Wizard's Quest: Book Two Chapters Five and Six

All works copywrite Jay D Evans 2013

CHAPTER FIVE

 

 

Master Sorcerer Angus Seville MacCorkadall stood before his three young students. It had taken something important for him to come here, something that he knew Richard could not do on his own, even with the help of Sean and Elizabeth. The frustration and confusion that Richard had while he was grasping the sphere had let the old man know that he was needed, and badly.

“Richard, my boy,” he started, smiling, “you have only been gone but a short time. Yet, here I am, come to help you in your hour of need. What is it that you need so badly that I was summoned this far away?”

“Master, the sphere, it’s more than you let on. Kahnlin made the air shimmer with it when he held it. What does this thing do?”

It was only then that the old Master noticed the Trelf on the floor. Surprise and recognition showed on his face at seeing him there. Kahnlin’s face was blank, but his eyes showed everything. He was furious. Hatred was all he had for this man and it was all that the humans could see in his eyes. MacCorkadall’s expression was one of mild bewilderment at this. It had been a long time since he had been here and Kahnlin had been a young boy at that time. He knew that Oberon’s son had not wanted the sphere to leave Syrus, even at his young age, but the wisdom of the Elf leader told him that it could not remain, lest its power corrupt the heir apparent. He had given the sphere to the wizard so that Kahnlin could not use its power to control as an evil lord and it was shortly after this that the boy had killed his father and gained the throne, and vowed to retrieve the sphere.

 “Kahnlin-elRiney, it has been a long time.”

“MacCorkadall,” he spat. “I had wished never to see you again. Only to retrieve that which is rightfully mine!”

“Oberon knew what the power of the sphere would do to you. That is why he gave it to me. He knew it would be safe at Crauford. I had assumed that it would take these children where they needed to go, and that you would be none the wiser of their trespass. I did not foresee them meeting up with you, much less joining you.”

“Master, he saved us from the trolls as we were crossing the desert,” Richard interrupted. “I don’t think he knew we had it until we actually met. He was surprised to find out that I had it.”

“Richard, I was wrong in allowing you to bring such a powerful thing with you without letting you know the dangers. I am sorry about that. I cannot tell you all that it does. That would take a lifetime. I can tell you that, as you need it, the sphere can help you. Do not let it go! Keep it safe. Keep it from Kahnlin. He cannot take it from you unless you willingly give it, or you are dead.”

Looking from MacCorkadall to Kahnlin and back, Richard made a decision. It was not an easy one, as it would make his quest to find his friends much harder, but he knew that it had to be.

“Master, take the sphere back with you. I don’t want it anymore. All I want to do is find my friends and go home. I’m tired of fighting for my life, and the lives of Sean and Elizabeth, at every turn. It seems as though this thing you gave me is the major cause of all our problems here on this world.”

Kahnlin laughed. It was so sudden and so unexpected that the three young wizards jumped in surprise. Confused and irritated at the sound, Richard scowled at him.

“What is so bloody funny?”

“You are. You and your little friends. If there was any knowledge at all in your tiny heads, you might be a challenge, but you have none. Knowledge is power, my young friend. Without it, you are bound to fail in all you do. The more knowledge you gain, the more powerful you become. MacCorkadall didn’t teach you that? Such a shame.”

“Shut your gob! Shut it or I’ll shut it for you,” shouted Sean.

Kahnlin just looked at him in the cold, unemotional way that a scientist looks at the frog he’s dissecting. It was obvious that he was not concerned with any threats coming from Sean, and it was becoming clearer that he was even less concerned about Richard. The appearance of MacCorkadall, here at this time, showed him that the three humans were less than ready to take on the perils that lay ahead of them, and they were less of a threat to him than he had originally thought. The sphere protected them, not their skill of magick, or even luck. The sphere that brought their teacher to them.

Kahnlin stood. Elizabeth grabbed her wand and pointed it at his chest, ready to put him down if he tried anything. He barely gave her a glance. There was no threat. There was a point to make and the only way to do it was by showing, after all, these youngsters wouldn’t listen to anything he had to say. Carefully, slowly, he moved toward MacCorkadall.

“Not another step or I’ll freeze you again,” Elizabeth stated flatly.

“Oh, I really don’t think you will have to do that. My aim is not to do any harm, just prove a point,” said the Trelf as he suddenly grabbed for the ancient sorcerer.

Elizabeth didn’t have a chance to cast the spell before Kahnlin’s hands had reached their target. The long fingers of his hands entered the chest of the old man and sliced downward through his stomach and then back out. MacCorkadall just stood there. There was no blood; even his robes lay perfectly as always, without a tear or rip of any kind. Kahnlin just stood back and smiled.

“Knowledge is power,” is all he said.

Richard stared, wide eyed. Sean’s mouth opened, closed and opened again. Elizabeth just screamed in terror. None of them could move. None could believe what they had just witnessed. Their beloved Master had been attacked, yet, there he stood as if nothing had happened. The whole thing had taken five seconds from start to finish.

Regaining his senses, Richard, in a voice barely audible, asked, “What just happened?”

Angus MacCorkadall looked down at his students, “What just happened is this: Kahnlin realized that I am not really here. I am still sitting at my desk in the castle. What you see is my astral self, projected here because you needed my guidance. When you grasped the sphere and asked what it did, that was not what you were feeling. Your very being was crying out for help, for help in a way that you couldn’t voice. That need was what brought me here. And, I must say, you interrupted my afternoon tea.”

“Sae yoo’re nae really haur? Ah dinnieken hoo thes is possible.”

Angus MacCorkadall explained in great detail, as he always did, how astral projection worked and why, when he didn’t even know it, Richard’s need had reached out and called him. Explaining further, the sorcerer told the group how he had been called before, only chose not to come. Only when the need was greatest would he project himself and give the help needed. This was the first time that the need was so great that he believed it was necessary to come to their aid. Kahnlin’s presence, now that he knew the Trelf was involved, had become a major factor. It was something that had not been foreseen and therefore intervention was required.

“So you cannae take the sphere back with you? I have to keep it and possibly die because of it, and, even worse, Sean and Elizabeth may die because of it.”

The old man looked down at his protégé with sadness, “I am afraid that is too correct. I am terribly sorry, Richard. As I have told you, I had not foreseen you meeting up with Kahnlin, or any of the Trelfs. The bigger worry is this: why did the sphere not take you where you needed to go? There has to be something in the desert that you need before you can continue. Did you see anything that was out of the ordinary?”

Thinking about the day they arrived, Richard searched his memory for anything that was not what would be called ordinary in the area of the desert where they had materialized. Rocks, sand and heat was all that he could remember. It was going on dusk when they arrived and he had been more concerned for their safety than looking over the dead scenery. Looking at his two friends for help, they just shrugged their shoulders.

Turning back to his teacher, Richard replied, “I cannae think of anything. No the now. I need more time.”

“I cannot stay much longer, my physical body is tiring. Think, Richard. Think. When you discover what it was, then you will know what to do. I will return only when you need me most. Until then, be careful and trust only your closest friends. Kahnlin,” at this the old man turned to look at the Trelf, “is not to be trusted. That does not mean that all Trelfs are evil. There are good in all races.”

As the four watched, Angus MacCorkadall vanished as if he had never been there, leaving a sadness in the three young wizards and more anger in the Trelf. MacCorkadall had made his circumstances even direr by warning the human children not to trust him. Silence filled the room as each centred on their own thoughts.

Suddenly, remembering, Richard cried out, “The sand!”

Sean and Elizabeth looked at their friend as if he had lost his mind. There was sand everywhere; there was nothing unusual about that. Deserts have sand, riverbeds have sand, and even this valley had sand on the ground. As they looked at each other in confusion, Richard continued his thought.

“The sand where I found the big rock the first night, it was different. Even in the wee light there was, it glittered. The only place it was doing that was where I got that flat rock. We have to go back there.”

“Richie,” Sean said as he put his arm around his friend’s shoulders, “it’s a six day hike from here. And we can’t trust the Trelf to help us anymore, remember?”

“We dinnae need the choob for this. The sphere can tak’ us thaur an’ bring us back. Do ye nae see it? That’s what MacCorkadall was tellin’ us. Anythin’ different, outta the ordinary. The sand glittered, even though it should nae hae been. That’s th’ clue.”

Looking at Kahnlin, Richard cast the freezing spell and the Trelf was, once again, as immobile as a statue. “That should tak’ caur ay him.”

Without warning, or further discussion, Richard grasped the sphere and his friends and the three vanished from the cave to reappear in the desert where they had started their journey on this world. The sky was a deep red, just as it had been the day they arrived, and it was just as hot.

“Damn it! Next time warn us you’re gonna do that.” Elizabeth looked a little ill from the sudden change in location.

“Aye, it’s a little disorienting when there’s no warning, Mate.”

“Sorry ‘bout that. I needed to get away from Kahnlin and to see if my suspicions were right. This glittering sand should be the clue that MacCorkadall was talking about.”

Walking over to where the sand on the desert floor glittered like stars in a night sky, Richard studied the ground. There was nothing remarkable about it, save the fact that the sand glittered as if light were playing on shards of broken glass, even though the sun was low and his shadow was playing across it blocking the rays. Bending on one knee, he scooped up a handful of the strange material and let it flow through his fingers. It felt like sand, the breeze blew it around like sand and when it hit the ground again, it sounded like sand. Why did it glitter and glow?

“Sean. Elizabeth. Come look at this and tell me what you think. To me, it’s just sand, maybe there’s something here I’m nae seein’.”

As the three young wizards stood in a circle staring at the ground, each became aware of a distant rumbling, as if a thunderstorm was coming. Looking around at the darkening sky, Richard could see nothing that indicated a storm of any kind.

“What was that spell? You know. The one that one of the teachers in that movie used.”

Sean and Elizabeth stared at their friend, then at each other. Richard had finally gone totally nutters. He wanted to use a spell from a movie?

“Come on guys, it’s worth a try. I just can’t remember the whole thing.”

Cautiously, Sean said, “Reveal your secrets.”

“That’s the one!” Standing back and pointing his wand at the ground, Richard cast the spell. Nothing happened. Frowning, he contemplated the situation. “Maybe we should all try at the same time. You know. The power of three.”

The three friends took at step back and pointed their wands at the centre of their circle. At the same time, with conviction, they each said, “REVEAL YOUR SECRETS!”

The ground started to tremble. Slightly at first, the friends barely noticing, then it became as violent as an earthquake. As they fell onto the sandy ground, the point where they had cast the spell started to spin as if it were a whirlpool, only the glittering sand started moving into the sky instead of disappearing into the ground. As it rose, the base became larger and larger, forcing the spell casters to scramble back from the epicentre on their backsides.

When the earth tremor stopped and they could see again through the dust in the air, Richard, Sean and Elizabeth, at the same time, gasped in awe. The glittering sand had formed into a castle tower, complete with gargoyles, parapets and battlements. The single opening was an archway directly in front of them across a small drawbridge. In the darkening sky, the tower glowed with inner light although no source could be seen.

“It’s beautiful,” exclaimed Elizabeth as she stared up at the enormous sand tower.

“The answers we need have got to be inside. Let’s go.” Richard started across the drawbridge at a fast walk. Halfway across he started to sink into the sand and was knee deep before realizing that he couldn’t move.

“IRREE!” shouted Sean, but nothing happened, Richard still sunk

“TROGGAL!” came from Elizabeth and he slowly ascended into the air. Looking smug, she glanced at Sean and shrugged, “Guess it all depends on what you want done. That’s the only Gaelic spell I could think of.”

“Uh, guys. I’m just floating here. Would someone like to get me down, someplace safe?”

Sean and Elizabeth sheepishly looked up at their leader. Suddenly they started to laugh. It was the most hilarious thing they had seen for a long time, Richard was hanging, upside-down, in mid-air, arms flailing and legs kicking, not being able to do anything, not even right himself. It was a brief moment when there was no stress, no worries, only frivolity. Relishing the moment, even Richard had to laugh. Then the moment came to an end when out of the darkness appeared a troll.

Pointing in the direction of the advancing threat, Richard was not able to use his voice to issue a warning. Scared would be a mild way to describe the fear in his heart, especially since he could not do anything to protect his friends, or himself. All he could do was watch as the troll picked Sean up and tossed him over a huge shoulder like so much rubbish. Watching the boy fly through the air and land, head first, onto the sandy ground just inside the circle of light, was like watching something from a movie in slow motion. Time was passing slowly for the floating boy-wizard.

Finding his voice, Richard yelled at the troll as it approached Elizabeth. “Oiy! Ye bloody boggin arse bandit! Stay ‘way from her! Ah dinnieken whaur ye cam frae, but Aam gonnae send ye back when Ah gie doon frae haur.”

The ruse worked. The troll forgot about Elizabeth and advanced on Richard, looking at him quizzically, as if confused as to why this boy should be screaming at him as he was. As a huge hand reached into the air and wrapped around the boy’s midsection, anger turned to fear once again and he closed his eyes, not wanting to see. Defenceless, it would take nothing for the troll to crush him. The sapling-sized fingers enclosed him, but did not tighten anymore than was necessary to hold him.

Suddenly his feet were back on the ground. The hand that had encompassed him was no longer there. Opening his eyes, shock and confusion replaced the fear.  The troll, that had attacked Sean and plucked him from the air was bent on one knee before him with its head bowed in reverence. Not knowing what to do, he stood with his mouth open and his friends gathering behind him.

“What the bloody hell is that thing doin’,” came from Sean as he dusted himself off.

Richard almost jumped out of his skin. “Are ye all right, Mate? I thought ye was dead when I saw ye hit the ground.”

“Take more than a three second flight like that to do me in,” as he smiled, rubbing the back of his neck.

“What is that thing doing? First it tries to kill us, now it’s almost like its worshipping you.” Elizabeth was as confused as Richard.

“Ah dinnieken what the chav is daen. But, it isnae hurtin’ us th’ noo. Let’s take advantage and leave while we can.”

At the sound of Richard’s voice, the troll lifted its head to look at him. The visage was ugly as anything the three had ever seen, but the look was unmistakable, pure adoration and respect. As they watched, it lifted a huge hand and pointed at the young wizard’s chest, where the Sphere was lying against his tunic. Frightened, but curious, he took the troll made object and pulled it from around his neck. At the sight of it, the troll once again lowered its head in reverence. Once again, the mysterious sphere that his teacher had given him had saved his life and the lives of his friends.

“It’s the Time/Space Controller. MacCorkadall said it was made by the trolls. It must have special meaning to them,” as the young wizard looked at his friends.

Sean laughed, “Long as the bloody things leave us alone, I don’t care what they think of it.”

From deep within the troll a distant thunder rolled, “The Sphere is sacred, made by Oberon, king of troll and elf. He who holds it is shown respect and loyalty.”

“Why?”

“Only one of great power, morality and respect for others is able to hold onto it, use it and control it.”

Moving close to Richard, Elizabeth whispered, “MacCorkadall had it for a long time, he loaned it to you, is that the same thing?”

“MacCorkadall was a friend to all Trolls and Elves. Oberon knew that it would be in good hands, protected. He would only give it to one that was worthy of it.” The statement startled the witch; she didn’t think that she had spoken loud enough for the troll to hear her. Seeing her confusion, the troll continued, “Trolls have excellent hearing.”

 

CHAPTER SIX

 

Elizabeth stared at the mountain knelt before her friend, “You’re nothing like the trolls we’ve met before. They tried to kill us, eat us, hell they almost got the job done on me.”

The troll stood up, “Not all of us are of the same mould. There are those that prefer the old way, the way of killing. Then there are those of us that prefer the new way, the way of Oberon, peace and living together. There are more that want to live peacefully than want war with all that are not pure blood.”

Contemplating what he had heard, Richard’s mind went into overdrive. “First of all, what is your name? We cannae keep calling you ‘troll.’ Second, can you help us find some friends that are missing?”

“My name is Ker-Na-Kal. You may call me Ker. As for finding your friends, if the warring faction has found them, it will be almost impossible. As you,” indicating Elizabeth, “have said, they have no mercy and will kill for no reason. If they were found by the Oberon faction, it will be simple; all I need do is ask. Where were they lost?”

“We were here six months ago and they fell off a mountain pass somewhere in the middle of that range,” pointing toward the mountain range in the distance. “At least that is what Kahnlin told us.”

“Kahnlin,” the name was spat out of the Ker’s mouth, “is vermin. He is the leader of the worst of the warring factions. Being the son of Oberon, he believes that he should rule. If he did, the trolls and Trelfs would be killing each other and there would be none left. He is not one to be trusted, or believed.”

“The sphere, Richard! It could take us there now. Shouldn’t it?” asked Sean.

Looking at the sand tower, Richard shook his head. There had to be something more here than just meeting this troll. There had to be something in the tower that they needed. There had to be a way to get in without getting killed. He really didn’t want to sink into the drawbridge or have the whole thing collapse on them once they were inside, if that would happen. MacCorkadall had said that they were to find something to use, this tower appeared for a reason. There had to be something here. Then it hit him. Hitting his forehead with the palm of his hand, the young wizard realized what he had been missing.

“Sean, you’re a genius.”  Pulling the sphere from under his tunic, he directed his thought toward the tower and what might be in it. The now familiar sensation of travelling through time and space engulfed him and was over in less than a second. Standing in the topmost part of the sand tower, encircled by light, Richard looked around. In the middle of the room was a pedestal topped by a long, thin, transparent sceptre. That had to be what was needed! Cautiously approaching the object, not wanting to set off any booby traps, the boy reached out and picked it up. A jolt of energy went through his body as if lightning had struck down from the heavens, engulfing him in its power. When it was over, he fell to his knees, exhausted, yet vitalized in a way he couldn’t explain. The power that was coursing though him was immense. The sceptre had chosen him, he knew, to be its owner and he knew that there was nothing that he couldn’t do.

On the ground below, the two humans and one troll waited and watched. As the power of the sceptre filled Richard, all they could see was flashes of lightning streaking out from the tiny windows at the top of the tower. Each thinking the worst. Each hoping for the best. Suddenly their friend was there with them again, only he was different. He almost glowed in the darkness. Each could see that there was power in him, his entire being showed this, and the expression on his face was one of determination and confidence.

Seeing what Richard had in his hand, Ker could have melted into the sand. “The Sceptre of Oberon. The most powerful object on Syrus. Only one of great character and fortitude could even hope to see it, much less touch it. Your friend has been chosen. He could rule this world and no one would question him.”

Without saying a word, Richard raised the sceptre and swung it in a circle over his head, engulfing the entire group in light. In less than a second, all four were standing in the troll cave where Elizabeth had been found, more dead than alive, six months earlier. The cave walls were still covered in gems, only now, they glowed with more than reflected fire light. The glow was from within each stone, making the darkness bright. The trolls sitting around the fire stared in confusion at the four intruders. Before they could react, Richard pointed the sceptre at them and raised them into the air, pinning each to the ceiling of the small chamber.

“Where are my friends?” came more as a demand than a question. When no answer came, the young wizard dropped his arm and each of his captives hit the dirt floor with a thud. “Once more, WHERE ARE MY FRIENDS?”

“Answer him; he has the Sceptre of Oberon. You all know what it can do.” Ker was pleading with his kinsmen.

The biggest of the trolls on the floor looked at Ker, then at Richard. “If it is the humans you want, they are not here. Kal El has taken them.”

“You lie! I know they are here. If I have to kill you all, I will. But I will not leave without my friends.” To make his intentions clear, Richard pointed the sceptre at the troll that had spoken and a bolt of pure energy shot forth, engulfing the huge being, burning him as if he were on a spit over an open fire.

The other trolls stared at their comrade in terror. Together they stammered, “Down the passageway to the main chamber. You’ll find them there.”

Releasing his aim, the spell ended, leaving the large being burned and in agony. Mercy took control of him and again the sceptre was pointed at the troll, this time in healing. When he was done, the burned flesh was healed as if nothing had happened and the memory of the pain was all that was left in the troll.

Ker looked in awe at the young man. “You truly are worthy of the Sceptre and the Sphere. A lesser being would have let him die in agony.”

“A better man would never have done it in the first place.” Revulsion showed on Richard’s face. “I shouldnae done it. I dinnae need tae hurt him.”

“You did what you needed to. You showed them that you were serious about your intentions. Now they will respect you.” As if on cue, the cave trolls all bowed down in subjugation to the boy wizard.

“We need to find Mary, Thomas and Fergus,” urgently came from Sean. “Who knows what shape they’re in. They may need help.”

Nodding his agreement, Richard led the way out of the Gem Room and down the passageway to the main chamber, several metres further into the earth. As the group approached the brightly lit chamber, they could hear laughter. Fury on his face, Richard strode to the entryway. There, in the centre of the room were Mary and Thomas, bound together as if in an embrace. What the trolls were laughing at was that the two were being forced to act like lovers. Being prodded by spears, covered in their own blood, it could have been something from the imagination of the Marquis de Sade.

“REODH!”

Everyone in the chamber was frozen. Each troll had an ugly smile on his face watching the two human teenagers engaged in an obscene act of forced sex. The leader of the group, sitting on his throne, with his head thrown back in laughter, was pointing at the two making sure that all there was watching. Several of the trolls on the sidelines had their spears, covered in the human’s blood, pointed at the two making sure they continued their ordeal. The rest were merrily reclined against the walls of the chamber intently engrossed in the scene before them. None had any idea what had happened.

“Neuriojey!,” directed at Mary and Thomas freed them from the freezing spell Richard had cast, leaving the trolls as statues. “Get them untied and out of there.”

Sean and Elizabeth hurried to do what their friend had asked, not needing to be asked twice. Covering their newly found friends with their cloaks and untying them, the two helped the freed prisoners to their feet and out into the passageway. It was only then that Richard undid the freezing spell on the trolls.

Coming to their senses and seeing that the entertainment was gone, the trolls in the cavern roared in anger. The merry-makers were now ready to kill whoever, or whatever, had taken their enjoyment away from them. It was the troll leader, sitting on his throne high above the rest that saw Richard and his friends. Seeing that a troll was with the humans, his eyes narrowed to mere slits in loathing for the traitor and he rose from his seat, pointed at the foursome and bellowed to his fellow trolls.

“There! There by the entry. And they have a traitor with them. Kill them all!”

Without flinching, Richard stood tall before his friends showing no fear. As the mob approached them, Elizabeth and Sean hid behind their friend. Ker, knowing that with the Sceptre of Oberon nothing could harm them, stood beside the young wizard. Just as the trolls were within arms reach, Richard raised the Sceptre once more to cast a spell. Just the sight of the object in his hands was enough to stop the advance. Each one knew what it was and what it could do. Even the leader stood still and silent. Looking around at the sea of trolls, Richard lowered his arm.

“I have two of my friends. You have your lives, for now. Where is the other?”

Frightened of what may happen if he didn’t speak, the leader answered, “There were only two that we found. Strike me dead if you wish, but there were only two. If we had found a third, that one, too, would have been here in this chamber.”

Searching deep, Richard knew that the troll king was telling the truth. He didn’t like it, but he knew that it was true. Fergus was somewhere else on this rock. With the Sceptre, he would be able to find him; he knew it in his heart of hearts. What had happened to him, he didn’t know, but it was wonderful. It was if he could do anything, and nothing could stop him. The power that was coursing through him was more than he had ever known in his life. Looking at the troll, watching him quiver in fear, he stated simply, “I believe you.”

Turning towards his friends, he saw the looks of astonishment. They had never seen this much confidence or authority in him. The humans had seen the egotistical and arrogant Richard Evans but he had not had the self-confidence that was pouring like a river from his very being now.

“We need to go back to the canyon. I need to speak with Kahnlin again. I now believe that he knows more than what he’s been letting us know. I believe that he knows where Fergus is.” At that, the young wizard waved his arm and they were once again standing in the dry, sandy riverbed where they had left the Trelf. The moons, lighting the entire area in an eerie glow, floated in the sky like three eyes, watching every move they made.

Striding up to their one-time saviour turned enemy, Richard released the freezing spell that had held the Trelf like a statue since they had left. When Kahnlin saw the Sceptre of Oberon in the boy’s hand, the hatred was clearly visible. He knew that Richard could no longer be harmed by him and that he would not be able to fulfil his goal of becoming King. With his father’s sceptre and the sphere, Richard was all-powerful and could do what he pleased.

“Where is Fergus? And I willnae ask you twice.”

“Your friend is hidden deep in the mountains,” was the reply through clenched teeth, coming out as a hiss. “You will not find him without me.”

“Oh, but I will.” With a slight movement of his hand, Richard engulfed Kahnlin in stone from the ground to his chin. “You’ll be there until you rot away, or tell me where he is.”

Kahnlin raised an eyebrow. Obviously, this young human had no idea what the sceptre could do for him. Yes, he could kill him, but he would not find his friend if he did because this whelp didn’t know that he could read his mind to find the answer. Richard was using the power of the sceptre on instinct only, not controlling it and using it to the full potential. Maybe he could still fulfil the dream; maybe he could get his father’s tools from him.

“If you kill me, you will never find him. At this point, what do I have to lose? Nothing but my life and I do not fear death. Release me; let me show you how to use what you possess. Remember, the sphere and the sceptre were my father’s, I know how to use them. I can show you.”

“Do not listen to him,” came from Ker. “He is not to be trusted.”

“Richie, listen to Ker. I know you have more power than you’ve ever had, but, Ker knows this snake and what he can, and probably will, do.” Elizabeth looked at her friend with pleading in her eyes.

“Kahnlin, you kept us from being killed on the plain when we first arrived. It wasn’t until you saw that I had the Sphere that you turned against us. Why were you helping us?”

“My reasons are not important, at least not at this time. Let it suffice to say that I didn’t want the trolls to have any trophies. I knew they had other humans, that you were probably here to find those held captive and that it would be almost impossible for you to do it without help. Trolls are the lowest beings on the food chain and don’t deserve to live. I would do anything to thwart their plans.”

“Aye, and when you found that Richard had the Sphere, then you turned on us because you knew it would give you power over the trolls.” Sean couldn’t control himself. “All you care about is yourself and how you can control everything around you. You are a foul, evil little cockroach and don’t deserve to live yourself.”

“Be that as it may, I still survive and here I am, embedded in granite, being threatened by children. I think I will survive this also.”

Raising the sceptre, anger in his eyes, vengeance on his mind, Richard drew his arm back to put a killing curse on the Trelf. Just as he started the spell, everything went black. The stars and moons disappeared, he couldn’t see or hear his friends, and the sand beneath his feet was no longer there. The oppressive heat that never abated had been replaced with a cool atmosphere around him. He had been here before, in this place where there was nothing. It was from here that he had been taken home, to his father’s flat in Edinburgh, only his mother, who passed away when he was six, was there, alive. Was it going to happen again? Would he see his beloved mother again? In an instant, his questions were answered.