The Draven Chronicles

The dark tower loomed like a silent sentry silhouetted against a darkening sky that threatened violence. A low rumble of thunder rolled across the plains that surrounded the fortress. Strewn about the barren flatlands were ancient piles of rubble that were supposedly all that was left of a great civilization that had existed long ago. Draven glanced upward at the sky.

“Well, that really sets the mood,” he muttered.

Draven stood and began walking toward the tower, willing himself invisible as he walked.

Torches lined the stairways and halls of the tower, lighting the path with an ocherous glow as Draven steadily moved upward. On the top level, he found doors that had bars in lieu of regular wood. Behind one of these, someone was sitting in the shadows in the corner of the cell.

“Who are you?” The figure asked.

Draven froze, surprised that he had been seen. It had been a woman’s voice. Had she heard him?

The figure in the corner stood and moved toward the locked gate. Draven stood completely still.

The woman chuckled, “You act as if I won’t see you if you don’t move. Who are you?”

The woman was dressed in a white gown that was smudged with dirt. Her hair was obviously in need of a wash, but she was still a very pretty young woman.

“You can see me?” Draven asked quietly.

“Of course I can see you, silly.” The woman replied in a whisper, matching Draven’s quieter speech.

Draven considered this for a moment, “I have been invisible to every eye in the tower until now. I can’t understand how you can see me while no one else can.”

The woman’s eyes lit up in understanding, “Oh, I think I know what is happening.” She reached up to her neck and found a chain there, using it to pull out a heart-shaped locket. “It’s probably this. I can only see and hear the truth while I wear it,” she paused for a moment, “which is all the time because I can’t take it off.”

Draven said, “Believe it or not, Miss, that locket is what I came looking for. I had no idea that anyone was wearing it. All I knew was that the dark prince, Balam, had it in his possession. My name’s Draven.”

The woman sighed, “I’m Esmerelda.” Balam has had me imprisoned here for ages. He wants this locket for himself, but has not found a way to remove it from my neck. It drives him nuts.”

“I’m sure it does,” Draven replied, “How about we get out of here?”

Esmerelda blinked at him, “I don’t even know you. You’re a pretty big guy. How do I know that you have good intentions?”

Draven sighed heavily, “This is exactly the kind of thing that I was hoping the locket would help with. I’m a good wizard, not an evil one. Well, . . . I mean, I am not perfectly good all of the time . . . but what I mean . . . um, is that I am not on the side of the Dark Ones. I’m a decent guy, I promise.” Draven heard how unbelievable he sounded even to himself.

Esmerelda looked at him intensely for a moment and said, “Oh, okay. That’s fine then. Just make sure to call me Ezzy. My full name is a bit of a mouthful. So how are you busting me out?”

Draven just stared at her for a moment, “You believe me? Why would you . . .”

Ezzy swung the locket in front of his face and grinned.

“Oh yeah, “ Draven said, feeling really dumb. “That may take some getting used to.” Then he turned and held up his hand over the lock and silently willed it to open.

Draven felt the gentle pressure of the lock pushing back against his will, but it soon clicked and he swung open the door.

“Neat trick!” Ezzy exclaimed, “You’ll have to show me that one.”

“I’d love to, eventually, but we need to get out of here first,” Draven replied, grinning.

Draven raised a hand and willed Ezzy unseen as well, and they moved quickly down the hallway. Draven whispered, “I can sense your presence, but I cannot see you. You can see me though, so try to not bump into me or anyone else.”

“Gotcha, “ Ezzy replied, “I’ll keep my hands to myself.”

As they rounded the bend a man stepped out. He was thin, but tall. He was also very pale and wore a black wizard’s robe. Balam, Draven thought.

Draven and Ezzy froze. Balam looked right at them and then seemed to peer around them. Then he spoke, “I know that you are there. I can feel your presence. Make yourself seen, and I might be lenient.”

Draven turned to look at Ezzy, but then realized that it was a dumb idea because she was invisible. Why am I such an idiot around her? He put a finger to his lips and silently told her to stay quiet. Then he turned around and willed himself visible.

Balam didn’t bat an eye. He stared at Draven for a long moment, and then said, “Follow me.” He turned and strode back into his chambers expecting Draven to follow. Draven gritted his teeth and walked into the dark prince’s chamber.

The ceiling was lost to darkness as the vaulted arches stretched up into the shadows. The room was quite large and the area near the floor was brightly lit as torches burned all the way around the chamber.

Balam faced away from Draven, looking out a large opening in the side of the tower where the storm seemed to be fully raging now with flashes of lightning coming every few seconds. Balam turned and looked at Draven, saying, “What is your name?”

Draven hesitated for a moment, but decided there was no use hiding anymore. “Draven,” he replied.

Balam began to slowly walk toward Draven, his hands behind his back. Balam said, “I think I may have heard of you, boy. You are supposed to be the world’s only good wizard, is that right?”

Draven simply nodded.

Balam stopped about fifteen feet away and said, “Maybe you can help me then. I am tired of always being called wicked. Dark wizards do some good you know. Maybe you could help me show others that we are not as evil as most people think.”

“He’s lying,” said a sing-songy voice coming from their left.

Draven groaned inwardly again. Is this girl crazy or something?

Balam didn’t miss a beat, “Esmerelda, dear, is that you? Have you also mastered the art of invisibility?”

Ezzy replied from the other side of the room, “Nope, but Draven’s a pretty nice guy. He’s helping me out, and he’s obviously a better wizard than you, so I think he’s going to kick your butt.”

Draven swallowed--hard. They were pretty much going to die now, he was sure of it.

Balam’s face altered from that of passive grandfather to enraged sorcerer, and he held out a staff that had been tucked away in the folds of his robe. He shouted a word and tongues of flame shot from the torches and landed at the tip of his staff. He pointed it at Draven and shouted another word, sending a ball of flame about the size of a coconut right at his head.

Draven held up a hand reflexively and simply willed the fire to go out. It fizzled to nothing a few feet from his hand. Balam looked shocked and, if it was possible, more enraged. He started launching balls of fire at Draven one after another. Draven handled them the same, willing them to die before they reached him, but raised up both hands to help him focus.

Balam suddenly stopped. He looked a little winded. Draven did not want to kill anyone, but he was afraid that this might be one of those times that it was necessary.

Sure enough, Balam grabbed his staff in both hands and began to move it around in wide arcs in front of him, chanting something as he did. Draven felt the wind moving first, and he realized what was happening, “Ezzy, get back! Run!”

The air began to burn. The small whirlwind circling Draven started to glow, casting a vermillion hue like a bright, burning cocoon. Balam continued to chant and form a raging inferno around Draven. Instinctively, Draven raised both hands above his head and willed the water molecules in the air to condense into a half dome around him, freezing as it coalesced into a solid ice barrier that shielded him from the flames.

Even with the ice barrier, Draven could feel the heat trying to press through. Draven had not encountered anyone this powerful before, and he struggled to keep his fear from overwhelming his will that held the shield in place.

The fire began to dwindle as Balam’s strength began to fail. This is what Draven had been waiting for. He waited for another few moments, and then he willed a sudden rush of wind to blow the icy dome off of him and toward Balam. Draven focused all of his will into bringing as much wind and force to bear as possible, and it slammed into the dark wizard. When it did, the flames completely died out around them.

The dome of ice rushed across the large chamber at an insane velocity, carrying the dark wizard with it, and it slammed into the framed opening in the wall.

The wind howled outside, and the torches on the walls jumped back and forth as if they were fire fairies that were performing a celebratory dance at the news of Balam’s demise. Draven walked over to the edge of the opening and peered down. Balam was gone.

“That was incredible!,” said a high-pitched voice entirely too close to his head. Draven nearly dove out the window in surprise at the sound of Ezzy’s voice right next to his head.

“Hey! Watch it! You want me to fall out the window or something?” Draven half-yelled in the general direction of the voice.

Ezzy’s voice came back on the other side of him, “Well, no, but you can fly too right?”

“No, I can’t fly, “ Draven replied, trying to get a sense of exactly where Ezzy was. He got a lock on her position and willed her into visibility.

She stopped moving and looked down at herself, “Hey! Did you just make me visible again?”

“Are you pouting?” Draven asked, shaking his head in disbelief.

“No,” Ezzy replied, pouting.

Draven closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to wrap his mind around the absurdity of his situation.

“Up here!” someone shouted. The sound of soldier’s footsteps running up the stairs reminded them of where they were.

“Uh oh, “ Ezzy said.

“Yeah, uh-oh,” Draven replied, frustrated. How was he going to get them out of here now?

“Well it’s time to go, “ Ezzy said, nonchalantly.

“Yeah, I know, I’m thinking.” Draven replied.

Ezzy grinned at Draven with a grin that he would come to despise. “Draven, you know how you said you couldn’t fly?”

“Yes, “ Draven replied, desperately trying to think of what they were going to do.

Draven looked up at her as Ezzy’s grin grew into a large, bright smile, “You were lying.”

Draven was dumbfounded, “But I have never flown before . . . what do you . . .”

While Draven sputtered in confusion, Ezzy took off at a run and dove out of the window. Draven stood in shock for about one full second before he ran toward the window and jumped out after her hoping that he would figure out how to fly on the way down.