August 4, 2002
Shades of Gray, Book I
Chapter II: Revenge of the Scorpions
Deep with in Etheria's most isolated and deserted lands laid a vast world filled with nothing but emptiness and waste. It was said that the great rivers, carrying all the waste from Etheria's villages and kingdoms flowed into here. The Crimson Waste was at the end of these trash-carrying rivers, smelling of filth and death. No life was said to exist in this area, not even plant life. Few came to visit this desolate place, for they feared of what creatures might be lurking among the shadows and gray mists that hung over the Crimson Waste.
Desdemelda was one of those few beings that made the Crimson Waste her home. She was the first of her kind, a freak of nature. Her own mother abandoned her when she was very little and she knew nothing of her father. All she knew was that her mother was a regular human being and that Desdemelda was human like her mother, but was cursed with her hands being that of crab like pinchers and a scorpion like tail. She was feared and tormented by the outside world, so she lived her life in peace in the Crimson Waste, where no one would dare bother her.
Desdemelda's life did seem empty and worthless. She longed for someone to care for and for someone to love her for whom she was. She decided to full fill her dream by stinging a young unfortunate man who happened to stumble upon the Crimson Waste. She seduced him with her venom, and then killed her with one final sting. She knew nothing of who this man was, but he unknowingly gave Desdemelda a child. This child, like herself, was a little girl, born with the same pincher like hands and scorpion like tail. Desdemelda loved the child whom she named Scorpia. Scorpia knew of no life outside of the Crimson Waste, and Desdemelda would not dare let Scorpia leave, for she feared the outside world would be just as cruel and malicious to Scorpia as they were to her.
A new hope came for Desdemelda when she was in town, all wrapped in robes and wearing large mitts to conceal her scorpion features. She ventured into town once a month to beg for food and money so she could feed herself and Scorpia. Desdemelda was a little startled when a woman wearing a long black robe and hood concealing her face approached her and called her by name. Desdemelda immediately got into a defensive position and her large scorpion like tail started to raise the back of her robe. The woman came a little closer, bowed her head, then lifted her hood, revealing a woman about in her fifties, but her hair was of a youthful appearance, long, past her shoulders, and blond. Not a trace of gray could be found.
Desdemelda raised her tail until it poked from underneath her robe, shocking a few passerby's' She hissed and asked, "Who are you and what do you want from me?"
"Relax, Desdemelda, I mean you no harm. I come to offer a new life to you and your daughter", said the woman, with a sly grin across her face.
"I suggest you leave me alone and leave Scorpia out of this. How do you know of her? She has never left the Crimson Waste", cried Desdemelda, as she raised her tail high above her head, knocking the robe off her and onto the ground.
"I only offer you kindness and gratitude, Desdemelda. I realize you may be suspicious, but I assure you, I only want to offer you and Scorpia the life that you deserve", said the woman.
"Liar!" cried Desdemelda, as she swung her tail around to sting the woman.
The woman then raised her hand in a stop position, and then sent a bolt of lightning at the scorpion woman's tail. Desdemelda cried out in pain as the heat traveled from the end of her tail and into her body, numbing her. She doubled over, and then wrapped her tail around her body, in agony. She looked up at the woman, with fear in her eyes, fear that she had not experienced in years.
The woman walked over to Desdemelda and stood over her, in a triumphant position, as if mocking the scorpion of her victory. She then spoke in a more serious tone, "Now, Desdemelda, perhaps you might want to come take a walk and listen to me for once".
Desdemelda shook her head yes, realizing that this woman possessed strong powers that could destroy her if she did not abide. She stood up and looked the woman straight in the eyes; ready to accept whatever she had to offer.
Norwyn stood at the round table that he had in his kitchen area where he often set lessons for his two young students, Liora Light Spinner and Castaspella. He looked at the two girls, as they sat at the table, their hands held out in front of them, one over the other. He had taken the girls in from being with out a home and a family, to becoming a father and teacher to them. He saw much hope and power in these girls, that he was determined to make them into great sorceresses. Castaspella seemed a little nervous, as she had not come to terms that she possessed special powers. She had recently recovered from injuries that she endured in the explosion that destroyed her village of Galeheart and killed her family. Every night, Castaspella woke up crying for her mother and father. With each passing day and training, she was starting to accept that her parents were gone and that she had a new parent in Norwyn. What made everything much easier was dealing with the pain with her friend and new sister, Liora. Liora was nine years old, five years older than Castaspella. senior. Liora made Castaspella feel at ease in times of need. She also looked up to the young girl, admiring her long blond hair and intense dark blue eyes. Liora would be a beautiful girl one day, and Castaspella had hoped that she would be as beautiful as she.
"We are going to try something new today, girls. I want you to learn to meditate and look into the magic that surrounds you and try to get a glimpse of what is yet to come", said Norwyn.
Liora looked over at Norwyn, her face all-eager and anxious, and cried, "Like seeing the future!"
"Maybe, just listen and you shall see", said Norwyn.
Norwyn waited a few seconds until he saw that both girls had his full attention. Liora always wanted to try something new. Norwyn was trying to get Liora to focus more on practicing what she had learned than trying to learn new tricks everyday. He took a deep breath and said, "Okay, girls, I want you to close your eyes, and take a deep breath and then exhale. I want you to focus on picturing yourself in your head. Clear your mind of all other thoughts and just see yourself. Nothing else should be in the picture that is in your head".
Norwyn smiled as he saw that both girls were deep in thought, sitting silently, with their hands in front and their eyes closed. He then said, "Now, tell me what you see. Have you got an image forming in your head after I told you to focus on yourself?"
Castaspella seemed excited and cried out, breaking both her and Liora's concentration, "Yes, I saw me, as a beautiful woman and doing powerful magic".
Norwyn tried not to laugh. He said, "That is great, little one. I hope that image does come true for you".
Norwyn looked over at Liora whose face had turned pale. He could tell that something had frightened her. He walked over and placed a hand on Liora's shoulder and asked, "Did you see anything, Liora?"
"No, I did not", replied Liora, her voice sounding down.
"Well, let's just try it again. Cassie will remain quiet, I promise", said Norwyn.
"No, I don't want to," cried Liora, her hands hitting the table.
"No? What is it? Don't be frightened. You'll get it next time you try", said Norwyn.
"No, I won't do it again", said Liora.
"You did see something, didn't you, Liora?" asked Norwyn.
"Yes, and I don't to see it again," cried Liora, tears beginning to form in her eyes.
"This spell does not go right at first. Perhaps you tapped into something other than yourself. It might not be your future, but that of someone else's", said Norwyn.
"I did not like what I saw, and I will not do that again", cried Liora, her voice sounding determined.
"Okay, Liora, I guess we shall call this session over for a bit. You girls can feel free to roam to castle. Just don't go too far and stay where others can see you. I don't want anybody complaining to me that my students are causing problems", said Norwyn.
Liora just got up out of her chair, and then grabbed a hold of Castaspella's hand, pulling her out of the room and out into the hall. Norwyn stood at the empty table, feeling somewhat confused. Liora had never acted this way before. She was always so excited and anxious to try out her powers, but he wondered what vision had frightened her. He just shrugged it off as perhaps being some of the trauma of being in that explosion. He wanted to be extra careful, for he did not know Liora and Castaspella too well yet. Their past was pretty much a mystery to him.
Desdemelda stood at the edge of the Crimson Waste, where a small stream separated them from the rest of the planet. She smiled as she watched her daughter, Scorpia; try to catch some small fish in her claws. Scorpia finally managed to capture one and held it in her claw. She held it up proud.
"Hey, Mom, look!" cried Scorpia, as she held up her claw for her mother to see.
Desdemelda smiled at the young girl, but then she started to laugh, when Scorpia, in all her excitement, let the fish jump out of her claw, and then stumbled in an attempt to retrieve it back. She fell backwards into the stream.
Scorpia slapped her claws onto the surface of the water in frustration and cried out, "Mom! I keep letting them get away".
"Scorpia. You have to hold onto it tight, and you don't have to show me each time you catch one. Wait until you take it out of the water", said Desdemelda.
Scorpia just scowled and got back onto her feet, then walked out of the stream. She sat back down onto the edge, on dry land. Desdemelda saw the frustration on her daughter's face, and walked over to her, where she sat down beside her. She wanted so much to give Scorpia a better life than what the Crimson Waste had to offer. Scorpia was six years old and had never left the boundaries of this desolate land.
"I know how much you want to leave this place, Scorpia. Just today, I might just have the chance to do that, and have a much better life for the both of us", said Desdemelda, as she gently touched the side of Scorpia's face with her clawed hand.
"What? What chance?" asked Scorpia.
"A woman came to me today in town. At first I was not sure what she wanted, but she offered us a better life if we were to help her with some project she is working on. Like us, she is shunned by the outside world, and thinks, that if we team up, we can show Etheria, that we deserve a chance", said Desdemelda.
"Can we leave this place?" asked Scorpia.
"Yes, we are going to leave this place. Tomorrow we meet this woman at our home deep within the Crimson Waste and she will tell us her plan", said Desdemelda.
"What plan?" asked Scorpia, sounding more interested.
"A chance for great power. A chance to leave this wasteland and show Etheria what we are made of", said Desdemelda.
Liora Light Spinner lay in her bed, looking up at the skylights that were located above her bed. Castaspella was sound asleep, occasionally rolling over, and pulling her blankets out from where they were tucked under the mattress. Liora had been living in the Enchanted for now over a month, and already, she had realized the power she possessed, and how to use it. Most of her early memories were of Castaspella. She had little memory of her real mother, and no memory of her father. What she did remember of her mother was that she was caring and loved her very much. She also had memories of her mother teaching her how to ride the horses that they kept in their stables. When Castaspella's parents took in Liora, she would often sneak out in the middle of the night, go down to their stables and ride the horses. Castaspella's parents did not like the young girl riding horses alone, so she had to endure riding with supervision in the daytime. Light galloping around the small fenced in area was not what Liora had in mind. At night, when most of the village was asleep, Liora would hop on one white steed that she had come attached to, and ride her out of the village, and through the field, where she enjoyed the freedom of wind blowing through her hair. Now, those days of living in the village with two loving people were gone. Liora missed her foster parents, and she also felt a wave of sadness run through her body when she thought of that beloved horse she once rode. She wondered if she would ever have the chance to ride again. The magic beings did own horses, some of them, but only those that enjoyed the thrill of riding, but that thrill often left them when they learned the faster way of travel; teleportation.
Castaspella started to cry in her sleep, startling Liora from her wakeful dream she was experiencing. Liora crawled out of bed and then into Castaspella's, where she wrapped her arms around the crying child.
"Cassie. Cassie. Wake up", whispered Liora, as she gently tried to shake Castaspella from her nightmare.
"No, Mommy, come back. Don't leave me", Castaspella whimpered in her sleep.
"Cassie. Wake up. You're having a dream", said Liora, quietly.
Castaspella opened her eyes and lay silent for a moment, looking up at Liora, almost as if she was confused as to whether she was still in her dream world or the real world.
"I want my mommy", sobbed Castaspella, as she clung to Liora.
"I know you miss her, Cassie, and I do too, but Norwyn is our family now. I promise you I will take care of you. Whenever you are upset or having a bad dream, I'll be here", whispered Liora, as she held Cassie close, comforting her.
"I am so glad you're here, Liora", said Castaspella.
"Me too. We are going to be powerful sorceresses one day. We will always be sisters. I love you, Cassie", said Liora, as she gently kissed Castaspella on the forehead.
"I love you too, Liora", said Castaspella.
Liora smiled and stayed in Castaspella's bed for the rest of the night. Castaspella did not wake up again or have any more nightmares.
The woman entered the small house that Desdemelda had managed to put together for her and her daughter to live in. She walked very slowly, her long black robes dragging on the ground behind her. Scorpia backed up and hid behind her mother. The woman came closer, her face finally coming into the pale light that the torch hanging on the wall gave out. Scorpia slowly came out from behind her mother, a little bit at ease, when she saw the woman's gentle features that seemed to not go with the rest of her black outfit.
"I still need to know who you are and why you need me?" asked Desdemelda, as she wrapped her arms protectively around Scorpia.
"Relax, Desdemelda, my name is Rhianna Grayburn. I am a sorceress if you have not already figured out", said the woman, with a smile across her face.
"Okay, Miss Grayburn, what brings you to the Crimson Waste?" asked Desdemelda.
Desdemelda became a little weary of this strange woman entering her house. Her tail came around and curled around Scorpia. Scorpia also sensed her mother's fear and wrapped her own tail around herself.
"Desdemelda, I understand why you may be suspicious, but I mean you no harm, unless you wish to become my enemy", said Rhianna.
"Are you threatening me?" asked Desdemelda.
"No, I am not threatening you, but you do have a choice. I can leave you alone, and we can pretend we never met, or you can help me and I shall reward you with greatness", said Rhianna, her hands folded in front of her.
"What do you need me for?" asked Desdemelda.
"You are a powerful fighter and a great architect, quite possibly an engineer if given the right tools. Not even the best designers could ever make their home from the filth and waste that this place offers, and yet, you have made quite the place here", said Rhianna.
"So, you need an architect?" asked Desdemelda, her look of that of puzzlement.
"I am a sorceress and designing weapons and bases is not my thing. I plan to establish a home in what some call the Nameless Volcano. There, I shall put forth my efforts at forming my allies and ruling this planet", said Rhianna.
"Rule the planet? Are you serious?" asked Desdemelda.
"I am very serious. I will not do it alone of course. I have a very powerful connection outside this planet that wishes to establish their base here in the next few years. If I help them, they will give me the great power that I need to conquer my enemies", said Rhianna, as she raised her arm, making a fist.
"And just who are your enemies?" asked Desdemelda.
"The Kingdom of Mystacore. For years I trained there as a white magic sorceress, and then even taught at their school. When I experimented with dark magic and discovered the power that it held, the school board banished me from Mystacore. They moved their secret base where the Council of Kings held their meetings so I could not get my revenge. I wish to show them that they made the biggest mistake of their lives", scowled Rhianna, her teeth clenching.
Desdemelda let go of Scorpia and pushed her to the side. She approached the sorceress and asked, "And why should I team up with a witch?"
"Because, like you, I was shunned from the outside world, never to live in peace. The Nameless Volcano is now what I call home, and I want you to help me build my home inside of it. I can leave and let you live in this slime hole, or you can join me, designing powerful weapons and living the life that you dreamed of in my volcano home. I promise you, when this outside force finally comes to Etheria, we shall be seeing a great many changes", said Rhianna.
"Mystacore? I have heard of that. Do you think you could really destroy an entire kingdom that is protected by powerful magic?" asked Desdemelda.
"With the right magic I could destroy this planet. I used my dark magic on it a month ago, to just shake things up a bit, let them know that they are not safe, but the magic was so strong that my storm blast only destroyed a pathetic village", said Rhianna.
"Well, I am sure they are aware of something", said Desdemelda.
"It failed. I did not come close to weakening their magic. There magic is way too strong. My blast ricocheted off the magic barrier surrounding the kingdom, and hit that village that is farthest from it, the weakest point of magic. If I plan an attack now, Mystacore and its allies will surely destroy me", said Rhianna.
"Well, I am willing to help you because I hate living in this wasteland, rejected by the outside world, but I have lived alone. I am afraid I may not be of much help", said Desdemelda.
"Oh, but you will be of a great help. Your hate and anger toward those people that rejected you and taunted you for your differences will be the power that I need to get this job accomplished", said Rhianna, her dark eyes reflecting the flickering light of the torch.
"Then tell me what I have to do. If you offer me a better life, then I am a fool to take it", said Desdemelda, as she turned and nodded at Scorpia, who was standing alone, still unsure about Rhianna.
Norwyn pounding on the door waked both Liora and Castaspella up. Liora sat up, rubbed her eyes, and then remembered that she had slept in Castaspella's bed all night. Castaspella sat up, and looked at the door.
"Come in", Liora groggily said, as she climbed out of bed.
Norwyn opened the room and stepped into the room. Her was all dressed up in his blue wizard's robe with gold trim and his face showed that he was fully awake.
"Come on, girls. You two need to get dressed quickly. I promised King Zandor I'd be there in an hour", said Norwyn.
Liora, still trying to keep her eyes open, stared at Norwyn and asked, "Who is King Zandor?"
"I told you we were going to the Kingdom of Bright Moon this morning to meet with the king. Zandor is Bright Moon's respected ruler", said Norwyn.
"You can go. Cassie and I can stay here and study", said Liora, with a smile.
"Um, no, Liora, part of your training is seeing what else Etheria has to offer, plus, I want to keep an eye on you", said Norwyn.
"Okay, I'll go", said Liora.
"You have no choice, my young apprentice. Now, you two get ready and meet me downstairs. It is too far for teleportation so we have to go by horse", said Norwyn.
"Horses! Can I ride my own, Norwyn? Please", begged Liora, as her eyes got wide, and excitement came over her.
"Wow, I did not know you were a rider. We shall see", said Norwyn.
"I am a good rider. My mother taught me", said Liora.
"Okay, just get ready and meet me downstairs", said Norwyn, as he smiled and shut the door behind him as he left the room.
Norwyn stood in the hallway for a few minutes before heading downstairs. That was the first time Liora had ever mentioned anything about her family. He wanted to ask her more, but it might be too emotional of a subject, possibly distracting Liora from her studies. It was obvious something had either happened to her mother, like she might have died, or she could have abandoned Liora. He wanted to know more, know what made him so intrigued by this young girl.
Liora and Castaspella ran downstairs and stormed the room just before the doors to the outside of the castle. They were all dressed in wizard robes, gray, the color that sorcerers' apprentices were required to wear. Only during special ceremonies, such as when Liora and Castaspella were first inducted into the Academy of Magic at the Council of Kings meeting that they wore their colored robes, Liora in red, and Castaspella in blue. Norwyn greeted the two girls and they were eager to rush out the door. Liora was more excited since she had wanted to get her own horse and ride it far beyond Mystacore, and into this kingdom that she had yet to see.
"Okay, girls, I want you to behave. I want no magic used. You are still in training and have no knowledge of the powers you possess. Bright Moon is also a kingdom of magic, and it may give you strange feelings since it is a different kind of magic compared to Mystacore's. Also, Castaspella will ride with me, and Liora, if you promise to stay close to me, you can ride alone", said Norwyn, as he nodded at Liora and smiled.
Desdemelda and Scorpia started in amazement as they stood facing the large entrance that led to the caverns inside of the Nameless Volcano. Scorpia walked over and huddled close to her mother, shivering with fear and excitement, for this was her first time outside of the Crimson Waste. Rhianna walked toward the entrance, and then turned toward to the two scorpion women.
"Are you coming inside or are you just going to stand there and stare?" asked Rhianna, a little annoyed at how naive these scorpion beings could be.
"Like inside?" asked Scorpia.
"Yes, inside, this is a cave entrance here and it leads to a cave. It is quite simple you know", said Rhianna, sarcastically.
"Leave her alone, Rhianna, she has never left the Crimson Waste", said Desdemelda, a little angry that Rhianna mocked her daughter right in front of her.
Desdemelda and Scorpia followed the woman through the cave entrance and found that the huge tunnels had light generated by torches every few feet on the walls. Every so often, Desdemelda caught a glimpse of some insect or snake crawling up the walls and into little holes. Ever half insect herself, they gave her the creeps. She did not like this place. She began to wonder if maybe it was a mistake trusting herself to this witch and leaving the comfort of her own home in the Crimson Waste. They kept walking until they entered a large open area, which laid a table, a shelf filled with many books, and some chairs.
Rhianna walked through the room, pulled up a chair and said, "Have a seat. It may not look like much, but with your help and others it shall be my quarters where I practice my dark magic".
"Okay, now where do we start?" asked Desdemelda, as she pulled up her own chair and sat down.
"As soon as you're ready, Desdemelda, but not too late, because I do run a tough schedule here. As soon as a have other recruits, this place will be one of the most feared places on all Etheria", said Rhianna, as she held up her fist.
Norwyn, Castaspella, and Liora had a long ride to Bright Moon. He wanted to use teleportation, but since he had two inexperienced students, his magic could not carry the three of them very far. He alone, could teleport to Bright Moon, and in the future, Castaspella and Liora would soon learn the magic as well. He also enjoyed the ride as well. He tried to forget what he was meeting the king of Bright Moon for, and closed his eyes, concentrating on the strides of his steed. He felt Castaspella's arms tightly wrapped his waist. Occasionally, her grip tightened, when she felt like she was going to fall off. Norwyn then opened his eyes and looked over at Liora, who was riding her steed, and occasionally patting the horse on its neck. Liora had a way with the horse, almost seeming to understand its feelings. Just a few minutes back, Liora could somehow tell that her horse was thirsty, so they had to take a break and stop at a nearby creek. When the horses were done drinking, Liora's horse came right over to her, and nuzzled her on the neck. She then took Castaspella by the hand and horse gave her a nuzzle as well.
Norwyn, Castaspella, and Liora stopped their horses just before they came to the edge of a woods. It was extraordinary, not like any woods they had ever seen. Liora and Castaspella were both amazed by the pastel colors of blue, pink, and green, and the swirls of flowers that hung from the trees.
"Where are we?" asked Liora.
"This, my apprentices, is the Whispering Woods. It is a magical place that wards out all evil. If evil inhabits your heart, the trees will not let you pass", said Norwyn.
"How does the woods know that you are evil or not?" asked Liora.
"It just does. Even this magic I can not understand. I assure you, we are perfectly fine and can enter. Once we get through the woods, then we will be in the kingdom of Bright Moon", said Norwyn.
The horses carried the trio through the woods. They traveled along a trail that had been made for anybody wishing to do the same, use the woods as their short cut to get to Bright Moon. Norwyn could start to sense with his magic that they were already half way through the woods. He started to feel a presence nearby, a familiar presence.
"Look out!" cried a voice.
Norwyn looked and grabbed a hold of the reins of Liora's horse, and moved them both out of the way, just as what looked like an old woman on a broom zoomed past them and then crashed into a tree up ahead.
Norwyn leaped off his horse, and then helped Castaspella down. He walked over to the old woman, her red clothing and hat all dirty from the impact as she had slip down the tree. Her broom was surprisingly alive as well, as it shook off the crash and stood up on its bristles. Liora hopped off of her horse, and wrapped her arms around Castaspella, as if protecting her from this woman that almost hit them.
"Still haven't learned how to land yet, Madam Razz", laughed Norwyn, as he held out his hand to help the woman off her feet.
"Norwyn, why such a pleasure to see you here", said Madam Razz, as she stood up.
"I am here on business. Just using as a short cut to Bright Moon. I could not teleport like I normally do since I have not mastered it well enough to teleport more people. I brought my students here", said Norwyn, as he gestured to Liora and Castaspella.
"Students? Wow, I must be getting old. It seems just yesterday you were a student and seeking my guidance on magic", said Madam Razz, as she looked over at the two girls.
"Oh, and I forget to say hi to Broom here. Long time no see", said Norwyn, as he nodded at Broom.
"It is a pleasure to see you, Norwyn. I just have to go lie down and nurse my back to health again, before I hit another tree", said Broom, as he held one arm, across his back.
Norwyn gestured toward his students. Liora and Castaspella walked over to Madam Razz.
"Liora Light Spinner and Castaspella, I would like you to meet some dear friends of mine, Madam Razz and Broom. She used to teach magic at the academy for years", said Norwyn.
Liora and Castaspella smiled, said their hellos, and then shook the hands of Madam Razz and Broom.
"Wow, they get younger all the time. These two are such cuties too", said Madam Razz.
Liora blushed a little, not knowing what to make of being called a cutie. She had never been referred to as cute before.
"Well, I would love to stay and chat, but we must be going. I have to meet King Zandor in about fifteen minutes and we are already running late", said Norwyn.
"I understand, Norwyn. Take care now, dearie. If you ever need anything, just let me know", said Madam Razz, as she shook Norwyn's hand.
Madam Razz then smiled and looked at Liora and Castaspella, "It was nice to meet you too, Liora and Castaspella. You have a great teacher".
Castle Bright Moon was a beautiful designed structure, its base being the largest, looking like a huge sphere, will protruding from it was a tower like structure, with a pair of wing statues at the top. Gardens surrounded the castle, being kept up well by Queen Isabella, Zandor's wife. She mostly had gardeners that kept the garden well watered and looking healthy, but she enjoyed gardening so much herself, that when given the chance, she could out working with her workers in the bright sun. King Zandor had was non magical himself, even though the castle was protected by magic, but it was his wife that had brought magic into the family. He had met and fallen in love with her on a trip to a remote land named Mizar. She was angelic in the fact that she had two large angel like wings, and her blond hair streaked with pink framed her sweet face. They lived in Bright Moon in peace with their two daughters, Princess Angella and Princess Hope. Both of their daughters had inherited their mother's angel wings and magic. It was a well-known fact that Zandor's oldest daughter, Angella, would inherit the throne and rule Bright Moon after her father.
The king's youngest daughter, Hope, greeted Norwyn and his students as they approached the gate. She was a few years younger than Liora. Even at her age, she seemed so mature, as she walked straight and proud, and extended her hand to the visitors.
"My father is waiting for you in the throne. He sent me to make sure you got through the guards all right. Follow me", said Hope, as turned and headed back inside.
Norwyn, Liora and Castaspella followed Hope instead the castle. They were led through a long hallway; the walls were gold, and the carpeting a bright red. They entered the throne room where they saw King Zandor and Queen Isabella sitting on their thrones at of what looked like a stage, with wide stairs leading up to them. Standing beside her father was Princess Angella, standing tall, and looking more regal than her younger sister. She was fourteen years, but she had to give up a lot of her childhood to train how to be a successful ruler. She sometimes accompanied her father to meetings with the Council of Kings. Norwyn had seen her a few times there, and each time he saw her, she looked bored and looked like she was fighting to stay awake. She was born into this position. Norwyn felt kind of bad for her since she could not go out and do the things that most girls her age were allowed to do. On Mystacore, it was different. The king or queen was elected, not born into the position.
"Norwyn, I am so happy you could make it this fine morning", said King Zandor, as he nodded.
King Zandor was a rather large built man, with thick brown hair and beard. He was a well-respected and sometimes feared leader of Bright Moon. Only those that chose to appose him had any reason to fear him.
"It is always an honor to be welcome into your home, King Zandor and Queen Isabella", said Norwyn, as he bowed before the king and queen.
"Well, I have something to tell you. I shall let my wife, Isabella tell you since this sort of thing is more of her area", said Zandor.
"Norwyn, we are sorry to hear of the destruction that your kingdom experienced, and the least I can do is tell you what my magic is telling me", said Isabella.
"We have no clues yet as to what caused the blast, but the residents of Mystacore are both saddened and puzzled by the loss of our village, Galeheart", said Norwyn, as he lowered his head.
Liora and Castaspella were a little bored. They were both looking around, and trying to take in all the beauty that this castle offered. The walls looked of pure gold and on the wall were huge shields each with symbols representing Bright Moon's rulers, past and present.
"I do know that black magic was involved, and I am afraid that the source of this magic is still well with in Etheria. My magic is also telling that this source is a big threat and Mystacore needs to be careful as do us all", said Isabella.
"We shall do what we can, Queen Isabella, but first we must find out who is responsible for this destruction", said Norwyn.
"We offer our assistance, Norwyn. I have this feeling that whatever is going on, Mystacore's magic may not be enough. Bright Moon has the military staff. I have seen the future, Norwyn, as I do often, and we are not just going to be up against one magic being, but a whole army. Something terrible is going to happen. I can feel it", said Isabella, her voice trembling a bit.
Norwyn was now even more confused. He did not know what kind of army would want to conquer Mystacore, or the whole planet for that matter.
"The magic is from one person, but I am not getting the feelings of a large army", said Norwyn.
"You are right that one person is responsible for the destruction of Galeheart, but this one person is behind something so much more. This is not going to happen for another few years, but we must be prepared. I suggest that we find out who this individual is that is linked to this even bigger threat and get some answers", said Isabella.
"I will see what I can do, Queen Isabella, but I am just a teacher, not a ruler of Mystacore. I know that it was Madam Razz that suggested me to you, but I have not any power. I shall tell the rulers of Mystacore to send out an alert. I shall take on the responsibility of helping to trace this individual and maybe prevent such an army from entering this world", said Norwyn.
"You have Bright Moon with you, one hundred percent, Norwyn. If you find anything, let us know. I have a feeling that Mystacore is not going to be the only place in danger on this planet", said Isabella.
Norwyn lowered his head, and then walked over to his students. He put his arm around both of the girls' shoulder and held them close.
"Princess Hope shall see you out. Thank you for coming, Norwyn. Please let me know if you need help convincing the people of Mystacore", said King Zandor, as he nodded at Norwyn.
"Thank you, your majesties", said Norwyn, as he bowed before the king and queen.
Liora and Castaspella watched Norwyn bow before he started to follow Hope out of the throne room. They then bowed before the rulers of Bright Moon and followed their teacher. Norwyn was a little disappointed that he was summoned to Bright Moon to just act as a messenger for the people of Mystacore. He had hoping maybe the king had some mission for him. He was more puzzled than he ever had been, especially with Isabella sensing the coming of a large army. He did not doubt her one bit, since was born with strong magic. People of her race had magic that was far more superior to even the best sorcerers and sorceresses of Mystacore. He signed and then walked over to his horses, with his two young students following him. Norwyn also found himself worrying about what could happen to his students. He wanted so much to see the girls become very powerful, but this new threat could postpone their training. He wanted nothing more than to live in peace in Mystacore and raise and train Liora and Castaspella as first-rate sorceresses, powerful enough that the two of them could protect the planet from any type of army.