A Dragon's Promise

Chapter five

The High Elfin Council was called to order. King Jabrid sat in the center of an ancient silver wood table with his son Prince Mikka to his right, and Donavin his advisor, the head Sage to his left. The other members of the council sat at a long oak table built in a semicircle, facing the king.

King Jabrid stood and addressed the council. “I am sure most of you know why we are here. Today a great magical force was felt. Some of you, those with the gifts of magic, were touched deeply by this force, others only felt an irritation... a distraction. All of us were effected in someway. Today reports from all over our realm came in of spells falling apart or going wrong. One elf was badly hurt when a simple spell of flame flew into his face. This magic is untrained and raw. I am greatly concerned about how this magic could be wielded if it fell into the wrong hands” King Jabrid turned to Donavin “You have the floor”

Donavin stood facing the King “Thank-you your Majesty” He bowed his head and turned toward the council, “I have spent the entire day in my chambers, trying to find the source of the magic. I have tried to contact other magicians, the schools, the College at Staveston, even Zelron himself, but the fields of communication are completely cluttered up. When the wielder of the magic released the power from his body, he didn't direct it, he just threw it into the air. This untamed energy, static if you will, is causing major interferences throughout our realm, and if my suspicions are correct, throughout Saroke.”

A low murmur swept through the council. One of the council members, a young elf by the name of Krallin stood up and requested permission to speak. The King nodded his head. "Do we have any idea as to where the magic came from? And supposing we do find out, what do we plan to do about it?”

The council murmured in agreement. Donavin waited for silence to return before addressing them. “I believe the source of the magic to have originated somewhere to the east of us. The energy released caused a magical storm. We have had scouts from all parts of our realm come in today. The further east they come from the more ferocious the storm reported. I will try again tonight to reach the others.” Donavin waited for the king to stand before sitting.

“We as a council must decide what to do once the source of the magic is found. Hopefully we will know more tomorrow. I will open the floor to suggestions in the morning. Sleep well.”

Prince Mikka was quiet as he and Krallin left the palace together. It disturbed him to see things out of place. The sky was a dreary gray, and the wind had an unusual sinister smell about it. This was the time of spring, of sunny days, elfin children running about, elves singing, white sheets blowing in the wind. Until five hours ago this was the world he saw. Now mothers were gathering in children, locking shutters on windows and even fixing locks on doors. No elf ever locked their door in their own kingdom.

Krallin led the way to their favorite tree. Mikka and he had been sitting under it since they were children, more than sixty sun cycles ago. It was a lovely tree with delicate silver branches that chimed when there was a gentle breeze. The elves called her the singing tree and loved her dearly. It was said that there were only twelve such trees in all of Saroke, and that the elves had nine of them.

“Krallin, I am not a child anymore. Granted I am young, but I feel that it is time I took on more responsibility for my people. Tomorrow, when the floor is opened, I will state my intention to go out of the kingdom. I will leave in search of this...this new magic.”

Krallin looked the Mikka and smiled. “When do we leave?”

Mikka laughed, “I had hoped you would come!”

His friend replied. “You do not think that I would let you leave me here while you went off and had all the fun do you?”

The prince’s eyes hardened. “Krallin this is serious, we may not come back.”

Kralin shrugged. “I know Mikka, but we are friends and friends stick together, besides someone has got to be there to save you from your self!”

Mikka pushed his friend over and got up to run. Krallin grabbed his leg and pulled him to the ground. “Never mind what is out there, we need someone to save us from each other.”

A stern voice sounded behind them. “That is why you will need me.”

The Elves stopped laughing and rolled over to see Donavin, the Kings Sage. Mikka brushed off his clothes and opened his mouth to speak. Donavin stopped him. “I will talk to your father at the council tomorrow. Until then speak of this to no one.” With that the wizard turned and walked away.

Donavin entered the palace through a seldom used side door. He nipped into the kitchen, helped himself to a plate full of food and made his way down a series of drafty, old corridors. After making sure that no one was looking, he approached an old portrait and placed his fingers above the top right hand corner. A long dead elfin king looked impassively at him as he pressed a small rock that resembled mortar. Without so much as a whisper, the full sized portrait swung open revealing a dark passageway. Donavin climbed through as the portrait silently shut after him.

The passage wound downwards, through the very bowels of the palace and into the bedrock it was built upon. Dampness clung to the smooth walls, thickening with every step the magician took. Soon the uniformed blocks of the passageway gave way to solid rock revealing a natural tunnel. Donavin passed an underground spring that came out of the rock only to re-enter it ten feet later. Finally he came to a place where a large natural gallery opened. Stalactites and Stalagmites were everywhere and an erie green glow shone from the slimy, wet surface of the walls. Here the spring resurfaced fifteen feet above the floor of the cavern. It fell in a magnificent waterfall landing in a natural hot spring that came up from beneath the gallery floor. On a normal day Donavin would have stopped to appreciate the natural splendor that was his and his alone, but not today. He walked past the hot spring into a series of smaller caves that were his private chambers.

The chambers consisted of three small caves connected together. The first were his living quarters. His bed was in a carved out section of the wall, with a stone table, wooden chair and stone counter for preparing food. He had a hearth built into a the wall that separated his living area with his laboratory. On the one side he could cook for himself, on the other he could use the fire for his magic. In the center above the fire a natural tunnel took the smoke to some unknown place. Donavin had dug out tunnels to feed hot and cold water from the gallery into his living quarters and through to his lab. The second cave contained Donavin’s laboratory. While unique in it’s setting, the laboratory was not unlike other Sages. Two walls were dedicated completely to books. Some written in languages so old that they were almost completely forgotten. Other books were in Donavin's own handwriting, with notes only he could understand...or would want to. Another wall housed jars filled with potions, powders, strange creatures, and liquids. In the center of the laboratory sat a large wooden desk covered in scrolls, papers, books and dried out quills. Behind the desk sat a worn but comfortable looking chair.

The third cave was connected to the Laboratory by a thick oak door. It was here Donavin worked his most secret and difficult magic. The walls in the room were perfectly round. A circle was painted on the floor with the eight points on the compass marked with magnetic North as the guide. A map of the stars was painted on a black domed ceiling while the walls and door were deep blue.

Donavin washed his face with cold water and dried it with a cloth. He made himself a cup of his own herbal tea and sat down to eat supper. Usually the magician ate supper in the main dining room with the king, but tonight was different. Donavin unwrapped the plate he had nipped and breathed in the sweet aroma. The cook had prepared a wonderful fruit dish with fresh baked buns and a honey syrup. While the wizard prepared to eat his supper, a little creature pulled herself up to the table.

“Good evening Klorra!” Donavin smiled. “Care for a bit to eat?” The creature squeaked and nodded her head.

Klorra was a cave rat. She was completely white, with a long pink tail and pink eyes. To Donavin she was the most beautiful creature in the world, to Klorra he was the most wonderful. Donavin had been in the cave for three hundred and thirty sun cycles and from the beginning had been friendly with the rats. He reasoned that they had as much a right to be there as he did. For many years, the wizard went about his business and left the rats to go about theirs. Klorra though, was extra special. He had found her eight sun cycles before, when she was a baby. She had been abandoned in the tunnel, cold and near death. Donavin had spent hours nursing her back to health. Since then they had developed a special bond, a unique friendship.

Donavin gave Klorra a small plate and a little cup with tea. Klorra squeaked a thanks and dug in. Rats have perfect little hands, not unlike humans. Klorra was no exception. She picked up her tea and drank some then shoved the cup back at Donavin chirping in annoyance. Donavin apologized and put some honey in her tea. Klorra squeaked her thanks and took the cup back.

When they had finished the meal Donavin began to talk. "I have to go for a while. I do not know when or if I will come back. There is a danger unlike any I have seen in two hundred sun cycles. A new magic has been unleashed, greater than my own, greater than I have ever seen! But that is not what makes it so dangerous. No my little one, it is not. Powerful magic can be a wonderful gift if cultivated and developed. It can bring much good. This magic was raw, in it's most natural form. If the wielder of such magic, such powerful and raw magic were found by one of evil...well my little one, I will not scare you with what may be, I will share with you what is. The search for the magic must begin tomorrow, we will not be alone in our search for there are powers with evil intentions who will be searching as well. We must not fail. Our kingdom depends on it, all of Saroke depends on it."

Klorra listened to all that Donavin had to say then she jumped down from her stool and ran away. Donavin sighed and cleared the plates from the table. He washed the dishes in the hot spring stream he had funneled into his room and lay them on a the counter to dry. Donavin made himself another cup of his tea and entered his laboratory. He picked up a book from a shelf and sat down at his desk. When he had finished his tea he closed his book and stood up. It was time.

Donavin opened the oak door and went in to the spell room. He waved his hands over the center of the floor chanting. At first nothing happened then slowly the stone floor disappeared revealing a round pool of water. Donavin sat cross legged beside the pool and held his hands over the surface. The water churned then became still. Instead of seeing his own face Donavin saw that of a human.

“Greetings Donavin, I am glad to see you.” Tawna, the high Mage of Staveston College of magic smiled at him through the water. Her long straight blond hair tied back in a brain.

“I am glad to see you as well Tawna. Today has been a trying day. You are the first one I have reached.”

“You are the fourth to call me this hour. Until then no one has been able to get through. Donavin, the council is meeting tomorrow in the great mountain. Everyone is expected to be there, will you come?”

Donavin nodded his head. “Yes, I'll be there, what time?”

“Zelron has asked that we be there when the midday sun touches the temple.”

“Tawna, have you any idea as to who or what caused the disturbance?”

Tawna replied. “We believe the magic originated somewhere in the Eastern mountains, perhaps in one of the small villages. This is common knowledge, all else Zelron has asked us not to discuss openly until tomorrow. We are not the only ones who will be searching for this, this magic. We must be careful.”

“Very well Tawna, thank-you and good night”

Donavin waved his hand over the pool and Tawna's face disappeared. He quickly made another gesture with his hand and saw another face just before it had a chance to close it's own porthole. The face grew menacing, and then it smiled an ugly, grotesque smile. Evil eyes bore into Donavin's very soul gripping him and sending waves of terror through his body. Donavin wanted to turn away but he couldn’t. Suddenly, something in the face seemed familiar and Donavin stopped fighting and tried to look closer. The face sensed the change and spat sending ripples through the water, distorting the image. Donavin struggled to see through the ripples, but the face on the other side was only grew dimmer and dimmer until it finally disappeared. Donavin fell backwards released from the spell. He had faced many forms of evil in his life, but none so strong and pure as the face in the porthole. Donavin knew without a doubt that this would be the most important journey of his life, and for the first time in 300 years he was truly frightened.


Copyright Sandy Jasper 2001






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