CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  A BAG OF TRICKS

  “Well wizard, are you going to open it or not?” asked Elias, lifting up the strap of Zendres’ bag with his sword.

  Garrick laughed as Maldrin grabbed the hanging bag from the end of the knight’s blade. “I am with Elias. Then his eyes widened a little. “Who knows what kind of spell your master might have put over that thing.

  Maldrin opened the bag and reached his hand in. As he closed his hand over something, Tal ran out of the bag, up his sleeve, and sat on his shoulder.

  “Tal, I see, is braver than both of you,” laughed Cerelene, sarcastically, still a little perturbed at being laughed at herself only moments before.

  Though exhausted and still in some pain, Maldrin chuckled, then rubbed the squirrel’s head. “She may not be braver, but she is much more beautiful than these two ruffians, that is for sure.” Then the old wizard pulled out an almost clear looking spherical stone that was the size of the lapis lazuli crystal in his staff.

  Maldrin then held the stone next to the lapis lazuli. Both stones glowed until he separated them again. “The Seeing Stone. There are others. However, like the others, this one will not work with any other staff. But it should only be used sparingly. I do not have to be at full strength, but as with any time I cast a spell, it will drain me.”

  Maldrin closed his eyes and continued. “This staff. This Seeing Stone. They were created by Master Kalimtyra. They were passed to Master Zendres. Now they are mine.” Slowly, Maldrin opened his eyes again and looked at Garrick, Elias, and Cerelene. “With this Seeing Stone, we will see the dragon Firebaugh before he knows we are there.” Then the wizard lifted his staff. “Once we roll it into his lair, and it lands against his treasure, we will see what is all around the room in the lapis lazuli. And when he is not looking we will attack.”

  “You make it sound so easy,” replied Garrick.

  The mercenary knew better, but there was no doubt that Maldrin was right about acquiring the Seeing Stone. The element of surprise could mean the difference between life and death for them.

  There’s something else in the bag, Maldrin,” said Cerelene, pointing at what looked like a scroll that had inched its way up after the wizard had grabbed the Seeing Stone.

  Once Maldrin pulled out the parchment, he untied the two strings, keeping it from unraveling. After handing the strings to Cerelene, the old wizard unrolled the scroll. When his eyes widened, Elias stepped to Maldrin’s side with interest.

  “The Tower of Mystics and Magic!?” exclaimed Elias, surprised.

  Garrick took a few steps and stood next to Cerelene to get a better look. The elf maiden looked up at Garrick, nodded, and then went back to studying the scroll.

  “Yes, Elias. You are right,” replied Maldrin in a low voice. It was almost a whisper. “I did not know Master Zendres had this...”

  Garrick looked over what he could now see was a map of the The Tower of Mystics and Magic. The very place the final Holy Stone was said to be.

  “My master must have decided to face the Shadowmage,” pondered Maldrin, aloud. Then he looked at the trio, whose eyes were studying him. “Remember, Master Kalimtyra was part of the council that confined the Shadowmage to the tower.” Then the wizard’s voice became a whisper. “Master Zendres must have received it from him.”

  Though Garrick was happy at the find, his caution of the situation they were still in took over. “We do not know how much time we have till the remaining goblins and trolls get curious about how things ended in here.” Then the mercenary looked over his shoulder. “Let us move this conversation into the serpent’s den. If we could hear the river when we entered this place, there may be a way out.”

  Onyx sniffed the air and took off down toward the den. Then with a screech, Azure followed.

  “Garrick is right. And the den is wider and more stable than being pushed back against the cliff,” added Elias, looking over his shoulder at the passage as well.

  As Maldrin opened the bag again to put back the scroll, he stopped.

  “Something else?” asked Cerelene. Then she watched as the wizard pulled out something small, white, and beautiful. “Are those what I think they are?” A second later the elf maiden’s face lit up joy.

  “Yes,” replied Maldrin. “Fairy wings. Pressed Fairy wings.” Then the wizard looked from the wings in his hand to his companions. “To say these are rare is an understatement.”

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  “Visiting The Fabled Forest is even rarer,” marveled Cerelene. “Not even many of we elves have set foot in Queen Yalani’s kingdom.”

  “What are they used for, my friend?” asked Garrick. It was interesting that Zendres had a pair, but more pertinent was if they could use them. Whatever they did.

  “Teleportation,” answered Maldrin, as he examined the find further. “After you cast the spell over them, you tear the wings apart. You place one where you want to return to. Then once you speak the magic over the other, you are sent back to the first.”

  “Could we use it on The Cloud Shroud Mountain?” pressed the mercenary. “Even with the element of surprise, the battle will not be easy, and the trek back down the mountain, even without injury will be daunting.

  Maldrin thought for a moment. “If Master Zendres was going to use these atop The Tower of Mystic and Magic, I do not see why we can not use them after fighting Firebaugh.”

  Elias slapped Garrick and Maldrin on their backs and then looked over at Cerelene with a smile. “Elion has brought us here for a reason, I see.” Then the knight pointed to the far wall of the cavern. “However, now I would like to leave. Shall we?”

  Once they joined Onyx and Azure in the serpent’s den, Garrick, Elias, Cerelene, and Maldrin spread out. As they all looked over the rocky walls and Onyx sniffed about, Azure sat perched above them on a skinny rock that perfectly suited her. Then when Maldrin continued to move down closer to the middle of the wall, Tal jumped off his shoulder. The squirrel quickly ran across the rocky wall. Then to Maldrin’s dismay, she disappeared.

  Not believing his own eyes, Maldrin quickly walked to where Tal had been. When he reached the exact place he had seen her last, the wizard jerked his head back, and yelled upon seeing the squirrel suddenly appear and jump toward him. After Tal landed on Maldrin’s arm, she ran up to his shoulder once again. Only this time she was wet.

  As the others came to see what was going on, Maldrin looked down. About waist high was a small hole. After the old wizard looked over the cavern wall a little longer, he could see a few more. Then he looked into the hole that Tal had come from. Not only could he hear the river, he could now see it!

  “What a smart little squirrel!” exclaimed Cerelene, as she began to pet Tal. Then after the squirrel jumped from Maldrin’s shoulder onto the elf maiden’s shoulder, Tal hopped down onto Onyx’s big black head.

  “No wonder the serpent made this its den,” said Garrick, looking through the hole next. Then he looked at Tal. “I am sure countless woodland critters have rushed through these holes to get away from predators or the elements.”

  “Well, at least one of us can get out.” added Elias sarcastically, stepping up to the hole after Garrick.

  Maldrin lifted his staff and pressed one side of the lapis lazuli over the hole. It wasn’t the same size, but it did sit in the hole, much like an orb on a stand.

  “What are you thinking, Maldrin?” asked Cerelene. “Can you get us out of here?”

  Maldrin closed his eyes for a moment, thinking. Then moved his lips over and over, talking to himself silently.

  “Are you strong enough to get us through the rock?” questioned Garrick, cautiously. Having fought by the wizard’s side for years, the mercenary knew that his friend was nearing his limits. Then Maldrin opened his eyes.

  “I did not foresee the battle with the goblins and trolls when we entered the caverns,” began Maldrin, looking at Elias and Cerelene. “That, combined with the fight against the cavern serpent, has left me almost fully spent, but I think I can cast one more spell to break us through.” Then he looked at Garrick. “After that though, I will be of no use, either magically or physically.”

  “I will gladly carry you out of here if it means we do not have to return the way we came wizard!” exclaimed Elias, pointing back toward the cliff and passageway. “I have carried many men in battle.” Then the knight bowed. “It would be my honor.”

  Maldrin nodded and looked at Garrick, who nodded back. The mercenary almost asked the wizard again if he was sure that he could do it, but with so much history and friendship between the two, he knew Maldrin was up for the task if the old wizard said so.

  “What are you going to do?” inquired Cerelene, after looking at the hole in the wall.

  “I will cast the Shatter spell,” replied Maldrin. “Now, step back.” Then he pulled out the remaining nuts and berries from his pocket and handed them to the elf maiden. “Here. For Tal. Yes, she knows Garrick, but I think she likes you as well. And I think it is good for her to be around another beautiful female.” Then the old wizard winked. “Instead of just us rowdy men.”

  After both Cerelene and Garrick took a few steps back, Maldrin placed the palm of his left hand over the lapis lazuli. After a few seconds it started to glow. A moment later he lifted his staff high with both hands and gripped it tightly. Then the old wizard swung it with all his might at the hole in the wall.

  “SHATTER!”

  There was a short humming sound that reverberated through the hole as the lapis lazuli fell into place. Then Garrick and Cerelene watched in awe as the rock around the hole collapsed into pieces.

  As Maldrin fell unconscious, he was caught by Elias, who placed him over his shoulder with ease. Then Tal jumped from Onyx to the knight and laid down upon the wizard’s back.

  Garrick shielded his eyes as the sunlight hit him. It was still midday. Then he opened up his bag and grabbed the High Priest’s map, while Cerelene slid Maldrin’s staff behind Elias’s shield that was already resting on the knight’s back.

  Above them, Azure stretched her wings and carefully flew out of the serpent’s den and found a nice young tree at the river’s edge. There she was joined by Onyx shortly after, as the rest of the group exited one by one out of the now larger hole.

  “According to the map, Valtross is almost a day away, if we follow the river and then take this short cut through the Tumerlon Hills,” announced Garrick. Then after putting the map away, he walked over to Elias.

  The mercenary nodded at the knight. Then he looked at Maldrin and grabbed his arm affectionately. After letting it go, Garrick looked up at Elias.

  “I have carried him more than once. When you are tired, I will carry him,” said Garrick, quietly.

  Though Elias knew he could carry the wizard until he recovered, he only nodded in agreement. When Garrick turned to walk, Cerelene stopped him. Though he tried to put on a brave face, the elf maiden could sense the worry he was trying to mask.

  After gently straightening the mercenary’s chain mail, the elf maiden looked up at him with kind eyes. As Garrick’s eyes met hers, Cerelene slowly patted him on his chest. Then the elf maiden spoke just two words.

  “To Valtross.”