charlie meets the red king
PROLOUGE
the red king and his freind walked together through the forest. it was golden autumn and leaves fell about them like bright coins. the king was tall, his black hair showed not a trace of gray and his dark skin was unlined, but the sorrow in his eyes was centuries , the magician, was a slighter hair and beard were silver-white and his back bent from years spent in the forest. he wore a cloak of midnight blue patternd with faded stars. ten paces behind the men came three leopards; they were old now and not so quick as they had been,but their gaze never wandered from the figure of the king. he was their master and their freind and they would have followed him through a fire.
Mathowny was troubled. he knew that this was not one of those companionable walks that he was used to taking with the king. today their pacing had a deeper purpose. each step took them farther from men, and closer to the forests heart.
they came, at last, to a glade where even the dead leaves were silent. the grass was the color of honey and they hawthorn trees were heavy with crimson berries. mathonwy rested on a fallen tree but the king stood looking up through the bare branches. they sky had turned a burning red, but in a high band of deepest blue, the first star showed.
"let us make a fire", said the king.
mathonwy delighted in bonfires. he sang in welsh while he gatherd the kindling, and the merry song had the dread in his heart. the small twigs were tender dry and soon had a small blaze going. a small column of smoke had lifted through the trees and the king declared it to be the sweetest scent in all the world.
now, thought mathowny. now, he is going to ask me.
but it was not yet.
"first the cats," said the king."they cannot survive for much longer in a land of cold winters and callous hunters. come here, my good creatures." the leopards walked up to the king. they purred as they brushed their heads against his hand.
"it is time for you to wear new coats," the king told them. "find a master who is good, for this one has to leave you now."
it was said. mathowny shudderd. the king was leaving. how empty the forest would be without the companion who had filled his mind with wonders, who had shared his thoughts, answered his doubts,converesed from sunrise to moon set.
the king walked around the fire with long, measured strides and the leopards followed him, around and around and around.
"watch my children," hte king commanded them.
"seek out the descendants of the children who are lost to me; son and daughters of brave amadis and bright petrello,chridlen of gentle guanhamra and clever tolemeo, descendants of my youngest child, amoret. help them, my loyal cats, keep them safe".
when the king stepped away from the fire, the big cats continued to circle it. they were running now, leaping and bounding.
the king raised his arm. "bright flame, burning sun, and golden star," he chanted. "guard my children with your wild hearts. live safely in the world of men, but remain what you are."
mathonwy had seen such spells as these before but tonight the king's magic had a special beauty. the bounding leopards had become a ring of fire. sparks flew into trees and glowing streams festooned the colors. when the king let his hand fall, the ring had faded, the leopards had gone.
mathowny rose to his feet. "where are they?"
the king pointed to a tree behind the magician. on a low branch sat the three cats. one was the color of coper, one as orange as a flame, the last like a pale gold star. "behold! aries, leo, and sagittarius. their coats have changed, but i still know who they are."the king laughed contentdely, pleased with his spell. "and now it is my turn."
mathowny sighed. from the foals of his cloak he drew out a slim ash stick; his wand. "what would you have me do?"
the king looked about him. "the forest has become my home. the guise of the a would suitme well."
"you don't need my help for that," said the magician. shape-shifting comes as naturally to you as to a flying bird."
the king regarded his only freind. "shape-shifting is not what i need, mathowny. i crave a everlasting i am doomed to live forever then i want to discard my human form and take on a more peaceful aspect."
" you want to live forever as a tree?" mathowny asked. "a tree without speech, without movement. what if they come and cut down the forest?"
the king considered this. "perhaps i shall learn to move," he said with his mischievous smile. "dont grieve, my freind. last night i saw a boy in the clouds and knew he was one of mine. a future child. and, listen to this, mathowny. i know that he was from your line, too. this knowledge gave me a moment of great happiness. now i feel the red king can leave the world."
"the world and me," said mathowny without bitterness, for he knew that one day his bloodline would be joined with the kings.
" don't begrudge me this forever,"begged the king. if i do it alone, then i will be tempted to return. only you can make my transformation permanent. i am so weary, my freind. i cannot carry my sorrows any further."
mathonwy gave a gentle sigh. " i will do as you wish. but forgive me if i do not compose the tree in a way that you imagine."
the kinged smiled, but although he fought his sorrow with all his strength, it began to overwhelm him and his eyes were clouded with tears.
The magcian was filled with compassion for the king and began to work quickly. he touched his freind's shoulder with the tip of his ash-wand, then reached for the crown. but the thind gold band was so embedded in the king's black curls, mathonwy let it rest where it belonged.
the king wore the robes of coarse hemp that he had worn ever since he had come to live in the forest.
as he lifted his hands the rough sleeves fell back, and beneath his arms slim green shoots sprouted from his body.
mathowny tapped his shoots with his wand and they began to thicken. the king's head rose, his body stretched, taller and taller, wider and began to cover the branches; like tiny mirrors they reflected the colors of the autumn forest and the red-gold fire.
the cats watched the transformation of their master with glowing eyes. they watchedthe magician leap around the king, his wand a streak of sparks, his dark cloak flying, his haira drift of now the cats began to howl, for their master had all but vanished; only his head remained atop a tree of dazzling splendor. and, as his dear features gradually faded, the tears that fell from his dark eyes ran a deep berry red. "oh, my children!" the king sighed. and then he was gone.
but the tears flowed on, coursing down the trunk, red as blood.
mathowny stared at the tears in dismay. he tried to stem them with his wand, but on they flowed. so, summoning all the wit, poetry, and magic that was in his soul. mathowny cast a spell. "one day, my freind." he said. "your children will come to find you, and oh, what a day that will be!"
Chapter 1: Back To Bloors
It was a cold, snowy day. But that didnt mean anything to charlie bone. Because it was back to school with him. Back to cold, old, dreary bloors academy. Where his ancestor the red kings old ruined castle was. Charlie ran downstairs for breakfest at 6:30 in the morning before school. And he wouldnt be coming back till friday. Maisie was in the kitchen. Cooking her usual huge meal of eggs, bacon, and some toast. Charlies mom, Amy bone, sat in the kitchen. She patted a chair by her at the table. They never used the dining room unless charlies great aunts, grizela, Lucretia, Eustica, and venetia, came over for a special occasion. But grizelda Yewbeam lived with them. Her brother Uncle paton live with charlie too. "Charlie, hopefully this is a normal semester. but i doubt that will happen. compared to whats happend in the last couple of months." said amy bone, charlies mom. "ya mom, its never normal their. i wouldnt of survived the past months if it wasent for fidelio, olivia, emma, and all the other endowed. i wouldve probably died in the rune if it werent for them rescuing me." charlie said to his mom. "Just have a good time" said his mom. Charlie finished his food and hugged masie and his mom. maise was his other grandma. Then he went out the door and got on the blue bus, which was the music bus. their was purple for drama, blue for music, and green for art. Charlie was in music like his dad. Who charlie had finally found. But he had been resting for quite a long time. He sat by fidileo. Charlie wasent that good at music. He was a endowed. One of the few magicial kids at bloors. He could read pictures and sometimes go into them. "hey charlie. I heard you found your umm.... lost dad." said fidelio. Charlies freind. "ya, hes in bed alot though. Because hes been on the street for so long." charlie said. then it was quiet until they got to bloors. Bloors was a old school. It had two towers. one was never used. and the other was the music tower. where mrs. bloor once hid. But then she went back through time. And the music teacher was always at the top of the tower playing the piano.
I heard a girl yelling mine and fidelios name. I knew who it was. The girl that was in drama. Oliva Vertigo, the girl that was one of charlies first freind. She ran up to them. She panted. "hey charlie. hey fidelio." said olivia. We said hey and went to class. our first teacher was our main music teacher. He always tought Me (charlie) how to play the recorder because i wasent good enough with the other instruments.
Once we were done with class we went to the garden. Only in winter when its cooled can they wear their caps for a run in the garden. They walked out side. And then a boy with a hypnotizing stare followed them.
Chapter 2: Manfred
Charlie knew who was following and knew they were following him. It was manfred bloor. The head boy. He was Dr. Bloors son. owned the school. It was so snowy out side. Charlie had forgotten his snow boots. He slipped in the snow. Then a hand pulled him up. "what do you think you're doing bone? get up and go for the run or ill have you put in detention for friday." a voice said. i jumped up and saw manfed bloor. "what are you looking at? now go!!!" yelled manfred. i caught up with fidelio. Olivia wasen't with him. "wheres olivia?" i asked. "shes with her usual drama group, emma and 4 others." said fidlieo.