The Book of Magic (7 page)

Forgotten Island

Far to the west of
Fincayra
's rugged Faro Lanna coast, there sat an island, dark and mysterious. During
Merlin
's quest of the
Seven Songs
, that island both attracted and repulsed him. And for good reason: The Forgotten Island held both the greatest mystery and the gravest danger of his
Lost Years
. Only when, thanks to the miraculous bridge of the mer people, he finally reached the island's shores, would he learn the truth about the
lost wings
, the power of forgiveness, and his own destiny. For in that moment, just as the ancient prophecy had foretold, "the land long forgotten could return to its shore."

Haunted Marsh

The most terrifying place in all of
Fincayra
, the Haunted Marsh held deadly marsh ghouls, the hag
Domnu
, and many more dangers that only nightmares could describe. Yet the steaming bogs also hid surprises of different kinds, including the "mooshlovely" lair of the
Ballymag
, the secret of the seventh Wise Tool, and the magical Mirror that could show young
Merlin
his future—a future he never expected.

The origins of the Haunted Marsh are as obscure as the vapor-shrouded land itself. Yet many bards, including Merlin's mentor
Cairpré
, believed that, long ago, this area was home to a community of enchantresses known as the Xania-Soe. These women lived secretly but also peacefully, amassing great wealth not in jewels or coins or weapons, but in knowledge. So great was their wisdom that, it was said, the wind itself refused to blow through their region, to avoid spreading dangerous knowledge to other lands. The enchantresses even learned how to bend time in a magical Mirror. Most amazing of all, they discovered how to coax wondrous perfumes from the flowers of their meadows, so that the air of their realm was always fragrant with magic.

When the warlord
Rhita Gawr
learned of their vast power, he tried to conquer them. And he very nearly succeeded. Just when his army was about to invade, the enchantresses realized that all was lost—and chose to make a terrible sacrifice. To repel the attack, they threw a curse upon their beloved homeland—a curse that made their magical flowers spew poisonous vapors into the air. Because no wind ever blew there, the poisons settled into the land itself, twisting all life into death, all light into shadow. Despite their rage and grief, the enchantresses refused to leave their long-cherished home. Soon they transformed into deadly, ghoulish beings—the marsh ghouls. And so they continued to guard their territory, feeling only sorrow and wrath, bringing revenge to all who came near. Only one person—the young Merlin—ever dared to hope that, somehow, the marsh ghouls might still recall their better selves . . . and rise to help save Fincayra.

Shore of the Speaking Shells

A half-drowned boy washed ashore on this beach—and changed the destiny of
Fincayra
. For that boy was
Merlin
. Amazed by the intensity of this world's colors, so much richer and deeper than those of
Earth
, he began to explore. And he discovered the ominous whispers of an ancient shell, whispers that warned of his doom. Later, he returned to this very beach in the quest of the
Seven Songs
, hoping to find Washamballa, sage among the shells. The shell's watery voice poured over Merlin's mind like an endless wave—and told him what he must do to save the life of his mother,
Elen
.

Shrouded Castle

… The dreaded home of Fincayra's wicked king Stangmar.

Rhia
and
Merlin
both shuddered when they learned about the Shrouded Castle—the dreaded home of
Fincayra
's wicked king
Stangmar
, his deathless ghouliants, and the spirit warlord
Rhita Gawr
. Yet they needed to go there, if they were to save the island from destruction. That castle held not only their enemies, but the precious
Treasures of Fincayra
. So they began their journey, which—thanks to the bravery of two small warriors,
Trouble
and
Shim
—led to the remarkable
Dance of the Giants
.

How did this castle come to exist? That is a story best told by its stones. For those stones were hewn by teams of giants, and then assembled into a temple to celebrate the great spirits
Dagda
and
Lorilanda
. Infused with magic by the
Grand Elusa
, the vast stone temple turned ceaselessly on its foundation: an unending prayer to the circle of life. The temple continued to turn for centuries, guarded by men and women of deep faith. Then Stangmar, aided by Rhita Gawr, saw its value as a fortress. They stormed the temple and made it their own. They caused fumes to pour from the windows, completely shrouding the edifice. Rather than simply slaying the guards, Rhita Gawr used his twisted magic to change them into ghouliants—warriors whose lives would end only when the castle stopped spinning. And that could only happen if Fincayra's giants returned and danced within the walls that they had built so long ago.

Smoking Cliffs

In the far southeastern part of
Fincayra
lay the ancient home of the deer people, the Mellwyn-bri-Meath clan.
Hallia
and
Eremon
from the clan taught
Merlin
, whom they called Young Hawk, many secrets of their people—including the legend of the Carpet Caerlochlann, which was woven from the threads from countless stories. Eremon showed Merlin how to become a deer and how to find the legendary Wheel of Wye; Hallia showed him how to circle a story, how to find the seventh Wise Tool, and—most important—how to follow what she called "a trail marked upon the heart."

Varigal

As the ancient capital of
Fincayra
's first people, the giants, Varigal seems as old as the mountains that surround it. Indeed, the city dates back to the island's earliest days. Of all Fincayrans, only the hag
Domnu
is old enough to recall the day the first giants were carved out of the cliffs—and she remembers it only because she wagered
Dagda
that it couldn't be done. But she lost the wager. With help from
Gwri of the Golden Hair
, who glowed with the light of a star, and
Lorilanda
, who sang the magical chant of new life, Dagda worked all night long to carve a giant from the stony side of a mountain. When he finished, a great people, as well as their capital city, was born. That is why, thousands of years later, bards still sing, "Talking trees and walking stones; Giants are the island's bones."