Hello, everyone. This is being posted on December 25, so best wishes for any of you who celebrate Christmas or a holiday in general during this time of the year.
This chapter will be a shorter one because it is primarily focused on one scene. This chapter will focus on the contents of Silas Charnon's special journal. As these are not in the original series' contents, I have tried to make it accurate to what Silas Charnon is as a person.
DISCLAIMER: The 'Amulet' series is created and illustrated by Kazu Kibuishi, and published by 'Scholastic'. The author owns any original characters and custom elements included into the story.
Onward!
The Sun was notably higher in the sky when Caleb, Karen, Leon and Miskit all reached Karen's apartment and went inside. The silver raven remained silent as it swooped through the upper part of the doorway whilst it was open, causing a bit of commotion from Karen as it swerved around her head to get indoors. However, the bird did not pursue any form of attack before it landed on top of the kitchen counter again.
"Control your bird, Caleb," Leon advised the teenager once everyone was inside. "I don't want it hurting us."
"It's not my bird, Leon," Caleb reminded the fox-man while trying to watch the raven for any sudden movements. "The Corvid gave it to me temporarily. Why are you so upset about this thing, anyway?"
Leon huffed and glared at the metallic avian. "Foxes and birds are not usually friends." He turned away from the robotic creature and pulled out a chair from Karen's kitchen table to sit down. The others followed his example, unconsciously sitting in the same areas of the table they had from the last time.
Caleb looked at Leon for a further sign of his anger towards the robotic bird, but the beginnings of an answer to his own question began forming in his head. The "Corvid" were keepers of information, separate from the rest of the Resistance, and Leon had not known about them. Leon was also a bounty hunter who had probably fought and captured other people for money. He must be suspicious of the "Corvid" and their methods, not the form of their messenger.
Caleb had no answer to fix Leon's suspicions; if that encounter of Kanalis was a sign of how the "Corvid" usually operate, then they were tight-lipped with giving out information. Being tossed around in a sack was not a good way to earn someone's trust and support. If Leon had been treated that way, Caleb was sure the fox-man would have fought back and demanded more answers. But Caleb was not Leon, and Leon was not Caleb.
The fox-man turned to Karen, who had the acquired book, On Stone Power by Silas Charnon, down flat on the table with the cover faceup. "Begin when you are ready, Miss Hayes," he told her, a clear sign to everyone in the room to listen closely because something important was going to happen.
Karen opened the cover and quickly flipped through the first few pages, which were mostly blank. She stopped at the first big wall of text written on the page. It was actually written, using black ink and everything. Caleb was used to typing papers and assignments on a computer or tablet, and Alledia had more advanced technology than Earth, robots and walking houses. Why, then, did Silas decide to write in a physical book?
Karen read some of the page's contents before placing a finger on that spot. "Here's the first entry," she told everyone. "The date is… not here." She looked the entry over again and repeated, "This has no date, or any that I can recognize."
"Is that intentional?" asked Caleb, looking to the others for answers.
"Possibly," said Leon, but he did not sound convinced by his own answer. "It is hard to record things in full during war. People are more concerned about staying alive than writing journals."
"People on Earth use calendars to track the month, year, and day," Karen commented. "Is it different here, Leon?"
Leon's left ear flicked to the side as a short ting came from the kitchen counter; the raven, everyone assumed. "Computer programs help with that, Miss Hayes, but there are still people who use the stars to navigate. Airship pilots most often do so when their ship's navigational systems fail."
"That's right," Caleb jumped in, "like people who sailed ships on Earth navigated by constellations. Got it." Leon and Karen both nodded in agreement and then turned back to the journal. Karen had to look at the cursive script closely to find her spot again.
"Do you require reading glasses?" Leon unexpectedly asked Karen.
Karen laughed for a moment. "No," she then told Leon, "I still have strong enough eyes after reading lots of bedtime books to Emily and Navin by electric lamp. But thank you for asking."
Leon murmured, "You're welcome," as his furred cheeks gained a small twinge of red. Everyone's attention quickly turned to Karen when she began to read the first entry.
"I, Silas Charnon, being of sound body and mind, dedicate this journal to my personal notes and records. At this entry's writing, I am a member of the Guardian Council, and a Stonekeeper, residing in the world of Alledia. However, I have come to Alledia from my home planet of Earth through means of crossing dimensions in space-time. I plan to accomplish this journey at least once more, to pave the way for my descendants' arrival here."
The language used left all the readers silent. Then, Miskit said, "The wording there has me think Master Silas wrote this before he fully chose to live here." After a moment, he added, "Perhaps even before he had built Charnon House."
"A possibility I will believe when we have more proof," Leon declared. "Please continue, Miss Hayes."
Karen nodded and moved her finger down the page, and then went to the next one. A new entry was there, again without a date.
"I will use this journal to record observations as I see them, and I have developed a locking mechanism to keep these writings safe. Additionally, the cover for this book will be a copy of one of my previous published works, On Stone Power. What I write in here is for the eyes of my descendants and their allies only. I have much to tell them.
"The world of Alledia has many issues, some of them that I help solve and others I choose to avoid. The Council members all act like this; picking their battles, solving problems on their own agendas. This is a strange, yet oddly beneficial, system of government for these people. Perhaps it connects with their universal acceptance of these "cursed" individuals from cities like Kanalis and Nautilus."
"Interesting choice of words," Karen said before she looked at Leon. "I suppose we are all "allies" of my grandfather's descendants, so we can all look at this together." She looked at the others around the table. "Any objections?" she asked them.
There were no objections. Not even the raven spoke up, or made any sounds. "Wonderful," Karen said. "Now, Leon, this "curse" has been around for generations, yes?"
Leon's right ear twitched. "Long enough for most people in Alledia to get used to it, I suppose," he summarized. "Silas would have gotten used to it as well, in order to fit in."
Karen nodded and licked her lips to wet them, flipping past a few pages filled with sketches of different Alledian plants and rocks. She found the next entry and put her finger by its first words. "The next entry is a bit shorter," she told everyone.
"I have been confused with how the Council are acting. The other members, young and old, see a greater conflict with Gulfen brewing, but they do not act against it. They observe, but do not respond. To me, this is proof of their complacency with the world and its wrongs. My efforts to speak up and address what should be obvious have, thus far, been met with claims I am obfuscating information."
Miskit frowned after Karen had finished. "Was this written before, or after, the war?" he asked her.
"We'll find out soon," Karen said as she flipped through a few more pages that were oddly blank. "Here's the next entry." She put her finger by it and began reading, her eyes squinting slightly to pick up specific curves and loops in the script.
"I have begun researching the skills and talents of Alledia's population, whether "cursed" or not. I aim to find those most effective at carrying information between cities and regions. With the Council's full records at my disposal, I am confident in finding a particular species or faction possessing the qualities I need. We must be ready to quickly spread word if danger comes."
Another loud tap came from the raven. "That settles it," Leon firmly told everyone else. "This certifies Silas wanted to form a spy group."
Miskit repeated his earlier frown. "Master Silas was not always a secretive individual," he told everyone. "I knew him as a kind-hearted, if sickly, man."
Karen was the first to hear the disbelief in Miskit's tone of voice. "We all knew him differently, Miskit," she said consolingly. The rabbit nodded back, keeping his eyes on the table as Karen found the next entry just two pages further into the book.
"My searching has led me to a "cursed" society of raven-people. Fitting, since on Earth ravens are regarded in mythology as birds of omen and knowledge. These raven-people live in the jungles of Coconino Valley, all of them sporting the same "curse". They act like Native American tribes in North America or Bedouin clans in the Middle East.
"I can tell from my initial observations of these people that they are very secretive. However, it was easy enough for me to get into their good graces with tales of my own world being so different from Alledia. Once they knew I could keep a secret, they showed me their ways. Small birds are used as messengers, the language of this society translatable into something like Earth's Old English. They use the natural world to build their homes and tools, but they also scavenge metal when they can find it.
"The biggest thing I have learned so far is that these people are searching for something. They claim a "God-Beast", probably a Mountain Giant, is buried somewhere in that part of the world. Perhaps I can use their tribal mythology to my advantage; the Spanish "Conquistadors" of Earth convinced the Aztec and Incan peoples that they were living versions of local "gods". With luck, I can create a group from these people with names, gestures, and codes known by no one on Alledia."
As Caleb heard Karen read, his mind sculpted an image of Silas—the Silas in that picture from the Hayes family home on Earth, actually—writing these out with quill or pen. The teenager felt like he was in a suspenseful movie. All these secrets discovered after this long in hiding… it reminded him of buried treasure, and he was one of the people lucky enough to discover it. Even though he had not been part of the Hayes family before arriving in Alledia, Silas's daughter judged him worthy of hearing this along with her. Caleb could not stop himself from smiling at this happy change.
Meanwhile, Karen moved to the next entry in the book. No one had said anything, simply taking in all the information Silas had written down. Karen's eyes widened as she placed the book fully down on the table. "Look at this," she told the others.
Besides the entry was a detailed sketch of a familiar bearded man with a Stonekeeper's amulet around his neck. Everyone leaned forward, recognizing the man before Karen had finished reading the accompanying entry.
"I have been discovered while working on my plans. However, not all is lost. The one who discovered my plans is a friend, the Stonekeeper Vigo Light. I trust Vigo and respect his practical thinking as a mentor to other Stonekeepers. He has promised to maintain the secrecy of my agendas. His help will be useful, I am sure."
"He knew about this!" Miskit slammed a fist into the table, causing Leon to flinch. "We should have talked to Master Vigo when we had the chance!"
A quiet gurgling sound came from the raven. Caleb turned to face that way as Leon grimly told Miskit, "If the Stonekeepers don't survive the war, not knowing about this will be a small worry." This did not comfort the rabbit very much.
Caleb nearly stood up when he saw the raven pacing along the kitchen counter like a nervous person did when they were too wired up to stay still. What led the teenager to not get up and go to the raven was Karen moving to the next entry in the book; he wanted to listen to that more than check on the metal bird.
"Vigo and I have agreed to form what we are calling the "Corvid" based around my knowledge of Earth's Norse mythology and Earthly characteristics of ravens. Our combined efforts have accelerated my plans months forward. The Corvid will certainly accept the Council's advanced technologies and knowledge of Alledia to aid in their quest and the survival of this world."
Leon drummed his paws against the table, appearing deep in thought. Miskit kept his eyes on the table, also seeming to think deeply. Karen flipped through more pages while Caleb checked on the raven again. The bird had stopped moving around, its eyes locked on the table and what was going on there. The "Corvid" would probably be paying attention to what was going on here.
"Oh, here we are," Karen said, getting everyone's attention again. "This next entry is very short."
"War has begun. Gulfen took up arms earlier today and forced out all non-elven citizens and travelers from its borders. Some of the displaced have already been killed or taken prisoner. I fear this is only the beginning of a terrible point in Alledia's history."
The room became silent, sorrow weighing over the readers like a crushing wave. Caleb rubbed his forehead when he felt sweat start to form there, but he did not feel any droplets on his skin. Fear and worry had him thinking he was sweating. He focused on keeping a steady breath as the others looked to Karen to continue. She did once she found the right page, all eyes on her.
"The war has reached a stalemate, of sorts. Gulfen and Windsor are locked in a struggle for power. Early conquests of farmlands by the elves have led to food shortages throughout Alledia. In Cielis, the Council moves lackadaisically, unable to submit to the public outcry and send aid. I see all these problems and cannot fix them, even with help. It is heartbreaking.
"I have had enough of this stagnation and fear. It is time for me to leave my legacy on Earth. I have given the Corvid their independence and the technology to equal any other society in Alledia. At this time, they are digging out what they believe to be the former chamber of a "God-Beast". This shall become their primary base. They are choosing to call the dwelling's former inhabitant "Syn", after the Earth Norse Goddess of watchfulness, truth, and doorways."
Leon twitched his nostrils, his paws pressed against the table's surface. "Those myths were taken seriously, then," he told everyone. "That could be something useful for us."
"Wait," Karen said quickly, "there's a bit more to this entry down here."
"I will note that "Syn" was the handmaiden of the greater goddess "Frigg", wife of "Odin" the All-Father. The Corvid call me the "All-Father" of their new society. This tells me they still care about me, their founder. I will admit I had doubted they would remain loyal, for a while."
"Good to hear these people stick to their word," Karen remarked when she had finished reading out the entry.
Leon hummed in agreement, his eyes looking at the pages Karen currently had open. "I suppose Silas had good reasons to doubt the Corvid. If they had grown too fanatical, then they would have put everyone in danger."
Karen and Miskit nodded. Caleb did not. "Sorry," he cut in, "what does "fanatical" mean? I remember reading about it in history books with the Crusades in the Midde East, but nowhere else."
Leon stumbled with a response, but Karen came to his rescue. "Being "fanatical" basically means you absolutely believe something is true," she told Caleb. "You will accept it no matter what other people say or do. The "Crusades" were wars fought by different people to control the city of Jerusalem and its surrounding land. They all believed it was holy to them, and only them."
"Yikes." Caleb rubbed his wrists as he took in what Karen said. "And the Corvid seem to be just as, uh, absolute in their beliefs?"
"The elves are fanatics," Leon said. Then he corrected himself: "Well, most of them. We know that Trellis is against his father's demands; there could be other elves not wanting to work for the King."
"Then they are doing a very good job of hiding," Miskit grumbled. "Maybe too good."
Leon gave Miskit a sharp look, but the rabbit did not take back his opinion. Caleb said nothing to add or remove the tension between those two. Karen, meanwhile, flipped past several empty pages—no one commented how common that seemed to be in the book—and stopped on the next large block of text. "There's one more entry here, everyone," she said.
"This will be my last entry. The Corvid are pursuing their mission with passion born out of a drive I fear I no longer possess. Emelia would certainly provide that sort of passion and drive if she were here. But she is gone, and I cannot change fate or time to bring her back. For now, Earth calls me home. I will choose where I breathe my last, whether on Earth or Alledia, when the time comes. I hope it will not come soon."
Karen checked the last pages for any additional content. The only thing was a detailed drawing of Silas's Stonekeeper amulet, which Emily now possessed. Without the color of the amulet's "Voice", it appeared to be a piece of jewelry with intricate symbols that would easily fit around a wearer's neck via a strong cord of rope. Karen, Leon, Miskit, and Caleb were only some of the people who knew the amulet was much more than a picture. The fate of Alledia hung on it, and others who wielded other amulets like it.
Karen closed the book and slid it forward a bit on the table. "Very informative," Leon said for the general opinion of the other three members of their group. "So, the Corvid are worth being allies with, at the very least to fight against the elves."
Miskit looked at the book again, his face switching between anger and grief. To distract himself from these feelings, he turned to Caleb and asked: "Did the Corvid say they were going to call you about meeting with them? Or will you just wait?"
Caleb recalled what the raven had said with a little mental effort. "They told me to wait for further instructions," he answered for Miskit. "No idea on what those instructions are." He turned to look at the silver raven, the bird still watching them all with its unblinking gaze. "When they want to instruct me, they will probably send word through something like the raven here."
"Then you are staying with that bird at all times," said Leon. "Granted, you were already doing that, so nothing's changed."
"I guess not." Caleb managed to smile at the fact, and Karen smiled sympathetically with him. Few things were not changing in this time of war and strife. It felt good to have some consistency in any world.
Alright, that's all for now.
As usual, any feedback and constructive criticism you choose to give is appreciated.
Draconos is taking off!