands up the air when Deki rang it twice instead of just once as instructed. Minutes later Mister Doran stuck his head in the door asking what the problem was. The cook just nodded towards Deki with his head and the First Mate smiled. After dinner, the remainder of the day was uneventful. Later they sat and heard a scary ghost story on the deck told by Scraggy, a craggy faced bearded sailor with long tangled dirty hair. Then the boys were sent to bed.

By sunrise the following day the ship was moving very quickly having caught the trade winds that Captain Tarr had predicted. Madam Ka' was about the ship causing much irritation among the sailors. Everywhere she went the sailors had to stop what they were doing and bow politely to her. With the help of the magic hats, the boys had figured out what they were saying. The hats spoke to them in a whisper, translating the language of the deck hands into words that Deki and Hanta understood. Now it was a game to eavesdrop on everyone while the hats whispered. Sneaking up behind Madam Ka' they took turns spying on her, listening to her as she spoke harshly with the crew. The boys just pretended as if they had no idea what their aunt was saying. Meanwhile, Captain Tarr was very busy navigating the ship toward a secret destination. He was constantly being called to come out and escort Madam Ka'. Growing irritated with the endless interruption, he sent Mister Doran out to entertain Madam Ka'. She was not particularly impressed with Doran and wasted no time reminding him of his commonness.

In his cabin, Tommes spend the day interrogating the crew in search of a spy. The crew was very discontent about the matter. His personal interviews were much dreaded. Aside from Madam Ka' and the boys, Tommes had done a thorough job of checking everyone's loyalties. In the end, he was pleased to announce that there were no spies aboard the Star Flyer. How he knew for sure was the cause of much gossip and speculation. No one could even imagine who the traitor could even be. Everyone seemed relieved, as distrust between fellow shipmates was not easily accepted. Tommes' theory was Captain Dakar had just stumbled across their path and was merely snooping.

Captain Dakar's ship had not been spotted since they had turned northward and crossed the stagnant waters over the equator. Ships did not often follow that route since the danger of drifting for days in the stagnant sea was all too commonplace. Besides, now the sides of ship were covered in red slime and still smelled foul. Cleaning the red slime off the sides of the ship would become a tedious, all day task for the men. Using ropes and nets the men were dropping off the sides of the ship. The work was slow as the men used rags and sea sponges to wipe down the sides of the ship.

Everyone knew the ship was heading for a secret destination to take on supplies for the remainder of the journey. This far out in the ocean there could only be one destination, The Isles of Lost Fortune. Scraggy spent his free moments telling the boys tall tales about the Isles that always ended in someone being forced to walk the plank or being gobbled up by sea monsters, or better yet carried off by giant sea dragons. The tales were so ridiculous in fact that the boys were beginning not believe any of them. Somehow or another Captain Dakar seemed to always be the villain in Scraggy's tales.

The next day Madam Ka' caught Hanta spying on her. "Do you not think that I do not know what those ridiculous hats are for?" She scolded in her native tongue.

Unfortunately, Deki and Hanta gave themselves away by reacting to what she had said as the hats translated the words. They shrugged it off and wandered off to find a new pastime of attempting to climb the masts, something that Mister Doran brought to a quick end. Scraggy was called out and the boys spend most of the day listening to more tales of sea monsters, wicked ship destroying storms, more pirate tales, famous sea battles, and a endless variety of fish tales, each one more remarkable than the last. The afternoon eventually did pass when Madam Ka' came for them announcing dinner.

The following day, land was spotted off the bow by the lookout perched in his basket high up on the main mast. A bell sounded several times quickly and he shouted. Far off on the distant horizon Deki could see the faint outline of mountains rising up from the sea. Confirmed by Mister Doran, they were approaching the Isles of Lost Fortune.

The Isle of Lost Fortune

This chain of volcanic islands served as a trading post. Here ships laden with cargo of all kinds stopped and traded, buying and selling nearly everything from slaves to gold. The sailors eager to escape the confines of their ships went ashore and spent untold days drinking and brawling in the port town of Haletown. It was common for ships to lose half their crew while at port. The Captains merely picked a new crew from the sailors who waited on the docks to find work again. Penniless after just a few days of squandering and revelry, the men were eager to leave Haletown knowing that they would soon return.

Deki and Hanta stayed up near the bow of the ship and watched as their tall ship gracefully skirted around the isles, eventually turning towards a harbor filled with many other tall ships. Excitedly the boys watched as they approached the harbor. This was their first port of call since boarding the Star Flyer and they did not intend to miss even a single moment.

The Star Flyer tacked slowly into the harbor, dropping anchor among a cluster of ships. A dingy was lowered and Captain Tarr went with two others to purchase stores of fresh food and other supplies. The boys were allowed to stay on deck, but they were being closely guarded by three armed mates. A lot could be seen including the wide market street that rose up from the docks. Tall ships paraded through the harbor, some were arriving while others were departing. Colorful flags of all sorts and sizes flew from their masts. Many of the ships' names were written in strange letters that neither Deki nor Hanta could understand. It was while gaping at the arrivals that Deki spotted the Sea Dragon, its name emblazoned on the bow. The pirate ship passed close enough for the boys to catch a glimpse of Captain Dakar himself. The ship continued into the harbor, eventually dropping anchor beyond the docks on the far side of the bay.

Tommes was not pleased to hear of the Sea Dragon's arrival in Haletown. Now it was clear to him that the Sea Dragon was indeed trailing them. Few ships choose to cross the equator as the Star Flyer had. He was convinced that Captain Dakar's interest had been aroused by the sight of Madam Ka' in Nacapa. A single mistake he had allowed, but one that Madam Ka' had insisted on. Tommes had the boys locked in their cabin ending their fun for the day. Once the ship was replenished with stores, they would set off at once and hopefully that would be the last of Captain Dakar.

Later, the sound of Captain Tarr's distinctive voice could be heard in the corridor outside the boy's cabin. He was speaking loudly to the guards posted outside. Then the sound of knocking at Tommes' cabin door was faintly heard. Looking out the porthole of their cabin Deki could see a small barge nearby. They could hear the sound of crates being hoisted by the ship's crane, but the view from the porthole was very limited. When the crane stopped grinding, the loading was complete and the small barge floated away.

Meanwhile, Captain Tarr was having a heated discussion over their next move with the bearded Wizard.

"He is of no real threat," Captain Tarr said. "I say let him see the boys, dress them as servants and his suspicions will be laid to rest."

"I think not," Tommes answered. "He has already been tipped off."

"They will just appear as servant boys," Captain Tarr protested. "You have already disguised them."

"When was the last time a Royal has personally gone to pick out servant boys?" Tommes said referring to Madam Ka's visit to the Madeira's house.

"True," Captain Tarr answered. "Madam Ka's presence does raise his suspicions. But—if we depart hastily, then certainly Captain Dakar's suspicions will only be confirmed."

"True," Tommes replied.

"He will be coming in an hour," Captain Tarr answered. "While I myself would prefer not to waste a pint of good grog toasting with Captain Dakar, I see no point in rudely snubbing him either."

"We shall set sail immediately afterwards," Tommes said. "I shall see to it that Captain Dakar is detained."

"He does not know that you are aboard the ship," Captain Tarr said. "Nor should he be informed of this."

"That would be unfortunate," Tommes agreed. "Perhaps we can pass the boys off as servants Madam Ka' has a peculiar interest in, but my presence aboard this ship would certainly be the last thing Captain Dakar should know."

"I agree," Captain Tarr replied. "He would be convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt of the Princes' presence. I need to make plans for his visit."

"Very well then," Tommes said while lifted his eyebrows. "But will we have the co-operation of Madam Ka'?"

"I shall leave that detail to you," Captain Tarr said with a slight snicker.

# Chapter 4: Captain Dakar, the Pirate

A Dagger

As expected, Madam Ka' was not intimidated by Captain Dakar's visit. She considered the Star Flyer her own private sailing yacht and intended to greet Dakar with imposing graciousness. There was no arguing with her. However, she was agreeable to allowing the boys to act as her personal servants. The thinly orchestrated cover-up was destined not to fool Captain Dakar one bit. Besides as Madam Ka' was quick to point out, she might be the cause of Dakar's interest in the first place.

Tommes had no further argument. He would stay in his cabin out of Captain Dakar's sight while Madam Ka' and Captain Tarr entertained their guest. The boys would bring a tray of refreshments and then Madam Ka' would send them off as if they were merely her servants. Tommes had made other plans for delaying the Sea Dragon when the Star Flyer slipped out of the harbor.

Meanwhile, the boys were dressing up as royal servants with uniforms that Tommes had conjured up for them. They looked ridiculous! Their pants were red with gold stripes down the sides. Their shirts white and ruffled at the collars while a jacket made of red cloth and adorned with gold tassels made them look like dolls. Each had a hat with even more gold tassels and to add further insult their faces were smeared with white gooey paint that when dried made it difficult to move their lips. Their hands were covered with white gloves and if it were any indication of how they looked, Madam Ka' was delighted. The boys howled and protested, but it was to no avail.

The entire ship had been hastily made ready for the visit. The men were forced to wear their formal uniforms. A table and some chairs were brought out onto the deck and placed under a makeshift canopy. Captain Tarr did not want Dakar to have a glimpse of the ship's interior.

There was no time for a rehearsal and while the boys sweltered in their servant doll outfits, Madam Ka' spelled out their roles. She doubted that they could perform even the simplest task with any sensibility and changed the plan at the last moment. Hanta now would carry her trailing gown, while Deki would carry a pillow. They would help Madam Ka' to her seat, bow and without any word spoken would vanish from her sight. They were not to be seen for the remainder of the visit.

"And you will say nothing," Madam Ka' scolded. "Not one word from either of you. Not even if spoken too!"

Mister Doran commanded the men and lined them around the ship's railings. He placed four armed men near Madam Ka's chair. Several others were hidden in the corridor. The boys were to return to the corridor, and be whisked back into Tommes cabin immediately after completing their tasks. The cook had prepared a light snack of crab cakes, salted biscuits, and set out a chilled bottle of the Captain's best grog. Per Madam Ka's orders, Captain Dakar would not be staying for dinner. She agreed to see him on deck but she did not intend to dine with such a renowned degenerate.

Captain Dakar arrived promptly in a small boat oared by two men dressed in uniforms. Captain Tarr met him personally, as a net ladder was dropped over the side of the ship. The bearded, dark but graying haired Captain climbed aboard, while one of his uniformed men carried a bouquet of flowers and a small wooden box. The box was not very big and was engraved with a simple crest. The Captains shook hands and then bowed ceremonially. Escorted by Mister Doran, the Captains walked a short distance around the ship allowing Dakar to inspect the sailors as was traditional.

"My good man," Captain Dakar said after the formalities were complete. "How many years since we last visited?"

"Twelve, I imagine," Captain Tarr replied.

"What has brought you to Haletown, might I ask?" Captain Dakar asked, as the men proceeded across the deck.

"Ah, just acquiring a few supplies," Captain Tarr answered.

"Imagine my surprise to see the Star Flyer anchored as we came into the harbor." Captain Dakar answered. "I did not know that King Otto ever allowed his prized ship out of his harbor."

"Not very often," Captain Tarr replied politely. "He tends to dote over his little ship."

"I have heard that, too," Captain Dakar answered cheerfully with a grunting laugh. "And a fine ship is the Star Flyer."

"The very finest," Captain Tarr said. "Shall we sit and talk of old times?" He motioned towards the chair that Mister Doran was holding for the pirate.

"By all means," Captain Dakar said and sat with a little awkwardness in the stiff wooded chair. Directly across the table he noted the larger chair covered in fine leather.

"Madam Ka' has taken to sailing around the world," Captain Tarr said.

"Madam Ka' has decided to travel," Dakar said without tipping his hat. "I find that most remarkable."

"Indeed," Captain Tarr said knowing fully Dakar was bluffing. "We have been sailing for several weeks now."

"I see," Captain Dakar said. He casually pushed the small hand carved box onto the table and then leaned back in the chair. "I imagine staying at home has become rather stuffy, perhaps the sea air appeals to her."

"Indeed," Captain Tarr said. "Why, here comes Madam Ka' now." Both men rose to their feet while Madam Ka' proceeded elegantly across the deck. Hanta held up the train of her dress, while Deki carried an embroidered pillow. As the procession arrived, the men bowed to her in the proper fashion with Captain Dakar making the grandest gesture.

"My dear, Madam Ka'," Captain Dakar spoke. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance." He handed her a bouquet of flowers that Madam Ka' accepted graciously.

She smelled the aroma by fanning the flowers gently with her hand. Then she took her seat in the leather chair. Deki stuffed the embroidered pillow behind her back. With a rude flick of the wrist Madam Ka' waved them away. Deki and Hanta quickly stepped away, but not without first noticing the curious glare from Captain Dakar. Mister Doran quickly took the flowers from Madam Ka' and stood by her side holding them like his hands were a makeshift vase. He looked uncomfortable and remained stiffly standing at full attention.

"Captain Tarr informs me that you are the Captain of the Sea Dragon." Madam Ka' said curtly.

"That is correct, Madam," He answered politely.

"And what kind of commodities do you trade?" Madam Ka' asked, as if she were not already fully aware of the pirate's illicit trade.

"Fine jewels, gold and silver." Captain Dakar answered. "Prized artifacts and fine antiquities—discreetly, of course."

"I see," Madam Ka' said stiffly.

The cabin boy arrived with a tray of freshly prepared crab cakes and salted biscuits. While a second came with tankards and a bottle of spirits, which he ceremoniously uncorked. Drinks were poured while the plates of crab cakes and thin biscuits were delicately laid out on the small table.

"What an unexpected surprise," Captain Dakar said, as he waited for Madam Ka' to take the first sip from her glass.

"Indeed," Captain Tarr said.

"I find traveling to be good for my health," Madam Ka' said.

"A toast to your health," Captain Dakar said while holding his glass up in another grand gesture.

The cabin boy arrived again with a glass vase. He plucked the flowers from Mister Doran's hands and planted them in the vase. With elaborate care, he set the vase down on the table and fluffed up the flowers a bit before scurrying away. Relieved Mister Doran put his hands behind his back and stood motionlessly next to Madam Ka'.

"The sea air is refreshing," Captain Tarr said.

"Indeed," Madam Ka' said. "I have seen so many new and interesting places."

"Indeed," Captain Dakar replied. "I have brought my dear old friend Captain Tarr a gift that I would like to present to him, if it pleases you Madam?"

"Certainly, you may," Madam Ka' said. She poked delicately at the plate of crab cakes with her fork.

"A debt repaid," Captain Dakar said, as he presented the box to Captain Tarr.

Inquisitively, Captain Tarr took the box, peeked inside, and while trying not to gasp said. "My—what an unexpected curiosity."

"I thought you might like this. I have been saving it for the longest time now with just you in mind." Captain Dakar said with a grin that caused his dark bushy mustache to rise ever so slightly.

"I believe you have far overpaid your debt, Captain Dakar." Captain Tarr said, as he laid the open box on the table. Madam Ka' caught the expression he made as he looked up at her.

"Why a pearl handled dagger," Madam Ka' said. She recognized it immediately but without the slightest flinch maintained her graceful composure. "How thoughtful, I imagine men like having such things as this in their collections."

"Indeed," Captain Tarr answered quickly. "I have several others very similar. This one is quite valuable you I can tell so by looking at the handle."

"I am afraid I do not know much of such things," Madam Ka' said demurely.

"It has truly been a pleasure Madam," Captain Dakar said, as he began to rise from his seat. He finished off the spirits and laid the glass down on the table.

"Captain Dakar," Captain Tarr said. "Must you leave so soon?"

"I have urgent matters to attend to in Haletown," Captain Dakar said politely.

Madam Ka' remained firmly in her seat. She smoldered at the sight that lay on the table in front of her, the dagger of King Orr the Second. It was an antique lost ages ago. A replica of it was on display in the library at the House of Orr. She knew exactly what Captain Dakar was hinting at, but remained determined not to allow him to see the slightest expression of her behalf.

"My dear Madam Ka'," Captain Dakar said with a bow. "I do hope that we shall meet again. Perhaps I can bring you some jewels for your inspection."

"Of course," Madam Ka' replied. "I will be happy to view your offerings."

"Very well then," Captain Dakar said and strode off briskly with Captain Tarr while Mister Doran escorted. A moment later he was down the ladder and aboard his own dinghy. Then his men rowed him away back to the Sea Dragon.

Captain Tarr returned, "I apologize," he said while he viewed the pearl handled dagger.

"For what? Might I ask," Madam Ka' snipped. "The man thinks we are fools."

"Perhaps," Captain Tarr said and then scooping up the box, "but he is apparently aware of matters, regrettably."

The Star Flyer left Haletown almost immediately after Dakar's short visit. The boys had been confined to their cabin while watches were posted on deck to keep a vigil out for any movement from the Sea Dragon. Clearing the harbor, the ship's sails were raised and catching the wind, set off in an easterly direction again. Other ships were seen, however, none had the specific flagging of the Sea Dragon. Tommes felt confident enough to let the boys loose and delighted they shed their stiff and scratching toy servant uniforms. For now, the danger of crossing paths with Dakar was over. Dakar would be waiting for a more opportune moment to strike. Attempting to overtake the Star Flyer at sea would be a daunting task that even he would never dare. The King's ship was too heavily armed and the Sea Dragon would be no match, besides with a loud crack the main mast of the Sea Dragon mysterious cracked and fell. Captain Dakar's ship would be detained in Haletown for the time being.

Tommes remained in his cabin inspecting the dagger. While not convinced of its authenticity, he was sure of the message. Examining the dagger, he noted the special marks of King Orr the Second scratched faintly into the butt of the ivory handle. The mark of the knife maker was deeper and clearer. Still as Tommes said, a good fake would show these marks just that way. He levitated the dagger above his desk and let it drop. The blade slashed deeply into the solid wood desktop.

Trade in stolen antiquities was not beyond the scruples of Captain Dakar, but there was some question of how the knife had been lost in the first place. The dagger had been passed on until King Orr the Sixth. As a King noted for reckless gambling, most commonly believed he had lost the dagger in a wager. The knife's presence on the rancorous antiquities market would be quite legitimate under the circumstances. In fact, who really knew how many times the dagger had changed hands over the centuries. Tommes placed the dagger back in its case, muttered some incantation over the carved box, sealing the dagger inside and whatever magic it might contain. In turn, Captain Tarr placed the case in a sturdy crate, which was to be placed in the hold of the ship. He intended to return the dagger to its' rightful place, the House of Orr.

Meanwhile, Madam Ka' was enjoying the sea breezes on deck under the newly erected cabana. When the boys returned they found her sitting in the leather chair sipping a glass of yellowish juice.

"Did you know our mother?" Hanta asked as he approached.

"Of course," Madam Ka' replied stiffly. "Your mother was my older sister."

It seemed a silly question now that it had been asked. Tommes did say that Madam Ka' was their aunt. But neither Deki nor Hanta had any recollection of their parents. They had grown up under the watchful eyes of the Madeiras.

Madam Ka' was silent while a strange change of expressions crossed her face. Her heart was not made of stone and now while the boys were both sitting on the deck peering up at her she underwent a change.

"Not only am I your aunt," she said with unusual sweetness, "I am also your Godmother."

Deki nodded. "Can you tell us about our mother?" he asked.

"Of course," Madam Ka' replied. "Your mother was a few years older than I, but we looked very similar. She was the first daughter of King Otto the Fifteenth."

"What happened to our mother?" Hanta asked.

"She died shortly after you were born," Madam Ka' said. "It broke my heart. I was willing to take you both, but then the terrible dragons attacked your Father's Kingdom and you were both sent away."

"Our Father, King Orr..." Deki muttered. "What dragons?"

"King Orr the Fourteenth," Madam Ka' answered. "You Deki are the next in line. Someday you will be King Orr the Fifteenth."

"I am?" Deki asked somewhat startled by the revelation.

"And you will be Prince Hanta the Lesser," Madam Ka' said to Hanta.

"The Lesser?" Hanta repeated.

"Yes of course, you are the second born."

"Oh," Hanta said, somehow the title sounded insulting. Deki made a funny face at him.

"So what is our father like?" Deki asked.

"He is good," Madam Ka' replied. "But I afraid the Kingdom of Hadzi is in ruins. The awful dragons have seen to that."

"What is Hadzi?" Deki asked again.

"Hadzi is your Kingdom," Madam Ka' said. "The people are quite good, just simple farmers. They are very loyal to King Orr and have always been so."

"Why have the dragons ruined the kingdom?" Deki asked, his curiosity had been awakened but he was actually more confused now than ever.

"Well, now that is a long and complicated story," Madam Ka' said. "There have been hundreds of years of peace between the Dragon Empire and the Hadzis. One day, about the time Hanta was born the Dragon King, Hadrid lost his chick. That is what they call a dragon hatchling, a chick. No one really knows how, perhaps the wretched lizard gobbled the hatchling up. Hadrid is a wretched dragon and for some reason which no one can fully explain, he blamed the disappearance on the Hadzi."

"Dragons," Hanta mumbled with amazement. He had heard of dragons, but he never knew that any actually existed. There were none anywhere near the Madeira's house, he felt certain of that.

"Yes, the dragons have always been associated with the Kingdom of Hadzi. The history is more complicated than I could possibly recite to you in one sitting." Madam Ka' continued. "Nevertheless, Hadrid having lost the dragon chick by whatever means, demanded that King Orr forfeit his own heir. That would be you Deki"

"Me?" Deki said as he sat forward a bit.

"Naturally, the King refused Hadrid's ridiculous demand," Madam Ka' continued. "Then the Dragon Empire attacked Hadzi, burning their villages and destroying the crops and livestock."

"Did not the Hadzi fight them?" Hanta asked.

"Of course," Madam Ka' said. "The Hadzi fought the dragons as best they could, but the dragons are stronger. Eventually they set fire to the House of Orr itself, while the Hadzis were driven into the catacombs deep down in the Adzes River canyon. They remain there to this day."

"What are catacombs?" Deki asked.

"You ask too many questions, Deki," Madam Ka' said with a slight degree of cheerfulness. "I cannot explain all of this at once."

"Sorry," Deki apologized.

"You will learn everything," Madam Ka' said. "But not all today, in fact it will take years for you to learn everything. This is why we have come for you both now. We cannot postpone your education any longer."

Madam Ka' paused for a moment and her attention flowed out towards the endless sea. The ship was well beyond the Isles of Lost Fortune now and all that could be seen was the sea that rose and fell in endless swells. A few birds darted into the water just off the ship's sides.

"I offered to take you both, but Hadrid was determined to capture you, Deki, and no one believed that Albaland could withstand the dragons any better than Hadzi had. You were just a baby Hanta and Deki you were but a year old. It broke my heart when Tommes took you away. He hid you with the Madeiras. They are distant relations."

"Oh," Hanta said now understanding why they had been raised by the Madeiras. Many times Senora Madeira had reminded them that she was not their mother, but she never once had said anything about where they had come from.

"Hanta the Lesser," Deki jeered rather meanly at Hanta.

"That will be enough Deki," Madam Ka' scolded. "You are the oldest, but that does not necessarily mean that you are better. Besides, there is no heir to the throne of Albaland. Matters of succession can be fairly complicated, but it may very well be that you Hanta will marry a Princess and become King of Albaland."

Hanta glared back at Deki. He made a funny face while squinting his eyes.

"Strife between Princes has always been troublesome." Madam Ka' said while raising her voice harshly. "I will not tolerate any such nonsense and you both will act properly. Although your mother is gone, I am still here to see to it."

Deki nodded, while Hanta glared back at him. He had gained the alliance and protection of Madam Ka'.

"Does King Orr have any ships?" Hanta asked.

"No," Madam Ka' replied.

Having shown up his brother again, Hanta glared at Deki with a smirk. Deki pretended not to care.

# Chapter 5: The Ghostly Guard of Alacantar

The Hounskulls

Time had become as endless as the vast sea that surrounded the Star Flyer. With sails snapping in the strong trade winds, the ship plied through the ocean. Daily the sun rose off the bow of the ship, dallied through the long morning and hung overhead during the scorching hot afternoon, and then set off the stern of the ship in a dazzling sunset. At night, the North Star showed itself brightly over the polar caps of the Arctic proving that the ship was still rolling eastward.

Hanta now considered the ship part of his future inheritance and spent hours meddling around in the Pilot House. He did errands for Captain Tarr whenever possible. Mostly he delivered messages to Mister Doran. Deki meanwhile found himself left out and set about finding his own way to pass the time. Mostly he pestered Tommes. He rather figured that if Hanta had a ship, then he had a wizard. Neither boy truly realized that they had neither a ship nor a wizard.

The sixth day at sea matters came to a head when Deki teased Hanta over his status. While Hanta was quick in reminding Deki that his Kingdom had been burned and destroyed by dragons, and was not of much value anyhow. Neither really knew what they were talking about, but one thing led to another and they went to blows over it. Several ship hands came running and pulled them apart while Madam Ka' was summoned. It was not a happy moment for either when she arrived. Both were sentenced to solitary confinement in separate cabins for the remainder of the day.

Tommes conjured up books for them to read and placed furry creatures in their separate rooms. When Deki refused to read, the big-eyed and big-eared critter glared at him and tapped annoyingly on the table. If that was not enough, Madam Ka' would appear at the door and give him another tongue-lashing. By the end of the day, Deki sent an apology with the cabin boy. With his head down, he quietly came to the dinner table. Hanta too remained sullen.

After dinner, Scraggy led everyone out onto the deck for a story under the canopy. Madam Ka' took her seat and seemed to be in unusually good cheer despite the day's unfortunate event.

"There once was a Sea Captain," Scraggy started. His eyes had a way of growing very large when he told stories. Behind his thick uncombed beard the sailor's deeply wrinkled face gave extra weight to his words.

"The Captain was famous and traveled the world over. He made an enormous fortune trading in gold, silver, and jewels. He owned not one ship, but a whole fleet of ships. Despite all of his wealth he had one problem— he was lonely. So one day, he sold all but one of his ships and bought a big house high up on a hill. And then he took a wife and together they had two children." Scraggy stopped to breathe heavily the way he did when he was telling stories.

"Two boys as a matter of fact. But! From the day they were born—the boys hated each other. The Captain was very disappointed in his two boys and as they got older, the boys only became meaner and uglier to each other. No matter what the Captain did, the boys always made trouble. They pulled each other's hair. They hit each other. They stuffed snakes in each other's bed. They clobbered each other with sticks, and threw rocks at each other. They became meaner and meaner every day." Scraggy paused for a moment, his big dark eyes flashed around between his listeners.

"All of the town people where they lived would have nothing to do with either of them..."

"Then what happened?" Deki asked.

"One day, the Captain was furious. So angry in fact," Scraggy's voice rose. "So angry in fact, that he vowed that neither of them would ever receive one penny of his enormous wealth. He took all of his gold, jewels, and silver and sailed away leaving the boys to tear each other apart..."

Tommes arrived and pulled up a chair to sit in. The evening sun was setting in another spectacular show of brilliant reds and oranges on the western horizon. A deck hand brought out several lanterns and set them about the cabana. The light from the lanterns reflected off Scraggy's knurled face, lighting his big eyes.

"Do continue," Madam Ka' said, as the commotion settled.

Scraggy sucked in a long wind of air and gazed first into Deki's eyes and then into Hanta. "The boys fought and fought until one day the townspeople made them leave. In the middle of the night carrying torches, spears, and other weapons, the townspeople marched up to the big house on the hill. They broke down the door and dragged the wicked boys from their beds. They were forbidden from ever returning. The angry mob marched one boy towards the north and the other was marched to the south of the village. So one boy went north while the other went south. Both sentenced to wandering alone in the wilderness. No one cared about either boy. No matter where the boys went no one would take them in..."

"Because they were so mean?" Deki interrupted.

"That is correct," the sailor replied. "Winter set in and the boy that wandered to the north was cold, hungry, and very alone. That year as luck would have it, was so cold in fact—that icicles hung from his long dirty hair. But no one felt sorry for him and no one would take him in, feed him, or even let him warm up by the fire."

"What happened to him?" Hanta asked.

"No one knows for sure, maybe he froze to death, maybe the wolves devoured him, or he was set upon by witches," Scraggy said. "But they say his ghost still haunts the mountain where he was last seen. Now—the other boy went south and like his brother, no one would take him in nor would anyone feed the boy. He wandered to the sea living on the beach until one day." Scraggy stopped in the middle of his story and leered forward. His voice suddenly rose and he shouted. "A big ugly dragon came along and not just any ordinary dragon—but—a Raven Dragon!"

"Yuk!" Deki said.

"Now most dragons are best to be avoided, there are red dragons with green speckles, there are green dragons with red speckles, and there are even snow white dragons with extra-long tails. But there is one dragon most fearful of all. The Raven Dragon—with fire he breaths from his fanged mouth, the Raven Dragon is the most ferocious. Black as coal, its scales cannot be pierced by mere arrows and spears. Its tail has razor sharp spikes four feet long while its eyes are the worst. One look into the Raven Dragon's hypnotic red eyes and he has you caught in his grip."

"Yuk!" Deki and Hanta both said again.

"Then what happened?" Deki said.

"The Raven Dragon reared its ugly head and blasted the nasty boy with fire. Once he toasted the boy—the Raven Dragon gobbled him up in one gulp!"

"Yuk!" Deki and Hanta howled.

All at once from the side of the ship a huge sea dragon rose up and roared. The boys lurched backwards with astonishment. A twinkle in Tommes eyes gave the secret away as the sea dragon became merely a mist that hovered harmlessly for a few brief moments over the sea.

"To this day, no one knows where their treasure is hidden. Some say the Captain dumped it all into the sea, while others believe it is buried somewhere."

Madam Ka' applauded.

Scraggy went on. "Some say there are those that seek to find the treasure of the bad boys and many have tried, including..." He paused again, "Captain Dakar himself!"

...

By early morning, the boys were hustled out of bed. Land was spotted off the bow of ship. The distant headlands rose from the sea into white-capped mountains that disappeared into the clouds. The boys were told to expect something later. According to the sailors, the ship should have continued eastward eventually passing through a narrow channel between tall white cliffs. Beyond the tall cliffs lay Albaland. Instead, the ship was turning northward. The ship was heading for Alacantar and that was no secret. The Kingdom of Alacantar bordered the sea, but the castle lay several miles inland. There was no port in Alacantar, so the sailors were mystified as to what Tommes was planning. Watches were placed all around the ship and high up on the masts, but no other ships could be seen anywhere on the horizon.

Hours later, the boys were given the traditional clothing of the Hadzi. A leather skirt held with a wide leather belt studded with silver rivets. There were leather moccasins with straps that wound around their legs up to their knees. To these were fastened long strips of protective metal armor that hung in neat rows all the way to their anklebones. The shoes were comfortable, but walking in them took some practice. To the belt, pouches were hung. Madam Ka' dropped a coin into each saying it would protect them from evil during their journey. As for a shirt, there was none. Just some straps of leather that wrapped around their shoulders and connected together over their chests with a medallion. Normally, a Prince would wear a medallion that was embossed with the Crest of the House of Orr. But under the circumstances, they choose to use the simpler one worn by the common Hadzis. The sight of each other was quite impressive when they were fully dressed.

Excitedly the boys went out on the deck and searched the distant horizon for any sign of the castle. White cliffs rose from the sea while mountains towered beyond, their tops shrouded in the clouds. Ahead and to the north more land was spotted, flat tree covered islands. Tommes remained committed to his plan despite the worries of Madam Ka'. She wanted to go to Albaland instead, but today there was no argument as the ship closed in on the first tree-covered island. The Star Flyer skirted around the island while two more islands became visible beyond. The third island was their destination. The entire island chain was part of Alacantar, the third of which once served as a long abandoned port.

Tommes came from the Pilot House carrying a roll of carpet under his arm. He laid it down and motioned for the boys.

"There will be two girls waiting for you on the island." Tommes said. "Their names are Tara and Astanshia, do as they say."

Deki nodded while Madam Ka' gave Hanta a hug. She would be staying on the ship, but she promised to see them soon at Alacantar Castle. She gave Deki a hug next with tears in her eyes.

"Sit on the carpet and it will take you to Tara," Tommes commanded. "Hold on now and remember to do everything that they tell you. This is the most important part."

"I will," Deki said while Hanta nodded. They sat on the carpet and magically it lifted up into the air. The carpet fluttered with the wind.

"If anything should go wrong, take these and if you need me, blow them." Tommes said handing each boy a horn. There were straps that they could hang around their necks, keeping the horn within easy reach.

"Try them," Tommes said.

Deki tried his and it let out the most unusual sound while Hanta in turn did the same.

"Well, mates, it looks like it is off with the both of you," Scraggy said. "I could row you ashore, but Tommes prefers to have you fly by magic carpet."

Everyone waved as the carpet rose into the air and catching the wind headlong the boys plunged towards the island at breakneck speed. They flew towards the center of the island and then dropped straight down. The boys found themselves in a clearing surrounded by a dark forest of tall evergreen trees. The entire trip had only taken a few moments. Excitedly the boys stepped off the magic carpet and stared blankly at two girls.

"I am Tara," the taller of the two said. She had long hair that dangled down past her shoulders. She wore a dress that was white with pearl speckles, but tightly wrapped around her waist with a belt. She too had several leather pouches and a strange ruby colored amulet that hung from her neck with a gold chain. It looked heavy.

"I am Astanshia," said the other. "We are Tommes' apprentices." Together they almost looked alike, except Astanshia was decidedly younger.

"Deki" he stuttered with a complete awkwardness the likes of which he had never known before. "That is Hanta."

"We are supposed to go right away," Tara said. "So come on."

"Follow us," Astanshia said and just as they turned to leave, a sudden rustling in the trees changed everything.

Captain Dakar lunged out from behind a tree with a half dozen other men. They were surrounded by the pirates. The girls stepped back and all of them huddled together. Tara glanced around at the burly men that were closing in on them. In the moment of surprise, Deki and Hanta both forgot their horns.

"Well, what have we here," Captain Dakar said as he strutted towards the four. "Girls sent to protect boys. What an interesting twist!"

Tara's Amulet

"Stay back," Tara hissed and then grabbed the amulet that hung from her neck. It flashed as she held it out first towards Dakar and then towards the other men. Astanshia had one as well and the two swirled around in a circle as if to dare the pirates to come closer.

Captain Dakar laughed and then stepped forward. His claw-like hands grabbed Tara's amulet. It turned bright red and Dakar screamed with pain as the amulet scorched his hand. Smoke rose from his fingers as he let go of it.

Tara

"We are not afraid of you!" Astanshia shouted. Then the girls began chanting something completely incomprehensible. Captain Dakar and the others were suddenly tossed into the air as if they were made of nothing but cotton. They crashed into the sharp spikes of the branches of surrounding trees breaking limbs as they fell to the ground.

Captain Dakar recovered instantly and began carefully circling the foursome again. "Little girl, do you think you can stop me?"

The other men had rebounded from their fall and began circling as well. The girls held their amulets outward taking aim at the men. Jets of red flames shot outward forcing the men to step backwards. Tree limbs came crashing to the ground as streaks of eerie burning red lightning cut though the branches. The men were forced to defend themselves from the falling branches that became transformed into battering spears. The branches plunged towards the men repeatedly and even as the pirates brushed them aside, more branches fell from the trees. It was a trap, but who was being trapped was uncertain as the scene unfolded.

The four could not move and escape any more than the pirates could escape from the battering clubs. They were in the Kingdom of Alacantar and the rules were changing. Tommes wanted the confrontation on the lands of Alacantar not on the road from Albaland. He had left nothing to chance. Rising from the ground were ghostly and hideous men clad in chain mail. Their heads were hidden behind helmets where the only part of their faces that were visible was eyes that glowed yellow. The ghosts were armed with swords and axes and as they stepped out, Captain Dakar and his men realized what they had stepped in.

Astanshia

"It is the Hounskulls," Tara hissed at him. "The Guard of Alacantar, you fool!"

Captain Dakar hissed and turned around to size up his enemy. In a last ditch effort he lunged towards Tara, but before he could reach her a Hounskulls blocked his way. With no delay, Dakar was rocketed into the air and across the clearing. He landed hard against a vine-covered boulder. Snake-like vines rose up entangling his arms and legs, while another vine wrapped around his neck. Dakar fought back and slashing at the vines with his sword.

The Hounskulls more often known as Tomares were ghosts, but their swords were genuine and as the real fight began the sound of swords clashing ricochet around the clearing. Dakar and his men were fighters and quickly the skirmish rose into a full battle. The guards cleared a path by driving the men back with brutal viciousness. The girls grabbed the boys and ran towards the trees, taking to a narrow footpath that led into the forest.

Dakar and his men were outnumbered. While the ghosts' swords could slice the assailants to shreds, the pirates' swords just passed though the guards. Dakar had met his match, the Tomares could fight forever and never tire, nor could they be killed. They were hungry for a battle, as invaders had not dared enter the Kingdom in hundreds of years.

Suddenly, high overhead a dark creature circled about the island, its eyes huge and red. Deki could only catch a glimpse of the birdlike creature as he ran behind Tara. The guards were protecting their every step as vines that would have tangled their feet suddenly disappeared. It was as if the forest was opening for them as they ran. The sound of swords clashing behind them drove them onward. Then they arrived in a small area of rocks arranged in a circle. The temple-like structure was covered with moss and vines and had long been forgotten and neglected.

The girls dragged Hanta and Deki into the very center of the stones and locking their arms together began to utter some incantation. Their amulets burned bright red, throbbing as if beating hearts. They could see Captain Dakar fighting his way desperately toward them and it seemed as if the guards were allowing him to gain the ground. And as Deki watched and looked into the evil glare of the pirate, he realized that they were rising into the air beyond his reach. From twenty feet above, Deki stared down at Dakar now in the center of the rocks shaking his fist at them. The guards were disappearing, while Dakar's men lay scattered about the battlefield.

'What would have happened if he had blown the horn?' Deki wondered, as he just now remembered it. He was looking down on the island now far below them.

But the battle was not over and as the four of them floated in the air slowly towards the nearby chalky white cliffs of the mainland, Deki began to see the old harbor. Five warships were approaching. The Sea Dragon was making a run toward the island desperately attempting to rescue their Captain. The Star Flyer was off to the side while the other warships were forming a semi-circle. Smoke and explosions sounded as the ships began firing on the Sea Dragon. The ship was trapped and Captain Dakar was still on the island. The Royal Navy of Albaland had arrived to settle the matter.

The Sinking of the Sea Dragon

Tommes had planned everything, the boys were the bait and Captain Dakar had fallen for it. The four had now landed on the cliffs and could see out over the sea. Thankful to feel solid ground under their feet the boys stared out at the battle in utter amazement. A dark creature flew through the air, its shape hidden by the blinding sun. It was hard for Deki to imagine what he was seeing. The creature had huge wings. Its tail had spikes and even far off, it eyes glowed menacingly. The creature circled around above and then suddenly it blasted flames setting the sails of the Sea Dragon ablaze. It was a dragon, the first Deki and Hanta had ever seen. The creature circled the burning ship while cannons fired and smoke filled the air all around. The Sea Dragon burst into flames and without much fanfare, the Star Flyer and the Royal Navy turned southward leaving the Sea Dragon to burn to the waterline.

"Come," Tara called. "It is getting dark, we must go now."

Deki gazed out at the sea below him and took one last look at the burning ship. The dark dragon was gliding towards the land, gaining altitude and disappearing beyond the cloudy peaks to the north. He hesitated for a moment and then waved at the distant ships as if they might see him and know that they were okay.

# Chapter 6: The Dragon Tunnel

The Dragon Tunnel

Just a short walk from the high cliffs overlooking the Stepping Stone Islands the foursome found their way to a small, but cozy stone house. A small fire crackled in the fireplace and the room smelled as if someone had been baking an apple pie. There was no one to be seen inside the house, but the table was set for dinner. Realizing their hunger, they greedily ate the delicious dinner that had been laid out for them. Afterward Tara found a freshly baked, still warm apple pie in the kitchen. Still the cook who had prepared the meal was nowhere to be seen. Deki and the others quickly forgot that as they dived into the apple pie.

Much later, the boys took one small room with two beds stuffed with straw and pillows made of goose-down. Having been out to sea for more than a week Deki had become used to the swaying and creaking of the ship. Somehow, a still but comfortable bed was now making his stomach churn. Soft music reached his ears and while he could not pinpoint the source of the music, he eventually dosed off.

The sun was barely breaking, igniting the tips of the mountains in a splash of color, when Tara pounded on the boys' door. A hot breakfast of cream and bread was waiting for them, but again no sign of the cook anywhere. Tara did not seem to show much concern over the missing cook, but hurried the boys to finish with breakfast. A long walk was ahead of them and she was determined to reach Alacantar Castle by midday.

Outside, a wide stone road led into the mountains. Tara set off ahead while the others followed along. The road was well maintained and not at all difficult to walk on. The stones were flat and the grade upward towards the mountains was gentle. Hanta checked back frequently to see if someone else might be using the road but never did see anyone. Eventually they came to a large stone bridge that crossed over a gully. As they crossed over, they could look down and see the steep gorge below. A fast moving whitewater river raced over huge boulders far below. Tall conifer trees rose up from the gully, continuing past the bridge and on upward covering the sides of the mountains towering over their heads.

The Great Bridge

The bridge was wide enough for three or four carriages to pass without any difficulty. But the land around the bridge was closing in, rising steeply to their right while another mountain was rising on their left side. Screeching birds swarmed by, while strange sounds came from inside the dark forest. All at once, they came upon the source of the river they had noticed earlier. The water cascaded down the mountain into a deep crevice below. Tara stopped for a moment to take in the sight and then she hurried them along again. Now the road was going upwards more steeply as it wound its way around the mountain. With tired legs, they finally reached the top and a few steps later as they rounded another bend the most awesome sight loomed ahead.

Two dragons fifty feet tall and carved into the rock of the mountain guarded a gated black hole. The road led directly into the cave. On the keystone of the arch were words inscribed that Deki could not read. Tara walked bravely ahead and laid her hands on the gate. She swung it open while Deki and Hanta stayed back to take the sight in. Astanshia waited impatiently next to Tara.

"Come on," Tara called.

Cautiously the boys took several more steps. The wind blew from inside the tunnel and the sulfur smelling air burned their eyes as they reached the gate. Inside the tunnel was black. Not just dark and unlit, but the stones of the tunnel itself were black as if scorched by flames. A strange howling sound reached their ears as the wind became stronger and smellier.

"These are the dragon pens, they go all the way through to the other side of the mountain," Tara explained, as she started into the blackened tunnel. "Once they used to keep dragons here."

"How come?" Deki asked, as he stepped into the darkness behind Tara while Hanta stumbled in last.

"They used to make the dragons work," Astanshia replied. "They were slaves."

"They are not here anymore," Tara said reassuringly.

"Smell like something foul is still inside," Hanta said, reacting to the growing stench.

As if the tunnel was expecting them, torches began to light. The gate closed behind them and they watched as the latches slid into place. The sight made a shiver run up Hanta's spine. Inside the tunnel, the torches burned showing the walls and blackened ceiling. The floor was wet as water oozed out from the mortared stones, dripping into puddles that spread out across the floor.

"They were set free a long time ago," Tara said, as she started walking again. "The Tomares no longer needed them."

"So they were kept in these cages?" Deki said, as he examined the blackened stone of a pen still locked by large iron bars. A rusted key hung from a peg on the wall nearby.

"At night, they were put into the stalls," Tara answered acting as a tour guide. "By day they worked, lifting the cargo from ships that landed at the Stepping Stone Islands."

"Some were forced to pull wagons up and down the road." Astanshia said. "Other dragons were forced to carry the cargo over the mountain."

"They had harnesses like these," Tara said, pointing out the rotting remains of leather straps that hung from the wall just outside the pens. Next to that hung a noose attached to a long pole, apparently used to control the dragon.

Deki started taking more notice of the artifacts that were still left hanging from the walls. There were spears leaning against the wall just where they were left after their last use. The cages were endless and as they walked, Deki looked into most of them. They were all black and damp and the cages seemed cruel. The wind was growing stronger and colder as they walked. A howling sound filled his ears making his stomach sick with worry about what lay ahead. The howling seemed to stop for a few moments before returning with a very distinct wail. The torches flickered while the flames followed the moment of the air. It was while he walked that he noticed that the wailing sound made the torch flames pull toward the direction they were walking. Then the gust of wind would come and the torch fire quickly reversed pointing toward the direction they had come from. Sparks flew through the tunnel in whichever direction the wind was blowing.

The stalls seemed to have ended and now there was only a stone tunnel around them. The vaulted ceilings above were still black as coal, and the air smell dank, moldy, while the sulfur stench was growing more intolerable. Now there were rooms to either side of them. Peering into the darkness, Deki could make out the sight of armor and chainmail standing as if something were inside still holding them up. There was quite a lot of armor, enough for an army of men to wear. Weapons were hung from the walls behind the chainmail. Many spears and swords had rusted and fallen to the floor and lay next to rotting leather boots. Deki and Hanta stood still for a long time trying to see into the darkened room. A sudden howl sent them both scurrying along while their hearts thumped. The air was much colder now and the wind much stronger. The torches were burning toward the direction they had come from while sparks carried by the wind rushed over their heads. Another room to their left proved to be some sort of office. They only stopped for a moment to look inside, seeing only a table and some shiny things that caught the torch light.

Next, they came to a chamber and Deki looked up towards the ceiling, which rose up much higher than before. The wind blew directly down on them. Torches lit around the chamber throwing shadows off in all directions. Various rooms led off from the cavern while overhead a set of spiral stairs climbed upwards ending abruptly at a grate in the ceiling. Adventurously Deki mounted the spiral stairs and climbed some distance upward while the others stared from below.

"Where does it lead to?" Deki called down, as he stared upward at the grate that blocked the passage. Faintly he could see the spiral stairs continuing into the darkness overhead.

"I do not know," Tara replied.

"We do not come in here," Astanshia said.

"Deki," Hanta called nervously, as he watched his brother climb higher.

But then Deki stopped suddenly and turned around. He quickly jumped back down the staircase and reaching the bottom hurried to the others. "There was someone up there," he said still panting.

"Who?" Tara asked, as she glanced up at the black hole in the ceiling.

"It was like one of those ghosts from the island," Deki answered looking nervously towards the ceiling.

"Oh," Tara said with a shrug. "You were not supposed to go up there that is all."

"Come," Astanshia said. "I am tired of this foul smell." She set off again toward the far side of the cavernous chamber.

"There are always guards around," Tara said, as she ushered Deki and Hanta along. "You will get used to them."

"What are they anyhow, ghosts?" Deki asked, as he fell in behind Hanta.

"Tomares," Tara answered. "You can call them ghosts. They are what are left of the people that once lived here in Alacantar."

"What happened to them?" Deki asked.

"They died out mostly," Tara replied. "There are few people left that are descendant from them, but not many."

"Oh," Deki said. They were walking steadily uphill now, the rooms and pens were gone, just a long dank vaulted tunnel that disappeared into darkness ahead. The wind blowing sparks from the torches rushed by swirling.

"Tomares have very powerful magic," Tara said.

Astanshia was nowhere to be seen, apparently having gotten well ahead of everyone.

"Is that how they beat Captain Dakar?" Hanta asked.

"Dakar was stupid to have even tried to do what he did," Tara sneered. "No one with an ounce of sense would have even considered messing with the Guard of Alacantar."

"Oh," Deki said, and growing tired of the upward hike, fell silent.

# Chapter 7: The Locked Iron Gate

Alacantar Castle

Astanshia was waiting for them outside at the end of the tunnel. Alacantar lay ahead, and looking around Deki saw how the road continued onward, leading down into a valley. A tall tower stood only a few yards away along with several other stone buildings. Looking out over the valley, Deki could see pastureland with grazing goats, cows, and few horses. Beyond the pastureland was a dense forest, and off in the far distance faintly visible through the haze were tall purple mountains. Searching the land Deki caught sight of four towers in a clearing of land that rose up slightly from the valley. He pointed excitedly.

"It is Alacantar Castle," Tara said. "That is where we are going."

Tara was growing impatient and took several steps down the road. She waited for the others to stop looking at the castle. Then they all set off walking through the pastureland toward the forest. Goats grazing alongside the road hardly took notice of them but continued nibbling at the grass. The forest had been cut back from the road making for a very wide avenue. Tara said it was done that way so the dragons did not set the trees on fire with their breath.

Eventually they broke out of the forest and looked down over the valley. Here were small stone houses with roofs made of shale shingles. There were a few people wandering around along with more goats and horses. Deki pointed toward the village while Tara turned off onto a new road that went off to the right.

"Have you not seen people before?" She asked.

"We are not supposed to go that way," Astanshia said.

"I just want to see," Deki said, as he peered down on the village. Two guards appeared blocking the road with their spears.

"Come on," Astanshia said. "We will go to the village another day."

Deki seeing the guards decided to follow Tara instead. The foursome set off on the new road and found themselves back in the woods on a much narrower path. The air was much cooler under the shade of the trees. Screeching birds scattered beyond them as they walked. Landing in the trees ahead of the walkers, they peered down while screeching more warnings. Other sounds coming from deep within the forest fascinated the boys who stopped to listen.

'What sort of creatures was making the howling, moaning, screeching, and whining sounds?' Deki wondered. He had never been anywhere near the forests around Nacapa.

In the shadows, a woman wearing a faded dress and apron approached. Tucked in her arm was a basket filled with mushrooms she had been collecting. Her hair was grey and tied back. She walked with a cane and was very old.

"Good day," Tara and Astanshia both said as the woman neared.

The old woman nodded and then stared at the boys. Alacantar was full of Hadzis including a few boys Deki and Hanta's age. Dressed as Hadzis the boys did not look out of place. Yet she stared and then smiled politely. With much difficulty, she curtsied to the boys and then remained in that hunched over position until they had passed. Deki and Hanta stared back at her curiously.

"Who was that?" Deki whispered to Astanshia.

"An old woman," Astanshia said with little interest. "I have seen her before."

"I think she may have recognized you," Tara said, as she glanced backwards at the old woman. The woman was hobbling along the road again. "There are only a few other boys in the village. She curtsied to you."

"Your arrival is supposed to be a secret," Astanshia said disappointedly. "Everyone in the village will know."

"Know what?" Hanta asked, as he caught up with Astanshia. He liked her better than Tara, as she was younger and Tara always seemed so bossy and determined.

"That you have arrived," Tara said. "Everyone knows of your story."

"What story?" Deki asked.

"Never mind," Tara cut him off short. She set off to walking briskly so as to avoid any further questions. "I will let Tommes explain."

"They told us already," Deki called to her.

"Well then, you know your story and so does everyone else." Tara said. "That woman will spread gossip like wildfire before we even reach the castle. We must hurry," Tara quickened her pace.

"What will happen?" Deki asked, as he ran to catch up with Tara. The others were complaining about the speed with which they were walking.

"Nothing," Tara answered. "The village is full of Hadzis and you are their Prince. They will want to see you."

"So what is the big deal then?" Deki asked. He stopped running and instead looked back at where he had encountered the old woman. He could not see her in the shadows.

"Tara!" Astanshia complained. "Slow down, I'm tired."

"Just come along!" Tara snapped, as she was very tense.

"For goodness sake," Astanshia complained. "Like a secret could be kept in Alacantar anyhow!"

Ahead, at the end of the narrow lane through the woods lay Alacantar Castle. A magnificent castle surrounded by high curtain walls. Deki and Hanta looked up at the towers, built at the top of a small knoll. The curtain walls were surrounded by jagged stone and woods to the north and south. Pastureland lay between them and the wall. A few cows and goats grazed in the grassland. Off in the distance they could see the rear gate graced by two massive towers. Beyond the curtain walls, the castle overshadowed the gatehouse. There were towers, four of which dwarfed the keep. Dark windows graced those tall towers. Scattered around the towers were more buildings, but mostly these were hidden behind the curtain wall.

The Curtain Walls

The dirt road wandered downward toward a stone paved road. That road went directly into the gatehouse of the castle. As they walked down the dirt road, they saw a mule cart moving slowly toward the gate. A driver sat in the seat while two other small figures were following on foot. They both wore the same leather clothing that Deki and Hanta were wearing. The cart and walkers disappeared as the road followed along the outside of the curtain walls.

It was as if the old woman they met in the forest had wings, she must have simply flown from the forest to the village. Their secret arrival was no longer a secret. Tara stared down at the main road and saw the people coming from the village. Not many people lived in the village, a few hundred at best. Tara could tell they were all running to greet them. Panic-stricken she looked around for another route.

The rear gate was close. But they could not take to the pastureland to beat the mob to the gate. There were only two gates into castle, the rear gate where they were and the main gate around front facing towards the east. There was a road following the southern side of the curtain walls to front gate. But on the northern side, there was no road, just rugged rocky land.

Astanshia caught up with Tara and everyone looked at the growing crowd of spectators. The people that lived in Alacantar were from many different lands. Some were native to Alacantar, the only remaining descendants of the Tomares still living. Others came from Albaland to work as goat herders. A few were from Tiscai while others were Hadzi. The Hadzi had always been in Alacantar, but since the troubles, more had arrived to take refuge from the dragons. The villagers were pointing excitedly toward them now.

"So what will they do to us?" Deki asked, as he looked over the mob.

Tara remained silent with a worried look crossing her face. She looked up toward the castle again and could not see any alternative. Scaling the curtain wall was simply not an option as not even a throng of invaders had ever managed that feat.

"It is you they want to see," she said to Deki and Hanta. "Big news travels fast."

Deki shrugged, as he did not understand why anyone would be making a big fuss.

"So," Astanshia said, as she carelessly took a few more steps and brushed past Tara. "They only want to look."

"I suppose," Tara said and after a moment of hesitation, she raised her head up proudly. As the daughter of nobility from Albaland, she had to rise to the occasion and lead the procession through the curious bystanders. She had been given the honor of escorting the Princes of Hadzi to Alacantar and that was what she was going to do. Determined, she began to lead the travelers toward the villagers. Deki and Hanta fell into step behind her while Astanshia fell in last.

The crowd was cheering as they approached. There were old people with canes, there were children who danced around, and there were younger men and woman dressed in different ways. Some wore the leather clothing of the Hadzi, others dressed in brightly colored outfits of Albaland. While those people from Alacantar were dressed in drab garments just as the old woman in the forest. The crowd began to fan out along the road forming into a single line on either side of the road as if they had come to watch a parade.

They continued to walk in a single line toward the villagers. As if geysers shooting up from a fissure, the Guard of Alacantar rose up from the ground. The guards were dressed in chain mail, and their yellow glowing eyes could be seen inside the helmets. The guards formed a barrier to either side of the foursome marching with their spears held upright directly in front of their ghostly faces. Even as ghosts, their feet thumped on the dirt lane. As Deki looked around at the eerie sight, he could see many more Hounskulls than had been on the island.

The sound of drumbeats came from the village, and Deki stared off in that direction as he walked. He could see a group of young men marching toward the intersection of the stone road and dirt road. A young man who carried a sword led the group, while behind him several drummers beat a steady drumbeat on drums. Ribbons of leather hung down from the drums, each ribbon studded with shiny metal buttons. Behind the drummers were two more young men wearing headbands with colorful embroidery.

The foursome and their host of guards had reached the end of the dirt road and abruptly stopped. The chain mail clad ghosts dropped their spears onto the ground with a thud in unison. Meanwhile, the young man and his drummers marched up to meet the head of the guard.

"So much for secrecy," Tara sighed, as she looked among the faces of the crowd waiting. "This is a parade now."

"Who are they?" Deki asked, as he watched the drummers approach. The foremost leader with the raised sword stopped directly in front of the first guard. He was negotiating with the ghost.

"The Hadzi army," Astanshia replied with a giggle.

The group of seven young warriors seemed hardly enough to call an army. They were dressed the same as Deki and Hanta except for the drums, headbands, and the sword of their leader. Deki and Hanta stared admiringly. They were not very old. In fact, one drummer looked no older than Hanta. The Hadzi with the sword was the oldest, but even he could not have been more than a few years older than Deki. With some commotion, the guard stepped aside allowing the Hadzi warriors to take places in the procession.

The Hadzi with the sword took the lead, while two of the drummers stepped in behind him. Tara was next, then Deki, Hanta, and lastly Astanshia. Two more drummers fell in behind Astanshia. Then to Deki's amazement, the other two with the embroidered headbands took off like jackrabbits. He watched the two as they ran toward the rear gate.

"They are Hadzi messengers," Tara explained about the two runners with headbands. "By nightfall everyone from Alacantar to Hadzi will know you have arrived. Someone tipped them off."

"Oh stop," Astanshia scolded from the back of the line. "Tommes must have told them."

"True," Tara called back.

Deki and Hanta both waited, bewildered, as the young leader of the Hadzi raised his sword and cried something that neither of them could understand. The drums suddenly sounded with a distinctive beat and then all at once the Guards of Alacantar raised their spears and began marching. Swept along in the middle of the procession, Deki and Hanta found themselves marching with everyone else. The drums beat out a rhythm that matched their steps as the procession turned onto the stone road facing the rear gate of Alacantar Castle.

The villagers fell silent and stared at them as they approached. Children dashed behind their parents, peeking out at them, while a few older kids were running alongside the parade just out of the reach of the guards. The thumping sound of the guard's feet continued coinciding with the beating of the Hadzi drums. Some guards carried colorful flags while two of the Hadzi carried Hadzi flags on long poles that flapped around in the wind. Deki noticed the villagers staring at him, and then they bowed and curtseyed. Even the youngest of children were trying to imitate the adults. With his heart thumping in his chest, Deki marched along with the others.

As they reached near the rear gate, the procession veered off onto the road that followed the curtain wall. Deki was surprised, as the rear gate did not open. They continued marching around the curtain wall toward the front gate of the castle. This road ended at a much wider stone paved road. To the east, the road disappeared into the forest, while the front gate of Alacantar Castle loomed in the other direction. The rear gate was small compared to the front gate. Here two tall towers framed a tunnel that was barred by an iron gate. Behind the gate were two massive oak doors that were held in place by strong iron strap hinges.

The villagers in the meantime had taken to running over the grassland and had reformed along the road to the great gate. They quickly formed a long line of people that stretched up to the tall towers. The young leader of the Hadzis let out a shout that was incomprehensible to Deki. Then the procession suddenly came to a complete stop.

The gate to the castle was down and the doors were shuttered. A figure began to gather and take form in front of the gatehouse. The figure wore a robe, and was a Tomares except he was even older. His eyes glowed yellow and as he appeared, a hush fell over the crowd.

"You must state your intentions," Tara said, she pushed Deki forward toward the robed ghost.

"What intentions?" Deki asked. He was started and a shiver ran up his spine, the yellow-eyed ghost was staring at him and never blinked. His face was hideous and looked more like bones than anything natural. Deki backed away while the others stared. Deki looked back at Tara waiting for her to tell him what to do. The Elder stood, his figure fluttering slightly in the breeze. He was waiting for Deki and the locked iron gate was not showing any sign of lifting.

# Chapter 8: Jonan the Impossible

The Dovecote

Outside the gate the standoff continued in the full heat of the midday sun. The people were upset and rumbled with different ideas of what to do now that Cortanulas the Elder had decided not to let either Deki or Hanta onto the castle grounds. The Tomares were unaffected by the heat, after all they were little more than chainmail covered ghosts. But for the many people gathered along the roadway, the heat of the summer day was becoming unbearable. There had been no plan for the Princes' arrival as Tommes was intending to bring them to Alacantar. Ultimately, the Tomares were under Tommes' command and the Elder would never have refused to allow the Princes' entry. But as Tommes had not arrived, the situation had escalated.

Several different ideas had been tried to convince the Elder to open the gate, but none had worked. The gate remained closed and now Tara growing impatient began to think of other possibilities.

The arrival of the Princes was no longer a secret by any estimate and surely, by now the gossip had already spread beyond the Dragon Mountains to Hadzi. Tara glanced nervously at the five Hadzis guarding Deki and Hanta. The Hadzi 'Army' had formed a circle around both of them. An overreaction she thought as she glanced across the faces of the people.

'But was there an enemy among them?' Tara scanned their faces and recognized most of them from her many visits to the village. Still she could not be sure, one traitor among was all that it would take. Resolved to take some action to end the stalemate she stepped forward and spoke to the Cortanulas in a tongue that Deki could not understand.

"I am Tara," she said. "I have lived in the castle for two years as my father, Lord Miskolc, has arranged. I wish to enter the castle. Please allow me to pass through the gate so that I may speak with Jonan." Her voice was determined and she stood firm. The Elder probed her very consciousness. A tense moment past and then she shrugged before turning back towards the others.

"He will not even allow me in!" Tara angrily hissed.

"Wait!" Astanshia howled suddenly inspired with an idea. "What is in your pouch Deki?"

"My pouch?" Deki replied. His hand felt the leather pouch hanging from his belt. He had not thought about it since he left the ship the day before. Hot, thirsty, and hungry he reached into the pouch and felt his hand touch two metal objects. One was the coin Madam Ka' had given him but the other he did not recognize. He pulled it out and held it up while the crowd gasped.

"It is the Prince!" Someone yelled from the crowd, which was followed by cheering.

"We had no doubt!" Cried many others.

In Deki's hand, he held up the Crest of the House of Orr. The medallion was made in bronze and showed a castle with two swords crossed underneath. Part of the medallion was inlaid with colorful gems and on the back the markings of the Hadzi who had cast the bronze piece.

"Show it to him," Tara said excitedly with renewed hope.

Deki cautiously stepped towards the Elder. He bowed ceremoniously while holding the crest out in his hand. He felt the medallion being pulled from his hand. Looking up he watched as the Elder examined it and then caught it when it floated back through the air. Deki slipped it back into his pouch and waited to see what would happen. An eternal silence followed and then the sound of the massive gate being lifted rumbled from inside the gatehouse tunnel. With disbelief, Tara took up the lead while the Hadzi warriors placed themselves in front and behind. A moment's hesitation followed while the cheers went up from the onlookers, and then the procession began walking again toward the now opened iron gate.

The Hadzi warriors reaching the front of the gatehouse went to either side of the tunnel taking up an official stance. Tara led the way through the tunnel while Deki and Hanta stared up at the sight of the massive gatehouse. The gate had been lifted through a slot in the stonework ceiling revealing only the sharp spikes of the bottom edge. Beyond the gate were two very huge and sturdy wooden doors that opened inward. The coolness of the tunnel was refreshing as they walked through. Within moments and to the cheering of the crowd they were inside the castle grounds looking over the green bailey that lay between the curtain wall and the castle itself. The bailey was very peaceful looking with only a few scattered goats nibbling at grassy lawn. Tall, full oak trees shaded the yard while a roadway led towards the keep.

"We made it," Astanshia said, as the group stopped to look at the castle.

"Somehow I think Jonan was behind all that," Tara said.

"Do you think he tipped them off?" Astanshia asked.

"Someone did," Tara said. Tired and hot she looked around the bailey watching where the boys were pointing. Behind them, the sounds of the gate lowering mixed with the still cheering crowd. No one else could be seen across the bailey and the guards themselves had disappeared into thin air.

"You give Jonan too much credit," Astanshia said.

Tara nodded, whatever had happened, had been most unexpected. Whenever Astanshia and Tara left the castle or returned the gates just opened for them without any question. And as if to prove the point she watched as the iron gates began going up again, followed by a mule driven wagon moving slowly through the tunnel.

"No one stops any of them from entering," Tara scoffed, as she pointed. The wagon took to following the inside road alongside the curtain wall.

"Come," Astanshia said, as she grew bored with watching the ordinary sight of a work wagon passing along the road. "At least you had the crest, or we would still be waiting out there."

The four set off on the road that led to the keep tucked in between the North and East Towers. Each tower was angled from the keep connected by long high stone buildings. The towers themselves rose up mightily above all of the other buildings. Over the top of the keep, Deki could see the South Tower, while the West Tower was hidden behind the closer buildings. They walked along the stone road but took little interest in the hedges and gardens that dotted the bailey. They were all exhausted and the heat was becoming quite impossible.

The East Tower

While the curtain wall was a massive windowless barrier, the castle itself was graced with tall arched windows made of leaded glass. They arrived at the steps that led upward to the keep. Dragon statues sat to either side of the steps on square stone pedestals while a wall separated off a courtyard just visible over the tops of the stair railings. Inside the courtyards garden were neatly manicured bushes carved into shapes. Some shapes looked like balls, while other bushes were trimmed in a spiral pattern. One bush in the middle was carved like a dragon complete with tail and fangs. Hanta pointed out a wolf that looked as if in mid-leap carved in the shrubbery.

Tara pushed open the high heavy oak doors and stepped inside the medieval castle while the others tiptoed in behind her. The cool air was the first refreshing relief from the heat the boys had felt since they came out of the forest. Neither Deki nor Hanta had ever imagined such a place and were instantly awestruck. The foyer was not very tall but three steps led up into the hall where the ceiling rose suddenly upwards. Huge beams supported the roof overhead and as Deki's eyes traveled to the ceiling and down the wall opposite him, he saw balconies built into the upper floors. Down at either end of the main hall were stairs that curved to each floor. He could not even count the number of stairs he would have to climb to reach the top floor. Meanwhile suits of armor lined the walls of the main hall. Mixed between the armor were all sorts of artifacts placed on display. Several doors led to other rooms, all of which were closed. Feeling awkward in such a magnificent place Deki remained rigid while Hanta just stared upwards.

"Look," Hanta said, as he pointed. Ghosts were leering at them from the balconies. Oddly, the ghosts were pointing back at them as if they were the curiosity.

"Secrets travel fast here," Tara said, as she noticed the ghostly spectators. "Do not worry, they are harmless."

"But they are dead are they not?" Deki asked uncomfortably. The Guard of Alacantar had been enough for anyone. Then there was the ancient Elder at the gatehouse. Now a hundred ghosts were pointing their wispy fingers at him, he shivered more out of disgust than fear.

"Welcome to Alacantar Castle," a booming voice bellowed.

Searching around Deki could not see the source of the voice but then realized that an orange glass vase ahead of them on a table was glowing as if it were alive. He stared at the vase in disbelief as a whirling mist rose from it. This mist swirled around in a spiral and then suddenly the mist formed a face that glared down at the boys rather menacingly. Taken by surprise the boys both jumped backwards.

"I am Jonan," roared the misty cloud. The doors in the entryway rattled as he spoke.

"Very funny," Tara scolded. "Do not worry he is just a Tomares."

"At your service," Jonan said now his form fully visible. He was wearing a black suit coat that really looked odd since he had a transparent face.

"So you are the Princes of Hadzi," he said in the most mocking tone. He came forward and stared down at them with burning yellow eyes. "You do not wear the crest."

"Not today Jonan," Tara scolded. "Besides you have already had your fun, turning the Elder against us. Why we would still be at the gate if it were not for the crest."

"We were attacked by pirates," Astanshia said.

"So I heard," Jonan said. "And Lady Tara what is it you accuse me of?"

"You heard me," Tara said folding her arms over her chest.

Now Jonan's attention turned back toward Deki and he circled around him rather rudely. "Pity...How do I know you are a Prince if you do not wear a crest?"

"Jonan!" Tara howled. "This is Deki Orr and his brother Hanta Orr. Yes, they are the Princes of Hadzi. Believe me we already proved that to the Elder."

"Just checking," Jonan howled with delight. "I was only making sure these are the right boys."

"Right," Astanshia said. "We brought the wrong Princes back just so you would have something to say."

Deki in the meantime dug the crest out of his pouch and held it up for Jonan to see.

"What have we here, a forgery, I am sure," Jonan mocked and snatched the crest from Deki's grasp. The crest floated upwards while Jonan looked it over carefully.

"Give it back. I've had enough for one day already," Tara snapped angrily.

"A fine welcoming from you," Astanshia said.

"Very well then," Jonan said, and suddenly the crest fell to the ground with the sound of metal hitting the polished marble floor. Deki quickly scooped it up and slipped it back into his pouch.

"I will show you to your rooms. Gwendaline is waiting for you so make it snappy. You know how she gets when you are late for lunch and it seems that you are very late indeed." Jonan made a sweeping gesture down the hallway in the direction of the North Tower.

"Could we not have something to eat first?" Tara pleaded.

"It is all the way on top of the North Tower," Astanshia whined.

"What laziness," Jonan bellowed. "And come to dinner dressed as this? What would Madam Ka' say?"

"Jonan!" Tara howled and started down the hallway. It would be quite a long walk after an already long day of walking.

"I personally have little difficulty being on my feet all day long." Jonan boasted, as he floated down the hallway with the four of them.

"Jonan, wait till Tommes returns." Tara threatened. "He will not be pleased."

"On the contrary my dear," Jonan chuckled. "The rules of the house are always respected."

Deki was really puzzled by the butler with the attitude, but everything was so new that he found himself just following along down a long hallway with leaded glass windows. Then they came to a flight of stairs, which Tara started up. By the time he had reached the top, he swore he had climbed two hundred painful steps. His legs ached while Hanta just sat down and pouted.

"Come along boys," Jonan said, he made the doors to their chamber open. "I find climbing stairs quite invigorating." He laughed and floated into the chamber beyond the oak door.

"We did not need the exercise," Deki said, he hunched over with a sharp pain in his side.

"Jonan will always have his way," Tara pointedly said. "You cannot argue with him."

"Sort of like the Elder at the gate?" Hanta asked.

"Worse," Astanshia said, giving Jonan a glare at the same time. Jonan glared back with a sneer on his ghostly face.

Inside the chamber were two rooms. A huge fireplace filled one wall of the first room, while the second room was oval shaped and adorned with windows that looked out over the castle and bailey. The boys wandering around the living space, two poster beds sat close to each other covered with heavy blankets. A large oak table separated the beds while a brass candlestick sat neatly in the middle. Tapestries hung from the walls covering the old mortared stone. While near the fireplace were leather chairs, and a table with another candle stand. A few books lay neatly on a bookcase but otherwise there were few ornaments. Still it was the grandest room they had ever seen, certainly nicer than the room they had shared at the Madeira's house.

Deki wandered out to the round room and peered out the windows. The keep was far below. Deki looked down on the rooftop protected by ferocious gargoyles. The peak of the roof was adorned with the long shape of a carved stone dragon. Its open mouth faced out onto the bailey. Deki could see the main gate house and beyond into the forestland that covered most of the land to the east and north. Distant mountains lay beyond the forest. He wandered back into the main room and peeked behind the doors finding closets filled with clothing.

"What impropriety is this?" Jonan roared suddenly with immense enjoyment. "Girls, you are not allowed in the boy's dormitory."

"We are leaving," Tara said and disappeared out through the doorway.

"You said to show them their room, Jonan." Astanshia said, as she followed Tara. She shut the wooden door behind her leaving Deki and Hanta alone with Jonan. He was as Tara had said, impossible.

# Chapter 9: Tommes' Haunted Castle

Gwendaline's Retreat

"What are you waiting for?" Jonan sniped. "I daresay Gwendaline will not allow you to come to the table in your traveling clothes."

"Are these our clothes?" Deki asked, as he peeked into the wardrobe again. He was not much taken in by Jonan's glowering attitude. The girls had whispered to him about Jonan and he thought their advice of just ignoring the butler was right. He picked over the clothes hanging in the wardrobe. Some clothing was brightly colored, blue or red, while other outfits were made of drab burlap material such as he had seen the villagers wearing. He reached for a blue shirt, but under Jonan's disapproving glare quickly put it back.

"I do not believe Madam Ka' has arrived yet," Jonan said, as he burst out of the closet unexpectedly knocking Deki backwards. "I believe you should wear these," Jonan said while flinging a linen shirt into the air. The shirt flew around the room first upwards toward the ceiling and then out into the adjoining window room. It crashed into the glass window as if a bird trying to escape. Stunned for a moment, the shirt hung in the air before resuming its maddening flight around the chamber. Deki watched as the shirt approached and as he reached out to grab it, he realized that the shirt was coiling as if a snake. It twisted itself up and while the gaping neck hole lunged for him. Terrified, he struck back at the shirt knocking it to the floor. Jonan howled with laughter. Then he heard Hanta screaming as the shirt he was supposed to wear was attacking him.

"Leave him," Deki shouted, his patience with the ghost exhausted. He quickly grabbed Hanta's shirt and tossed it to the ground, stamping it with his feet. The shirt hissed, then fell silent and still. Deki glared at Jonan who was smirking with delight. Angrily Deki picked the shirt up from the floor and held it out for Hanta.

Jonan had vanished again, but they could hear him talking to someone. He could not understand what they were saying, but the conversation was coming from the other room. Another Tomares must have come into the chamber. He listened some more and then still not understanding what was being said took to looking over the clothes they were supposed to be wearing. There were no sleeves, nor buttons. Small holes had been sewn into the armholes and up the front of the shirt to just below the collar. Reluctantly he slipped the itchy cloth on. The shirt hung down to just above his knees, it fit fine, but was very stiff and uncomfortably scratchy. Lying on the floor were leather laces and two sleeves. He picked them up and tried to imagine what he was supposed to make with them. Hanta in the meantime had pulled the shirt over his head and seemed equally as unhappy with fabric.

"Now that is better," Jonan said surprisingly polite. "You have forgotten to lace up your sleeves."

"How?" Deki asked, as he held one sleeve and leather lace up. "We have never seen clothes such as these."

"Ho hum," Jonan said with a sigh. "Hold out your arms."

Magically, the sleeves slipped over their arms and the laces wove through the grommets. Unable to resist the opportunity, Jonan made the leather laces too tight deliberately.

"Now that is better, go wash your faces. And hurry, Gwendaline will be in a furious mood if you boys do not get to the dinner table shortly."

A few minutes later, they started back down the long spiraling staircase leading to the first floor of the tower. Jonan gloated while demonstrating his ability of simply floating down the staircase. By the time they reached the bottom, the boys ached all over again and could not decide what was worse, going up or coming down. Jonan, not the least bit winded, headed down the long corridor toward the keep without slowing one bit.

The Great Dining Room

They were shown into the Great Dining Room, a cavernous room with high vaulted wooden beamed ceilings. Tapestries hung from the walls, while windows let some light into the dark room. Huge candle chandeliers hung from the ceiling, which ignited magically as they entered the room. Along the walls, alcoves filled with statues of important but long dead people. The statues haunted the room with eyes that glared down at them as they walked. A heavy tapestry embroidered brightly with the Crest of Alacantar hung behind a big table. The hosts' table had high backed wooden chairs ornately carved and each distinctly different. The other tables that filled the room were long with only benches for the guests to sit at.

"No one ever uses this room," Jonan said, as he opened another door at the very end of the cavernous room. This led into another more cheerful room with only a few tables and chairs. Large windows flooded the room with light that reflected off a low white ceiling. The girls were already present having taken seats at a small table set for four. The other tables were empty.

"Come," Tara said waving her hand.

"You can sit with us," Astanshia said. "Tommes said you could."

"Hmmm..." Jonan hummed disapprovingly.

The boys quickly grabbed the extra chairs. Still bewildered by the sight of everything they looked around the room, eventually catching sight of Gwendaline in the doorway from the kitchen.

She was a large plump woman wearing a stained apron over a drab dress. Her hair was tied up in a bun and she looked old. Smiling she took the sight of the newly arrived Princes and quickly disappeared back into the kitchen. Sound of pots clanking floated out from the kitchen. A moment later, she was back with plates of food while Jonan carried a tray of goat-milk filled goblets. He set them down magically in front of the foursome. Gwendaline smelled faintly and found it necessary to fuss over the boys, particularly Hanta.

The food was good, but neither Deki nor Hanta knew exactly what they were eating. The plate was a mixture of many different things including noodles, peas, beans, tomatoes, and some sort of stringy meat that was rather tough and tasteless. Hanta had no liking for the goat-milk, but Gwendaline was not willing to compromise and made him drink the entire glass. When he was not looking, Jonan refilled the glass and Gwendaline made him drink that as well. He gagged over the taste while the girls giggled and made funny faces at him.

The South Tower

After the late lunch and feeling much better, they went on a tour of the castle grounds. Outside waiting for them were majestic gardens decorated with sculptures, as well as bushes trimmed and shaped into oddly looking creatures. Out on the bailey, majestic oak trees provided shade for the goats that wandered around the grounds freely. The foursome strolled towards the front gatehouse and looked up at the tall towers that protected the entryway. Constructed of stone, the towers gave way to the high curtain wall that protected the ancient castle.

Along the curtain wall were barracks with small windows and many doorways that led into the chambers. Following the curtain wall towards the north, they looked in the small windows of the barracks. The small rooms inside contained a small table and a few bunks along the back wall where once the men who protected the castle slept. A few artifacts hung from the walls covered with cobwebs and dust, as they had been undisturbed for a very long time.

Finding a narrow stone staircase leading up to the top of the curtain wall they excitedly climbed to the parapet walk. Looking out over the forest, they saw flocks of birds flittering from the tree limbs of the leading edge of the trees. Far beyond, white-capped mountains purplish in color lifted into the clouds. The sky was blue overhead but turned increasing gray towards the cold mountains. Barely visible in the distance the Eastern Watchtower rose up from a small hill just beyond the enchanting forest. Scanning down at the ground Deki examined the rocky land between the curtain wall and the forest. It seemed as though some rocks were just rocks while others seemed piled up rather deliberately as if to serve some purpose. Just at the edge of the forest, he saw something move, but when he looked again could not see what it was that he had seen.

"It's Erin," Tara said, seeing what had captured Deki's curiosity.

"Who?" Deki asked, still searching the forest line for any sight of the green and brown clad little man.

"Wood Elves," Astanshia replied. "They live in the forest."

"Elves?" Hanta asked inquisitively. He too had just caught sight of the almost human looking creature darting among the rocks.

"The forest is full of them," Tara said. "That was Erin. I know him."

"Oh," Deki said, and then started walking along the parapet towards the next turret. Finding a loose pebble he tossed it down to the rocks below, it hit and bounced off. A goat bellowed from below in protest. Unexpectedly a pebble bounced off the battlement just a few feet from where Tara was standing, she jumped and then waved at someone below. Deki did not see who had thrown the pebble but figured it must have been Erin.

Having climbed down the next set of stairs, the foursome wandered off to explore Gwendaline's vegetable garden. The garden was filled with ripening squash, watermelons, tomatoes, greens and more. They poked around looking at the crop when Gwendaline appeared at the kitchen door with some baskets. Some time was spent picking greens for dinner and afterwards they wandered around the kitchen until Gwendaline whisked them back out the door. She was baking pastries. But she would not let them have them just now. From the kitchen door, they walked around to the far side of the castle while looking up to the tops of the high towers. Tired and hot they stopped under a shade tree making the goats scurry away. The day had been long, but exciting and spending the remainder of the day under the shade tree seemed the best idea of all.

The next day dawn arrived with the slightest sliver of light breaking through the heavy drapes drawn between the chamber that the boys slept in and the windowed tower room. The shaft of light crossed the room like a sword that danced over Deki's face. He rolled over in the comfortable goose feather filled bed and tried to ignore the early morning sunlight. Then the room filled with a noise that smacked at his ears, a rooster cackling announcing the start of a new day. Deki angrily pulled a soft pillow over his head trying to keep the rooster's crowing from reaching his ears. But again, the rooster cackled as if the early riser were standing on the night table right next to his bed.

"What is that thing?" Hanta howled angrily.

Jonan's voice bellowed in the chamber. "We cannot expect to sleep away the day now can we?"

"We are tired," Hanta grumbled.

"The day has begun," Jonan said, and with his bony finger pointed made the drapes pull back and tie themselves up with decoratively twisted ropes. The room was filled with sunlight while the sound of twenty roosters crackling from the tower room filled the chamber with rancorous racket.

Deki reluctantly dragged himself out of bed while Hanta defiantly pulled the covers over his head. Jonan pestered him by making the covers fly away and then perhaps only for spite made the bed lumpy.

"Leave me alone," Hanta shrieked.

Deki wandered off to look out over the castle. The morning mist hung over the forest beyond the curtain walls. A solitary figure walked across the bailey far below. His eyes traveled down to the keep where a carved stone dragon rode the ridge of the roof. It seemed to have moved from the day before and its red eyes glowed catching the morning sunlight. He glanced away to see the gargoyles that peered over the edge of the roof. Then looking back at the dragon noticed that it had moved again, now its tail was curled up and no longer covered the entire length of the peak. With a shrug of amazement, he wandered back into the main chamber where Jonan had already laid out his clothes.

His tunic was laid out neatly alongside the sleeves and leather laces. Deki fiddled with the laces while Jonan watched with delight. He spent some time carefully lacing the shirt, but when he tried to slip the shirt over his head, he could not slip his arms into the sleeves. He had laced them wrong and Jonan sneered with utter delight. Hanta in the meantime threw everything onto the floor in a heap, which only made Jonan howl merrily. In the end, they did each other's sleeves since Jonan showed no intentions of helping either of them with that task.

Downstairs breakfast was served at a furious pace as Gwendaline was in a mood after the boys arrived late. They ate quietly while Gwendaline and Jonan argued in the kitchen. They could not understand the words, but understood that Gwendaline did not appreciate the delay Jonan had caused. Between furious words, Jonan brought out breakfast in bits and pieces. Scrambled eggs first, then some rolled sausage, followed by glasses of juice. Afterwards, Jonan cleared the dishes and came back with a plate of pastries before disappearing into the woodwork. Meanwhile, Gwendaline in much better spirits came to the table and took to straightening the boys' shirt laces with her chubby fingers. The girls' giggled but quickly hid their faces when Gwendaline glanced over at them.

"He only does this to be ugly," Gwendaline whispered.

Afterwards, Tara and Astanshia took them on a tour of the castle starting with the Great Hall next to the dining room. The Great Hall was as large as the dining room and adorned with many peculiar ornaments, objects, and artifacts. Leather chairs were placed near a desk that Tommes used. The desk itself was covered with papers and many oddities. Several other areas of the room had stuffed leather chairs and tables, so that people could sit comfortably for conversation. Near the middle of the room was a pool that reflected the sky with swirling cumulous clouds. Deki stared down into the murky water wondering what mysterious purpose the pool might serve. The oddness was the lack of skylight overhead, only the dark vaulted wooden ceiling. For a fleeting moment, he caught the glimpse of a woman with similar features to Madam Ka's staring back at him. He gazed for a moment and watched as the woman's face disappeared into a swirl of clouds. Then the water cleared and glowed blue as if he were looking at the distant horizon. He quickly left the pool and joined the others as they strode out the door.

The Great Hall

From the Great Hall they wandered up to the second floor of the keep and continued along the balcony that looked out over the foyer. Yesterday there had been a host of ghosts staring down at them as they arrived at Alacantar. Today there were no ghosts, just an odd silence only broken by the sounds of their feet on the marble walkway. At the end of the balcony, they turned and followed a new corridor toward the back. Deki curiously opened a door and expecting to see a room inside, was startled by an entryway sealed up by coarse stone. He closed the door, tried the next, and again was surprised to see another room closed off by coarse mortared stone. Now they wandered onward taking another flight of stairs up to the third floor. Opening new doors, they found a room furnished with chairs, tables, drapes, tapestries, and a large fireplace. Books lined shelves alongside some decorative objects. A huge ancient oil painting of a distinguished looking wizard standing near two young boys filled the space over the fireplace. Looking out the window, they could see one of the four towers. The room looked lived in and comfortable, but Tara did not say who lived there. Down the hallway, they found another room, smaller yet comfortable. A large poster bed on one end of the chamber, on the other side a few chairs and a fireplace that even in the summer was burning hotly.

They continued on their tour, inspecting several more chambers before climbing another set of stairs. Tara showed them out to a portico that crossed the backside of the keep. Elegant archways framed in the mountains and they could see the tower near the entrance to the Dragon Tunnel. High up on the mountain over the tunnel sunlight reflected off the windows of another tower that Tara called the Western Watchtower. The view from the portico was quite splendid and even the small village outside of the fortress could be seen.

The Portico

From the portico, they followed a corridor down back to the front of the keep. They went through some doors and found themselves walking in the direction of the North Tower. Opening doors like nosy houseguests, they saw different rooms, some of which seemed more like offices than living chambers. The tower was filled with ghosts, some of which displayed their annoyance over the foursome's meddlesome snooping.

# Chapter 10: The Library of Alacantar Castle

The West Tower

Tara was the expert of Alacantar Castle and knew the history of the castle and lands very well. She had been Tommes' student for a few years. She went on talking about the fortress and the wizards that had built it. Once the land of Alacantar spread across the Dragon Mountains and included the desert land of Hadzi. Old Alacantar also included Albaland as well, but several hundred years ago, Alacantar had freed the dragons, bequeathed land beyond the mountains to Hadzi and to the south to Albaland.

According to Tara, the castle was about one thousand years old. Twice it had been attacked. The first siege was about eight hundred years ago when the Zalkaros, a wicked Kingdom to the north attacked and briefly occupied Alacantar. The legend said a series of misfortunes eventually drove Zalkaros off. But then three hundred years later, the Zalkaros tried to siege the fortress again. Both the Hadzi warriors and the Guard of Alacantar drove off the unsuccessful attackers. Since then the Hadzi had enjoyed special privileges at Alacantar.

Tara knew of no other Princes from Hadzi that had been schooled at Alacantar Castle. Normally, the Prince of Hadzi would take lessons at the House of Orr while a few attended a boarding school in Albaland. But since the House of Orr lay in ruins, apparently Deki and Hanta's schooling at Alacantar Castle was another special privilege granted.

Like Jonan, the Tomares were in service to the kingdom. Some made up the Guard of Alacantar, while others maintained the castle and grounds. But not all the ghost in the castle served the current Keeper, Tommes the Third. Some were mean, ugly, best to be avoided, and anything but loyal to the residing Keeper. Perhaps that was why some rooms were walled up. The lives of the Keepers of Alacantar were the subject of many books in the library. Many of them came to bad ends, while others seemed to fair better at Alacantar Castle. Even for Tommes the Third, life at Alacantar was very risky. He had many enemies residing within the castle.

The foursome wandered down a hallway on the fourth floor of the North Wing when suddenly the hallway ended. A flight of steps appeared to be the only way to go. But halfway down the stars the staircase ended abruptly as the steps were gone and the drop was at least twenty feet down. They went back up the stairs and back down the corridor the way they had come. Part of the oddness of the castle was the walled up staircases, passageways, and entryways. The old castle was full of secrets, some of which Tara knew.

Downstairs again they walked through the foyer towards the East Tower. There were always more doors, one of which led into a room filled with musical instruments and a harpsichord. A wispy figure of a Tomares sat at the harpsichord as if planning to play a musical score. He hardly looked up as the foursome peered rudely into the room. A fire burned in a stone fireplace and for a brief instant, the faint figure of woman sitting comfortably caught their attention. She vanished without a word.

At the very end of a long corridor was the library under the East Tower. The entryway to library was ornately carved with books and scholarly faces. A double door led inward.

"Out for a walk are we?" Jonan said, as his head flared through the wooden door menacingly. He looked as though his head were carved from the oak woodwork.

"Just showing them around," Tara said.

"Did you show them the torture rooms in the dungeon?" Jonan howled.

"No," Astanshia replied.

"Some other day," Tara answered. "Besides they are locked."

"I suppose you went into the West Tower," Jonan said accusingly, just as Tara pushed open the library door with Jonan's head still sticking out of it like some fancy animated doorknocker.

"We never went anywhere near the West Tower," Tara said defiantly.

"It is haunted by the nasty ghosts," Astanshia said, looking at Deki and Hanta who were reluctantly walking past Jonan's head. "Do not ever go there."

Deki nodded. The door slammed shut behind them making a glass bowl on a nearby table rattle.

"Imagine, students skipping their first day of school," Jonan smirked. He had reformed himself behind a podium and was wearing a hat as if he was some kind of scholar. "Did you think you were to do nothing today?"

"Jonan," Tara said. "They just got here."

"My dear," Jonan replied rather officially, "If it were up to me...but Tommes has left you assignments with specific instructions."

"When will he return?" Astanshia asked. She had wandered over to the podium and was looking for the assignments Jonan was mentioning.

"Are those the assignments?" She asked, pointing at a book that slammed closed on the podium.

Jonan looked down surprised. "No," he hissed. "These are not your assignments."

"Then where are they?" Astanshia prodded.

"Tommes will return whenever he decides." Jonan said deliberately changing the subject.

"So where are the assignments?" Astanshia asked again. "I think we shall go outside and visit the village today." She added.

"Forbidden!" Jonan roared. "Your assignments are on the table over there." With a long baton, he pointed at the tables that overlooked the windows. A pile of parchment appeared in front of each of four chairs.

"Do we have to wear these stupid clothes?" Hanta howled. "They itch."

"What would you suggest?" Jonan chortled coldly.

"Do not antagonize him," Astanshia said, as she looked over at Hanta. "It will only make him worse."

"A shirt of hair would be better," Deki said, as he took in the sight of the library.

Immense bookcases filled the room from the floor to the high ceiling. Ladders led up to a second balcony. From the second balcony, more ladders reached all the way to the ceiling. In the middle of the room, a large chandelier with unlit candles waited for nightfall. The large windows let in light, but the aisles between the shelving were dark. Several comfortable reading chairs were scattered about with candle-stands nearby. A stone fireplace occupied a central area in front of several chairs, while the podium that Jonan was leaning on was just off to the side of the massive fireplace. The library was large enough for many people to sit comfortably in.

Deki watched as Tara took up a seat at a table with a pile of parchments. She picked them up and flipped through them.

"There is nothing written on these," she said, and then threw them up in the air. "You are trying to drive me crazy, Jonan."

"It was meant for you to write on, not read." Jonan said sternly.

"Fine," Tara said. "And what shall I write?"

"Take your seats please," Jonan bellowed.

Deki followed Astanshia to the table where Tara was seated while Hanta poked around with a globe he had found. The globe was very similar to the one he had seen on the Star Flyer, except this one had no visible means of support. It merely floated in the air above a wooden cradle. Strange miniature dragons circled the globe puffing with smoke.

"Hanta the Lesser," Jonan heckled. "I believe your seat is over there next to your brother."

"Do not call me that!" Hanta snapped. Suddenly he was airborne as Jonan apparently was forcibly flying him to his seat. He landed in the chair with a thud. Angrily Hanta kicked the table with his foot making it move a few inches.

"I believe your seat is over there, Deki." Jonan said, as he hovered overhead. He pointed toward an empty chair across from Hanta.

"How was he supposed to know that?" Astanshia asked.

"Oh, such a bother you are," Tara scolded. "You are just doing this because you have nothing better to do."

"Young Lady, for your information he has a name tag at his assigned seat." Jonan said while waving his fingers ever so slightly. Delicately handwritten nametags appeared on the tables.

"I believe you are sitting in Astanshia's place I might add," The chairs scraped the floor while the girls changed seats much to Jonan's delight. "It appears that only Hanta the LESSER knows his proper seat. I will give him a point."

"Ha," Tara mocked.

"Well then we shall begin," Jonan said, after everyone had finished shuffling around. With the slightest movement of his fingers, the library was suddenly filled with colorful ribbons that fluttered around like butterflies. Jonan howled with delight as the ribbons swirled about chaotically. The ribbons swooped around their heads and then up to the ceiling like a swarm of insects. Then they began attaching themselves to the spines of books all around the library. Like angry participants in a game of musical chairs, the ribbons bickered among themselves for a position, as if some books were more desirable than others were.

Colorful Ribbons Fly through the Library

"For Deki, history books with blue ribbons. You will read every last one of them." Jonan scoffed. "Yes, nice, long, boring, and tediously hand-scribed books to fill your days with more knowledge than you ever imagined." Jonan seemed filled with joy, as the largest group of ribbons, the blue ones, had settled on nearly every book in the library.

"And so one day you may be King of Hadzi." Jonan howled with laughter that made the ribbons swirl around again like butterflies.

"Tommes expects me to read all of these?" Deki asked, as the blue ribbons were everywhere.

"You will have years to read them all. And for Hanta, so that he might learn to read and use his imagination, red ribbons." Jonan snickered.

"I am not reading any of them," Hanta said defiantly.

"I will inform Madam Ka'," Jonan said coldly. "I have heard that she is forwarding the library of Albaland especially for you Hanta. And for your attitude I shall deduct a point from you."

"I will read to you," Tara said. She stood up gracefully while making funny faces that only the boys could see. Selecting a book from a nearby bookcase with a red ribbon, she returned and slipped into a chair next to Hanta. Hanta defiantly folded his arm over his chest and pouted.

Jonan glared menacingly while mimicking Hanta with his arms folded. He laughed wickedly with a deep voice that filled the chamber, causing the ribbons to flutter about a bit. Then the door swung open and all eyes turned to see the figure of a plump man filling the doorway.

# Chapter 11: Tommes' Academy

The North Tower

The solitary figure filling the doorway wore a light brown traveling tunic, topped with a dark brownish-red tabard that hung down to his knees. A wide black belt was wrapped around the overweight man's waist, while two pouches dangled on either side of the man's hips. All eyes turned toward the stranger and stared. His face was round and puffy while his brown hair was neatly trimmed. Looking hot, sweat dripped from his forehead. The man leaned on a long twisted walking stick that had been cut from a tree.

"Well," Jonan said, "A day late, Master Jose."

The man grunted and waddled into the library. He looked over the four students at the tables with watchful eyes that darted between them. The door swung shut behind him with a muffled thud.

"Who is he?" Tara whispered. Astanshia shrugged unknowingly.

"I let myself in," the chubby stranger said as he crossed the room.

Jonan reemerged in one of the leather chairs near the fireplace.

"Well, Jonan, it has been a long time, has it not?" The man said, as he stopped to face the Tomares.

"Indeed," Jonan snipped. "You are late and I have had to assume your job—as if I have not enough to do already."

"I do apologize, my dear friend." Master Jose replied unconcerned. "I was delayed."

"Evidently," Jonan sneered and then rose up out of the chair. He hovered in the air. "I would suggest that you keep a close eye on the youngest one. He seems a bit difficult." Jonan snickered and floated toward the door.

"Students, let me introduce you to your new Headmaster, Master Jose. I would suggest you give him your undivided attention." With that, Jonan disappeared. They could hear him squealing with laughter somewhere off in the distance.

"Go on with whatever you were doing," Master Jose said, as he looked around the library. Begrudgingly he collapsed into the chair Jonan had been sitting in and began mopping his forehead with a piece of dingy cloth that he pulled from his pouch.

"It is a tad bit hot today." Everyone stared at Master Jose as if expecting him to say something else.

"Go on with you now," Master Jose said with a slight wave of his chubby hands. "Which one of you is Tara, might I ask?"

"I am Tara," She answered eagerly and glanced nervously around at the others.

"Do fetch me a tankard from Gwendaline," Master Jose requested. "I am a bit withered by my long walk."

Tara jumped up and headed for the door excitedly. "I will get you something."

"Go on with you now," Master Jose said to the others. "I'll take me a little breather while Tara fetches me a pint." He dabbed his forehead with his cloth again.

The others whispered expectantly.

"And you must be Astanshia," Master Jose said.

"Yes, I am Astanshia," she replied. "And this is Deki and Hanta."

"Ah yes, Deki the Prince," Master Jose sighed. "And Hanta the Lesser."

Hanta glared resentfully while Deki sneered back at his brother.

"Just give me a moment to collect me self." Master Jose said with another long-winded sigh. "Then I shall come and help you with your book, Hanta."

Hanta glowered while Astanshia giggled, her hand tightly clasped over her mouth so as not to be noticed.

Deki fidgeted around for a few minutes then glancing over at Astanshia as he heard her whispering to his brother. Then he glanced over at Hanta who was still glowering defiantly. The book Tara had picked out lay closed nearby and he showed no intention of opening the delicately illustrated cover. The cover showed a young girl dressed in traditional Hadzi garb while a dragon soared overhead. The illustration was drawn in colorful ink made with scratchy quill marks. The book must have been quite old as it smelled musty and the colorful illustration was faded.

Bored, Deki choose to explore the library shelves. Nearly every book in one aisle had blue ribbons still fluttering about as if a breeze were blowing through the library. Some books had both red and blue ribbons, while others, mostly up on the second balcony, had only pink and purple. Those pink and purple ribbons attached to only certain clusters of books, some quite large and old. He wondered whom they were intended for as Jonan had not said, he figured they were for Tara and Astanshia.

Tara came through the door and gracefully set a filled tankard down on the table next to Master Jose. He wrapped his chubby hands around the curved carved handle and drank noisily. Afterwards he set it back down on the table while making loud sounds of satisfaction.

"Thank you Tara," he said, as he sat back in the chair again and let out a loud sigh as if he was still exhausted.

"Would you like more, Master Jose?" Tara asked.

"No," Master Jose said.

Tara seeing Deki in the library stacks wandered off toward him.

"I cannot understand what they say," Deki said, as he picked over the books.

"They are written by scribes." Tara said.

"How do they expect me to read them?" Deki said.

"Magic, I suppose," Tara muttered. Unexpectedly she suddenly climbed the ladder to the second balcony and headed for the books with the purple ribbons. Curiously, Deki followed. The air on the second balcony smelled like old leather. He slid down taking a seat next to Tara who had opened a large heavy book. She was thumbing through the pages.

"The purple ribbons are yours then?" Deki asked, as he peeked at the illustrations of Tara's book. They were symbols all drawn delicately in ink. Tara eagerly flipped through the pages faster than Deki could see. She seemed to know what the various symbols meant. Occasionally she stopped and traced her fingers over a symbol that captured her interest.

"Well then," Master Jose voice suddenly bellowed from below. He was hobbling toward Hanta, who was still glaring. Astanshia quickly jumped out of her seat as Master Jose approached.

"Now let me see about Hanta, we might as well read a wee bit before lunch." Master Jose said.

Hanta shrunk down in his chair and refolded his arms again defiantly. With his chubby fingers, he grasped the book and then let out a jolly laugh, which echoed around the library. In response the ribbons fluttered around, some breaking their hold on the books and flying up towards the ceiling. Like before, the ribbons seemed to be fighting with each other to regain their places on the book spines.

"The Maiden and the Dragon, a classic," Master Jose bellowed with a deep laugh.

Astanshia was on the floor of the library looking up at Tara and Deki when suddenly Jonan burst into the room. All eyes turned to see the ghostly butler levitating himself into the middle of the library.

"Imagine, students coming to class empty handed," he said.

"Jonan," Master Jose hissed with annoyance. "Must you be so rude?"

"I merely have brought the supplies that the boys neglected to bring to class," Jonan said. "Did I mention that the students were very tardy this morning? If it were not for your lateness..."

"Jonan," Master Jose grumbled.

Jonan, enjoying his self-appointed superiority, took to staring down at Master Jose, who in turned stared back rather annoyed.

"Forgive my intrusion," said another voice. A thin, tall distinguished looking Tomares appeared on the balcony within an arm's reach of Deki. Startled Deki jumped over Tara and stared back at the partially visible ghost.

"Who...?" Astanshia muttered before quickly biting her lip. She stared up at the new arrival inquisitively.

"Ah Professor Edmund, I see you too have arrived." Jonan scoffed.

"I have been here all morning," the ghost replied.

"Have you then?" Jonan said.

"Jonan, just leave the quills on the table, we will attend to them later," Professor Edmund said coldly. "Have you not errands to do for Gwendaline today?"

Jonan deflated, snapped his fingers setting off a flurry of commotion while parchment and quills suddenly appeared. If he had intended for the items to fly around the room like the ribbons, the attempt had failed. In a flutter of nervous activity, the parchment quickly became organized falling to the tables in neat piles. While the quills as sharp as arrows that Jonan had launched like missiles fell to the floor like raindrops. A glare between Jonan and the Professor made it clear who was in charge. The quills quickly gathered themselves up and grouped together neatly, taking their places next to inkpots on the tables. Jonan, disgusted, quickly disappeared.

"He is just a so much hot air," said the Professor. "And it is my pleasure to make your acquaintance Prince Deki. I will be your instructor."

Deki looked up at the half-visible stern looking figure, whose eyes glowed yellow.

"Come now," Professor Edmund said. "These books are intended for Tara and Astanshia. We shall not be looking at them." The Professor walked off the edge of the balcony and descended slowly back down to the ground floor.

Tara poked Deki with her elbow and whispered, "You had better go. He looks strict."

Deki clamored down the ladder. Professor Edmund waiting for him with a stiff expression, he stood much taller than Deki. His face was pointed and stern, with the hint of a beard, except that he was a ghost. Deki could see right through him and the black robe that he wore. Their eyes met for a moment. From the stern, piercing eyes of Professor Edmund who looked over Deki, Tara was right. He looked strict.

"So," Deki mumbled. He meant to say something aloud, but his voice just rather failed.

"Speak up," Professor Edmund said. "I do hope that Jonan has not given you the wrong idea about us."

"Hmmm..." Deki answered again whispering as he was failing to find words. The ghost's eerie eyes haunted him, not in the way Jonan's did, but differently. He felt an urge to bolt out the door, but his feet were cemented to the floor. He stared blankly up at the Professor.

"Well, shall we stand here all day," Professor Edmund said. "Or shall we have a seat?"

Reluctantly Deki followed the Professor across the library. Everyone exchanged snooping glances as Deki took a seat at an empty table. He glanced around and caught Hanta's eyes followed by Master Jose at the next table. A book landed on the table with a thud as a cloud of dust flew up into the air. The book was very old and a blue ribbon was attached to the spine. The Professor flicked the ribbon away with his long bony, but ghostly finger. The ribbon flew off and disappeared somewhere into the stacks of dusty old books.

"I cannot read it," Deki said. His voice was hardly loud enough for anyone to hear, including himself.

"Have you forgotten how to speak?" Professor Edmund asked.

Deki shook his head and glanced over to the other side of the library at Astanshia.

"Well then," the Professor said looking around the room at the piles of parchment, quills, and inkpots. "Where is your hat?"

"My hat?" Deki repeated, having forgotten about the knit hat.

"Yes, the hat that Tommes gave you?" Professor Edmund interrogated.

"I left it on the ship," Deki replied sheepishly.

The Professor blinked and the magic hat fell through the ceiling landing near Deki. "Now, we shall begin. I will expect you to use the hat for a while, but eventually I will expect you to read without any assistance. And I will expect you to write as well after a very short time. You will learn the language of Alacantar first, and then the languages of Hadzi and Albaland. Before we are finished, I will insist that you learn to read and write fluently in Zalkaros and Tiscai as well. Is that clear Prince Deki?"

"I do not know..." Deki said, as more bolts of terror filled his head. Perplexed, he took the hat and fumbled with it in his hand. The hat had been a wonderful invention on the ship. He put the hat on his head and already felt hot. The Professor hovered overhead looking as boring as the illustration on the front cover of the book Deki was expected to read.

"I will expect a written report by the end of the week." Professor Edmund said and as if not to waste another moment, he vanished. A moment later the lunch bell sounded just in the nick of time as far as Deki could figure. He quickly tossed the hat onto the book and pushed both away into a pile of parchment.

"Ah," Master Jose said, as he set down Hanta's book. All eyes watched the Headmaster as he made a weary attempt of pushing himself out of the chair. Shortly the five set off down the windowed hallway towards the keep.

"We must not keep Gwendaline waiting," Master Jose said, as he took the lead.

The long hallway back to the keep from the East Tower was the same as the passage that led into the North Tower. Tall arched windows made of leaded glass looked out over the bailey on one side while the other side of the corridor consisted of doorways that led into various chambers. Walking along with the others Deki peered out the windows. The view onto the bailey was blurred and distorted, as each piece of glass was handmade. His eyes caught the curious sight of a lone figure walking from the main gate. Deki stopped to look while the others ambled down the corridor.

# Chapter 12: Oxdure, the Hadzi Warrior

Crest of the House of Orr

Deki watched the man who was walking toward the keep. He noticed his garments and even in the distance across the bailey, he could tell that the man wore the same leather clothing Hanta and he had worn on the day they arrived. His midsection was covered with a leather waistcloth, decorated by shiny polished metal armor glistening in the bright sunlight. Leather straps, brightly ornamented with shiny rivets followed his chest upward and wrapped around his shoulders. His feet were covered with leather moccasins while leather straps wound up his calves up to his knees. Shiny metal plates guarded his ankles and legs. He wore a belt also studded with rivets and to his belt hung a sword sheathed in leather. Over his shoulder, he balanced a long spear with a wide blade on the end, while a crossbow hung over his shoulders. On his back, a pack was wedged next to a quiver filled with arrows. There were other shiny pieces of metal, but through the distortion of the leaded glass Deki could not see clearly

Quickly Deki took off to catch up with the others, stopping only for a moment at the end of the corridor to stare at the man again. No one else seemed to have noticed the stranger, and once in the lunchroom, no one else even said a word about it. Master Jose took a table away from the others. He had hardly managed to lower himself into the oversized chair when the loud resounded deep sound of a bell rattled the dishes on the tables. The bell was very high up above the front door and when rung the deep sound reverberated throughout the keep. There was little doubt when rung, that someone was at the front door, nor any chance that the bell would go unnoticed even up in the towers. Startled everyone looked up and around the room as if waiting for something else to happen.

"Can you get the door, Jonan?" Gwendaline called from the kitchen doorway. Her hands were filled with bowls that she had intended to plunk down in front of Master Jose.

"Coming," Jonan called, as he stepped out from behind her. He floated across the room taking the doorway that led into the main dining room, as that route was shortest to the front entry.

Gwendaline hurry back into the kitchen and came back with several more bowls, which she set out on the students' table.

"You will drink your goat-milk," she scolded Hanta.

Hanta groaned.

Then Jonan was at the doorway with an odd expression that seemed half puzzled and half utterly delighted.

"It appears that a man is at the door." He announced.

"Well, show him in then," Gwendaline said, while piling a heap of vegetables onto Hanta's plate.

"It appears that our visitor has no intention of entering the castle," Jonan said.

"What are you saying?" Master Jose asked.

"He appears as though he has seen a ghost," Jonan laughed menacingly.

"Oh, come off it Jonan," Master Jose bellowed. "He saw you and that would be enough to scare the spirit out of any man."

"He has indicated that he would rather stay outside," Jonan snickered.

"Jonan, where are your manners? I swear I will stuff you up the chimney one of these days." Gwendaline set down the bowl of greens on the table angrily. She immediately set off towards the front door. Everyone else jumped up from the tables clamoring nosily behind Gwendaline.

Master Jose swung open the heavy wooden door and looked out into the bright sunlight while the others peeked out around the overweight Headmaster. Standing down the walkway, still balancing his spear on his shoulder, was the stranger Deki had seen.

"Come, come now," Master Jose shouted out at the Hadzi warrior. "Do not be afraid."

"Do not let that silly butler bother you. He is nothing but hot air anyhow." Gwendaline said. She pushed her way through the crowded entryway and stepped out onto the stoop. Gwendaline politely curtsied to the Hadzi, who in turn bowed back. Still he would not take another step toward the open doorway.

Oxdure

"He's afraid of me?" Jonan roared with laughter from behind the others. He floated out the doorway over their heads and in the bright sunlight nearly vanished as he dropped down next to Gwendaline.

"Jonan!" Gwendaline scolded. "You are frightening him." She looked as though she might ring his neck if Jonan had one to ring.

"Come along now. We are expecting you. I have lunch ready for you." She waved at the Hadzi.

The Hadzi warrior stepped cautiously towards the doorway but never took his eyes off Jonan. He stopped short when Jonan made a funny face at him and demonstrated his ability to float while contorting himself into grotesques shapes.

"Oh, just never mind the old cuckoo," Gwendaline said, as she began swatting Jonan back into the entryway. "Do come in," she said, urging the warrior toward the doorway.

Everyone backed out of the doorway to allow the Hadzi to step inside the door. The stranger glanced nervously around the entryway and then looked over the faces of each person. The girls giggled while Master Jose waited politely for the Hadzi to say something.

"Is Tommes the Third at home?" he eventually asked.

"I am afraid he is not in the castle," Jonan answered while deliberately appearing directly in front of the stranger. The warrior took several steps backwards.

"I have been sent here, at the King's request." He said, while fumbling with his fingers to open the pouch on his right side. He pulled out a rolled-up paper and held it out for someone to take from him. Bowing slightly he held the scroll out.

"My name is Jose. How nice of you to come," he said stepping forward formally. "Tommes should return soon, join us for a bit of lunch."

"I am Oxdure," the Hadzi warrior said. Then Jonan snatched the scroll from his hand.

"Hmmm," Jonan said, as he examined the scribbled words written on the parchment.

"Jonan," Master Jose snapped. "We are well aware of who Oxdure is. Lay the scroll on the table and show our guest in."

"Perhaps it is a forgery," Jonan said unmoved by Master Jose demands.

Oxdure straightened up, stood proudly and glared at Jonan over the insult.

"How dare you, Jonan!" Gwendaline shouted. "You have exhausted my patience!" She snatched the scroll from Jonan rudely and not knowing what it said passed it directly to Master Jose to inspect.

"It is real," Master Jose said, as he examined the mark of King Orr. "Apologize for your insult or I shall have a word with you and many others before the day's end."

Startled by Master Jose anger, Jonan darted off.

"Let me introduce you to Gwendaline," Master Jose, as he gestured towards her. "And may I present Lady Tara and Astanshia, both of the House of Miskolc in Albaland."

Tara politely stepped forward and then seeing Astanshia standing back, she grabbed her by the arm and pulled her forward as well. They curtsied and then giggling stepped backward.

"And now may I present Prince Deki and Hanta Orr." Master Jose said as he stepped to their sides and pushed them forward.

Oxdure bowed to them all, but his eyes fell onto Deki with particular interest.

Meanwhile, Jonan rudely dropped into the middle of the group causing Oxdure to stand up sharply. Oxdure stood his ground firmly, refusing to be spooked this time by the ghost.

"May I take your spear?" Jonan said with an unusually deep voice, as if he were now trying to be very formal, or perhaps only to scare Oxdure half out of his wits again. "Your crossbow, poison darts, dagger, backpack, sword, quiver of arrows and whatever other weapons you might have hidden." He was naturally being extremely sarcastic and swirled around Oxdure looking at the arsenal of weapons the warrior had strapped to his body.

Oxdure stood firmly following the ghost with his eyes. Reluctantly he lowered the spear from his shoulder and rested it on the floor.

"Oh, come now Jonan," Gwendaline scolded. "You are being horrible to Tommes' invited guest. And wait till I see him!"

"The rules of the house," Jonan said officially. "Weapons must be left at the door." He snapped his fingers and a long roll of parchment unfurled from the ceiling as if it were a billboard. Jonan pointed to the first line of the ancient document while Gwendaline just threw her hands up into the air.

"Allow me to show you where you may leave your armor." Jonan swirled off to the door on the right.

Oxdure watched as Jonan cracked open the door. The hinges groaned as the heavy door swung fully open. Beyond a stone cavern with no windows that suddenly became illuminated by torches.

Jonan floated into the armory. A faint dank and moldy smell drifted out into the entryway making Hanta sneeze. The armory had not been used in recent times. It served as a place for visitors including Kings to leave their weapons, as it was impractical to allow armed men to enter the castle.

Oxdure was very reluctant to follow Jonan into the armory, but was even more unwilling to allow Gwendaline to take his spear. When she tried, he quickly stepped around her and into the small chamber.

"Have you seen many dragons today?" Jonan asked amid the sounds of Oxdure shedding his armor and weapons onto the benches that lined the walls.

Oxdure shook his head while he struggled to release the strap buckles that held his armor to his legs. He laid them on the bench neatly. The polished metal armor was his most cherished possession among the weapons he bore.

Jonan offered him a shirt made of coarse fabric that had hung on the walls of the armory. The dusty shirt was so old that it merely crumbled to the floor as Oxdure reluctantly accepted the garment, much to Jonan's amusement.

"Jonan!" Gwendaline scolded from the entryway.

"I shall wait outside," Oxdure said and began collecting his things.

"Jonan!" Gwendaline barked. "Come at once! Or I shall summon Hogarth! Oxdure, please wait." Then she screamed with complete frustration. "Ah, my lunch is growing cold and I have you to thank, Jonan!"

In the hallway, Gwendaline gave Jonan a tongue lashing that neither Deki nor Hanta could even begin to imagine. The girls stood motionless while making snickering faces at Deki. A moment later, Gwendaline returned with a freshly conjured shirt made of good cloth smelling clean and new. Angrily, she handed it to Deki and told him with her hands to take it into the armory. Then she stomped off taking a swat at Jonan while assuring him that she would be talking to Hogarth. The door to the dining room slammed shut and a sudden silence fell over the castle as even the ghosts lurking on the upper floors began scattering.

Startled, yet feeling very special for having been given an errand, Deki carried the shirt into the armory. He stood for a moment and looked at the Hadzi admiringly. Even without his armor, he was formidable and barely half his height Deki was taken in by the sight. He held the shirt out and watched as the warrior lowered his head and reluctantly accepted it. He watched as the Oxdure slipped it on. The sleeve did not require lashing, Deki noticed that right away. Then Hanta appeared with a belt of finely worked leather and two new shoes.

When the three stepped out of the armory, the girls were still giggling. Jonan was nowhere to be seen. Master Jose led the group through the keep to the lunchroom, offering Oxdure a seat at the table next to where he sat. Minutes later, Gwendaline pretending to be cheerful brought out food and quickly began filling Oxdure's dish.

"I apologize for any problems I may have caused you today," Oxdure said.

"You are not the cause of any problems," Gwendaline said sharply and then quickly moved to begin filling Master Jose's bowl.

She was gone again and returned to the students' table making it clear that no more nonsense would be tolerated from anyone. Hanta drank from his goat-milk just to show her that he would be good.

"Do you know why he is here?" Astanshia whispered to Tara. Everyone else looked at Oxdure who was very eagerly eating. He did not seem so ferocious in ordinary clothes.

"I do not know," Tara whispered back.

Gwendaline was back to make sure Hanta was drinking his goat-milk and then went to the teacher's table to offer Oxdure more food. She scurried off to the kitchen again. The room was silent until the meal was finished, and then Oxdure and Master Jose began to talk in whispers.

"What are they saying?" Astanshia whispered to Tara. "Do not look," she whispered to Deki who started to turn around to see.

"He is nodding now," Tara said, as she sneaked another peek over Deki's shoulder. "Wait, Oxdure is saying you brought him clothing."

"Master Jose is saying that you have no knowledge about Hadzi customs," Tara continued.

"Oxdure is nodding," Astanshia whispered.

"You gave him clothes," Tara whispered again.

"Gwendaline said to," Deki whispered back. He was confused.

"He is nervous about that?" Astanshia whispered, as she peeked again.

Deki shrugged, while Hanta fiddled with his the remaining bit of food on his plate.

"Girls!" Gwendaline scolded. "Your eyes do not belong on the faces of your teachers. You are being rude!" Master Jose and Oxdure looked up startled.

# Chapter 13: Toldare the Dark One

Castle of Zalkaros

Sunlight was forbidden in Zalkaros, the home of Toldare the Dark One. The sun could never break through the dismal snow clouds that eternally shrouded the stronghold. Hidden amid the mountains of the far north, Zalkaros was invisible until the very moment that it loomed overhead. For the unfortunate and very misdirected traveler, the very moment of seeing the black castle would be their last moment of freedom. There was never any escape from Castle of Zalkaros.

Spires topped by bulbous onion shaped domes towered into the clouds, each one red with diagonal gold stripes. The keep was of black stone, defended by small slits in the walls. Entry into the wretched fortress was through the main gate only under the carved letters that spelled out Zalkus. The gate made of iron and studded with poisonous razor sharp spikes was always locked and guarded. Visitors to Zalkaros were very rare.

Stumbling upon the ancient towers was unfortunate. Rarely did anyone have trouble crossing the frozen moat and entering the castle. The Guard of Zalkaros always knew when a visitor arrived. At the tip of a glistening spear, visitors were guided through the gatehouse.

Hideously disfigured creatures, the Guard of Zalkaros were as old as the Tomares of Alacantar and their sworn enemies. Some believe that the Zalkaros and the Tomares came from the same ancestors. Those that went to Zalkaros turned rotten and their faces were grotesquely distorted because of their wickedness and alignment with the Dark.

From the tallest tower deep inside Zalkaros, Toldare the Dark One watched over the world. The walls of the cavernous room were covered with mementos. Artifacts pilfered over the centuries that testified to the former glory of his Kingdom. For a brief time, Zalkaros ruled over all of the land to the south. They controlled the ports of Albaland, the pastures of Tiscai, the deserts of Hadzi, the Dragon Empire, and even Alacantar. They all begged their existence from the Tsars of Zalkaros.

A series of unfortunate events had changed history and the power of Zalkaros crumbled. Toldare the Dark One, the last remaining Tsar was working hard to restore, to reclaim, and to reverse the course of a thousand years of history. He had worked cleverly, upsetting the delicate peace that existing between the Kingdoms to the south. To Toldare, those Kingdoms had no vision of what they could be. They were wretched wasters of opportunity and in Toldare's mind, they were ripe for the pillaging. Hadzi, Albaland, and Tiscai were weak and unable to exist without the help of each other. He could conquer each one easily by exploiting their vulnerabilities.

Hadzi had been his first and very successful conquest. Hadrid, King of the Dragon Empire had been all too easily swayed. The arrogant dragon was ignorant and played into his hands with unexpected success. Hadzi was in ruins and to make matters all the better, Hadrid had broken the sacred oath that allowed the dragons their freedom. He laughed at how easily Hadrid had been manipulated. And what a pity how few dragons even knew of the oath after so many, many years. He had the dragons wrapped around his fingers now and they would need his protection.

Manipulating Tiscai was proving to be child's play. Staring into the gazing ball Toldare could see how impatient King Jacques was becoming. A few short years of drought and a millennium of peace was abruptly ending. He laughed knowing all he had to do was wait. Soon King Jacques would attack Albaland and both countries would soon lie in ruins. And which side would Hadzi choose to fight for? He laughed again. Soon they would need him and he would take it all, conquering each and restoring Zalkaros to its rightful place. He would then take his rightful place as Most Supreme Emperor.

Toldare gazed into the ball and took delight in seeing the once green pastureland of Tiscai turning brown. A snap of his finger and lightning struck, turning the parched land into fire, while another snap brought the wind that drove the fire closer to King Jacques. All of Tiscai could be scorched, he did not care. Fires were burning all around Tiscai. He watched with amusement as whole villages were turned to ashes.

Toldare had laid out a complete plan. Who would come to the aid of Alacantar when not one, not even two, but all three of Tommes surrounding allies were in ruins? Alacantar would be alone, weak, indefensible and to finish the job, Toldare controlled the Dragon Empire. He planned a glorious battle that would bring Tommes the Third, to his knees. He would rename himself Toldare the Great One.

Meanwhile on the Stepping Stone Islands, Captain Dakar was reviewing his options. His ship the Sea Dragon had burned to the waterline. The remaining hulk sunk into the sea. With only two men left, he had spent the day unsuccessfully trying to invoke the ancient magic of the Circle of Stones. Had he been more skillful, the ancient magic would have propelled him onto the distant shores of Alacantar. He did not know the magic words that caused the portal to spring to life and lift the two boys and girls into the air and over the sea. He was no wizard.

Captain Dakar's Magic Carpet Ride

The flying carpet was all he had left aside from swimming across the cold sea to Alacantar. The carpet had been left where the Guard of Alacantar had taken him by surprise. The Hounskulls were a myth, the stuff of legend or at least so he had thought. The formidable fighters had gotten the better of him. He was desperately searching now for an escape route. He held the carpet tightly and glared angrily toward Alacantar. He made his plan and carefully rolled out the magic carpet on the stony beach. The two remaining men took a seat while Captain Dakar took his place up front.

'But would it fly?' He wondered, as he uttered some words. Nothing worked and the threesome sat impatiently on the carpet. Then he tried another word, something lost in his memory until just now. The carpet lifted into the air and Dakar commanded it to fly to over the sea to Alacantar.

The carpet flew with great speed toward the white chalky cliffs of the mainland. Captain Dakar and his men held onto the carpet that first swooped down over the sea, then upward toward the chalky white towering cliffs. The carpet flew directly at the cliffs while Captain Dakar shouted orders, but to no use. They were heading straight into the white cliffs at breakneck speed. In a second, they would be impaled by the jagged rock and fossil headlands. As if to not have the will to destroy itself, the carpet at the last moment veered off towards the north following along the shoreline high above the ragged beach. Captain Dakar shook his fist, where the carpet would stop was beyond his imagination.

Guarded by ghouls, Toldare watched a stained and faded hand-drawn map spread out on a table. The map showed him the world, or at least that part of the world he was interested in seeing. From his dark chamber, he could see the movements of anyone important. Madam Ka' was at home in Albaland in her stone tower. Tommes, he noticed, was halfway between Albaland and Alacantar, his unmistakable mark moving rapidly toward Alacantar Castle. Madam Ka' and Tommes had traveled to the other side of the world and back again, a curiosity Toldare had noticed. Nor had it been any secret to Toldare that Captain Dakar had followed Tommes across the sea and back. Captain Dakar was a mere meddler to Toldare and mattered little to him. Still he had been curious to watch the unfolding scene and laughed merrily when Dakar had been defeated at the Stepping Stone Islands. In fact, Toldare did not need to laugh as the ghouls and portraits around his tower chamber howled for him. He also knew the two Princes were at Alacantar Castle and he was not surprised. Nor did it matter, as neither boy could stand in his way. Nevertheless, Toldare sent a spy to Alacantar Castle to gather details.

'What were Dakar's intentions?' He wondered. As Toldare stared down at the map, he saw the fast moving mark of Captain Dakar moving northward. Looking down into his gazing ball, he saw the pirate and two others riding a carpet. Toldare scoffed. The ghouls and portraits around him chortled with wicked laughter, saving Toldare the trouble of having to cackle himself.

Over the tops of tall conifer trees, Dakar and his men flew while icicles formed on their noses and chins. The air was becoming bitterly cold and ahead laid Zalkaros, shrouded in a thick blanket of dark snow clouds. There was no doubt in Dakar's mind where the carpet was taking them. He was not surprised when they reached the high-blackened walls of the fortress and the carpet vanished out from underneath them. The three men fell from the sky landing in deep snow. Immediately they were surrounded by the hideous creatures that guarded the castle. The mythological creatures sucked the very spirits from the men as they descended upon them. Prodding the men to their feet with their icy spears, the creatures marched them over the drawbridge and through the gatehouse into the fortress.

But Toldare had no use for Captain Dakar at this moment. The three were pushed into the dark barred cells of the dungeon deep under the castle. The gates slammed shut and locked. Hideous sounds of unimaginable creatures howled around them while their claws scratched at the walls of nearby cells. Captain Dakar knew he would have to bargain for his freedom from Toldare.

...

Meanwhile, in the late afternoon Deki and the others went out to wander around castle. The air was hot and dry, the sky cloudless except to the east over the Dragon Mountains. Tara led the way while Astanshia followed alone overhead. She was riding a broom she had picked up from the kitchen. Contrary to popular belief, those born to the powers were not born with the art of flight mastered, but had to learn it like anything else. She was still learning and having a good time holding onto the broom. For a while, she was upside down, as the broom swooped around in circles with a mind of its own. Deki was dying to try, but not being a wizard or anything the broom was just a broom when he held it.

Tara enchanted the broom and it flew out of Deki's hand and chased Hanta around. After a bit, Astanshia sent the broom back to the kitchen doorway. Now with time on their hands the foursome wandered towards the rear gate. Near the closed gate were steps that led up to the top of the curtain wall, eagerly they climbed to the parapet and looked out over the village below.

There were plenty of goats wandering around and the village. From the road, they had only seen a few huts, but beyond the trees in a clearing, they could see many more stone huts. A few people were about, while some children played in the narrow lanes that wandered aimlessly throughout the village. Deki was keen on exploring the village and meeting the people again. But the village was off limits to him.

"What are they like?" Deki asked, as they peered over the battlements.

"Like people everywhere else," Tara answered. "We will go there when Tommes says we can."

"He is protecting you," Astanshia said. The foursome began walking again towards the next turret that rose up above the curtain wall.

"I do not see what it matters," Hanta said. "The whole town came out when we got here."

"Do you know Madam Ka'?" Deki asked.

"Oh no," Tara laughed. "I have heard of her, she is your aunt."

"She is strict," Deki said. "She was on the ship."

"Do you suppose our mother was like her?" Hanta asked.

"I did not know your mother," Astanshia said.

"Come, let go see the horses," Tara said. She took off running towards the next staircase.

A short distant beyond some workshops was a large stable. Wandering inside they saw all sorts of harnesses hanging from the walls. The barn smelled of live animals, and a little further, they found the horses. They were big animals with furry legs that seemed to like their company.

"Who takes care of them?" Hanta asked.

"The villagers do," Tara replied. "They are taken out in the morning and brought back in the afternoon."

Near the back of the stables was a work wagon, the same one they had seen before. The wagon did not seem anything fancy, just an old work wagon with wooden spooked wheels. There was a place for the driver to sit and plenty of room in the back to carry supplies to the castle. A man stepped out of a nearby doorway.

"Good day," he said, as he took in the sight of the visitors.

"Hello," Tara answered politely. "We are just walking."

The man focused his attention on Deki and then bowed most peculiarly.

"Do you take care of the horses?" Hanta asked.

"Indeed," the man replied.

"I like horses," Hanta said. "Are they nice?"

"Can we ride them?" Deki interrupted.

"No," he replied. "They are not made for riding and yes, they are nice."

"They are too big," Tara said, as had a little experience with horses.

"They are work horses," the man said, and proudly stepped off towards the closest horse. He rubbed it on the nose while the animal curled its lips slightly.

"We shall go," Tara said, and then led the way back towards the double doors.

"Come back again," the man said, as the foursome wandered away.

The next stop was the goat pen where several goats were watching them suspiciously. They did not dare to pet the goats and wandered off again. Now Hanta knew where the goat-milk came from.

From here, they skirted past the West Tower while Tara scanned the dark windows high overhead.

"It is haunted with the ugliest ghosts," Astanshia said.

"It is the oldest tower," Tara said, as she quickened her pace to get past it.

"Do they every come out?" Deki asked, as he stared up at the tower. The stonework was a bit darker and rougher looking than the other towers. The tower itself looked far more formidable than the other parts of Alacantar Castle. Battlements surrounded the roofs, while a high windowless wall enclosed the backside of the wing. A drawbridge was dropped over what was once a moat. The doors beyond the drawbridge were chained preventing any entry into to the fortress.

"Sometimes," Tara answered.

"We are forbidden from the West Tower," Astanshia said. "You never want to go in there."

"I've heard," Deki replied. He took off running, as Tara was quite a bit ahead of them now.

Tara led them to a side door to the castle just past the West Tower, which in turn led into a hallway. They followed the hallway to the end and found themselves in a handsomely decorated chamber.

"This is called the Chamber of the Keepers," Tara said, as she led the way inside. They were on the ground floor of the North Tower. "It is just a sitting room. Next door is the Chamber of Wizards. That is where the Council of Wizards hold their secret meetings. We cannot go in there."

Torches had lit when they entered. The room was not as big as the Great Hall. Instead, the ceiling was much lower and paneled with beams. The interior walls were covered in paintings of wizards with their pointed hats and staffs in hand. Two fireplaces graced opposite walls while furniture was scattered about. They wandered about for a bit, but the feeling of being watch was growing stronger. They dared not touch anything under the scrutiny of so many portraits.

Wizard's Oddities

The room was filled with oddities that only made sense to wizards. Hanta was watching several balls orbiting around another globe magically. Deki in the meantime, caught sight of shiny metal housed in a glass jar. The metal leaves spun around and every few seconds would stop and start spinning in the opposite direction. As Deki started to touch the glass jar a sudden whisper nearby caused him to jump back. It seemed as if every pair of painted eyes on every portrait glared down at him.

"The room is haunted," Astanshia said, as she opened the doorway that led out to the familiar corridor under the North Tower.

"Visiting Ogdar were you?" Jonan's voice boomed from over their heads.

"Who is Ogdar?" Hanta asked boldly.

"He lives in the chamber," Jonan replied.

"I have met Ogdar," Tara said. "He is nice."

"He was concerned that you might break something," Jonan said.

"We did not touch anything," Deki said.

"So I heard," Jonan replied. "Next time you visit, have the courtesy to knock."

"Sorry," Astanshia said.

Jonan vanished.

The foursome walked down the hallway and stopped at a door. Tara tried the latch and found it unlocked. Looking around quickly for Jonan, she pulled the doorway open and then with a smirk on her face disappeared inside. Torches lit instantly and they found themselves at the top of long staircase that disappeared into darkness down below. The air smelled fusty and as they descended down into the dark cavern water tricked over the stone foundation walls. The stairs were wet and slippery.

"The Dungeons," Astanshia said, as they came to a wood and iron door. She pushed the door open and they peered beyond into the darkness of the vaulted tunnel. The piercing sound of a beast howling sent them all running frantically back up the stairs.

Jonan was waiting for them at the top with nastiest grin on his face.

"Got scared?" Jonan heckled.

"Jonan!" Astanshia snipped, as she tried to catch her breath.

Jonan floated off very pleased with himself. His laughter flowed down the hallway while the eyes of several passing ghosts stared down at the foursome.

# Chapter 14: The Treasure of the Gatehouse

The Keep

Deki was attempting to read the open book in front of him. Master Jose had moved him from the girls' table to another table because they had been whispering. Like Master Jose, Deki's hat was very strict with him and only tolerated a small amount of fidgeting before it began reading the words loudly. Deki's mind was not on the handwritten manuscript, but instead out the window. He was wondering about Oxdure.

At dawn, Deki had been up looking out the windows of his chamber. Oxdure was far below in the bailey working on stripping bark off some trees he had dragged in from the woods. He watched until Jonan arrived and began throwing his clothes at him. As usual, Jonan had removed the laces from his sleeves just so he could snicker while the boys struggled with them.

"I offered to help the lad," Jonan said, as if he were the martyr. "He prefers to labor." Jonan floated back into the chamber and made Hanta's bed lumpy. Eventually the waves of lumps knocked Hanta onto the floor.

Later over breakfast, a scuffle broke out. Oxdure had stashed his work knife in his belt. Jonan wasted no time. They all listened while Jonan recited the rules of the house, eventually forcing Oxdure to deposit his knife in the armory. Strangely, the knife was little more than the sort of knives Gwendaline kept in the kitchen. Oxdure had been using it to peel away some of the smaller branches of the trees he had been working on. He had not intended any harm, but the rules of the house were clear and Jonan was quite happy officially reciting them all.

Shortly afterwards, Oxdure returned looking none the worse. He took a seat next to Master Jose while Jonan gloated over his victory smugly.

"Can you pen words?" Oxdure asked Master Jose. "I have seen the barracks, but everything is so very old. I need some supplies."

"Ask Jonan," Master Jose said.

Oxdure turned his head down towards the plate of food in front of him and then said. "I think not."

"Oh," Master Jose said. "Do not be concerned with him."

"I do not take much too magical things," Oxdure said. "I wondered if you might write a list, so that I may obtain that which I need."

"It would be of no difficulty," Master Jose answered.

"I would do it myself, except that I do not know words," Oxdure said.

Master Jose glanced over at Oxdure and nodded. Most Hadzis were unable to read and write, he expected the warrior would not be any different.

Deki had eavesdropped on their conversation over breakfast and now in the library he was too excited to keep his mind on boring history book. His mind overflowed with ideas of what Oxdure would be teaching. Deki turned the page of the manuscript and half listened to what the hat read to him. He looked over the scribed letters and tried to see any words that made any sense to him. By putting his finger on a word, the hat would say it and explain its meaning. However, the hat was obstinate and would only repeat a word twice. After that, Deki would have to sound the word out on his own.

The words were hard and very different from the language that he knew and had been taught by Senor Madeira. The book was boring too. He had to find something in the book to tell to Professor Edmund and then he would be allowed to go outside and see Oxdure. The book weighted him down like a lead anchor. He began flipping back through the pages trying to remember the story.

Tara and Astanshia stuck to themselves for the most part after Master Jose scolded them for whispering. What they were reading Deki could only imagine. He turned his attention towards Hanta who sat with Master Jose. He was reading a book aloud to him. The book they were reading was mostly filled with illustrations. Hanta had it easy, Deki sighed.

The book Deki read was about a Hadzi that went to the sea. The traveler caught a big fish and then walked back to Hadzi. Big deal, Deki shrugged. He flipped through the pages looking for some moral of the story to appease Professor Edmund with in a two-paragraph essay.

Suddenly Oxdure burst into the room with Jonan hovering overhead smirking happily.

"What is wrong?" Master Jose asked, as Oxdure presented himself at his table.

"These are magical things," Oxdure said. He held out two items in his hand. There was a roll of leather and a tightly wound spool of yellowish-white string.

Master Jose looked at Oxdure and frowned a bit. He took the scrap of leather from Oxdure and ran his chubby fingers over the soft material. "It feels of fine quality," he said and then he smelled the leather.

"Jonan has conjured it," Oxdure went on.

"Ah," Master Jose replied. "Jonan could not obtain this leather by any other means. We are at Alacantar Castle after all."

"Everything in the barracks is too old, the leather is no good," Oxdure protested. "I cannot make anything with it."

"Does the leather not feel real?" Master Jose asked, as he handed the scrap to Tara.

"It is very soft," Tara said.

"What is wrong with it?" Deki asked. He had come to Tara side to inspect the leather.

"I must make guards for you," Oxdure said. "It is magical. I do not trust magical things."

"You do not like magic?" Astanshia interrupted.

Oxdure shook his head. Few Hadzis had the gift of magic and even fewer trusted magic. The distrust was engraved into the very nature of the Hadzi people.

"I may be wrong, as it has been a very long time," Master Jose said after having sat quietly for a few minutes. "In the tower of the gatehouse there is a storeroom. I believe the Hadzi guards left supplies inside. There may be something of value to be found there."

"The storeroom has been shuttered for many years," Jonan said. He had been hanging back. "Is there a problem with the leather I have given you, Oxdure?"

"They are magical," Oxdure said coldly. "How would I explain to the King that I have used magical things?"

"Jonan, do you believe there might be some supplies in the gatehouse?" Master Jose asked.

Jonan began to speak but then took notice of the deliberate look Master Jose was making toward him. "Why yes, I believe that some things are still left in the storeroom."

"Are they Hadzi?" Oxdure asked hopefully.

"They may be," Jonan said. "It has been many years since the Hadzis stood guard on the parapet. You will have to look for yourself."

"Shall we go then," Master Jose said. He pushed his chair back from the table and hesitating for a moment before he lifted himself out of the chair.

Jonan having the ability to move rapidly had already reached the storeroom in the main gatehouse. The truth was that nobody had been in the storage room for several hundred years. Inside layers of cobwebs and thick dusk covered everything. There was not much need for Hadzi warriors to stand guard on the parapet walks of Alacantar Castle in recent times.

Secretly, Jonan filled the room with the items that Oxdure wanted. He outdid himself as he cleverly mixed the old with the new and then threw up such a mess of dust, mold, and cobwebs that everything looked as if it had not been disturbed. Quickly he disappeared into the stonework and waited for the others to come.

Downstairs, Oxdure was trying to break open the latch that held the door of the gatehouse shut. Time and lack of use had rusted the slide bolt shut. Oxdure hit it several times with a small rock and eventually the slide bolt gave way. Inside the air was damp while the stone spiral staircase was dimly lit by narrow slits in the walls. The six treasure hunters pushed inside and up the narrow staircase. The girls were afraid of rats, while Master Jose puffed heavily. At the top of the stairs, a heavy wooden door barred them. An invader would have a difficult time fighting their way up the narrow spiral staircase. The heavy door was impossible to break down and to defend the entryway there were narrow slits in the door. Oxdure fumbled with the lock while the others all crushed together on the steps waited.

"Try the key," the voice of Tommes called from the bottom of the tower. Everyone tried to turn to see Tommes, but the staircase was very crowded.

"A bit of light might be helpful," he said just as the torches burst into flames.

"I see you have returned," Master Jose said cheerfully, as the robed wizard trod up the staircase. He could not have stepped past Master Jose even if he used magic.

"I have," Tommes replied. "Do you see the key?"

Oxdure could not see who was speaking. He hesitated for a moment and then began looking over the stonework in search of a key. Spotting the key hanging nearby, he put it to work. The door lock was stubborn and took some rattling before the tumblers fell into place and the door opened with a grinding creak. Much relieved everyone pushed their way into the room.

"I am Oxdure," he said, as Master Jose and Tommes made it into the room. Master Jose was quite winded.

"Ah, the Hadzi I requested." Tommes said. "I am Tommes the Third, current Keeper of the Castle of Alacantar."

"A great honor," Oxdure said and bowed politely.

"Say, why are we all here in the gatehouse?" Tommes asked. He had spotted the faint outline of Jonan in the shadows.

"It appears that our Oxdure requires some supplies," Master Jose answered. He was quite interested in the tarnished and dusty armor that lined the walls of the room.

"And Jonan could not provide these items?" Tommes asked.

"He does not trust magical things," Tara said.

"Of course," Tommes said. He looked Oxdure over closely and then made a satisfied smile. "A true Hadzi warrior survives by his own means and is not blessed with the gift of magic."

Oxdure brightened up over Tommes' apparent compliment. He began searching over the long abandoned armor and weapons that were neatly laid out along the walls.

"These are Hadzi," he said as he touched a suit of armor.

"Genuine," Tommes replied. "All of it has been here since long before my time."

Oxdure was looking over the remains of several crossbows neatly stacked against the wall.

"These will not be of any use," Oxdure said sadly, as he felt the strings of the bows. He wandered off to find an old battle-axe that lay rusting on the floor alongside several spears. "They are too heavy," he said after he examined the lot.

"What is it that you require?" Tommes asked. The room was like a curiosity shop with armor standing statuesquely as if a silent army were waiting to come to life again.

Oxdure pulled at the parchment from his pouch that Master Jose had written for him. Since he could not read, he handed it to Tommes who while stroking his long beard, browsed through the list.

Tommes looked up to see Jonan in the shadows pointing toward the ceiling. He looked up and saw the trap door.

"There is an old storeroom above," Tommes said, as he handed the list back to Oxdure. "Shall we climb the ladder and see what can be found among the discards."

Oxdure started up the ladder pushing open the trap door. The door was hinged and landed on the floor above with a thud that caused years of dust and soot to fall from the ceiling. Oxdure scrambled into the room above while Deki quickly mounted the ladder.

Oxdure groaned as he looked around the chamber. The only light came from the narrow slits built into the walls. From here, archers could fire arrows at the invaders in relative safety. Protective shields made of heavy oak beams stood idle in front of the murder holes. Archers defending the tower could slide the shields around and then fire volleys of arrows out through the narrow slits. If an enemy arrow ever managed to find its way through the narrow slit, chances were that the arrow would strike the shield.

Tommes was the next to climb the ladder up into the loft room. He did not seem any worse for wear as his oddly pointed hat rose up through the trap door. He looked around at the tower room while Tara and Astanshia followed him up the ladder. Several doors led off towards the front of the tower. Beyond one door was the mechanism for raising and lowering the massive gate. Further forward was access to the catwalks above the entryway. From here, archers could fire arrows or pour hot burning oil onto an invading enemy. The catwalks connected to the other tower. Toward the front beyond the narrow openings onto the catwalks, was another room. This chamber was the main defense for the gatehouse where archers could fire volleys of arrows down at the marauders. A cauldron served to boil oil and several ladders led upward to ledges where archers could be perched.

Tara and Astanshia wandered off into the forward chambers while Tommes directed Oxdure to another door. Beyond that door was a storeroom that had served the Hadzis as an armory.

Oxdure pulled open the small door and a foul smell filled the already dank tower room. It was dark inside and Jonan had done a spectacular job of concealing his handiwork. A thick blanket of cobwebs hung down over the doorway. Small brown spiders scurried off as Oxdure brushed through the sticky web. While Deki held a torch, Oxdure rummaged around inside the small chamber. Excitedly, he dragged his findings out and laid them out on the floor of the tower room. There was a fresh roll of leather and a moment later, he returned with several quivers filled with arrows. He found armor plates and a tightly wound spool of bowstring.

"I cannot imagine how any of these things could have survived for so many years," Tommes said, as he examined the treasure. "It must have been the coolness of the room that preserved them."

Oxdure rummaged around the storeroom while metal objects fell noisily to the floor. Once satisfied that he had found everything of value in the room he returned to the tower and gazed at the treasure he had uncovered. With his fingers, he inspected the arrows, still straight with polished metal tips and good feathers. He picked up the armor plate, already shaped correctly and only slightly tarnished with age. Most of the leather was soft and of excellent quality. He had also found buttons, rivets for attaching armor to leather, and a ball of bowstring still waxed and ready for use. Happily, he began moving the cache towards the trap door.

"You did not find bows?" Tommes asked as he surveyed the goods.

Oxdure shook his head sadly.

"Let's have a look up front then," Tommes said. The faint shadow of Jonan disappeared through the open doorway toward the front of the gatehouse.

"Tara," Tommes bellowed from the open doorway. "Do you see any bows?"

"No," Tara called back.

"Look around, Tara," Tommes bellowed again.

"Wait," Tara called back. "I see some." Quickly she emerged holding up a bow. Astanshia came next holding another. The girls handed them to Oxdure and giggled.

"There are two more." Tara said, as she darted back into the front chamber.

The bows were dusty and the strings were of no value, but excitedly Oxdure held them out while making some mental measurements. They were fancy with delicate inlay of pearls near the ends, something quite uncommon. Hadzi bows were unique in their shape and construction. The bows flared out near the tips, while the windings that held the leather handgrip were distinctively woven in colored leather laces. Oxdure marveled at the bows while noticing the details and unusual size.

Tara and Astanshia returned giggling a bit, as they held out two more bows. These were distinctly of the Albaland style and definitely made for the girls. Oxdure looked them over suspiciously.

The girls giggled and quickly made for the ladder carrying their prizes back down where Master Jose was still waiting. Oxdure began moving the treasure to the lower floor. He made several trips with Deki and Hanta's help. When they were done the trap door was lowered into place and the expedition loaded up the goods. They left the tower locking the door behind them as they went. Jonan remained in the tower for a bit before returning to the castle.

# Chapter 15: The Ghost Battle of Alacantar

Bows and Arrows

Thrilled with anticipation, the boys were let loose shortly after lunch and they tore off towards the barracks. Oxdure was expecting them. Oxdure was not like anyone else at Alacantar Castle and the morning's expedition to the gatehouse had only raised their curiosity. Excitedly, the boys tore into the open doorway of the barrack Oxdure had claimed for a workshop.

Oxdure was waiting for them beside a sturdy table. Arranged around the small room were the oddities that they had gathered earlier from the tower. Deki slid to a stop and eagerly surveyed the warrior. Oxdure having reclaimed his clothes from the armory appeared as if were ready to walk into a battle. He wore a leather waistcloth with a studded belt from which hung long straps of leather. On his feet were moccasins while leather straps wound around his calves up to his knees. Today, Oxdure was not wearing the armor that would protect his chest from an enemy's sword and arrows. Instead, his chest was strapped with thick leather bands that wrapped over his shoulders. Around his head, a leather headband decorated with a small medallion pushed back his hair. That ornament was a symbol of his rank in the Hadzi army, but Deki did not know what it meant.

Oxdure was not a man of many words, but instead he took to demonstrating his skills practically. He offered a much-needed break from the boring books of the library.

"Today, we will make our clothes," Oxdure said without much fanfare.

"We have clothes like yours," Deki said.

"How do you come to have clothes like mine?" Oxdure asked. He pick over some freshly cut leather laces he had laid out and then slid the entire pile of laces to the end of the table.

"Tommes gave them to us." Deki answered.

"A Hadzi does not use magical things." He said with a frown. "A magical thing will fail you at the moment when you need it to serve you the most."

Silently understanding, Deki and Hanta took a seat at the table. Oxdure picked up a skin from a nearby bench and tossed it on the table. Unrolling the skin revealed the shape of the cow it had been cleaned from. Deki ran his fingers over the soft outer skin feeling the hair that had once been the soft fur of the butchered animal.

"A Hadzi makes his own clothing," Oxdure said, and then pulling his knife from his belt stabbed the leather and slit it in a straight line down the midsection of the skin. After more slices with the knife, Oxdure held up a rectangular piece of leather.

"On the field you shall wear this," he said.

Deki took the leather from Oxdure's hand and laid it out on a nearby bench while the warrior cut another rectangle of leather for Hanta. A moment later, they held the garment around their waists tightly. Oxdure set to work fitting the waistcloth to Deki and once finding the right place, he took it away. With his knife, he cut a slit where his fingers had marked the place and then without much effort trimmed away several inches of the leather.

Deki watched as Oxdure fashioned a thick piece of leather to tie the waistcloth together. Satisfied with his work he set upon Hanta measuring the garment in the same manner.

"Put them on the table," Oxdure said, and then he set to work on the garments again. Taking his fingers, he folded over the top of the waistcloth and with his knife made several evenly spaces slits through the doubled layer of leather. Using his hands, he took a wide length of leather strap and wove it through the slits tightly binding the fold together.

Satisfied with his work he stood up and passed the work to Deki. "Work the laces through the slits as I have done while I do Hanta's."

Deki tried to do what he had seen but the wide leather straps were not easily pushed through the double layer of leather. Deki struggled with it and eventually managed to get the lace through the next slit. Meanwhile, Oxdure went to work patiently helping Hanta weave the leather laces. Next, they spent some time making wide loops of leather to hold up their belts. The loops were sturdily made by folding over small scrapes of leather in a double layer while looping them around the laces of the waistcloth. A rivet was used to bind the loop together. Upon completing the waistcloths, the boys changed into them. They were the same as Tommes had given them, except they had made them.

Afterwards Oxdure fashioned headbands for both and then set out to make arm guards. The arm guards were to protect them from the bowstring. He fitted them and then showed the boys how to lace them up correctly. The laces faced outwardly, while the forearm was covered by the leather on the inside. When the string of the bow was released, it would graze the leather, saving the archer's forearm from being skinned. The other hand, the one that pulled back the string required a special glove that Oxdure also made. Their fingers fit through holes while the backside was lashed together with more laces. It would be another day before they would make the leather straps that crossed their chests as well as the straps for their legs. The afternoon had gone quickly and when it was time to return to the castle they changed back into their regular clothes and set off towards the keep. Tomorrow afternoon the archery lessons would begin.

After lunch the next day, everyone set off to meet up with Oxdure on the bailey. They would spend the earlier part of the afternoon lashing together poles to make a target. Working alongside Oxdure, his most favorite teacher, Deki enjoyed the work. Hanta and the girls hung out in the shade of a nearby oak tree while Deki and Oxdure tied a bale of straw to the poles. A round ball was made with grass and burlap and tied to the center of the target.

Everyone watched Oxdure who demonstrated the proper stance. He pulled back the bowstring and sent an arrow into the very center of the stuffed burlap ball. The girls cheered. Now Deki stepped forward to try. He missed the target completely as the arrow flew off at least fifteen feet to the right. The girls cheered again. Then Hanta tried but broke the arrow as he let the string go. The girls cheered again.

Oxdure demonstrated again and now Deki tried again. After several trials, he managed to hit the bale of straw, but nowhere near the target. The girls applauded while Deki jumped up and down triumphantly.

It was at this moment that the unexpected happened.

Hurling through the sky a pumpkin crashed down at Deki's feet splattering him with slime. Shocked, Deki jumped back about three feet while Oxdure looked up to see where the flying pumpkin had come from. He did not have to wait long to see another volley of orange pumpkins fly over the curtain wall.

"What madness is this?" Oxdure asked, as another ripe pumpkin flew directly toward him. He jumped out of the way, but the pumpkin was destined for him and moved with him. All at once, it came down splattering him with pumpkin slime. The girls screamed and ran for safety behind the oak tree while a pumpkin chased Hanta around the bailey. Hovering over his head it cracked open and poured juicy pumpkin slim all over him. Hanta howled and jumped behind Tara for protection.

More pumpkins flew over the curtain wall and without hesitation Oxdure drew back his bow and shot an arrow. He knocked one pumpkin from the air while two others still hurled toward him. He hit one with his fist making it fall to the ground while he dodged the third one. That pumpkin went after Deki, chasing him as he darted around the bailey. Deki was sure that the pumpkin was laughing most sinisterly and calling his name.

Deki took cover behind the oak tree with the others while Oxdure stood his ground waiting for the next volley of pumpkins to start. Seconds later, a red cloud of overly ripe tomatoes were flying over the curtain wall. The girls held out their amulets repelling the tomatoes, but it was of little use as Oxdure was pelted by them.

"It has got to be Jonan," Tara said, as she held up her amulet. Several tomatoes heading for Deki changed direction and flew back over the wall.

Covered in pumpkin and tomato slime, Oxdure took off toward the wall. He vaulted up the staircase and crouching down low, peeked over the top of the battlements. Seconds later, he was running back down the stairs while tomatoes bombarded him from all directions. A ripe watermelon cracked open over his head and covered him now with watermelon, seeds and all. Oxdure growled and swung at the watermelon with his fist.

Oxdure made it back and hunched down by the tree. He was covered in slime and he could only laugh as tomatoes splattered over everyone. Tara screamed when a tomato squished itself over her head, the juice covered her hair and dripped down onto her leather archery outfit. Astanshia hid behind Hanta who was hit with at least three tomatoes. Deki was covered in slime too. He hunched down next to Oxdure and waited for the foray of possessed fruit to end.

Amazed they watched as a cloud of black smoke began rising above the curtain wall right where all the tomatoes had been hurled from. A thunderous roar forewarned of the siege tower that began growing just outside the walls. The wooden structure was covered in animal hides while black smoke rose up all around it. The tower was on fire, but no one could be seen inside the attack machine.

"What have we here?" Tommes said, as he approached the chaos.

"I am covered in tomatoes," Tara screamed. The goop was dripping off her.

"What manner of magic is this?" Oxdure growled. He by far had fared the worst in the initial attack.

"It appears that we are under attack," Tommes said, as he surveyed the scene.

"Look!" Tara shouted, as flames shot high into the air outside along the length of the curtain wall. Black smoke rose into the air forming a dense dark cloud.

"Come now," Tommes said. "We must return their fire." Now it was more of a game as Tommes, Tara, and Astanshia caused the smashed fruit to fly into the air and back over the curtain wall. The siege tower was splattered with pumpkins, watermelons, cucumbers, and tomatoes. Then an eerie sight arose in the smoke covered bailey around them.

Oxdure jumped to his feet as the scene unfolded. Clearly spooked by what he was seeing, he turned from side to side. He stepped back to shield Deki and Hanta as if they were in harm's way. Ghosts dressed in the ancient garb of Hadzi warriors were rising from the ground and marching towards the curtain wall. A volley of flaming arrows shot over the battlements landing all around them in the bailey. The Hadzi archers returned fire and hundreds of flaming arrows shot over the curtain wall. The sound of the massive doors at the gatehouse being hammered by a huge battering ram echoed across the castle grounds, while more black smoke rose turning the day into compete darkness.

Deki stared as the Hadzis dragged a trebuchet onto the bailey only a few feet from where they stood. The ghosts, oblivious to their presence, filled the machine with bags and then with a torch set the bags on fire. The catapult-like machine launched the burning mass over the wall. It landed on the siege tower knocking off the roof and setting it ablaze. Meanwhile, Hadzi archers were falling from the walls, fatally wounded by arrows. The marauders had battered down a gaping hole at the top of the curtain wall and were gaining a foothold. A rush of a dozen or more marauders flooded in through the gash. They fought against the Hadzi with swords and battleaxes.

High up on the turrets, Hadzi archers sent down volleys of flaming arrows while more catapults and trebuchets fired rocks and flaming bags over the walls. From outside the walls, the Zalkaros catapults were also launching fiery bags and rocks over the walls. Tara screamed as a dead cow landed nearby. She ran to Oxdure to hide behind him, as did Astanshia.

The pounding battering ram at the gatehouse grew louder, followed by the screams of the Zalkaros burned by hot oil. The sound sent shivers up Deki's spine. More men marched by, but then one dressed differently stepped in front of Deki. The ghostly man wore the Crest of the House of Orr, and in his belt the dagger that Captain Dakar had presented to Captain Tarr. Deki looked at the man with curiosity. The ghost shouted some orders in a language Deki could not understand and then vanished into the foray with his sword drawn.

The fighting inside the curtain wall was ferocious as the Zalkaros came flooding in over the parapet. The main gate was still standing but taking a beating from the battering ram. Climbing ladders, the Zalkaros had captured the top of the outer walls and were driving the Hadzi guards back. Archers were firing down on the Zalkaros from the turrets, while the Hadzis sent a volley of arrows upwards from the bailey. The battle was going badly for Alacantar.

Nearest to Deki, a trebuchet was consumed in flames, but the Hadzis managed to send one last volley of flaming bags and rocks that rained down on the attackers. Other trebuchets were still firing missiles of flames and rocks, some of which were filled with the enemies' dead bodies. The sight was gruesome. Oxdure, unsure of what to make out of the ghostly battle, had taken a defensive position ready to fight any Zalkaros ghost that came close enough.

Overhead a black shadow passed through the smoke, it circled high overhead and then with a deafening roar let out a blast of fire that incinerated the remains of the siege tower. The sounds from the gatehouse changed and as the huge gate crashed down, Hadzi archers fired into the tunnel. The dark, barely visible dragon swooped down on the gatehouse and blasted the tunnel with its fiery breath. The Hadzis retreated from the flames as the dark creature swooped back into the sky.

Now the Hounskulls of Alacantar were marching into battle, their yellow eyes burned with fury. Twelve across they marched to the curtain wall with their swords pulled. The Hadzis retreated, the battle now belonged to the Hounskulls. What happened next as the dark dragon attack from above and the guards from below was difficult to see as smoke obscured the battlefield. The invaders were being destroyed by the Guard and incinerated by the dragon all at once. Dense black smoke rose from the barracks and from outside the curtain wall. The sky overhead turned orange while the forestland around Alacantar burst into an unimaginable firestorm.

The ghosts were dissolving into thin air while the smoke cleared and the illusion began to fade. Alacantar Castle was returning to a cheerful summer day while the wreckage of the epic battle simply evaporated.

"History," Tommes said. "Can be an interesting subject when you can see what really happened."

Oxdure was stunned while his distrust for magic only intensified. Yet he seemed no worse for the wear as he let the tension drift away with the illusion. He glanced around and not seeing more Zalkaros let out a sigh of relief. He had witnessed his ancestors fight the legendary battle for Alacantar Castle.

"I saw a man with the dagger," Deki said. "The one Captain Tarr had."

"That would be King Orr the Third," Tommes answered.

Smoke was still rising from outside the curtain wall from the place where the siege tower had first appeared. Apparently, that tower was real, as Jonan had conjured it up.

"What has happened to my vegetable garden?" It was Gwendaline stomping towards them with fire in her eyes.

"Appears to be splattered all over," Oxdure muttered, as he looked at the remains of pumpkins, squash, cucumbers, and tomatoes splattered all around him. He was still covered with seeds and slime.

"Jonan," Tara said.

"He was throwing them over the wall," Astanshia added.

"I'll skewer him, broil him, and dice him up for stew," Gwendaline swore, and then she stomped back off towards the castle.

"Girls," Tommes said. "I believe we need to go and put a charm on Gwendaline's garden lest we all have dried up bits of old bread for the next two weeks."

# Chapter 16: The Pool of Ages

The House of Orr

Oxdure spoke few words, but nevertheless he had proven to be a great teacher. Daily he worked refining Deki's archery techniques. True to Tommes' judgment, Oxdure survived by his own hands and abilities. There was nothing magical in what he did. Deki wanted to be outside all the time. But Oxdure had explained to him how he needed to learn from Professor Edmund as well. Oxdure could neither read nor write and as he explained it, a King would need to do both to lead his men. His encouragement kept him studying the boring books that Professor Edmund relentlessly laid out for him.

Mornings for Deki were spent in the library with the others. He completed his daily lessons by writing a summary on parchment with a nasty quill. With black ink stained fingers, he did not know which was worse, the thinking, or the actual work of writing with a stubborn quill. When done he would hand his parchment to Professor Edmund and wait while the ghost graded it. Professor Edmund was never impressed and rarely marked his papers with more than the word 'Adequate'. Mostly in fact, Deki received a 'Barely Acceptable' or sometimes the much dreaded 'Unacceptable'. After the grading, he was free to go, leaving the others to struggle with their own lessons.

After several weeks, the routine was becoming predictable. Early mornings spent with Jonan hovering overhead snickering. The odd part about early mornings was the Stone Dragon on the roof. Deki always made a point of looking out the tower window for the dragon. The stone carving always moved from one day to the next. Then breakfast at the table with Tara and Astanshia. After breakfast was time in the library with Professor Edmund, following by a jog around the castle twice with Oxdure. After picking vegetables for Gwendaline, he stole off to the barracks to work with Oxdure. This was when Deki learned the warrior's trade. Time spent sharpening swords, daggers, and repairing the leather gear. Armor was always in need of polishing and occasional replacement. In turn, the armor needed to be attached to leather straps with rivets. By now, they had several complete outfits hanging along the walls of the barracks, with several more in progress.

Oxdure was in denial. He had come to accept help from Jonan, allowing him to conjure up the materials that he needed. Every day they found new leather and polishing cloths neatly folded on the table. Oxdure just pretended as if he did not know where the material had come from. Neither Deki nor Hanta ever brought the subject up, nor did they show any amazement when a new stash of artifacts were discovered among the relics of the castle.

But on this day, Tommes was waiting for him. The wizard was in the Great Hall at the appointed time. Looking up from his desk, he straightened his peculiar spectacles and took in the sight of Deki standing nervously. Tommes by no means was anyone to be dreaded. In fact, Tommes had a very odd sense of humor and was often the source of much merriment at the dinner table. But today, Deki felt awkward in meeting with Tommes. The request had been delivered to him by Jonan in the form of a rolled and ribbon-tied bit of vellum that look very official. Tommes stepped from behind the desk and motioned for Deki to follow him to the pool in the center of the room. The murky water swirled with clouds as if reflected the sky above. Tommes announced it was the Pool of Ages.

Deki had read many books already, some of ancient history while others of events that were more recent. He was fully aware of the conflict in his father's Kingdom. The war brought on by the Dragon Empire against the House of Orr was the subject of a manuscript he had labored over for three days. Much to Deki's disappointment, Professor Edmund had graded that manuscript as 'Barely Acceptable'. Apparently, Professor Edmund felt that Deki had missed the point, Hadrid the Dragon King, was after him personally. But Deki did understand that, he had been warned more than once that Hadrid would devour him on sight should he ever have the misfortune of crossing dragon's path.

Deki understood how he stood in the center of the conflict, but in his mind, he could see no real solutions to offer. The Hadzis had never taken the dragon chick, nor could Deki imagine any reasons why they would even want to. Oxdure had explained how difficult the war had been. The dragons were powerful and the most wretched of all enemies to fight. With their ability to fly and breathe fire, the Hadzis had suffered frightfully. The Hadzis had been driven into the canyon below the House of Orr. Without farmland, food was very scarce. If another attack from the dragons did not finish off the Hadzis then starvation would.

Tommes tossed a marble into the pool. The pool told the truth, he explained, but not necessarily in the right order. Deki watched as the clouds parted and an image of a castle formed. Perched high atop a butte, the castle was surrounded by a fast moving river far below. The only access to the House of Orr was across two narrow rope bridges. Difficult to siege, the castle on the rock was beyond the reach of arrows, trebuchets and siege towers. The fortress was formidable and completely secure, except from dragons.

Building of the castle had begun during the reign of King Orr the Second, just as Alacantar bequeathed the river canyon including the Catacombs of the Ancients to the Hadzi. They were also given the dry, desert land to the east of the Dragon Mountains into the Murky Mountains. At the same time, the dragons were granted their freedom and for eons of service to Alacantar were bequeathed the Dragon Mountains.

An oath was taken near the Eastern Watchtower at a stone pile that signified the new border of Alacantar. Here the dragons and the Hadzis swore to live peacefully together. The only real source of contention between the Hadzis and the dragons had been the extraction of fine gemstones as tolls for passage through the Dragon Mountains. Until recently, their co-existence had been peaceful, but with little trust between them.

The illusion shown to Deki was different from the illustrations in the library books. At first the House of Orr was in complete ruins, all of the wooden pyramid shaped roofs were gone. The walls of the fortress were blackened by dragon-fire, while many of the battlements were broken away. Deki surveyed the sight of the house and could imagine the dragon attack. Still the flag of the House of Orr flew defiantly from the high tower that rose from the castle.

Now the view was changing as the water of the pool swirled about. The Hadzi lived in small stone huts surrounded by family garden plots. These gardens were filled with ripening fruit despite the dryness of the land. Legend had it that the Tomares had cast a spell across the desert that made the gardens grow even though there was hardly any rain. Small clusters of stone huts formed small villages all along the edge of the chasm. A wide stone road called The Great Road ran from north to south connecting Albaland to the south with Hadzi. To the north, the road led to a crossroad, the fork leading through the Dragon Mountains went westward to Alacantar. The other fork led northward, ending abruptly at the edge of rugged mountains. The Great Road was a relic of a time when the Tomares believed they could trade peacefully with Zalkaros. Beyond the end of the road, little was known, as there were no published maps of the region. Zalkaros was far to the north, but that Kingdom kept its roads secret. Only outlaws, fools, and wanderers ever traveled beyond the end of The Great Road.

The vision was changing again. He was seeing the castle again and now the roofs looked more like what Deki had seen. Standing proudly against a darkened sky, he watched as a battalion of Hadzi warriors marched across the rope bridges toward the mainland. Upon reaching road, the army turned northward. Leading the entourage was Deki's father, King Orr the Fourteenth. The warriors marched through small villages while the people waved and offered baskets of vine ripened tomatoes and bread.

The pool swirled about and the image became confused and dark. The illusion of flames erupted from the pool and Deki jumped back. The image now was of the castle in ruins, the walls scorched black, and its graceful roofs burning. All around the villages along the road were destroyed, the gardens burnt to blackness. The people were gone and no one was waving. Deki wondered what had become of the Hadzis. Now the pool was refusing to give up any more while the surface clouded over with haze. He looked over at Tommes silently and waited to be dismissed. Deki felt angry.

Later that day, Hanta was working on a project with Oxdure. Out in the bailey under Oxdure's supervision he was building a trebuchet. They had wanted to use a watermelon to test the catapult-like device, but after Jonan's assault on the castle, they decided not to raid Gwendaline's vegetable garden. A large rock was chosen instead.

Deki arrived still flustered over the mornings' lesson with Tommes. His mind burdened with the images of Hadzi after the heinous dragon assault. He resented Hanta who could build catapults with Oxdure while he struggled with boring books and tried to understand the world around him. He never mentioned his feelings about that to anyone. Besides Hanta lacked the skills of a great archer, as he was not very athletic. Instead, he seemed to prefer to build things like trebuchets with Oxdure. Hanta was quite inventive actually. Perhaps he had seen these things in the books that he shared with Master Jose.

Deki wandered alongside the trebuchet and took notice of the lashings of rope that he had helped wrap around the logs. Then the rock was launched and he watched as it flew through the sky landing within a few feet of the target. Deki clapped while Hanta jumped around excitedly. Oxdure on the other hand seemed disappointed that the rock had not flattened the target. He was determined to give it another go, but the second launch missed the target again.

With a shrug, Oxdure took them on a jog around the castle. They would circle the castle twice. The second trip stopped short at Gwendaline's garden where they picked some squash for lunch. This in turn led to a reward of fresh juice at the kitchen door and a moment of shade under the porch roof.

After lunch was archery practice with Tara and Astanshia. Oxdure was pleased with the progress Deki was making. While he often missed the target, he still had good form. The girls on the other hand were something else. Oxdure forbade them from using magic, having gone so far as to make them leave their amulets hanging harmlessly on the nearby oak tree.

Without magic, both Tara and Astanshia could hit the ball of burlap at twice the range of Deki. For that matter, they could outperform Oxdure. Not only could they hit the target perfectly centered, they could split arrows. Furiously Oxdure barred them from splitting arrows. Instead, they drew patterns on the target with arrows, each arrow perfectly placed. Oxdure smoldered over their marksmanship and suspected magic. The girls just giggled much to Oxdure's annoyance.

After archery practice, came free time. Time spent wandering around the castle or the grounds. Deki and Hanta were never permitted outside the walls of the castle grounds, but could climb up on the curtain walls and gaze off wishfully into the distance. Tara and Astanshia had no such restrictions and were free to go as they please, provided they were back in time for dinner. Some days they wandered off through the rear gate and down to the village. From the top of the curtain wall, Deki and Hanta waved enviously.

Today a caravan had arrived in the village and the girls had been making plans for a week to go to the village. The caravan of merchants took over the road between the castle and the village. The boys exiled to the top of the curtain wall gazed down on the commotion below. Merchants from all over including Albaland, Tiscai, and even Hadzi came to Alacantar to hawk their wares. The brought leather goods, clothing, jewelry, food, and trinkets of all kinds. There were carpets, exotic woven baskets, and cages of birds to be seen. Magicians, contortionists, musicians, and oddly dressed men riding flying carpets moved around the crowded roadway in between mule driven wagons. Deki and Hanta stared down at the carnival brokenhearted, while the girls wandered amid the crowd.

"If you have no money then you should not touch," an ugly woman scolded, as the girls poked around her table of ornate jewelry.

"We just want to look," Tara said, gazing over the collection.

"This one will ward off sorcerers," the woman said, pointing to a necklace festooned with a green jewel.

"I like this one better," Astanshia said. She pointed toward a necklace that was similar but with a yellow stone instead.

"Good for all occasions," the woman said.

"Our father will not allow us much allowance," Tara said with a sigh. Her attention caught bracelets made of silver with pearl inlays that caught the light in a dazzling shimmer of color.

"Who is your father?" The woman asked.

"We are from the House of Miskolc," Tara said.

"Lord Miskolc will not allow you an allowance?" The woman hissed. "Surely he can afford one."

"I have a little money," Tara said, but she was reluctant to reach into her pouch just yet.

"I want this one," Astanshia said excitedly. She had found a brooch of light purple amethysts set in silver. She tried it on, clipping it to her blouse under the watchful eyes of the woman. Astanshia dug into her pouch and pulled out several tarnished silver coins that she laid out on the table.

"And for you?" The woman said knowing that if the one had money then the older one must have even more.

"I am thinking," Tara said, as she poked over the jewels.

"Why are you here in Alacantar?" The woman asked.

"Our father sent us here," Tara replied.

The woman hissed in a whisper, "You are being taught the secrets?"

"Yes," Astanshia said. She picked up another broach and held it up for Tara to see. It was made of gold with yellow jewels artfully arranged in a crescent moon.

"The ancients' magic is hidden somewhere in the castle," the woman whispered.

"What do you know of the ancients' magic?" Tara asked, as she brushed away the broach Astanshia was showing off. "It is not my color."

"Try this one dear," the woman said. "The Jewel of Helia." She pulled out from behind the cart a silver encased sapphire amulet that was firmly attached to a thick spiral silver chain. The sun caught the deep purplish-blue jewel and reflected into Tara's eyes. Clouds swirled around inside the jewel.

Tara gasped at the sight of the sapphire amulet. "It is too expensive," she said with a sigh.

"Perhaps," the woman replied. "But think of what it might do."

"What powers does it have?" Astanshia asked, as she tried to hold the jewel in her hand. The woman would not let go of it, but instead allowed the amulet to dangle between her claw-like fingers.

"Nothing compared to the Stone of Lazio, hidden somewhere inside Alacantar Castle," the woman hissed. "Yet, this amulet has a powerful magic captured in the jewel. See how it swirls around the heart."

"My father would never agree to the purchase," Tara said, as she turned her attention to the other items on the cart.

"I will ask him," Astanshia said. "We do not see out father very often. Will you come back?"

"I cannot hold such an item of extraordinary value for very long," the woman said and quickly snatched the amulet away.

"I will take this one," Tara said proudly, as she held up a necklace adorned by a small topaz stone. She reached into her pouch and laid several coins on the cart. The woman scooped up the money.

"This stone hidden in Alacantar, what does it look like?" Tara asked.

"Very old, made with an amber stone mounted in gold wings," the woman whispered. "Its value is beyond mere money."

"This is called the Stone of Lazio?" Tara asked.

"The Stone of Lazio holds the powers of the ancients," the woman whispered. But for what reason was unclear as there was no one else standing nearby to hear. "With it you could change history again."

"Hmm," Tara said not believing the woman, "I shall look for it."

"Oh, you shall never find it," the woman whispered. "It is hidden and not even the wizards have been able to find it for centuries."

"Hmm..." Tara replied.

Later, Deki and Hanta found a neatly rolled and ribbon tied letter waiting for them at the dinner table. A little wrapped package was also left at their places. Madam Ka' had written them, but first they tore open the little boxes to see what was inside. Madam Ka' had sent them each a small figurine. Carved from wood, were two palace guards, each painted differently. The boys fiddled with them for a moment and then laid them out on the table for Tara and Astanshia to look at.

"They look like the ones that stand outside the King's Palace," Tara said. The figurines were just trinkets and did not do anything special. The boys could put them in their rooms as something to remember their aunt by.

"Madam Ka' is coming to visit in a few weeks," Deki said, as he read the delicately scribed letter with ornate squishes and scrolls at the beginning of each paragraph.

"She says that she is worried about Tiscai, King Jacques has been threatening King Otto. She says that she does not know why Tiscai thinks that Albaland could have anything with the weather. So everyone will have to wait and see what happens next."

"She says that she saw Lord Miskolc, who sends his love to Tara and Astanshia." Deki said, as he finished reading the letter.

"Madam Ka' is coming to visit," Deki muttered, as he rolled up his letter and retied it. Jonan who was walking by overheard and dropped a tray of dishes onto the floor. Dishes shattered into pieces all over the dining room. Everyone turned to see the butler who had the most terrified look on his face. He scowled and collected up the broken china and then rushed from the room mumbling about Madam Ka'.

# Chapter 17: The Carnival

The Jewel of Helia

Months had passed and now, just as early autumn arrived, the day of Madam Ka's planned visit had also arrived. Jonan was far too busy to bother being his usual peevish self. He did not appear in the boys' dormitory on that morning. Instead, a Tomares named Halten arrived to roust Deki and Hanta out of bed. Ironically, their shirtsleeves, which always required the painstaking effort of lacing, were already set out with the sleeves attached. The unlaced sleeves were Jonan's doing just as Deki had suspected all along. Halten was a bit more cheerful than Jonan anyhow. The Tomares was not much to look at, just a faint glimmer that followed the boys around without much comment or complaint. Deki preferred Halten, but he decided to keep that to himself. Jonan did not need any new reasons to make their lives more difficult.

In the front entry of the keep, Jonan was directing an army of Tomares, villagers, and just plain ghosts. The combined force armed with dusting cloths, mops, linens, and flower arrangements were being sent off in all directions to spruce up the entire habitable part of the castle. Deki and Hanta had to push their way through the crowded foyer as they went toward the dining room for breakfast. Outside a crowd of workmen were being sent off to open the long shuttered barracks on Jonan's orders. Gardeners were dispatched to trim the hedges, shrubbery, and replant flowers all around the grounds. Even a herd of goats were let loose in the bailey to trim the lawns. While deliverymen waited patiently at the door for directions with wagonloads of provisions. Deki had never seen so much activity at Alacantar Castle.

In the kitchen, Gwendaline was in a furious mode. She simply had more work than time. She rushed everyone through breakfast and scolded Hanta sharply even before he refused to drink his goat-milk. Master Jose was a bit edgy while Oxdure sat silently eating. Then the front bell rang rattling the plates on the table. A few minutes later, Jonan arrived in the small dining room and made an announcement.

"May I present Larnor, a messenger from Hadzi." he said, and then showed the Hadzi into the dining room.

"King Orr accompanied by a host of three hundred men march to Alacantar Castle," Larnor announced. "The King shall arrive this afternoon."

Stripped of his armor and weapons Larnor took a seat next to Oxdure. There was whispering between them while Master Jose looked on. Deki and the others strained to eavesdrop on the conversation, but could only make out a few words. Oxdure apparently knew the messenger that much was certain.

Gwendaline appeared at the kitchen doorway and seeing the new arrival rushed back into the kitchen. Jonan followed her and then the sound of a pot crashing to the kitchen floor startled everyone.

"Three hundred men!" she howled. "How am I to cook for another three hundred men?" Moments later, she appeared at the door looking flustered. She forcefully smiled and brought the messenger a plate and silverware. Jonan followed behind her levitating several bowls of food. He set them down in front of Larnor.

"You must be hungry," Gwendaline said cheerfully. Her expression changed quickly as she returned to the kitchen.

"I shall go help her," Tara said, as she scooped up the dirty dishes from the table.

"Our father is coming," Deki said in disbelief. He had no memory of his father and he would be a complete stranger.

Tara returned from the kitchen, "Come Astanshia, we have to go to the village." She stepped off towards Master Jose to tell him where they were going.

"Madam Ka' is coming with an escort of a hundred men and now King Orr with an army of three hundred. Gwendaline is out of her mind," Tara explained to Master Jose. "She is not prepared to feed four hundred hungry visitors today. We must go to the village and find her some help."

With a wave of his hand, Master Jose canceled the morning's lessons in the library. There was too much to do already. Liberated, Deki and Hanta quickly left the room. They wandered around for a while among the crowded corridors. A group of musicians brushed by them heading for the East Tower. They followed the musicians and peered in the doorway of the music room next to the library. A Tomares rushing into the chamber knocked them out of the doorway. Deki and Hanta went back towards the main entry and out into the bailey.

Outside, gardeners were shaping the shrubbery into different animals. He could see what was becoming a dragon, while another resembled a wolf that was lunging toward the dragon. Other shrubs were trimmed into ornate stacking balls and into twisted spiral shapes. After wandering around for some time and being shooed away by the busy gardeners, Deki and Hanta took to watching the gatehouse. Wagons loaded with provisions were streaming into the fortress in a long caravan. Then the gates descended with a great deal of noise as the last of the caravan passed through the tunnel.

With nothing to do other than follow the activity around Alacantar Castle, Deki and Hanta chased the caravan of wagons along the road just inside the curtain wall. The wagons were lining up waiting for their turn to unload their wares near the stables, while a few others had been sent on to Gwendaline's kitchen door. Having lost interest the boys wandered off towards the rear gate to watch the steady stream of visitors walking through the gate. A line of watchful guards had been stationed by the gate.

Seeing the open gate, Deki and Hanta walked toward it, testing their limits. A few steps too close to the gate and the guards became suspicious. They stepped forward blocking the entrance with lowered spears. The people coming through the gate had to wait while Deki tried to take another daring step. The guards made it clear that they could not go through the gate. Deki had only been bluffing, but the guards were taking it far too seriously.

"Come on," Hanta said, as he took off towards the nearby stairs that led to the top of the curtain wall.

Deki fell in behind him. Glancing back, he saw the guards step aside and allow the visitors to move through the gatehouse again. Deki shrugged and passed Hanta on the narrow stairs taking two steps at a time. Then they were on the parapet peeking over the battlements at the bizarre sight below. It was like the day when the caravan arrived, but there were many more people now. Gypsies had arrived, filling the entire stone road down to the village with tents, carts, and more. There was everything imaginable as they took in the sight. Jugglers tossing flaming torches into the air, snake charmers playing to baskets filled with nasty reptiles. Men were walking on stilts, acrobats twirling daggers in the air, and contortionist twisting themselves into impossible positions. There were people dancing to music, still others were eating. Many more were sitting cross-legged on carpets that hovered above the ground. They hardly noticed as two carpets with a man on each flew towards them. The men on the flying carpets came and hovered only a few feet away, but instantly Deki and Hanta found themselves surrounded by guards. The guards gestured towards the flyers, shooing them away. Deki waved happily.

The guards were becoming irritated while one shouted orders. Far down below, people were pointing up at them. Then the crowd cheered while more gypsies riding carpets came for a closer look. A flame-throwing juggler standing on a carpet flew straight for the Princes without dropping a single torch. As he came closer all but one torch vanished into the air. Then to the boys' amazement, he swallowed the flame before flying off on the carpet.

Hogarth, the Chief of the Guard of Alacantar arrived and looked down on the growing disorder below. He was concerned as the people were excited by the Princes on the parapets. He ushered the boys away from the battlements and pointed towards the stairs without saying a word.

"I just want to look," Deki protested. "What is wrong with looking?"

Just then, the grinding noise of the Iron Gate dropping could be heard over the music and roar from outside the walls. They were surrounded by guards while Hogarth continued escorting them to the stairs. Feeling as though the standoff would end by being forced off the battlements by Hogarth, Deki stepped reluctantly toward the stairs.

"We are leaving," Hanta said defiantly.

"We were just looking," Deki protested again then the two took off running down the stairs. Hogarth vanished and they took off toward the barracks to find Oxdure.

Running at full speed, they dodged the herds of goats that were grooming the lawns. Some goats took to chasing them while others bayed in protest and ran off to avoid them. Oxdure was waiting for them outside his workshop. The other Hadzi, Larnor, was standing with him.

"Hogarth tells me you went up on the parapet?" He said, as the boys came to a stop in front of him.

"There is a carnival," Deki said excited.

"Hogarth was none too pleased, either," Oxdure said. "He said you started a riot."

Larnor shrugged. "So what's big deal?"

"Hogarth was furious," Oxdure laughed. "I think he stormed off to see Tommes."

"We saw a man swallow a flaming torch!" Hanta said eagerly.

"There were snakes in baskets," Deki added.

"Did you see any contortionists?" Oxdure asked. He did not seem concerned about the ruckus.

"What is that?" Hanta asked.

"They bend themselves in strange ways," Larnor laughed. "It seems that everyone has come to Alacantar today."

"I'll talk to Tommes later," Oxdure said. "Maybe he will let you go up on the wall again. I do not see the harm."

"Can we?" Deki asked.

"Later," Oxdure said. "Come let us practice for a while. I want your father to be impressed."

# Chapter 18: King Orr the Fourteenth

King Orr's Sword

"Quick! Run to the castle and get your crests from Tommes!" Oxdure said as he looked over both Princes. "Hurry, they will be at the gate."

Deki and Hanta took off across the bailey. Their armor plates jingled as they ran. They were dressed traditionally as Hadzis and had donned their armor. The bright sunlight glittered off the polished metal of their armor plates.

"Halt!" A guard said, as they swung open the doorway and tried to enter the keep. "You may not enter this house with armor and swords."

"We need to see Tommes!" Deki said disobeying the command. Deki tried to dash around the guard, but was frozen in mid-step as if caught is a gooey spider's web.

"The rules of the house are clearly stated," The guard stated firmly.

"We need our crests," Hanta said impatiently.

"You must leave your weapons either in the armory or outside," the guard said.

"What is going on here?" Jonan asked, as he appeared from the woodwork with a sinister sparkle in his eyes. He loved trouble.

"We need our crests," Deki said, still frozen on the stairs.

"Indeed," Jonan said with official-like arrogance. "You are breaking all the rules! On this day of all days. Why your father is only now just arriving at the gatehouse. Even he may not enter the castle with weapons."

"Can you get our crests from Tommes?" Deki asked.

"Tommes is busy," Jonan answered rudely.

"Please, will you ask him?" Hanta asked.

"We promise to wait outside," Deki added with feigned politeness.

"I expect that you will," Jonan said and then he spoke to the guard. "Release them and show them to the door."

Suddenly, Deki and Hanta were thrown out the front door by the magical powers of the guard. After catching their balance, they sat down on the steps to wait.

"What did they think we were going to do?" Deki muttered.

"Rules, I hate all of these rules," Hanta snapped back.

The faint sound of drumbeats far off in the forest announced the arrival of the King. From the stoop, the boys could see the gatehouse was still shuttered, while guards were taking up positions along the parapets and lining the gatehouse tunnel in official formation. Several living, breathing, decorated Palace Guards marched out the front door of the keep, stepping around Deki and Hanta. Among the ghosts, the real Palace Guards were quite unexpected, as Deki had never noticed them around before. The Palace Guards with red coats, black pants striped in tan, and high black furry hats carried ceremonial spears. Regrouping at the bottom of the steps, they waiting in the hot sun.

"Well, rule breakers are we? First a trip to the top of the parapet, and then storming the front door with swords. What will be next?" Tommes said with a chuckle. He was dressed formally in a long dark blue robe with his ruby jeweled staff in his right hand. Jonan was behind him wearing a long black coat and a white ruffled shirt. He was levitating a tray with two small ornately carved boxes above his right hand.

"We just need our crests," Deki said. "We didn't mean to break any rules."

"We just forgot," Hanta mumbled.

"Indeed," Tommes chuckled. "Jonan, give the boys their crest."

Jonan cracked open the boxes and the ornamental crests flew out with a mind of their own. The crests soared around their heads just out of their reach. Jumping up, Deki and Hanta snatched them from the air.

"Wear them," Tommes said. "We must hurry now as King Orr and Madam Ka' are at the gate."

Outside the walls, the drumming was becoming louder as the head of the entourage reached the gate. The guards stood stiffly in a long line that reached all the way to the gatehouse from the keep. The spears where lifted upward in line with their helmets. Walking between the ghostly army still gave him an eerie feeling, even though they were always around the castle. The decorated Palace Guards led Tommes to the gatehouse and once arrived, they ceremoniously twirled their spears before stamping them onto the ground.

Tommes took a position in the center of the walkway twenty feet from the gatehouse while Deki and Hanta were ushered off to his right side. Both Tara and Astanshia being of noble blood were waiting to the left of Tommes. They were dressed in beautiful white and pink gowns with bows made of satin ribbon that tied back their hair. Sparkling multicolored jewels were woven into the braids of their hair. They waved slightly, giggling at the Princes, as everyone else assumed their position. Oxdure made a hasty inspection and gruffly straightened the boys' leather straps and crests. He then took a position with Master Jose near the front of the reception line.

The drum roll suddenly became very loud and determined. Then there was a sudden silence. Along both sides of the roadway, a crowd of people stood silently with their heads bowed. The arrival of King Orr and Madam Ka' to Alacantar Castle at the same time was a very special occasion. People had come from all over to witness the great event. Now King Orr came up to the gate. Tradition dictated that the King state his intentions to the ancient Elder, Cortanulas. Once satisfied, the Elder then allowed Hogarth, the Chief of the Guard, to open the gates to the fortress. The newly oiled massive wooden doors opened silently while the iron gate was hoisted into the gatehouse tower with a clatter. From where Deki was standing, he could only get a glimpse of the King as he marched through the tunnel surrounded by six formally dressed Hadzi.

Madam Ka's carriage pulled by six white decorated horses took up the rear of the procession. A cheer arose outside the gatehouse as the crowd roared and applauded.

Prince Deki waited anxiously as the procession marched toward him. His father was a tall man dressed no differently than an ordinary Hadzi warrior. He wore a shiny gold crest over his chest. Deki noticed it was the same as his, but larger. On his right side, a sheaved saber. The hammered handle ornamented with inlaid pearls glistened in the sun. The King's eyes remained focused on Tommes as he approached and much to Deki surprise and disappointment he never glanced at Hanta or him as he approached. His bodyguards stopped and stood in silent formation two abreast while King Orr continued his solitary walk, shoulders squared, head held high.

Jonan was now just off to the side. His voice bellowed, "May I present King Orr the Fourteenth." Both of the boys jumped, startled by the sudden announcement.

King Orr unsheathed his sword ceremoniously, bowed to Tommes who in return bowed to the King. Symbolically the King presented his sword to Tommes. Tommes took the sword graciously and in turn handed it to Hogarth who had suddenly appeared at his side. Hogarth stepped off to the armory with the valuable saber, placing it inside, where it would remain under lock and key. In a final gesture, the Guard of Alacantar stood at attention and lowered their spears with military precision.

Still the King did not look upon his own sons, but instead took a position in between Tommes and the boys. Now Madam Ka's horses leapt forward pulling her carriage past the receiving line. The carriage stopped just as the horses were within few feet of the men. Her attendants dressed in the royal blue suits of Albaland, laid down a stoop. One wearing white gloves opened the carriage door. Madam Ka' was politely assisted from the carriage. Dressed in an ornamental robe, with a plum color and grandly decorated hat, she walked elegantly toward Tommes.

"May I present Madam Ka' of Albaland," Jonan's voiced bellowed.

Madam Ka' first stopped at Tommes and waited for him to bow. Then with a formal look upon her face, she waited for King Orr to bow and kiss her outstretched hand. Afterwards she curtsied to them both politely and took her place on Tommes left side.

Madam Ka's carriage pulled away while the Hadzi drummers marched through the gate. The tunnel amplified the beating of the drums. Behind the drummers, the two armies marched two abreast through the gatehouse. The smaller but finely dressed Albaland army fell into position behind the Guard of Alacantar on the left while the Hadzi went to the right. The drumming and trumpeting did not stop until the last of the two armies were in position.

Deki noticed that Oxdure and Larnor had joined with the Hadzi standing at full attention. A final drum roll ended the procession and a very long moment of silence hung over the castle grounds. Still King Orr's attention never turned toward either of his boys. Deki had been studying his father's face repeatedly.

The crowd outside the gatehouse broke out into a roar of shouting and applauding. Deki could see them crowding into the opening at the end of the gatehouse. Six musicians with flugelhorns from Alacantar broke out into a cheerful chorus.

Jonan turned his attention for a moment toward Deki as if to warn him of something. His voice bellowed above the melee, as all other voices fell silent. "I now present Prince Deki Orr of Hadzi."

As if an invisible foot had kicked Deki, he suddenly stepped forward. Feeling flushed and foolish, he stepped in front of the King, and bowed as he had been taught. The King stared down at him without any visible emotion. Deki stepped aside and bowed again to Madam Ka'. She reviewed him with a slight glimmer of pride, a faint smile, and a nod.

"May I now present Prince Orr the Lesser, of Hadzi," Jonan called out.

Hanta hated his title and feeling as awkward as Deki had, he stepped out and bowed to the King and then to Madam Ka'. He caught the smile in Tommes' eyes before he retook his place next to Deki. The moment was very tense for both of them.

Then the King stepped forward and turned to face his two boys. His eyes pierced them both. The moment that followed was absolutely silent and the crowd held their breaths. The eternal moment ended abruptly as the King laughed. "My sons!" he exclaimed and held out his outstretched arms.

The flugelhorns of Alacantar sounded cheerfully followed by a Hadzi drum roll and the trumpets of Albaland. The crowd outside applauded wildly. Both Deki and Hanta shrunk as all of the attention was now focused on them. A moment later Jonan ushered the King back into his place next to Tommes. The crowd cheered until the flugelhorns of Alacantar sounded.

Jonan voice bellowed again. "I now present Lady Tara, eldest Daughter of Lord Miskolc."

Tara stepped forwards and curtsied to the King and then to Madam Ka'.

"May I present, Lady Astanshia Second Daughter of Lord Miskolc," Jonan shouted. He was moving the official introductions along quickly.

Like Tara, Astanshia stepped forward and curtsied twice. She quickly retook her place next to Tara.

"May I present, Tommes the Third, Keeper of Alacantar Castle," Jonan's voice bellowed again while Tommes stepped forward and nodded acknowledging all of the bystanders.

The formalities of the reception were completed by more trumpeting, drumming, and cheering. Everyone with the exception of Madam Ka' seemed to relax while Tommes held out his arms toward the castle. The King and Tommes walked side by side towards the keep while Madam Ka' followed with her train being carried by two Albaland attendants. Behind the servants, Deki and Hanta walked nervously. Tara and Astanshia followed the boys. When they reached the door of the keep, a Palace Guard collected Deki and Hanta's ceremonial swords. They watched as the guard placed them in armory next to their father's saber. The room was closed up and locked while the adults were shown into the Great Hall.

"So that was it?" Hanta said, to Deki, as he watched Madam Ka's train disappear into the Great Hall.

"Seen but not heard," Tara whispered while Astanshia nodded in agreement.

"I, for one, am getting out of this dress," Tara said, as she hastily skipped off toward the staircase.

"Coming," Astanshia said, as she quickly followed Tara off towards the staircase.

Deki and Hanta confused stood in the entryway waiting for someone to suggest what they should now do.

# Chapter 19: The Exhibition

Madam Ka's Carriage

Everyone gathered at the archery range. It was time for Deki and Hanta to demonstrate their skills. Oxdure was nervous but confident. Watching the match, a boisterous crowd of Hadzis were placing side bets. King Orr and Tommes arrived taking a position to the right of where Deki would launch his arrows. Despite the heat of the afternoon, Madam Ka' arrived still dressed in her formal robe. A servant carried a chair for her.

"Tara," Oxdure whispered to Tara as he brushed past her. "Use your magic and make sure Hanta hits the target at least once."

"Oxdure," Tara giggled. "Are you asking me to help Hanta cheat?"

"Look, if he misses twice, just help him out a bit," Oxdure whispered. "Please!"

"I will," Astanshia giggled. The girls ran off to hide behind the oak tree.

Meanwhile, Tommes was speaking to King Orr. "The boys have only begun their lessons. Yet, I feel Deki has made good progress. Oxdure has been an excellent teacher and Deki is very fond of him."

King Orr nodded.

"Hanta, of course, needs much more practice." Tommes said. "But wait until you see what Hanta and Oxdure have built. Hanta is quite the inventor."

King Orr nodded again.

Now it was time for Deki. He had butterflies in his stomach, his mind racing. Afraid he would disappoint his father or worse disappoint Oxdure, failure was not an option. The crowd around him jeering only made matters worse. Feeling conspicuous, he stepped into the firing pit and spun around looking at the crowd. Tara and Astanshia standing behind the oak tree were smiling. The rest became a blur! Oxdure was at his side coaching him while Deki's confidence rapidly drained away.

First, he stepped back with the wrong foot and Oxdure immediately corrected him.

Deki changed his stance, and then began pulling back the bowstring aiming at the target. He was too nervous and could not focus on the target. He slipped, letting the string slack, the arrow fall to the ground. The crowd jeered some more. He could not really hear what they were saying.

"Stop!" Oxdure yelled at the crowd. "You are spooking him."

Deki nervously took up his stance again.

"Just aim for the target," Oxdure calmly coached. "I know you can do it."

Deki began centering all of his focus on the burlap ball. Time was standing still for a moment as the howls of the crowd fell away. He knew he could hit the target from even further away, but he was very tense. The arrow flew away landing squarely in the haystack, but missed the target by several inches. Deki's heart dropped to his feet while his face flushed. The moment lasted forever as he glared at the arrow that dared to miss.

Then the crowd cheered. Oxdure did a triumphant march around Deki holding his arms up triumphantly. Deki puzzled, scanned over the crowd. The King was smiling proudly while Madam Ka' clapped.

Feeling strange about what he was seeing Deki pulled another arrow from his quiver and setting it on the bowstring. Feeling less pressure now, his confidence surged. He let the arrow fly, hitting the burlap ball just a little to the left of center. The crowd jeered and applauded. He could swear that people were cheering even from outside the curtain wall. Deki saw a flame-throwing juggler throw his torches into the air, effortlessly catching them and twirling them back upwards again. Deki was exhilarated while Oxdure shouting, marched triumphantly around the arena. For Deki the show was over. He turned to see the King cheering while Tommes nodded at him. Tara and Astanshia waved from behind the oak tree.

It was now Hanta's turn and he was filled with terror. All the cheering, jeering, and laughing was making him want to just run away. The juggler marched around with colored bottles spinning through the air. Hanta hesitantly stepped into the arena with Oxdure close at his side. Firecrackers crackled all around the bailey while a green lightning ball exploded in the sky with a huge flash.

"Forget about all of them," Oxdure said quietly. "Remember what I have taught you and just do your best."

Hanta was not soothed. Too many people were spooking him. He pulled back the bowstring awkwardly and let the arrow go. The arrow flew off badly, landing in the grass several feet short of the haystack, Hanta was mortified.

The crowd cheered anyhow while the juggler put on another quick show.

"Just think about the target," Oxdure coached.

Reluctantly and now very discouraged Hanta mounted another arrow.

"Look at the target," Oxdure said. "Imagine the arrow landing there."

Hanta hesitated for a moment and then let the arrow fly. From his point of view, the arrow seemed to be going too high, but then it gently arched back downward toward the haystack. The arrow landed squarely in the haystack, but to the left of the burlap ball.

The crowd roared and nobody seemed the least bit disappointed. The juggler now grabbing five brightly glowing glass balls began tossing them. Oxdure stomped around the pit with his hands up triumphantly. Hanta's third arrow went over the top of the haystack completely, he was simply too nervous to concentrate. Meanwhile, Tara and Astanshia quietly took up a position behind Madam Ka'. Whether they had helped Hanta or not would remain their secret forever.

Feeling as if he had blown the archery demonstration Hanta turned to face the crowd. The men were cheering, Madam Ka' was standing and applauding. His father was looking very proud. Drums and trumpets sounded. Oxdure grabbed Hanta's arms pulling them up into the air. Deki whistled.

Now the crowd was being scattered by two men who led a horse pulling a newly crafted trebuchet into the arena. Hanta had built the catapult-like machine with Oxdure and Deki's help. Master Jose had found books with plans, while Jonan had surreptitiously provided the materials. A warrior followed behind the trebuchet with a ripe watermelon Gwendaline begrudgingly had donated from her garden. The trebuchet was placed in position. The watermelon loaded into the basket. Oxdure stood by while Hanta checked the aim of the contraption. Deki held the sword that would cut the rope and let the catapult spring into life.

After several careful adjustments that only he understood, Hanta yelled out. "Ready—set—go!"

Deki swung the sword down hard, cutting the rope. The mechanism gracefully swung as the basket shot upwards, launching the watermelon into the sky. Flying toward the target, the crowd looked on in complete silence and awe. The watermelon came down, splattering into a huge mess just two feet from the target. The men went crazy while acrobats jumped across the range. King Orr stood puzzled.

Then the King smiled and walked towards Hanta to see the trebuchet closer. "You have made this?" He asked as he examined the workmanship.

"He has," Oxdure replied.

"With your own hands?" King Orr asked.

"Yes sir," Hanta answered nervously. "With help from my brother and Oxdure."

King Orr circled around the trebuchet and touched the rope work that lashed the logs together. Suddenly he grabbed the Hanta's arms and held them up in the air. The crowd cheered wildly while the acrobats and juggler scrambled to perform to the blaring sounds of flugelhorns, trumpets, and drums. More firecrackers cracked over the bailey followed by colorful lightning balls that went screaming through the air.

Next would be the recital in the library of the castle and Deki and Hanta were expected to change into formal clothes for this event. Jonan was willing to allow them some slack as he brought their clothes down from the top of the North Tower. This was a special favor, and he wasted no time informing them of this with his usual swagger. The boys scurried off to change. Their Prince's coats were red with gold trimming and buttons. They had black pants with gold stripes down the sides.

Those invited took their places in the library. Madam Ka' and King Orr took seats near the podium with Tommes. Oxdure, Tara, and Astanshia stood near the rear, while several other seats were taken by the Tomares. Master Jose stood next to the podium with Professor Edmund. After a brief speech, the program began.

Deki recited a short bit of poetry. The King looked sleepy while Madam Ka' beamed with utter delight. A short, but polite round of applause and the recital was thankfully over for Deki. He quickly scurried off to stand by the girls. Professor Edmund took a seat behind Tommes.

Hanta and Master Jose read a short play by taking turns playing different characters. Everyone applauded and then there was conversation between the adults. King Orr was very pleased and congratulated everyone.

For Master Jose, an experienced teacher, the exhibition was little more than a formality. For Professor Edmund, the outcome seemed of little concern or consequence. He had come out of his ghostly retirement to teach Deki. Oxdure staging his first exhibition, it had been the cause of weeks of worry. Having the King's approval meant everything to him and he looked as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

# Chapter 20: The Wager

Trebuchet

A short time later, the doors to the massive dining room were opened and all the guests began to take their seats. Musicians played from the back of the room while the Hadzi and Albaland men crowded onto the long benches. Overhead massive chandeliers hung from the ceiling illuminating the room with flames. The men were rowdy and ready to sit down for a banquet. Dozens of servants filled their tankards with spirits while more brought out baskets of freshly baked bread. Jonan was directing the operation from near the door. He was looking quite haggard.

Tara, Astanshia, Deki and Hanta were ushered by a formally dressed attendant to their own table off to the right of the hosts' table. Then a hush fell over the room as Madam Ka', King Orr, and Tommes were escorted to their seats at the host's table. Master Jose, Professor Edmund, and Oxdure followed. Oxdure was only told at the last moment that that he was expected at the head table. The idea had set him off into another panic that no amount of coaching from Master Jose could ease. For him to sit at the same table as a King was unheard of. In the end, Master Jose convinced him that rules were different at Alacantar Castle. The other Hadzis stared in amazement.

Tommes rose, made a short speech and toast. Then servants began bringing out the food. Heaping platters of turkey, beef, potatoes both white and sweet, were followed by steaming bowls of freshly harvested greens, carrots, and red beets. Pickles, crushed cranberry, and slices of apples followed. But all waited with their mouths watering for the King to stand up and make a short speech. A round of "hurrahs!" followed. Then the feast began and the dining room filled with laughter and merriment, and the sound of over 400 men feasting. It was a great day at Alacantar Castle!

At the small table, Prince Deki and the others were enjoying the sights and sounds of the great feast while an exhausted Gwendaline fussed over them. Jonan hovered around the tables. He seemed right at home among the men, however, most of them were a bit spooked by the Tomares. Jonan took delight in suddenly appearing at their side as he offered 'spirits', it was after all the thing he was most noted for. A dessert consisting of sweet cinnamon raison bread pudding topped with thick white cream was presented. Many protested coyly, saying they were too full to eat another bite, but within minutes, not a crumb remained.

In the middle of the commotion as the servants were clearing the dessert plates Larnor, the Hadzi messenger stood up and faced the King. "I propose a wager." He shouted above the din.

"What wager do you propose?" King Orr asked merrily, gesturing for quiet.

"I have twenty coppers," Larnor bellowed.

"A weeks pay for the likes of you," called out another Hadzi. The men roared with laughter.

"Go on," King Orr said, raising his hand for quiet.

"I propose a contest," Larnor said, his voice was crackling with laughter.

"What kind of contest?" King Orr asked with piqued interest.

"An archery contest," Larnor shouted, as he held his tankard of spirits up.

"Between Hadzi and Albaland," another man shouted from near the back, raising his tankard.

Larnor the Hadzi Messenger

"Now," Larnor hooted, "I would wager a week's pay on a contest between Alacantar... and Hadzi and Albaland."

"What are you speaking of?" Some shouted. "Alacantar is all Tomares."

Oxdure was doing his utter best to hide his smirking face, still if anyone had been looking at him they might have carefully considered their wager.

The King stood up while the men roared with hoots, heckles, and laughter. Tommes seemed as puzzled as the others while Madam Ka' looked rather disgusted over the manners of the two armies.

"Provided!" Larnor shouted above the heckling crowd. "Provided..."

"Provided what?" Another man's voice boomed causing the others to fall silent. King Orr was laughing.

"Provided that the contestants..." Larnor continued.

"Who?" Shouted the Commander of the Albaland army.

"Provided that the contestants who represent Alacantar can be anyone....anyone who resides in the castle." Larnor howled.

"Who do you speak of?" Shouted a Hadzi. "Surely you do not expect us to compete again the Tomares."

Oxdure turned his head down, as he could no longer keep himself contained.

"No!" Larnor shouted back. "Madam Ka' will you indulge us?"

The heckling men fell silent as Madam Ka's name was called. She had only been watching the outbreak with curiosity when suddenly she realized that all the attention in the room was focusing on her. She could not even begin to imagine what role she could play in the barroom game. King Orr and Tommes turned to face her, waiting for a reply.

"I do not know of what you speak," she said, her voice carrying over the silenced hall.

"Madam Ka' do you not admit that in Alacantar things can happen that cannot happen anywhere else?" Larnor said politely but loudly.

Madam Ka' glanced around. "Of course, we are at Alacantar Castle."

"Then you will allow an indulgence," Larnor shouted while the rest of the room fell silent. The men looked at each other perplexed. Oxdure covered his smirk with a tankard.

Madam Ka' looked around the jeering men and called for silence by raising her hand. "I may allow it, but first tell me what indulgence you wish granted?"

Larnor laughed and his voice raised a bit more. "King Orr do you accept the challenge?"

"I have little choice but to accept, but let us hear your indulgence," King Orr laughed. He loved wagers particularly ones that were twisted and woven.

"Commander of Albaland," Larnor continued, "Do you dare wager against me with your best archer?"

"A wager it be then," the Commander voice boomed across the hall.

"Tommes the Third," Larnor called again with a smile on his face that reached from ear to ear. "Do you accept the wager?"

Tommes nodded and dropped a bag of money on the table.

"Tell us," King Orr howled. "Who is it that you say will beat both Hadzi and Albaland in contest?"

"I will wager my twenty coppers that Lady Tara and Lady Astanshia, both of who reside within the Alacantar Castle can best both houses." Larnor howled with his tankard held high in the air. "Do you accept the challenge?"

"Lady Tara...Lady Astanshia," The crowd roared in utter disbelief.

"Impossible!"

"They are witches!"

"They have magic!"

"They are girls!"

"You are mad!"

Tommes was standing now while Madam Ka' looked as though she might faint. King Orr was laughing while the men jeered and the Albaland Commander stood with his arms crossed over his chest.

Tommes set off a firecracker, "Alacantar accepts the challenge!"

"They are witches," a man called. The men jeered again while Tara stood up in utter shock. A firecracker exploded, followed by another.

"From twenty paces," A man's voice echoed across the room.

"Eighty-eight paces," Tara voice boldly answered.

"Eighty-eight paces," the man's voice answered back in disbelief.

"Ninety-four paces then," Tara shouted.

"How do we know if they use magic?"

"I will see to that," Tommes answered. He snapped his fingers and Jonan was at the girl's table collecting their amulets on a silver platter. Jonan brought the platter to Tommes who held them up for the men to see. Then with a flick of his wand, the amulets were encased in glass, sealed with gold chains and hoisted to the ceiling.

Immediately the men rose up from the tables and began pouring out of the castle onto the bailey. The mood was jovial as side wagers were made and the men took up positions around the archery range. A crowd of visitors from outside the castle walls rushed in as the gates flung open. People were arguing, betting, shouting, howling, and pushing each other around wanting a better view of the showdown. Torches were lit and the sky itself seemed to have lit up from fires that burned all around the tops of the curtain walls and turrets. More people whizzed around on carpets overhead. Spectators climbed the walls for a better view, while jugglers, acrobats, contortionists, men on stilts, and dancers played for the crowd entertainment.

# Chapter 21: The Competition

Splitting Arrows

Tara and Astanshia, startled by the unexpected challenge, hurried off to change their clothes. Having their amulets confiscated forced them to return to their room and hastily don their archery outfits. After tying back their long hair, the girls rushed out onto the bailey. Filled with people, the castle grounds looked different. They were hastily escorted to the archery pit, while bands from Albaland, Hadzi, and Alacantar battled in a wild pre-contest showdown.

Tommes stepped forward, held up his hand, and waited for the crowd to simmer. The Elder appeared at his side. "For fairness, Cortanulas the Elder, will judge. If magic be used he will instantly disqualify the contestant!"

"He is of Alacantar Castle. How can we trust him?" the crowd called out.

"Cortanulas the Elder will judge fairly. Respect his honor!" Tommes shouted back. He stamped his staff to regain order.

"Then let the contest begin," the Albaland Commander shouted. "I daresay Lady Tara and Astanshia will be no match for us."

"I second," King Orr shouted, he was suspicious and had split his wager.

All at once, a dark and mysterious creature swooped down from the air. The crowd panicked as the dragon flew over their heads. With its fiery breath, the dragon set torches ablaze illuminating the arena. The dragon bolted upwards in the air and Deki watched as it flew back over the keep, disappearing behind the roofline. The dark creature looked suspiciously like the Stone Dragon from the roof of the keep. His thoughts were quickly erased as he watched a Hadzi with extraordinarily long legs counting out ninety-four paces. Apparently, no one intended to make this easy.

A man of thirty stepped out onto the field. He held a finely decorated bow that had been won in an earlier contest. Deki could tell he was the contender from Albaland by the way he was dressed. A second man of the same age stepped out from the crowd. This was the contestant from Hadzi. The crowd was rancorous.

"Who shall have the first try?" someone asked.

"Toss a coin" was shouted out.

"You might as well since you are tossing away twenty of them," was the reply.

"Madam Ka'," Tommes said as he held up a large silver coin. "Do us the honors; Heads Alacantar - Tails Hadzi and Albaland."

Madam Ka' rose from her seat and took the coin, hesitating for a moment while eyeballing the contestants. Her eyes caught Tara for a moment and then with an odd cheerfulness she tossed the silver coin into the air. The light from the torches caught the silver piece. It landed in the grass.

"Tails!" Tommes called. "Sir Ludwig Von Strike of Albaland and Major 'Nevermiss' Kuzadzi of Hadzi have the field."

The trumpets of Albaland blasted while the drummers of Hadzi tried to drown them out, joined by the even louder flugelhorns of Alacantar.

Both archers were champions and had often faced each other in competition. Equal in every way the two would often carry on a contest for hours before a winner could be declared. There was some discussion between the two as to who would go first. Finally they decided, Major 'Nevermiss' Kuzadzi of Hadzi took to the field placing the tips of his feet against the marker. The Hadzi flag suddenly appeared to be glowing overhead and the crowd fell silent. Major Kuzadzi took his aim, and then the arrow flew through the air, landing precisely in the center of the target.

The crowd roared! A human wave rolled around the curtain wall as the carpet riders floated upwards. People were excitedly watching from the parapet. Hadzi drums, Albaland trumpets, and Alacantar flugelhorns echoed around the Castle.

Tommes set off another firecracker. "Lady Tara."

"I have put my wager on Lady Tara," Oxdure jeered from near the firing line.

A bright light now hit the flag of Alacantar, illuminating it against the dark sky. With determination, Tara stepped forward and sneered as she looked over the faces of her opponents. Tara glowed in the limelight. The flugelhorns of Alacantar sounded followed by another deafening drumbeat and in defiance, the trumpets began squealing. The crowd roared wildly!

Tara looked over at Madam Ka' and bowed slightly. Without any hesitation, she took her position, drew back her arrow and released it. The arrow screamed through the air while the revelers held their breath. With a crack, the arrow split the previous arrow. A strange silence hung in the air as the astonished crowd looked on. Deki laughed and then glanced towards the roof of the keep. The Stone Dragon unleashed a sudden burst of dragon fire that shot across the sky.

King Orr laughed while Madam Ka' smirked.

From the Albaland, Sir Ludwig Von Strike took to the field under intense pressure, the crowd collectively held their breath. The arrow flew through the air and it shattered Tara's arrow. Albaland trumpets sounded triumphantly. Another human wave washed over the parapet. Acrobats flipped and jumped across the firing range.

"They have not won yet!" Someone yelled.

Larnor laughed while twirling his moneybag around his finger.

Astanshia now took to the pit just as quickly and decisively as Tara. She, too, sent her arrow into the target shattering the Albaland arrow into tiny slivers. Astanshia held up her hand triumphantly and pranced around the pit. Alacantar flugelhorns blasted the air as the Stone Dragon belched a blast of fire. The dragon fire swirled in the air and blasted over the crowded bailey in the shape of a dozen fiery dragons. The spectators went wild.

"It is getting hotter out here!" An old man yelled.

"Can I change my wager?" The farmer cried.

"Too late to change now," the wager holder greedily chortled.

"Come on now, I can't afford to lose," a poorly dressed peasant whined.

Oxdure was laughing while Deki and Hanta pranced around the pit.

"Whose side are you on?" Yelled a Hadzi warrior.

"Tara's," Deki answered

"Astanshia's," Hanta heckled.

"What you are you? A Hadzi or an Albalander." A gruff deep voice challenged.

Deki threw his hands up in the air, and then stepped off to the side to watch the next round. The long-legged Hadzi counted out ninety-five paces and the marker was moved further away. Tara stepped forward and without much effort sent her arrow directly into the center of the burlap ball. All that remained showing was the tail feathers.

Suspicious of Larnor's challenge, some of the revelers had waged their purses on the girls. Those men were laughing while the others that had not, glowered and heckled. Even Madam Ka' had a strange expression on her face, her personal attendant had been sent to place her secret wager.

Six rounds passed. Each round the target became one pace further than the previous. No one was winning, no one was losing, but the tension was growing. Tara stepped forward on her turn and pranced around the pit, while Major 'Nevermiss' Kuzadzi sneered.

"Men," Tara howled and without another word shattered the Albaland arrow effortlessly. Sir Ludwig Von Strike bowed to her most condescendingly.

Another round passed and the contest was becoming serious. No one could believe what they were seeing. Girls were allowed, even encouraged, to practice archery, but to compete was something else altogether. It had been commonly believed the Albaland and Hadzi archers were champions that no one could best.

Then the unthinkable, the unimaginable, the single most unexpected event happened. Von Strike missed! His arrow slid in next to Tara's rather than splitting it. The crowd was beside themselves. Waving torches all around the crowd jeered, cheered, screamed, and stamped around. The sky exploded in fireworks.

Astanshia's arrow split Tara's as firecrackers went off all around. Lord Von Strike stepped off the field utterly decimated. Sportsmanlike, Astanshia allowed the Albaland archer to kiss her hand while she curtsied to him graciously. The Stone Dragon flew through the air blasting fire high overhead while the Alacantar flugelhorns played triumphantly.

"That will show you!" The butcher crowed.

"Met your match have you?" The baker howled.

"It is not over yet!" The candlestick maker said lightly.

Madam Ka' politely nodded to Astanshia with the oddest expression on her face. Tommes showered her with flowers while dangling a prize from his fingers. Astanshia gracefully received the fine silver necklace with diamond pendant. She quickly ran to Tara's side to show her what she had won. In the meantime, the Albaland Commander glared in disbelief at his prize archer.

The contest was far from over as Tara and the Hadzi archer, Major 'Nevermiss' Kuzadzi of Hadzi, now battled it out. Volley after volley flew into the target, shattering arrow after arrow. With the distance to the target increasing, this was becoming more and more difficult. The crowd was amazed, half cheering for the Hadzi and the other half screaming and stamping their feet for Tara. The Hadzi archer was becoming visible shaken and a flash of anger crossed his eyes each time he stepped out into the pit.

"Getting a little hot are you?" Boomed out the stable boy.

"Face it Nevermiss, you are washed up!" A trumpet player hollered.

"Lady Tara has not won yet!" Retorted a Hadzi drummer.

"It is a tie," mumbled the cabinetmaker.

"Hadzi will not capitulate in a tie." Firmly stated by a goat herder.

"One hundred and fifteen paces!" Roared out a young girl.

"One hundred and sixteen paces!" Roared out her older brother.

To better observe the steps of the long-legged Hadzi counting out the paces, Tommes stepped out on the field. Madam Ka' then jumped to her feet and stormed onto the field to inspect the paces as well. King Orr just laughed heartily, as he had never witnessed such a spectacle before.

"I remind you," Tommes said with a slyly jolly smile. "Lady Tara plays on the side of Alacantar."

"Ha!" Madam Ka' haughtily replied.

"I cannot guarantee Hadzi will prevail," the Major Kuzadzi said apologetically to the King.

"Of course, you cannot guarantee such a thing!" Madam Ka' scolded viciously.

King Orr laughed again.

The field was now at one hundred and fifteen paces. Clearly only an experienced and very skilled archer could make the target at such a distance. The crowd was speechless as Tara's arrow again hit the center on the target. Nevermiss stepped up and looked around catching Oxdure's unnerving expression. Nevermiss' arrow struck perfectly! Hadzi drums rolled and more screams roared from the spectators. Tempers were flaring as fights broke out in the crowds.

"Are we to battle to the death?" Tara shouted above the clamor.

"Do you tire Lady Tara?" A Hadzi knight shouted.

"No," Tara snapped.

The King stepped out onto the field and faced the crowd. "Lady Tara is extraordinary."

"What say you, King Orr?"

"How can you allow me to be humiliated in this manner?" The Major asked.

"You'll be beaten by Miss Tara," a soldier heckled.

"We would all be beaten by Lady Tara, who are you trying to kid?" Agreed another soldier.

"It would be no shame," agreed a sergeant.

"I for one will not forget this day!" Agreed a lieutenant.

"I find myself in an awkward predicament." Tara respectfully presented to King Orr.

The King nodded in agreement.

A parley was called while the contestants were ushered off to the side and given fresh water to drink. The crowd argued loudly over how the match was to be settled. Some demanded a battle to the end, while others called for a tie. Those that stood to lose money were on the side of a tie while those that would gain demanded the contest to continue.

Moments later Madam Ka' returned, escorted on the arm of King Orr. Tommes stepped into the arena and set off several firecrackers. The ruckus simmered to a low rumble as everyone waited to hear what had been decided.

"We have decided on three tries at one hundred thirty paces," Tommes voice thundered over the crowd. Even the people on the curtain wall must have heard as they stood up in another human wave and cheered.

"It has been decided," Tommes said. "Do the contestants agree?"

Tara nodded, while Astanshia held her sister's hand up defiantly. Nevermiss hesitated and then thrust his arm into air. Von Strike confirmed his choice by raising his arm into the air.

"One hundred and thirty-five paces then," Tommes bellowed.

The ancient Elder personally supervised the counting of the paces while the crowd pushed in closer to see the spectacle.

Tara strutted around the pit never more determined. She stepped up, took aim, and again sent the arrow into the very center of the target. The Alacantar and Albaland musicians battled to be the loudest, while the flag of Alacantar was lit up brightly by limelight.

Nevermiss pranced around the pit barring his teeth at those that jeered against him. Sweat was pouring from his brow. He stepped up and blasted Tara's arrow into splinters. The Hadzi drums pounded ever louder.

Another round and no one missed. The crowd grew silent as the final round began. Fresh glasses of water were brought out to the contestants. If Tara was nervous, she was not willing to show it. A quick glance towards Madam Ka', who smiled at her most approvingly, set her off with complete confidence as she slammed her final arrow into the target perfectly. Triumphantly she held her bow up and paraded in front of the speechless crowd. Then she stopped and curtsied to Madam Ka'. She was Albaland's finest archer without question, even if she was representing Alacantar. Madam Ka' held her finger over her lips smiling. Now the question remained would she become the greatest archer among all. She politely took a stand next to Astanshia and waited.

The limelight was on the Hadzi flag now. Nevermiss was spooked. He turned around and looked at the bewildering eyes that flashed all around him. He looked over at Tara, then to King Orr, and finally his gaze fell upon Deki and Hanta. With a sneer for having been tricked, his eyes strafed Oxdure and Larnor.

Weighted down by the prospect of humiliation the Hadzi took his position. He was slow and deliberate. One hundred and thirty-five paces was the very limit, few could rise to such a challenge. Most contests ended well before such a distance would have ever been considered. The crowd fell dead silent. They waited. He pulled back the bow and then relaxed it to recheck his position. His confidence was failing. Even if he shattered Tara's arrow to smithereens he would still suffer from having tied with a student. But if he lost, he would be humiliated in front of his King, his comrades, in front of the whole world. He fired his arrow. Time stood still. The arrow became just a mere blur under the torch light.

With a crack and a thud, the Hadzi arrow splintered Tara's and then there was complete silence as the crowd stopped to hear the sound and absorb what had happened.

"It is a tie," a voice from the crowd broke the deafening silence.

"A tie!" The crowd began cheering and laughing. A crush of Hadzi poured into the pit lifting Nevermiss into the air and unfortunately snapping his prized bow in the confusion. The bow was doomed to retirement after this night, anyhow. The Albaland army rushed to the girls, but then stopped suddenly short. Lifting Tara into the air would be unheard of and they stood puzzled for a moment. Then the crowd cheered while Madam Ka' clapped. Tommes draped a gold necklace with a crest embellished with emeralds around her neck. Nevermiss was presented a Royal Green satin sash with a gold crest, set with emeralds, proudly attached to it. The night ended with fireworks that exploded over the castle in colors beyond the imagination of all.

# Chapter 22: Ogdar's Stairs

Secret Passages

Winter was coming to Alacantar Castle. With shorter days, the temperatures were dropping. The oak trees around the castle had turned, but stubbornly held their brown leaves as oak trees often do. In these crisp afternoons, Deki had begun training with spears. While he was no match against Oxdure, he had begun to excel at blocking moves. The sound of clashing iron spears often filled the bailey in the afternoon hours. They were using lightweight spears since real ones were too exhausting for Deki to handle.

The girls often came to watch, but after the archery showdown, they both had decided watching was just enough. Spear joisting was a warrior's sport and they were not going to go there. Nor was Oxdure about to instruct them and risk being blamed should the girls prove themselves as exceptional at spear joisting as in archery. Anyhow, Tara and Astanshia had taken on the mission of finding the Stone of Lazio hidden somewhere in Alacantar Castle.

Inside the castle, massive fireplaces burned with the aroma of freshly cut pine and hardwood. The ghosts and Tomares were hardly ever seen except for Jonan. The cool weather and long nights were making Jonan happier and more prone to foisting pranks on anyone who crossed his path. Deki had become of suspicious of Jonan's meddling when the books he was supposed to read were moved around the library. Deki would spend half the morning searching for the missing books. This caused delays for Deki making him late for Oxdure. Was it not odd that on the days he was expected to see Tommes that the books were right where he had last left them? Jonan just snickered and disappeared without offering any help. Unlaced shirtsleeves, moccasins stuffed with paper or little white mice, belts tangled and knotted, missing books and more little problems were all covered with Jonan's fingerprints.

Hanta had begun music lessons with a new teacher, Professor Tiddle who resided in the music room. He was but a ghost, but very knowledgeable. The sound of Hanta attempting to play the harpsichord probably explained why few ghosts were seen in the hallways. Deki was much relieved to have been spared lessons on the harpsichord, but there were rumors that he would begin art lessons soon. Deki could not imagine himself with vine charcoal and especially, a paintbrush.

Hanta and Astanshia had taken to exploring the castle seeking out hidden passageways. The girls had little luck uncovering even a hint as to the whereabouts of the Stone of Lazio. They were always on the lookout for a clue or other mysteries to be solved. Mostly, Hanta and Astanshia wandered through the endless chambers of the keep and towers. Many room led to other rooms, some of which had been completely hidden. Other rooms just were dead ends with nowhere to go, except backwards. Some rooms seemed occupied by spirits, while others were cold and dusty. They had been to the room where Madam Ka' had stayed and they found a broach that Hanta recognized. Apparently, she had forgotten to take the jeweled broach and had left it on a table by accident. Astanshia slipped it into her pocket with the intention that they might return it to her the next time she came to Alacantar Castle.

Finding hidden rooms and secret passageways had become more than just a game for Astanshia and Hanta. Hidden rooms were usually behind heavy furniture that only looked unmovable. With a little detective work and a touch to just the right place, the furniture would swing out perfectly balanced by some means. Beyond laid the secret of the room, which in most cases amounted to little if anything at all. A few had a table, a chair, or perhaps an old discarded artifact that seemed of little value. Secret rooms were generally dirty, smelly, and as dark as night. An irritated ghost would often chase them off.

Twice they had found staircases, but in both cases the end of the secret stairs were walled off and they could not figure out the secret to opening the passage. In all of their exploration, they never went near the West Tower. The tower beckoned but neither had the courage to go there, at least not just yet.

"Look!" Astanshia called. She was off in another chamber beyond the room that Hanta was exploring.

"What?" Hanta answered, his voice seemed far away to Astanshia.

"I think I found a staircase behind the fireplace," Astanshia said. Hanta looked in to see her feeling with her fingers at a crevice behind a massive stone fireplace.

A moment later, the still burning fireplace slid out into the middle of the floor. Astanshia was standing at the entrance to a secret staircase.

"It goes up," she said.

Hanta clamored to her side and look into the dark. He saw the stone steps disappear into blackness. Without a second thought, he began climbing the steps with Astanshia following close behind. The sound of the fireplace closing behind them made them stop and think for a moment. Astanshia used her amulet to try to reopen the wall, but the stonework refused to move. They rushed upwards in the dark stumbling over the stone steps. The air was cold and smelled foul while their fingers felt the dampness of the walls.

Astanshia had a grip on Hanta's belt with one hand while her other clutched her amulet. The sound of their own breathing was the only noise as they climbed upward and upward. There seemed to be at least a hundred stone steps. The long climb ended at a solid wall that barred their way. In the darkness, Hanta ran his fingers over it. Feeling a warm wooden surface, not the cold hard stone blocks he had expected.

Astanshia squeezed up next to him and felt the wall. Using her fingers, she traced the edge of the wall reaching as high up as she could. Then she ran her fingers over the center and felt the wooden panel. It was solid, but like a door, she felt the faintest cracks between the old boards. Then she ran her hands along the other side feeling for anything unusual. Hanta breathed excitedly. Jonan had warned them of becoming trapped in a hidden passage.

"I can't find anything," Astanshia said, as she finished her fingertip search over the wooden panel. "It is like a door, I felt the cracks, but I cannot find a way to open it."

"Maybe we should push on it," Hanta suggested and bravely put his back to the wall. It did not budge.

Astanshia held out her amulet and tried to open the panel with magic, but nothing happened. She tried again, but still the wall did not make any sound, nor did it budge one bit.

Hanta began running his fingers along the bottom edge of the door and began working his way upwards. Using his fingers, he searched for a latch, chain, or any other object that would cause the door to open.

"Have any other ideas?" Hanta said.

"Perhaps the latch is not in the wall, but on the floor," Astanshia suggested. Then they both felt the stone steps looking for a loose stone, a metal latch, or even a chain that could be pulled. They searched down several steps but found nothing. Astanshia felt up the stone wall. Her fingers felt the cold dampness of unheated stone. But then her fingers felt a very slight movement of a single stone that shifted ever so faintly as she touched it.

"I have found..."Astanshia said but had not finished speaking before the rock slid outwards. Carefully she reached into the hole and felt the cold of metal on her fingertips. She explored the unknown object with her fingers and found it to be a ring. She tugged at it.

"It is stuck," She murmured, as she tried to tug at the rusty ring.

"Let me try," Hanta said, as he slid his hand into the space. He felt the ring and tugged. "Rusted!"

"Do you think someone will find our bones someday?" Astanshia said with a sigh. She began searching for another loose stone, perhaps they had found a fake.

"I am going to try pulling on it again," Hanta said. This time the ring reluctantly began to move. "One more time," he said, feeling he had exhausted his strength. His arm felt as if it were being pulled out of his shoulder. His fingers were throbbing, but he persisted. A grinding noise within the wall grew louder, followed by the distinct sound of a metal pin retracting. The doorway opened without any further reluctance and light flooded into the dark stairwell. They had escaped, but to where neither could be certain.

The secret room was lit by windows that looked out over the bailey. The chamber was filled with the strangest collection of contraptions they had yet to see. Machines whirled and hummed, glass carafes bubbled with mixtures of fluorescently colored liquids, steaming vats heated by flames, and tubes filled with colored gases filled the room. Hanta followed the glass tubes around to a bubbling cauldron of green slime through various loops and connections. At the end of the tube, a long dropper dripped green slime into a pan, which in turn was heated by a candle. When the green slime landed in the pan, it vaporized with a sizzle, and then the fumes went into another funnel hanging overhead. Watching the contraption, he could not imagine what purpose it might serve.

Near the boiling cauldrons and glass tubes was a wheel with spikes. First, the wheel rotated in one direction and then it reversed and rotated in the other direction. He stopped to watch. But like the boiling flasks, he could not imagine what purpose the contraption served. Nearby, lightning flashed between two rods. The blue lightening seemed to shake and change, sometimes two bolts shot between the rods and other times the lightening was but a single ark.

"We are in the North Tower," Astanshia said, as she looked out the window. "Maybe, we are on the second floor."

"We went through the North Tower, we never saw this room," Hanta said.

"We are definitely over the Chamber of Keepers." Astanshia said. She was searching for a doorway that led out, but could not see any.

"How did we get to the North Tower?" Hanta asked. "We were climbing stairs the whole time and we were still in the keep."

"Peculiar," Astanshia agreed. "I do not see a door."

"We could always climb out the window," Hanta suggested.

"I suppose."

Hanta peered into the darkness of the stairwell they had come up. Peculiarly, the stairs now appeared to be going upwards rather than downwards as expected. "I am not going back in the stairwell."

"Ogdar!" Astanshia said excitedly.

Hanta turned around and saw a ghost peering at him. He had a chubby face topped by a pointed gray-blue wizards' hat. He looked familiar.

"None other," Ogdar said.

"We are in the North Tower, but I do not see a way to leave this room." Astanshia said.

"Oh, that is easy," Ogdar said, he pointed toward the floor. "Just go through the floor."

"We are not ghosts," Astanshia laughed.

"Use the stairs then," Ogdar answered with a jolly laugh. "It is right there under the table."

Astanshia walked over looking under the table. It would difficult to squeeze in under the lower shelf of the table, but indeed, there was a spiral staircase.

"I hardly ever use the stairs," Ogdar said.

"Why do these stairs always go up?" Hanta asked, as he pointed into the mysterious staircase.

"I see that you found one of the secrets of the castle," Ogdar replied. "The stairs will take you wherever you want to go."

"Oh," Hanta replied.

"I'm not going back in there," Astanshia said. She shuddered as she peered into the dark. "I thought we would not escape."

"Oh," Ogdar laughed. "I would have found you sooner or later."

"So, we were in the keep and the stairs took us to the North Tower." Astanshia said.

"You can go most anywhere," Ogdar said. "Where ever you wish to go."

"But they always go up?" Hanta asked.

"I thought the exercise might do me well," Ogdar said. "So I changed them to be like that."

"Oh," Hanta said. "So if we wanted to go downstairs what would we do?"

"Well, my lad," Ogdar said. "In your case nothing, you do not have magic."

"So, I can only go where the stairs take me?" Hanta asked.

"That would be correct," Ogdar replied.

"But what if I tell the stairs with my amulet where I wanted to go?" Astanshia asked.

"Well...you would probably go where you wanted to go." Ogdar replied in his absent-minded way. "But on the other hand, you might be disappointed and not go where it was you wanted to go."

"So..." Astanshia said after she thought over Ogdar's words. "Perhaps we should not use these stairs again."

Ogdar stroked at his beard and seemed to fade away a bit. "Let me think now...there are two things that I need to do..."

"Oil the door latch," Hanta said.

"And move the table," Astanshia said. "So we can go."

"Oh yes, but neither of those things are what I needed to do." Ogdar said, and then with a twinkle in his eyes he materialized an oilcan with a long tapered spout. The oilcan made itself busy oiling the latch and hinges of the secret door. "That should work better now."

Hanta reached into the crevice, pulled on the ring, and found that it moved easily.

"Now what was the other thing I needed to do?" Ogdar asked, with a blank look on his ghostly face.

"Move the table," Astanshia said, pointing at the worktable covering the small staircase.

"Oh yes, move the table," Ogdar said, as he approached the worktable covered with liquid filled glassware.

"What is all of this stuff?" Hanta asked. He looked over the assortment of curiosities.

"Just a pastime," Ogdar replied. He floated around the table looking over everything carefully. "Moving the table will not be easy. I am afraid my flasks will fall."

"We will help," Astanshia said and tried to lift one side of the heavy table. The glassware flasks rattled.

Ogdar held out his hand. "I think it would be best if I do this instead." With his finger, he made the table slide gently. The glassware rattled while the liquid encased inside swished around. Several puffs of smoke and vapors rose from different flasks, while one glass turned red and bubbled. When it finally had moved far enough Ogdar sighed in relief. "I see we did not break anything."

"I knew you could do it," Astanshia praised him, and then looked down into the narrow circular staircase. "It is very small, but I am sure we will fit."

"Now I remember why I covered the staircase." Ogdar said, as he peered down into the hole. "I have always been afraid of falling down the stairs."

"Ogdar, you are a ghost," Astanshia said with a laugh.

"Nevertheless falling down the stairs would be frightful," Ogdar said.

"You are a life saver," Hanta said, as he took to the small spiral staircase. He found himself in the familiar Chamber of Keepers.

"I would be careful wandering around the castle," Ogdar said, as he floated down through the floor. "Always be prepared for the unexpected."

"We are finding this out," Astanshia said. "Can the magic stairs take us to the Stone of Lazio?"

Ogdar looked puzzled and began vanishing the way he did when he was thinking. "The Stone of Lazio, why would you be looking for that?"

"We have heard of it," Astanshia said.

"It is supposed to be quite powerful," Hanta said. "Tara wants to find it."

"I suppose she would," Ogdar said while stroking at his beard. "It is possible, but only if the Stone of Lazio wishes to be found."

"And if it does not wish to be found?" Astanshia asked.

"Then no one would find it," Ogdar answered. "There is an old riddle somewhere in the castle."

"What is the riddle?" Astanshia asked.

"If only I knew," Ogdar said.

"Oh," Astanshia said disappointedly.

"My memory is not what it used to be," Ogdar said apologetically. "Perhaps you will come back and visit again."

"We will come back, Ogdar," Astanshia said politely, and then opened the door that led out onto the ground floor hallway under the North Tower.

"I will think about the riddle." Ogdar said absent-mindedly. "The riddle is somewhere, but I just cannot remember where."

# Chapter 23: The Escape

The Escape through the Tunnel

Deep under the dark, frozen stronghold of Zalkaros, Captain Dakar and his two comrades were using their fingers to trace letters scratched into the floor of the dungeon. Months of captivity had driven the three to near madness. All had tried to pick the lock on the gate that imprisoned them, but no one yet had succeeded. The dungeon stunk and was always dark, except for a few minutes each day when hideous guards came to check on them. Then the darkness was illuminated by torches that blinded them. The guards had already been around, but since there was neither day nor night in Toldare's dungeon, no one could be sure of the time.

Dakar was still determined to find a way out of the dungeon. He was not the type to simply give up and waste away. His fingers retraced the letters scratched into the floor. The language was old with obscure words. He tried to understand the meaning. Someone else had been imprisoned here, but Dakar could not even begin to imagine who that might have been. The words seemed to be written in ancient Tiscai. He ran his fingers over the letters of the next word. The word meant three, but three of what he could not imagine.

"Three," Captain Dakar muttered while the others sick of his rambling simply said nothing. He had been muttering for days. "Three steps, three men, three...three..."

"Could have grabbed that bloke," one of his men muttered, his name was Spike.

"Will not work," the other answered, whose name was Bane. "It is a ghost."

"Three," Dakar moaned. He ran his fingers over the letters of the next word. Then the stone in his pocket vibrated, tickling his leg. He had used the stone to follow Madam Ka's voyage across the sea. It had vibrated faintly several times before since they had been captured. Madam Ka' was on the move again, but without his instruments he could not determine where she was going. The stone was a handy tracking device connected magically to a broach she always wore. Cleverly, he had slipped it into her box of jewels with the help of a disloyal servant. The stone was of little value to him now and he tapped on it with his hand to try to make it stop.

Bane stumbling around in the darkness fell over the Captain. A clinking sound captured Captain Dakar's ears like music playing from a finely tuned instrument.

"Where are you?" Dakar cursed.

"Here," Bane said sullenly.

"Stand up," Dakar scolded. "Stamp your feet."

Bane groaned but did as his Captain demanded. He stamped his feet but only the dull sound of solid rock could be heard. Captain Dakar pushed him aside sending him crashing to the hard floor again. Now, Dakar marched around stamping his feet only to hear the same dull sound of solid stone. He backed up against the wall, took three steps forward, and stamped his feet more. Again, the sound of the floor was only a thud.

"I just heard it!" Captain Dakar cursed. "It was a loose tile."

Dakar retraced his steps finding the tile with the words scratched on the surface. He took three steps back in the direction he had come from. Stamping his feet like a lunatic, he felt the slightest movement. "Am I mad...?" he howled as he tried again.

"What is it?" Spike said.

"Scrape at it," Captain Dakar said, as he fell to his knees and tried to find the edges of the stone tile. The other men were very close, but in the darkness all that could be heard was their heavy breathing. "The tile is loose, but how can we move it?"

The men tried to pry up the loose tile with nothing but their broken fingernails. The stone was very heavy and not about to be lifted by mere fingernails. Captain Dakar scrambled back to the writing and traced his fingers over the words. The language was very difficult to understand. A word meaning six seemed to be embedded into the riddle.

"Six?' Captain Dakar muttered. He stood up and took six steps crushing Bane's fingers who screamed in agony. Six steps sent him crashing into the stone of the dungeon wall. With his fingers, he felt the wall exploring the crevices and counting the blocks but found nothing.

Someone had been trapped in the wretched cell and he had left a hint. But a hint of what, Dakar could not imagine. He continued to explore the wall with his fingers searching for anything out of the ordinary. A stone that might be loose, or another word etched by some long forgotten prisoner. He tried to think of the rest of the words he had felt with his fingers.

"Why do you not just use your knife," Spike cussed.

"What knife?" Bane replied.

"In your boot," Spike spat.

"You have a knife in your boot?" Dakar cursed, he quickly stumbled through the darkness and falling over the men crashed into the floor. "Scrape at the stone...it does not require half a brain to know that much."

"Sure," Bane, who had found the dagger hidden in his boot, cussed. "Scrape the stone...and for what reason?"

"You complete idiot, just give the knife to me," Dakar said, as he grabbed Bane's arm and wrestled the dagger away. He started to work on the crevices, scraping away the mortar that held it down. With steady work, the stone was loosened and he began to use the knife to pry it up. A gust of stagnant but icy cold air rose up from under the tile. Underneath the tile, they found a dark hole with no visible bottom. Icy cold air rushed in.

"We have found an escape," Captain Dakar said proudly, as he reached in looking for something that he could touch. There was only icy cold air and the distant sound of wind. Then he dropped the knife and listened as it landed with a clamor that could only mean a stone floor just below.

Back at Alacantar Castle, Deki was expected in the Great Hall for an appointment with Tommes. The hall was empty when he arrived. Deki took a seat in a leather chair near Tommes' desk and waited. A few minutes later, Tommes arrived but seemed in no mood for conversation. Instead, he wanted to get right down to business.

"Come," he said as he stood near the Pool of Ages. "Today will be short."

Deki came and stood by the magic pool while an image of a tall woman with many similarities to Madam Ka' formed on the surface of the water. The woman's tied up hair was black and she wore a graceful gown ornamented with a few jewels. Her head was held up, just as Deki had noticed about Madam Ka'. He had seen his mother before, but today he saw a small boy in her arms. Next, the image of a younger Tommes was at her side. He watched as Tommes scooped up the bundled boy from his mother. Then Tommes reached down and picked up another boy in his other arm. Now he realized that the bundle was his brother, while he a year older, was in Tommes other arm. The pool went dark while an image of the House of Orr formed.

The dragons were beginning their wretched attack. He watched as the dragons set fire to the roofs of the great house. He saw archers firing arrows into the sky. He watched as warriors engulfed in flames fell from the walls. Men threw spears at the dragons and he saw a few were hit. Those dragons fell into the canyon below while many more dragons swarmed around the castle. The pool faded and for a moment, the peaceful clouds floated across the surface of the water.

Then a new face formed in the pool. An angry stern face whose eyes pierced through Deki. The image lasted only a moment and then he too was gone. The water clouded over having completed the morning's lesson.

"Who was that man?" Deki asked, as he stepped back from the pool.

"Toldare the Dark One," Tommes replied.

"Toldare," Deki repeated, committing the name to his memory.

"Toldare the Dark One is the cause of our problems," Tommes said. "He has used his powerful magic against Hadzi. Now he moves against Albaland and Tiscai."

"Can you not stop him?" Deki asked.

"Not easily," Tommes said. "I can only hinder him a bit."

Deki thought silently for a moment trying to imagine what his mother might have been like. He also knew King Orr had tried to negotiate with the dragons. Then he formed a question, not really with any plan, but just a question. "How do you talk to dragons?"

"There is a way," Tommes replied. "But they tend to listen to only what they wish to hear."

"Do they not know of Toldare?" Deki asked.

"They do," Tommes said.

The entire matter was far beyond Deki's ability to grabble with and he drifted off to stare down again into the magic pool. "Maybe the dragons would listen," he muttered.

"Perhaps," Tommes said. "I have a plan, although it does bend a few rules. I believe under the circumstances, I might be within my rights to try."

"What would you do?" Deki asked.

"I will arrange a visit with Hadrid."

"The Dragon King?" Deki asked.

"Yes," Tommes answered. "But let us not give it another thought for now."

...

After lunch, Tara and Astanshia were busy rummaging around the castle looking for the riddle that led to the Stone of Lazio. Ogdar had said it was written somewhere, but the old forgetful ghost could not recall where he had seen it last. The girls were determined to find the magical stone and were going over the castle with a fine toothed comb again. Still they had not found anything, and Hanta had grown weary of joining in the chase. The stone would not be of any value to him anyhow. Today Hanta wandered off alone.

Finding himself in the North Tower, with little but time on his hands, he wandered into the Chamber of Keepers. Climbing the spiral steps upwards, he arrived in Ogdar's workshop. Ogdar's contraptions of metal rods, clips, and frames that supported the glass flasks of bubbling liquids connected by tubes were mysterious. Curiously, he held the tip of his finger in the rising vapors, but felt nothing except the warmth. Growing tiresome with the gizmo, he made his way to the magic stairs. In his mind he knew where he wanted to go but the passageways into the West Wing were always locked. Today he stood at the bottom of the magic stairs and wished.

With a quick glance around the room for any sign of Ogdar, he stepped into the staircase and began climbing. Expecting to arrive back in the keep, he had little fear. Ogdar had explained that the latch at the top of the stairs was hidden behind a stone directly above the last step. He only had to reach in behind the stone and pull at the latch. The fireplace would swing open. From there he would explore some more and perhaps step out onto the Portico of the Western Wind.

The portico was an interesting place to visit. He could look out over the wall at the village and beyond to the Dragon Tunnel. The watchtower high up on the mountain could also be viewed. Hanta climbed and heard the door latch behind him close. The mystery of the magic stairs was no mystery, as he knew that it would lead him back to Ogdar's workshop. He had no fear as he made his way in the darkness and once at the top he felt the walls for the hidden latch. His hands touched the loose stone, which he slid out of the way. Inside the round latch was waiting. He tugged on it and it moved easily. It was working better now that Ogdar had oiled the mechanism. The wall opened.

The room was dirty, and was definitely not the room with the fireplace from before. A thick layer of dirt and cobwebs clung to the walls and windows. His footsteps marked a path in the deep dust as he tiptoed across the room. Scraping the dirt away from the windows, he looked down on the bailey recognizing the small barracks along the curtain wall.

Hanta had arrived in the forbidden West Wing. Looking out the window, he could just make out the unmistakable edge of the West Tower itself. The staircase had taken him here, and he hesitated for a moment deciding whether to trespass or not. The magic stairs were behind him still open, still waiting. But, as he looked around the dirty room, he decided to go on just a bit further. He could easily follow his own footprints back and escape into Ogdar's workshop again.

Hanta stole across the floor and stopped for a moment to look at a grimy painting that hung from the wall near two worn and worm eaten chairs. The painting was much older than any others he had seen in the castle. The man depicted wore an unusual red and black robe ornately detailed with gold symbols. The face was obscured by layers of dirt. Even after years of neglect, the eyes of the painting pierced through him and for a moment, he was spooked. He quickly looked away and tiptoed further across the floor toward a waiting doorway.

# Chapter 24: The Unwelcome Intrusion

The Haunted Chamber

Back at Zalkaros, Toldare belched with sinister snickers as he watched his maps and globes. Captain Dakar and his men had dropped out of the dungeon cell onto the stone floor below. Still in darkness, they followed the icy cold wind that blew into their faces. The wind might lead them to freedom, as fresh air had to come from somewhere. The men edged their way along the passageway carefully. Any moment they expected a ghoul to lunge out at them. They stumbled upon a shaft of light. The air was coming from a grated opening high overhead. There was no way the three of them could jump that high. Furthermore, they would surely be spotted by the guards if they suddenly emerged in the courtyard.

Dakar pressed onward past the shaft of light while the others followed. They found themselves at the top of stairs leading downward. There was no turning back as they crept down the steps deeply under Zalkaros. His hand felt along the wall and hooked onto an iron torch bracket. He pulled the torch down which burst into flame. Illuminated now, the passageway continued downward. Constructed with coarse foundation stone and thick mortar, the passage was wide with a well-worn pathway down the center. Moving on was the only choice. By now, the guards were probably searching for them. 'But was there really any hope of escape?' Dakar wondered as he walked.

Now, he could see words scratched into the walls. Names he imagined that were written in the ancient language of Zalkus. Undisturbed for eons, the words were like a long list of visitors, who upon arriving in the dark tunnel, had scratched their names into the rock as a testimonial that they had once been there. 'Were they in a tomb?' Captain Dakar wondered.

A spear lay against the wall, and he motioned for one of the others to take it. A weapon might prove useful. He continued onward past the endless names. If it were a tomb then there were no skeletons, nor were there side passages where they might be crypts. The stonework was solid and undisturbed. Then they stumbled on the unexpected.

Captain Dakar held the torch up high over his head illuminating a massive subterranean room. There were no skeletons about the chamber. The cavern was not a crypt, but a room. At the far side, a gated tunnel awaited. Near the entryway, a few weapons lay abandoned in time beyond imagination. Words were deeply engraved into the stone arch, above the tunnel.

"The Road of Glory..." Captain Dakar muttered, as he examined the inscription. "...a legend."

The other men shook their heads, while Captain Dakar wandered around the chamber looking at the walls carefully. More names scratched into the stone and left undisturbed for centuries stood out. The roads of Zalkaros were never seen on any map and now Captain Dakar understood why.

"These are not the names of the dead, but the names of an army of men. The road leads away from here. Break the gate!" Dakar shouted without reservation. He was certain of what had been discovered.

The other two men pulled at the metalwork and with a sharp tug, it gave way.

"Take what you can carry," Captain Dakar ordered. They gathered up torches and spears. "We shall make our way out of Zalkaros on the Road of Glory."

"Where does it lead?" one of the men asked.

"Have you never even heard of history?" Dakar scolded, as he stepped inside the tunnel. The other men followed with the slightest reluctance.

"The names are Zalkaros warriors that marched into Alacantar. Do you not remember the legend?"

The other two looked blankly at each other. "We will follow, but we do not know of such a legend."

"You are too stupid," Captain Dakar snapped. "The warriors of Zalkaros marched through here. It is a secret road carved through the mountains. They descended on Alacantar without warning. No one saw them coming and now I know why." Captain Dakar quickened his pace as he took to the subterranean road. "Legend has it that the warriors appeared from the ground and swarmed into Alacantar, taking the Kingdom by surprise."

"So we are just going to follow this to Alacantar?" Bane asked reproachfully.

"I do not care..." Spike said.

"Come we are wasting precious moments," Captain Dakar said. "We need to be far away from here before anyone finds us missing."

The West Tower

Back at Alacantar, Hanta crept down the hallway of the West Wing toward the forbidden tower. Along the rough and blackened walls, suits of armor rattled as he passed. His trail was etched into the dust of the floor while he found his way to a staircase. With a beating heart, he listened for any sound in the complete unnerving silence. The West Tower's forbidden rooms were calling to him, tempting him, tormenting his mind with the fascinating things he would find. He continued upwards, looking around suspiciously for any watchful ghosts. The next landing he found a door, bolted tight, the chamber beyond sealed behind the lock. He crept further up the stairs, in search of something that he could easily slip into his pocket. That would be proof to the others that he had gone to the top of the forbidden tower and returned.

The final flight of stairs, Hanta faced a door much the same as the other doors. It was older than the doors of the North Tower, but made the same. He tried his key and to his amazement, heard the tumblers fall into place. With a groan, the door opened and Hanta found himself in a dilapidated chamber covered in cobwebs. Like sticky curtains, the cobwebs hung from the ceiling and billowed slightly in the rush of air. He followed the inside wall of the chamber around while noticing the remains of furniture that lay in heaps around the room. Several chairs collapsed with age and a sitting couch with little left except the wooden beams that formed the bottom and arms. A table still sat at the end of the couch with a brass candlestick holder. The wax candle was now only a shapeless dust covered lump. He picked at the candlestick holder but it was glued to the table by the dried and hardened wax heap.

Meanwhile, Tommes busy with affairs to attend, was quietly at his desk sorting through letters. Hogarth appeared at the door.

"There is a disturbance in the castle," Hogarth said, as Tommes looked up.

"Of what sort?" Tommes asked.

"The boy has disturbed Sina," Hogarth answered.

"Sina?" Tommes repeated with a puzzled expression. "Which boy?"

"The Lesser," Hogarth said.

"I must go, and see what he has stirred up," Tommes said. "And where is Hanta?"

"In the West Tower," Hogarth replied sadly.

"The West Tower," Tommes repeated angrily. He laid his flat-topped spectacles on the desk and stood up. A moment later, he vanished into the air with his Staff in hand.

Hanta is the meantime, had combed through the inner chamber. Blackness covered the walls revealing the mortar between the stones as bright lines. It was truly evident that no one had been in this chamber for a very long, long time. As he edged his way around the chamber, brushing back the hanging cobwebs, he listened keenly for any sounds. Beyond the chamber was the circular tower room, a dim light showed through the soot-blackened windows. Hanta pushed aside the curtains, which fell to the floor in a cloud of dust. Using his hands, he scraped away the soot, and peered down on the bailey far below. There was no one to be seen. With nothing for his pocket and no one to spy on, he began thinking about leaving.

"Who are you?" hissed a sickening voice from behind.

The sound made his heart thump loudly, as he spun around to face the voice that curdled his blood. A hideous ghost floated in the air not five feet away. The phantom's hair was long, gray, tangled and covered with hairy spiders. Its face, torn and deformed. Teeth brown or deformed drooped from a gaping fleshless mouth. A tattered robe billowed in the air while the ghost floated in the air a few inches above the floor. Claw-like fingers reached out from fleshless hands. The ghost threatened to scrape Hanta's face clean to the bone with long twisted spike-like fingernails. The ghost flowed and quivered in the windless room as if blown by unseen air currents. Hanta swallowing hard, tried to step aside, but the specter moved with him still holding out spiraling fingernails.

The Ghost

"Sorry," Hanta mumbled. "I did not mean to disturb you."

"What are you here to steal?" it hissed.

"Nothing," Hanta answered with a stutter.

"Ha!" It snarled. "You are after something that much is unmistakable."

"I have not taken anything," Hanta said, while slowly trying to inch his way around the circular room.

"Not yet," the ghost hissed. It was poised to pounce on Hanta ready to pry his eyeballs out. The specter was blocking his escape by moving with him.

"Thief!" it sputtered.

"I will not take anything." Hanta pleaded.

"You have a key," the ghost hissed.

"It is my key," Hanta argued.

"To my door..." the ghost hissed back. The spirit suddenly retracted its fleshless hand and then the candlestick flew into the room while the table that held it smashed to splinters against the wall.

"Do you want this?" It hissed.

Hanta suspected that if he said yes the brass candlestick would beat the life out of him. If he said no, what would happen? A small army of spiders began descending the cobwebs all around him. He looked at the black spiders with their red eyes. Their long legs culminated in claws.

"No!" Hanta muttered helplessly.

"Take it thief," the ghost offered with a sickening hysterical laugh.

Hanta looked at the candlestick floating in the air and waited. The phantom laughed hideously and all at once, the candlestick flew at him catching him in the stomach. He was lifted into the air and thrown against the window.

The ghost laughed viscously, "Shall I throw you out the window or shall I allow my little pets devour you?"

"Sina!" The voice of Tommes boomed, as he emerged from the darkness of the chamber beyond. Curiously, the spiders stopped their march towards Hanta.

"I apologize for the disturbance." Tommes said.

"Who might you be?" Sina hissed back, reforming herself to face the second visitor to her chamber.

"Tommes is my name," he replied calmly with forced cheerfulness. "I am the Keeper of the Alacantar Castle." He bowed ever so slightly without ever taking his eyes off the spook.

"Tommes?" She howled chillingly "Tommes is dead!"

"Tommes the First, certainly," he answered with tactfulness. "I believe Tommes the Second, is whom you are referring too. He is dead as well. I am Tommes the Third, and a great pleasure in making your acquaintance."

Hanta was taking the moment's distraction to slowly easing back down onto the floor.

"Tommes the Third...I do not know anything of you," Sina hissed. "You do not look like Tommes."

"Tommes the First, then you refer of," he replied trying only to distract the ghost long enough for Hanta to steal his way around the room. "Again, I do apologize for any inconvenience we have caused you today."

"Tommes the First..." Sina muttered and for a moment, she began to fade as she recalled the earlier keeper. Hanta quickly ran behind the wizard shielding himself behind his robe from both spiders and ghost.

"You were here when Tommes the First..." Tommes started to ask as if having a conversation with an old friend.

"Of course, I was here...I have always been here." Sina hissed angrily as if insulted.

"I believe..." Tommes spoke again, but was interrupted.

"The thief has a key," Sina hissed.

"My dear lady," Tommes said. "The key is his, but perhaps the lock on your door is so worn that any key will open it. I will have it repaired at once."

"Leave me Tommes the Imposter, and take your thief with you," She hissed. "I do not wish to be disturbed again."

Tommes politely bowed again "With your leave, of course."

The ghost waved her hand in the air. It was as if a cyclone suddenly lifted them both into the air and sent them flying. They both crashed into the landing wall outside Sina's chamber. The door slammed shut behind them. Tommes gathered himself quickly, and cast a spell on the lock to shut it permanently. Then he grabbed Hanta by his burlap shirt and dragged him down the staircase. It was as if they were flying as they went down the stairs. Hanta never recalled his feet touching the ground once until they reached the bottom. Then Hanta landed on the floor only to look up at Tommes and see a rare flash of anger cross his eyes.

"Even I have not the courage to enter the West Tower!" Tommes scolded while his eyebrows folded together. "You were told to never go to the West Wing! Why are you here?"

Hanta shrunk into the floor and cringed as the wizard towered over him. Harmless as his past explorations of the castle had been, he had never wanted to incur the wrath of Tommes. "Sorry," He weakly muttered, so low as to be barely heard.

Tommes chuckled merrily after a long moment of silence. "That old hag has been locked in her chamber for who knows how long. You have some nerve."

Hanta looked up not knowing whether to cringe or laugh. Instead, he remained silent, as he thought under the circumstances that would be best.

"Come," Tommes said. "Let us be far from here. Sina is not the only ghost you could have stirred up. There are others, others who..." as his voice trailed off.

# Chapter 25: The Forbidden City

Temples of Timare

Hanta was not seen at dinner that evening after his unwelcome visit with Sina. Jonan with an enlarged ego and newly found sense of official importance carried Hanta's dinner to him. The others were left to speculate over what trouble he had gotten into. Jonan took as much delight in withholding information as he did in conspicuously levitating Hanta's tray of dishes through the dining room.

The others had formed wild theories about the whereabouts of Hanta, but no one had even dreamed that he had gone into the West Tower. His disappearance remained a mystery to all including Master Jose and Oxdure. Jonan refused to say anything, but howled with laughter for three days while everyone else begged for the details. All he would say was that Hanta had elevated himself onto the wall of fame for his dirty deed.

The fourth morning Hanta returned to the breakfast table with very little to say. Astanshia kept pumping him for information, but he resisted. Instead, he only held his head down and pretended to be only interested in eating.

"Hanta has a new girlfriend," Jonan taunted. Hanta slammed out of the room.

"Who?" Tara asked.

"He has been wooing her," Jonan taunted again.

"Spill it," Tara screamed.

Jonan just laughed and vanished immediately.

"What has my brother done?" Deki asked, as he slid back his chair. "I better go see him."

"He is probably bringing her flowers," Jonan sneered from near the kitchen door.

"Who is he seeing?" Tara pried again.

"Have you not seen the heart carved on the oak tree outside her window?" Jonan howled.

"Where is the oak tree?" Astanshia asked, but Jonan disappeared again utterly enjoying his taunting. His wretched laughter followed him.

"What has he been doing?" Tara asked Astanshia. Later, after inspecting every oak tree on the grounds they finally found what they were looking for. The tree was outside the West Tower where a heart had been rudely etched into the bark of a tall oak. 'Hanta loves Sina' it read with a bouquet of wilted flowers left at the base of the tree. That seemed just the sort of thing that Jonan would have done.

...

Meanwhile, Captain Dakar and his men were marching down the long forgotten tunnel. The road was easy to follow, as there were no side tunnels to lead them astray. By now, they had one torch left and even that had burned down nearly to the end. Hungry, thirsty, and tired the men stumbled onward with aching legs. According to legend, the road ended somewhere near the abandoned outpost at the northern border of Old Alacantar. Presently, the North Watchtower marked the border of Hadzi just at the end of The Great Road. As they marched the men argued, but a faint breeze of fresh air filled the tunnel and Captain Dakar knew they would soon arrive.

A slight glimmer of light forewarned of the end of the subterranean road. Eons ago, the Zalkaros had built the road to trick their enemies. Captain Dakar expected to see the sight of the North Watchtower as he pushed through the vines and bushes that concealed the entrance to the tunnel. He stood dumbfounded as he stared down at the sight below. They were high up on the side of a mountain overlooking the ruins of a long forgotten city.

Carved pillars stood upright marking the location of once proud buildings. They had not arrived in Hadzi, but somewhere else. Captain Dakar surveyed the ruined city below. The city was lifeless with the exception of a great many swarming birds. He scanned the distant mountain looking over the rocky, snow-covered peaks for any familiar landmarks. But what was most important, Dakar was looking for the road that led to Hadzi. He saw no signs of where any road might lie. With only a gut feeling, he set off down the mountain heading for what remained of the main avenue into the ruined city.

...

Back at Alacantar Castle, Tara and Astanshia were intent on ransacking the library in search of any details about Sina that they could find. It was no secret, Hanta had been to the West Tower, but he was unwilling to talk about the matter. The girls were pretending to dust books, whispering while they plunged into the endless chronicles. Master Jose was doing his best to ignore them, but their whispering was becoming an annoyance.

Hanta was working at reading another storybook and doing quite well. Being humiliated with a three-day stint in isolation had done wonders for his attitude. He kept his mind on his reading and received rare approval from Master Jose, as he stumbled through the words.

Deki meanwhile, was thumbing through a book about King Orr the Tenth. The book was tedious and all that Deki could tell was that King Orr the Tenth had never done anything noteworthy during his entire reign. He was worried about what words he would pen for his morning essay. The Kings of Hadzi tended to be boring except for a select few that had actually done something of interest. Since during King Orr the Tenth's reign the people were becoming discontent, he decided to write about the Hadzi instead. The villages of Hadzi were becoming overcrowded while the King was preoccupied with less important matters. Some of the Hadzi had moved into the canyon taking up the ancient catacombs. The catacombs were carved into the bedrock of the canyon along the river and existed even before the Tomares settled the land. No one really knew how the sandstone had been carved into an ornate room with chambers for people to live inside. The construction of the catacombs was a legend that was all but forgotten.

The Hadzi were always loyal to their King, so there had been no uprising against the kingdom. Nevertheless, those that moved into the catacombs had become renegades. They were difficult to control and maintained an uppity attitude. By the end of the King's reign, the kingdom had split in half. Those that lived and farmed the flat lands of the desert became estranged from those that enjoyed the cool catacombs at the river's edge.

Deki searching for a distraction, wandered off to a mysterious book he often looked at. The book was always being scribed by an unseen hand, and was kept up-to-date with all sorts of events that happened around the Kingdom. Just as something was happening around Alacantar Castle, the mysterious scribe penned words onto the manuscript. Often Deki found his own name written into the chronicle. Flipping back a few pages, he could read about Madam Ka's visit. The account of Tara stunning tie was illustrated and written with complete minute-by-minute details. Hanta's intrusion into the West Tower was completely described, but until recently invisible. Oddly, the actual encounter with Sina had been left as a blank space. Apparently, the scribe had not revealed any details about wicked the ghost.

Hanta was no longer allowed to go anywhere without an escort and now Tommes arrived to collect him. He took a seat across from Master Jose and stroked at his long beard while Hanta struggled with the words of his book. His magic hat was no longer working the way it used to, instead would only clarify a word that was new to Hanta. This made Hanta angry sometimes. In protest, he often tossed the hat and book on the floor in frustration.

"A wee bit of shame has made all the difference," Master Jose said cheerfully.

Tommes was not much interested in recalling Hanta's adventure or his three-day punishment. He nodded cheerfully while remaining fixated on Hanta. He had a surprise for the younger Prince.

"Look," Deki said, as he came to Tommes' side. He laid the book of recent events on the table. The ink was still drying. "I put my thumb here," Deki said, as he pointed out the little illustration that had been delicately drawn on the page. His thumbprint was visible while a flourish of colorful lines outlined it. A drawing of his face was in progress. Below the caption read 'The Thumbprint of Prince Deki Orr."

"The book is kept up-to-date," Tommes said, as he gazed over the page of the magical book. "They like to include illustrations."

"Let me see," Hanta said, as he took the book. Now the book began drawing his portrait under Deki's just the same. The caption read 'Prince Hanta the Lesser.' Hanta groaned, "Why does everyone call me the Lesser?"

"It is but a title," Master Jose replied with a shrug. "I am afraid as second born you will only have to become accustomed to the name."

More words appeared underneath. 'Tara and Astanshia, the daughters of Lord Miskolc of Albaland secretly seek forbidden knowledge.' Tommes lifted an eyebrow as he read over the words.

"You will have to look elsewhere," Tommes said loudly. "Remember the castle was burned in the second century."

The girls finding themselves the center of attention looked down from the balcony.

"I beg your pardon," Tara said coyly. "Were you speaking to us?"

"I do not see anyone else looking for forbidden books," Tommes laughed.

"How do you know what we are looking for?" Tara asked puzzled. Their mission had been top secret.

"I was informed," Tommes said with a chuckle. With a snap of his fingers, he made the magical book close up and sail across the room. It returned to the podium where it was kept.

"You squealed on us Deki," Tara hissed.

"I have done nothing," Deki answered back swiftly.

"She is that old?" Astanshia asked unexpectedly.

"Indeed, Sina is very, very old," Tommes said, while Hanta cringed. "And as for your other quest, the Stone of Lazio will only be found when it chooses to be found."

"You know about that too?" Tara howled.

"I am kept informed," Tommes chuckled. "Are you finished with Hanta?"

"I believe we have made enough progress for one day," Master Jose said. He sat back in his chair.

"Come with me, Hanta," Tommes said, as he stood up from his chair. "I have something for you."

As soon as Tommes and Hanta had left the library, the girls rushed to the other side of the room. Here were the oldest books in the castle. Many of them decrepit and prone to disintegrating when pulled off the shelves. As Tommes had said, the oldest books were scorched with scars of a great fire. Using magic, they pulled several journals from the shelves and made the pages turn. If they had actually touched them, the parchment would have turned to dust.

Outside Hanta had to run to keep up with Tommes long footsteps. They were walking in the sunshine picking up the roadway following the curtain wall. Walking swiftly in the cold winter's air, they passed the West Tower. Hanta looked upwards pensively. Seeing the window high up in the tower, he could catch the faintest reflection where he had wiped the glass clean. He cringed as they passed while wondering if the ghost was looking down on them. Aside from a few birds and some angry looking gargoyles, he saw nothing out of the ordinary. They walked until they reached one of the turrets near the back. Tommes tapped at his staff and made the door swing open.

Stepping inside, Hanta waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. The room was circular and not very large, while a spiral staircase led upward toward the roof. A workbench, crudely made of weathered beams, lay in the middle of the room. The bench was covered with many pieces of different materials. Hanta went to explore the collection where he found different pieces of wood with holes. There were rods, blocks, and round disks made of wood. He uncovered more items including pieces of metal, pulleys, twine, and several lengths of rope. There were more items of assorted shapes and sizes. As he fiddled with the different items, he realized that the parts could be fitted together. Tommes took a seat on a bench that leaned against the wall while Hanta wandered around the worktable. He found a pile of drawings of different things, which suggested what he might make with the wooden parts. He had seen some of the drawings before in the picture books he had shared with Master Jose. Hanta tried fitting different parts together and then spent some time looking over the drawings as if deciding what to make first. A drawing of a windmill captured his attention and he began sorting through the parts looking for the right pieces to make a model windmill. After an hour, Tommes led him from the turret back to the castle.

That evening Hanta was excited over dinner. He told everyone about the room full of all sorts of things. Master Jose seemed interested, but he was just letting Hanta talk. Oxdure, on the other hand, knew about the room. He had help Tommes assemble the treasure. After dinner, Oxdure agreed to take Hanta out to the turret. He was planning on sitting out in the evening air. Deki managed to invite himself, while Tara and Astanshia grown tired of ransacking the library decided to practice their broom riding.

Reaching the turret, Deki looked over the pile of oddities laid out over the worktable. Hanta had organized the items into different groups and seemed intent on making a windmill. Deki thought it was a good idea as the drawing suggested that water would pour down a trough. Deki had fetched water from the well many times and it always seemed such a chore to pull water out with a pail. Hanta went to work eagerly while Deki took to the spiral staircase that led to the top of the tower.

Climbing the long narrow stairs, he stopped along the way to peek out the murder holes. He could see a narrow sliver of ground from each slot and imagined the warriors that once guarded the castle doing the same. Coming to the top of the turret, he pushed open the sticky door. The door scraped the floor and would not open completely.

The only occupants of this tower were birds. Under the roof overhang, it was quite messy with fallen nests and bird droppings. Several indignant birds flew off hastily as he intruded. Looking out over the battlements, Deki peered out onto the village below. Tara and Astanshia whizzed by and circled around in a large loop. They came back and hovered just past the battlements. It was quite dark out, and he could barely see their outline. How Deki envied them when they rode their brooms, he laughed when they heckled him. Tara laughed and swooped off towards the rear gate flying in low over the parapet walk with Astanshia right behind her.

The birds were becoming angry now and had taken to landing on the battlements. They were chattering and dive-bombing Deki so he decided to leave. He pulled the door closed behind him and wandered down the long circular staircase. Outside, by the door, he found Oxdure leaning back in a chair against the turret wall. He looked up at Deki as he came through the doorway.

"You do not wish to help your brother?" He asked.

"No," Deki answered.

Oxdure nodded.

"Do you have a brother?" Deki asked.

Oxdure fell silent and stared down at the ground for a long time. "No, but I had two sisters."

"What are they like?" Deki asked.

"They were pretty," Oxdure replied uncomfortably.

Deki felt Oxdure's discomfort.

"They were older," Oxdure said.

Deki fell silent and listened to the sounds of the birds and the wind. Somewhere off in the distance, he could hear Tara and Astanshia shouting to each other.

"Shall we go inside and see what Hanta has conjured up?" Oxdure said. "It is getting late. I am sure Jonan will have something to say if I do not bring you back to the castle shortly."

Inside, Hanta was trying to fit together different pieces of wood. He had several lengths of rod lashed together with twine.

"Come," Oxdure said. "We must go now."

Disappointed, Hanta set down the pieces he was holding. Once outside, Hanta made sure the door was pulled closed tightly. Oxdure set off while Hanta rushed to keep up with him. Ahead loomed the dark outline of the West Tower illuminated faintly by the reflection of the moonlight catching the windows. Hanta glanced up the tower while he fell in behind Oxdure. Just then, Hanta caught sight of a faint flicker of light. He stopped and stared upwards at the uppermost window of the tower. The glass was illuminated by the flickering yellow glow of candlelight. With a scream, he took off running back the way they had come.

"Hanta! Stop!" Oxdure shouted after him.

# Chapter 26: Hadrid, the Dragon King

The Perching Rock

Oxdure and Deki took off chasing the sound of Hanta's running steps streaking across the bailey. Tara and Astanshia took up the chase on their brooms, swooping down alongside Hanta.

"What is the matter?" Tara yelled, as she swept in alongside Hanta.

Hanta kept running for the kitchen door. Then he suddenly veered off toward the front of the keep. There was a side door to the North Wing and Hanta having forgotten it in his panic ran past it. Realizing that the door was there, he turned sharply leaving Tara to swoop around in a loop. Astanshia aimed right for him as if she would block him, but broke off when she realized that Hanta was not stopping.

At the door, Oxdure grabbed him and lifted Hanta off his feet. A flash of terror crossed his eyes while he fought for his freedom. Oxdure was too strong and held onto him. Meanwhile the others caught up.

"What happened?" Deki asked. He was winded from having chased Hanta halfway around the castle.

"What is going on?" Jonan asked, as he came out of the door puzzled by the alarm of bells that had sounded in the castle.

"Something spooked him." Oxdure replied. He was still holding Hanta firmly, but had lowered him down to the ground.

Hanta struggled to break loose from Oxdure's grip.

"Did you see something?" Tara asked with concern.

Hanta nodded.

"What?" Tara asked.

"The Ghost!" Hanta screamed, and then he tried to break free from Oxdure's iron grip.

"Where?" Tara asked. "What ghost?"

"In the window," Hanta howled.

Tara and Astanshia looked at each other and tore off on their brooms. They knew where to look.

"You are forbidden!" Jonan bellowed after them, but it was already too late. The girls were flying upwards and fast directly at the West Tower. They flew past the windows like arrows while peering through the dirty glass. A candle burned in the uppermost window of the abandoned tower. Circling around they made a second pass, but could not see anything more than the faint flicker of candlelight. The remainder of the room was dark and there was not trace of Sina anywhere. A huge black spider dropped down near the candle, its shadow cast across the wall. Tara and Astanshia knew it was time to fly.

They returned to the doorway and found Hanta inside calming down as everyone else stood nearby. Gwendaline came and fussed over Hanta.

"The castle is full of ghosts," she said.

"Girls," Jonan was furious. "You were told not to go near the West Tower. I shall inform Tommes."

"It was just another ghost," Deki said with a shrug.

Hanta shook his head.

Tommes arrived and looked over the situation. He had been rousted from his chamber by Hogarth, but given little explanation of the emergency.

"He has seen the ghost again." Oxdure reported.

Already informed of the girls' forbidden flight, he scolded them first. "You pry into matters that are none of your concern. I will deal with you later."

Jonan glared contentedly.

"Sorry," Tara said, with her head bowed slightly. Astanshia looked down as well.

"The boy is terrified," Oxdure said.

"I would not be surprised," Tommes said. "You just need to calm down, Hanta."

"Did you see her?" Oxdure asked.

"No," Hanta sputtered.

"He saw the candle in the window," Tara said.

"We saw a black spider," Astanshia said, hopeful their news would somehow outweigh the punishment they would surely receive.

Tommes nodded.

"I will have Hogarth post guards," Tommes said. "I would not worry so much Hanta. I find it unlikely that Sina will wander around the castle. She is in her chamber."

"Come," Gwendaline said. "I will make you a treat and then you go to bed."

Hearing the word 'treat' Yaps, Tommes' old scruffy dog jumped up from the floor. The dog never went anywhere without the ragged sock toy in its jaws. Wagging his tail, he happily led the way towards the kitchen while the others followed.

For the following day, Deki had been given instructions by Tommes to wear his red and blue Prince's uniform. At dawn, to the sound of roosters crowing, Jonan arrived in the boys' dormitory. True to Tommes' word, a guard had been stationed in their chamber overnight. While rubbing his eyes in the faint light Deki caught the nearly transparent sight of the chainmail clad guard. Tommes and Deki were to meet in the Great Hall immediately after breakfast. Hanta was not invited and he would be having music lessons instead. Tommes had hinted earlier of taking matters into his own hand. But what he had intended Deki could only imagine. He knew there was to be a meeting, but with whom he could not be sure.

After a silent breakfast, Deki sat stiffly in the leather chair near Tommes' desk and waited. He glanced nervously around at the artifacts that cluttered the walls. A sword hanging near Tommes' desk caught the light with a sparkle. He stared over the piles of letters on Tommes' desk but had little interest in reading any of them.

Tommes was growing impatient with the dragons and their war with Hadzi. To complicate matters, Tiscai was on the verge of mounting an attack on Albaland. Tommes needed to bring matters to a head and end the war before another one broke out. Besides, Tommes could not be sure which side the dragons would take if war broke out between Albaland and Tiscai. He needed Hadrid the Dragon King, out of the way.

The Wizard escorted Cortanulas the Elder into the room. Today, Tommes wore a robe made of fine red cloth with a pendant that signified his position as Keeper of Alacantar. Deki shivered at the sight of the ancient Tomares who was cloaked in a drab robe. The cloth was real, but the Elder was but a ghostly Tomares. The robe seemed to carry itself across the floor towards him. The emotionless face of Cortanulas was hidden under the hood while two glaring yellow eyes stopped for a moment to look at Deki. Tommes called and Deki stood up.

Tommes motioned for Deki to stand off to the side while the Elder was to remain off to the other side. Neither were too been seen. Then Tommes tossed a piece of dragon scale into the pool. The dragon scale was iridescent and caught the light with a shower of many colors as it floated. Deki's nerves were on edge as he waited to see what would happen next.

Tommes uttered some words then the Pool of Ages began to swirl. An image began to form on the surface gradually becoming an eerie red glow. Then Deki gasped at the hideous sight of a dragon. Awakened by the intrusion, it reared its head. The reptile bared its fangs as it rose up from the pool. With its head towering over Tommes, Hadrid, the dragon spoke.

"What manner of magic is this?" It roared, with smoke pouring from its nostrils.

"Hadrid," Tommes said firmly. "We must speak."

"How is it I see your ugly human face in my lair?" Hadrid spat out.

"Hadrid," Tommes said calmly. "I have come to speak with you about the mistreatment of the Hadzis."

"Mistreatment?" Hadrid snorted, and then blasted whatever he was seeing with a puff of fire. The flames blew over Tommes harmlessly. "I do only what is justified."

"How can you possibly justify what you have done?" Tommes asked tactfully. "The Hadzi have not done even the slightest bit of harm to you or your Empire and yet you set on destroying them. Do you not remember the oath sworn to by your forefathers?"

"I do not care of the oath that you speak of," Hadrid bellowed, while smoke and flames rose from its hideous nose. "The Hadzi have broken the oath first."

"In what manner have the Hadzis offended you?" Tommes asked curiously.

"As if you do not know," Hadrid spewed. "The chick they took was my own."

Another dragon reared up its head from behind the Hadrid. Deki watched as the creature stared forward. It was not as large as Hadrid, but every bit as ugly.

"I am aware of the accusation." Tommes said, much to Hadrid's annoyance. Then he asked. "How was it, may I ask, that the Hadzis performed such a feat as to gain entrance to your lair and take a chick from under your very nose?"

"It has been done!" Hadrid snorted. He reared back and blasted the image with fire.

"Seems to be a baseless accusation," Tommes said, amused by the simple mindedness of Hadrid. "If an army of Hadzis came to your lair and stole the chick would you not have smelled them?"

"I smelled nothing," Hadrid answered curtly.

"Surely, the smell would have lingered." Tommes argued firmly. "If there was no smell, then how could the thief have been a Hadzi? Perhaps you have lost your abilities?"

"I have lost nothing," Hadrid roared and exploded into a rage. Flames shot from its mouth turning the Great Hall bright red. Deki did not feel any heat as he stumbled back from the illusion.

"Then it is truly ridiculous, this accusation," Tommes argued undeterred. "Sneaking into lair, a Hadzi stole your chick out from under your very nose. And what would a Hadzi want with a dragon? Hadrid, by your actions you have violated the oath. These acts of aggression against the Hadzi must cease immediately."

"Says who?" Hadrid recoiled. The evil in its wicked eyes glared down on Tommes.

"I believe that it is possible even for you to know when you are wrong," Tommes said not so tactfully. "You have caused a great deal of harm. You will be held responsible."

Dragons rarely show any other emotion other than rage, but it seemed now as if Hadrid was chuckling over Tommes' words. Smoke seemed to rise from its nose as if he was laughing. In the background, Deki could see the lair becoming redder as the chamber heated up with Hadrid's on-going fiery demonstration.

"I am Stoldid," the other dragon said suddenly, as it stepped forward. "I am Hadrid's son. I wish to speak."

"Silence!" Hadrid roared, and with its armored tail knocked Stoldid to the back of the lair.

"The magic speaks the truth," Stoldid argued. "How could a Hadzi have taken anything from you?"

Hadrid belched filling the lair with flames that shot over Tommes harmlessly.

Tommes waited patiently while Hadrid vomited forth more flames. With its spiked tail, the Dragon King knocked Stoldid across the lair again. Deki could see rage in Stoldid's lizard-like hypnotic eyes.

Tommes undeterred began speaking again. "Then you choose to continue with your aggression against the Kingdom of Hadzi?" Tommes pressed. "You choose to refuse to honor the word of your ancestors?"

"Why should I tell you what I intend to do?" Hadrid answered arrogantly.

Tommes stroked his beard and waited while Hadrid erupted in another tirade. The hideous creature was in a rage. Deki was more interested in watching the younger dragon who was cowering in the back of the lair.

"Hadrid," Tommes called impatiently. "Hadrid—perhaps you should listen to your own son, Stoldid. It appears that he has a better grasp of your situation than you."

"How dare you!" Hadrid boiled over again. His eyes glowed red like that of a demon.

"How dare you!" Tommes roared, with a deafening voice that made Deki jump sideways and cringe. "There are rules that you have so contemptuously chosen to ignore. Vows agreed upon by your ancestors. Pledges that you have now chosen to toss aside in your mindless rage."

Hadrid snorted arrogantly.

"Are you mad?" Tommes pushed onward with his message. "Do you not understand that a price will be paid for your self-centered and misguided actions?"

"What rules?" Hadrid hissed.

"Father," Stoldid managed to say in protest. "You have broken the treaty." Pivoting around quickly Hadrid again knocked Stoldid back with his armored tail.

"Silence," Hadrid roared. Turning his attention towards Tommes, he said. "Then return my son to me."

"Hadrid," Tommes taunted. "You have lost your sense of smell. You are old and apparently unable to rule. Perhaps you should step down before you lead your empire into ruin."

"How dare you!" Hadrid snarled. "Return my son or I shall destroy what little remains of Hadzi."

Tommes stroked his beard without the slightest intimidation. "Hadrid, allow me to introduce someone to you."

Hadrid glared.

Without warning Deki was pulled to Tommes' side. Forced by the Wizard's magic he slid across the floor and now stood facing the dragon directly. Deki stared upwards at the hideous creature. Its glowing red eyes were drawing him toward the wretched creature. A firm grip on his back was all that kept Deki from falling into the Pool of Ages.

"Allow me to introduce, Prince Deki, first born of King Orr the Fourteenth," Tommes said with complete confidence. "He is here at Alacantar Castle, under my protection."

"The Prince," the dragon hissed dismissively.

Tommes prodded Hadrid on, "The Prince will remain here at Alacantar Castle."

"Then I shall burn Alacantar to the ground," Hadrid sneered. "You do not intimidate me."

"Perhaps we can come to an agreement?" Tommes suggested coyly.

"I declare war on you and your house." Hadrid replied, not with rage, fire, or anything else. He just stated his declaration coldly, as if the words meant nothing to him.

"Hadrid," Tommes laughed. "You declare war on the Kingdom of Alacantar? Surely, you are merely trying to amuse me with your ridiculous proclamation."

"I shall burn the castle to the ground," Hadrid replied. "It will be a very short war."

"Then you have made this choice even as I offer you the opportunity for an agreement?" Tommes queried. He stared right into the wicked red glowing eyes of the dragon. "If you have, then we shall return to the old ways. Do you remember? Have you forgotten? Or is it that you have become so full of yourself, that you, Hadrid, have discarded this memory along with the oaths sworn by your ancestors? If we return to the old ways then, the dragons will once again become mere slaves to the Tomares of Alacantar."

"There are no Tomares left in this world," Hadrid scoffed.

"Then your declaration of war remains?" Tommes asked. "Your intention is to disregard the laws by which we are all governed. Laws, which you own ancestors, set down, allow the Dragon Empire to exist freely within the land of Alacantar."

"Tommes," Hadrid spat. "You are the fool. I shall burn all of Alacantar and I shall devour the Prince."

"Very well then," Tommes said curtly. He stepped back from the magic pool. Hadrid found this backward movement amusing. Perhaps he believed he had intimidated the wizard.

As Deki stared at the hateful dragon, an invisible hand pulled him back from the pool. Horror suddenly flashed across the eyes of the creature. Its reptilian eyes were glowing even redder as the creature reared up. It tried to back away from the sight. Cortanulas the Elder had slipped in between Deki and Tommes. The hooded ghoul held out its bony, ghostly grey hand while the reflection of his yellow eyes showed on Hadrid's scales.

Deki watched the Tomares reflection in the pool as fire shot from between the fangs of the dragon's mouth, filling the air of the Great Hall with flames. This time, Deki could feel the heat of Hadrid's vengeance on his face. An invisible hand held Deki down, not allowing him to run from the magic pool. He fought to free himself from the grasp in panic. The flames felt as though they were burning the flesh from his face.

The Elder stood undeterred in front of the pool while its ghostly hand remained outstretched. The flames were turning his cloak red. It was as if Cortanulas was on fire. But even as Deki watched, the flames were being sucked into the end of the Elder's outstretched hand. Suddenly, all at once, the dragon's fire was extinguished.

Hadrid the Ignorant

Hadrid recoiled and gasped, choking. He was unable to produce fire. Only a puff of smoke rose from his nostrils. Fear showed in the eyes of Hadrid as he backed away. Stoldid stood silent, unsure of his fate. Hadrid was shrinking while visible streams of smoke and vapor flowed into the outstretched hand of the Tomares.

Tommes stepped forward. "You have forgotten, you old fool!" he bellowed.

Hadrid glared weakly.

"In your arrogance you have only seen yourself," Tommes roared. "Did you think you could declare war on the Kingdom of Alacantar?"

Hadrid winced.

"You will be destroyed, the Dragon Empire will crumble," Tommes sneered. "It will be you Hadrid, who will be blamed. Alacantar has been and always will be under the protection of the Tomares. In your stupidity you have declared war on the Tomares."

Hadrid recoiled still trying to produce a flame. He could only gasp.

"A Dragon King without fire?" Tommes jeered. "How long will it be before your own devour you? I have no pity for you Hadrid the Ignorant. You have broken the vows of your ancestors. Now as my right as Keeper of Alacantar I revoke your right to occupy the Lands of Alacantar. You have three days to remove yourself from the Dragon Mountains." The pool suddenly went dark as Tommes' ended the conversation on this final declaration.

# Chapter 27: The Bells Toll

The Book of Events

Calmness descended after the confrontation with Hadrid. Tara and Astanshia both had stated Hadrid would be a fool to even attempt to attack Alacantar Castle. The girls had settled Deki's fears somewhat by saying that Hadrid would probably by devoured by the other dragons. Many Dragon Kings who had become weak had met such a fate. Dragons conducted themselves in this manner. Hadrid would be gone and a new King would rise up to rule the Empire. How long the new King would reign would depend on his strength and abilities to stay in power. Often after a long reign such as in Hadrid's case, the dragons would battle among themselves furiously. Sometimes new Kings were overturned in days if not within hours. Tara imagined the dragons would have little interest on waging an assault on Alacantar Castle.

Oxdure agreed with Tara. He said that if the dragons were to attack they would appear as black specks on the horizon. If they came at night, then their trail of fire would give them away quickly. Master Jose said that an attack on Alacantar Castle would never happen unless Hadrid was indeed very ignorant. The dragon attack would be quickly ended by the Hounskulls. He doubted that even a single dragon would be left in the end. The magical powers of the Tomares over the dragons were not to be underestimated. Deki had seen Hadrid recoil in terror at the sight of the Elder. The memory of the wretched dragon haunted him, particularly its glowing red hypnotic eyes.

Deki wandered off toward the windows of the library and looked out. He saw nothing out of the ordinary. Professor Edmund was waiting for his essay and after a morning of tedious reading, he was stretching his mind for something worth writing about. After his essay, he would have art with Narcissa. She was an actual person, not a ghost, or Tomares, but a woman from the village.

Tara and Astanshia were still tearing through the ancient books in the oldest part of the library. The sudden and unexpected thud of a book falling to the floor disturbed the quietness all too often. When this happened, everyone would look at them including Master Jose.

The two of them were determined to find something about Sina. Their search had gone through the oldest books in the library. Oddly, Sina's biography was missing. It was as if she had been cut from the longwinded history of Alacantar Castle. They were many books with blank areas. Someone had erased important details, or at the very least, had written with invisible ink. Tara and Astanshia had spent much time unsuccessfully seeking out a charm that would reveal the missing contents. They were beginning to assume that she was merely a ghost that had taken up residence in the West Tower. Even that seemed an unlikely prospect. All of the ghosts in the castle had some connection to Alacantar. They were all someone at one time, and somewhere in the chronicles of Alacantar, their name would be recorded if only for mentioning their births and deaths.

Oddly, Sina occupied a very prominent chamber at the very top of the West Tower. Journals dating back to the first hundred years of Alacantar Castle were difficult to come by. The castle had been burned by the marauders from Zalkaros who occupied the fortress for a short time. Eventually the invaders were driven off or they had met a violent end. Most of the castle was in ruins by the time the occupation had ended. The castle was rebuilt, but sadly, most of the manuscripts from before that time, were badly damaged and unreadable. The girls undeterred continued to look for pages of interest, but the trail was cold. Their second mission was searching for details about the Stone of Lazio. Perhaps the two mysteries were entangled and finding one would solve the other.

Deki moved from the window ledge, taking up a seat near the fireplace. An inkpot, quill, and parchment appeared magically at the desk. In his ear, he could hear the distinct sound of Professor Edmund sighing impatiently. Deki picked up the quill and began doodling at the top of the parchment. He drew the wretched reptile eyes of Hadrid. An invisible hand erased the sketch as he completed it. He put a word down on the paper and waited for inspiration. Gazing absentmindedly, he thought he saw a black spider drop down near the door. As he watched, the spider drew up on a thread and disappeared into the shadows.

Later, Deki wandered off to learn about art with Narcissa. At least, he did not have to endure music like Hanta. He passed the room where Hanta was being tortured for an hour while several ghosts danced around the room to the sound of a harpsichord. Hanta hated all classical music, but especially the sounds produced by the old harpsichord that was played for his education and enlightenment.

Ogdar was lingering around near the keep. As Deki wandered down the corridor, he stopped to talk with him.

"I have remembered something," Ogdar said.

"What?" Deki asked curiously.

"The riddle," Ogdar said.

"The riddle?" Deki repeated. At that moment, he really had no idea what Ogdar was talking about.

"Tara asked me where the riddle was," Ogdar said. "Could you tell her that I have remembered?"

"What is the riddle?" Deki asked.

"Oh yes," Ogdar said, and then started to drift off. He was like many of the ghosts in the castle. They just wandered off in the middle of a thought. Many of them have such a short attention span they are utterly confusing to talk with.

Ogdar reformed himself and took a stance that seemed to anchor him down to the floor. "Oh yes," he sighed. "I was supposed to tell you something..."

"About the riddle," Deki reminded him.

"Oh the riddle," Ogdar answered. "Up in the portico..."

"The portico over the keep?" Deki asked. He was growing impatient and wanted to get going again. Art was just another reason for not being out on the bailey with Oxdure, he did not want it prolonged by being tardy.

"Yes, the portico," Ogdar stumbled distractedly.

Deki had no idea what Ogdar was talking about.

"What were we speaking of?" Ogdar asked. He was beginning to fade again.

"The portico," Deki reminded him gently.

Ogdar faded away completely and was gone before he could finish his explanation. With a shrug, Deki wandered off again. The other ghosts had said that Ogdar was losing his mind and Deki had little reason to doubt that.

After painting a picture of a small village set amid pastureland, Deki wandered off down the hallway. His outside clothing was kept in a small room on the first floor of the North Tower. He would change and then find Oxdure. He was looking forward to jogging around the castle hoping the exercise would help clear the image of Hadrid from his mind.

Outside, although the sun was bright while the air was still cool. The oak trees still held their brown leaves defiantly. Oxdure was waiting for him in the barracks. There was metal armor that needed polishing. Such was the life of a warrior when there were no battles to be fought. Polishing armor, repairing weapons, stitching up new leather, there was never any shortage of work to be done. Later they would go out on the field and practice with spears, but for now, Oxdure wanted to sit in front of the fireplace.

"Have you seen Tommes?" Oxdure asked, as Deki entered the barrack.

"No," Deki replied. He flung down into a stiff chair.

"I have been looking for him since yesterday," Oxdure said. He was holding in his hands a bit of polishing cloth. Oxdure had not shaved his face for a week or more and was beginning to show a thick beard and mustache.

Far to the North, Captain Dakar and his men followed a broken pathway down to the abandoned city. In ruins, many of the buildings had long ago toppled over. Some buildings made of white stone still stood, partially hinting at the homes of the long vanished people. Hungry, thirsty, and very tired, the three walked toward the center of the city. A plaza with many steps to the top loomed ahead.

"It must by Timare," Dakar muttered in amazement. "This city was built long before Alacantar and Zalkaros were ever even imagined."

"I do not care," Bane snarled. "I want to eat."

Amid the ruins, there seemed no sign of any life whatsoever. Not even a rabbit jumping between the broken pillars to be caught and roasted over a fire. They walked onward, climbing through the remains of a temple that once stood proudly. Now the temple was scattered all over the boulevard. Crumbled statues lay around the remains of the foundation. The remains of an overturned chariot lay rusting in the sun.

"There is treasure here," Captain Dakar said.

"This place is not to be trusted, the Tomares lived here," Spike said, spooked.

"Let us cross the city," Bane said. "There must be rabbits or squirrels over there."

Trudging onward, they reached the center and stared up at the stone plaza.

"They are here," Spike said. "I feel their eyes." Then he shouted as if speaking to wind. "We are hungry!"

"Do not arouse them," Bane said.

"We mean no harm," Captain Dakar said, feeling the presence of unseen Tomares surrounding them. He turned around looking in all directions. "We only wish to walk through your fine city, and then we shall be gone."

The faintest images of the Tomares began to form around them. Angry, featureless faces, and empty bodies draped in grey robes that hung to the ground. Dakar pushed through them and started up the stairs that led to the top of the plaza. The Tomares followed silently. Reaching the top of the plaza, he looked from one ghostly face to another. He was searching for the one among them that might offer some help. One Tomares stepped forward.

"You have come from Zalkaros," he said.

"We were imprisoned there by Toldare," Captain Dakar replied courteously.

"Our city if forbidden," said the Tomares. "You have intruded."

"We escaped from Zalkaros by a road carved through the mountain," Captain Dakar said again very tactfully. "We arrived here not by deliberate intentions, but by chance."

"We are hungry," Bane pleaded.

At once, a table appeared in the center of the plaza, and just as suddenly, the table was filled with a feast of fruits and roasted meat. The famished men rushed to the table while Captain Dakar considered his next move.

"We apologize for our intrusion," Captain Dakar said. "Your generous gift of food is appreciated."

The Tomares bowed slightly, but remained silent.

"How do we find the road to Hadzi?" Captain Dakar asked. He had gone to the table and joined the others in feasting. The food was good and plentiful, but a feast of air.

"You have found one secret," the Tomares answered. "We shall not show you any others."

"Are we to cross over the mountains?" Captain Dakar asked. The Tomares did not reply.

...

Back at Alacantar Castle, the front bell high over the keep was ringing, its sound causing the windows of the barracks to rattle. All around the fortress more bells began ringing, spreading the emergency signal. Oxdure jolted from his seat and looked out the window. Without hesitation, Oxdure took hold of his crossbow and spear. To his back, he slung a quiver filled with arrows, the tips of which had already been doused in green dragon poison. Already prepared for the moment when the bells would ring at Alacantar Castle, he stepped out the door. He looked out over the bailey and then overhead at the sky above.

"Come, to the keep," Oxdure said neither in panic, nor in fear, but as a warrior ready for whatever might be coming.

Deki looked up and toward the east. The curtain walls towered over his head and very little could be seen. "Are the dragons coming?"

"The bells have sounded," Oxdure said. "We must go."

Deki fell into step in front of Oxdure as they began their march towards the castle. Then the guards arrived, descending down around them, sixteen in all. They took up positions all around the two. Oxdure glared at the ghostly escort, but pushed onward. As they approached the keep, a battalion of guards burst through the closed door, the battalion splitting apart went off in all directions. Deki glanced backwards towards the Dragon Mountains, but could not see any specks in the sky. The door to the keep swung open as they arrived while the bell overhead rang mercilessly. Hogarth stood in the doorway while another swarm of guards swooped out into bailey.

"Come," Hogarth said.

"What is happening?" Oxdure asked.

"Leave your weapons," Hogarth ordered. "Come at once."

"What has happened?" Oxdure asked again, but Hogarth did not reply. Instead, the armory door swung open. Oxdure without taking his hand off Deki's shoulder dropped his weapons in the small room, begrudgingly.

The corridors of Alacantar Castle were filled with swarming ghosts and guards as Hogarth marched them towards the library. He was barking orders at the passing guards, dispatching them to different parts of the castle. The castle was being searched room by room. That much was apparent, as Hogarth was receiving reports from messengers that frequently appeared and then vanished again.

"What is happening?" Oxdure questioned. "Where is Tommes?"

Hogarth did not answer, but instead continued to prod them towards the library. Ghosts and other guards quickly moved out of the way as Deki and Oxdure walked passed. The doors to the library swung open, Tara and Astanshia watched them arrive. Master Jose stood nearby with his arms folded.

"Where are the dragons?" Tara asked, as Deki was escorted into the room.

Deki shrugged while Oxdure quickly went to Master Jose. He did not know anything either and was waiting for information.

"Where is Tommes?" Master Jose asked, just as Oxdure had. "Is he coming?"

"Please patiently wait," Hogarth said. "I will return and all will be explained."

"What in the world is happening?" Master Jose protested just as Hogarth vanished. Locked in the library, the five stared at each other, as no one knew what was happening. Oddly, Hanta had not been escorted to the library, not yet at least. Outside, the bells were still sounding making the library windows rattle. The guards formed a circle around Deki in particular and stood stationary with drawn swords. Deki eased his way toward the magic book hoping to find the cause of the emergency already scribed by the invisible hand. The book was locked closed. Frustrated, he carried the book back and laid it on a nearby table where it remained locked shut.

# Chapter 28: Sina Strikes

Broken Chariot

Clustered in the library, all waited for word. Jonan was the first to arrive. With a stern worried look on his face, he took a place in the library. At last, Hogarth escorting Hanta's music teacher and several other ghosts arrived. Rebecca, a ghost, was weeping as the party emerged through the locked library door.

Jonan was the first to speak. "Prince Hanta is missing," he said somberly.

"Missing?" Everyone rumbled.

"Where has he gone?" Master Jose asked.

"She came and took him," Rebecca wailed.

"Who?" Oxdure demanded.

"Sina the Wicked One," Hogarth replied with a voice breaking over the chaos. "She has abducted Hanta."

"Sina," Tara hissed while Astanshia looked stunned.

"She came into the music room and snatched the Prince," Professor Tiddle said. "We could do nothing to stop her."

"She took him," Rebecca wailed again.

"We are searching everywhere for the boy," Hogarth said officially. "I have dispatched the guards to search every square inch of the castle."

"Where is Tommes?" Oxdure demanded furiously.

"We have found Tommes," Jonan said.

"What steps has Tommes taken?" Master Jose asked.

"Tommes has been stricken," Jonan replied.

"Stricken?" Master Jose mumbled while all others looked at each other dumbfounded.

"He is in the dungeon," Hogarth said.

"Is he dead?" Master Jose asked.

"No," Jonan answered. "He has been stricken by a spell...Wizard's Folly."

"Wizard's Folly?" Master Jose muttered.

"What is Wizard's Folly?" Oxdure demanded. His patience with ghosts, Tomares, and wizards was exhausted.

Tara and Astanshia hissed.

"We believe Sina has enchanted him," Hogarth reported. "We are still searching for clues."

Gwendaline burst through the door carrying a small cauldron of warm broth. Her face was torn between tears and fury. "Take this to Tommes at once!" She demanded.

"What will it do?" Tara asked, as she took notice of the cauldron in Gwendaline hands.

"Spoon feed it to him, if need be," Gwendaline said hastily.

Jonan levitated the cauldron and left the library while the others stared at each other.

"Have you summoned Cortanulas the Elder?" Gwendaline scolded Hogarth.

"He has been informed," Hogarth replied warily. "We are searching the West Tower and everywhere else. She could not get far with the boy."

"You had better find the boy!" Gwendaline spat and turning abruptly, she stomped out of the room while Rebecca burst into tears again.

"Stay in the library," Hogarth ordered and then vanished.

"Madness," Oxdure cursed, as the others paced around the library. "And what is this Wizard's Folly you speak of?"

"Wizard's Folly is a spell that causes a wizard to lose his mind," Master Jose explained. "A wizard enchanted with Wizard's Folly becomes distracted by an unquenchable thirst for knowledge, that he forgets all else."

"There is no cure..." Tara added. "Unless the spell can be broken."

Astanshia was signaling to Tara from a nearby stack of books. She stole off towards Astanshia while Master Jose and Oxdure argued.

In whispers, the girls decided on what they would do. Their sudden chanting took everyone by surprise. The girls locking arms and facing outward from each other were chanting in a language that Deki could never even hope to understand. The other ghosts with the exception of the guards quickly vanished as the girls' voices filled the library. Rising into the air while a reddish orange glow surrounded them, their chanting continued.

"We demand your secrets," they were chanting to the library. As if an explosion ripped through the library, the room began tearing itself to pieces. The girls were in the air hovering and repeating their chanting demand. Oxdure stood with an angry, but amazed expression as books flew from the shelves of the library. The girls chatted ceaselessly as the shelves crumbled around the library. Bookshelves ripped from the walls, while books swirled around as if caught up in a wicked wind.

"Sorry Oxdure," Tara said, as a swarm of books knocked into him. Tara took off toward a bookcase which had been torn from the wall. The shelving, now in splinters had fallen away revealing a secret chamber. Astanshia was right on her heels as they dashed into the darkened room. A small table sat in the center with a dust covered book. With magic, Tara lifted the book from the table and retreated into the main library. They laid it out on the table and examined the cover.

Jonan returned from the dungeon, reported sadly, that Gwendaline's concoction had not worked on the distracted Tommes. Angrily he surveyed the scene and then glared at the girls who were opening the book.

"Look!" Tara yelled excitedly. "It is the book about Sina the Wicked One."

"You did this?" Jonan snarled. "As if we do not have enough troubles today." He waved his hand and the library began to pull itself back together much to Oxdure's dismay. Master Jose just took a seat at the table and put his head in his hands.

"Look!" Tara said again. "It says that Sina was here when the marauders seized the castle." They turned the page and read more.

"Girls," Master Jose howled. "What good does this do?"

"We have to do something," Tara shouted. "Are we to just sit here and wait?"

"You have made a mess," Jonan snapped. "And when Tommes finds out what you have done. You have no business with the forbidden book!"

"Jonan," Astanshia asked, as if she had not heard a word Jonan had said. "Who is Sina?"

"At this time a kidnapper," Jonan answered curtly. He slapped his hands and the books of the library began falling back into place faster than before. Another clap and the bookcase repaired itself while closing over the hidden chamber. He hovered over the girls and angrily looked at the book they had found.

"I have too much to do at this time," Jonan growled and then vanished. He reappeared a moment later as if he had reconsidered. "Read and you will find that Sina the Wicked One destroyed the invaders from Zalkaros. Each and every one of them, she murdered. Read and you will see that she ruled over the Kingdom of Alacantar for years after. She is insane even after her death."

"And she burns a candle in the West Tower when she is awake." Tara interrupted. "The last time she was awake was three hundred and twenty years ago."

"When she awoke and drove Luther the Keeper of Alacantar, to his death," Jonan said. "And he was not her only victim. Do not think that you can deal with Sina the Wicked One!" Jonan said, as he vanished again.

Everyone fell silent as the girls tore through the pages reading about Sina the Wicked One. The book was freshly scribed as they reached the end. The girls read the words over carefully and then they look towards the others.

"The book says that Sina, believing Tommes to be an imposter from Zalkaros, had caught him by surprise in the Great Hall just after the confrontation with Hadrid." Tara said. "She cast the Wizard's Folly spell on him. It is still writing...."

"So what are we to do?" Oxdure asked.

Tara shrugged, "We are working on this, Oxdure."

Master Jose stared out the window.

"It says..." Tara said, as she tried to read the words that were written in the ancient language of the Tomares. "It says that she has given Hanta to the one that seeks him."

"And who might that be?" Master Jose said with annoyance.

"I am reading...it is a name that I do not understand," Tara said. "He is in a place," she sighed. "But I do not understand the name."

The room fell silent. Deki sighed, and frustrated by the guards surrounding him tried to swat them away. They remained stationary. His attention turned from one person to the next, and then a black spider caught his attention. The spider was near the door.

The door suddenly flung open, all eyes turned toward the disturbance. Wind suddenly blew in sending papers and books flying into the windows. The guard turned, and suddenly their spears were pointed at the open door. The girls screamed just as the faded ghost appeared in the doorway. Oxdure lunged forward, but was picked up and thrown across the room. He landed against a table, which broke to pieces. Chairs were thrown across the room, one hitting Master Jose while Tara and Astanshia blocked several books. Oxdure struggled to his feet and lunged again towards Deki. He fought against the witch, forcing his way while the guards stormed Sina with lowered spears.

Sina the Wicked One was turning the spears against the guards, while at the same time she was pulling Deki toward her. She howled and spat at Tara who held her amulet up, as if it might repel her. In the split second, that Sina was distracted, Oxdure reached Deki, grabbing him in an arm lock. Together they slid across the floor towards Sina, while black spiders landed on Oxdure. Fearlessly, Oxdure pulled Deki back while the guards fought against the witch. His lack of belief or respect for magic was his weapon, and he was winning as he dragged Deki away.

As suddenly as the attack had begun, Hogarth arrived with reinforcements. The guards quickly surrounded Sina breaking her hold on Deki. They backed her out the doorway and into the corridor. Then they all disappeared with Sina, leaving the stunned occupants of the library to wonder what was happening.

...

Later, escorted by Jonan, everyone was in the dungeon. Tommes was indeed mad with Wizard's Folly. The small, dank room was lit by torches. All around Tommes were oddities. Things collected in his travels around the world. Like Ogdar's workshop, there were strange items of fascination. Tommes stood at a workbench while holding a rod out over a large globe. Fire shot between the rod in his hand and the globe, arcing in lightening-like flames through the air. He did not notice the others as they came in and gathered around him. Staring blankly at the fire, he made the rod in his hand glow first blue then green, and then it turned back to blue.

Tara carried a large heavy book, which she dropped on the table. She began searching through the pages.

"There is not a cure," Tara muttered, as she examined the spells that were illustrated in the manuscript.

"Use your magic, Jonan," Oxdure said reproachfully.

Master Jose shook his head.

"I cannot break the spell," Jonan said sadly.

"Surely someone can," Oxdure said.

"You do not understand," Tara said. She was rather preoccupied with the spell book.

"Only Tommes or Sina can break the spell," Jonan said.

"How?" Tara asked.

"He has to find himself," Jonan replied, the sight of another wizard stricken by an enemy as had happened so many times before, saddened him.

"Hmmm..." Tara replied. She flipped through a few more pages. "Could he have hidden something in the castle?"

"Any wizard worthy of his title would have," Jonan said. "Try some things."

"What do you speak of?" Oxdure asked, confused.

"They are saying that a wizard hides something that will break a dark spell," Master Jose explained. He picked up a toy that he found stuffed in the corner. It was like a monkey except the head was shrunken and grotesque looking. He held it out at Tommes. Tommes took no interest in the oddity.

"A wizard has many enemies," Jonan said. "It is a charm, something that when he touches will break a dark spell."

"So we are to help him find this charm?" Oxdure asked. His irritation was growing with every minute since the crisis had unfolded. As for Deki, he might as well have been tied to Oxdure with a chain. Oxdure was determined not to allow the Prince out of his reach.

"Try some things," Astanshia said, as she picked up a couple of items she found.

"Where is his Staff?" Tara asked.

"That would be too obvious," Astanshia replied.

"Probably," Master Jose agreed.

"It is a thing, something that holds some value to Tommes, something that he would trust," Astanshia muttered.

"And what good is the thing, if no one knows what it is?" Oxdure said. He carried what looked like a wand broken in half towards Tommes.

Tommes reacted to the broken wand snatching it from Oxdure's hand. Everyone held their breath, but groaned as the wizard threw the broken wand to the floor. Astanshia tried a skeleton head and a rhinoceros horn, but Tommes took no interest in either.

"Surely someone in this castle can bring Sina down here and make her release the spell," Oxdure muttered, as an ivory pendant was sent smashing to the ground.

"Hogarth is trying to reason with Sina," Jonan reported. "She is insane, that is why she is called the Wicked One."

Oxdure sighed. "So we can do nothing but wait. And in the meantime Hanta is gone."

"Apparently," Master Jose replied.

"We are trying," Tara said, growing impatient with Oxdure.

Jonan hovered in front of Tommes and uttered some words, but too little effect.

"You cannot break the spell," Astanshia said knowingly.

"It is best we leave," Master Jose said, as he watched Tommes growing angry at the various objects that were being shoved at him. "He grows angry. He still has his magic. He may mistake our helpfulness for something else."

Suddenly aware Tara slapped the book shut and went for the door. "Come Deki, Oxdure. A mad wizard is not to be trusted, Master Jose is correct."

"This object that we seek," Oxdure asked, as they left the dungeon room. "Can the guards search the castle to find it?"

"Well, you see that is the problem," Jonan explained. "A wizard can never be sure of his enemies, so it will be well hidden."

"Some good then," Oxdure muttered. The party set off for the steps that led back up into the castle where they would have to wait for word from Hogarth.

Nightfall came after a silent dinner. Deki was escorted to the top of the North Tower. He spent the night surrounded by guards while he stared out the window. The restless Stone Dragon captured his interest for a bit, as it shifted around the rooftop below. 'Could the Stone Dragon help him find his brother?' he wondered.

...

"The name is Captain Dakar," Tara blurted, as she burst into the dining room the following day. She had been late to breakfast. Ogdar had helped her translate the name in the book of Sina. "Sina has given Hanta to Captain Dakar." She said again laying the book down in front of Master Jose. Oxdure glanced down at the book, but the penned words meant nothing to him.

"Who is Captain Dakar?" Oxdure asked, while Master Jose looked on.

"He is the pirate that attacked us on the Stepping Stone Islands," she replied.

"He followed us when we were on the ship," Deki said. "He gave Captain Tarr a dagger."

Master Jose nodded.

"What is he?" Oxdure growled. "A ghost? A Tomares?"

"He is a man," Deki said. "I saw him."

Tara nodded.

"Then he shall be made to pay," Oxdure growled. "I shall go to Hadzi and return with the King's army."

"Wait," Master Jose spoke. "The mountains are too dangerous to cross with Hadrid worked up."

"I will not!" Oxdure said. "I will hunt down this Captain Dakar myself."

"Oxdure," Tara said. "We do not know where he is."

"Am I to sit here and wait while Hanta, the son of my King, is held prisoner by this Captain Dakar?" Oxdure growled. "The King will dispatch his army to search for the boy."

"I will go," Deki said.

"No," Oxdure said.

"Oxdure, please," Master Jose mumbled.

"So leave me here to be snatched too by Sina—the Wicked One." Deki said.

Master Jose shook his head while Oxdure stopped in his footsteps.

"It is too dangerous," Master Jose said.

Jonan was hovering near the door.

"You will not be kidnapped," Oxdure said. "Come Deki, we must go it is a two day march to Hadzi."

Jonan faded while Master Jose glared.

"I will not leave the Prince in Alacantar Castle while he is in danger," Oxdure replied. "It is my duty, my right, and my honor to protect the Prince!"

Gwendaline sobbed from the doorway of the kitchen. "You will be set upon by dragons!"

Oxdure sneered. "Dragons I can slay, Sina the Wicked One I cannot. We shall set out for Hadzi and return with the King's army. I shall hunt this Captain Dakar and at the tip of my sword he will pay."

Tara and Astanshia hissed while Master Jose shook his head.

"The journey will be perilous," Jonan said, having reformed himself directly in front of Oxdure. "Perhaps you could allow Hogarth more time."

"I have had enough of it," Oxdure swore angrily. He marched from the room leaving Deki behind. Deki paused for a moment, and looked at the others and then took off after Oxdure. Jonan vanished.

In the armory, Oxdure gathered his weapons while Deki waited by the door. Then the two set off toward the barracks with Deki running to keep up with Oxdure's long strides. In the barracks, Oxdure mounted his armor covering his legs and shoulders with the metal plates. Deki mounted his armor as well, and as each piece of metal was added, he felt the weight of it.

Jonan appeared at the door. "Gwendaline offers you provisions," he said, as he pushed a leather pouch towards Oxdure. The pouch was filled with food. He had a second pouch for Deki, "Surely, you could reconsider."

Oxdure took the bag from Jonan, but said nothing. In the silence, Jonan understood that Oxdure would not be swayed. He stood silently as Oxdure and Deki finished their preparations.

Jonan found himself at the gatehouse looking out at the road the led away from Alacantar Castle. Cautiously, so as not be noticed he slipped out through the gate. Looking around, while pretending to be doing something important, he slipped into the forest. He knew that he must not be seen. He knew only Tommes could help him. He also knew that Tommes might never recover from Wizard's Folly. With a last glance around, Jonan sadly disappeared.

Deki took the lead. His armor weighted him down and if he stepped the wrong way, it clinked together. Oxdure's steps were smooth and silent as they walked. Deki carried a poisoned tip spear on his shoulder, the weight of which was enormous. On his back, he also carried a bow and quiver of poisoned tipped arrows, while a dagger sheaved in leather was tucked into his belt. Together they marched through the tunnel and out the front gate. Ahead of them lay the road to Hadzi directly through the Dragon Mountains and right under Hadrid's nose.

Barely to the woods just beyond the curtain walls, the grinding sound of the gate, broke the silence. Curiously, Deki and Oxdure stopped to see the gate being lowered and the sturdy doors behind shut. Along the walls the Hounskulls was forming, taking up positions in the turrets and battlements. The bell over the keep sounded three times and then fell silent.

Startled, Oxdure scanned the curtain walls and then suddenly jumped around and scanned the eastern sky. "The dragons are coming," he said, as he pointed to the specks of black in the sky.

The Dragons Attack!

# Third Age of Timare the Series

Coming in Episode 2

# The Drums of Hadzi

...

Just as the dragons are sweeping down one Prince escapes Alacantar Castle! The other Prince has vanished! The perilous journey begins!

Tara and Astanshia, the new Empresses are about to take over the world much to Toldare's chagrin.

And did we mention the witches?

And yet another nasty dragon?

...

Visit http://oldmagiclibrary.net

