The Parallel Land: The Wizards of Covington, #2

By Ron Snider

Goblins and trolls sweep across the Land. Armies of men and elves unite against invasion. Wizards, Alistarr and Marcus lead a perilous expedition into the parallel Land to put an end to the invasion. The nine that venture with the two wizards, are Nathaniel and Damon Walker, scouts for the Kingdom of Covington, the leader of the king's scouts who goes by the name of Molitor, two elves Odum and Lontona, and then finally two willowmites, that are cousins to the elves, Joash and Duras.

Not only do these heroes need to find a way to end the invasion, but they also need to rescue the Keeper, who is the supreme overseer to the Land and its inhabitants. 

However, first, they need to contend with a Sorceress that has her own desires, spies seeking vital information, and a mysterious being that has attached itself to one of our heroes.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ron Snider
• Release date: Dec 9, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393698579

Ron Snider

Ron Snider, born November 19, 1955, is an American author, poet, Audiobook author, Audiobook narrator, Internet entrepreneur, Master Craftsmen, Ordained Baptist minister. Ron and his wife, Senah, who he describes as his best and trusted friend, have been married for over 45 years. The couple has two adult children and three grandchildren. Ron and Senah make their home in Marion, Virginia, where he applies his trade as a master craftsman creating beautiful handcrafted items that he sells on various venues across the internet. The couple are avid pet lovers that craft items for pets in their backyard woodshop, since 1992. When Ron and his wife are not creating items in their workshop, Ron is busy at nights by writing about events that can only be reached by one's imagination. Becoming interested in books when he was a child, by reading literature by Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Robert Louis Stevenson, Ron at an early age, was inspired in becoming a writer who leaned toward adventure style books. However, it wasn't until his teen years that he discovered high fantasy style fiction written by authors J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Terry Brooks that Ron set his sight on being an epic fantasy writer. Ron has written three epic fantasy books, belonging to the Wizards of Covington series, titled The Darkling War, The Parallel Land, and The Shield of Prophecy. Two of his books, The Darkling War, and The Parallel Land, which he has produced and narrated, are now audiobooks. Ron is currently producing the third audiobook, The Parallel Land. Ron, with his imaginary worlds of mystical lands with adventurous characters, will keep you entertained from the beginning of his books to the last page.

Book preview

The Parallel Land by Ron Snider

(The Wizards of Covington Book 2)

PROLOGUE

Ravenwood, strange and bewildering, a dark forest surrounded by an even darker mystery. Many have entered into the heavily dense forest; however, only a few manage to find their way out. Those who were lucky to escape talked about a deathly quiet forest, while others felt as if some unknown assailant was watching them.

In one of the forest's darkest regions, there lay a most peculiar sight; it was a sarcophagus made of stone. The tomb was ancient; it was carefully made when the Land was still in its infancy.

The one that made the stone coffin was sad on the day that he did so. For that, it was his brother’s tomb, Matthias, was his name.

The two were born on the same day, twins; they were, however, not identical. The two could not be more opposite.

Each grew up sharing in the glorious splendor of the Land. The pure white magic that was the lifeblood of the Land reached out and touched them both. However, only one was closer to it, while the other grew to despise it completely.

Matthias hated the clean white magic; he loathed the pure innocence of it. The white magic was too just, too honest, too impartial to everything that he was not. The Land’s magic was everything that his twin became, pure and clean, a crusader for all the right things that the Land demanded. Due to this, Matthias grew to hate his brother and strove to be forever separated from him.

Matthias searched the Land over and found a forest to his liking. After journeying there, Matthias was hopeful of leaving his brother with all his goodness far behind.

Matthias named his new forest to be his home, Ravenwood, due to the large ravens that chose to nest there. He found that their dark color and haunting sound matched his dark moods.

On the day that Matthias left, his brother was deeply grieved over the departure. To help ease the hurt, he spent the most significant part of his time in the study of the Land and the best ways when it comes to protecting it.

As the years slowly slipped by, he grew lonely for not being able to see his twin. Then, on one bright morning, he decided to make the long journey to the forest of Ravenwood to convert his dark-hearted brother back to the peaceful ways of the Land.

When his journey brought him to the edge of the forest, he paused before entering. As he stood along the tree line, he discovered a feeling that he never felt before. The forest felt empty, devoid of all emotions; it was as if the pureness of the Land that he dearly held in such high regard turned against the forest as if it wanted nothing more to do with it. However, for his brother’s sake and the desire to see him again, he entered the dark woods.

Matthias felt the presence of his brother when he first entered. After doing so, he became incredibly beside himself with intense anger. Matthias didn't want to see his brother and hear just how good the Land was and how it made him feel at peace with himself. He didn't want to hear any more about the compassion that the Land had towards all living things. Matthias had enough; he decided to rid his meddling brother of his life.

Matthias carefully hid behind some tall brush and waited for his brother to seek him out.

Later, in the coolness of the evening, while Matthias’s brother was walking and calling out his name, it was then that the cunning Matthias rose up from where he was hidden to kill his brother. However, it was not to be. The Land is a living entity and could see what was about to take place. With a bolt of white energy, the Land struck Matthias, mortally wounding him. However, before he closed his eyes in death, Matthias cursed his brother and vowed that one day his spirit would return to seek vengeance on the Land that his brother loved dearly.

It was on that day, the brother of Matthias, known as the Keeper, made a stone sarcophagus and placed the body of his brother within. Afterward, the Keeper hid the tomb inside of a forest cave. There, nothing would disturb it as it sat throughout the centuries. 

CHAPTER 1 THE GREAT SHATTERING

As in all events, the passing of time brings about changes. During one of these events, the willowmites, a race of people related to the elves, became the second owners of Ravenwood Forest.

The willowmites chose the forest out of desperation. They needed a place to settle where they could call their own. Due to the misfortune of war, the willowmites lost their old forest-dwelling and found themselves in search of another. Ravenwood was convenient; no one chose to live in the forest, much less visit. This was due to the strange tales that were told about the forest.

The years passed into decades; the decades passed into centuries. During this time, the willowmites turned their forest home into a kingdom. Since no one dared to journey to Ravenwood, and the willowmites had no need to travel from it, the willowmites became a forgotten race. Nevertheless, the willowmites greatly rejoiced in knowing this and went about keeping it that way at all costs.

By being a forgotten people, they didn't have to worry about the affairs concerning the Land. They even sat out the two great wars dealing with the Darkling. They felt that it didn’t concern them, so why even bother. They secluded themselves in their forest kingdom and wished that it always stays that way. However, nothing ever stays the same.

It would become known as the Great Shattering, a colossal quake that would change the lives of the willowmites forever.

During a typical summer's evening with the Sun lying low in the west, the willowmites in their homes and in their fields were finishing up with their daily work. Nothing out of the ordinary was taking place; all was as it has been for hundreds of years.

It started with the sound of fluttering wings as thousands of ravens suddenly left the forest treetops. Shortly afterward, a low rumbling was heard, followed by a thunderous noise as the ground began to quake violently.

Tall trees swayed back and forth only to break apart and come crashing to the ground. Giant redwood trees that stood for hundreds of years snapped and fell, taking other trees with them. Landslides carrying large portions of the forest slid down steep hills toppling more trees, which clogged ravines and valleys.

Homes made from logs that sheltered the willowmites shook and swayed until they collapsed in on themselves.

Further on into the forest, there was a lake resting on top of a hill. The quake heaved and rolled until it opened a fissure along its banks, emptying out murky water that plunged down the hillside carrying rocks and trees with it.

The water rushed through valleys washing away frantic willowmites that were trying to escape certain death.

King Rivervale, who ruled over the willowmites for many years, ran to the palace balcony to witness his forest kingdom breaking apart. The last he saw was his beloved palace crumbling down upon him.

Hundreds of willowmite homes of various sizes were swallowed up as large cracks opened and closed in on itself.

In a dark, remote region of the forest, a stone sarcophagus, hidden away in a forest cave for centuries, was tossed from its dark confines to lay exposed for all to see.

Then the terrible quake that will come to be known as the Great Shattering ceased its rumbling, followed by an eerie stillness.

~~~

In a sacred realm located between the conscious and the subconscious stood the Moram, home of the Keeper.

Seconds before the trembling began, the Keeper’s attention was immediately drawn to the source, Ravenwood Forest. As he stood in silence, the Keeper observed a quake proceed to violently shake the forest before moving on to continue its terrible destruction.

After the quake, as the Keeper was sorting through the destruction of the forest, he suddenly became grief-stricken as he felt the Land begin to woefully grieve. When he searched out the reason, he sadly discovered that one of the Land's children, the willowmites, was all but destroyed except for a few that were now grieving for their lost loved ones.

When the Keeper began searching for more survivors, his eyes settled on an object that he hadn't seen in centuries. It was the stone sarcophagus of his long-dead brother, Matthias. The tomb was tossed from the forest cave just before it collapsed in on itself. The sarcophagus laid broken with its stone lid split in half. As the Keeper was studying what to do with his brother's remains, it was then that he felt an odd presence. The presence came from the outermost regions of the forest. When the Keeper focused his attention on where the occurrence should be, nothing could be seen. Nevertheless, the strange presence of what was causing the odd disturbance was definitely there.

The Keeper, using the Land’s magic, cast a mental scan to increase the search. While in the process, he felt the scan stop as if something interesting caught its attention.

As the Keeper watched and listened for the unseen object, an odd occurrence began to occur. He felt his mental scan being turned back towards him to locate where he was at.

Then strangely, the presence of the object was gone entirely as if it never existed.

As night settled in, the Keeper was still busy searching the forest. He wondered why the mysterious object was choosing to keep itself hidden and why it was interested in locating him.

Throughout the search, the Keeper continued to be heart-stricken over the loss of the willowmites. However, he also felt that the quake had something to do with the events concerning the unknown object's presence.

As he studied this, the Keeper suddenly felt the strange presence, not in the forest, but in the Moram.

How odd, thought the Keeper. How was it possible for the strange presence to invade the Moram, which exists in the semiconscious world where dreams do. He most certainly didn't summon it, as he does from time to time to speak to the wizards concerning the Land's needs.

The invader of the Moram continued to come closer. While doing so, the Keeper felt a strange maliciousness surrounding it. Sensing the invisible invader stopping before him, the Keeper observed a shimmering of green light slowly appearing. The light materialized into the shape of a door that glowed brightly. Stepping closer while examining the mysterious doorway, the door suddenly opened to another world. Standing in shock while peering through the door, the surprised Keeper watched as his brother Matthias stepped through.

~~~

In the meantime, far away from the stricken forest, the quake heaved and rumbled its way through the kingdom of Covington.

The quake shook so violently that it tore down the new structures replacing those that were burnt five years earlier in the war with the Darkling.

At the castle, the newly restored bell in the east tower clanged and swayed with such force that once again, it broke loose from its housing only to topple to the ground below.

In the palace, the meticulous preparations that were being made for Prince Ericson's homecoming were tossed from the banquet tables, only to be trodden upon by frightened palace residents. One of those was Galina Walker. Standing to her feet, she screamed for her husband, saying, NATHANIEL, THE BABY, SEE TO THE BABY!

Nathaniel Walker, hearing his wife cry out, ran down a corridor and into the palace nursery. Staggering due to the quake, he finally reached the cradle. Seeing that his three-month-old son was nowhere to be seen, he frantically turned to see that his cousin Marcus had the baby.

LET'S GET OUT OF HERE! Marcus shouted while stepping around pieces of the fallen ceiling.

Running from the nursery, they could hear the rest of the ceiling crashing to the floor.

Seeing Galina running toward the nursery, Nathaniel shouted, We have him!

With the baby safely in hand, the three ran from the palace and into the courtyard.

While running, Nathaniel looked back over his shoulder and watched a section of the palace falling away. When he looked around to see where he was going, he had to quickly sidestep to avoid running into a thin man running and shouting, HAS ANYONE SEEN KING ESIASON!

HE IS OVER HERE, SHARRARD! called a man dressed in buckskin.

King Esiason looked on with disbelief as he stood next to the high scout Molitor. After seeing the circular dome above the palace collapse, he turned to Molitor and asked, Did everyone make it out?

As far as I can tell, said Molitor, watching one of four marble pillars fall and break into as it hit the palace steps.

Then as suddenly as it came, the quake slowly rumbled to a stop.

While the clouds of thick dust were settling, cries from injured and frightened people were heard.

With a somber voice, King Esiason said, Well, that's that, what war couldn't do, nature did in just minutes.

Just then, the Master of Arms, Sharrard, walking up, asked worriedly, Your Grace, are you hurt?

No, Sharrard, I'm not injured, assured the king. Drawing a deep breath to help steady his nerves, the king continued to say, However, I fear there are many that are. Sharrard, I need you to send a patrol into the city; I must know what damage has been done there. While you see to that, I'll start attending to matters here.

King Esiason, looking around at the damage that was done, said, Except for the palace; the rest of the castle appears to have handled it rather well.

Sharrard, nodding his head, then said, Thank the gods for that, at least, we still have protection within the castle walls.

The gods had nothing to do with it, said the king. I give credit where credit is due. It was the wizards that designed the castle.

Sharrard, looking as if he wanted to comment, when King Esiason quickly said, After you see to the patrol, call for a meeting to take place at the south tower, there is a lot that needs to be discussed.

~~~

Later that evening, at the south tower window, King Esiason stood in silence and watched as a four-masted ship sailed into port and then docked. The ship was the king's flagship, the Leviathan returning from a voyage that took it to the southernmost region. After the gangplank was placed, he observed three figures walking down from the ship to the wooden dock then into a carriage that would take them to the castle.

Sir, are you alright? You have been staring out the window for some time now, said a concerned Sharrard.

Turning to face the Master of Arms, the king said, "The Leviathan has made it back; my son and Alistarr are on their way here. It also appears they have brought a guest with them."

Oh, that probably would be Prince Bereathian, said Sharrard, Last fall, when King Microtron and his son were visiting, Prince Bereathian mentioned that he would like to return in the summer for a short visit.

King Esiason, walking away from the window, addressed a chambermaid who was cleaning the room, saying, Beatrice, would you please prepare a room for our elve friend Prince Bereathian?

Yes, your Majesty, said the chambermaid, turning to leave the room.

The king, returning to the window, glanced out to view the carnage, and said, Until a new palace is built, we just have to make do with what we got.

Sharrard, wiping away some shattered glass from off a chair, seated himself then said, I am curious, earlier you mentioned that the reason why the castle wasn't destroyed is that the wizards designed it that way. If that is so, then why was the palace destroyed?

With a slight smile, the king replied, That is because the wizards had nothing to do with the design of the palace. It seems my great-grandfather wanted a place that he could call his own that didn't have any magic attached to it.

Sharrard, sounding skeptical, said, I happen to agree with your great grandfather. All of this magic stuff is not right. I am saying that it goes against the natural order of doing things.

Okay, Sharrard, said the king, Alistarr has been away to the Elven Kingdom of Aspenvale for the last three months. You have had your rest away from him. I don't want to hear you two arguing over the subject of magic. The point is, magic is here. It has always been here. Besides, I am happy that he and my son are back. I can use Alistarr's help, especially now due to the quake.

Sharrard, shaking his head in disgust, replied, Magic and wizards. If you should ask me, it is all a bunch of silly foolishness. I don't trust things that I don't understand.

Now, now, Sharrard, said the king while smiling at the angry Master of Arms. You mean to tell me that you don't trust young Marcus Walker? Alistarr may get a little testy at times, but Marcus is as gentle as a dove.

Once again, with a sarcastic voice, Sharrard said, That gentle dove is capable of turning this castle up on its end. Besides, Marcus is different; he doesn't act like he knows it all. At least you can talk sensibly to him. He is not at all as Alistarr is, and thank goodness for it.

King Esiason once again smiled as he said, I know what's bothering you; you're still upset at what Alistarr said to you, aren't you?

Sharrard quickly looked away, as if he didn't want to hear any more.

Sharrard, that was three months ago when they were just leaving, and now they are back, can't you get over it? asked the king.

Sharrard quickly stood and said, That is not the issue. He shouldn't have said what he did.

Just what did he say? asked the king, then suddenly remembering said, Oh yes, now I remember; I believe he called you a buffoon.

Not just a buffoon! exclaimed Sharrard, his face turning red with anger as he went on to say, He had the nerve and audacity to say that I was a skinny thin-lipped babbling buffoon that couldn't see past my pointed nose when it came to the use of magic!

I am sure that you just had to say something back to him, said the king.

I called him and overrated spell caster who thinks he has the answer to everything, said Sharrard.

Nevertheless, you two are the best of friends, therefore, at least act like it until I get some of this mess straightened out, said the king.

Just then, the king's high scout Molitor, followed by Nathaniel Walker, entered the room and seated themselves. Then entered Damon Walker, Marcus Walker, General Cannonicus, and Captain Varsha.

The meeting started with Sharrard discussing the damage done to the city of Covington. He stated since the city was burned five years earlier due to the war with the Darkling, the damage wasn't as bad as it could have been. Even though there was little loss of life, it could've been far worse if the older structures still existed.

General Cannonicus suggested that patrols should be sent out at once to check on the damage that may have been done to the outlying villages.

Along with Damon and their cousin Marcus, Nathaniel said that they would like to join the patrol that would pass through their village of Larkin to check on their parents.

Just then, Prince Ericson and the Wizard Alistarr entered the room, followed by a tall, handsome elve prince.

With a broad smile, Prince Ericson said, Father, thank the gods you are alright. When I first saw the palace, I was worried that you may have been hurt. Did everyone make it out all right?

Yes, everyone was able to get out in time before the palace collapsed, said the king as he embraced his son.

How did the city fare? asked Alistarr while seating himself.

Sadly, there have been some reported deaths and injuries, sighed the king, However, a quake of this magnitude could have been much worse.

Alistarr, stroking his beard while thinking what was said, replied, Yes, it was indeed a powerful quake, if I am not mistaking, one of the worst.

The wizard, turning to Marcus, asked, Have you felt anything concerning the Land since the quake?

Shaking his head, Marcus replied, No, nothing at all. How strange, since you asked, it does seem odd.

That is interesting, said Alistarr. The wizard reached into his pocket to retrieve his pipe. Afterward, Alistarr noted, It seems to me, a quake that large, there is bound to have been some sort of trouble.

King Esiason, being concerned, asked, Is this something that we all should be concerned about?

Alistarr, shaking his head, said, As for now, no. Nevertheless, it is highly unusual.

Molitor then said, Before you joined us, it was decided that patrols be sent out to check and see if there was any damage that may have been done to the villages.

Yes, the sooner, the better, replied Alistarr.

The wizard stood and walked to the window. While looking out into the night, he listened to the others debating over some minor issues when Marcus decided to join him.

Did you have a good visit? Is King Microtron faring well these days? Marcus asked.

Alistarr, lost in thought, continued to look into the night.

Marcus then said, That was the first quake that I was in. King Esiason says he was just a boy when he was in the last one, and it was small compared to this.

Turning away from the window, Alistarr said, Yes; it was a small quake. Nevertheless, afterward, I could detect certain problems throughout the Land, and that quake shook a small region. I have seen a dozen quakes in my time, and this one was the worst; it was bound to have caused some major problems. Still, I haven't detected anything out of the ordinary. Alistarr then looked at Marcus with a peculiar expression on his face and said, It just came to me that you, being a Wizard Lord; your senses are more in tune with the Land. The feelings that you should have felt would have completely unnerved you.

With a surprised look, Marcus said, I am only a Wizard Lord in name; I am still being trained. You already know that since you are the one teaching me.

Trust me. Even in name only, you still would have been overwhelmed, said Alistarr.

With a curious look, Marcus said, Hey, I don't understand. Since this is so upsetting, why did you let on to the others that it wasn't much to be concerned about?

Once again, gazing out the window, Alistarr said, As for now, they have enough to deal with. Besides, the Land's welfare is our responsibility.

Just then, Sharrard could be heard to say, Alistarr! Would you and Marcus like to join us? After all, this is a called meeting, or maybe yet we could join you?

Not missing a chance to rub Sharrard, Alistarr said, Oh, I am sorry; I was just discussing with Marcus how you have grown deeply interested in the use of magic.

Suddenly, King Esiason could be heard clearing his voice. After taking a small drink, he then said, Well, yes, of course, now let's get back to matters at hand.

After Alistarr and Marcus joined the others, General Cannonicus said, Since all is quiet along our borders, may I suggest that we put Covington's Army to use in helping with the cleanup of the city? Just sitting around is making the men fat and lazy; they need some physical work to do.

Sharrard then questioned, What about the patrols that are being sent out? Won't they be needed for that task?

King Esiason then said, The Army will definitely be a great help in the cleanup effort, and also it will speed it along. When it comes to patrols, we will use the Palace Guard. A couple of weeks in the saddle will do them a world of good. Captain Varsha, since the Army is staying here, please inform Major Billings to have the Palace Guard ready for patrol duty by noon tomorrow.

Yes, your Majesty, said the captain as he stood up and left the room.

Prince Bereathian, seeing a chance to speak, said, King Esiason, I was hoping to visit for a few weeks, but since this terrible ordeal has occurred, I greatly fear for Aspenvale. I am deeply sorry, but I also must leave tomorrow.

I understand, said the king, I wish we could have spent some time together. Maybe you will be able to journey back this way when things are less hectic.

Bereathian then said, I’ll be looking forward to it.

King Esiason smiled as he said, Good, please tell your father hello for me, and I will have the ship’s captain to prepare to sail as soon as we are through here.

Molitor then said, If you prefer not to sail, you can ride along with us. We are riding south to check on the villages for damage. The farthest we will be going to is Larkin.

Bereathian smiled as he said, I would be more than happy to at least travel that far with you. To be honest, I find it hard to travel by sea. I prefer the ground beneath my feet.

Very well then, said the king, as he started to unroll a large parchment that was yellowed with age.

Laying the parchment on the table, the king said, I found this old diagram of the palace that my ancestor King Furadan and a wizard named Tunamace had made.

Alistarr then quickly corrected, Tunamoss, his name was Tunamoss; he was a master architect. He was the one that drew the diagram.

The King went on to say, This here Tunamoss called for the palace to have arrow ports so if an enemy should make it past the walls. The palace could be used as a second defense line by using the arrow ports to shoot at the enemy. For some reason, the palace did not have the arrow ports; we could have used them when the demon spawn managed to get through the gates. I would like for the new palace to have the arrow ports installed.

Suddenly, the ground shook and heaved violently. A moment later, the shaking stopped.

Sharrard, picking himself up off the floor, said, By all the gods, not again! I thought all this was over with.

Waving his hands, Alistarr said, Everyone, please calm down; I have seen this happen before. There is nothing to be too concerned about; it is just the ground resettling; it might go on for a few days. We just have to deal with it.

Damon picking his chair up, said, I nearly jumped out of my skin.

I must admit, said Molitor, It is a little unsettling.

Unsettling! exclaimed Sharrard, It is downright terrifying! If this keeps up, I don't think the castle can withstand much more.

Alistarr then said, I can assure you that the castle will be able to withstand much more.

King Esiason relit one of the candles that turned over on the table and said, I believe after that we all could use something to drink. General, behind you, is a tray of glasses. Would you retrieve them for me?

The general stood and, while walking towards the table, said, Right now, I could use a drink. After retrieving the tray, he was surprised to see a mysterious hooded figure sitting off in the corner. Being taken by surprise, the general dropped the tray of classes while shouting, WHO THE DEVIL ARE YOU!

While the general was fumbling for his sword, he continued to shout, saying, GUARDS, GUARDS!

The mysterious hooded figure, while standing, said, There is no need in calling for your guards; for now, they are not able to hear you.

Alistarr, also surprised by the intruder, immediately created an invisible shield in front of the king.

The hooded figure that was also dressed in black said, There is no need for that, I wish him no harm.

Alistarr, cautiously looking on, said, I'll be the judge of that.

Then have it your way Alistarr, you have always been the one for using caution.

Alistarr then quickly said, You have me at a disadvantage, replied the wizard. Have we met before?

The mysterious figure stepping closer into the light of the candles, spoke softly, saying, Not face to face.

Now being curious, the wizard said, You most certainly know who I am. However, I don't know who you are.

Just then, an astonished Marcus said, Your voice, I have heard it before. I know you, am I right?

Indeed, you should, said the figure while pulling back his hood to reveal an elderly gray-haired man.

Marcus, with a slight gasp, while his eyes went wide in wonder, said, By all the gods, you are the Keeper!

Yes, it is, said Alistarr in awe. The wizard, stepping closer, then said, Even though we have never met, it's as if I have always known you.

Prince Bereathian quickly knelt while saying, I am unworthy to look upon the Keeper.

No, this is not true, not true at all, said the Keeper, I feel that it is I that should be paying respect to you and your people. It is the elves that have seen to the caretaking of the Land. And you Wizard Alistarr; you have carried the burden upon your shoulders for too long. Hopefully, Marcus, once he is trained, will be able to share in that task.

King Esiason then said, I know you, one night in a dream, you came to me and warned me about the Darkling.

Yes, the Land was in dire straits, replied the Keeper.

Alistarr, stroking his gray beard while thinking, said, The Land is in some kind of trouble as we speak, am I right?

Yes, my dear friend, I regret to say that it is, said the Keeper.

I had a feeling that it was, said Alistarr, A quake of that magnitude had to cause damage.

The quake and the damage that it did are only part of the reason why I am here, said the Keeper.

Sharrard, feeling confused and also irritated, demanded, Can someone tell me who the devil is this man, and how did he manage to get in here?

The general put his sword away and said, I would also like to know why the guards didn't hear my orders.

Sharrard, being skeptical, said, It is well obvious that he is some sort of spell caster. Tell me, old man; you didn't harm them, did you?

Alistarr, aggravated towards Sharrard's arrogant behavior, said, Shut up, Sharrard! You don't have any idea who you are addressing.

Now see here! exclaimed Sharrard.

Alistarr is right, said the king, Now is not the time for this.

I will answer all your questions accordingly, said the Keeper, But for now, there is a matter of utmost importance.

The Keeper turning his attention to King Esiason, said, Right now as I speak, the Land is being invaded.

WHAT! shouted Sharrard.

BY WHO! The general snapped as he went on to say, THIS IS PREPOSTEROUS. MY PATROLS WOULD HAVE INFORMED ME IF MISCHIEF WAS OCCURRING!

GENTLEMEN, PLEASE, CALM YOURSELVES. LET HIM SPEAK, urged the king.

The Keeper, looking at Alistarr, said, Are you familiar with the term parallel time?

Nodding his head, the wizard replied, Yes, it is the theory that all things have an exact opposite.

Marcus then excitedly said, Hey, I remember studying about that. The Wizard Lord Azdor believed that all things lie in perfect balance to exist. He wrote that all things had an opposite or a close parallel to it. The opposite of life is death; the opposite of day is night.

Yes, said the Keeper, The opposite of good is evil, and so on. I'm sorry to say that it is no longer a theory; it is indeed a fact.

Sharrard, being impatient, asked, What does all of this have to do with the Land being invaded?

He is getting to that, said Alistarr, as he went on to say, This parallel time, is this the reason why you are here?

It is only part of it, said the Keeper as he seated himself and said, In the beginning, when the Land was still in its infancy, there wasn't any need for an overseer such as me. To be honest, I don't know what purpose we had unless it was to observe the Land.

Alistarr, stroking his beard as he thought, said, You said we. You mean that there were others such as you?

Just one more, said the Keeper, He was my brother, Matthias. I became close to the Land throughout those early years while my brother tried to distance himself from it. He grew to hate it in time, and since I held the Land in high esteem, he decided to depart from me and make his home where it is now, Ravenwood Forest. As time went on, I started to miss my brother, and I wanted to visit him, but it was a terrible mistake.

With a burdened look, he explained, My presence only angered him more. While I was searching the forest for him, he hid from me. When I was walking by the place where he was hiding, he arose to kill me. However, the Land's magic protected me by reaching out and taking my brother’s life. Before he died, he made a vow that he would one day get his revenge. After I had placed his body in a forest cave, I returned to my home, saddened over the loss. As time went by, I grew to accept it, and I continued my studies of the Land and its needs. Little did I know that the wounds that Matthias received weren’t fatal. He was able to mask his death in such a way that it completely fooled me. Finally, with me out of the way, thinking he was dead; he was able to do as he pleased without any interruptions.

Everyone was enraptured as the Keeper continued to say, As I saw to the Land’s needs, Matthias was busy. He discovered a portal or a type of doorway that leads to another world. This other world I speak of is much like ours in many ways. But then again, and exact opposite. My brother rules that Land. This Parallel Land, or world, is evil; the dark magic controls it just as the white magic controls this Land. This world suits my brother’s needs. It is as wicked as Matthias is. The quake we all felt earlier wasn't a natural quake like the ones we have had in the past. This quake was brought on when Matthias opened the door or portal from his Land into ours. It created a ripple effect, sort of when one would throw a stone into a pond, and the results would be the ripples of water going outward. In this case, the stone was the portal, and the Land is the pond. It's from this portal that the beings from Matthias's Parallel Land are entering.

King Esiason listened carefully to what the Keeper said, then asked, Why is your brother doing this?

I can answer that, said General Cannonicus, This Matthias has a desire to expand his borders. That's the usual reason for an invasion and setting off a war.

You are correct, said the Keeper while nodding his head, and said, That, and to also get his revenge against the Land and me. Soon after the quake, Matthias came to me to reveal himself. So confident in his plans, he revealed them to me, and they are to expand his Land into ours.

Where is this portal now? asked King Esiason.

It is where Matthias first discovered it, answered the Keeper, Deep inside the forest of Ravenwood.

Ravenwood, repeated the elve Bereathian, That is the home of the willowmites. My cousins won't take this intrusion lightly.

I couldn't agree more, said Prince Ericson, King Rivervale has probably already taken up arms.

Nathaniel then replied, That ought to slow them down, maybe even put an end to it.

The Keeper, turning his back to those in the room, could be seen lowering his head. When he turned around to face those in the room, all eyes were fixed upon him.

Bereathian, seeing how troubled the Keeper appeared, asked, What is troubling you, why are you hurting?

Showing emotion in his voice, the Keeper said, It is the willowmites. When the portal opened that set off the quake, it created such a terrible force that it destroyed all but just a very few of the willowmites.

By all the gods, gasped Molitor, There were thousands!

Bereathian, utterly stunned, seated himself. Alistarr, placing a consoling hand upon the elve’s shoulder, said, Why wasn't I or Marcus able to feel this terrible tragedy?

I concealed it from you both, said the Keeper, The Land was grieving terribly over the loss of one of its children; I was afraid that it may cause too much harm to both of you. Since Marcus is more in tune with the Land, it could have devastated him. I need you both to be of a sound mind.

King Esiason seated himself then said, Once again, I am faced with an enemy that is completely unnatural to me. I don't even know where to begin to deal with this.

The Keeper then said, There is only one alternative.

Alistarr, already figuring on what the Keeper was going to say, replied, Isn't there any other way that we can go about doing this?

Please, I would like to hear what he has to say, said Sharrard.

The Keeper, turning to look at King Esiason, said, You must journey into this Parallel Land, seek out my brother and put an end to this.

Sharrard, with a surprised look, said, If we send our Army into this other Land, Covington will be left defenseless! Not only that, but we also haven’t fully recovered from the last war.

The Keeper then said, Covington holds no interest to those of the Parallel Land.

General Cannonicus, withdrawing his pipe from his mouth, said, Oh, well, then what is the purpose of this invasion?

Just then, Alistarr, understanding the reasoning behind it, said aloud, NO! THEY WOULDN'T DARE.

Yes, Alistarr, that is what they are going to attempt to do. To conquer the Land, they need to go to the heart to do so, and that's where the white magic is at its strongest.

NO! shouted Bereathian.

Yes, I am afraid so, said the Keeper, Aspenvale will soon be under attack.

With that said, the Keeper slowly started to fade away; before he disappeared altogether, he said, Beware of Matthias, his heart is full of evil.

Suddenly, Bereathian, jumping to his feet, asked desperately, Wait, does my father know that they are coming?

It was too late; the old man known as the Keeper was gone.

CHAPTER 2 LARKIN’S GUEST

The Sun rose above the mountain peaks of Mt. Karone. Its golden rays showered down upon the sleepy little town of Larkin.

In fields and pastures that surrounded the town, farmers, along with sheepherders, could be seen attending to their day’s work as the doors to Walker's Tavern opened for the day’s business.

Garnett Walker, hearing his wife's voice calling out from the kitchen saying, Garnett, before you leave, don't forget your crutch, remember what happened yesterday!

Yes, yes, I know Sultana, said Garnett as he reached for his crude-looking crutch and then saying, How can I forget it? Stumbling over Steedmen’s dog is something I'll never forget. Why does that hound sleep at our front door? Steedmen is its master, not me.

While opening up a window shutter, Sultana smiled and said, Apparently, the dog likes you more than Steedmen. After all, you're the one that's been feeding it lately.

Garnett, nodding his head, then said, Now let’s not be too harsh on Steedmen, that quake last week did more damage to his livery stable than it did to any other part of town. He has been so busy getting it fixed that he hasn't had much time to do anything else.

As Garnett walked out of the tavern, he was greeted by one of the local farmer's wives. Afterward, she called out as she entered the tavern, asking, Sultana, are you in the kitchen?

I am over here, Mrs. Ferguson, said Sultana, as she was opening up the last window shutter and commenting, You're out early this morning. What brings you to town?

While I was gathering eggs, I thought of you, said Mrs. Ferguson. Taking a moment to look around the tavern to see who else was there, she went on to say, Since the chickens are laying so well, I thought that maybe I could sell a few. Would you need any?

Sultana, looking at the straw basket heaped up with eggs, said, Come to think of it, I do. We have had some hungry customers lately. Please set the basket on the table, and I'll be back in just a minute with your egg money.

Sultana, walking into the kitchen, drew out some silver coins from a box, then glanced over at a table to see two more baskets of eggs along with a crock of butter brought by Mrs. Ferguson earlier in the week. It was well known through tavern gossip that the Ferguson's had come upon hard times. Sultana shook her head as she thought how Mrs. Ferguson could probably sell her eggs and butter to others if she wasn't such a busybody prying into everyone's affairs. However, Sultana, being kind-hearted, felt sorry for her and bought the eggs even though she didn't need them.

Sultana delivered the money in exchange for the eggs. After Mrs. Ferguson had put the coins in her apron pocket, she said, I'll need the baskets after they are empty. Will you need any butter or maybe some milk? The cows are doing so well these days.

I have plenty of both for now, replied Sultana.

Looking disappointed, Mrs. Ferguson said, Very well, but please let me know whenever you do. Oh, by the way, how is Garnett's ankle? Poor dear, it must be bothering him so. How did he come by breaking it?

Sultana knew that Mrs. Ferguson was fishing around for the latest gossip to spread. She also knew that she would never attend to her work unless she answered the question. Therefore, with her best smile, she said, Mrs. Ferguson, as I mentioned the other day, Garnett was up on the roof, fixing a stuck shutter when the quake occurred. That is when he fell off and sprained his ankle. Garnett did not break his leg.

Oh my, how terrible, you know it is a wonder that he didn't break his neck, said Mrs. Ferguson.

Yes, it is, replied Sultana as she turned to walk away.

As the nosy woman closely followed, she could be heard saying, You know I am not one to gossip, but Mrs. Texter told her friend, Fannie Mae, that Mr. Smithers also fell. However, he was working in his barn at the time, but he didn't break his leg, only twisted it. The sad part about that is his wife, you know, that young woman who is years younger than he is that looks like she never worked a day in her life. Well, she now has to work in the fields while her husband gets better. However, I believe he broke it. Lizzie Johnson also believes he broke it. Lizzie Johnson knows all about broken arms and legs. She told me if you put a dab of chicken fat wherever the break is, it will mend in half the time. You also know what Lizzie Johnson says?

Sultana, hearing enough, turned and said, Mrs. Ferguson, if you don't mind, I am busy right now. In a day or two, when you bring by some more eggs, we will talk then.

Well, okay, I guess I do have to go. Tell your husband to rub a little chicken fat on that ankle, said Mrs. Ferguson as she turned and walked out the door, bumping into Garnett and nearly knocking him over.

Garnett quickly bent over and grabbed his injured ankle as Mrs. Ferguson said, Poor, poor, dear! It must pain you so. It must make you feel as if it is throb, throb, throbbing with terrible pain. You know what I mean by saying that; sometimes it feels like your heartbeat is where the pain is.

Garnett, gritting his teeth while swearing under his breath, said, Mrs. Ferguson, right now, the only thing that is throbbing is your-

GARNETT! shouted Sultana from just inside the tavern, I need your help right away, please.

Garnett, regaining his composure, smiled and said, Have a good day, Mrs. Ferguson, and please tell your husband hello for me.

Mrs. Ferguson, not knowing what to say, gave a halfhearted smile and walked away.

As Garnett entered the tavern, he said,