The Connors Chronicles. The Magic Chest

By C. G. Peltier

The mysterious Oak Forest is by far the largest forest in Freedonia. Travelers on the road between the Capitol Village, New Castle and the farming village, Oxdale would see a long line of trees along the north side of the gravel road and think nothing of it.
This huge stand of trees, however, is no ordinary forest.
It is a place of mysterious and strange happenings, of untold secrets and of magic, both good and dark. It is not a hospitable place for the timid.
The forest is also an underground sanctuary for the royal Connors twins. They and their group of rebel friends are being hunted. Freedonia had become a very dangerous place for the royal twins.
Through the years, these ancient trees have seen the progression of nature and the good and evil deeds of wizard kind past and present. If these trees could talk, they could tell of the fabled history it had witnessed over the centuries. They could tell of events, which have and are about to change the history of Freedonia.
Yesterday, late in the afternoon a milestone event had happened here amongst the forest trees. Because of this little known happening, the future of Freedonia will be changed forever.
Outside of the Oak Forest, this event went un-noticed except for the dark wizard from the east, Drake Aldric and his evil mother, Beatrice Aldric. They are painfully aware that, somewhere, in Freedonia the event they feared and had tried desperately to prevent had happened.
For these two, it was a most dreaded event. After four, long years of an intense manhunt, the wanted posters offering high rewards, bounty hunters and countrywide searches, it had occurred anyway. It happened despite all the dark wizard from the east's efforts to stop it from happening.
For those living in the shadows within the Oak Forest, this was a happy event and a reason for celebration. It was a time of joy, enjoying great food, music and dancing.
What type of event could cause happiness for some and great anxiety for others?
Strange as it may seem, it was a birthday party, a fifteenth birthday party.
Birthdays happen all the time, but this one was no ordinary birthday. It was the fifteenth birthday of the Prince of Freedonia, Charles Connors IV and his twin sister, Princess Kelly Connors.
The twin's actual birthday meant little to Drake Aldric. He hates all western wizards, but this boy he despises. He was quite anxious to do what he had attempted, but failed to do four years earlier, that was to eliminate the entire Connors family.
What concerned Aldric most of all, was the fact that the young wizard Prince of Freedonia would be coming of age on his fifteenth birthday.
Drake Aldric is aware that with the boy's coming of age, the Connors brat will be able to open and enter the Connors family magic chest. He may despise the boy, but he has great fear of what the boy might find inside of that dreaded chest.
The Aldrics have no idea what the boy will find in there, they only know that Drake had found much of his dark magic power inside of his own Connors chest. It is the unknown contents of that chest that has them worried. It has brought great concern and fear to Drake Aldric and his mother and they have good reason to be concerned.

• Language: English
• Publisher: C. G. Peltier
• Release date: May 14, 2016
• ISBN: 9781310386794

C. G. Peltier

About the author: C. G. Peltier is a man of many talents. He has served as a United States Marine, has been a die maker and die designer, a tool room and press department supervisor, a machine design engineer, an experimental department engineer, and an inventor. He had founded and run a small but successful manufacturing company twenty-two years. Now, that the reins have been passed on to his son, daughter, and son-in-law, he has become a YA fantasy author, go figure.Why fantasies? His daughter got him hooked on the books and movies of Harry Potter, Chronicles of Narnia and Lord of the Rings. She lent him her computer and inspired him to use his creative imagination in an entirely new way, as a fantasy author.

Book preview

The Connors Chronicles

Book four in the series

The Magic Chest

C. G. Peltier

Copyright 2015 by Carl G. Peltier

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016906307 (CGP Words)

CGP Words, Mount Pleasant, WI.

Published by CGP Words at Smash words

Smash words Edition License Notes

This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your enjoyment only, then please return to smashwords.com or your favorite retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

To Michelle for sharing the world of fantasy with me, inspiring me to write and lending me your laptop.

To Carol Mante, Jell and J.R. for technical assistance.

To Mocha Lisa Coffeehouse for my morning brew and table.

The Connors Chronicles Series

Book 1, Rise of the Dark Wizard

Book 2 The Incredible Magic Dome

Book 3 The Cross Cupboards

Book 4 The Magic Chest

Coming soon

Book 5 Dragon's Revenge

Book 6 The Blackthorn Prophesy

Table of Contents

1 Fifteen-Years-Old and a Day

2 Timothy's Mission

3 The Connors Magic Chest

4 Back in the Pouch Again

5 Some Good, Some Bad

6 Charlie's Plan Takes Shape

7 The Plan Moves Forward

8 The Cave Beyond the Grate

9 Darker than Black

10 Leaving the Gold Behind

11 A Minute Sleep

12 The Amber Crystal Globe

13 The Dark Force

14 Survival

15 Squibish

16 Breaking News

17 Unwanted Visitors

18 The Dark Wizard's Words

19 It's Time

20 Success

Excerpt from Dragon's Revenge

About the Author

Website

-1-

Fifteen-Years-Old and a Day

The mysterious Oak Forest is by far the largest forest in Freedonia. Travelers on the road between the Capitol Village, New Castle and the farming village, Oxdale would see a long line of trees along the north side of the gravel road and think nothing of it.

This huge stand of trees, however, is no ordinary forest.

It is a place of mysterious and strange happenings, of untold secrets and of magic, both good and dark. It is not a hospitable place for the timid.

The forest is also an underground sanctuary for the royal Connors twins. They and their group of rebel friends are being hunted. Freedonia is a very dangerous place for the royal twins.

Through the years, these ancient trees have seen the progression of nature and the good and evil deeds of wizard kind past and present. If these trees could talk, they could tell of the fabled history it had witnessed over the centuries. They could tell of events, which have and are about to change the history of Freedonia.

- - -

Yesterday, late in the afternoon a milestone event had happened here amongst the forest trees. Because of this little known happening, the future of Freedonia will be changed forever.

Outside of the Oak Forest, this event went un-noticed except for the dark wizard from the east, Drake Aldric and his evil mother, Beatrice Aldric. They are painfully aware that, somewhere, in Freedonia the event they feared and had tried desperately to prevent had happened.

For these two, it was a most dreaded event. One they had frantically struggled to prevent from happening. After four, long years of an intense manhunt, the wanted posters offering high rewards, bounty hunters and countrywide searches, it had occurred anyway. It happened despite all the dark wizard from the east's efforts to stop it from happening.

For those living in the shadows within the Oak Forest, this was a happy event and a reason for celebration. It was a time of joy, enjoying great food, music and dancing.

What type of event could cause happiness for some and great anxiety for others?

Strange as it may seem, it was a birthday party, a fifteenth birthday party.

Birthdays happen all the time, but this one was no ordinary birthday. It was the fifteenth birthday of the Prince of Freedonia, Charles Connors IV and his twin sister, Princess Kelly Connors.

The twin's actual birthday meant little to the dark, eastern wizard, Drake Aldric. He hates all western wizards, but this boy he despised. He was quite anxious to do what he had attempted, but failed to do four years earlier, that was to eliminate the entire Connors family.

What concerned Aldric most of all, was the fact that the young wizard Prince of Freedonia would be coming of age on his fifteenth birthday.

Drake Aldric is aware that with the boy's coming of age, the Connors brat will be able to open and enter the Connors family magic chest. He may despise the boy, but he has great fear of what the boy might find inside of that dreaded chest.

The Aldrics have no idea what the boy will find in there, they only know that Drake had found much of his dark magic power inside of his own Connors chest. It is the unknown contents of that chest that has them worried. It has brought great concern and fear to Drake Aldric and his mother and they have good reason to be concerned.

The barely fifteen-year, five-foot-eight, slender Prince of Freedonia is fully aware of the protective powers of the three magic domes and of the first two blank pages of the five-page, magic books his father had given to him and Kelly.

The dark wizard from the east, Drake Aldric and the young, wizard prince from the west, Charlie Connors have something in common. At this point in time neither knows what Charlie might find once he enters his magic chest.

Charlie’s father had told him very little about the chest for a very good reason. He wanted his son to experience the true magic of it, first hand, the same way he and the Connors before him had.

Charlie only knows the Connors Family Chest is magical and only a Connors first born can enter it on or after their fifteenth birthday. Charlie and Kelly’s fifteenth birthday party was yesterday afternoon.

Knowing all this, one would think that this pleasant looking, wizard prince would be inside of the chest this very moment, but here he sits with his legs dangling over the edge of the boulders in front of his cave home within the magic dome, daydreaming.

Looking into his azure eyes and seeing the content look about him, one would never know he was the subject of the most intense and longest manhunt in Freedonian history. He doesn't look like the cold-blooded killer depicted on his wanted posters.

At this point in time, he doesn't even have the ability to cast a single dark magic spell, as reported, but he also knows that finding out how to match Aldric's dark magic and magical protection may be the only way to survive the inevitable confrontation between him and Drake Aldric. At some point in time he must face his nemesis, but he is nowhere near ready and wouldn't survive if he did.

Falsely accused, the true reason for his being hunted is because of his last name, Connors. As a Connors, he is second in line to be the King of Freedonia. His secretly imprisoned father, Prince Charles Connors IV is first in line and after the death of King Charles Connors III, Freedonia has been waiting for Prince Charles' return.

There is movement everywhere down below, but he is not really noticing the younger children playing and the older ones helping the grownups with constructing the large four-story building to house all the new occupants living in the concealed dome.

If not lost in his thoughts, Charlie would have noticed the tents, which once stood below are cramped together in a new area. He would have noticed the construction of the foundation of the large permanent building in the very spot where the tents once stood.

There would be enough room in this building for those already living in the dome, but space inside of the dome is limited.

Outsiders seeking sanctuary from Drake Aldric's puppet regent Rudemire Klug, his ten Regional Commanders, their army and bounty hunters will have to fend for themselves or leave Freedonia. Many had already booked passage on sailing vessels in route to the continent.

The wizards and witches below were busily magically duplicating beams, lumber and stacking them nearby or working on doors, windows and supplies needed for the building's construction.

The work on the stone foundation and first floor supports was nearing completion, and the mortar would soon be hard enough to build on. The first-floor support beams were being measured and cut to length below, but Charlie doesn't notice, his mind was elsewhere.

Charlie’s mentor, godfather, and fox leader of the band of rebels, Russell McIntyre had designed the four-story building for housing the increased number of residents living inside of the magical, protective dome. A fifth story was out of the question, because it would be close to the top of the dome and might be seen from outside of the dome.

The wise fox wanted the building completed before the onset of winter. Even though the winters are normally not bitter cold in this part of Freedonia, living in tents would be quite difficult and uncomfortable for the new residents.

Knowing the danger the young Prince of Freedonia is facing, it makes one wonder, what the heck is going on inside of his daydreaming head.

Charlie had been staring off into the forest, where he last had seen Jewels. Kelly had invited Jewels to their fifteenth birthday party. Her being there came as a complete surprise to the young prince, because for safety reasons, no one living outside of the dome had ever visited the dome before.

Charlie's twin sister, Kelly had sought out their fox leader, Russell McIntyre and Molly McGruter's permission, before asking Jewels to their party. At first, they objected, but after Kelly assured them Jewels was trustworthy, they reluctantly agreed, but only if Jewels was blindfolded and led to the dome.

Jewels, however, already knew where to find it, but they didn't know this. She was a good investigative reporter.

Some time ago, Charlie had closed his eyes and had entered his private space. In this crowded dome, the only place he could be by himself was within his thoughts and memories. He was lost within his own head and nothing else mattered.

At this very moment in time, the dangerous world outside of the magic dome, Drake Aldric casting spells at him, his army, his prisons or even dragons stalking him were far from his thoughts. In his private space, they no longer existed and time stood still.

The memories of Jewels filled his mind. The mere thought of yesterday had pushed all the bad memories out of his mind.

Charlie was five years old, when his mother had taken him and his twin sister to the Sweet Tooth Emporium, for the first time. Six-year-old Jewels Waterhouse was sitting at a table next to the glass display counter in her mother’s shop that day.

In those days, Jewels was an inquisitive young witch and she often had a quill and paper nearby. She liked to ask questions and write stories based on the answers to these queries.

Charlie had seen her many times, before his tenth birthday. He talked with her, whenever he stopped at the candy shop. When Charlie’s grandfather passed away four years ago, Charlie and Kelly were rescued before being captured with their mother and father. The twins and the loyal castle help went into hiding with their rebel friends here in the Oak Forest, and he and Jewels had lost track of one another.

Several weeks ago, the red fox leader of the rebels, Russell McIntyre had sent Charlie, Kelly and four others on a mission to the antique shop in Gallway. When Charlie and Kelly entered the shop, he saw Jewels at the counter talking to the antique shop owner.

It had been four years since he had seen Jewels in the sweets shop and she was still asking her questions and writing stories.

Jewels had grown and had become a cub reporter for her grandfather’s underground paper, The Scoop. She had been questioning the owner of the antique shop in Gallway the day he and Kelly entered the shop, fought with a huge soldier and had narrowly escaped capture.

A big, burly soldier had surprised them in the antique shop. Jewels had used her magic ability to save their bums when he and his twin sister lost their own concentration and couldn’t magically defend themselves against the large soldier. Because of Jewels, he and Kelly were able escape from the shop that day. After fleeing the shop, they were able to outdistance the horse soldiers that gave chase.

Then a few weeks later, Jewels had learned that Drake Aldric's hired foreign soldiers were about to sweep the Oak Forest and the other forests across Freedonia. They were searching for the Connors twins, their rebel friends and those hiding in the forest.

A white owl had dropped a special edition of The Scoop into the dome. In the paper, Jewels had warned Charlie of the pending sweep. Because of this warning, the rebels were able to keep these so-called fugitives from being captured. They now live here in the magical dome with the Connors twins and their rebel friends. These new arrivals are the reason for the new construction going on below.

After escaping from Galway, Charlie wondered if he would ever see Jewels again, but yesterday, Jewels was a surprise guest at his and Kelly's fifteenth birthday party.

Charlie was lost in his thoughts, and hadn’t noticed that his twin sister, Kelly had quietly climbed the boulder and had settled in next to her slightly, older brother. After seeing the grin on his kind, slender face, she decided to wait, until he returned to the land of reality to talk to him.

As Kelly turned to look off into the forest, her thoughts turned to her tall and slender friend, Timothy.

Russell had selected him, because of his magical ability to dissipate and travel about while invisible. This morning, Russell had sent him on a mission to the most dangerous village in Freedonia, New Castle. Their red fox leader had sent Timothy on his first solo mission to find and bring back the fourth Cross Brothers Cupboard.

This mission had Kelly on pins and needles. She was worried, because New Castle was under firm control of Drake Aldric's puppets and was also where his headquarters was located and he was alone.

-2-

Timothy's Mission

As the royal twins sat silently on top of the boulders inside of the Oak Forest magic dome, their wizard friend, Timothy had just arrived at his destination in the business district in New Castle.

He was invisible and standing across the street from an antique shop. The sign above the shop door read Bailey & Banks, Buyers and Sellers of Fine Furniture, and Furnishings.

This antique dealership is the largest of the kind in New Castle and in Freedonia, for that matter. It also has the largest selection heirloom items for sale. Bailey and Banks had been in business for centuries.

The cautious young wizard had left the protective dome early this morning, on his leader, Russell McIntyre's orders. He had dissipated and traveled to this very spot without anyone noticing him. How could they notice, he was invisible.

Before Timothy left on his mission, the brilliant red fox told Timothy, Your secondary mission is to find the Cross Brother’s Cupboard among the many antiques in the Bailey and Banks Antique Shop. Then you are to use your new magic ability to minimize the cupboard and bring it back to the Oak Forest without being seen. With your new ability to travel about while being invisible, your mission should be easy, but you must not assume it is. You must be very cautious and follow your training.

After hearing it mentioned repeatedly since he started going out on missions with his father and the rest of the rebels, Timothy already knew the answer to the question he was about to ask, but he went ahead anyway.

The young wizard made a poor attempt at humor. Russell, what is my primary mission?

Russell glared at the young wizard. Come on Timothy, you already know the answer to your foolish question.

Being the leader of the rebels, Russell felt responsible for those he sent on missions, he wasn't in a joking mood.

The coy young wizard replied, I know, I know.

The red fox had told him countless times before and he did not need to be reminded all the time. He might not be Russell's favorite. He was not Charlie, but he also had a brain.

In the back of his mind, Timothy suspected that the real reason why Russell had selected him for this mission was he didn’t have royal blood in his veins like his friends, Charlie and Kelly.

He really didn’t care why Russell had chosen him, just so he was chosen. He would do what he had to do for the Connors. Charlie and Kelly were close as family to the young wizard and they were his friends. He would do anything for them.

Timothy continued, Russell, my main mission is to not get caught.

Exactly, Frederick, our little mouse friend had instructed you to trust your powers of observation. You must always be aware of your surroundings and constantly be on the lookout for the perils around you. If you feel you are in any danger, I want you to immediately abort the mission. You got that?

Yes, Russell, I got it, abort the mission.

Russell continued, "We want the cupboard, but not if we risk losing you. We can always complete the mission when the danger has passed.

Russell was a wise fox. He knew that Charlie, Kelly and Timothy had the ability to dissipate and travel unseen from place to place. He also knew the three had become Secret Keepers and had sworn to keep where they had gained the ability to dissipate secret.

Russell had good reason to suspect that the twin's unicorn friend, Yorick, had to have had something to do with their new ability to disappear and travel from spot to spot.

Russell had tried, but he couldn’t get the three to tell him how it was done, but he respected their wishes to keep it secret. He had even tried to talk to the unicorn himself, but he would only appear and speak to the twins, Timothy and the twin’s horse godfather, Marshall.

Russell wanted the other rebel wizards to have the ability to dissipate, but because they were Secret Keepers, he couldn't force them to tell.

Russell had asked Marshall about this ability, but he also wanted his conversations with the unicorn kept secret. The fox was disappointed in their silence, but at least these three had the ability to dissipate.

Today, the wise fox was counting on Timothy’s magic skills to complete his mission and return with the fourth Cross Brothers Cupboard... safely.

At this point, three of the five cupboards were sitting in the cave in the Oak Forest and the fourth might be in the antique shop directly across the street. They had no idea where to find the fifth cupboard. Russell had assigned others the task of locating the fifth Cross Brothers Cupboard, but they were having no luck at all.

Russell had chosen Timothy for very good reasons. He had the ability to dissipate and travel about while invisible, he was more than a year older than Charlie and Kelly and of the three, had the most experience in the world outside of the dome. However, if it had not been for his ability to dissipate, Russell would have chosen his friend, Heath, for this mission.

Earlier this morning, the confident, young wizard had used the unicorn given magic to dissipate and travel from spot to spot on his way from the magical dome in the Oak Forest to the capital village of New Castle.

The unicorn method of disappearing and traveling to a spot was wonderful, but even this had its drawbacks. The constant starting and stopping was hard on the stomach. It could also be dangerous. If he ran into anything while invisibly speeding from one spot to spot he could see, there was the possibility of injury if he ran into an obstacle.

The getting injured part was something that he had to find out about first hand. Their unicorn friend Yorick had warned him of the dangers of dissipating and speeding to a spot he could see in the distance.

Yorick had warned Timothy, but he had to find out the hard way. After crashing into a number of unseen low hanging branches in the forest, he had learned his lesson. He was extremely lucky that they were only small branches. From then on, he made sure the way was completely clear before picking the next destination. As he had found out, crashing into something of a substantial size is painful.

Unicorns have the ability to dissipate and travel, but they seldom use it. They are free spirits and have all the time in the world to get where they are going. Not being in a hurry, they prefer to take their good-natured time and invisibly meander about in the Oak Forest.

Timothy had left the safety of the dome at first light and three hours later, he was standing across the street from the antique shop in New Castle. He was better than fifty miles east of the Oak Forest and had been following his training.

He was also in the village where Drake Aldric had his headquarters. In this village, there appeared to be more soldiers on the streets than were ordinary citizens. The only children seen were within arm's