Note: This story was originally written as a Christmas gift for some of my friends: Bo, Tom (Tim), Lindsey, Lindsey and Andy.
Part
I – Bo and Tom
The sun beamed down on
the field of grass as Bo continued to swing his sword against the training
post. He was getting warmed up for the sparring session with his mentor in
preparation for Bo’s Trial. Nearly ready for knighthood, Bo had to prove
himself with a quest. Pounding away at the post, Bo wondered what task would be
assigned in these peaceful times. He counted himself lucky his Trial didn’t
involve going into war, though he knew his task would still require him to put
his skills and bravery to the test. Maybe he would have to bring back a
mountain lion’s pelt for the duke. Whatever it ended up being, Bo felt
confident that he would find the task easy enough. How could he not? It was
almost unbearably exciting, the thought of his first real adventure.
Of course, it’s not like I would be alone,
he thought. I have Tom to go with me.
Every
knight in the kingdom of Nelsonberg had a wizard to provide wisdom and
protection. Tom was Bo’s wizard. Or, at least he would be. As Bo was yet to
gain his knighthood, Tom was still a wizard’s apprentice. Their own rights would
have to be earned together as the law taught the importance of the bond between
a knight and his wizard.
Bo
paused his swings to breathe.
“You’re
not stopping already, are you?” Bo heard his mentor’s voice from behind him and
spun around.
“Just
a quick breath,” Bo replied. “I’m far from finished.”
“Good,”
his mentor said with a nod, drawing his own sword from its sheath. “I’m sure
you won’t mind showing me, then?”
Without
another word, Bo’s mentor lunged. His sword swung with his motion, rolling into
Bo’s parry and bouncing off. He used the momentum to create a spin and launched
an attack on Bo’s other side, but Bo blocked again and launched an attack of
his own. Bo felt a rush as the two exchanged blows. This is what he was made
for. Suddenly, Bo’s mentor threw his leg into the fray and tripped Bo up. The
man looked down at his squire and smiled.
“You’re
getting better, but there’s still a lot you have to learn.”
Bo sighed.
His mentor was right.
Just
then, a bell began to ring. Both Bo and his mentor were suddenly alert. Bo
sprung up and the two of them raced off towards the grand hall. That bell was
never a good sign.
Upon
reaching the hall, Bo felt himself relax a little. At least the village wasn’t
under attack. A crowd had gathered, though, and was looking quite anxious to
know what had caused the concern. Bo’s mentor made his way to the front where
the senior knights were discussing what had happened. Bo had followed along and
got a few glances from some of the knights that told him perhaps he shouldn’t
have.
I don’t see why, Bo thought. I’ll be a knight soon anyway.
“Two
of my men were knocked out by magic and the Dragon’s Treasure is missing,” the
captain of the guard finally announced.
Shocked
gasped escaped anyone close enough to hear. The Dragon’s Treasure was a ruby that
could be used by a dragon mage to summon and control Bonerous, a dragon trapped
within the gem so the village could be built. Not only was the village now
without its greatest defense, but someone now had that weapon to use against
the kingdom. Suddenly everyone there felt vulnerable.
“Do
we know who did it?” a voice spoke up amongst the murmurs.
The
captain’s gaze was cold as it fixed upon Bo. “Where is your wizard’s
apprentice?” he asked in a commanding tone.
Bo
could feel the eyes of everyone in the room turn to him. He began to grow
uncomfortable as he answered, “I don’t know. It couldn’t have been Tom.”
The
captain’s gaze never wavered, his voice never faltered, “This was done by a
firespirit wizard, my men say. So I’d suggest you find your wizard soon if you
hope to make a case for his innocence.”
That
was all Bo needed to hear. He nodded and spun around, disappearing back into
the crowd. Bo covered ground at a steady pace as he made his way towards Tom’s
master’s hut. He hoped he would find his friend there. It couldn’t have been
Tom. Bo reached the gate. So did Tom.
“Sorry
I’m late. I can’t find Tim anywhere today. Do you know what the bell was
about?”
Bo
felt like a stone had sunk in his stomach. Still, he felt relieved that Tom
really hadn’t taken the gem. “Tom, I think Tim might have taken the Dragon’s
Treasure. You better come with me. Quick,” Bo beckoned.
Tom
looked aghast, but followed anyway, “What? It couldn’t be.”
“I
hope not, either,” was all Bo could offer.
As
they reached the hall again, Bo noticed there were considerably less people. The
crowd had dispersed, leaving only the knights behind as they continued to
discuss the best plan of action. Henry, the duke, had also been summoned and
was deep in conversation with the captain of the guard when Bo and Tom entered
the room. Everyone fell silent as the two appeared.
“Well
boy?” one of the knights spoke up.
Bo
let out a breath before he began to talk, “Tom’s brother Tim is missing.”
The
hall fell into an uproar. “Enough,” the duke’s voice quelled the chatter. “Tom,
when was the last time you heard from Tim?”
Tom
found speaking difficult as he answered, “Last night. He never reported for
today’s lessons. But I don’t know why he might do something like this.”
The
captain of the guard gave a snort, “Well he did. So where do you think he might
have gone?”
“I
don’t know,” Tom sounded defeated for a moment while he let everything sink in.
After a moment’s pause, he continued, “but I think I might be able to find him.
He’s my brother. Give me the chance, sir.”
“What
are you suggesting?” the captain inquired.
Tom
glanced at Bo, “Make this our Trial. We can get the gem back.”
The
room sat in silence for a moment, everyone hanging on the duke’s next words.
When he spoke, he did so directly to Bo and Tom’s mentors, “Well?”
Tom’s
mentor, who was Tim’s mentor too, was the first to respond. “Perhaps it is
best,” he offered. Bo’s mentor gave a curt nod as his only reply.
“So
it’s settled, then,” the duke announced. “Bo and Tom shall ride off tomorrow in
search Tim and the Dragon’s Treasure. May we pray for our safety until their
return.”
Part
II – The Journey Begins
Bo
heard the knock at his door, rustling him from his slumber, “Enter.”
Tom
came in. “People have been saying they think they saw Tim heading for the
eastern border.”
Bo
nodded, “You think he’s going to Gloustchire?”
“I
fear so,” Tom answered, grimly. Gloustchire was Nelsonberg’s greatest enemy in
the current times, the tension between the two bringing them to the edge of war
more than once in the past year alone.
“We
must make haste, then,” Bo declared.
The
two of them made their way back to the hall to meet with the captain of the
guard before taking their leave. They could feel a sense of uneasiness in the
air. Everywhere seemed to bustle only out of urgency, rather than its usual
liveliness. The environment already seemed hostile. Nelsonberg was vulnerable
and everyone knew it.
“There
you are,” the captain of the guard exclaimed when Bo and Tom made their way
into the hall at last. “I take it you’ve heard the rumors going around?”
“We
have,” Bo answered. “Don’t worry, we’ll move as fast as we can.”
The
captain nodded his approval, then narrowed his eyes at Tom, “Are you sure you
can handle this? He is your brother.”
Tom
drew in a breath of air. He had been waiting for this. “I’ll do what I have
to,” he answered the captain, holding his gaze.
“Good.
You both know what’s at stake here. Win and become knight and wizard, lose… and
we all do.”
That
statement sunk in hard in the silence that followed. Bo finally spoke back up,
“Rations?”
“There’s
a loaf of bread already waiting for each of you with your horses. Now get to
the stables.”
The
point was clear. They had already wasted too much time. Without another word,
Bo and Tom spun around and made their way towards the stables at an elevated
pace. Laraine, the stable maid, was waiting on them when they arrived. Handing
them each their bread sack and horse, she pushed them onward. “Took your time,
I see,” she had criticized at their arrival. “At this rate the whole kingdom
will be up in flames by morrow.”
Is that really what the townspeople are
thinking, Bo wondered. Then, more grimly, what if they’re right?
As
worried as they both were, both Bo and Tom felt a rush as they mounted their
steads. This was it, their trial to gain their rights. Tom looked over at Bo,
“You ready?”
“Let’s
do this,” Bo replied, giving his horse a kick.
The
thundering sound of hooves pounded against the ground as the two rode hard
throughout the day, stopping only to give the horses quick breaks from the
heavy riding. The sky was just starting to darken as they came to the border
between the kingdoms. “We need to keep riding,” Tom had said what they both
knew. “We’ve already lost a day of travel.”
“We’ll
have to be careful, though,” Bo pointed out. “Arousing suspicion is the last
thing we want to do.”
They
continued forward, letting their horses slow to a walking gate. The moon was at
its peak as the two finally reached the edge of the Gloustchire walls. Bo and
Tom dismounted their rides and tied them to nearby trees. “Well, we’re here,”
Tom announced. “Now, how do we get in?”
“I
know,” said Bo. “Do you think you could use magic to raise the gate? I can
storm in as soon as it’s up and dispatch the guards. It’s night, there
shouldn’t be too much trouble.”
“I
can try,” Tom replied.
They
snuck up to the gate, hugging the wall. As they came up on the entrance, Bo
slowly drew his sword. They paused and Bo gathered himself for a moment, then
he turned to Tom and nodded. Tom focused his energy, lifting the gate as Bo
swung in.
“Hey!”
one of the guards shouted in surprise before Bo could dispatch him. Bo silently
cursed to himself. He had hoped they could pull this off a bit more quietly.
The
damage was done. As Tom filed in behind Bo, they could already hear footsteps
approaching their position. Trapped within the enemy’s city, Bo and Tom found
their element of surprise was gone.
Part
III – An Archer Arrives
Are these two trying to get
themselves killed, Lindsey wondered bitterly. The huntress
had watched the whole scene unfold from her window in the Inn. She wondered
what the fuss was all about and glancing at her bow trying to decide if it was
worth trying to find out. Part of her wanted to just go back to bed, while the
other part of her was dying with curiosity. She could just watch the scene play
out. After all, it could likely be over soon. The intruders had not acted quickly
enough and now more guards were on the way. Lindsey glanced over at the two
intruders, then back at her bow. Finally, she sighed. You’re lucky you’re cute, whoever you are. Lindsey grabbed her bow
and notched an arrow, letting lose just as the reinforcement guards came face
to face with the two intruders.
Bo stared in
astonishment for a brief moment as he watched one of the guards collapse while
coming around the corner, an arrow lodged into his back. The other guard looked
back and Bo seized the opportunity to lunge forward and take care of the other
guard. Bo took a moment to cast his senses around and listen for the sound of
more approaching guards. Satisfied no more guards were on the way, Bo glanced
up to see where the arrow had come from. He saw a face looking down at him from
a window and raised his sword in thanks.
Lindsey
smiled. She was impressed with the fighter. Well
I guess now’s the time to find out what’s going on, she thought before
jumping gracefully out the window.
Bo watched the figure
that had just launched itself from the window stand up. A woman, he thought in shock, and
a gorgeous one.
“I believe I owe you my
thanks,” Bo was finally able to say.
“So do I get an
explanation?” Lindsey inquired.
“Very well,” Bo nodded.
“My name is Bo of Nelsonberg and this,” he indicated towards Tom, “is my
wizard, Tom. We’re on a quest to reclaim what was stolen from our kingdom
before we’re forced into war.”
“A knight and his
wizard, off to save the kingdom,” Lindsey reiterated with a smile.
“Well, I’m not a knight
yet,” Bo said, a bit embarrassed. “But I will be once we return.”
“Well then, Sir Bo,
should we be moving before more guards show up and realize were discussing the
affairs of another kingdom over a few bodies?” Lindsey teased.
“Right,” Bo felt
embarrassed yet again. He had let the arrival of this woman distract him from
the situation.
“This way,” Tom’s voice
broke in. “I can feel my brother.”
Bo and Tom strode
towards the castle while trying to remain unseen. Lindsey followed, keeping
pace. “You know we’re going straight into danger,” Bo told the archer. “Are you
sure you want to be tagging along?”
“Are you kidding? I
wouldn’t miss this excitement! Besides, you’d have had even more to worry about
if it weren’t for me,” Lindsey fired back.
Bo sighed in
resignation. After all, that was true. “Well can I at least know your name?
It’s only fair since you know ours.”
“Lindsey,” the huntress
answered with a smile.
“If I can cut in with
your flirting, you might want to know something,” Tom’s voice oozed alarm.
Bo had known his friend
long enough to know when something was wrong. He let his senses reach out and
froze. Lindsey could feel their tension and followed suit. They were all being
watched. At a quick glance, Bo could discern five notched arrows surrounding
them and guessed there were more. Instinctively, he reached for his sword while
Lindsey made for her bow.
“I wouldn’t,” Bo and
Tom felt shivers course throughout their bodies as Tim’s voice rang out loud
and clear. All three of them froze, Lindsey starting to wonder if getting
involved was such a good idea.
Another voice rang out,
“Drop your weapons.”
Part
IV – Acquiring an Assassin
Tired
and defeated, the three found it difficult to sleep in the dungeon. A black man
sat in the corner away from the group. The three kept casting anxious glances
at him, unsure if they could trust the silent figure that seemed to have
thoughts racing through his head as they talked.
“There
has to be a way out,” Bo refused to accept that it was over. “We have to save
Nelsonberg. They don’t stand a chance against the armies of Gloustchire and a
dragon.” He slammed his fists against the wall.
“Calm
down in there,” one of the guards shouted from outside.
After
another moment, Lindsey spoke up, “A dragon? You didn’t say anything about a
dragon.”
“Not
that it matters from here,” Bo sighed.
“It
can if your dragon mage summons his spirit guide,” the man in the room spoke up
and shocked them all. Then, the realization of what he said hit them.
“Dragon
mage? Tom’s just a wizard’s apprentice,” Bo announced in confusion.
The
man’s voice remained firm, “I can see his energy. There’s no way you can tell
me he is not a dragon mage, whether he knows it or not.”
“Who
are you?” Tom asked.
“The
name’s Andy. I’m a Hominis Umbraite.”
“An
assassin of the shadows,” Bo cut in. “So how did such a legendary breed of
assassin end up in the dungeons here?”
“Same
way you did, I imagine,” Andy left the topic at that.
Bo
snorted to show his disapproval with the lack of explanation, “So how do
propose that, even if we can get out, we make it back to Nelsonberg before the
invasion?”
“Easy,”
the assassin retorted. “You help me, I help you. I can get you a ride on a
boat. That should make up for your lost time.”
“Great,
but that doesn’t change the fact that Tom still isn’t a dragon mage.” Bo
glanced over at Tom, “Are you?”
“Our
mother thought it could be dangerous for us if people knew who our father was,”
Tom replied.
Things
started to make a little more sense to Bo. “Alright,” he moved on. “So how
about summoning your spirit guide so we can get out?”
Tom
nodded, “I’ve only done it once before. I’ll give it a try.”
Focusing
all his energy, Tom began to glow. Suddenly, his energy became its own entity
and it morphed into the shape of a dragon. Bo and Lindsey gasped in awe. The
energy dragon was shined a bright blue. It slammed into the cell door,
dissolving it. The dragon faded and Tom opened his eyes before collapsing from
exhaustion. Bo caught his friend before he hit the floor, but he knew they had
to execute their escape quickly and flawlessly before the guards down the hall
noticed something had happened. The lack of weapons would make that task a bit
more difficult. Tom was their only hope.
Gathering
himself after such a powerful spell, Tom regained his footing and prepared to
become a hero. He snuck down the hall as quietly as he could, a ball of energy
at the ready in his hand. Turning the corner, he pushed his energy out at the
guards. With the coast clear, the group of four made their way out of the
dungeon.
“So
now what,” Lindsey asked as they reached the surface. Daylight was already
peeking out on the horizon. “We’re still weaponless and we’re sure to be
discovered soon.”
Part
V – On the Sea
“Follow
me,” Andy called out, already on the move. He led them to the town’s shipyard
as the sun continued to rise. Bo, Tom and Lindsey began to worry as people
started to go about their day. It wouldn’t be long until someone came to
relieve the guards and realized they had escaped. Andy took them straight up to
some shipman with crazy, orange hair.
The
shipman stared in disbelief, “Andy! Good to see you, man!”
“Still
have my spare weapons?” Andy asked the man.
“They’re
onboard. Come on and I’ll get them for you,” the shipman answered, motioning
towards his ship. “What brings you out this way?”
“I’m
on a mission. There was a minor setback but now things should be running
smoothly again. Better, actually,” Andy said with a glance at the three
travelers. “These people seek immediate passage to Nelsonberg. From what I
gather, it’s rather urgent.”
The
shipman nodded, “Then they’ll have it. The name’s Captain Chucke and I can get
you there by midday.”
“That’ll
have to do,” Bo still sounded anxious, though a wave of relief crashed over him
and he felt himself relax a bit.
“Besides,”
the captain announced, “I was getting ready to sail that way anyway. Just
picked up a passenger last night looking to head that way.”
Alarm
shot through Bo, “Who?”
“Some
elf named Lindsey,” the captain answered. “Said she felt like she needed to,
she did.”
“Lindsey
Squared! I didn’t know she was in town,” Lindsey piped up, rather excitedly.
“Someone
you know?” Bo asked.
“You
could say that,” the voice came from behind them. The elegant figure embraced
the archer in a warm hug. “How have you been? On the hunt, I see.”
Lindsey
felt hot with embarrassment as she saw Lindsey Squared’s eyes graze Bo. “It’s
not like that! I just helped these guys out of some trouble last night. I
couldn’t let the excitement pass me up.”
“Excitement,
eh? So that’s what you’re calling it? Why are you still tagging along, then?”
Lindsey Squared called Lindsey out.
Lindsey
was silent. Bo couldn’t help but smile. A horn sounded off in the distance.
People were already starting to rouse from sleep and go about their day. The
group tensed up at the sound of the horn.
“That’s
our cue,” Captain Chucke cut in, snapping everyone to motion.
“Weapons,”
Andy was quick to take direction.
Captain
Chucke nodded, “Right. Follow me.”
The
assembled gang bustled unto the ship, making their way to the cabin. Chucke
opened up a chest to retrieve some odd weapons, a scythe and a handful of
throwing Kamas. He promptly handed the weapons over to Andy.
Andy took them and
turned to the rest of the crew, “Well you have your ride. I’ll be off.”
“You’re going to just
leave?” Bo asked.
“Did you expect an
assassin to drop everything and follow a knight forever? You helped me, I
helped you. I still have my own mission here, and it just might help you too.
At least I can buy you some time.”
He said the last words
with a devilish grin. Everyone knew exactly what he meant; Andy wanted to cause
a distraction. Bo smiled back, “There’s more than one way to be a hero.”
It you had blinked, you
would have missed it. Andy was gone. Captain Chucke cut the moment short, “Time
to get this ship moving.”
The captain made his
way to the helm to take the wheel. Lindsey looked around in confusion, “Where’s
the rest of the crew?”
“Gone fishing,” Chucke
replied without hesitation. “Don’t worry, though. The sea is magic, you know?”
“That doesn’t even make
any sense,” Lindsey retorted, but to no avail as the ship gave a lurch, hoisted
the sails, and began to move of its own accord. In fact, Chucke hadn’t even
touched the wheel at all. Rather, he stood there simply waving back and forth
rather slowly and just appeared quite odd. Lindsey was speechless.
“Is he mad?” she was
finally able to get out. The rest of the group had seemed equally stunned for a
moment.
“Aren’t we all?” Tom
snapped out of his daze at Lindsey’s words.
An explosion from the
shore stole everyone’s attention. No one was sure exactly what Andy had done to
cause such a big commotion when nothing he had was explosive, but they were all
sure it was him creating chaos.
“He sounds like he’s
having fun,” Lindsey Squared commented, bringing a smile to everyone’s faces.
“You know we can’t go
back,” Tom shot the words across to Bo.
Bo felt his heart sink.
“There’s nothing we can do. We have to warn everyone,” he defended.
“You know the rules. We
left to stop the invasion before it gets home. Everyone knows what’s coming. We
can’t stop it there. We don’t have a choice. I say we catch ourselves ahead of
the marching armies then meet them on the road.”
“But that’s suicide,”
Bo argued.
Tom shook his head, “It
doesn’t have to be, hear me out. Only Tim and I have the power to use the
Dragon’s Treasure. Just give me a shot at my brother. That’s all we need.”
Bo sighed, “You know
I’ll stick with you.”
“I’ll be there too,”
Lindsey said, excitedly.
Lindsey Squared smirked
knowingly, then joined in, “May as well count me in too”
“Sounds crazy, I love
it! Count me in, too,” Captain Chucke stood amongst the group, having
completely abandoned the wheel. No one seemed surprised anymore.
After a couple hours
sailing, the crew could see the marching armies pass through the tree line. It
felt like everyone on board was holding their breath, even though they knew
that the invaders had no idea who was passing them by sea. They all continued
to sail a bit longer, finally laying anchor off the coast, rowing onto the
shore. Chucke had remained in the ship, though he kept the ship anchored. He
said he would be able to provide a good surprise. After seeing him on the way
here, they didn’t doubt it. At least the crew was fully armed once more.
Lindsey Squared had an extra bow for Lindsey and Captain Chucke had given Bo a
fine sword.
“So what do you want to
do?” Bo looked at Tom. “This is your plan, now.”
Tom began to study the
area for a moment before he spoke, “The sand will help hide our tracks.
Lindsey, Lindsey Squared, can you two create some in front and in back to cause
some confusion? The trees should provide a good vantage point, just get a good
spot on the edges of the field so you’ve got good berth. Bo, help to draw their
attention so they’re not entirely focused on where the barrage of arrows is
coming from. It’ll be a hard fight and you’ll have to swing true, but I have
faith in you. I can veil myself and use the confusion to obtain the Dragon’s
Treasure from my brother.”
Everyone found their
spots. The Lindsey duo had each found a tree at different sides of the field,
while Bo lay low in the field, hiding in the tall grass. Tom stood at the edge
of the field, waiting, a blanket of invisibility cast over him. They were all
ready, but that didn’t stop them from tensing when the army marched passed. The
invading forces were smaller than the group had expected. Bo realized this was
probably a result of whatever fuss Andy was stirring up in Gloustchire.
Once the marching
forces had funneled into the field, the Lindsey duo began to fire. The first
couple of rounds caught the army by surprise, but they quickly realized the
attack and sprang into motion. Bo leapt up, springing himself at the invaders.
He was able to dispatch a couple soldiers who were looking around for the
source of the arrows without a problem, but ran into more trouble once he
became the target of attention. Bo was swarmed. Forced into a position where he
could only find time to block the mass of blows being swung in his direction,
he was relieved the army had created a self-imposed funnel to get at him and
was able to parry the blows away. He knew he couldn’t keep this up for long,
though. The number of soldiers was overwhelming for a lone fighter. Tom better be quick, he thought to
himself, real quick.
A sudden blast of large, metal balls began to
fire at the crowd. The ship didn’t even have cannons or cannon holes, yet now
it seemed it were built for naval warfare. Bo was perplexed, but glad. The
strange attack had shifted the tide on the field yet again, leaving Bo free to
dart off to safety.
A
red flash stopped the battle cold. Every last soul on the field paused to watch
as a spinning vortex of energy formed a dimensional rift on the battlefield.
Long, scaly claws reached out from the other side. Bo gasped as Bonerous pulled
himself into this realm. The fire dragon was majestic and powerful. Fear shot
through everyone on the field as the dragon took flight.
There was nothing Tom
could do. Tim had suspected a trick as soon as the ambush happened. Tom had
gone for the Treasure, but Tim seemed to know he was there. He snatched it away
and called forth Bonerous. It was over. Tom swallowed, it couldn’t be over.
“Why, Tim?” he pleaded
his brother.
Tim’s voice was cold as
he responded, “All I wanted was to have my own Knight, but I wasn’t good
enough. They chose you! Now what does my magic mean? Nothing!”
Tom shook his head at
his twin, “Tim, no. It had nothing to do with being good enough. I’m sorry they
chose me and not you, but your magic doesn’t mean nothing. Look at you now. You
hold the power to destroy your home in your hands right now. That’s what you’re
on your way to do. You’re on your way to destroy your home. Listen to me, Tim.
We can’t stop you, and we’re not going to try anymore. You’re my brother. I
won’t fight you.”
The field was caught in
a collective held breath as they waited for Tim’s reply. “I’m not going to
destroy home,” he finally sighed out. “I don’t hate everyone enough for that. I
guess you’re still family.”
“Traitor! We were
supposed to lead an attack on Nelsonberg. You won’t get away with this,” the
man’s words carried power. His uniform would suggest he held a pretty high
rank. That made Bo giggle just a little harder when he whimpered after Tim
growled through the dragon.
“Stand down and discard
your weapons,” Tim ordered the army. “Then you can join the rest of your men
that doubled back for some trouble back at your own home.”
So
it was Andy’s doing that the army was so small, Bo
thought to himself. I wonder what he did.
Part VI – Coming Home
When the group returned
to Nelsonberg, they were greeted with cheers. They made their way to the hall,
where the captain of the guard was waiting on them. He seemed shocked that the
group had grown from two to five in a day’s time, and even more so that one of
them was Tim. Still, he didn’t ask any questions. At the return of the Dragon’s
Treasure, he just looked pleased and relieved.
“Well, Bo,” the Captain
of the Guard spoke up, “are you ready to become a knight?”
Bo smiled, “I am.”
The Captain of the
Guard looked at Tom, “Are you ready to become a knight’s wizard?”
Tom was bursting with
enthusiasm, “I am. But-“
“But?” the Captain of
the Guard inquired.
“I believe that Tim
should gain his rightful title as well,” Tom continued, “as your wizard in
training. He should be granted the guard as dragon mage.”
“So you know,” the
Captain said softly. “Very well. It will all be announced at a ceremony
tomorrow.”
Lindsey looked over at
Bo, “So what now, Sir Bo? You’ve rescued your kingdom, now what?”
“I still haven’t got
the girl,” Bo replied.
“Oh yeah?” Lindsey
teased. Bo pulled Lindsey in for a kiss before she could say any more. Lindsey
was glowing when they pulled apart.
“I knew it,” Lindsey
Squared said in satisfaction.
The Captain of the
Guard just smiled happily, “Job well done, everyone.”
Charles Whaley
Charles Whaley writes fiction and non-fiction alike with the goal of ascending to the heights of names like Lewis Carroll or Aldous Huxley. Charles believes that stories should be written every day both on and off the page; relishing the human experience of life by hiking, hitchhiking, camping and volunteering at festivals as often as possible. He edits for The Oddville Press, publishes The Adventurous Pen and is the author of Through Kaleidoscopes.
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