TWO HEADS TWO SPIKES (The Pearl of Wisdom Saga) (17 page)

“So you are saying that not only do you have to find the Pearl of Wisdom, but you must be the chosen one. Well who chooses?” Russell asked the wizard.

“You are correct about the Pearl and I believe it is the dragons that choose whether the holder is worthy. I apparently, was not worthy.”

“What do you mean?” an intrigued Russell asked.

Dragon-Eyes had a happy look on his face as he stated, “I once held the Pearl in these very hands, or at least I thought it was the Pearl. It was nearly as big as my fist.” He held a closed hand up to show Russell. “It was white, like a normal pearl, but it was also speckled with gold particles that seemed to float throughout it. It had a rare iridescent luster that glowed when looked at in the proper light. But the fact that most people do not understand is that it can only be used to defend, not conquer. I found this out the hard way.”

“I have heard it has magical powers, from the stories about Rockarius, that is. He fought off Damian Doome and his legion of demons with it. Count Tisdale also said that many men hunt it so they can take over the world,” Russell added.

“As did I. About two hundred and forty years ago, I lusted over it as I wanted to use it to slaughter all those who laughed at me so that I could rule the world. But I learned that it only existed to even the odds in the eternal war against evil. It is said to be the great equalizer, but it cannot be utilized for non-pure motives. That is why only Rockarius has been permitted to use the dragons. It is reserved to fight off the demon hordes of Damian Doome that can coexist with us as normal men in disguise. They are going to launch a new attack soon like they did five hundred years ago. And the Pearl and dragons will resurface to defend us. I am pretty bullish about it.”

Russell butted in, “Bullish?”

“Yes, bullish. Confident, stubborn, stern-minded, unwavering, headstrong, adamant. Get the meaning now?” the little man asked.

“Yes, except for ada-what?” Russell laughed.

“Adamant, it means bullish. Now if I may continue. Most men do not realize that the Pearl can only be used for the most important of tasks. That is why wars are being waged in the Pearl Islands and beyond. Everybody wants to ride the dragon that sets fire to the world and claim a throne of ashes.”

It was mid-afternoon in the Frozen Forest as Russell and Dragon-Eyes neared the cave that apparently contained the proof of a dragon and the wizard’s belongings. Flurries flaked down on their heads as they continued their conversation. Russell noticed that, for the first time, the Imp shook from being cold and shivered as he went on.

“I have fought on many sides of many battles in my illustrious lifetime to secure the Pearl of Wisdom. It was two hundred and forty years ago that I searched for the prize on the Pearl Islands. It was said to be in the possession of a rival company. Well, we ferociously attacked and thanks to our ruthless band of Prograggers, we drove them back into the Sea of Green. The man with the Pearl jumped into a boat and before we could sink it, the vessel had already drifted out. Then we all saw the gleam in the air as he hurled the Pearl into the emerald waters.”

“And it has been there ever since,” Russell interrupted again.

“Not in the least, if you would allow me the chance to finish. I can tell patience is something I will need to teach you. So everyone stood flatfooted and watched as I jumped into the choppy waters. I swam out to the area where the soldier had thrown the Pearl. I could always hold my breath for long periods of time so I inhaled and dived deep. I saw turtles, sea horses, blue and red fish as I dropped farther into that olive abyss. I went down about forty feet to the moss covered bed of the sea and I spotted the Pearl. Its brightness hurt my eyes when I first saw it. Then an oyster came out of nowhere and snatched the Pearl from right in front of me. This gigantic oyster was bigger than me but I managed to chase it down. I swam over to the oyster and positioned myself to open it. I had my foot on the bottom shell and my hands on the top. With all the strength of the Gods, I pried it open, kicked it up and grabbed the object as she floated by, finally swimming to daylight. I barely made it to the top before passing out.”

“Wow, that is incredible,” Russell interjected.

“I would probably not believe it if I had not done it myself. But immediately the Pearl grabbed hold of me and I started lying. I told the mercenary company that I couldn’t find the damn thing. I secretly hid it and tried to summon the dragons when opportunities arose. It drove me mad, thinking that every last person was out to get my precious Pearl. I ended up burying the cursed jewel on the beach. It was not until hundreds of years later that I realized you do not find the Pearl, the Pearl finds you. It is reserved for a higher purpose than ruling over the world. I suppose it is funny how a couple hundred years can mellow a man,” the wizard chuckled as he finished.

“Here we are then,” Dragon-Eyes stated while pointing to a small opening in the ice.

Russell wondered why the ice hadn’t closed in that spot and pondered if he would be able to fit through it. He followed Dragon-Eyes into the opening. He barely squeezed through, but it opened up once he got inside. The ground wasn’t frozen; he could feel the dirt move under his feet. A quick flash of fire sprang from the wizard’s eyes, lighting a big torch. Startled, Russell jumped back with widening eyes. He saw the biggest skeleton he had ever laid his blue eyes upon.

“This is your proof that dragons exist?” Russell pessimistically asked.

“What more do you need?” Dragon-Eyes quickly retorted.

“This could be man-made or it could have been here for over a thousand years,” Russell said again in a disbelieving tone.

“Question and fact…”

“What?” Russell interrupted.

“Listen young man, patience. Now, question and fact. Question: What man is going to sneak into this cave in the Frozen Forest to construct that? Fact: I know that until fifty years ago this was not here.”

The Imp wandered around the cave collecting his personal items.

The shimmering light showed the dragon bones, arranged perfectly, like the beast had just sat down and died. When alive, it must have been as big as a small boat. The teeth were half the size of the little man.

The Imp stopped and said, “They were all I heard about growing up. Dragons. Almost all the older men claimed to have helped Rockarius and swore they saw the dragons. Every story and book told the tales of either Rockarius or the dragons, or both. Every single person back then undyingly believed that dragons existed and only a few of them ever saw one in the flesh. Dragons.”

“How did it get in here?” Russell questioned.

“I do not know that. I am just happy I wasn’t present when it was here or I would have made for a nice little snack. So Sir Russell, how is it that you can walk away from your vows of knighthood?”

Russell paused for a second, “I am not a true knight, I know that. It was given to me like a gift on harvest day.”

“Oh, I am sure it was well deserved,” the Imp said in a consoling voice.

“Some of it, aye, but Ali-Pari pretty much forced Duke Etburn into it. Now she forces me to do things in return,” he softly said as he lowered his head.

Dragon-Eyes didn’t say a word, but he knew from Ali-Pari’s insatiable reputation what Russell was referring to.

Russell continued, “My life wasn’t meant to guard a family of nobility. I was born a simple man and I shall likely die that same way, but my life was meant for more. I shall serve you proud on a test of true honor.”

The wizard stared at him for a moment and said, “I humbly accept. Do you need to at least go back to the castle to gather your belongings and say fare thee well?”

“No, I have all the things I need and I shall scarcely be missed at Elkridge. I feel that we have met for a reason. You can help me and I can help you,” Russell said with a sudden look of confidence.

“As do I,” replied the wizard with a glimmer of hope in his smile. The Imp kept gathering and packing his necessities for this trip. “Alright, now that is settled, I have to warn you of the sacrifice straight away. You must forget about everyone you know and love. You may never see them again. There will not be any fame or someone to crown you at the end of this journey. You may find a woman to love, but it is very improbable. This will be the truest test of who Russell Seabrook really is.”

“Then why me...?” Russell wondered.

The wizard quickly responded, “You need to develop the attitude of ‘why not me’? Why not you, Russell Seabrook? I can generally read a person shortly after meeting him. You have virtue; I could see that plainly and immediately. You showed kindness by sharing food; and patience when following my slow legs around the Forest. I have also seen humility when you denounced a lofty knighthood. I warned you of the drawbacks on our mission and you remain diligent on this quest.”

“Thank you,” said Russell graciously.

“You are certainly welcome. And I have only seen slight sinful tendencies that I can help you break in time. We will be tested by the seven gates of hell. Sin will follow and tempt us at every turn, but we must remain honorable. You must accept what comes our way, good or bad. Some people believe they are smitten by the Gods because they don’t receive every little thing they wish for. Now we need to take you to a small school of sorts. We must make your mind as sharp as that sword of yours. Oh, I nearly forgot my own sword,” he said as he went over to a large rock and reached behind it.

He produced the hilt of a sword.

“What is that?” asked Russell.

“It is my sword. What does it look like?” the wizard asked back with a smile.

“It looks like a sword handle to me,” Russell answered.

The hilt had tiny emeralds and rubies encrusted on the pommel. The grip was black leather bound with golden strings. The Imp Wizard pointed it toward Russell before holding it above his head and shooting fire from his eyes at it. The flaming sword suddenly took shape. It was nearly as big as Dragon-Eyes with a blade of constant fire. The flames were more of a blue-green than the traditional orange and red.

“Hit it,” said Dragon-Eyes as he held it out.

Russell pulled his sword and lightly swung it at the fire sword.

“CLANK.” It stopped his sword as if it had an invisible metal center in the blade of flames.

Russell did it again. “CLANK.”

The wizard had a huge smile on his face. “I call it Soul-Burner. When you look like me, you need all the intimidation you can muster.”

“So where is it?” Russell questioned.

“Where is what?”

“The school to sharpen my mind,” Russell answered.

“It lies up in the far north where the Frozen Forest thaws along the Salty Sea. It will take several days to get there. Once there, your training will start.”

“Can I ask you something?” Russell asked.

“Sure,” the wizard replied.

“You said that one of your main nicknames was the Imp Wizard. Don’t you take offense to being called an imp?” Russell queried.

“As I said before, I wanted to kill all those who made fun of me until I realized that I couldn’t just kill everyone. Aah, weaknesses and shortcomings. Wear them like a badge of honor. Make them your strength, not your weakness. Shove them in someone’s face before they can tease you about it. Show them it doesn’t bother you. Do something that those who make fun of you cannot. Do something that you thought you could never do. And remember only you can make yourself feel down, not others. Think independently of other’s thoughts. Measure yourself figuratively and literally by your own standards. Do this and no one can make fun of you. Call me imp all you like because life is too short to hold grudges over name calling.”

Russell’s laughter stopped the wizard’s lesson.

“What?”

Russell answered, “That is just funny because you are really short, but your life has been anything but short. You are like five hundred years old.”

“I’m not that old. I am only four hundred sixty seven. I am dreading the big five-zero-zero,” the Imp said, pretending that he was mad about the age joke.

“Can I ask you something else, Dragon-Eyes?”

“Of course, you may ask me anything,” the Imp reassured the young man.

“Did King Ali-Baster really die on the throne?” Russell asked curiously.

“A throne of sorts, I would suppose,” said the wizard with a smirk.

“So it is true,” said Russell.

“Sometimes we try just a bit too hard. Ofttimes you cannot force something. One must allow it to happen. And unfortunately our former King Ali-Baster tried to push just a little too hard. “

She walked directly toward her new throne. The royal hall was packed to capacity with the elite lords and ladies lined up to salute their new Queen, Leimur Leluc. Everybody dressed to impress except for Leimur. She strode down the path in long, black britches and a gray tunic. She wore a red and black female-styled doublet over the tunic. It had a black tiger sewn into each of the red shoulders. She had always hated women’s clothing, especially dresses. A golden necklace graced the Queen’s body. It looked like a snake wrapped around her neck. It even left the end of the serpent’s tail hanging down her back.

The newly selected regime cared little about fashion and much more about control. Respect had seemed to follow as fast as word could spread of the new Queen’s murderous takeover. Those in the room respected her out of fear, which sat just fine with Leimur.

The rest of the hall was quite a spectacle even though the Queen had demanded simplicity. The original plan involved a parade through the streets and men to carry the Queen down the aisle on the throne. She had nixed that idea right away.

Trumpets adorned with the new family flag featuring a tiger, were blown in harmony. A red carpet with gold edging rested below her leather boots as the Queen approached the steps. The wide marble staircase led Leimur straight to the throne. Seventeen guards with spears planted into the ground stood on either side of the path as she passed them and climbed the steps.

Leimur stood in front of the throne and saw the troubadours, jesters and singers in the back waiting for the ceremonies to end so they could entertain the guests. The new throne made liberal use of gold and demonstrated quality craftsmanship. The arms looked like eagle wings, extending out, replicating the bird in flight. On the front of the throne’s arms were tiger heads with red ruby eyes. The feet resembled clawed tiger paws. A red velvet cushion seemed to float over the seat and a tiger’s face was painted on the back of the golden throne.