Wizdom and Pandora: The Quest for the Blood Jewel

By K. M. WOODARD

Wizdom didnt know dragons really existed. Hes never ridden a white woolly mammoth or flown on a griffin. Hes never known a real king or a princess or been friends with a goblin. Wizdoms never seen elves that glow blue all the time. All hes ever known are his adoptive mother and his aunt Kayden.
One day he finds himself in a secret world, face to face with dragons and fire monsters. He meets an interesting girl, Pandora, who he learns is no ordinary girl, just as he is no ordinary boy. Wizdom soon finds himself on a magical journey full of secrets, sorcery, danger and evil. He fights many fierce battles and faces certain death as his quest leads him on an adventure like never before as he discovers his true identityor does he?
In blending adventure with emotional growthYA readers will delight in both the wit and gravity displayed by the two protagonists. The packed plot, myriad characters and classic fantasy tropes will keep younger readers engaged and inspired Kirkus Reviews

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Oct 30, 2013
• ISBN: 9781468538007

K. M. WOODARD

"A lifetime resident of the Washington, DC area, K.M. Woodard has always enjoyed the outdoors and loves to travel. After working 17 years with the MetLife Insurance Company, she pursued her career as a Federal Law Enforcement Agent with Homeland Security and has a Masters Degree in Criminology. A true Tolkien fan, her passion for medieval and ancient times and her personal travel adventures often inspire ideas for new books. Her active imagination and fascination with escaping reality to a world of enchantment, mystery and suspense has resulted in a series of novels sure to delight readers looking for fast-paced adventure at every twist and turn, interspersed with a smidgen of humor. Her other interests include collecting new age artwork, painting with oils, gardening, raising tropical and salt water fish, and spending time with family, friends and her two dogs and five cats."

Book preview

PROLOGUE

THE PREMONITION

W izdom stared in awe, unconsciously holding his breath, as he looked up the endless staircase of gleaming black marble before him. The air around him was damp and musty and tickled his nostrils. Cobwebs hung overhead, dangling high above him from the towering ceiling. Perched at the top of the stairs was a large, golden dragon throne. Sitting on white marble, it was surrounded by statues of goblins, gargoyles and other strange creatures. They all stared back disconcertingly at Wizdom, some with tongues out, others with piercing eyes, bared teeth or pointed ears. The dragon’s head held its mouth agape, as if ready to devour him, revealing a long golden tongue jutting out and sharp pointed teeth. The arms of the throne were created by the front legs of the dragon and the claws made up the feet of the chair. A huge tail jutted out from the back of the chair and coiled around to the front like a sitting cat. Three spikes on the tail’s end glistened in piercing diamond shards. Giant wings stood out from the dragon’s back, poised for flight, black and shimmering like dark sapphires. Its eyes were large rubies, and its body was sprinkled in faceted jewels. Two spiraling horns jutted out from its head, over a foot of solid gold, with diamonds on the tips. Held within the horns shone an enormous crimson red stone, casting an eerie glow and dancing shadows over the stone statues surrounding it.

What was this place? Where was he? He dared to move forward, ever so slowly, toward this great altar. His pulse racing, palms sweating, he paused momentarily, staring up at the dragon’s red gleaming eyes. As he approached the stairs, the dragon’s fiery eyes stared down at him unnervingly, as if it was alive, watching him.

Wizdom wondered about how he had gotten there. How did he get here? He glanced around the great hall surrounding him. Flickering candles, sconces and torches aligned the walls of marbled stone. The ceiling was several stories high and great pillars supported the wooden arches above him. Shadows and darkness surrounded him, except for the faint glow of the iron torches, and the scarlet glow of the jewel radiating from the dragon’s crown jewel. He could feel some sort of power emanating from it as he stood there. It made him feel happy and safe, despite his surroundings.

Suddenly, he saw movement out of the corner of his left eye. He looked quickly, but saw nothing. Turning to scurrying sounds to his right, he still saw nothing but black. Was he imagining things? Because of the obscuring darkness, he could not see very far, only as far as the torches lining the walls. He was only eleven but he was an adventurer and never scared and despite his current situation, he normally loved mysteries and secret places. Unconsciously, his pulse kept racing as the silence crept eerily around him. Looking around nearby in the dimly lit room, he noted there were too many gothic stone tables and chairs along the walls on either side, creating a cluttered labyrinth of furniture. The floor contained ancient carvings, symbols, and words, most of which he could not read. But strangely, some symbols he did recognize. What was going on here?

He turned his attention back to the intimidating stairway looming before him, the eerie dragon still staring down at him. There were at least a hundred stairs and he started to climb them, one by one, step by step, moving ever closer to the dragon. With each step he grew more nervous, more undecided as he ascended the flight before him. Wizdom did not look back as he climbed, for he didn’t like heights. Finally, after several scary and daunting minutes, and one nearly deadly tumble from a slip, he arrived at the top in front of the great beast, its head rising high over Wizdom’s, so that he had to lean back to see the huge creature. Its eyes seemed to pierce right through him as they sized one another up. The enormous jewel was about half a big as Wizdom himself and cast a slight, pulsating glow. Wizdom just stared in awe at the magnificent creature, its ruby eyes glaring back at him. They stood there, eyeing each other, for a moment. The room was still, only the two of them staring intently at one another. Suddenly curious, Wizdom started to reach out to touch it, to run his hand along the golden scales, when suddenly from behind the throne there was a grinding sound, the dragon began to move and smoke crept out from behind it. He backed up instinctively, almost falling down the stairs. Was the dragon alive? Staring for a moment, he wondered what was going on. What was happening? A quick glance behind him down the stairs revealed hundreds of glowing yellow eyes now staring back at him through the darkness. Panic and fear seized him. His heart racing, he turned toward the throne just as a dark, cloaked figure appeared, floating out of the mists. Wizdom thought quickly, fight or flight? Flight won over and he took a step back and started to fall…

Wizdom jerked up in his bed, out of a sound sleep. Was he dreaming? He looked around his room, not quite sure where he was. His heart was pounding and he was gasping for breath. He shook his head and rubbed his eyes as he scanned his room for familiar surroundings. He looked at the shelves on his dark blue walls lined with all sorts of toys, soldiers and men. There was a clear crystal ball on a branch like wooden stand, and various colored crystals on another shelf. Lots of books were piled up disheveled in his bookcase. He loved to read, particularly about adventures and history, science and space.

A desk on one side of his bed near the door was covered in papers and old maps, and scattered with various implements and tools. His pocket knife, magnifying glass, flashlight, and multiple other supplies he used on a regular basis, both for school and after school adventures, were scattered about. There was a small aquarium with several frogs in it, croaking happily on a piece of wood above the water flowing in the bottom of the tank, warming themselves under the light that supplied them with heat. There were various plants in the tank as well, some green and fuzzy, and some like lily pads. There was even a turtle named Fredd. Wizdom loved all sorts of creatures, especially slimy ones.

His room was rather messy with clothes strewn everywhere, and towels hanging haphazardly on the back of his door, but it looked no different than the room of any other English boy his age. As the sun crept slowly through the window, relieving the darkness that surrounded him, he sat on his bed for a few moments going over what had just happened in his dream. He thought of the huge spine-chilling dragon staring back at him and the large glowing stone atop its head. Then he thought about all the eyes staring at him and the figure that suddenly appeared before he woke up. Normally, he didn’t remember his dreams. But there were a select few in which he was fighting dragons, dressed in armor, wielding a sword and even flying, which he did remember. The flying dreams were his favorite. He was also a great warrior in many of his dreams. But for some reason, he felt a connection to this dream. He felt like he was really there, instead of just watching himself. But who was the figure? Was it going to harm him? He didn’t get to see the face before he woke up. All he saw was an immense black cloak coming out of the mist behind the throne, and eyes, so many yellow, glowing eyes staring at him from the bottom of the stairs as he glanced back, just before he fell… What was down there?

Wizdom would have to think about this later. After all, it was time to get up, get dressed and head to school. He couldn’t wait to tell his best friend, Chris, about this dream. Chris was always interested in Wizdom’s dreams. They were best friends and shared everything. Wait until Chris heard about the dragon!

CHAPTER ONE

THE SECRET PORTAL

W izdom was an unusual boy, in his own right. The spelling of his name was even unusual. He was mostly a loner, but an adventurer, and he liked it that way. With his unruly shoulder-length, curly blond hair, green eyes and button nose, Wizdom was a handsome looking eleven-year old. He had a beautiful pale face like an angel with rosy cheeks and a soft demeanor. He was also very intelligent for his age and he knew interesting facts that most adults didn’t even know. For example, a giraffe can clean its ears with its 21 inch tongue! Wizdom thought it was cool. And bats always fly left when they leave a cave. He knew about bats because he loved caves and secret places and had lots of books on science. He also had a keen interest in dragons, knights, sorcerers and magic, often dreaming about them. Sometimes he would get lost in the imaginary world he created in his mind and was often subject to daydreaming. His favorite activity was solving riddles and word problems. One of his favorite riddles was:

The more there is,

The less that you see.

Squint all you wish,

When surrounded by me.

What am I?

The answer was, of course, darkness. He was very smart and he loved to sort out anything that would make him think or challenge him. Little did he know by the end of this day, he would be challenged like never before, and go on a grand adventure, because Wizdom had a special gift that even he didn’t know he had!

Wizdom attended one of the best schools in southern England, the Oxford Academy for Boys. He lived with his beautiful mother, Alanah, who had raised him since he was a baby. She had long golden, flowing hair and brilliant blue eyes. Although she was his adoptive mother, they looked similar nonetheless. She owned and worked at her shop where they sold rocks, gems, lotions and potions, soap and herbs and other similar crafts. Wizdom liked to go there and look at all the shiny rocks and smell the different herbs. He knew them all as well as she did. Some of them she even grew in their garden. His mother was very special to him and he loved her very much. Alanah had told Wizdom his mother died when he was a baby, and that she and his mother were friends, but he didn’t know any more details. She had shown him a picture of his mother one time and she was quite lovely. She had long beautiful blond hair as well, and looked solemn in the picture, with a slight smile curving the edges of her mouth. She was standing next to a tree with a man slightly taller than her with dark black hair and bulky glasses. Wizdom didn’t wear glasses though, like his real mother. Wizdom didn’t look at the picture often, but he remembered in his heart what she looked like.

Wizdom didn’t really know much about his father either. Wizdom looked somewhat similar to him, though his father had a much more angular jaw line and a strong and leaner face. He was also quite pale like Wizdom. Smiling slightly like his mother in the picture, they looked happy together. He sometimes wondered what went wrong, where his father was. Why wasn’t he living with his father? Alanah claimed his father loved his mother very much but he had to leave shortly after Wizdom was born. Wizdom sometimes wondered what he was like and where he was. But he never asked any questions. His mother told him that his father was a great man, charming and honorable, and that one day she hoped they might be reunited. Although she could provide no more information when Wizdom inquired, he often wondered what that day would be like. She had promised to tell him when he was older.

Alanah and Wizdom had moved here from northern England when he was a small boy, about two years old, to be near his Aunt Kayden, who lived just down the road. She was the best aunt in the world as far as Wizdom was concerned and would often come over and bring him cookies, adventure books and other treats or gadgets. She wore long, flowing gowns that matched her streaming hair, and lots of colorful jewelry, like bracelets that jingled and necklaces that danced around her neck. She looked like a gypsy. One piece of jewelry that was particularly interesting to Wizdom was a small red jewel around her neck. It was very beautiful and even appeared to glow sometimes. He actually had a similar necklace, only his didn’t glow for some reason. His Aunt Kayden had watched him often as a young child. She had a beautiful voice and sometimes she would sing soft, slow songs with curious words. He loved to listen to her.

Wizdom and his mother lived in a picturesque house on a hill in the emerald, rolling countryside in Stratford upon-Avon, England. Stratford upon-Avon was a charming, quiet city with much charm and character. Old thatched roofs and wooden trim were the style of the village. The infamous William Shakespeare even lived here once upon a time! Wizdom fancied Old English and loved to read his stories and plays, like Romeo and Juliet. It was kind of mushy and all about love, which he didn’t care for, but it did have death and conflict and he loved stories with killings and intrigue. He also liked MacBeth and Hamlet. They had murders in them!

He had been inside Shakespeare’s house once. It was very small and originally had only two rooms on one floor. The stone and wood floors were crooked and sloped but smoothly worn down over years from use. The upstairs was later added but the rooms were small and once again, the walls and floors uneven. You could tell the house was really old and built without any standard measurements. At one point in time, Shakespeare’s sister and her entire family, which consisted of many children and herself and her husband, lived in one of the downstairs rooms. They had to eat, sleep, bathe and live all together in one small room. Wizdom couldn’t even imagine that although, sometimes he wished he had a brother or sister to play with. But he did have his best friend, Chris. Shakespeare was also famous for creating much of the English language and many quotes that people use today, over 7,000 words and phrases! Two of the most famous quotes are, To be or not to be; that is the question, and Off with his head! Wizdom really liked that one.

Wizdom’s house was an older English cottage made of stone and old timber with a steep, pitched thatched roof and lovely flowers planted all around it. The narrow windows were trimmed in natural wood in Tudor style. The yard was surrounded with a vine covered white wooden picket fence, and flowers lined the edges on the ground. Flowers hung from rafters on the front porch stoop and overflowing flower pots lined the steps to the front door. As well as an herbalist, Alanah was also an avid gardener and their home always looked and smelled delightful. In the large back yard there was a large greenhouse which she grew her herbs in and a hefty oak tree that Wizdom loved to climb. For some reason though, his mother would never let him build a tree house. He wanted one very badly, but at least there were some woods nearby he could venture into. Overall, it was a house of character as far as Wizdom was concerned and it suited them perfectly. Little did anyone know that a great warrior and a magical sorceress lived there. Even the warrior didn’t know, yet. And little did he, that warrior, know that he would soon be on a magical quest in a faraway land.

*    *    *

It was the third week of October and Wizdom began the school week as usual, dressing in his blue uniform pullover sweater with a white OA for Oxford Academy on the front. He wore a white dress shirt, black pants and black tie with black patent shoes. He tried his best to manage his unruly hair, and then went downstairs to the kitchen to grab some breakfast.

Morning, mum! he said cheerfully.

Good morning. What would you like today, honey? His mom asked, although she was already at the stove fixing his usual.

Some eggs please, bacon, crumpet and jelly, he replied as he sat down at their small, old wooden table. It was a beautiful fall day and the weather was still warm out. The sun was shining brightly and Wizdom sat and stared out the window at the big oak tree. It was a huge, knotty tree that must have been twenty feet around on the trunk and it had many large, strong branches. The bark was old and gnarly. Wizdom just stared at it as if something were going to happen while his mother fixed breakfast, dreaming about his tree house that he would never have.

Just then, out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw his Aunt Kayden walking by the tree.

Hey mum, look! There’s Auntie Kayden! Wizdom said as he pointed out the window. His mother looked out and didn’t see anything.

I don’t see her, sweetie. Where is she? she asked, still looking out the window. This had been happening a lot recently, she thought, scowling. She would have to have a talk with her sister.

Wizdom could have sworn he saw her out there in one of her long flowing dresses, billowing in the gentle breeze behind her. It must have been the bright sun in his eyes playing tricks on him. That was the third time this week that had happened. Never mind, was all he said, still gazing at the tree. Sometimes strange things happened to Wizdom that he couldn’t explain, so he just thought this was another one of those things.

His mother fixed his breakfast very quickly every day. Wizdom was used to it, but it was like magic. No sooner did he tell her what he wanted than it was done. He sure loved his mum, she was great. It had only been the two of them, and Aunt Kayden, for as long as he could remember, but that was enough for him. They were the only family he ever knew. He ate his breakfast then hurried to kiss his mum good-bye.

Bye! he yelled as he grabbed his lunch and his back-pack, and slammed the front door behind him as he ran out. Wizdom loved school and couldn’t wait to get there each day.

He walked several long blocks past the few charming cottage houses that lined his country street to the bus stop. Scents of fall filled the air, and the leaves fell about him as he strode down the street. All the homes in his neighborhood looked similar, but weren’t too close together. It was a quaint little town. He shuffled his feet scattering the leaves as he went. There were a couple of other kids that walked to the bus stop in the morning as well, but Wizdom didn’t really talk to them much. One in particular, Marlon, didn’t like Wizdom. Marlon was very mean and loved to pick on Wizdom. Actually, he was jealous of him because Wizdom was very smart and didn’t have any problems in school. Marlon had short, dark, slicked-back hair and a clean look about him, despite his chiseled face and angular jaw, which made him look mean, like he was. Adrian was Marlon’s partner in crime and also teased Wizdom relentlessly. Adrian was the same size as Marlon, with brown hair and a softer round face. Although they were both a bit shorter than Wizdom they were bulkier and loved to bully him.

Mrs. Livingston, whose house was near the bus stop, on the corner of Black and Ritterhouse, had a fat black and white cat named Cuddles, who walked with him every day and rubbed his legs to say hello. Wizdom loved animals and pet Cuddles briefly at the bus stop. They followed this routine each morning and looked forward to seeing each other. Wizdom and his mother had three cats of their own, Digi, a black, oversized fluffy cat, Merlin, an orange long-haired cat, and Aratar, another lighter peach colored long-haired rag doll cat. They were all rescues from the local animal shelter, or strays that had adopted Wizdom and his mother. He preferred the company of animals to people when it came down to it.

Wizdom hadn’t seen Marlon and Adrian yet and so far he was feeling great. He stood at the bus stop for a few minutes with Lilli and Claire, two of his schoolmates and sisters, also in the sixth year. They were very nice. They had long brown hair and blue eyes, and their hair was blowing in the gentle fall breeze. Wizdom thought about the day ahead, and what he was going to eat for lunch while he pet Cuddles. A few minutes later, they came, as usual, wearing the same uniform as Wizdom and began their daily ritual of taunting him.

"Hey, Wizdom the weenie," Marlon said as he approached the bus stop. Marlon and Adrian laughed as Wizdom just ignored them and Lilli and Claire just rolled their eyes. Cuddles had followed him all the way to the bus stop today for some reason and was still hanging around Wizdom’s legs. He bent over to pet Cuddles again and Marlon walked over to him.

Seeing Wizdom was giving his attention to the cat and not to him, Marlon kicked Cuddles aside rather roughly with his foot. Wizdom turned around to face Marlon with an anger he had never felt before in his body, starting at his toes and going all the way to his head. As he stared at Marlon, he noticed a black ring appear around him, sort of fuzzy like a dark mist. Wizdom had a talent for detecting the evil in people and could sometimes see their auras. He was so angry that Marlon had kicked Cuddles, he wished with all his might that someone would kick Marlon so he knew what it felt like. Wizdom stared at him with these thoughts and all the negative feelings he felt, picturing Marlon being kicked across the walkway like he had just kicked Cuddles, who luckily had recovered, and ran off.

Suddenly, a powerful gust of wind came along and blew Marlon over, slamming him against a tree that was next to the bus stop. Marlon hit the tree hard with a thud and plopped down against his back pack.

Adrian stared at him disbelievingly, You okay? he asked.

Ignoring Adrian, Marlon got up slowly, a bit shaken and stared at Wizdom. You do that? He asked accusingly, hastily moving toward Wizdom, as he brushed himself off.

How could I do that? I can’t control the wind, Wizdom said, taking a step or two back, but not really afraid of Marlon or Adrian. Maybe now you know how it feels to be kicked. Don’t kick that cat again, Wizdom told him vehemently.

Oh, yeah? And if I do, what are you going to do about it? Marlon snarled back.

Just then the city bus pulled up and Mr. Livermore opened the bus doors. He was an older gent with glasses and a neatly trimmed gray beard and mustache, which didn’t go along at all with the brown toupee he insisted on wearing every day in an attempt to cover his bald spot. Everyone liked him though as he was a very cheery fellow.

Good morning, Wizdom, he said as Wizdom gave Marlon one final look and walked on to the bus. Marlon stepped on behind him shoving him purposely and making him trip on the stairs as he boarded the bus. Mr. Livermore looked at Marlon and told him to watch it. Wizdom was sure this discussion wasn’t over if Marlon had anything to say about it, but as far as he was concerned it was.

On the bus, Wizdom sat in the front so he could talk to Mr. Livermore as he always did. Marlon and Adrian always rode in the back, where the cool kids were. Every day the city buses shut down for two hours to make their rounds and pick up all the kids for school, and then they went back to their regular routes. Often Wizdom would find a newspaper left on the bus from a careless morning commuter in too much of a hurry. Today, though, there were none, so he chatted with Mr. Livermore all the way to school. Mr. Livermore lived with his mother and she was having some health problems, so they talked about her diabetes for a while. It wasn’t a long ride and soon they were there.

It was a bright, sunny day and a clear blue sky blazed overhead. Chris was waiting for him as usual when he got off the bus because his bus normally got there first.

Hi Wizdom! Chris greeted him.

Hey Chris. Wait till you hear about my dream! Wizdom said excitedly, forgetting to make sure no one else was around. They walked quickly toward the school to their lockers as Wizdom began, There was a huge dragon throne on top of this altar at the top of some stairs in a huge room like a castle. It had a big red stone on top of its head and it was glowing. Wizdom told Chris all the details about the golden dragon, the creepy eyes, the statues and endless stairs, then the mist and the dark figure. I felt like I was really there, like I was really climbing the stairs and all those eyes were looking at me when I turned around. It was weird.

Wow. That sounds great. What do you think it means? Chris asked curiously.

I don’t know. Maybe tonight I’ll have another dream, and maybe I can see who is coming out of the mist, Wizdom said hopefully.

Wizdom and Chris had no idea that Marlon and Adrian were following him listening to every word. Dragons going to get you Wizdom? Marlon said and started laughing with his friends. Marlon’s group had now grown to a pack of five. Then Marlon made some noises and gestures with his arms like they were dragons coming after him Woooooooo, grrrhhhhhhhhh, he said and growled and they started chasing after Wizdom and Chris.

Come on, Wizdom said and grabbed Chris’s arm. They ran into the school and down the hallway. Wizdom knew every inch of the school and he and Chris went down some crumbling old stairs into the grungy basement, maneuvering around the students on their way who were busy getting prepared for their first class. Wizdom and Chris were so fast Marlon and his pack couldn’t keep up with them. They hid under the moldy stairs as Marlon and Adrian and his bunch stood nearby looking around. They had lost them.

Come on, we’ll get ‘em later, Marlon said to Adrian and the rest of his gang.

Yeah, later, Adrian said. They started laughing and shoving each other as they walked away.

Wow, that was close, Wizdom said.

Yeah, Chris agreed. "What’s wrong with him?" he asked.

I wish I knew, Wizdom said.

They waited a few minutes and then came out from under the neglected stairwell and went to their first class, History, which was one of Wizdom’s favorite subjects. Today they would be studying all about ancient civilizations in the Middle East. Wizdom loved to see the pictures of the old architecture and buildings. He thought it was fascinating how people used to live and often wished he could have lived during those times, although he did like some modern conveniences such as his cell phone and television. He had already read the chapters assigned for homework over the weekend so he was well prepared as usual. Wizdom always did his homework and made excellent marks in school. All the teachers loved him.

They made it through the school day without much incident. Marlon wasn’t really concerned too much about Chris, and mainly focused his malevolent energy on Wizdom. Luckily, Wizdom managed to avoid Marlon and Adrian for most of the day. They had only one class together, mathematics. Wizdom liked to sit right in the front of the class and Marlon and Adrian in the back of the class. So he tried not to interact with them, although he really didn’t know what Marlon’s problem was, or Adrian’s for that matter. He had never done anything to them, but they had a serious dislike for Wizdom. From the back of the class they would often say things and try to get him in trouble.

The teacher, Mrs. Treedoubt, had them open their books to page 297 and work on the exercises in section A, which consisted of long division and multiplication of fractions.

While Wizdom and Chris were working as a pair, Marlon and Adrian were throwing paper airplanes at them when the teacher wasn’t looking. Just when Wizdom couldn’t take it any longer and was about to say something, one of the planes burst into flames. The whole class gasped. Mrs. Treedoubt, an elderly widow with her gray hair up in a bun and glasses with a chain dangling around her face, turned around and everyone stared at the paper airplane in disbelief, including Marlon and Adrian, as the ashes of it drifted to the floor.

What are you boys up to now? she asked, directing her inquiry at Wizdom and Chris, as the plane lie on the floor by them, then back to Marlon and Adrian, knowing exactly who the culprits