Wizards and Warriors

The wagon lurched back and forth as it traveled along the road. Sometimes Robert thought that they would hit every pothole on their way to the next town.
He listened to the various noises of the journey. He heard brittle stick snap beneath the wheels. The wind was shaking the smaller trees of the forest. The wagon splashed through a puddle of recently fallen rain. Chester the dwarf was playing a merry tune on his flute.
The long hours of traveling gave Robert a lot of time to think about the world and his place in it. Some people would love to be in show business, as he was.
Some people dream of leaving their towns and seeing the continent as he had done. But maybe they would get tired of traveling all of the time eventually. Maybe they would someday want to settle down in a place that they could call home. Robert often wondered if other people saw his life the way he saw it himself.
If he ever felt depressed, he tried to remember the happier moments of his life. Maybe he would ask Chester to tell some jokes. Perhaps he would think about the time he and Annie played hide and seek among some ruins of ancient Rome. She could never find him. However, he enjoyed watching her look in all of the wrong places. Her attempts to catch him were so amusing that he giggled and gave himself away. He lost the game. It had been worth it to prove that he was more clever than she, at least for a while.
He felt that he had a lot of reasons to be happy. He was with his friends and family all of the time. There was Houdi, the magician who had adopted him after Robert had become an orphan so long ago. There was also his assistant in helping him put on the shows. Annie was their daughter. She was the closest person he had to having someone of his own age. But now she was getting too old to have much to do with a little boy any more.
Still, there were people he could count on to be his friends. There was Chester the jester, who was so full of humor and good cheer. There was Karno the strong man, who was as kind as he was tough. And there was old Angelina, who was like a grandmother to him. Their loyalty to each other was unquestioned. The show was the closest thing to a real family that Robert had ever known.
His thoughts were interrupted as he started listening to a conversation between Karno and Houdi.
“What’s that man up there doing?” The strong man asked.
“I don’t know.” Houdi replied as he continued to drive the horses.
“But I certainly won’t stop if he’s a highway man.”
Robert looked off into the distance. There was a person up ahead, pacing in the road. He appeared to be dressed very raggedly. The boy thought that the fellow might just be a beggar looking for handouts from passing travelers. However, you never could be too sure about strangers, or too careful, either.
As they approached the stranger, the wagon slowed to a halt.
“What goes on there, mister?” Houdi called to the fellow.
“Oh, kind sirs, could you spare a piece of bread for a starving man?” The guy held out his hand in desperation.
“We can oblige you; if that’s all you ask.” The magician answered. “Lanya! Do we have any bread?”
After a few moments, a hand appeared form the side of the wagon. It tossed a roll to the man, who ate it up quickly.
“Thank you, kindly!” The ragged man exclaimed with his mouth full.
“Eat it in good health.” Karno said. “Careful, there. Don’t choke on it. Too much of a good thing can be a bad thing.”
“So, what brings you out to this part of the woods?” Houdi asked as the fellow finished up the bread.
“I’m off to see my relatives in the next city. I hope they can fix me up with a job there.” The stranger replied as he headed down the road.
“Well, good luck to you.” Karno yelled to the man as he disappeared into the distance.
Houdi snapped the reins and the horses started up again.
“Perhaps we should have asked him if there were any bandits on the road.” The strongman said.
“If he made it this far from Albervyn, I would say this road is fairly safe.” The magician replied. “If he had been robbed, he wouldn’t even be alive right now.”
“I suppose you’re right.” The big guy agreed.
And so, the journey continued. Robert passed the time by watching the scenery go by. Sometimes he practiced the magic tricks that Houdi had shown. He could perform some of them well. However, he often wondered what it would be like to perform real magic and not just illusions, which would fool the eyes.
“Are there such people as wizards?” He said as he turned to Lanya.
“My goodness, yes!” She replied. “There are a good many of them in the world. They perform magic just like Houdi. Even better, I’d say.”
“I don’t believe in wizards.” Annie broke in. “Why I’ve never even seen one. I don’t think they could exist.”
“Well, just because you haven’t seen something, that doesn’t mean that, they aren’t there.” Lanya stated. “There are a lot of things which happen in this world that defy explanation.”
Robert nodded in agreement. “I figure that there’s always a possibility they could be real. If you don’t believe in anything, then your life might be kind of dull.”
“Well, I believe in what is real.” Annie remarked. “If something is in my hand, I can touch it. I know it’s there. There is a difference between what is reality and what is imaginary.”
Robert didn’t feel like arguing. Sometimes he felt that every time he started talking with Annie, the conversation broke down to a series of disagreements. Maybe she was right. Maybe she just liked to debate. Whatever the reason, he didn’t feel that he had enough facts to support his ideas. Only real proof would satisfy her.
He started watching the scenery go by.
“Hey, look out there!” He cried and pointed.
“Well, what is it?” Annie asked.
“I thought I saw some elves out there!” Robert exclaimed.
Lanya, Annie, and Chester looked out over the countryside to see what was getting the boy’s attention.
“There they are! See them on the hill?”
Annie was skeptical. “I see little people on the hill. But they are only little because we are far away. If we were up close to them, I’m sure you would find that they are quite normal sized.”
“I don’t know, dear.” Lanya added. “Those do look like tiny people even from this distance. It’s hard to tell unless we could get any closer.”
The wagon did not get any closer. The elves, or whoever they were, continued to work in their fields as they faded into the distance.
“Now the first time I met Chester, I thought that he might be an elf.” Annie said. “How about it? Do you know anything about those little people?”
The dwarf smiled. “I figure that I maybe either the world’s smallest human or the world’s biggest elf!” Everyone chuckled.
CRASH! Suddenly, everyone heard a loud sound. They looked down the road to see what had happened. A huge boulder had fallen off a cliff. The wagon had just passed the spot where the rock had landed.
“That was a close one.” Houdi commented. “If we had been a little slower, it might have crushed us flat.”
“Maybe a troll was trying to get us!” Annie remarked. “And maybe he just couldn’t push the rock over fast enough!”
“We were indeed lucky not to be injured.” Lanya replied. “Not being in the wrong place at the wrong time is just as important as being in the right place as the right time.”
Chester added, “I always thought if everyone knew where was the right place and when was the right time, everyone would be at the same place at the same time! But so much of life is just luck!”
Several miles away, two men were running through the forest. They had been on the lam for many days. They had climbed mountains, waded through swamps, swam across rivers, and hiked through miles of wilderness to get this far. Occasionally, they were able to stop for a rest. However, they never felt comfortable in any one place for very long. They were determined to continue their journey.
“Oh, my feet ache!” Valmar complained. “Can’t we rest a while?”
“We can spend a few minutes here.” Moreland replied. “But then we must go on.”
Valmar sat down. “You’re a bigger guy than I am. So I think that I have to take more steps just to keep up with you. Ah, I think I’ve got blisters on my feet.”
“We can have your wounds treated when we get to the next town.” Moreland said. “But we can’t stay out here for long.”
Valmar looked over the countryside. “Do you think the Devillan’s men are still looking for us?”
The taller man looked toward the sky impassively. “They are still looking. They will keep on looking for us. They will never stop looking for us until we are captured or dead.”
Valmar loosened the straps of his armor. He had abandoned all unnecessary items days before so he could travel faster and lighter than his pursuers. The strategy had appeared to work. Neither he nor Moreland had seen the Dark Soldiers in the past few days.
“I think I hear a stream flowing nearby. Let’s get a drink of water.” Moreland observed.
The two found a small creek flowing through the woods. They had their fill and continued their hike.
“When will we ever get to safety?” Valmar asked.
“We will only be safe when Devillan and his followers have been defeated.” Moreland answered. “The evil lord has many enemies. Some day, they may unite and bring him down. But for now, they spend most of their time fighting among themselves. Devillan just waits and sees who is weakened and then he attacks.”
Valmar whimpered. “Back at the barracks, we had food, lodgings, and friendships. I almost miss being a soldier.”
“For now, be glad that you are still alive.” The big man snapped. “You know the rules. Death to traiters. There will be no mercy if they find us.”
The smaller fellow continued to shine. “Oh, I’m so hungry. What wouldn’t live for some…”
“Hush! You fool! I heard something!” Moreland interrupted.
The big man drew out his sword and waved it slowly through the air in front of him. Valmar did the same.
“What is it?”
“There are people in the forest watching us.” Moreland said in a low whisper.
“So, we ran away from one problem just to run into another one.” The shorter man said silently. “Well, maybe it’s a welcoming committee.”
“I don’t think so!” Moreland yelled as the two were attacked.
About eight half-naked savages jumped out of nearby bushes and out from behind trees.
One red-haired thug tried to rush Moreland with a large stick. The soldier snapped the rod easily with his sword and kicked his attacker back into the bush.
Another threw a crude wooden spear at him, but he deftly blocked it with his shield. One black-haired lout attempted to tackle him but the soldier dodged his opponent and punched him hard with his metal gauntlet.
Valmar fought bravely as well. A lanky fellow tried to hit him with a pole. He ducked and sent the thug packing with a well-aimed punch. Another threw a spear at him but missed. A mere swing off his sword frightened two of the savages away.
“Let’s go! Let’s get out of here!” Valmar exclaimed as he and his buddy beat a hasty retreat.
The fugitive soldiers ran off away from their attackers, but nobody followed them.
“Let’s go while we can. They didn’t beat us there, but they may be sending for reinforcements.” Valmar yelled.
The lower branches of trees shipped past their faces as they passed. The armor on their legs provided some protection from the sticker bushes on the ground.
They ran for what seemed to be over a mile. The two stopped by a blackberry bush to have a snack and catch their breath.
“Who were those people?” The shorter man asked.
“Arbormen. Tree-dwellers. People of the forest. They don’t take kindly to strangers. We must remember not to visit them again.” Moreland replied.
“The world can be such a dangerous place if you don’t know who your friends are.” Valmar sighed.
“At least we know who we can trust.” Moreland smiled as he patted his buddy on the back.
“Will we ever find a place free from oppression?”
“We’ll take a look at the next town. It should be only a few miles from here.”
The big soldier said. “Maybe our luck will change in Albervyn.
Houdi decided to stop the wagon for the night. He found a deserted meadow in a clearing near the forest. The group set up a small camp there. Robert helped Karno set up the tents. Lanya and Chester started a fire and cooked a fine stew. Annie helped gather some wood.
When their bellies were full and their bodies were tired, everyone lied down on the grass and stared up that the stars.
Annie relaxed by doing her acrobatic routines. Robert could see her silhouette in the dark. She started doing somersaults across the field. Then she did a series of cartwheels. She practiced her back flips, front flips, and leaping abilities. She found a low hanging tree branch nearby. She used it for her parallel bar exercises.
Karno was talking about his home far away. Robert watched him speak as the light of the dwindling fire splashed light upon his face.
“I used to live in the desert. I belong to a family of nomads. We tended livestock and traveled all over the land. I was much younger then. Although I had been to several cities in the desert, I really didn’t know much about the world. Soon I would learn.” Karno said.
“One day, our caravan was attacked. Several of my relatives were captured and I was taken as a slave. I looked for a way to escape for many years, but I found none.”
“For the first few years of my captivity, I worked as an oarsman on a galley. My masters treated me poorly, but I managed to survive. Eventually, I was sold to another master. He ran a school for fighters and I trained to be a professional fighter.”
“As a boxer, I did well. I won several bouts and made my master a lot of money. As a gesture of goodwill, he gave me my freedom. I think he did it as an incentive to the other fighters to try harder.”
Karno paused as he took a sip of water.
“For a while after that, I worked as a day laborer. Eventually, I met Houdi and we’ve been partners ever since.”
“Have you ever tried to go back to your land and see your family?” Robert asked.
“No, I just think that it would be impossible for me to find them. We had no place where we could call home. Our home was wherever we settled down for the night. It was just like right now. This place is our home this evening. Tomorrow our home may be somewhere else.”
“But don’t you get tired of moving around all of the time? Wouldn’t you ever want to stay in one place for a while?” Robert said as he gazed at the strongman.
“No, I guess I’m used to it by now. I like to travel. Since I’ve been doing it all my life, I might as well keep going on. I’ve gotten to see many interesting sights this way. I’ve seen the ruins of ancient Greece, the great pyramids of Egypt, the rose city of Petra, the fierce storms of the inland seas, and many other amazing things. I think I’d just get bored if I stayed in one place all of the time.”
With that remark, Karno rolled over and promptly fell asleep.
Robert looked toward Angelina. The old woman had been silent for most of the day.
“Are there such things as elves?” He asked.
She raised her hand and rested her head on it. She made wrinkles in her face as though she appeared to be deep in thought. After a few minutes of careful consideration, she replied, “Why yes, dear. I believe in elves. Don’t you?”
“I’m not sure.” The boy answered. “I’ve heard a lot about them from the stories you’ve told me. But I’ve never actually seen one. How would a person know if they exist or where they might be hiding?”
“Well, there are a lot of things we can believe in without seeing.” She began. “We believe in the air. Even though we can’t see it, we know it’s there because we breathe it. There are a lot of things in the world, which are difficult to understand. But there’s no reason that there couldn’t be elves, or goblins, or fairies, or trolls, or pixies, or brownies, or gremlins, or leprechauns, or any other strange creatures.
“I saw some lights flying off into the forest.” Robert commented. “I thought that they were ghosts. But later, Annie said that they were just fireflies. I also saw some kind of small creature with wings. I saw it fly across a meadow. I thought that it might be a fairy. However, Annie said that it was just a butterfly.”
The old woman smiled. ‘There are a lot of things which have easy explanations. And then there are things which have no explanation. Sometimes, you just have to find out the truth for yourself.”
Several miles away, an old man in a long robe rode upon a white horse. He had a long flowing white beard and carried a large staff in his weathered hands.
His eyes had seen the events of many years. He had seen the good and bad in people. Sometimes he had had trouble telling the difference. There were so many good people who appeared bad and bad people who pretended to be good that it was often difficult to make a judgment on someone’s appearance alone. Experience was that best teacher.
He was accompanied by a small elf who sat on the same horse right in front of him. The little fellow had to tie himself to the horse’s mane to keep from falling off. The ride was bumpy for him, but he managed to hold on. At least he had a better view than he did when he spent a journey inside the pocket of the wizard.
The old man noticed two figures on the road ahead. They appeared to be a couple of trolls dressed in ragged clothes. They were waving their arms desperately and gestured to the horseman to stop.
He pulled on the reins and Noggin came to a halt.
“Oh, please kind Sir, could you spare us a few pieces of change? My friend and I haven’t eaten in nearly a week.” The shabbing-looking fellow whined.
“I guess I could give you a few farthings.” The old man replied as he took out a bag. “How much would be sufficient?”
The expression on the troll’s face changed from pathetic to evil.
“Why, I’ll take everything you’ve got if you don’t mind!” The little mean man exclaimed as he pulled out a small sword and pointed it threateningly at the man’s head.
His accomplice on the ground aided him by grabbing the reins of Noggin and keeping the horse from taking off.
The elf yelled at the troll bitterly. “Have you no decency? Don’t you know who this man is? This is Lord Laring, the grand wizard of Albervyn!”
The troll named Sloat with the sword growled, “I don’t care if he’s King Alfred. I want what’s coming to me out of that bag there or I’ll run him through like an archery target.”
“Very well.” The horseman said. “Here is your reward. Catch!”
Laring threw the bag of clanking noises into the woods.
Sloat dropped his sword and pounced upon the bag. He quickly thrust his hand into it. He expected to find a treasure, but instead he found a different sort of surprise.
“Ow! Ow!” He wailed as he withdrew his hand from the bag. It was covered with large black bugs. They were biting him.
Smirk, the other troll, continued to hold Noggin’s reins tightly. He drew out a knife and pointed it at the old man.
“You tricked us!” He screamed. “If you don’t hand over some real money, I’ll fix you good.”
“Just a minute, bub.” The elf mused. “What’s that there on your nose?”
Smirk looked at his nose in amazement. There was large black pimple on it which kept growing and growing. When he first noticed the blemish, it was about the size of a blueberry. But in just a few seconds, it had grown to the size of a small apple.
“Aaaaaah!” The troll yelled in terror. “What’s happening?”
Elvin the elf laughed. “He looks like he has a little nit on his noggin.”
The wizard added, “Or a snipe on his snout.” “Or a boil on his beak.” Elvin countered.
“Aaaaah!” Smirk cried again. He dropped his knife and ran off into the woods, following Sloat.
The horseman and the elf continued their journey as if noting had happened.
“Weren’t those nasty tricks to play on them?” The elf asked.
“Nasty boys deserve nasty toys.” The wizard answered. “Those spells were only temporary. In an hour, those two will be back to normal again. Hopefully, by the time they recover, they will have more sense than to try to rob people again.”
Early the next morning, Robert rubbed his eyes and looked out of the tent. He saw a beautiful sunrise in the distance. Layers of red, orange, yellow, blue, and pink colored the sky. The light of the sun sparkled upon the droplets of dew on the grass.
He had a feeling that today would somehow be a special. He didn’t know how. He didn’t know why. He just felt that somehow this day would be different.
He helped the others pack up the tent and their other belongings. The performers loaded their supplies onto the wagon. Then everyone got on board and they headed down the road.
Nobody said anything for a while. Robert broke the silence.
“Chester, don’t you know any poems you could recite to us?”
The jester made a funny face as if he was deep in thought.
“I know some nursery rhymes. But sometimes I remember them incorrectly.”
“Like what?” Annie asked.
“Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall.
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
And all the king’s horses and all the king’s men made a big omelet out of him.”
“Ha, ha.” Lanya laughed. “I like that better than the original.”
“How about another?” Robert said as he smiled at the dwarf.
“Ummm, Let me think.” The short man replied as he scratched his head.
“Jack be nimble, Jack be quick. Jack jumped over a candlestick. But since that time, Jack has learned. If you play with fire, you shall get burned!”
“Heh, heh. Brilliant!” Robert exclaimed as he clapped.
“How about this one?” Chester continued.
“Mary had a little lamb, little lamb, little lamb. Mary had a little lamb with some peas, potatoes, and pudding for dessert.”
“Not as good.” Annie remarked. “Try again.”
The little man was silent for a few seconds and then replied, “Peter, Peter, Pumpkin-eater. He had a wife and couldn’t keep her. So he put her in pumpkin shell and when he died, he went straight to hell.”
“Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet,
Eating her curds and whey.
Along came a spider who sat down beside her.
So she bashed out his brains with her tray.”
“Mary, Mary, quite contrary.
How does our garden grow?
With crabgrass, poison ivy, and nettles,
I only have weeds to sow.”
Chester kept reciting as many poems as he could recall. He would always try to end each verse with some original line. Eventually, he ran out of ideas.
“Wait! What was that?” The dwarf snapped.
“What was what?” Annie asked.
“I thought I heard some kind of growling noise.” Chester replied.
“Yes, I think I hear it, too.” Robert added. “Did it come from within the forest?”
Everyone looked around to see what was making the growling noise. However, the horses were making so much noise with their trotting that it was difficult to tell where the new noise was coming from.
“Maybe there are bears in this area.” The dwarf said in a low voice.
“Or maybe it’s just your imagination.” Annie scoffed.
“No, it’s real.” Robert insisted. “And it’s getting louder.”
By this time, there were several growling sounds coming from within the forest. There were several bushes and trees lining the road, so no one could see what might be hiding in them. But Robert sensed that there might be some danger ahead. As the growling increased, he became more worried.
“What should we do?” He asked Houdi.
“I see no reason to stop. We’ll just have to get out of here as quickly as we can.” The magician answered as he snapped his reins.
The horse started running at a full gallop. They appeared to be frightened.
“Shouldn’t you slow down?” Robert advised. “The wagon is starting to shake out of control.”
“I can’t stop tem!” Houdi yelled. “They just want to get out of here. Everybody hang on for the ride of your life!”
By now, the horses were running scared. The whole wagon was shaking and rocking with every bump on the road. Everyone was holding on to make nothing fell off or no one fell out.
Robert looked into the woods. He thought he saw dark shape moving in and out of the foliage. But he couldn’t tell if they were actual creatures or shadows of the sun shifting as the wagon raced by them.
“There’s one!” Chester shouted. “Step on it!” He pointed to the road behind them.
Robert thought he saw some animal following them. However, the wagon was kicking up a lot of dust and he couldn’t see anything clearly.
“What was it? What did you see?” The boy inquired.
“It looked like some kind of thing.” The dwarf shrugged. “I’m not an expert, so I don’t know.”
“I saw it, too!” Annie exclaimed. “It was a monster! There’s another one!”
Robert looked and he saw it, too. A large, green creature was chasing the wagon. It appeared to be a reptile, but it ran like a dog. Fortunately, it did not run very fast. It soon got lost in the dust.
“I’ve never seen such a thing.” Robert commented. “What on earth was it?”
“It’s a lizaroid!” Houdi yelled. “They can be dangerous so we’ll try to avoid them. Giddiap!”
Robert saw more of the creatures on the road ahead. One of them was snarling and hissing at them. It stuck out a forked tongue at the travelers as the wagon raced by. Another beast tried to bite one of the horses. It tried to block the road by jumping out in front of the stallions. It ran out of the way just before the wagon would have run over it.
As they were passing a large rock formation, a large creature pounced upon the wagon. It was attacking Chester. The little man could barely keep lizaroid from biting him. All he could do was keep its snapping mouth away from himself.
“Look out!” Annie cried.
“I got it!” Robert yelled as he grabbed the beast from behind. Using all of his strength, he pried it off of the dwarf and threw it off the wagon.
The little man shook his hand.
“Thanks, friend. I might have been a goner without your help.”
“Well, we’re not out of trouble, yet.” The boy replied. “Maybe you’ll get a chance to save me, too!”
Another lizaroid tried to jump on top of the wagon. This time, Karno blocked it with his shield and the beast fell to the ground.
One of the creatures managed to jump on the back of one of the horses. Houdi feared that it would bite the stallion. He was able to knock the lizaroid off the horse with a well-aimed crack of his whip. The beast lost his balance and fell by the side of the road.
One beast tried to climb on the wagon by hanging on to the running board. Angelina shook him off with a frying pan.
Soon, the lizaroids gave up on their attack. The wagon was traveling too fast for them. They couldn’t get on board. Several of them didn’t even try. They just watched as the travelers rolled on by. Robert watched the last of the creatures disappear into the dust as the horses continued to run.
“They were certainly strange animals.” He remarked. “I hope we don’t run into them again.”
“They are not really dangerous beasts.” Houdi said. “But they can be very frisky at times. You just have to show them who’s the boss and not be intimidated by them.”
“Are there more beings like that where we are going?” Annie asked while barely hiding a tone of disgust.
“You bet. You haven’t seen the weirdest ones yet.” Houdi replies.
“I can hardly wait.” Chester sighed.
By this time, the horses were slowing down. They had almost completely worn themselves out.
“Whoa, boys. That’s better.” Houdi grasped the reins firmly. Allanby and Barnabas reduced their speed to a slow trot.
Houdi was able to find a stream nearby where the horses could get a cool drink. Robert also took a break from the hot sun by going swimming.
“Come on in! The water’s great! He yelled to the others on the shore.
“I’m not afraid of the water.” Annie exclaimed. “I just don’t know what might be in the water. After what happened on the road, I wouldn’t be too careful if I were you.”
“She’s got a point there, Bob.” Chester added. “If I were you, I’d watch out for anything you might step on out there. You don’t want to mess with any sea snakes or lake monsters or anything else which might you be in therewith.”
Robert got out of the stream soon afterwards. The travelers were on their way once more.
The boy found a place next to Angelina in the wagon. She told him all about Albervyn.
“Albervyn is like a haven for the unwanted. It’s where the friendless can have friends. It’s where the homeless can find a home. All of the outcasts of the world come to this town where they can find protection from those who might harm them.”
“Lord Laring is the ruler of Albervyn. He is a great and powerful wizard.”
“You sound like you know a lot about this place.” Annie cut in.
“I used to live there so long ago.” Angelina continued. “It was a once place to grow up in. Yes, it was my hometown. But I was young and impatient. I wanted to see the world. So, one day, I ran off with a traveling magician. We did shows all over the world and that’s been my life ever since.”
By the time, Moreland and Valmar had reached the outskirts of Albervyn. They were tired and hungry. However, they believed that they would be safe there. The area was beyond the reach of Devillan’s and it was well known for being a refuge for refugees.
The first thing they wanted to find was a job. They asked people around town about and found a few leads. They worked for an hour shoveling manure at a local farm. However, that was only temporary employment. Valmar thought that job stunk.
Moreland was interested in serving as a soldier for the local lord. But there was no garrison in Albervyn. Apparently, the county had no need of defenses of any kind. He learned that Lord Laring was the master of the land and his protection was sufficient to keep out any invading forces. He also found out that there was a job opening for the position of sheriff. He decided to try for that.
“Lord Laring!” Elvin the elf yelled. “There’s a fellow out here who wants to be the next sheriff.”
“By all means, show him in.” The wizard replied.
Moreland entered the room. He was fascinated by the uniqueness of the place. Hundreds of strange ingredients for potions lined the selves of the walls. Laring himself was experimenting with some unknown fizzling liquid in a small beaker.
The soldier extended his hand and found it accepted. After a few words of introduction, the formal interview began.
“So, what sort of formal experience do you have for this job?” The wizard asked as he continued to fiddle with the solution in his hands.
“For the last tow years, I’ve served as a soldier in the army of Lord Devillan.” Moreland explained. “I have received extensive military training.”
“Very good.” Laring remarked. “And why did you leave your employment and come here?”
“My boss and I had a difference of opinion.” Moreland continued. “I wanted a discharge and he wanted me dead!”
“I can see why that might be a good reason for leaving.” The old wizard nodded his head. He set the beaker aside and scribbled a few notes on a piece of paper.
“I used to know Lord Devillan myself.” Laring commented. “He was once a student of mine. I can understand why he is not an easy man to work for. He is even more difficult to work against.”
“Please understand that being the sheriff of Albervyn is not an easy job. There are a lot of travelers arriving at and leaving from this town. Invariably, conflicts arise between our visitors and our local residents.”
“We have also had a problem with sheriffs coming and going. Too many of them just couldn’t handle the pressures of the job.”
“I am prepared to give you tentative approval for this job if you are willing to do it. There will be a trial period in which your performance will be evaluated.”
“I shall get the mayor to explain all of your duties to you. I wish you the best of luck.”
“I will do my best, sir. You can depend on it.” Moreland smiled as the two shook hands.
The wagon continued to roll down the road. The wheels creaked under the weight of its load.
Robert was used to the constant motion. He had learned to take every bump in the road as they came. He could move back and forth for hours without getting motion sickness. This had been his way of life for as long as he could remember. Sometimes he looked forward to the long trips. He liked to just sit and watch the world go by him.
But other times, he wondered what his life would be like if he already seen more of the world in his short life than some people see of it in their whole lifetimes. He thought about finding a place where he could call home. Maybe he was becoming restless with being restless.
“I thought you said that there were no elves.” He said to Annie.
“Of course not, silly.” She replied.
“Then who’s that over there?” The boy pointed up the road.
Annie would scarcely believe her eyes. A large group of very tiny people were riding in a tiny cart pulled by a small, brown dog. They were approaching the wagon on the road from the opposite direction. As the little people passed by, they laughed and waved to the travelers.
“They are…uh…little people, I guess.” The girl stammered. She could hardly believe her eyes.
“And you said you didn’t believe in trolls. Well, look over there.”
Annie watched in amazement. The wagon passed by a small group of short stocky men waling beside the road. They were carrying picks, axes, and shovels. Some of them were whistling a merry tune.
“I guess I believe it now.” She admitted. “But how come we never saw those people before?”
“Because most of them only live near Albervyn.” Houdi spoke up. He gave the reins a quick snap. “This town is a haven for all of those creatures who are persecuted elsewhere.”
Houdi drove the wagon to the Albervyn City Fair. He explained to the others there was the potential for a lot of money to be made at this event. Tourists from all over the country often flocked to this area to see the unusual inhabitants of the city.
The magician, his family, and friends obtained a permit to set up their entertainment tent at the fair. After finding a spot near a major street, the troup was soon in business.
Everyone helped Houdi erect a large tent on their spot. Karno held a tall pole in the middle while the others drove in stakes around the perimeter of the structure. Robert and Annie pulled the ropes on the tents tightly and attached them to the stakes. The travelers also set up a smaller tent where Angelina could tell people’s fortunes.
The entertainers were ready to start making money now. Robert tried to get people interested in the show by performing a few magic tricks for the people passing by. He knew virtually all of Houdi’s tricks by this time and he was quite a gifted magician for someone so young.
“Come right this way!” The boy exclaimed. “See the greatest show of the fair! Watch in amazement as objects appear and disappear before your eyes!”
Robert flashed a small card in his hand. It seemed to come from nowhere. He made it vanish with a few quick gestures.
“Where did it go?” A young girl gazed in wonder as she watched.
“Why here, it is! You have it yourself!” Robert laughed as he appeared to reproduce the card from the child’s ear.
“Abracadabra! Alakazam! See the most incredible show in the land!” The boy pointed to Houdi’s tent nearby. “If you think that was something folks, let me tell you something else. My stepfather can do things you’ve never even imagined.”
He continued with his rehearsed pitch. “Witness the feats of Karno, the strongest man alive! See him break chains with his bare muscles! Watch him perform fantastic feats of strength!”
Robert was getting the attention of some tourists. A peasant couple purchased a pair of tickets from Lanya and went inside the tent. They were followed by a carpenter, a couple of fair maidens, a tinker, a gnome, two female trolls, and a trio of elves.
He could see more people coming toward him in the distance, so he kept on talking.
“Meet the amazing Angelina, the world’s foremost fortune-teller. She knows all. She sees all. She tells all. Folks, you may never have this opportunity again!”
The boy then produced a ball in his hand. It seemed like the object came from nowhere. Another ball and still another ball appeared in his hands.
He used this to do a few juggling routines. First he juggled two balls with one hand. Next he juggled three balls with two hands. A fourth ball appeared and he juggled all of the balls with both hands.
By this time, he was collecting quite a crowd. A few people had started to watch him. Soon, several people were enjoying his act.
“Come one, come all. Right this way!” Robert exclaimed. “See the greatest show you’ve ever seen here! Witness wonders which will amaze and delight you! A most incredible performance awaits you here!”
With a few quick gestures, he made the balls vanish as skillfully as he made them appear. Several members of his audience applauded. They threw him small pieces of money. He caught several of the coins in his hands and in his cap. However, a few pieces of change fell to the ground.
Robert was reaching for some of those in the dirt when a large shoe stepped on them. He looked up to see a scruffy-looking red bearded fellow staring down at him.
“That was quite a trick you did.” The stranger remarked. “If you show me how you did it, I’ll let you have those coins.”
Robert ignored the man’s rudeness. He reached for a few other coins nearby. Another foot stepped on them before he could get them. The boy looked up to see a slightly smaller bully with a black beard.
Redbeard gestured to his buddy.
“My friend, Sloat, would like to learn your trick, also”
The young magician glared at the two thugs. He could hardly control his anger.
“I don’t have to show you anything.” He stated defiantly.
The expression on redbeard’s face turned evil.
“Well, then, I guess we’re just going to have to show you something!”
Redbeard reached down to grab the youth, but Robert was too quick for him. He scampered away backwards on all fours. The boy jumped up on his feet.
The bully tried to take a swing at the boy, but Robert dodged the blow and punched the fellow in his side.
While this was happening, Sloat seemed to have no interest in the fight. He was busy picking up what few coins were left on the ground.
Redbeard attempted to tackle the young magician, but he failed again.
The two were starting to attract another crowd of onlookers.
“Get him, Smirk!” Robert heard someone shout.
“I’ll get you!” Redbeard sneered as he approached the boy again.
The bully was just about to strike him when suddenly his blow was blocked. Karno had emerged from out of the crowd and grabbed Redbeard’s arm. He gave it a slight twist and the ruffian fell to the ground.
“If you know what’s good for you, then you’ll know what’s bad for you.” Karno laughed as he towered over redbeard. The beaten bully scowled as he got up and stormed off into the crowd.
“Are you all right, kid?” The strong man asked.
“Yeah, thanks.” Robert said. “Sometimes these characters get a little unruly.”
“Whatever happens, we’ll stick together! Right?”
“Either that or we’ll get stuck together.”
The two laughed as they started to prepare for the show.
The show was about to begin.
Although he had seen Houdi’s act numerous times before, Robert still felt a little excited. He knew most of the elder magician’s tricks already, but he still got a thrill out of seeing them once again. Usually Houdi would produce a few surprises which even he could not figure out.
“Snacks, sweets, and refreshments” Lanya called out. She had quickly switched from selling tickets to hawking food to the audience.
He stood up and started the announcement in a loud voice.
“Welcome Ladies and Gentlemen…and everyone else!”
There were so many strange characters there that “everyone else” was bound to cover any creature who was not a lady or a gentleman.
“You are about to witness some of the most incredible feats of illusion ever attempted. You will remember this show for the rest of your lives. It is my great honor to present to you - The Great Houdi!”
Annie pulled a rope to open the large, black curtain. The elder magician stood there in full costume. He was dressed in black from head to toe. He had little sequins on is clothes which sparkled in the light. He reminded Robert of a night sky. The sequins twinkled like stars on a dark background. He also wore a long, black cape which made him appear larger than he actually was.
“Welcome, my friends. It’s so good to see you. There are so many interesting people out there. Let me take a closer look!”
With one quick motion, Houdi appeared to pull one of his eyeballs out of his head. He held the eyeball out to show the audience. He wanted to make sure that everyone got a good look at it as he waved the small object in front of people’s faces. Presumably, he was also using the round, squishy object to see people.
“Yes, my friends, I am so glad to see you. I like to keep my eye out for people, don’t you?”
There were a few scattered laughs in the crowd. Some of the folks were a little squeamish and looked away from the thing the magician held in his hand.
“I’ve got an eye for you!” He said as he showed the object to a peasant girl who was trying to get a closer look.
The woman behind her screamed and covered her own eyes.
Houdi tried to comfort her.
“Don’t worry, my dear. This isn’t any evil eye. This is a very nice eye.
He sensed that people were starting to get tired of the eye trick. With a flick of his hand, he popped the eyeball into his face. He opened his eyelid, which had been closed all during this time.
“Ah, much better. I’d rather have my eyes in my head than anywhere else. Sometimes, they want to travel, though. You can’t imagine how helpless I am when my eyes want to go on a vacation.”
His next trick was a little more conventional.
Annie, who was acting as his assistant, handed him a piece of rope.
He held it up for everyone to see.
“This appears to be an ordinary piece of rope, right?”
Most of the people nodded their heads.
“But let me tell you something. This is no ordinary piece of rope. This is an extraordinary piece of rope. Why is it so special? Let me show you.”
He tied a knot in the rope.
“Whenever I tie a knot in the rope, it just won’t stay put.”
Houdi made the knot move back and forth along the rope.
“Sometimes I can’t even make the knot stay on.”
He slipped the knot off the end of the rope.
“Here, anyone want a knot?”
He threw the knot to a kid in the audience.
“It’s not really a knot.” Someone said.
“I know it’s not a knot but I don’t know what I can call it if I don’t know what it is.” The magician replied.
“Well, anyway, this rope has other special properties. No matter what I do to it, the rope has a tendency to stay together. Watch this.”
Annie handed him a pair of scissors. He cut the rope into two pieces and held them apart.
“Now these look like two separate pieces, right?” But I just say a few magic words like alakazam! Hocus pocus…”
He wrapped the two shorter ropes into a ball and held it up so everyone could see.
“…and look, voila! The rope is whole again.”
He dropped the end of the rope to show the audience that what he said was true.
Some of the people were so amazed that they started to clap their hands immediately. Others looked like they needed to see a more convincing trick.
“Now if you didn’t think that was incredible, let me show you something…”
That was all Robert heard as he slipped out of the tent.
Robert resumed talking to the passing crowd. He knew the others depended on him to help draw people in to see the show. He hadn’t liked being a barker at first. But later, he found that he had kind of a talent for getting people’s attention.
The show was nothing new to him by this time. Houdi could rarely fool him with anything new anymore. But Robert knew that to the untrained observer, magic could be very special. He saw it as a way to demonstrate that he could do things that few people could figure out. He felt that these abilities could serve him well through out his lifetime.
He saw that no one was waiting to listen to Angelina tell fortunes. Robert decided to try to hustle up some customers for her.
“Meet the great Angelina.” He shouted. “Hear her fortune told from the greatest mystic of all ages. She knows all, she sees all, and she tells all. What is your future? Find out today.”
As he was speaking, he thought about the old lady and her prophecies. When he had been just a little child, he had been amazed at her ability to understand him. She seemed to know everything he was thinking and everything that was going to happen to him. He was even more impressed with her insight than with Houdi’s magic.
Later, he found out that her abilities were not so amazing. She explained it to him.
“I just tell people what they want to believe and then they think I’m a genius.” She said. “I tell young men that they’ll find the women of their dreams. I tell young women that they’ll find the men of their dreams. I tell ambitious people that they will be successful. I tell lonely people that they will find happiness. I tell lonely people that their lives mean a lot to others. I would tell anyone that they are special. I would tell anyone that they are smart. I would tell anyone that sometimes they are not appreciated enough. I like to think that people benefit from seeing me. I would like to think I give people hope.”
Her explanation seemed so simple to Robert. He could hardly believe it! However, after watching her tell several fortunes, he found out that she was telling the truth.
He had learned a lot about life from her. She had showed him how important it was to believe in yourself. She had told him that if he didn’t believe in himself, then no one would believe in him, either.
Robert continued deliver his pitches to the passing crowds. He knew his family depended on his ability to hustle up business.
As he performed, he observed people as they observed him. Some of the tourists would walk right on by and ignore him. Others would linger a while and then go on their way. He preferred the people who wanted to see Houdi’s show immediately. They were the easiest to please.
He marveled at the variety of characters present at the fair. Of course, there were the usual types. There were farmers and their families. There were carpenters, blacksmiths, tinkers, coopers, tailors, and other tradesmen.
Sometimes he thought that he could recognize what a person did by a few subtle clues.
If he saw sawdust on a fellow’s pants, he could reasonably assume that that guy worked with wood.
If a person’s clothes appeared to soil with dirt, he guessed that they might have recently done some planting.
If a woman had food stains on her blouse, he might believe that she was a cook.
But there were still a lot of people he could not figure out much about. One of them was watching him right now.
He was an old man with a long, white beard. He wore a dark cloak and carried a long staff.
Robert had performed several of his tricks before he even noticed the guy. The man seemed to have ancient quality about him. He looked like he had seen the events of hundreds of years.
But the boy knew that people weren’t always what they claimed to be. All of his years of traveling on the road made him a little wary of meeting new people.
Robert was in the process of completing his last trick for his audience. He made a string of handkerchiefs appear and then disappear right in front of their eyes. The people applauded wildly. Many of them cheered and the boy was able to collect a large number of tips. He was also pleased that several of the people went to buy tickets to see Houdi’s show, also.
He was counting his tips when he was interrupted.
“Those were some good tricks you performed.”
He looked up to see the old man. The boy grinned sheepishly.
“Oh, thank you, sir. They are not difficult to do, really. All it takes is just a little practice. I’m sure that anyone could get used to them if they really tried.” Robert felt a little relieved that this guy wasn’t trying to cheat him out of anything, yet. However, he was always wary of strangers and rarely trusted anyone more than he felt was necessary.
The old man nodded. “That’s true. Most people could learn your tricks. But then, again, most people wouldn’t even try. For a boy as young as you to learn them shows an incredible amount of ability.”
“Oh, that’s nothing.” mused Robert. “If you really want to be impressed, you should see my stepfather’s show. He can show you wonders which will truly amaze you. Don’t miss it! The next performance starts in only ten minutes.”
“I would like to see it, yet there is something which interests me even more. “The stranger replied. “Can you tell me anything about this fortune teller, Angelina?” He pointed to her tent.
“Why certainly, sir.” The boy answered. “Take my work for it; she’s one of the best. She sees what no other seer can see. She tells what no other teller can tell. Just buy a ticket from Lanya here and the great Angelina will be happy to tell you everything about anything.”
He pointed to the line for tickets. The old man nodded to him and joined the others.
Moreland and Valmar were walking around the Albervyn country fair. They were enjoying the sights and sounds of the celebration.
“I don’t know about this job, Moreland.” The shorter man said. “Being a lawman can be a prestigious position, but there are a lot of dangers. Maybe we were hired too quickly. There’s got to be some reason why nobody else was chosen.”
“I wouldn’t think about it too much,” replied the new sheriff. “There will be some problems, I know. But there are new challenges in every new situation. The way I see it, we are much better off than we were before. Try to see this as a new opportunity to help others and make a better life for ourselves.”
“Well, walking the beat makes me build up quite a thirst. How about a cold one?” The newly appointed deputy asked.
“I’m a bit parched myself.” Moreland remarked. “We could stop in that place for a few refreshments before continuing our duties.”
He pointed to an inn near the side of the road. It was called the Wet Spot.
When the two entered the place, they noticed everyone stopped talking and everyone was watching them.
“I guess they are in such awe of us that they don’t know what to say.” Valmar chuckled as he took a seat at an empty table.
The new sheriff also sat down. “I wish that were true, but I don’t think so. People may have other reasons for giving us a lot of cold stares.”
Valmar tried to signal the waitress, but she seemed to ignore him. An unsettling moment of silence settled around the room.
“Well, if it isn’t our new sheriff!” A loud, thunderous voice broke through the tension. The lawmen turned around to see who was doing the talking.
A big, hairy ogre of a man sat at the bar. He had fiery eyes of red and long, flowing black beard. He showed off several big, mean sharp teeth when he grinned. The large fellow wore various animal skins. He looked like some kind of giant caveman.
Moreland stood up and extended his hand toward the fellow. “Well, friend, you have me at a loss. I don’t think I’ve had the pleasure…”
“Nor are you likely to get it!” The big man interrupted him rudely. He ignored the lawman’s gesture of a handshake and laughed with his buddies. “Why don’t you just pack up and head back to whatever rat hole you crawled out of?”
The sheriff figured that this guy had had a few too many. Oh, well, may be a few more wouldn’t hurt him.
“Listen, let me buy you a drink and we’ll just forget everything, right?” The renegade soldier approached the ogre in a conciliatory manner.
“So, the drink’s on you!” The mean guy laughed as he splashed Moreland with a mug of water.
“You got the first shot. Now it’s my turn.” The sheriff turned around as though he was walking away. However, he quickly turned back and delivered a kick to the brute’s stomach which nearly knocked him to the floor.
“You got your first, and that will be your last!” The ogre growled as he charged for the lawman like a mad bull.
Moreland managed to step aside as quickly as a cat. He eluded the bigger man’s grasp and sent the fellow crashing into a nearby table. The tiny elves sitting there were scattered throughout the room.
One of the tiny folk landed on Valmar’s head.
The big, hairy ogre struggled to his feet. He picked a chair and threw it at the sheriff. His target quickly ducked and the seat bashed into one of the ogre’s drinking buddies.
“Aaaargh!” The fellow roared as he ran toward Moreland like a savage beast. Again, the lawman sidestepped the charge and the hairy fellow crashed into a post supporting the ceiling. The post held its place. The big guy didn’t and he fell to the floor and passed out.
“He must have been on the unwelcoming committee.” Valmar remarked as he tried to add some humor to a tense situation.
Moreland wiped some sweat off his brow.
“Now I really need a drink.” He said to the bartender. “Who was that guy anyway?”
“They call him Goth.” The server replied as he handed the lawman a mug. If he wasn’t my best customer, then he’d be my worst customer. He looks like he’s done for the day.”
After having few, Moreland and Valmar managed to recruit a couple of citizens to help carry Goth to the local jail. The sheriff stated that the ogre would have to face several charges including striking an officer of the law and disturbing the peace.
Chester had watched the whole fight and he was quite impressed. He talked to the lawman briefly as they were leaving the club.
“Gee, sir, that was some kind of fighting. How did you learn how to do that?”
“Knight school.” He smiled as he and the others hauled Goth away.
At the end of the day, the travelers gathered for dinner. They had made quite a bit of money that day so there was some reason for celebration.
Houdi was roasting a small pig over the fire. He was coating it with his special savory sauce, so Robert knew it would taste good. He licked his lips as he thought about it.
Annie was helping Lanya with the vegetables. The two peeled the potatoes, chopped the carrots, and sprinkled them with a few spices. The girl’s eyes watered a bit as she cut the onions.
“Don’t cry, sister. Everything’s going to be all right.” Robert joked as he ran off to get more firewood.
Everything was cooked and everyone was ready to eat when Chester remarked, “I haven’t seen Angelina in a few hours. Isn’t she joining us?”
“Oh, haven’t you heard?” Lanya said. “She’s bringing a guest to dinner.”
“Do we know this person?” asked Karno.
“No, this is just an old friend of hers from long ago.” Lanya replied.
“I guess she’s not too old to have a boyfriend if she wants one.” Chester commented.
“I don’t know if he’s that type of friend.” The woman continued. “But we’ll find out soon enough because here they come now.”
Everyone turned around to see Angelina walking with a stranger. Robert recognized him almost immediately as the man he had talked to that afternoon.
“Good evening, everyone!” Angelina announced. “I’d like everyone to meet my friend, Lord Laring. This is Karno, Chester, Lanya, Annie, and Robert.” She pointed out all of the members of the group as they acknowledged his presence.
“I have met Robert before.” Laring said as he shook the young man’s hand. “And he is quite a magician for his age.”
“Thank you, sir.” The boy replied. “It is an honor to meet you again. I admit I didn’t know who you were before.”
“So, what’s your line of work?’ Chester asked Laring as they shook hands.
“Lord Laring is a real wizard!” Angelina exclaimed. “He’s one of the best in the whole world.”
“Well, I wouldn’t say that.” The wizard replied bashfully. “I just try to do the best that I can.”
“I am just an ordinary magician, myself.” Houdi said as they shook hands. “But I bet that you could show us all some tricks that we’ve never even seen before.”
“Could you really?” Robert asked excitedly.
Laring seemed reluctant. “Well, usually I reserve my magic for special occasions. But since I met my good friend, Angelina and her whole family today, I think that this time qualifies. Let me see what I can do.”
Laring stepped back for a minute and held out one of his hands. In an instant, a bright light appeared on top of his palm. The light did not look like fire at all. Instead, it twinkled as if it were a tiny star.
“Incredible!” exclaimed Chester.
“Amazing!” replied Karno.
“I’ve never seen anything like that.” Houdi added.
“Could you show us another one?” Robert asked.
“Certainly!” With a clap of his hand, the light suddenly disappeared. He then threw out some dust in the air. It sparkled and shined as it slowly fell to the ground. When Robert looked to see where it had fallen, he could not find it at all.
“How did you do that?” Annie inquired.
“I don’t think you’ll get an answer.” Houdi remarked. “After all, a good magician doesn’t reveal his tricks, now. Does he?”
The wizard smiled.
Lanya interrupted the little show.
“Well, I’m sure that if Lord Laring is just as hungry as the rest of you, he wouldn’t let his dinner get cold when it was ready. Time to eat!”
Everyone got a plate of food and sat around the campfire. Everyone was interested in asking the guest lots of questions.
“So, how did you know Angelina?” Karno inquired.
Before Laring could say anything, the fortuneteller broke in and answered the question.
“Oh, Lord Laring and I go way back. We grew up together. We played games as children. Even, I knew about his interest in magic. He was always so good at fooling people.”
“Ah, but I couldn’t fool you, could I, my dear?” Laring smiled.
“How did you become a wizard?” Robert asked.
“Basically, I became a wizard because my father was a wizard. My grandfather was a wizard and his father before him was also a wizard. There have been wizards in my family for as long as anyone can remember. I have also taught two of my sons to be wizards and they have taught three of my grandchildren to be wizards as well. I suppose there will be wizards in my family as long as there is another generation to learn how to be one.”
The fire crackled as the sky grew dark. The flames flickered their light on Laring’s face. Robert thought that he could see great wisdom in the old man’s eyes.
“Can girls be wizards, too?” Annie asked just before she took a bite of her potato.
“I suppose they could.” The Lord replied. “I’ve never met a female wizard before. But I imagine it could be possible.”
“I’d like to be a wizard!” Robert said loudly.
“But you’re already a magician.” Lanya remarked. “Aren’t you happy doing what you do now?”
“I guess I am.” The boy answered. “But why couldn’t I be both?”
“A wizard and a magician.” Houdi mused. “That would be something.”
“I imagine that one job is an excellent preparation for the other.” Chester commented.
Laring turned toward the boy. “Well, if you’re interested, I could show you my laboratory some time. I have conducted several interesting experiments there.”
“Wow! That would be great! I’d love to see it!” Robert’s eyes lit up with excitement.
“It’s all right with me.” Houdi said as he looked at Lanya.
“I guess if he learns something, it would be worth it.” The woman replied. “Why not?”
“That’s great!” The wizard smiled. “Tomorrow, then?”
“Tomorrow, it is!” Robert exclaimed happily.
Robert was so excited he could hardly sleep that night. When he finally fell asleep, he dreamed about the world of wizards.
He got up early the next morning. He was all dressed and ready to go while some members were still sleeping.
“I’m off to see the wizard!” The young magician exclaimed.
“Well, good luck to you, my boy.” Houdi said. “And if he shows you any really good tricks, I’d like to see them.”
“I’ll try to remember all that I can.” Robert replied.
Chester had just woken up. The little man stretched his arms and yawned.
“Now you be careful, Bob. These wizards can be tricky characters. If you don’t behave, this guy might turn you into a newt.” The dwarf warned him.
“No, he wouldn’t do that, would he?” The boy asked.
“Well, maybe not a newt. But maybe a toad instead. Just to be on the safe side, you had better stay on his good side.” Chester yawned again.
Lanya had also gotten up early to see him off. She looked him over to see if he looked presentable.
“Now tuck in your shirt, there. Stand up, straight. Be sure to do everything the wizard tells you to do. Lord Laring is important man in this town. Everything you do or say reflects upon us.”
“Don’t worry.” He said as they hugged. “I’ll make you proud of me.”
As Robert was getting ready, he noticed two small flying creatures in the distance. At first, he thought that they were just birds. However, when they approached him, he found out that they were not birds at all.
The two beings were only about one foot tall each. They appeared to be two beautiful young women with wings. They were dressed in shiny white dressed which sparkled in the morning sun.
“Well, would you look at them!” Chester pointed as he stared in amazement.
“Who are you?” The boy addressed the tiny flying women as they approached him.
The blonde spoke first. “Please allow us to introduce ourselves. My name is Daunt and my friend here is Doolet. We are from the fairy forest. Lord Laring has instructed us to take you to his castle.”
“Oh, I’m glad you’re not flies.” Houdi remarked. “Otherwise, I might have swatted you.” He set down the swatter.
“We hope that our appearance hasn’t upset you too much.” Doolet the brunette said. “We understand that many humans have never seen us little people at all. We want you to know that you have nothing to fear from us.”
“That’s very reassuring.” Chester replied as he gazed at them.
“And without any further delays, we would like to show you the way now. Just follow us.” Daunt told Robert.
The boy hugged Houdi and Lanya before he left. Then he waved goodbye.
“So long, everybody! I’m off to see the wizard! I should be back by tomorrow!”
Robert followed the two fairies along the main road. They could fly faster than he could walk. Fortunately for him, the two little women flew into a lot of circles along the way. He could easily keep up with them.
“So, what’s it like to be able to fly?” He asked Daunt.
“Oh, I’ve done it all my life. It’s as easy as walking for me so I don’t even think about it.” She answered.
“Being able to fly definitely helps me with my acrobatics.” Doolet said as she did several flips and turns in midair.
“If we just a little bigger, we could show you how to fly.” Doolet smiled. “But I’m afraid that you are just too heavy for us to lift.”
“That’s all right.” The boy commented. “I’d feel better with my feet on the ground anyway.”
The two fairies were now leading him on a trail through a great forest. There were several bushes along the path. The undergrowth was so thick that he could hardly see twenty feet ahead of himself.
Daunt and Doolet were flying about forty feet ahead of him. He could see them easily since they were flying higher into the air. They continued to sparkle brightly in the early morning sun.
“I hope they don’t get too far ahead of me.” Robert thought to himself. “A person could get lost in this thick undergrowth.”
He thought that he heard something rustling in the bushes ahead. “It’s probably just a small animal.” He reasoned.
Suddenly, a short man stepped out of the bushes and blocked the boy’s way. This stranger was dressed shabbily and had a black mask. The rogue pulled out a small knife and handled it in a threatening manner.
“All right, you bloke! I’m here to collect the toll on this trail.” The scoundrel sneered as he waved the knife. “Pay me the toll and you can go upon your way.”
Robert froze for a moment. He knew that this wasn’t a toll road. However, he thought that if he could buy his way of trouble, he might be better off.
“Uh, how much is the toll?” He asked.
“Why, how much do you have?” The masked man sneered as he held out his hand.
Robert turned to run in the other direction. However, another man dressed like bandit.
“Don’t try to run!” The stranger snarled. “You’re trapped and there’s no way out of it. Just give us the money.”
The two thugs were slowly approaching the boy.
Suddenly, the first bandit screamed, “Aaaaaargh!” He dropped his knife and clutched his rear end.
“Something bit me!” The man exclaimed as he staggered in pain.
“What! What was it?” His accomplice asked. “What happened?”
The second started to approach Robert. But just before he was about to grab the boy, Doolet pulled the fellow’s mask down over his face so he couldn’t see.
“Hey, what’s going on?” The robber reached for the fairy blindly. However, the flying lady quickly tied the man’s mask so tightly in place that he couldn’t get it off.
“We’re being attacked…” The bitten thug cried. “We’re being attacked by large ladybugs.” He reached for his knife, but it was gone.
“Looking for this?” Robert remarked as he showed off the knife in his hand.
“Why, you! Give me that! You!” The bandit lunged at Robert.
The boy managed to sidestep his assailant and push the man to the ground.
“I can’t see! I can’t see!” His assistant wailed as he tried to remove the mask which now blocked his view. The poor fellow tripped over a root and banged his head on a tree.
“Why, you!” The other bandit struggled to get up. However, by the time he made it to his feet, Doolet had tied his laces together. He took a few steps toward Robert before he fell flat on his face into a large mud puddle. The little woman giggled uncontrollably.
By this time, the boy had taken off down the trail. He ran as fast as his legs would carry him. He spotted a main road up ahead at the end of the forest. He continued running on it until he was sure that he was no longer being pursued.
Daunt and Doolet were flying close behind him.
“Heavens, we are fortunate to escape from them.” The blonde said. “As soon as we get to see Lord Laring, we shall report this incident at once! Robert, are you all right?”
“Fine, thanks.” The young magician replied. “And you ladies?”
“Hehehehehehe…” Doolet was still giggling. “Never better. I guess we showed them a thing or two.”
“Bleech!” Daunt remarked as she spit. “Too bad I had to bite one of them. “I should have better taste than to bite someone with bad taste.”
By this time, Robert could see the wizard’s castle in the distance. It was everything he thought it would be. It was large, magnificent building with tall towers and high walls. It stood in the middle of a wide-open area. There were great trees in the distance surrounding it.
The boy and the two fairies were now passing through Albervyn. He had not really seen the town before because the fair was set up just outside the city limits. But now, as he passed through the village, he witnessed many strange sights.
Several tiny elves were busy munching on an apple. Since they were only about three inches high each, one apple was more than enough for all of them. At first, Robert thought that they were just bugs. When he noticed that they were actually little people, he found it difficult not to stare.
The elves took one of look at him and chuckled loudly. “Humans, such strange creatures!” He heard one of them remark.
The fairies led Robert to the main gate of the castle. He noticed two large statues on either side of the road ahead. They were knights clad in full armor with weapons. They appeared to be made out of dark granite and each stood about nine feet tall.
The three were approaching the statue when suddenly a startling thing occurred. The giant knights came to life!
“Halt! Who goes there!” The statue on the right shouted as he turned toward Robert. The boy nearly fainted with fright as the rock figures blocked his way with their swords.
“Oh, Rocky, you know us!” Daunt replied impatiently. “We’re here to take this young man to see Lord Laring.”
“Yes, I know you. But I like to say, Halt! Who goes there! Anyway. It makes me feel important.” Rocky remarked. The features on his helmet resembled a face. Robert thought that he appeared to be grinning.
“I’m supposed to ask everyone who comes here that. I’m just doing my job.” The stone knight continued.
“Well, do it now and let us in!” Daunt insisted. “We haven’t got all day.”
“Lower the drawbridge!” The giant statue yelled as he turned toward the castle.
The drawbridge descended with the sound of rattling chains and a loud thump. The trio went right on in.
They boy heard the guard chuckle as he walked by.
“I just love to do that.” The stone knight said to his partner.
“Rocky’s a fine guard.” Doolet commented. “Sometimes he just acts like he has rocks in his head.” She giggled.
Robert gazed at the walls of the castle and he crossed the courtyards. The stones of the fortress appeared to sparkle in the sun as they continued walking. Huge gargoyles were perched in niches on the towers. They didn’t move, but the boy still wondered if those creatures were watching him.
The group went into the main building and proceeded down a hallway. There were several paintings and tapestries hanging on the walls. They came to a large door at the end of the corridor and stopped.
“Shouldn’t we just go on in?” Doolet asked.
“Perhaps we had better knock first.” Daunt replied. “Sometimes Lord Laring doesn’t like people to barge on in.”
Robert was about to reach for the knocker on the door when he was startled by a loud voice.
“Don’t touch that!” It snapped at him.
The boy jumped back as he took a closer look at the door. There was a huge face etched in brass on the door. And its eyes were looking right at him!
“Oh, excuse me!” The young magician apologized. “I didn’t mean to disturb you, uh…Mr. Door.”
“That’s quite all right.” The doorman spoke in a smoother tone. “If there’s any knocking to be done, then I prefer to do it.”
The knocker, which was the doorman’s nose, rapped loudly three times.
“Lord Laring! Three visitors to see Lord Laring!” The doorman announced.
“Enter!” Laring’s voice boomed loudly from the other side.
The door opened and the trio went on in.
The room was much bigger than Robert could have imagined. The ceiling was at least thirty feet high and covered with detailed murals of monsters and other strange creatures. The walls were lined with thousands of books and manuscripts. He had never seen so many in the same place.
Robert didn’t see the wizard immediately. He was still fascinated by all of the objects in the room. A huge chandelier hanging from the ceiling helped to brighten the place up. At the far end of the room, he saw Laring surrounded by glass beakers, jars, and tubes of various sizes. The old man was busy mixing up some sort of concoction when the trio walked over to his laboratory table.
“Welcome, welcome to my world of wonders!” Laring exclaimed as he shook the boy’s hand. “I’m glad you could make it! Please have a seat and be amazed!”
Robert looked and the chair and hesitated for a few seconds. He didn’t really want to sit on something which might be alive.
“It’s all right. It won’t bite you!” The wizard smiled as he continued to shake and stir his potion. He then put the beaker over a small flame and the contents began to bubble and hiss.
“We almost didn’t make it.” Daunt said. “You see, we were held up on the way here.”
“Oh? Well, tell me about it.” Laring sounded concerned.
The three then recounted their run-in with bandits in the forest.
“This is very serious.” The wizard replied. “These ruffians must be captured and punished at once.”
“I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to recognize them.” Doolet sighed. “They both wore masks.”
Robert then spoke up. “Even though they were disguised, I think that I know who they were anyway. I believe that those two are named Sloat and Smirk.”
“How would you know that?” Daunt asked with some skepticism in her voice.
“I had some trouble with those two before.” The boy explained. “However, I was able to get out of fighting them. The two guys in the forest were about the same heights as Smirk and Sloat. Their voices sounded the same. But most importantly, I could recognize Smirk by his shoes, which almost stepped on my hands.”
He continued to give a further description of these two characters to Laring.
“You know, if your observations are correct, I think that I may have met these two scoundrels myself!” Laring exclaimed seriously. “They must be stopped at once.” He turned to the fairies. “Daunt and Doolet, could you go get the sheriff at once and report this incident?”
“We’ll see him right away!” Daunt agreed. The two tiny ladies flew toward a window on the other side of the room. The window opened for them and closed after they left.
“They will take care of that matter.” Laring exclaimed. “I hired a new sheriff recently and he’s doing a good job. I’m sure he’ll see to it that these two are captured and punished appropriately.”
“But now, we have other things to do. Come with me. Let me show you the laboratory where I have performed some of my greatest experiments.”
The wizard let Robert into the next room. There were several shelves of manuscripts on the walls there, as well. Hundreds of glass bottles of various sizes were sitting on tables or stacked on the shelves, also. Everything appeared to be neatly labeled and organized. The room was illuminated in a wide variety of colors by the light of the sun shining through a series of stained glass windows.
Two boys were sitting at one of the tables. They were both a little older than Robert. One was kind of pudgy and short with blonde hair. The other was tall and skinny with dark black hair. They appeared to be conducting some kind of experiment by mixing several ingredients together. When the wizard and the boy entered the room, the two young men immediately stopped what they were doing, stood up, and acknowledged their presence.
“Robert, I would like you to meet two of my assistants. This is Rufus Hertz and Johnny Dundee. Boys, this is my friend, Robert.”
“Pleased to meet you.” Rufus the fat boy said in an unconvincing manner.
“Glad to make your acquaintance.” Johnny responded.
“I’m happy to meet you.” Robert said twice as he shook their hands. “Lord Laring has told me all about you.”
“Well, I hope it’s been good things.” Johnny chuckled. “Not all of our experiments turn out the way we plan. Like Rufus’s test just a few minutes ago.”
“What do you mean? That plan worked!” The fat boy protested.
“He was supposed to be making evaporated milk, but he didn’t do it.” The taller boy commented.
“I did! I really make it!” Rufus insisted.
“Well, where is it? I didn’t see it anywhere!” Johnny replied.
“Of course you can’t see it, silly. That’s because it evaporated!” Rufus laughed.
“Don’t mind him, Robert. He’s always doing goofy things.” The taller boy remarked. “Why, I could tell you about the time he had this monkey, and…”
“Oh, don’t tell that!” Rufus whined defensively. “If you do that, I’ll have to tell him about those spells you cast on…”
“Enough!” Lord Laring shouted as he raised his hands. “I’m sure that you boys could tell Robert here stories all day long. There will be time for that later. However, I would like to show him some other things right now. I don’t want to disturb your good work there, so just go ahead and keep doing what you were doing. We’ll get together later.”
The wizard took Robert to another part of the room. There was a large glass ball sitting on a table by a window.
“Now this is truly an amazing object.” Laring exclaimed. “Have you ever seen one of these before?”
Robert looked at sphere and shook his head.
“No, sir. I don’t believe I ever have.”
“Well, of course not.” Laring laughed. “That was a trick question. You couldn’t have seen it before because this is the only one in existence.”
“Only one what?” The boy asked in confusion.
“Why, this is the lost city of Abaxis! Yes, within this glass ball is an entire city with people and buildings. Take a closer look for yourself!”
Robert leaned over and looked inside the transparent globe. He was thoroughly amazed at what he saw. The wizard was right. He could see tiny houses, streets, farms, roads, trees, and everything else. He even saw tiny humans smaller than bugs walking around.
He saw a tiny farmer with a tiny horse plowing a field. He noticed a tiny blacksmith working on a tiny horseshoe. He spied on a tiny couple walking hand in hand. He observed tiny children playing games in a field.
“This is fantastic!” The boy exclaimed. He could hardly keep his eyes off of the miniature world. There was so much going on there that the just wanted to stay there and watch it all day.
“This is my own little world.” Laring replied. “I feed them. I give them water. I make sure that they get plenty of sunlight. Out in our world, they were be defenseless. They would have no protection against humans or animals which might harm them. I see that they are safe.”
“Were they always this way?” Robert asked.
“No, once this was a city even bigger than Albervyn.” The wizard explained. “However, one day, an evil sorcerer put a curse on it. He shrunk it down until it became as small as you see it here. I do not know for what purpose he did this. Perhaps he intended to torment these tiny people. Maybe he intended to destroy them. All I know is that they were not safe in his hands so I took it away from him. Someday, I would like to find a way to restore this city to its original size. If it is possible, I would like to try.”
The wizard put his hands on the sphere and Robert did the same.
“For now, you’ve got a whole world in your hands.” Laring continued. “It’s like life. Everyone has the potential to make something big from a humble beginning. There are ways to do almost anything. The problem is finding out how.”
Meanwhile, in another part of town, Moreland and Valmar were walking around the town square.
“I really thought that this job would be different.” Valmar commented woefully. “What do you mean?” Moreland responded. “Why, this is one of the best jobs we’ve ever had. We get free room and board, good pay, respectable job titles, and the status of being leaders of this community.”
“Well, I didn’t think that there would be a lot of strings attached.” The deputy explained. “I thought that we would just have to hang around and we wouldn’t really have to do anything.”
“Look, if you don’t want to do anything, you can always go back to being unemployed.” The sheriff remarked. “We have our jobs to do and for now, these jobs are the best we’re going to get. So we might as well do the best that we can.”
“I agree with some of what you are saying.” Valmar replied. “But these jobs are dangerous. Why, we could get killed. There are all kinds of criminals and low-lifes passing through this town. Some of them, like Goth, just like to look for fights. Any day someone out there could just stab us in the back, put a contract out on us, bushwhack us, or beat us in a duel.”
“Take it or leave it.” Moreland said. “It’s still better than starving.”
“Well, okay. You’ve got a point there.” The shorter man agreed. “But let me ask you something. Why do you think we got these jobs? Tell me, why would Lord Laring choose two guys like us? We are just two fugitives. We were just two drifters who wandered into Albervyn from nowhere. Nobody knew anything about us. We had no references. So why would the wizard even think about giving us a chance?”
“Maybe he’s just a kind-hearted gentleman who just felt sorry for us.” The sheriff answered. “He knew we were desperate and that we were willing to work hard in order to succeed.”
“Yes, I thought that, also.” Valmar remarked excitedly. “I used to think like you, too. But then I got smart! I believe that the reason we got these jobs is that nobody else wanted them! Look, I’m not a total fool, even though I act like one sometimes. I’m not a perfect idiot, because nobody’s perfect. However, I have talked to some people around and heard some things.”
“Yeah, like what?” Moreland asked. He hadn’t liked everything that he had heard, but he still wanted to hear more.
“I’ve heard that this town has never had a sheriff or a deputy for very long.” Valmar continued. “Everyone who has ever held those positions was also forced out of them in some way. They were killed in fights, or they quit, or they disappeared, or they were run out of town. There have been more lawmen in Albervyn than fleas in a flea market!”
The deputy had gotten so excited by this point that he was almost out of breath.
“Maybe they just couldn’t handle the job. But I’m sure I can.” Moreland responded.
“We’ve been lucky so far. We haven’t been injured.” Valmar said. “But sooner or later, our luck is going to run out. My point is this. I’m proud to be here as your deputy. I think that we’re doing good work in this town. But I’m not going to take the fall for anyone. Risking your life means nothing if there is nothing to gain. If the going gets tough, I’ll get going, too. Right out of town!”
The sheriff had a look of disappointment on his face. “I’m sorry you feel that way, Valmar. “But I’m sure someday you’ll see that there are some causes which are truly worth fighting for.”
The deputy stopped for a moment and pointed off to some people in the distance.
“Now, would you look at that!” He exclaimed. “There’s another reason I’ve got to risk my life and limb for others.”
Valmar suddenly started running toward two men who were fighting. They were dressed as knights and attacked each other with swords. Moreland followed him closely behind.
“Wait! Stop!” The deputy yelled at the two combatants. He then ran between their swords to prevent them from fighting. “Fellows, I’m sure that there’s got to be a more peaceful way of settling your differences. Can’t we all just get along?”
The two warriors looked at him in amazement. Then they laughed. Valmar looked confused.
The knight with the red tunic spoke.
“We’re not fighting a duel, silly! We’re just practicing for the Gladiator Games. Now be gone, fool, before we make a pin cushion out of you!”
The deputy backed away slowly. He pretended to have a bit of pride left when he shook his finger at them and remarked; “Now you two be careful. I wouldn’t want to have patch you up. If someone chops off your legs, don’t come running to me!”
The warriors ignored him and continued their mock duel. Valmar rejoined Moreland and they watched the fight from several yards away.
“I can’t understand it.” The deputy commented. “They really looked like they were going to kill each other. I didn’t want to see them get hurt.”
“I sure you’ll know a real fight when you see it. The sheriff smiled. “Then you’ll wish it was imaginary.”
The larger warrior suddenly looked serous. He stopped the shorter one with his hand.
“Quick! Get down!” He demanded gruffly.
“What is it?” Valmar asked.
“You heard me! Get down!” The sheriff grabbed his deputy, tackled him, and held him down behind some bushes. He clamped his hand rightly over the small man’s mouth.
“Just don’t say a thing.” Moreland whispered. “Just listen.”
Valmar heard a noise in the distance. It was the sound of hooves beating on the road. The sound was quiet at first. However, it soon grew louder and louder. It sounded like one horse in the beginning. But as the noise approached them, they could tell that it was a group of several horses with riders. More importantly, they could see that the horsemen were Devillan’s men.
Their appearance was intended to intimidate any possible opponents. They wore dark armor with no shine in it at all. Their helmets looked liked skulls. Their black capes flapped in the wind as they passed. They reminded Valmar of a painting he had seen long ago. The riders looked like demons of the apocalypse.
Moreland counted ten soldiers. There were too many for him to take on, so he remained hidden. He loosened his grip on his friend as the horsemen disappeared into the distance.
“Dark Warriors.” He spoke quietly. “Devillan’s men.”
“Do you suppose they’re looking for us?” His deputy asked.
“Maybe, maybe not.” The sheriff mused. “They may just be on leave. They may just have come here to see the fair at Albervyn. Maybe they are just taking a few days off. But we can’t be sure, so we can’t take any chances. We’ll have to lie low for a while.”
“I never thought they’d find us.” Valmar complained. “I thought for sure that we were far enough away.”
“We can never be too far away from Devillan.” Moreland commented. “He is the kind of ruler who has no friends. He knows only slaves and enemies. When we stopped being his slaves, we started being his enemies. If he even suspects that we are here, he will do everything in his power to hunt us down.”
“That’s not a very encouraging thought.” His friend sighed.
“However, there is always hope for the future. Maybe someday Devillan will die or be overthrown. We cannot expect that to happen soon, but there’s always a chance. He may never find us here. Or he may kill us tomorrow. We just have to live our lives day by day. We must hope for the best even as we prepare for the worst.”
Back at the castle, Lord Laring continued to give Robert a tour of all of the unusual objects there.
“And over here, we have some screaming demons.” The wizard pointed to a couple of creatures standing next to the wall.
The boy was a little startled at first. However, he quickly noticed that dark greenish, scaly monsters were stuffed.
“How come they are called screaming?” The young magician asked. “I can’t hear them say anything.”
“They are called screaming demons because that’s what they do in hell.” Laring smiled. “Don’t worry about these ones. They are dead, of course.”
He led Robert down a dark narrow passageway. The tiny torches on the walls provided a little light.
Laring stopped and knocked on a door.
“Who’s there?” A voice grumbled from within.
“Laring”
“Laring who?” The voice growled.
“Laring your neck if you don’t open up!” The wizard chuckled.
“Come in if you wish or if you dare.” The voice mumbled indifferently.
The wizard opened the door and Robert followed him in. He saw a large wizard stirring a huge bumbling caldron. The fellow was at least a foot taller than Laring and wore a dark red robe covered with stars and moons. He had a long, flowing black beard, flecked with gray hairs.
“Robert, I’d like you to meet Septimus Snide, a fine colleague of mine. Snide, this is Robert, a magician.”
The two shook hands. The boy noticed that Snide’s hands were very dirty and slimily. However, he said nothing about it.
“I’m very glad to meet you, sir.” Robert exclaimed.
“Likewise, I’m sure.” The dark-haired wizard replied indifferently. He seemed to focus most of his attention on the mixture of bubbling liquid in front of him.
“I see you’re working on another experiment.” Laring commented. “How’s it coming along?”
“Just fine.” Snide grumbled. “It just needs some more work.”
Robert looked at the various jars of objects on a nearby shelf. He read the labels attached to them. There was ground up dragon’s hides, roc eggs, lizeroid innards, phoenix wings, bat breath, unicorn horns, and other items.
“Don’t touch anything!” Snide warned. “Unless you want to be touched back!”
The boy was startled by the sudden movement of something on the shelf. He stepped back a few feet.
A small, dark greenish creature was staring at him. Although it was only about one foot tall, it looked very creepy and menacing. It had bat-like wings which fluttered intermittently. Its face resembled that of an iguana and it showed off its large, sharp teeth when it smiled.
“Oh, don’t pay any attention to him.” Snide laughed. “That’s just Gregor the Gremlin. I keep him around as kind of a pet. Don’t worry. He doesn’t bite…much!” The big wizard chuckled ominously.
Robert watched as Gregor took off in flight. The gremlin flew around the room a few times and settled upon a ledge far above the humans below.
“And now, back my project.” Snide exclaimed. He stirred the caldron vigorously and watched it intently as he chanted.
“Eye of bat, wing of gnat,
The dried powder of Gorgon’s fat.
These are the things I use
When making the potions that I choose.
I don’t want to miss
A bit of that and a dab of this.”
He threw some more ingredients into the pot and continued.
“There are some more things I’ll need,
Like forbidden fruit and dragon seed.
I’ll add nightshade, monster claws,
Griffin wings and gorlock’s paws.
I’ll put in gooey globs, the hide of lizards.
Wolve’s bane and some fowl gizzards.
I’ll add beetle shells, the toe of sloths,
Sweet peregrine and, wings of moths,
I must say it has been fun.
It’s all complete. Now I am done!”
“What are you making there, anyway?” The young magician asked. He peered into the bubbling liquid.
“Lunch.” Snide chuckled as he dipped in a ladle. “Want some?”
Robert was relieved to find out that other items were available to eat. Laring explained to him that Snide could be pretty eccentric, even for a wizard. The two quickly excused themselves and left the dark bearded fellow to his experiment.
“He wasn’t really going to eat that, was he?” The boy inquired as they walked down another passageway.
“Different people have different tastes.” The old man explained. “I suppose he could if he would.”
When lunchtime arrived, they were able to find some normal food. The two talked as they dined in the mess hall of the castle.
“Is being a wizard a tough job?” The boy asked.
“Everything takes some time to get adjusted to it. But once you learn the right way to do things, your job becomes easier.”
“Do you think that I could become a wizard?”
“If you’re willing to work diligently, I believe that you could succeed. From what I’ve seen of your magic show, you certainly have the right kind of background for this type of work. But you really have to want to do it. Nobody can ever succeed at something if they don’t like doing it. It takes years of training in order to become a great wizard. Not everyone has the drive or the intelligence to follow through. There are several roads to failure, but only a few roads to success. A person has to work smart as well as work hard. Even then, there’s still no guarantee of success. Good things can happen or bad things can happen along the way. A person just has to deal with events as they come and go. The best that you can do is just to do your best. Do you believe that you would be willing to try as hard as you can?”
“Yes, sir.” Robert replied. “I would do my best. I would give anything for the opportunity to become a great wizard like yourself. I would do whatever you told me to do. I would work hard every day. I would study everything I needed to know. If I could have the chance to work for you and to learn from you that would be the greatest thing that I could imagine.”
Laring thought for a moment. Robert hoped that he had impressed him with his determination. But he wasn’t certain.
The old man smiled. “Well, then, I’ll see what I can do.”
The boy and the wizard had a long discussion about what would be expected of the young man should he be accepted as an apprentice. Robert eagerly accepted all of the conditions.
“If this is something you really want, then you must get permission from your parents.” Laring advised him.
“Oh, that won’t be any problem at all.” The boy remarked confidently.
The next day, he discussed the issue with his folks.
“Oh, please, Mother, this would be such a great opportunity for me.” The boy begged.
“I don’t know, Robert.” Lanya replied. “I think that we should think about this a little longer. After all, we hardly even know Laring. He may be a good man. But isn’t being a wizard dangerous work?”
“I’ll vouch for Laring.” Angelina spoke up. “I’ve known him since I was a little girl. He’s one of the smartest, kindest men I ever met. We should be so lucky that a great wizard like him would be willing to teach Robert a trade.”
Karno had listened in on the conversation while he was chopping wood.
“I’ve heard that being a wizard is actually a safer job than a lot of other professions. If he became a soldier, he might get killed. If he became a medicine man, he could get sick from other people’s diseases and die. If he became a sailor, he could become lost at sea. If he became a tinker or a trader, he could be robbed by highwaymen whatever job he might choose, there’s always some kind of risk.” He added.
Angelina agreed. “And wizards have spells to protect themselves and others. Robert could learn a lot of secrets that few other people could know.”
“I’d like to hear what Houdi has to say about thins.” Lanya commented. “Houdi! Come here, please!”
“Where is he?” Karno asked.
“He’s working on a new act for the show.” Robert said. “Here he comes now.”
Houdi walked toward the others with one of the strangest creatures they had ever seen. It looked like a little gorilla waling beside him. He hairy fellow was dressed in brightly colored clothes. It tipped its cap and bowed at the group.
“Everyone, take a look at this!” The magician exclaimed. “This little guy will make us a fortune! Just watch and see what he can do!”
The little gorilla started dancing and grunting. He walked up to Karno and shook his hand. Then Angelina blew her nose and the sound seemed to upset the little fellow. He started running around the area uncontrollably. He ran behind Lanya and popped out beneath her dress.
“Eeeek!” She screamed. “Stop it at once!”
“That’s enough of that!” Houdi yelled sternly. “You can act like an animal sometimes, but that doesn’t mean you are one.” He shook his finger at the little beast.
To everyone’s amazement, the gorilla appeared to pull off his own head! There was Chester in a furry costume.
“I had you fooled, didn’t I?” He smiled.
Everyone agreed that the little gorilla act could be quite successful. They also advised Chester not to go too far with his monkeyshines.
The dwarf nodded. “I won’t do anything improper. But if someone makes a monkey out of me, I might just make a monkey out of them.
“That is all fine and good.” Lanya remarked. “But there is more important issue we must discuss. Robert wants to go away and become a wizard.”
“A wizard?” Houdi mused. “Why, he is such a fine magician already. Is it really necessary for someone else to teach him?”
“Oh, please, father. It’s what I really want.” The boy pleaded. “You have taught me all you know. Now it’s time for me to learn from others.”
Houdi sighed. “I’ll have to admit, the kid is right. I’ve taught him all of my tricks and he’s even better than I am at some of them. Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea after all.”
Lanya still sounded reluctant. “I’d be so worried about you, Robert. You’ve been with us your whole life. Aren’t you afraid to go off on your own?”
“Well, I can’t say that I have no fear at all.” The boy admitted. “That castle where Lord Laring lives is pretty strange sometimes. But I think that I could get used to it. I think he could show me amazing things which I’d never seen before. I might never have this chance again. I really like Abervyn. I’d love to live here.”
He held Lanya’s hand as he pleaded. “Please let me stay here. Please let me go.”
“I’d like to talk to your father about this.” She said. “There are a few things I want to say to him alone.”
Lanya got up off her stool and took Houdi into the tent. Robert and the others heard them have a private conversation.
“I wonder what they’re talking about.” Chester remarked. “I thought this issue was already settled. If you really wanted to go, Robert, I’m sure they wouldn’t stop you.”
“Any time they disagree on an issue, then nothing is settled.” Angelina commented. “Either he’s trying to convince her to agree with his side or she’s trying to convince him to agree with her side. Either way, we’ll just have to wait until they make a decision.”
“I could sneak in and find out what they’re saying.” The dwarf suggested.
“Don’t you dare!” Karno snapped at the little man. “If they want to talk in private, just let them be. You’ve been a little too sneaky lately.”
“But that’s what I do best.” Chester sulked. He shed his gorilla costume and wandered away.
The others listened to Houdi and Lanya talk away. They couldn’t hear what the two were saying, but it sounded like they were having a lively argument. After several minutes, the noise from the tent grew quiet.
Houdi emerged from the tent. “We’ve made a decision.”
Robert ran to him. “Yes?”
The magician hugged the boy. “Yes, son, you can go.”
And so, everyone came to an agreement. Robert would get his chance to become a great wizard. All that there was left to do was to move his few belongings into the castle and give him a tearful farewell.
“Good luck, Bob” Chester said as he gave the boy a hug. “If you don’t do anything I wouldn’t do, that should leave you with a lot of options.”
Annie gave him a hug. “I’ll miss you so much. You’re all right for a little brother.”
Karno did likewise. “I don’t want to say much. I guess actions speak louder than words.” He squeezed the boy tightly.
“You’re making the right decision.” Angelina said. “I’m sure that your life will be much better because of it.” And she also embraced him.
Robert got the biggest embrace of all from his parents.
“Oh, son, we just want you to be happy.” Lanya cried as she held him.
“Take care, son.” Houdi mumbled. Robert saw a tear or two formed in his eyes as they hugged.
The boy watched sadly as the wagon moved away into the distance. A lifetime of memories quickly flashed through his head. He thought of everything he was giving up. Everyone had told him that this was a great opportunity. But was it what he really wanted? Was his experience as a magician enough to succeed as a wizard?
He considered all of the reasons he had made the decision. He had grown weary of life on the road and he wanted to settle down somewhere permanently. He really enjoyed seeing Albervyn. It was like no other place he had ever seen with all of its fairies, elves, gnomes, gremlins, goblins, and other strange creatures.
Laring’s castle had also impressed him. It was the finest building he had ever seen. He knew that he would be honored to live there. All of those nights of sleeping out in the rain were over.
The old wizard himself had played a role in his decision. Robert wasn’t sure if he needed Laring any more than Laring needed him. At any rate, the boy sensed that there was some kind of connection between himself and the wise man. Perhaps the lord saw something of himself in the boy. The young magician already knew that the wizard was the type of person that he’d like to be. But could he do it. He wanted to make sure that he didn’t let Laring down in any way.
The first week at the castle required a lot of adjustments for Robert. He tired hard to remember everyone’s name. He walked through the various hallways and learned what each room was for. He read a manuscript about the history of Albervyn. He learned about its people and events which happened there.
Laring assigned him several duties that first week. The boy was a little disappointed that sweeping floors, carrying supplies, washing dishes, and other tasks had very little to do with learning the secrets of wizardry. At first, he wondered whether or not he had made a mistake. Sometimes, he felt like the lord was simply using him to do jobs that no one else wanted to do.
As the weeks went by, he realized that he was also getting a good deal out of this arrangement. He was able to go to school regularly. He attended classes taught by Snide, Laring himself, and Lady Adelwyn, Larnig’s wife. The wizard gave him a small stipend each week so that he could save some money. And best of all, Robert got his own room. It was a small cell and didn’t have a window. But at least it was the first place that he could call his own.
Moreland and Valmar were walking through the streets of Abervyn.
“I’m not happy.” The deputy stated.
“Why?” The sheriff asked.
“I just don’t think that we’re safe here. If we saw Devillan’s men once, then we will see them again. And maybe the next time, they will see us and recognize us and then that will be the end of us.”
“I don’t think that you should worry too much about it. First of all, I don’t believe that Devillan is really looking for us anymore. We’re just small potatoes to him. He’s got bigger fish to fry.”
“Second, nobody in Albervyn really wants anything to do with Devillan. Nobody here wants to help him. Nobody here will give him any information. As a matter of fact, I know that there are other people in this time who have also escaped from Devillan. If they have been safe here, then we should be safe here.”
Valmar sighed. “That makes me feel a little better.”
“There are some things that bother me however.” Moreland continued. “I’m disappointed that we have been unable to capture the ruffians Smirk and Sloat. I’ve heard that those are real troublemakers. They would betray anyone for any amount of money. I won’t rest until those two have been fully punished for their crimes. It’s possible that they may have fled this town. It’s also possible that they are still here and planning to rob someone at this very minute.”
“I’m sure that we will get those scoundrels.” Valmar smiled as he stroked his sword. “I’ve heard of them, also. They sound so stupid that I’m certain that they will be our prisoners or end up dead soon.”
“What are you doing now?” The deputy asked.
“I’m glad that you asked that.” The sheriff smiled. “I’m teaching some classes in self defense. I need someone to volunteer to be my assistant. Are you interested?”
“Something tells me that I’ve already been chosen.” Valmar nodded.
Moreland’s fighting classes were held at the castle. Several students were interested in learning from him. Robert noticed that Rufus, Johnny, Doolet, Elvin the elf, and many other characters were there.
The sheriff suggested that they start with archery lessons. Everyone seemed to enjoy this activity. Several arrows hit the targets and many bull eyes were scored. Even Doolet and Elvin could participate by using smaller bows.
“You shoot quite well.” The boy complimented the fairy as she hit her mark.
“Thank you.” Doolet replied. “I had a few lessons from my cousin, Cupid.”
The slight mishap occurred when Valmar was lining up a shot. He unexpectedly sneezed and his arrow went astray. The arrow bounced off a shield on the ground and headed toward Lord Laring. Fortunately, the great wizard deflected the arrow from his head. The projectile went through the top of his hat and buried itself into the wall.
“Oh, Lord Laring! I am so deeply sorry!” The deputy apologized.
“Think nothing of it.” The wizard quickly dismissed the incident. “If you can shoot at your enemies as well as you can shoot at me, then I’d say you’re doing really well.” He gave Valmar a friendly pat on the shoulder.
Next, Moreland demonstrated several techniques of sword fighting. He emphasized that defending yourself was just as important as attacking your opponent. He sparred with Valmar as he lectured.
“If you give your opponent any chance to beat you, the chances are good that they will take it.”
The sheriff and his deputy clashed their swords furiously.
“Always look for your opponent’s weakness. That weakness is your greatest strength.
Valmar appeared to have Moreland trapped in a corner of the courtyard. However, the sheriff fought his way out of that situation and forced the deputy back.
“Always fight as if your life is at stake. Don’t die for your country. Make your opponent die for his.”
The large knight managed to elude his smaller opponent in several ways. He jumped up on a table and forced his partner to back down. He dodged several blows by ducking, outrunning, and evading Valmar.
“If you weren’t my friend, I’d kill you!” The deputy exclaimed. Clearly, he was frustrated that his sparring partner was making him look like a fool.
“Keep it up!” Moreland laughed. “The audience loves you!”
Valmar noticed that the students were very excited by the fight.
“I haven’t seen anything like this since the last time Goth the ogre went on a rampage.” Johnny said to Robert.
“It’s quiet a demonstration.” The young magician remarked. “But I wonder how similar it is to a real swordfight.”
The sheriff continued to out duel his deputy. He threw several small boxes, barrels, tools, stools, and even a live chicken at his opponent. Valmar kept tripping and stumbling over the objects. Finally, he fell down and was trapped by Moreland’s blade.
The audience applauded as the fight appeared to end. The two knights stood up and acknowledged the cheers.
“That was very impressive!” A loud voice yelled out. “But that’s nothing compared to the kind of fighting from my country!”
“”Excuse me, who said that?” Moreland asked. “Do I know you?”
Suddenly, a huge bald man stepped out of the crowd. He looked like he was seven feet tall and his body was rippled with muscles.
“I am Chang from China!” The stranger bellowed loudly. “And I can fight like nobody you’ve ever seen!”
Valmar blurted out, “Oh, yeah? And just how do you fight?” He instantly realized that this was absolutely the wrong thing to say at the wrong time.
Chang walked over to the small knight, picked him up, and threw him halfway across the courtyard. Only landing in a large wagon of hay saved the deputy from having a serious injury. He waved his hand to show everyone that he was alright and slowly got up on his feet.
Moreland became very angry. “Now, see here, friend.” This is not the time for this kind of fighting…”
The big Chinese fellow quickly approached him. “What’s the matter? Are you afraid?”
The sheriff didn’t wait for Chang to reach out and grab him. He quickly slipped out of his opponent’s clutches and punched the fellow as hard as he could.
“Now I don’t want to hurt you…” He said as the Asian approached him again.
“You won’t have to worry about that!” Chang yelled angrily. He ran toward the knight, jumped into the air, and delivered a flying kick which just missed his opponent.
Valmar addressed the audience. “Everyone watch carefully. This could be a real learning experience.”
I might really learn something if I live through this. Moreland thought as the fighter approached him again. Chang delivered a series of kicks and punches at lightning speed. The large knight managed to block most of the blows, but not all of them.
“I’m very impressed, my friend.” The sheriff smiled. “Now how about we take a breather and I’ll give you an “A” for today.” Even though he was being beaten, he still retained a sense of humor.
“But I have so much more to show you!” Chang laughed as he ran toward Moreland again. The man from China unleashed another attack of kicks and punches.
The knight attempted to defend himself. But all he could do was to run from his opponent. He kept dodging blows by putting objects between himself and the other fighter. He ran in circles around a table out of Chang’s reach. Then he ran in circles around a table out of his reach.
“So you are afraid!” The man from China bellowed. “Come and fight me like a man!”
“I only fear that you will be sorry.” The sheriff taunted as he slipped away again.
Suddenly, Chang leaped into the air straight toward Moreland. The knight was trapped in a corner with no place to go. Just before his opponent could grab him, the knight clubbed his adversary over the head with a wooden dowel. The man from China collapsed to the ground, stunned.
“I’ve never seen such fighting.” Valmar exclaimed as he ran to the side of his friend. “It’s too bad he got a little carried away. He could really teach all of us some things.”
“Yes, but right now, we will have to carry him away until he learns to behave.” Moreland remarked as he caught his breath. “Help me take him to the dungeon.”
The two men dragged the semi-conscious Chang away. “He will have to face the usual charges.” The sheriff continued. “Striking an officer of the law, disturbing the peace, and anything else we can think of.”
He announced to the audience, “Class dismissed!”
Robert was busy studying some spells in the castle library when suddenly he heard the sound of trumpets blaring. At first, he thought nothing of them. Maybe they were having some sort of music practice, he thought.
However, when the trumpets kept on making their noises, he figured out that this was a signal for some important event. He looked out a nearby window and saw several villagers running toward the castle. Someone started ringing the bell in a local church tower. The boy noticed that a small crowd was gathering in the courtyard.
He ran out into the hallway. The boy almost ran into Dawnt the fairy as she flew through the passageway.
"What's wrong? What's going on?" He asked her.
"There's an important meeting right now." She told him. "Everyone is to gather so we can all hear some kind of announcement." The fairy had a very serious attitude. She quickly flew out a nearby window.
Robert made his way to the courtyard. By this time, nearly everyone in Albervyn seemed to be there. He saw various goblins, elves, fairies, gnomes, dwarves, knights, giants, gremlins, and several other creatures that he couldn't even identify. Everyone was talking among themselves in hushed tones.
"What's the announcement?"
"It must be important."
"I should hope so, I have too much work to do to listen to unimportant announcements."
"I hope it isn't long." A young elf whined.
"Hush, child." An older elf told her. "When Lord Laring speaks, it is always important."
Robert saw his friend, Johnny Dundee, standing nearby.
"Have you heard anything?” He asked.
"No, I can't imagine what it's about. I guess we'll find out soon enough."
The crowd was loud for a few minutes. However, when Lord Laring entered the courtyard, everyone quickly grew silent. The great wizard seemed to look a little older than usual. His face bore a serious, stern expression. He was accompanied by Moreland, Snide, Lady Albervyn, and Elvin the Elf.
He hesitated a moment, but soon started to address the audience.
"My friends, fellow citizens of Albervyn, distinguished guests, thank you for coming. I have important news for all of you. For many months, some of you may have been aware that there has been a war going on within our country. Some of you may have friends or relatives involved in this struggle. Others have come to this town in order to escape the violence in their own lands. I am proud to say that Albervyn has long enjoyed a tradition of protecting the persecuted. However, I regret to say that this tradition is on the verge of being threatened."
There was a clammering of voices in the crowd as the wizard paused. Then he continued.
"I think that everyone here has heard of the activities of Lord Devillan. For the past few months, this warlord has conquered several nearby kingdoms. I have heard many reports about his cruelness and brutality. Apparently, this man will kill anyone who represents even the slightest threat to his power. From the information I have received, I believe that this man may be responsible for the murders of hundreds of innocent people."
"Some of you may be shocked by this news. For others, I may only be repeating what you know firsthand. For many years, we in Albervyn have been proud of our peaceful heritage. The idea of going to war has been unthinkable. However, I believe, that soon, we may be forced to think of it."
"Even as I speak, the armies of Devillan approach our town. They may be as close as twenty miles away."
"There is no reason for panic. I believe that our forces of defense are strong. We will be protected. Nothing could help our opponents any more than believing that we might be afraid of them. If we can't stand evil, then we must stand against it."
When Laring finished speaking, he answered a number of questions from the audience. He admitted that he didn’t have a solution for everything possible to protect Albervyn from being invaded.
Many people volunteered to serve in the defense forces of the town. Robert himself offered to help, but Moreland thought that the boy might be too young.
“There are many other ways you could serve our town. “ The sheriff told him. “If Lord Laring needs any assistance, do whatever he tells you.”
The great wizard told the young magician to help Snide work on a few spells. Robert gathered the various ingredients they needed to for their experiments. Even though he was doing all that he was told, he still felt that he should be doing more.
He talked with his friend, Johnny Dundee about the situation.
Johnny agreed. He, too, wanted to fight for the town’s defense. He was also too young.
“There must be something else we can do to help.” Robert lamented.
“I have some ideas.” The other boy said. “They may not be any good. They may not work. But maybe we can still try them.”
“Well, if an idea is not used, then it is just useless. What do you want to do?” Robert asked.
“I know this spell which can make a carpet fly. If it works, we can use a flying carpet to spy on the enemy troops from a distance.” Johnny explained.
“Can you really make a carpet fly?” The young magician asked.
“Yes.” His friend replied confidently. “In fact, I have done it before. I had a great time when I flew over Albervyn a few weeks ago.”
“That may be a good idea.” Robert said as he thought about it. “Did you have any problems with it?”
“No, it worked as exactly as I planned. I’m sure I could do it again.”
By this time, the young magician was really interested in the flying carpet idea. He had had no idea that items like this had ever existed. The thought of soaring thorough the air and watching the scenery go by sounded really exciting. Even if they learned nothing by doing it, it sure sounded like fun.
“I’m with you. Let’s do it.” Robert agreed.
The boys got everything they needed for the experiment. Johnny showed him what to do. His friend already had a carpet picked out. The floor covering was a little dirty and ragged. But it was large enough and sturdy and that’s what was important.
While Robert watched, the other boy sat on the rug, sprinkled some wizard powder on it, and started reciting incantations.
“Magic carpet, I advise.
Lift off the floor and arise!”
Noting happened. The young magician managed to keep himself from snickering.
Johnny did not show the even slightest sign of disappointment. He just kept repeating the instructions.
Slowly, the rug began to rise. Robert stared in amazement. Dundee maintained his level of concentration and rose with the carpet. The young magician looked under the floor piece, but he couldn’t figure out the trick. There was nothing but air below.
When the rug was two feet off the ground, Johnny stopped chanting. He looked at the other boy impatiently.
“Well, hop on! I’m ready to go. Are you coming or not?”
Robert got on the carpet slowly. He half expected to fall right through to the floor. However, the rug easily supported his weight.
“Hang on for the ride of your life!” Dundee exclaimed. “Magic carpet, time to fly. Send us off into the sky!”
The floor piece took off with a jolt. Bob’s ride nearly ended as soon as it began. He almost fell off, but managed to keep himself on. There wasn’t any handle to grab and the carpet moved in an unpredictable manner. However, he dug his fingers into the fibers and refused to let go.
The carpet flew through a nearby open window. Once the boys were flying outside, Robert could hardly keep his eyes off the land below. The people below were so small, they looked like elves. He could see the farmers working in nearby fields. He saw Moreland and Valmar helping train some soldiers. He had never seen the world this way before.
The view was exciting, but it was also scary. The young magician didn’t want to think about what might happen if he or his buddy fell off the carpet during the flight.
Johnny didn’t seem to be the least bit worried. He kept giving the rug more orders.
“Magic carpet, do your best. Send us off due Southwest.”
The floor piece switched directions to obey the command.
Robert continued to hang on to the carpet as tightly as he could. Fortunately, there were some thick braids woven into it. He clutched them like handles.
The wind blew his hair wildly. The boys were glad they had remembered to bring their coats and gloves. The weather seemed to be much cooler up in the sky.
The carpet flew right into a cloud. They were only there a few minutes, but when they came out, they were all wet!
“Remind me to bring an umbrella next time.” Johnny laughed.
The sun and the wind dried them off quickly. Robert was careful to secure all of his belongings so that nothing would fall off.
They were several hundred feet in the air at this point. The young magician had been afraid to look down at first. But now, he couldn’t take his eyes off the ground. He stared in amazement at the tiny trees, mountains, rivers, lakes, houses, and people which passed below them. He imagined that he was some kind of giant traveling far above everyone else.
“Duck!” Johnny yelled suddenly.
They had run into a flock of ducks. Robert ducked down to avoid them. Several of the birds nearly hit him. One flew into Dundee’s head before the boy could get down. Another landed right on the carpet just in front of them. It quacked loudly and nearly bit off Robert’s nose before it flew off.
“I don’t wanna duck unless it’s for dinner.” He said as the last of the flock passed them.
The rug continued to fly in a southwesterly direction. Robert took a look at the map to find out where they were.
“I estimate that we’re about ten miles from Albervyn.” He observed. “I’ve never traveled this fast before.”
“Once you get used to it, there’s no better way to go.” Johnny added.
Robert carefully scanned the landscape with a spyglass. Suddenly, he saw something which made him shudder.
“Wait! What’s that over there?” He exclaimed as he pointed. The other boy also looked through the spyglass.
The young magician saw a large encampment by the side of a mountain. There appeared to be at least several hundred soldiers there. The warriors were all dressed in black armor. Their helmets looked like skulls.
“There’s no doubt about it.” Johnny remarked. “They are definitely Devillan’s men. We should definitely report this when we return.”
“Say, what’s that on the horizon?” Robert pointed to a small green thing approaching them. “I’ve never seen a bird like that.”
Dundee gasped. “That’s not a bird. We’ve been spotted! We’ve got to get out of here. That’s a dragon sentry!”
As the flying object approached them, Robert could see that his friend was right. A large, green beast was watching them. A dark soldier rode upon his back.
“Magic carpet, don’t let us down. Now is the time to turn around!” Johnny chanted.
The floor piece took such a sudden, abrupt turn that the young magician nearly lost his grip. Fortunately, he didn’t fly off his handle. He held on as if his life depended on it. He looked over his shoulder and was shocked to see that the dragon seemed to be gaining on them.
“We’ve got to go faster.” He said.
“Magic carpet, understand? Loose this dragon if you can!” Dundee begged.
The rug sped up a little, but not very much. The great big green beast was getting closer and closer.
Suddenly, the boys saw a great burst of flames erupt from the dragon’s mouth. The fire got so close to the floor piece that they could feel the heat on the back of their necks.
Robert had observed his friend give the carpet several commands. He had an idea on how to escape.
“We’ve got to do something quickly or we’ll be French toasted. Let me talk to the carpet.”
“Be my guest!” Johnny exclaimed.
“Magic carpet, if you dare, fly up through the clouds right there!” The young magician chanted as he pointed toward some nearby.
The rug promptly obeyed. The dragon was still right behind them. However, the beast was unable to blow flames at them. Once they entered the water vapor, the boys couldn’t see where they were going. But they figured that the dark warrior couldn’t see where they were going either.
When they emerged from the clouds, they found themselves soaked once more. The boys looked around to see if they were still being pursued.
“Did we lose them?” Dundee asked. “I can’t believe that we escaped from them that easily.”
“You don’t have to believe it because we haven’t done it yet.” His friend answered. “Look!”
He pointed toward a spot in the sky. The dragon still followed them, even though it had fallen behind.
Robert saw a forest passing beneath them. He had another idea.
“Magic carpet, pretty please. Take us down through the trees.” He chanted.
The rug dove at such a sharp angle that the boys almost fell off again. When they entered the wooded area, they were nearly knocked off when the floor piece just missed several different branches. The young wizards felt a little ill as they dodged one tree after another.
“Well, at least we’re not crashing into the trees!” Johnny shouted as he tried to keep from turning green.
Robert looked back over his shoulder. The beast was still pursuing them, although it was having some problems. The dragon was so big at that it kept bumping into trees. On its back, the dark warrior struggled to stay on. Eventually, the obstacles proved to be too much for them. The big green monster got stuck between two trees and threw its rider into a nearby mud hole.
“We did it!” Johnny exclaimed. “They have given up!”
“There’s no time for celebration.” Robert commented. “We must go back to Albervyn at once to report what we have learned.”
The boys knew that Lord Laring would be very busy when they returned. They weren’t even sure that the great wizard would have ever given his approval for such a spy mission. But since they had already done it, there was no turning back now. They just had to see him and tell him everything they knew.
“You did what?” He yelled at them angrily. “Don’t you know that you might have been killed?”
They apologized for taking unnecessary risks. The boys explained that they only wanted to help the defense effort. They then delivered a full report on what they had found.
Robert and Johnny fully expected some kind of punishment for their indiscretions. However, since no rules had actually been broken, the young men only received a stern lecture.
“There are a lot of risks in practicing wizardry. If you don’t know what you’re doing, you could end up seriously hurt.” Laring looked at them sternly.
“I appreciated your desire to aid the town of Albervyn. Most people your age don’t even know what’s going on. However, there is a difference between serving the community in the best way and gambling with your life.”
“If I had known of what you intended to do, I never would have approved of it. You boys may think that being spies is fun. But actually, it is a dangerous game. Did you ever think about what might have happened if you had been captured? I can tell you that your fate would not have been pleasant.”
Robert had the highest respect for Lord Laring. He didn’t want to disappoint the wizard in any way. But sometimes he felt as though he was being treated like a child. He wanted more responsibility because he knew that he could handle it. However, he felt that he needed to get more information about Devillan’s army before he could formulate a plan to help defend Albervyn.
He soon saw his chance to learn more. He found out that Laring was planning a meeting with several of the town’s leaders. He asked the wizard if he could attend. To his surprise, he was invited.
Robert didn’t recognize everyone at the meeting, but he knew that they were all important people. Besides Lord Laring, there was Moreland, Valmar, Snide, Lady Laring, Mayor Goodwin, Sir Trueheart, and several other VIPs.
After a few introductory remarks, the great wizard addressed the problem at hand.
“A crisis situation is now upon us. I have recently learned that Devillan’s army is only ten miles away at this time. I have a good reason to believe that our city may be attacked any day now.”
“I don’t believe that fighting is our only choice.” Mayor Goodwin spoke up. “Isn’t there some sort of peaceful resolution to this conflict?”
“I was in favor of negotiating with Devillan.” Laring replied. “In fact, I sent a delegation from our town to meet with him. Unfortunately, I have not heard from them since.”
“Have you received any explanation of their disappearance?” Lady Laring asked.
“No.” The wizard answered. “However, an hour ago, one of the dark warriors delivered a message to me.”
He took a small piece of manuscript from out of his pocket.
“This is it. You can read it if you want. It is only a page long, but Devillan’s demand can be summed up in three words – Surrender or die!”
Several of the people at the meeting looked at the paper. They read it and shook their heads with concern.
“Peace was our first choice.” Moreland commented. “But defense may be our last choice.”
“I don’t want to surrender.” Mayor Goodwin said. “But Devillan has an army of thousands. If we try to fight him, we could all be killed. Can’t we give him some sort of sacrifice so that he’ll leave us alone?”
“If he has had anything to do with disappearance of our delegation.” Laring explained. “We may have given him a sacrifice already.”
“I know what Devillan really wants.” The mayor remarked. “He really wants those people who have betrayed him. Like those two.” He pointed his finger at Moreland and Valmar. “If we give him what he wants, the dark warlord might spare the city.”
The sheriff became angry at this suggestion. He snarled and took a few steps toward Goodwin. However, his deputy restrained the knight from making any inappropriate gestures.
“We’ll have none of that!” Laring spoke loudly. “Albervyn has always been a refuge for those who are unwanted elsewhere. If we start betraying our friends, then we might as well betray ourselves.”
“I meant no disrespect for Moreland or Valmar.” Mayor Goodwin explained. “In fact, I believe that they have done a good job as lawmen. However, we must have the interests of the community in mind. If we don’t want to die and if we don’t want to surrender, then we must have another plan.”
“I say that we stand up for ourselves and fight!” Robert exclaimed.
“Those are tough words from a boy who has never seen a battle.” The mayor sneered. “It would be suicide for us to attack Devillan.”
“But we would be cowards if we just let the dark warriors take over our city.” The young magician continued. “Surely, there must be some way we can defend ourselves.”
“Aye, the lad speaks the truth.” Moreland added. “As for me, I’d rather die a free man than live like a slave any day. We haven’t been given a choice of surrender or death. For many people, whichever they chose would be death.”
“I agree.” Laring said. “We cannot trust Devillan to keep his word. I have received reports of what his army has done in neighboring kingdoms. If he can’t get his way by negotiation, then he uses force! Either way, his armies are ruthless.”
Valmar spoke up. “Look, don’t we have any allies we can rely on? Isn’t there anyone out there who we can ask for help?”
Laring nodded. “Yes, we have our friends. We know Goddard the Good, William the Wise, Kenneth the kind, Grace the Gracious, James the Generous, and Hugo the Understanding.”
“Aye, that is true.” Snide commented. “But Devillan has his allies, also. He knows Evan the Evil, Alvin the Awful, Cruger the Cruel, Dasher the Dastardly, Conray the Conniving, Inchie the Incidious, Malvoy the Malevolent, and Terry the Terrible.”
“From what intelligence I have gathered, I do not believe that all of those leaders are supporting the Dark Lord. Some of them may just be watching to see how he does before they make any commitment.” Moreland added.
Valmar asked, “If our friends are his enemies, and our enemies are not his friends, and his friends are not our enemies, and his enemies are not our enemies, and the enemies of our friends are not our enemies, and the friends of our enemies are not his friends, then that’s a good thing, isn’t it?”
He appeared to be totally confused by his own statement.
“The important thing right now is that I don’t believe that Albervyn could survive an attack at this time.” Sir Trueheart spoke up. “We need reinforcements in case Devillan attacks.”
“I don’t think that it’s a question of if he will attack, but only a question of when.” Snide chipped in.
“A few days ago, I sent a courier to King Goddard.” Laring explained. “In the message, I gave the details of our situation here. I also requested his assistance.”
“Do you believe that he would help us?” Moreland asked.
“Yes.” The great wizard continued. “Goddard the Good is the strongest ally I have. He is no friend of Devillan, as they have fought before. The king knows that if we are defeated, then he will have to face the Dark Lord himself. If we stand together as allies, we will be much stronger than if we have to face our opponents separately.”
Suddenly, Daunt the fairy flew into the room. She appeared to be out of breath as she collapsed on the table in front of Laring.
“Oh, great wizard, I bring important news. At this very moment, Albervyn is under attack!” She managed to blurt out.
“Attacked? Where are we being attacked?” The mayor asked impatiently.
“On the far southwest corner of the city. Near Colin Road. Devillan’s men are breaking through our lines and they are headed this way!” Daunt said as she slowly caught her breath.
Mayor Goodwin looked at Moreland angrily.
“I thought you said that our defenses were secure.”
“Now is not the time for bickering.” Laring stated sternly. “If we fight among ourselves, we will only be distracted away from facing our true enemies. We must face this new problem together. Everyone, come with me at once.”
Everyone followed the old wizard out onto the terrace.
“Master Snide, if you would be so kind as bring out your spy glass.” Laring said as he turned to his colleague.
“Gladly, sir.” Snide replied as he pulled an object out from under his cloak. It was round and flat like a small plate. However, when he pulled it open, the telescope extended out a few feet.
The wizard stared into the spyglass intently. Robert scanned the horizon for any signs of conflict, but he did not see any armies approaching the castle.
“Aye! I see the dark riders!” Snide announced boldly. “Their advance is slow, but steady.”
Laring took out his own telescope and observed the horizon intently.
“I can’t see anything happening with just my eyes.” Valmar commented. “How can that object see the battle?”
“This is no ordinary telescope.” Snide explained. “This is an ultra telescope. Sometimes I can use it to see what’s happening hundreds of miles away.”
He gave Valmar a look and then Robert got his turn.
The boy viewed various images of a battle taking place. Devillan’s men were attacking the border of Albervyn. Several of the soldiers were engaged in sword fights. A cannon exploded with a mighty force. Wounded men were lying on the ground, screaming in pain. The scenes looked so real, Robert almost thought that the battle was right there at the castle.
Laring quickly assessed the situation.
“The dark riders are advancing. However, our soldiers are slowing them down. We need reinforcements.”
He turned to the sheriff. “Moreland, take Valmar and Sir Trueheart to the southwest corner with half of our reserves. Snide, I’m going to need your help to launch a counter offensive against these invaders. Robert, you assist Snide in any way that you can.”
Robert followed Snide to his laboratory.
“We must not waste any time, boy!” the wizard exclaimed. “Here, hold this box.”
The boy was given a large empty box. His instructor proceeded to fill it up with various vials of chemicals.
Snide quickly surveyed a list of items.
“Let’s see…Bat Breath…Dragon’s eyes…Lice Ice…Cream of Mugwat…snake flakes…Body Odors…Gleeth Teeth…Wangdoodle spleens…Zebra stripes…Leopard spots…Fantastic acids…Wiggly Piggies…Leapfrogs…Warthogs…Pollywogs…Broken cogs…Linking logs…Diddlysquats…Bloodclots…Ostrogoths…Slimey sloths…Gooey stuff…Chewy fluff…Missile toes…Ribbon bows…”
When the box was full, the tow left the laboratory. Snide led Robert into a part of the castle where the boy had never been before. They walked down a spiral staircase until they arrived at a large room.
This area appeared to be a large stable. However, instead of horses, there were several strange creatures living in the stalls.
Laring was sitting on a large winged horse. Other animals included a thunderbird, a phoenix, a firebird, a roc, and several beasts which were beyond description.
“Time to saddle up!” Snide announced as he tossed a harness on the thunderbird. He took the box out of the boy’s hands and secured it on the steed.
“You can actually ride those things?” The boy asked in amazement.
“Of course!” The wizard laughed. “I guarantee that you won’t be in any trouble. That is…unless you fall off.”
Robert cautiously climbed onto the roc while Snide mounted himself onto the thunderbird. Several other riders had taken off into the air by the time he felt ready to go.
“We must go now!” Laring exclaimed. The great wizard raised his hand and his winged horse promptly flew out the window.
“Don’t be afraid, my boy!” Snide tried to reassure him. “Riding a roc is as easy as falling off a horse…if you’ll excuse that comparison.”
“I’m ready to give it a try.” The boy replied. “Well, here I go!”
The roc flew out the window and immediately headed into a nose ward dive. Robert felt that he might be in terrible trouble. They quickly fell down toward the jagged rocks at the edge of the moat below.
Just when he thought that they would be smashed to pieces, the roc suddenly swooped up into the sky.
The boy took a deep sigh of relief. That was close one!
He looked into the sky. There were dozens of other riders on other winged creatures. On his left, there was a woman riding a winged snake. They seemed to glide through the air with ease.
On his right, there was a warrior perched on the back of a pterodactyl. At lease, it looked like a pterodactyl. The bald, skinny beast screeched loudly as it swooped high into the sky.
Robert found that riding the bird was a lot like riding a horse. He just had to show it who was the master by pulling the reins in the right way.
Fortunately, the roc was a big, strong bird. It was also very fast. The boy spotted Snide and quickly caught up with him.
The wizard chuckled. “Well, my boy. You’ve learned how to fly. How does it feel? You’re not scared, are you?”
“What? Scared?” Robert asked. “No, I’m sure I can handle this …aaaaaaaaah!”
He screamed as his mount took a sudden dive downwards. As the bird plunged toward the earth, the boy wanted to close his eye in terror for a few brief moments. However, he managed to keep his composure. He pulled tightly on the reins and the roc swooped up into the sky again.
“That’s the thing about rocs. Sometimes they can be unpredictable.” Snide continued to talk as though nothing had happened. “Why phoenixes can be even worse. I was once on a phoenix and it started burning up while I was a thousand feet off the ground.”
“Golly!” The boy exclaimed. “What did you do then?”
“I was able to land her safety before she burst up into flames. Fortunately, I didn’t get burned up about it.”
The roc started shaking a little. It was swaying back and forth. The thunderbird also moved unsteadily.
“We’re encountering some turbulence.” Snide remarked. “Just hold on and you’ll be alright. Just do whatever I do … except when I make a mistake!” He smiled. “This will be nothing compared to when we go into battle.”
Robert pointed south. “That must be it!”
He could see the fighting now. Several of Devillan’s men were riding large green monsters. The beasts looked like extinct dinosaurs. They had huge, bulging eyes and sharp, jagged teeth. The army of Albervyn was being overrun.
At that same time, several reinforcement troops from the city were approaching the site of the battle. Moreland, Valmar, Sir Trueheart, and other villagers had banded together. They were now ready to defend their land. Even Chang had joined the expedition. Not everyone in the group liked or trusted each other, but they all had one thing in agreement. They knew that all of the residents of Albervyn had a common enemy. They also knew that if they failed to work together, then they might be destroyed.
“Devillan’s army approaches.” Sir Trueheart remarked as he looked through his spyglass.
“This is it!” Moreland announced to his troops. “This is the battle we have expected. We didn’t ask for this conflict. It came to us. Now we are forced to deal with it. All I can ask of you is to fight as if your lives depended on it. Everything we have worked to protect is at stake. Our homes, our land, our wives, our children, and our families are being threatened. Think of their future this day.”
Moreland continued to speak dramatically. The farmers, laborers, merchants, artisans, field hands, musicians, tradesmen, entertainers, and others all listened intently as the sheriff attempted to boost their spirits.
“If you ever believed in anything, then fight for that belief today. Believe in yourself and we will succeed. Don’t let the enemy intimidate you. You have nothing to fear from them. Fear nothing, not even fear. Don’t die for your land, make them die for theirs!”
He pointed his sword at the invading army. They were soon a part of the battle.
Valmar found himself attacked by the Dark Warriors. He managed to quickly dodge the swings of their blades. One threw a long spear at him, but the deputy ducked and missed dying by a few inches.
Chang was fighting unbelievably well. He knocked several Dark Warriors off their horses by using a long pole. The enemy knights lay helpless on the ground because their armor was too heavy. The man from China swung his pole so quickly and gracefully that none of the invading soldiers could even get near him. He kept knocking them down as fast as they attacked.
Moreland swung his sword fiercely. He would attack each Dark Warrior individually. His weapon was so long that he quickly cut them down. Then he would move on to the next one.
He did not have too much time for thinking while he fought. He only considered that this would be an ultimate struggle for survival. He felt that he must do his absolute best in order for his side to succeed. He knew that he could not rest until the invaders had been driven out of Albervyn.
The sights and sounds of the battle flashed by him. He heard the screams and groans of wounded men. He heard the clinking of hundreds of swords clashing against each other. He felt drops of sweat and blood roll down his body. He coughed when a large cloud of dust blew into his face and distracted him for a moment.
This is my time. No matter what I have done in the past, it will all be forgotten compared to what I do here, he thought.
Robert held onto the back of the roc as tightly as he could. He still felt a little uneasy about being so high in the air. However, he kept checking his stirrups and they were secure.
“Don’t worry, my boy!” Snide laughed. “You’re doing fine. Once you get used to it, flying is a breeze!”
Suddenly, the strong gust of wind shook the two riders vigorously. The breeze lasted only a few seconds, but the boy though it seemed like hours.
He watched the battle rage in the distance. The soldiers of Albervyn were so small that he didn’t recognize any of them yet. However, he knew that he would be one of them soon enough.
“Are you ready, boy?” The wizard asked.
“I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.” Robert replied.
“That’s the spirit!” His teacher exclaimed. “Sometimes you just have to jump into something without thinking too much about it. Now, just follow me!”
The thunderbird and its rider swooped down from the sky and entered the heart of the battle. The roc and its rider soon followed.
Robert tried his best to follow Snide, but his bird wasn’t flying fast enough. He was able to see the wizard attack the enemy.
As the thunderbird flew over Devillian’s men, Snide sprinkled some magic dust into the air. The boy reached into his saddle pouch and did the same. The dust sprinkled down to the ground slowly. At first, it seemed to have no effect on the attackers. But slowly, the boy noticed a change taking place. Some of the Dark Warriors began to move a little slower and more passively. Some of them just dropped their weapons and quickly retreated. Others fell to the ground and twitched uncontrollably. Robert thought that they might be dying. But then he saw that the men were still alive. As it turned out, they were laughing. They shook off pieces of their armor as they tried to control themselves. They covered their mouths to try to keep from breathing the dust. However, the laughing continued.
“That’s jolly powder!” Snide yelled to him. “Keep throwing it over them and they will lose interest in fighting us!”
Robert kept doing as he was told. He tried to scatter the dust as evenly as possible through the air. Although the powder seemed to disappear into the wind, he saw that it was having some effect on Devillan’s men.
The plan was working better than the boy ever would have imagined. The enemy troops were laughing so much that they couldn’t seem to do much fighting. Many of them had already retreated away from the battle. Others had even surrendered to the army of Albervyn.
Just when it looked like the magic dust would win the battle, Robert got an unpleasant surprise. He reached into is pouch to find that he couldn’t find anything. The powder was all gone!
“What do we do now?” He called to the wizard.
“Relax, boy. We have plenty of options. If plan A doesn’t work, then we can go to plan B. If plan B doesn’t work, then we can go to plan C, and so on.”
“What if we get through the entire alphabet and plan Z doesn’t work?”
“Then we go to plan A1!! Snide remarked. “It’s time for a new strategy. Remember, just do what I do, unless I make a mistake!”
The wizard started gathering various objects from out of his saddlebags. These were all of the items they had gathered from the laboratory back at the castle. Robert did the same. He didn’t know what most of the stuff was. A lot of it didn’t have any labels on them.
Snide picked out a few dried up dark objects. They looked like black rocks. He examined them closely and remarked, “Oh, these will do.”
He threw them at the enemy soldiers below. He quickly chanted some incantations which the boy couldn’t even understand. Robert didn’t know quite what was going on, but he did his best to repeat these actions.
At first, the dark objects seemed to have no effect at all on Devillan’s men. The jolly powder had seemed to be more effective. However, the young magician soon noticed that strange things were happening. Some of the Dark Warriors were scratching themselves vigorously. At least two of them had taken off all of their armor in an attempt to stop the itching. Some of the soldiers were sneezing uncontrollably. Still others had given up fighting and retreated.
“This stuff is really harmless.” Snide remarked as he tossed some more items below. “The symptoms will wear off in a few hours. But until then, those fellows won’t be bothering us too soon in the future.”
By this time, Robert had recognized some of his friends and allies who were also fighting in the battle. He noticed Johnny Dundee riding on a firebird nearby. That creature was forcing enemy troops to retreat with its hot breath. Devillan’s men were scattering into the forest in order to avoid the flames of that beast.
He also saw Moreland, Valmar, and several other knights of Albervyn below. They were still fighting what was left of the invading army. Not of the enemy soldiers had been neutralized yet. The battle was continuing as Robert and Snide worked furiously to give their side the advantage.
Moreland was tired now, but he was trying very hard to keep up his strength. He did not wish to appear weak in the eyes of his enemies or his allies. Somehow, he managed to keep finding more energy to fight his duels. His sword clashed against each opponent until it had met its mark. His shield blocked every blow and deflected every arrow shot at him. The sheriff found new hope to carry on as the battle appeared to be turning in their favor. He only wished that he could face Lord Devillan himself in combat. Then he could claim his ultimate victory.
The knight was startled by a large shadow creeping up behind him. It looked too big to be any human warrior. He turned around quickly and came face to face with a familiar adversary.
It was Goth. The ogre had returned to Albervyn for revenge on those who had humiliated him. He now wore the dark colors of Devillan’s legions. The beast snorted through his nostrils as he approached Moreland with a large sword.
“We meet again.” The sheriff commented.
“For the second and the last time.” His opponent grunted as he thrust his weapon forward.
The warrior of Albervyn quickly dodged the ogre’s blow. The Dark Warrior was bigger and stronger, so he knew that he had to be smarter and faster if he wanted to win this duel.
Goth’s next blow chopped the top of off a small tree.
“Now what did that tree ever do to you?” Moreland asked. Even in the face of death, he tried to have a sense of humor.
“That’s nothing compared to what I will do to you.” The dark warrior growled back.
The sheriff knew that he could easily outrun his opponent if he wanted to retreat. But there was no honor in running away from a fight, especially if he believed that he had a chance to win.
Goth swung his sword horizontally in an attempt to chop the knight in two. Moreland managed to barely dodge that blow by backing up a few paces. The ogre’s weapon was so huge, that he couldn’t get close enough for a counter attack. For the moment, all he could do was defend himself.
“You’re going to have to try better than that.” He sneered at Goth. The sheriff hoped that his cocky confidence would somehow anger his opponent and force him to make some kind of mistake.
“I will beat you!” The ogre snarled. “Are you afraid to fight me? Or are you just going to run away?”
Moreland knew that his enemy was goading him. The two warriors circled each other slowly. I can beat this guy. He’s just trying to intimidate me. He will not succeed. I will be prepared for anything he does. All I need to do is anticipate any move he might make before he makes it. Then I shall be ready to strike.
A thousand thoughts like those rushed through his head within the next few seconds. The possibility of dying never crossed his mind even though it could happen at any moment. He believed that there was always some way that he could overcome any obstacle. He just had to find it. Whatever it took, that’s what he would do. Defeat could never be an option. He would never surrender even if he had to go down fighting.
Goth’s sword swung through the air and clashed with Moreland’s weapon. The ogre was clearly trying to use his brute strength to force the blade out of his hand. However, the sheriff held on firmly. His opponent struck again and again, but the knight of Albervyn still managed to block these blows.
“Is that the best you can do?” Moreland laughed at him. “If that’s your best, then do your worst!”
The ogre scowled as he raised his weapon again.
Suddenly, Moreland saw his opportunity. It was only available for an instant, but that was all the time he needed in order to take advantage of it. The ogre let his guard down for one crucial moment, and the sheriff saw his chance. He quickly used his shield to block his opponent’s sword. Then he thrust his weapon into the dark warrior’s belly in one spontaneous action.
Goth fell to the ground and groaned. He tried to take Moreland down with him with his one last swing of his weapon, but it was too late. The knight of Albervyn backed away from his enemy as swiftly as he had moved toward him only a few seconds before. The ogre gave out one gasp of breath before he was silent forever.
Robert watched as the enemy troops quickly retreated out of Albervyn. Snide and his thunderbird were attacking them as they fled. The winged beast shot out small bolts of lightning from its talons. These electric shocks kept forcing Devillan’s army to flee from the front line.
“You’ve got them on the run!” The boy exclaimed as the wizard flew past him.
“Well, no one charges like old Nessie here!” His professor replied as he patted the thunderbird on the head. “I’m sure that the enemy found her attack quite shocking.”
The young magician surveyed the scene of the battle. Most of the fighting had ceased by this time. Medical orderlies were assisting the wounded soldiers. Even the wounded of the enemy were being helped. Their injuries were wrapped in bandages and they were carried away on carts.
Robert saw something flying toward him on his left. He recognized it as one of Snide’s carrier pigeons. The boy instinctively reached out his hand and the bird settled on it.
“Do you have any message for me, little one?” The young magician asked. He looked for any notes which might be attached to the pigeon’s legs, but he didn’t find anything.
“Of course I do!” The bird replied suddenly .
Robert was so shocked by this response that he almost fell off the roc. Yet, he knew that he should be used to creatures talking unexpectedly by now.
“I am happy to report that most of the enemy troops have left the city of Albervyn.” The pigeon spoke with a tone of authority in his voice. “Those remaining have all been captured. I will deliver more briefings as they come in. Well, gotta fly!” The bird then took off.
Moreland aided the injured soldiers on the battlefield. Even after all of that fighting, he still had some energy to help others. He carried several fellow veterans to where they could get treatment. He bound the wounds of many men. The sheriff even gathered several corpses so that they could be buried with honor.
The work was difficult for him. He saw the pain in the eyes of the living. He heard the screams of agony from the dying. He found the bodies of some of his friends. He knew that they would haunt his memories forever. But he also knew that he had to keep living to help those who had also survived. The army of Albervyn had won a great victory this day. Moreland wanted to make sure that everyone understood what sacrifices had been made in order to achieve this accomplishment. He felt that he could not rest until he had taken care of all of his men.
The sheriff looked for his friend, Valmar. Could his deputy be among the fallen soldiers? He had not seen his friend since the battle began. Would this be their last fight together? He scanned the faces of the living for an answer. He recognized some people, but many others looked unfamiliar. Some of them would never be the same after all that they had seen that day.
The citizens of Albervyn were all working together to bring relief to their defenders. The tired warriors were given bread, water, and meat to help them regain their energy. Some of the veterans had even recovered enough to talk about their exploits in the battle. Most of them, however, continued to try to serve their comrades as quietly and effectively as possible.
“Well, look what we have here!” A booming voice announced.
Moreland smiled as he turned around. The sheriff could recognize that voice anywhere. Sure enough, he saw Valmar slowly approaching him. The deputy was dragging two small men who were chained to him.
“It’s good to see you again!” The knight exclaimed as he embraced his friend. “I’m glad to see that you’re alright. But who are these prisoners in your custody?” Moreland glanced at the trolls.
“The army of Albervyn has taken many prisoners today.” Valmar explained. “But none are as important as these two. Let me introduce you to Smirk and Sloat. These two fugitives are responsible for numerous crimes in this area. They had escaped from the city several weeks ago. Later, they joined Devillan’s army and were part of the invasion force. They surrendered after being neutralized by a dose of jolly powder.”
At that moment, Smirk started pushing Sloat. “You fool! I knew that you would lead us to disaster! You gave us away.”
Sloat blocked some of the troll’s punches and began hitting back. “How was I to know that we’d be recognized? I only gave them my name and rank.”
“That was too much information anyway!” Smirk grumbled. “You could have given them a fake name at least!”
“Quiet! You two!” Valmar snapped at them sharply. You’re going to need all of your strength where you’re going. You won’t have any time or energy for arguing.” He handed the prisoners over to a nearby soldier. “Take these scoundrels to the city jail. Their punishment will be determined later.”
As the two trolls were dragged away, the deputy pondered their fate.
“I wonder what will happen to those two. Do you suppose that they will be hung?”
Moreland shook his head. “Hanging is too good for those rascals. But I’m sure that they will receive what they deserve. Maybe they can serve out a sentence by serving the community. There are many fences to mend, bridges to repair, and other work which needs to be done. I’m sure that we can find enough for them to do.”
“And what about all of our other prisoners?” Valmar asked as he pointed to the other enemy troops. “We’ve captured so many, I don’t know what we’re going to do with all of them.”
“If they can be rehabilitated, we will try that.” The sheriff said. “If some of them were forced to fight for Devillan, then maybe they can be influenced to fight against him as well. We will just have to see.”
Robert and the other winged warriors started flying back to the castle. He was surprised at how exhausted he was by the whole experience. He noticed that Johnny Dundee was quickly passing him on the firebird.
“Well, Robert, how did you like your first taste of battle?” His friend called to him.
“It was dangerous, but still a bit thrilling.” The boy replied. The constant moving of the roc under him was starting to give him motion sickness. However, he decided not to mention this minor ailment. He knew that his ride would be over soon.
“Did you see Devillan’s men run?” Johnny yelled. “I’m sure that they will not be bothering us soon.”
“Yes, it was quite a victory.” Robert agreed. “I only hope that it will lead to a lasting peace.”
“If I know Devillan, the only piece he wants is a piece of Albervyn and everything attached to it.” The firebird rider chuckled. “But he’s not going to get that!” His friend then quickly flew away.
Robert next saw Snide approaching him on the thunderbird.
“You did well, my boy!” The wizard exclaimed with delight. “Why, you’re practically a hero the way you forced all of those enemy troops to stop fighting.”
“I couldn’t have done it without your help sir.” The young magician replied. “A soldier is only as good as his weapons and his training.”
“Aye, there’s some truth in that.” Snide nodded. “But sometimes the weapons are only as good as the soldiers who use them. Either way, you surely proved yourself today and I’m really proud of you.”
“Thank you, sir.” The boy replied modestly. In a way, he felt a little guilty about achieving success so easily. He wondered how well he would have fought with a sword on the ground. Perhaps he would be able to demonstrate his other abilities in a later battle. For now, he was glad to have survived.
“You weren’t little scared out there, were you?” The thunderbird rider asked him.
“I tried not to think about fear too much.” Robert admitted. “I was just too busy fighting. If I was afraid of anything, I was most concerned with staying on my mount.”
At that moment, his saddle shifted slightly. The boy breathed a sigh of relief as he watched the land pass by several hundred feet beneath him. What a tragedy it would be to fall off now after the battle was over. He stroked the roc gently with his hand.
I couldn’t have done it without you also, my friend.” He said to the bird.
The roc didn’t say anything, but somehow Robert felt that it understood.
Robert laughed a little. Maybe he had accidentally taken a whiff of that jolly powder.
Everyone gathered at the main hall in the castle that evening. Robert had never seen so many people. He thought that the entire city of Albervyn had shown up to celebrate the victory. Several trumpeters played their horns loudly to welcome the returning veterans. A lute player sang songs praising the defenders of Albervyn and honoring those who had fallen in battle.
And of course, there was a grand feast for all. The boy could hardly believe that there was so much food. Servers brought in huge trays of roast beef, pork, turkey, chicken, and many other types of meat that the apprentice couldn’t even identify. He had a taste of lizaroid stew, but he didn’t care for that too much. The fried dragon loins were good, though. The young magician also had a second helping of barbequed phoenix, a rare delicacy.
He noticed that Doolet was flying around the room, eating all of the flames off the candles. An attendant was having trouble trying to keep the candles lit as the fairy kept putting them out.
Johnny Dundee asked her, “Doolet, why do you keep eating the flames from the candles?”
The fairy giggled. “I can’t help it. I’m just a light eater.”
There was plenty of food for people of all tastes. Valmar started eating some unidentified fruit. He didn’t now that they were love apples. Soon afterwards, he was talking about his military heroics with a group of pretty milk maidens.
Snide was enjoying a large piece of roasted pterodactyl on a stick. Elvin the elf was chewing on a smaller piece.
Eventually, the crowd settled down after the dinner. Everyone had as much to eat as they could manage. The attendants took away the leftovers and the other dirty plates. Some of the coarser fellows burped loudly. Those with more refined manners kept their noises to themselves. People wiped their faces, stretched their arms, yawned, and participated in various conversations.
Suddenly, there was a low, humming noise among the crowd. Everyone immediately stopped talking and joined the humming. Doolet started humming a song, but she was soon advised to just shut up. Robert realized that the humming was meant to quiet everyone down. It was an indication that someone was about to deliver a speech.
As expected, Laring had stoop up and raised his hands. By this time, he had the attention of everyone. He waved his hand slightly and the humming stopped abruptly. There was a brief moment of silence as nobody wanted to miss anything that he said.
Then the old wizard spoke.
“My friends, fellow citizens of Albervyn, we have won a great victory today!”
Various cheers and applause filled the hall.
“Our land has been defended and our enemies have been driven away. This is not just an accomplishment for ourselves, but this is an accomplishment for all people who appose tyranny. We have proven that evil must be and will be defeated.”
There was another ovation from the audience. By this time, many of the people were standing up.
“But even as we celebrate, let us not forget the sacrifices which have been made. Many brave people were wounded or died this day. Let us always remember their service to our land.”
There was some clapping, but the mood of the guests had suddenly turned sober. Some people even felt a little guilty about celebrating when they realized that several of their friends and fellow defenders would not be joining them.
“I have seen great courage during my lifetime. But I have never seen the type of courage that I saw today. I saw the bravest people I had ever know overcome incredible odds in order to preserve their way of life. Long live the people of Albervyn.”
“Here! Here!” The crowd roared.
As he enjoyed the festivities, Robert thought about many things. This town had become a special place for him. He had made many new friends. He had learned so much in the past few weeks. He had seen many strange creatures. He had accomplished more than he ever believed was possible.
He still missed his family. He missed the wit of Chester. He missed the stories of Angelina. He even missed his arguments with Annie. How he wished that they were together again. Houdi said that they would be back someday, but when? Robert could only wait.
He still believed that he had made the right decision by staying in Albervyn. He knew that he had wanted to go out and seek his fortune eventually. In this city, he had found it. He felt that he had a purpose here. He believed that he could do important work here. Anything was possible with the power of magic. He wanted to learn as much as he could while he still had this opportunity. There was so much to know. Now he had found a place where he could make his dreams come true.

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