Chapter 6: Bearer of Bad News

                 David was the best messenger in Kolyma, but this was expected of the Messenger of the Royal Family.  For many years, he had served as messenger for the family, including during the time when the Old King was ruling.  Those had been trying times, mainly since a majority of his family didn’t know what he was doing.  When he had delivered news to the old king about Valanice’s rescue from the tower, the old king was upset.  He couldn’t show it in front of the Old Queen, but David knew.

                That was years ago, and now he had to deliver sad news again.  With decades of experience, he knew how to deliver the news, and how to read the person who was receiving it.  This time, it was the Old King’s son, and the news was about the King’s daughter, Princess Yvette.

                As he approached the throne, he saw the King looking at him.  In that look, he could see that the King was hoping for good news.  When he was close enough, he heard the King ask, “Any word about my daughter?  Has she been found anywhere in Kolyma, even in Hagatha’s territory?”

                David shook his head.  “I’m sorry, Sire.  There has been no sighting of your daughter.  People checked all over, at great risk.  Even the good witch, Scarlett, tried to locate her in the dark castle, and even trying to see into the ogress witch’s lair, but nothing.  However, one of Lord Neptune’s followers gave word that the tower is occupied again.”

                He heard a crestfallen gasp come from the King.  When he told the Old King that Valanice was in the same tower, he could see a sad look on his face, but in his eyes, there was happiness.  With the current King, there was only sadness.  He was aware of the secret of the tower, one that no one in the family was aware of, until recently.

                After a few moments, the King finally composed himself, and raised his head. “Then the evil witch is trying it again.  We will not have long.  David, you are our fastest messenger.  I need you to get word to Daventry.  I fear King Graham and my sister, Queen Valanice, are the only ones who can save my daughter.”

                David nodded.  “It will be done, Sire.  I shall have the Royal Wizard prepare a way.  Before the end of the day, I will have the message delivered.”  He watched as the King nodded, and then left the room.  Once he was out of the throne room, he ran through the castle, down to the room where the Royal Wizard worked.  As he moved, he dodged many people, who weren’t really surprised.  His reputation of being the fastest messenger was well deserved.  Some people had even remarked that he was a blur when he ran.

                In almost no time at all, he had arrived at the Royal Wizard’s workshop.  He quietly opened the door, and entered.  Long ago, he had learned not to run through the workshop.  At that time, his speed had upset a potion, causing it to spill.  If it had been completed, the potion would have been a cure for a curse placed on the monks of the monastery.  Unfortunately, the potion wasn’t complete, and now the monastery still stood, but the monks were no more.

                As he approached the wizard’s workbench, the wizard didn’t look up, but just said, “You need a door to Daventry, am I correct, David?”  He never knew how the wizard knew he was there, but he didn’t let it bother him.  He nodded, and watched as the wizard pointed to a corner.  In that corner, he saw the very thing he needed.  As he approached it, he heard the wizard speak again.  “Be careful, my mustached friend.  There is some dark magic at work.  The door will only take you to the border.  I suspect a great evil at work, because I believe that it has been contacting Hagatha.”

                Hearing that statement made a chill go through David’s bones.  He then opened the magical door, seeing a wooded area on the other side.  Before stepping through, he looked over at the wizard and said, “I hope, then, that we can stop this blight before it takes away the Princess.”  He then stepped through the door, and arrived at the border of Daventry.  His uncanny sense of direction immediately allowed him to orient himself, and he started in the direction he felt Castle Daventry was in.

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                Queen Valanice walked through Castle Daventry, thinking about the events that had transpired over the past few weeks.  The kingdom was still recovering after the last of Dahlia’s minions left.  Some had quickly disappeared after she was shoved into the cauldron, however, the dragon and the giant lingered a bit.

                Even though all that had happen because of the evil wizard, Shadrack, the magical nature of it reminded her of Kolyma.  Her homeland was very rich in magic.  The northern part of Kolyma was ruled by good magic, while the southern part was ruled by dark and evil magic.  However, she wasn’t aware of the state of things since Graham had rescued and married her.  Letters from her brother did indicate that she was an aunt, and she had sent back letters telling about everything.  In fact, she had considered writing a letter telling about what had happened involving Dahlia.

                Her thoughts were interrupted, when she heard Cale Silver, the new historian call her.  “Your majesty, I was hoping to speak with you.  I was curious about your homeland.”

                She turned to face Cale Silver, and smiled.  It was odd that he would ask about it when she was just thinking about her homeland, but it wasn’t like he could read her mind.  She decided it would be all right, especially since it made her feel better about the past few weeks to remember her home.  “What would you like to know about Kolyma, Cale?”

                She didn’t seem surprised when he asked his first questions.  “Well, I was wondering about a few things.  How is the land set up?  What are some of the oldest buildings there?  Is the land magical?”

                She thought about it for a moment, and finally answered, starting with his last question first.  “Yes, the land is magical, however the last time I was there, it was almost balanced.  In the northern part of Kolyma, good magic seemed prevalent.  There was a monastery, which I believe was hundreds of years old, and the town where the castle also was.  In the southern part, it was mostly evil magic.  It is in that area that the lair of the ogress Hagatha lives.  I also believe that in our lands history, Hagatha didn’t work alone, but was working with her sister.”

                She watched as a surprised look cross Cale’s face briefly.  “A sister?  What happened to her?  Do you know the story?”

                Queen Valanice leaned her head back and thought about it.  It had been a long time since she had to remember the legend of how her family became the rulers of Kolyma.  “If I remember right, my ancestor fought the sister, and managed to chase her, and her enchanted hut, out of Kolyma.  I do not know what happened to her after that, but she was never seen in Kolyma again.”

                She noticed that Cale seemed to be writing it down.  Once she saw he was done writing, she saw him look up at her.  “Are there any structures older than that story?”

                As she thought about the question, she realized that there were old structures in the land.  “As far as I know, there are two buildings older than that story.  The first is the old castle in the middle of the poison lake.  As far as I am aware, a vampire still lives there, but I could be wrong.  Also, on a small island off the isolated eastern beach, there is a crystalline tower.  I think it’s older than the castle, but it’s hard to tell.  It seems so infused with magic that it looks brand new, all the time.”

                During her talk with Cale, she had started walking towards the throne room.  As she approached it, her recollections of Kolyma made her think about her family.  She needed to get in touch with them, and soon.  However, as she opened the door to the throne room, she saw a very familiar figure talking with her husband and son.  Just seeing the mustached face made her realize that it was David, the Royal Messenger of Kolyma. Seeing him made her feel better, but the look on his face, as well as her husband’s and son’s faces, made her feel like the evil that had attacked Daventry had also struck Kolyma.

                King Graham looked away from the messenger for a moment when he heard the door open.  He wasn’t surprised to see his wife, as well as the new historian, entering the throne room.  However, he had heard the news that the messenger had given, and he knew it would upset his wife.

                As she approached, he could tell she knew something was wrong, especially when she addressed the messenger.  “David, it has been a long time since I’ve seen you, but I can see you don’t have good news.  What is wrong in Kolyma?”  He was glad his wife asked that, since he didn’t want to be the one to tell the messenger to repeat what he had just said.

                He quietly waited as the messenger took a deep breath, and finally spoke.  “I’m sorry to relay this, however, it appears that your niece, Princess Yvette, has been abducted.  A search of Kolyma has led us to only one conclusion.  We believe that Hagatha has abducted the princess, and has imprisoned her in the same tower that you were imprisoned in.  Your brother ordered me to come to Daventry, and ask for your help.”

                He was certain of how his wife would respond.  However, he was also certain that this wasn’t an isolated thing.  He had been told by Alexander some time back that Hagatha was a member of the Black Cloak Society, and knowing that made him think that the abduction of his niece was Shadrack’s doing.

                Some of his thoughts were confirmed when Valanice finally spoke after hearing the dreadful news.  “Of course we’ll help.  Let my brother know immediately that we will be there.”  He watched as the messenger nodded, and in almost the blink of an eye, he was gone.  If he hadn’t seen it before, he wouldn’t have believe any person could move that fast.

                He then turned to Valanice, wondering how long it would take them to get to Kolyma.  He wasn’t even sure how the messenger had gotten to Daventry so quickly, remembering how many large bodies of water he had crossed to get there.  Before he could ask the question of how the messenger had arrived, he heard Valanice answer his question before he could even ask it.  “David must have used one of the mystic doors, like the one that lead to where the tower was.”

                He remembered that door, and remembered that once it was shut, the door couldn’t be opened again from the other side.  It just disappeared from sight.  Kolyma must have many of those doors, even one that could get them to Daventry.  However, with what ever Shadrack had done, he was certain that the door might not work for them. He let out a sigh.  “Well, if those doors are not an option, how will we be able to get to Kolyma?  It may be too late if we use normal means.”

                It appeared to him that every one was thinking about the problem, even Cale Silver, whom had been quiet the whole time.  He had attributed this to Cale observing the events that were happening.  Graham would admit that for a moment after Dahlia was defeated, he suspected the new historian was part of the things happening.  However, now with something happening in Kolyma, he didn’t think that Cale was linked to what was happening.

                He was broken out of those thoughts when his son, King Alexander of the Green Isle, finally spoke up.  “Father, I know it has been a while since I arrived in Daventy.  Shamel may be rested enough to transport you to Kolyma.”  Graham thought about the idea for a moment, realizing that if Alexander was right, then they had their way to Kolyma, and if they were lucky, the djinn could even help in rescuing the lost princess.

                When Alexander made his suggestion, he knew it was a risky one.  He wasn’t sure if Shamir was rested enough to transport one person, let alone two people.  He knew both his parents wanted to go, since it was his mother’s homeland.  Even he wanted to go, but the simple fact was that if both his parents went, his father may need him to watch over Daventry.

                Finally, his mother asked him the very question he was thinking about.  “Son, is it possible for the djinn to transport both your father and I?  You are aware that it drained the djinn to pass through what ever dark magic is surrounding Daventry now.”  He had not forgotten that fact, but he was sure Shamir could do it.

                He then nodded toward his parents.  “I believe Shamir can do it.  It may be easier to burst out of the dark magic barrier, than it was to break into it.  I doubt it will be like he is breaking out of one and into another.”  He watched as everyone in the room appeared to nod in agreement.

                After a moment, he watched his father stand up.  “Son, we will head out tomorrow morning.  I know I can trust you to take care of Daventry.”  He nodded, and he let his father continue.  “However, I still plan to be prepared.  I fear this might be the work of Shadrack, and if that is the case, we may need to be ready for anything.  I shall speak with Chrispin about this.  Hopefully, he can give us some things to keep us safe from anything Hagatha might attack us with.”  He then watched as everyone left the throne room.

                As they left, his focus went to Cale Silver, who for some reason, had remained silent, but seemed to be paying close attention to what was happening.  He remembered his father introducing him as a historian, but in all the catching up, and then the messenger’s arrival, he never found out what happened to Derek Karlavaegen.  He decided now was the time to get a few answers.

                He followed the new historian, and saw that the young man was heading towards a room in the same area as the old historian’s room.  Before the man reached his room, Alexander spoke.  “Good sir, might I have a word with you?”

                He was stunned when the man turned around with a startled look on his face.  It was a bit mixed with fear as the young man was clutching at his heart.  “My goodness, Sire.  You gave me a start.  I almost thought you were the bandit who robbed me just as I reached Daventry.”

                Those words startled Alexander.  Apparently not only the people of Daventry were victims of the foul magic that Shadrack had caused.  “I’m sorry, Cale.  I was not aware of your misfortune.  I take it that you then came to the castle after that.”  He watched as the man nodded.

                Before he could even make another statement, the man calmly said, “When I arrived, your father had asked me to take on the position of historian, since the old one had fallen gravely ill.”  As the words were spoke, Alexander started to realize that Derek Karlavaegen was another victim of Shadrack’s evil magic.

                He placed one hand on Cale’s shoulder and smiled.  “It seems that good fortune had smiled upon you.  I do hope that this time allows you to be able to move on once Devon is well.  I also hope you don’t fear traveling again.”  As Cale smiled, he felt he had to say more.  “I’m not a stranger to rough times.  Many years ago, I had been abducted, and had to be a servant to an evil wizard.  Before my eighteenth birthday, I had found a way to escape and return to my family.  I know good fortune will smile back on all of us soon.”

                He watched Cale smile and then watched as the man entered his room.  Once the door was closed, Alexander knew where he needed to go.  He turned and made his way through the halls of the castle to the room set aside for Shamel.  He needed to talk with the djinn, and hope he was ready to pull off such a transportation.  He didn’t want his parents to die because of an unready djinn.

                Cale Silver listened at his door, until he was sure that King Alexander had left the area.  He knew the King of the Green Isle was a bit suspicious of him, so he was glad his act managed to fool him.  He didn’t need suspicion to be cast towards him now.  His plan was still in it early phases.  Maybe once he reached the sixth phase of his plan, he could risk being discovered, but now it was out of the question.

                When he didn’t hear any sound, he walked over to the desk, and pulled out the crystal he used to contact Hagatha.  He muttered an ancient spell, and watched as her hideous face came in to view.  She appeared surprised to see him, but quickly composed herself.  “Brother Shadrack, I have good news.  The date is fast approaching, and if things go well, the tower will do its task in a few days.  What is even better is that no one can even reach the tower.  I changed the inscriptions on the magical door, and hid all the keys in the castle on the lake.  No one can reach it.”

                He shook his head, and then told her the latest news.  “King Graham and Queen Valanice are coming to Kolyma.  They will be using a djinn to get there.  If it still has power, it could quickly ruin the plan.  I want you to take some precautions against the djinn.”

                He watched as Hagatha nodded her hideous face.  “Understood.  I shall start gathering the ingredients now.  I’m sure I can nab a hapless wanderer.  Their life force will make for a good source for the spell that will drain the djinn’s powers.  After that, once King Graham and Queen Valanice are dead, I can tap the djinn of his powers for my own spells.”

                He smiled and then asked his next question.  “And what are your plans for their arrival?  Are you going to attack them right away?”

                He wasn’t surprised when she shook her head.  “No.  I will make conditions so they will have to head to the castle on the lake.  Once there, I will have them taken care of, and also I will have the chance to take out the Good Witch in Kolyma.”  He was aware of the good witch living in Kolyma, and that the title had moved on to another.  That was of little concern to him, since the big plan would take care of it.

                He waved his hand over the crystal, and said, “Very good, Hagatha.  I will speak to you again later.”  Soon, her face disappeared, and he then walked over to a table by the bed, and pulled out a book.  As he opened it on the bed, and turned to a bookmarked page, he picked at something on his shoulder.

                As he did that, he heard Manannan jump on to the bed.  The feline former wizard looked at him and sniffed.  “You were near that boy that turned me in to this.  I didn’t know he had arrived.  Maybe I should take my revenge now.”

                Cale held up his hand and shook his head.  “It is not time yet, but it will be time soon, brother.  First things first, we let Hagatha do what she can.  After that, we take care of casting the anti-cat cookie spell.  I have found one, but it has certain requirements, which includes the hair of the one who created the cookie.”  He then held up the item he picked up from his shoulder.  “And since King Alexander of the Green Isles was here, I was able to get it easily.  If he had not arrived, I would have had to go to the Green Isles to get it.”

                He then placed the hair on the page, and heard Manannan laugh as he spoke. “Ha.  The fool didn’t even know we needed the hair.  What else needs to be done, and what will happen to the fool?”  That he didn’t know, but he was looking into the spell. Given what he knew about the Cat Cookie spell, he was sure that it may require the original lab the spell was created in, as well as a time limit the subject would remain human.  However, he wasn’t telling Manannan that, since for his master plan to work, he would need the wizard to fail.  Once that all happened, Shadrack would have his revenge, and the subjects of his revenge were still unaware that he was in their own home.

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