The Throne of Teirven
By: Nicole Courtney
CHAPTER 1
The Dispute
"I don't know if I can stand it any longer!" Mrs. Vistre exclaimed.
Vandyke, her son, didn't know how he could help.
"Have you tried telling him how you feel?" he asked.
"Yes, and he wouldn't listen to me," Mrs. Vistre replied.
"Why is Father acting this way?"
"I suppose he is just stressed because of his new job working for that demanding wizard. Your father thinks that working long and hard will get him promoted to his apprentice wizard, but I think that he is wasting his time with this job. I believe his boss is a dark wizard and will never promote your father, but he thinks otherwise," Mrs. Vistre explained.
"I see. How about you try talking to him again tonight at dinner?"
"Alright Vandyke, but I am only doing this for you,"
Later that night Mr. Vistre came home.
"Nice to see you dad," Vandyke welcomed him with a hug.
"It's always a pleasure to see you, my son!" Mr. Vistre smiled.
Mr. Vistre's cheerful grin faded as he saw his wife waiting glumly at the table. He walked over to the table with Vandyke and sat down beside her.
"I know you don't want to talk about this, but I hate to fight with you, so I want to end this argument," Mr. Vistre said.
"All you are concerned about right now is work. We haven't spent time together in ages now and since you have been working extra hours, I have been stuck with doing all the house repairs. I really need your magic to fix them right up so I don't have to worry about it along with the many other household chores," Mrs. Vistre said in a huff.
"I'm sorry dear, I truly am. I just think that I can get promoted and our family will have more money," Mr. Vistre said with hope in his voice.
"That boss of yours just wants you to work extra hard. He is leading you to believe that you can get promoted, so you labor from day to night for him. And what do you receive in return? You receive nothing. I can't bear to see you getting duped and not gaining anything," Mrs. Vistre said.
"It appears that we might never have the same view of my boss, so we shouldn't argue over it. I will work long and hard not only to try for a promotion, but to be a good employee. And does tomorrow sound good for dinner just you and I?" Mr. Vistre said sweetly.
"That does sound wonderful, and you're right, we are not going to agree so let's just not worry about it," Mrs. Vistre smiled at Vandyke as a sign of thanks for asking her to make peace with her husband.
The next day, Mr. Vistre went to work at his usual time, ready to talk to his boss.
"Sir, do you have a minute to talk?" Mr. Vistre asked
"Of course I do. I must add that you are showing great potential in your work," his boss replied.
"My wife thinks that you are a dark wizard and you are never going to promote me, but I know you are not, sir,"
"Then why are you asking me such a question, if you know the answer?"
"You see, I want to clarify this with my wife," Mr. Vistre said.
"Look into my eyes. Your family does not matter. The only thing you will live for is to work for me," he said sternly.
Since Mr. Vistre was a wizard, he was only partially hypnotized. His boss's magic was far greater than his so he was slowly poisoning his mind with his cruel wishes.
"Yes, master. Please, come to dinner at my house tomorrow night."
"No, that will not do. I am busy that day. I will come today and today only."
"Of course, sir," Mr. Vistre said, completely forgetting dinner with his wife as result of the hypnosis.
CHAPTER 2
The Plague
That evening, Mr. Vistre came home along with his boss. Mrs. Vistre's eyes filled with tears as she saw him bring his boss home. She wept and ran into her bedroom. Mr. Vistre looked at her in confusion for a moment, and then saw the kitchen table set for two with candles dimly lit. He was angry that he had somehow forgotten something so important.
"Sir, let us sit at the dining table tonight."
Vandyke had seen the whole thing take place and was so surprised that his own father could forget such a thing. He went to his parent's bedroom to comfort his mother.
Two hours later, after they finally finished their feast, it was late at night. Mr. Vistre offered his boss to stay in his home for the night. He accepted the offer and soon made himself comfortable on the sofa. Knowing that he couldn't sleep in his room tonight, Mr. Vistre fell asleep in his armchair.
It was midnight and Vandyke was sleeping on the floor near the farthest wall from the door, beside his parent's bed. He awoke to the sound of footsteps nearing the door. He wondered if he was dreaming or if he was truly awake. He waited another moment and the door creaked open slowly.
Vandyke hid in the shadows as the figure moved closer to his mother. Vandyke could not make out the identity of the person, but he knew that whoever it was, if he was going to hurt his mother, he would attack him. He did have to wait, though, because the silhouette could after all be his father.
All was silent in the room and Vandyke wondered if the person had left. Just then, a swampy green and black glow seemed to dance on the walls. It was coming from the bed, so he peeked over the top of the bed to see what it was. Sure enough, the person was waving his hands over his mother's face, creating the glowing substance in the air.
All at once, Vandyke knew that his father's boss was casting some kind of spell on his mother. He wanted to save his mother, but the strength of an eighteen year old man would be no match for the powerful magic of a dark wizard.
The room fell into darkness once again and his mother only stirred. Vandyke realized that he would probably use the spell on him as well, knowing that he and his mother were convincing Mr. Vistre that his boss was evil. He had to wake his father before the sorcerer found his bed empty and became angry.
He waited a minute or two and dashed to his father, snoring in his armchair. He turned the corner to the family room and was snatched with mighty hands. His mouth was covered, so he couldn't yell out.
"How dare you try to foil my plans? It is that you are trying to get me caught is what bothers me. Even if you were successful at waking your father, do you honestly think he can overtake me?" he cackled.
"Now you will pay with your life, fool!" the dark wizard's voice boomed.
The sorcerer rose his arms, chanted a spell, and fire poured from his hands. The fire was three inches away from Vandyke's face when all of a sudden, the fire stopped in its tracks. Vandyke opened his eyes, wondering what had stopped the fire. He instantly saw his father casting a spell furiously to prevent his son's death.
"Hmm, I suppose I should let your son live, since you love him so much. You are pitiful and weaknesses like these will only slow you down. You will not care that I have done this and you will continue your work for me!" the sorcerer's voice roared as he hypnotized his father again. "Know me as Orpheus, your master!"
He swiftly turned, burst open the door, and left. Vandyke's father, in a confused state, sat on his armchair. Vandyke suddenly remembered that Orpheus had cast a spell on his mother. He knew that his father would not be any help as result of the hypnosis, so he ran to help her himself.
Vandyke entered the dark room and lit the candle on her nightstand. He gently tapped her on the shoulder. She did not awake. He shook her softly. She did not stir. Frantically, he poured a small cup of water from a barrel and emptied it slowly on her forehead. She opened her eyes.
"My….sweet….boy," she whispered.
Mrs. Vistre appeared very ill. Her usual peach skin was a grayish color and she had heavy bags under her eyes.
Mr. Vistre came rushing in to find his son and wife, unsure of what had happened while he was entranced. Vandyke told his father of what he witnessed.
"Your mother has the Seracian Plague. The only wizard who can heal her lives on the peak of Pluburn Hill," Mr. Vistre said.
"Then I will go find him," Vandyke stated as he set off.
He hurried outside and mounted his horse. The horse dashed as he kicked at its ribs. He had no idea how long his mother had to live, so he held on to the sprinting horse with all his might to get to the wizard fast.
Vandyke slowed the horse down as they neared the hill. He pulled the reins and the horse halted. He dismounted and ran up the hill. At the summit, he found a wizard who looked as if he was as old as time.
"Excuse me, but I was told to seek you for help curing the Seracian Plague," Vandyke said.
"You have indeed come to the right man, but I am afraid that it is far too difficult to cure these days," he said, shaking his head.
"You don't understand, Orpheus gave the plague to my mother, and she is going to die! You must help me, whatever the cost! I will pay it!" Vandyke yelled desperately.
"I see that you will do anything to save your mother. You see, hundreds of years ago, the most important ingredient to the cure grew on almost every hill you would come upon. But one hundred years ago, the Seracian Plague was killing thousands of people until a man found the cure. All the infected people ate as much of it as they could find, and merchants took the rest to sell. Luckily, I gathered much of it before this incident. But sadly, today most of it has wilted and is no longer useable. I only have but a few of the plants left, so you must pay me one thousand hents and I will make you the cure," the old man concluded.
"But I don't have that much money! I would have to work for the next fifteen years to pay that off, and definitely by then my mother would be dead."
"I truly am sorry, but that is as cheap as I can sell it for. Most merchants would sell it from two thousand hents to five thousand!"
"Thank you for your generous offer, sir, and I will come back when I have the money," Vandyke said with much doubt in his mind.
Vandyke sulked down the hill and sat down by his grazing horse. He thought and thought, but could not think of any way to get the money fast enough. A job would surely not work. Seemingly out of nowhere, Vandyke got an idea. He knew it was terrible, but it would be the only way to save his dear mother. He vowed that he would pay the price for his actions, but he had to first rescue his mother from death.
CHAPTER 3
The Debt
Vandyke was going against all his morals to commit this crime. He had to steal one of the king's many crowns. All the king's crowns were worth at least three thousand hents, so this was the only answer.
Vandyke mounted his horse yet again and galloped through the evening until he finally arrived at the castle. He dismounted his horse and stood beside the corner of the castle wall. He kicked a heavy stone into a puddle so it would make a loud splash. A knight who was guarding the entrance went over to investigate the noise. The knight turned the corner and Vandyke knocked him out. He removed the knight's shining silver armor and put it on. Lastly, he put the helmet over his scruffy black hair and made sure it covered his face.
He walked over to the gate to where the other knight was standing guard.
"Did you see anyone over there?" the knight asked.
Vandyke shook his head, not wanting to let the knight who would know his friend's voice know that he was an imposter.
"How about you go take your break now, Grendar? I'll take over for a while. You've been up all night guarding the castle while I slept. Go ahead and sleep for a few hours," the knight said.
The knight turned a crank and the door lifted open. Vandyke pretended to sleepily walk inside. As soon as the door was closed, he began walking normally again. He had to find the Crown Vault, but he had no idea where it would be. He realized that he was just standing in the entrance hall, and a few servants and knights were looking at him awkwardly. To avoid suspicion, Vandyke followed a few knights into their sleeping chambers.
There were many knights in the large room. He could not lie down and pretend to sleep because then he would have to remove his armor, so he leaned against a wall in the room and listened to a conversation between two men.
"Have you ever had the chance to patrol the Crown Vault? I heard that only the king's most trusted knights can," one said.
"I have patrolled there, and the king does trust me quite a bit. I am very frustrated though because the king will not listen to me. I am trying to inform him that a thief could easily infiltrate the vault by walking on the narrow ledge by the window and then entering the vault or just snatching some crowns and then escaping," said the other.
"I doubt that any thief could break through solid metal,"
"You forget that the bars have been rusting for centuries. Whoever first designed the vault was probably not right in the head. I mean, who would put a window, with bars or without, in a vault?"
"Don't you remember the story of that man? He knew he was going to be locked up in there so he designed it with a window. Once he escaped, the king at the time put metal bars in the window."
"But why wouldn't he just seal up the window with stone bricks?"
Vandyke departed the room when he felt their conversation would be of little importance to him. For the most part he was very glad that he had heard about this flaw in security. Vandyke sat on a cot for what seemed hours, waiting for the last of the knights to fall asleep. He knew that this would be a long night.
CHAPTER 4
The Crown
When at last, all the knights were sleeping, Vandyke quietly exited the chamber. He knew some knights were on the night shift, so he walked down halls looking for the vault, appearing to be a knight patrolling the castle halls. After about an hour, he finally came upon the Crown Vault.
He kept walking past it though, because there were two knights standing at the entrance. He turned around and passed them again. He entered the room beside the vault and hopped through the large, open window. He cautiously made his way down the narrow ledge to the barred window. To his delight, the metal bars were in fact rusted. Some of the bars had completely worn away. With his metal glove, he silently broke off some heavily rusted bars. He stepped inside the Crown Vault and took a golden crown encrusted with diamonds. He scurried out the window and made his way back through the open one.
He was overjoyed of his accomplishment and inspected the handsome crown. But then he realized that he was stuck. How would he escape the castle undetected? He held the crown in his arms and stepped into the shadows so he could have a moment to think. He hid behind a large bookcase and then moved behind a long sofa. He quietly entered the knights' sleeping chambers once again and grabbed a blanket. He removed his armor and wrapped the blanket around his body and the crown. Vandyke briskly walked to a side door that led outside. Once through, he found his horse and galloped away.
The horse dashed to Pluburn Hill and raced up to the top. There he found the elderly wizard once again.
"Excuse me, but will you take this crown as payment and give me the change?" Vandyke pleaded.
"How on earth did you get one of these? Nonetheless, I will not trade that crown. They will think I am a convict because I have it," he said.
"No, they will not. I am going back to the castle after I cure my mother. I will confess and get my punishment. You will not be penalized," Vandyke explained.
"I feel that I can trust you. Very well, hand me the crown and I will begin making the potion. And of course, I will give you your change," he replied.
"Thank you so much, sir," Vandyke said.
About ten minutes later, the potion was ready. Vandyke gave the man the crown and the old man gave him the potion and the change. Vandyke darted home once again on his very brawny steed.
Once home, Vandyke gave the potion to his mother. She took a sip and smiled.
"My son, I love you so much. Thank you," she said.
Mr. Vistre took the day off to care for his recovering wife. Vandyke meanwhile was in a deep slumber, exhausted from his adventure.
CHAPTER 5
Confessions
The next morning, Vandyke awoke and packed a leather pouch with the left over money from the trade. He mounted his horse and swiftly rode to the castle.
He arrived at the gate to hear yelling and scrambling inside. The two knights guarding the entrance appeared to be very frustrated. The knight that Vandyke had knocked out instantly recognized him.
"You're the one who knocked me out and stole my armor! Come with me!" the furious knight grabbed his arm and took him to the king. The other guard took his horse to the stables.
They entered a massive room with colossal stained glass windows. They approached the king's throne, which was encrusted with jewels of every sort, and had a velvet seat cushion. The knight heaved Vandyke at the king's feet. The king looked at him with scorn.
"Grendar, I do not have time for this! I am about to unleash all my soldiers to find the criminal who stole my crown!"
Vandyke had pictured the king listening to his confession with astonishment, but apparently the king already knew of the theft.
"Sire, you don't understand. This might be that criminal!" the knight replied.
"Hmm, I am listening, but do you have any evidence that it is this man?" the king asked.
"Sort of, sir. Last night, before the robbery, I heard a splashing sound at the side of the castle. I went to investigate and he knocked me out!" the knight said.
"That is your evidence? If it will make you happy I will throw him in the dungeon for a day," the king said mockingly.
"But sire, he is only person who could have done it! When I awoke from my 'deep sleep' I went to my bed in our chambers and there was my armor! I believe that he stole my armor and impersonated me! That is the only way he could have gotten past all those guards!" Grendar explained.
"You found him when he galloped up to the front gate on his horse, correct?" the king asked.
"Yes sire."
"Tell me, why would he come back here if he did those things he is accused of? And why would he leave behind the armor he 'borrowed' as evidence of his crime? " the king asked with an exasperated tone.
"Well, uh, I…I don't know," Grendar said, confused.
"What is your name?" the king asked Vandyke.
"My name is Vandyke, sire."
"Why have you come to my castle this morning?"
"I came to confess sir. I did in fact knock out Grendar. I did wear his armor and impersonate him. But let me say that I did not steal his armor. I left it near his bed because I was not going to steal that too. And yes, I did steal your crown. I am a guilty man as well as a man who is deeply sorry," Vandyke confessed.
"What did I tell you sire? He did it! Do I get some kind of reward for capturing him?" Grendar asked, greedily.
"Of course you do not! Vandyke willingly came here, and he is a very brave man to do so. Grendar, I do owe you an apology. I'm sorry I ever doubted you. And Vandyke, you do realize that you could be killed for this crime?" the king asked.
"Yes, sir, I do. I do not want to give you excuses but I do want to tell you the reason I stole your crown."
Vandyke told the king about his deathly ill mother and the high price for the rare cure.
"I know what I have done is wrong," Vandyke concluded, after his long explanation.
"I trust that you are telling the truth, but one can never be too sure. Do you have any proof that your story is true?" the king questioned.
"Yes, I do have proof. Like I said, the cure was one thousand hents. I traded the man the crown for the cure and demanded the extra two thousand that it was worth. I do have the change here for you, sire. I wish I had had another choice at the time, sire, but I couldn't let my mother die," Vandyke said truthfully.
Vandyke handed the leather pouch containing the two thousand hents to the king. The king ordered a servant to count and re-count the money. He also told his general to not send out all the knights, searching for the crook.
An hour later, the servant was finished counting.
"This pouch does in fact contain two thousand hents," the servant said.
CHAPTER 6
Banished
"You speak the truth. I am so proud to have a citizen of such high morals, and the bravery to confess on his own. However, this does not erase your crime. In reality, you have robbed me of one thousand hents. As punishment, all I ask is that you deliver this black bag to the priest at the chapel," the king said.
"I appreciate your kindness, sire, but why will me delivering a bag to someone pay off that money I owe you?" Vandyke asked curiously.
"You pleading guilty saved me the trouble of hunting you down with force. You must deliver this bag containing fifty thousand hents to the priest right away. Now off with you!" the king declared.
"Wait a minute! How do you know he won't just run off with your money? He could live handsomely off that for the rest of his life!" Grendar angrily stated.
"You have got a point. I have an excellent idea, you go with him Grendar," the king said.
Grendar moaned, but went with Vandyke to deliver the bag. On the way, Grendar stopped on his horse and told Vandyke to do the same.
"You do know that we could live as rich men even with only half of the money in this bag don't you?" Grendar smiled evilly.
"What are you saying?" Vandyke eyed him.
"I say we split the money. All you would have to do is travel to a far away town and then you could live a wonderful life! And besides, you know how easy it is to steal from the king," Grendar said slyly.
"We both know that I stole that crown only to save my mother's life! And I will definitely not steal again!" Vandyke roared.
"You are foolish! Oh well, more for me!" Grendar chuckled as he leaned over to Vandyke and snatched the bag.
Grendar was about to ride away when a tree branch fell with a loud thud nearby. Grendar's horse went wild and bucked him off its back. It sprinted off over the hills.
Grendar was not badly injured, but he did get many bad sprains and bruises. Vandyke's horse was much older than Grendar's young steed and was used to such loud noises.
"It looks like you won't be stealing anything now," Vandyke laughed.
"You stupid man, I still have the bag!" Grendar wheezed.
Grendar snapped open the bag and a small beast-like creature lunged at Vandyke. It clawed at him and fiercely scratched him across the cheek, scarring him. Vandyke's horse was spooked by the ferocious creature on its back, so it bucked it off, along with Vandyke, and ran away towards home. The beast recovered and ran into the forest.
"We both need…medical help," Vandyke managed to say.
"I am just so mad that this was all a lie!" Grendar tried his best to yell.
"Save your breath! We need…All the strength…We have…to get back to the king," Vandyke coughed.
The two limped back to the castle and went to the king.
"What in the world happened to you?" the king asked.
"Vandyke opened the black bag and a monstrous creature attacked us! I knew that greedy fool couldn't be trusted!" Grendar exclaimed.
"Sire, he is lying! He snatched the bag from me and opened it! I just wanted to deliver the bag!" Vandyke explained, defending himself.
"Are you mad? Stop trying to blame it on me, Vandyke! And sire, are you going to believe your trusted guard who has served you for ten years or are you going to trust that thief?" Grendar shouted.
"Before you say another word, I want quiet! One of you is guilty and I don't know who. I am thinking that you, Grendar, are innocent because you have never deceived me before. Vandyke, you have stolen from me before, even for the sake of your mother. Maybe you opened the bag with greed, or maybe you opened the bag merely out of curiosity. If you were greedy, then you would have opened it just to look at your prize. If you opened it out of curiosity, then you do not trust me. Either way, I am sorry, but I find you guilty," the king concluded.
"But sire, Grendar is guilty, can't you see?!" Vandyke yelled out.
"That will be quite enough, Vandyke. Guards seize him!" the king roared.
Two enormous men entered the room and grabbed both of his arms.
"Because I feel bad that I am not one hundred percent sure that you are guilty, I am not going to execute you. Instead, I am going to banish you to a land that we can only enter through a portal."
"How long do I have to stay there?" Vandyke asked nervously.
"I'm afraid that there is no way to come back once you go."
"You mean that I have to live there?! And what is so bad about this land, because if it is just some far away city, I can just start a new life," Vandyke asked curiously.
"My last words to you are that I truly hope that I chose the right man to send, and that you must find out for yourself," the king said solemnly.
The guards forced Vandyke into a chamber below the castle. As they entered, Vandyke immediately noticed the glowing, massive, black and purple portal. Vandyke was terrified of his doom that was to come. The guard hoisted him into the portal with a mighty throw. Vandyke had entered a world that he could never escape.
CHAPTER 7
Teirven
Vandyke tumbled out onto the hard ground of the land. Vandyke looked around and saw that the sky was a hazy shade of black and red. The mountains were not wide, but they were very tall and pointed at the top. Ahead of him was a farm that appeared to stretch on for miles. As he approached it, he saw many people toiling in the fields. He went up to the closest person to him. The man was very dirty and his clothes were torn.
"Excuse me sir, but where exactly are we?" Vandyke didn't know how else to ask such an awkward question.
"Please, don't talk to me on duty! I will be greatly punished for this if Hyvendar finds out!" the man begged.
"But, I have so many questions I need answered! I don't know anything about this world!" Vandyke explained in a hushed voice.
The man looked up from his work.
"You must be new to this horrible land. Please, meet me back here in ten minutes. I will be off duty and I can help you. Now get out of here before you are caught!" the man answered.
Vandyke hid behind a large rock for ten minutes and then went back to the man.
"Okay, follow me to my home," the man stated.
Vandyke followed him and soon he found himself nearing a very small shack. They stepped inside and sat at a small table with two chairs.
"I am going to give you a lot of information, so please feel free to ask me any questions. And by the way, my name is Divot."
"My name is Vandyke, pleased to meet you."
"This land is called Teirven. The founder of this land was the first person to be banished here, along with his wife. They became the rulers of the land and they had children. Soon the land became far more populated. Banished people also inhabit this land, like you. The sky always looks as it is now. The sky wasn't always like this though. It is said that whoever rules the land changes the sky, but they do not choose the color. If they are good, then the sky is blue and green. If they are wicked, then the sky is as it appears now," Divot explained.
"So you are saying that the ruler of this land is evil?" Vandyke asked curiously.
"Sadly, yes. He has enslaved all people who refused to join his forces. That is why many people labor in farms or mine rocks every day for many hours. If you are seen, they will surely enslave you as well."
"Who are you referring to as 'they'"?
"The Lord of this land's evil forces that are made up of all the people who would do despicable deeds just for a good life themselves," Divot said.
"Who is the lord of this land?" Vandyke asked.
"The lord of this land…is my own brother, Tovid," Divot looked down in shame.
"But that means that you are royalty, doesn't it?" Vandyke said, astonished.
"Not exactly, because even though I am son of the former King Terrivald, I am not treated as royalty. In Teirven, the lord of the land is always the king's eldest son unless the king himself says otherwise. In my case, he did say otherwise," Divot said glumly.
"Wait, if he said that he wanted you to be the lord, then why is your brother the ruler?" Vandyke asked, stumped.
"It is a long story, my friend. My shift starts in a few hours again so I must get some rest. I will tell you tomorrow," Divot yawned sleepily.
"What am I supposed to do tomorrow, while you are out working?" Vandyke asked.
"Just sleep for now and tomorrow, stay in my home and don't let anyone find you. Do not answer the door for anyone and I will meet you when I am done. I promise that I will tell you the story tomorrow," Divot stated and then went to bed.
CHAPTER 8
The Story
The next morning, Vandyke slept in, ate some food, and just thought about the life he was forced to abandon. He wondered what would become of him. He wondered if he would live without being seen forever, or worse, if Divot would tell the guards of his arrival. He decided to stay in the shack and take his chances, for Divot seemed to be a friend, and was indeed his only one in this land.
Later that day, Divot came home. The two sat at the table once again.
"Are you going to tell me the story now, as you promised?" Vandyke asked.
"Yes of course, my friend," Divot said with a smile.
"My father, Terrivald, summoned my brother and me one day long ago, when we both lived in the castle. Three people witnessed the meeting: Bousheene the butler, Orion the librarian, and Harlan the knight. They all wore Pendants of Secrets. These lockets held a single secret when told one, and only unlocked when the wearer states the secret aloud. Once it unlocks, the world hears the secret in a special, unmistakable whisper that everyone knows is truthful. My father told us that I was to be the king instead of my brother."
"Then we must find the witnesses and make them speak the truth!" Vandyke exclaimed.
"You are very bold, Vandyke, but why do you offer to help me with my troubles when we have just met?" Divot asked curiously.
"I want to help you because this land needs to be ruled by its rightful king. This land is in terrible condition and no one deserves to live so horribly." Vandyke explained.
"I suppose you're right. I just can't believe that you've only just got here yesterday and you already have decided that you want to risk your life and embark on a perilous journey."
"Well what did you think I would want to do here, then? Work as a slave like the rest of you? I can never return to the life I once lived, where I was free like anyone else to do as I pleased. In this terrible land, all the good people, the people who refused to serve Tovid, are forced to live miserably laboring every day doing grueling work." Vandyke declared.
"You're right, and I can't believe I never realized that before. This land used to be so beautiful and free, until Tovid took over and destroyed it. I can't waste my life toiling in the fields every day; I need to change this land for the better! You and I shall set off tomorrow morning." Divot proclaimed.
"I'm glad you see my point, my friend. So tomorrow we will begin our search for Bousheene, alright?" Vandyke asked.
"Alright, Vandyke," Divot agreed.
CHAPTER 9
The Search Begins
Vandyke and Divot set off early in the morning before Divot was expected to be at the plantations.
"So where should we look first?" Vandyke asked.
"Good question. It's been so long since we last spoke. I do remember where his house is, though. But I have no clue if he still resides there," Divot explained.
"It's worth a try. I mean, where else would we start? I have no other ideas whatsoever. Lead on!" Vandyke said.
Divot led Vandyke to a small forest just outside of the village. They finally came upon a worn old hut that appeared to have once been a cottage.
"Well…This is it," Divot said glumly.
"What happened here? Why is the house so damaged?" Vandyke asked; his eyes wide as he peered at it again.
"Tovid and his men…They must have captured him and destroyed his home…They must have…" Divot mumbled.
"Was he a friend of yours?" Vandyke asked.
"Yes, we were indeed good friends. We would talk almost every day. My brother did this, I just know it!" Divot yelled, suddenly becoming enraged.
"So, do you think they've…you know….killed him?" Vandyke asked quietly.
"I don't see why they wouldn't…I bet they took him prisoner, destroyed his house, locked away his Pendant of Secrets, and killed him. Tovid knows all about those pendants, so he knew that killing Bousheene would ensure his secret to remain unspoken. At least by one of the witnesses, that is," Divot said softly.
"What are we going to do now?" Vandyke asked curiously.
"We have to find either Orion or Harlan…before it's too late,"
Divot started walking off. As Vandyke turned to follow him, something caught his eye.
"Divot, wait! It looks like there's a poster on the side of the hut!" Vandyke exclaimed.
They walked over and froze as soon as they laid eyes on it. The poster had a large, bold title, "WANTED" and below that was a big picture of Divot. The words below the picture read:
By direct order of King Tovid himself, anyone who sees this man must immediately report him to authorities. Anyone seen aiding him in any way shall be severely punished. REWARD: 20,000 Hents
"H-How do they know what we're doing?" Divot asked.
"Well, you never showed up at the plantation today, so maybe your boss reported you to Tovid. And maybe Tovid got suspicious and knew you were up to something. After all, I bet he keeps a close watch on you."
"That's possible. Or he could have spies that have told him of our plans. But no matter what, we must continue!" Divot declared.
"You're right! Where shall we search now?" Vandyke asked.
"I have no idea where either of them would be. But I imagine Orion would be a bit easier to find because he is a librarian, while Harlan is a legendary knight who is always traveling. But easier to find or not, I still do not know where to look for Orion," Divot said.
"Let's check inside the hut. Maybe there is some sort of clue to tell us where one of them might be," Vandyke suggested.
Divot and Vandyke carefully entered the old cottage. Soon after they began searching, Vandyke found an old journal lodged in the back of a cupboard.
"Divot, come look what I found! It seems to be Bousheene's journal!"
"Well what does it say?" Divot asked anxiously.
"It talks all about his experience being a butler for your father in the first few pages. It tells how much he enjoyed working for your family. But none of that matters. Let me see…Ah! Here is something useful. It says that he was close friends with Orion. In this entry he talks about a conversation he had once had with Orion. It says that they were talking about where they each would go if they had to leave their home for safety reasons," Vandyke told Divot.
"Go on," Divot said.
"According to this, Orion said he would go to the Clan of the Elders deep in the woods. The rest of the entry is smudged, torn, and unreadable. So how are we going to find this clan that could be anywhere in the woods?" Vandyke asked.
"Hand over the journal."
Divot studied the page very closely.
"I can slightly make out the words 'healing spring' and 'behind Mt. Escapade.'"
"I don't suppose you know where Mt. Escapade is?" Vandyke asked.
"I do, in fact. But we need horses. The journey is far too long for us to walk. Tovid has a small outpost relatively close to here. I know because I visited it quite frequently when my father ruled. It has stables in it too. We are going to have to steal a few," Divot said.
"But if we are caught…we will surely die," Vandyke said.
"That is a risk we are going to have to take," Divot replied.
CHAPTER 10
The Outpost
They traveled onward until they were just outside the outpost gates. They ducked behind some large bushes.
"So how are we going to get in here? The gates and walls are heavily guarded," Divot asked.
"I have a plan. I could pretend to be someone looking for work serving King Tovid. That would get me inside and I could steal a few horses after sundown," Vandyke said.
"That is so simple, but it might work. I wish I could help out somehow, but guards would recognize me at once," Divot replied.
"It's alright. Wish me luck!" Vandyke said with a hopeful smile.
Vandyke walked up to the entrance with a massive wooden gate and two guards beside it.
"What is your business here?" one guard asked.
"I am seeking a job here. I do not wish to work in the mines any longer. I have realized that serving Tovid is an excellent decision," Vandyke lied.
"Very well, proceed through the gates and speak to General Praun. A guard will accompany you during your visit, so you don't try anything stupid. General Praun is the top general of Tovid's army, and he is temporarily staying here," the other guard said.
Vandyke nodded and followed the guard to a room inside the outpost. He noticed there were many guards outside, all keeping a close watch on Vandyke. As he stepped inside, he saw the general. He had black hair and a thick beard down to his collar bone. He appeared to be very strong and had a gruff looking face. One of the six guards in the room spoke to the general.
"General Praun, you have a visitor, sir."
General Praun looked up from the paperwork he was studying on his desk.
"Sit," Praun said.
Vandyke quickly and silently obeyed. He was hoping he would still be able to lie to such a man of great power.
"Sir, I was hoping to get a job working here in this outpost," Vandyke said, trying to sound confident.
"Indeed. What are your qualities?" the general asked.
"I am strong and ready to serve, sir," Vandyke replied.
"I see. You can work in the stables. Now be gone," the general said as he continued his paperwork.
Vandyke left the quiet room and a guard pointed him in the direction of the stables. He followed the path and a scruffy looking man approached him as he reached the horses.
"You must be new here. My name's Gilbert, pleased to meet you. Your job is very simple. Just clean up the horses' dung, feed them, and give them water. You have to go outside the outpost to the small pond to fill up your bucket with water. Oh and one more thing. Never, and I mean never, go near General Praun's horse. His name is Clauridus. He's the horse over in the big stable; the shining white one. Got that?" Gilbert asked.
"Yes sir," Vandyke said.
"Good. Now get to work," he ordered.
Vandyke worked all though the afternoon caring for the horses. He wondered how he was going to get two horses out of this place. As he was fetching another bucket of water for the horses, he got an idea.
He noticed that Gilbert was fast asleep in a pile of hay, which was perfect for his plan to work. He went over to Clauridus's stable and led the horse to the front gate. A guard ran up to him.
"What are you doing?!" the guard yelled.
"Gilbert misplaced the water bucket and can't find it anywhere. He told me to take Clauridus to the pond because he hasn't had water in a few hours," Vandyke said slyly.
"Why did Gilbert tell you to do this on your first day here? He could have done it himself," the guard said.
"He said he desperately needs to find the bucket, and he said he knows I wouldn't ever be able to find it," Vandyke lied again.
"Hmm, alright…You may go. But be careful!" the guard said.
The guards opened the gate and Vandyke walked to the pond, leading the horse. As soon as they reached the pond Vandyke made sure the guards weren't looking at him. He slapped the horse's backside with all his might and held on its reins, making it appear as if he was just trying to control the wild horse. Vandyke let go of the reins and fell to the ground with a hard thud.
He heard the gate guards yell for everyone to come out and get the horse back. About one hundred men piled out the front gate and sprinted after the runaway horse. As soon as they had all passed him, he ran back to the stables. He started to open up a horse's pen but stopped as soon as he heard an unmistakable, stern voice behind him.
"What do you think you are doing?" the voice said.
Vandyke turned around to see General Praun himself.
"I'm going to get on a horse and help chase down your horse, sir. I am so sorry that it got loose," Vandyke replied quickly.
"What do you think I am, stupid? You were trying to steal that horse and run away," General Praun stated grimly.
"Well, I, uh," Vandyke couldn't lie any longer. General Praun knew the truth.
"After you purposely lost my horse you will never see this place again," he said.
"I know. I'm fired," Vandyke said.
"I'm afraid you don't understand. You will never see the light of day again!" General Praun shouted harshly as he lunged forward, his sword extended.
Vandyke jumped back and was pressed against the stable wall. He grabbed a pitchfork that was resting beside him. Praun swung