Chronicles of the Vanquished: The Crystal of Light

By Joseph Charles Sisk

One fairy.

One prophecy.

Everything to gain.

Jddah, who is a fairy of the Crystal-Glass Realm, has a prophecy. In order to regain peace in the realmand the surrounding realm (the Blue-Water Realm), she had to find a crystal. Little did she know that she was about to encounter Eris, Prince of the Blue-Water Realm. According to the prophecy, she must marry the neighboring prince (Eris) before their twenty-third birthdays. During a talk with her father, Thaddeus Noland, Jddah is persistent and wants nothing to do with Eris. Nothing seems to change her fathers mind. Jddah then goes on an incredible journey to uncover the Crystal of Lighta crystal that kills witchesin hopes of destroying Theramina, who is an evil witch. Will she get the crystal before it is too late, or face the consequences that would result if she didnt get the crystal?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Mar 12, 2010
• ISBN: 9781465316578

Joseph Charles Sisk

Joseph Charles Sisk began writing at the age of eight, and he is still writing today. His biggest fan base is his family. Chronicles of the Vanquished: The Tablet of Dreams, the second novel in the trilogy, was in the 2011’s Miami International Book Fair. It was also featured in the New & Noble section of the Wilmington Star News newspaper. At present, he is obtaining an Associates’ Degree in the Arts at Cape Fear Community College in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Book preview

Prologue

Fairies are mythical creatures, my being one of them. Nearly all of the fairytales today begin with the phrase: Once upon a time, but if you are looking for the standard storyline filled with heroic princes and princesses in distress, think again. In spite of this, if you are looking for epic heroes—heroes being fairies in this case—dragons breathing crimson fire, dwarves arguing for no important reason, and trolls salivating over possums that they killed, you have come to the right book.

Most stories have an antagonist, namely the villain, whose one objective throughout the narrative is to exterminate the protagonist. The protagonist in almost every book or film wins. They get all the glory, all the recognition. You are probably wondering what this has to do with me, right? Well, to make a long story short, it had something to do with my prophecy.

The antagonist, in this case, was a witch. In most creatures’ eyes her features would be considered too sharp. Many of the creatures groveled at the sight of her. They would beg to be a part of her court.

Whizland was a fairy of small physique, and he happened to be Eris’s Protector. He also had it instilled in his mind to be right all of the time, even though sometimes he was not.

Eris had slept in during the morning, so not getting up when Whizland advised him to was normal. He had spent most of yesterday afternoon saving the realm’s dwarf from drowning in the river. Witnessing the near-drowning must have frustrated Eris. Attempting to take hold of a screaming dwarf whose only way of survival was Eris made me doubt whether the dwarf appreciated being rescued. As the official dwarf of the Crystal-Glass Realm, he felt that he should have been able to rescue himself. He failed to realize that the river was stronger than his strength could handle. I was later informed of this rescue of the dwarf by Eris, who was proud to tell his heroic deed. Moreover, Eris failed to realize that this dwarf would make a bad enemy.

The dwarf had told Eris later that the reason why he had almost drowned was that he was trying to get the Crystal of Light. Apparently, it had fallen out of his hands and landed in the quay. He had also informed Eris that he was going to present it to his wife for their Hundredth Wedding Anniversary. He was humiliated by his failure to acquire the precious crystal.

There was another instance where Eris played the hero. Eris, being strong and bulky, decided that he would combat dragons. Why would he do this? For all I know, he just wanted to find dragons and defeat them.

Dragons were the foulest creatures in both realms—Crystal-Glass and Blue-Water. Their scales were often iridescent, rough in texture, and crusty.

Eris had told me the reasoning behind his crazy scheme, but I knew in my heart he would be killed. Battling dragons was nothing to take lightly, especially for fairies.

The mountain that most of the dragons lived on was Mount Trickledown. It was the place where the King of the Dragons dwelled. The King was literally a dragon whose rough scales could cut through every creature that happened to be in its path. So, what does this have to do with Eris? He departed to Mount Trickledown to save the dwarf yet again.

Dwarves are known for getting in predicaments such as drowning in rivers, getting stuck in caves, and losing their way in dark, dreary woods. This dwarf was no different than any other in that he got lost in the darkest woods of the realm.

I’m sure the day started out perfectly fine for the dwarf. Maybe he thought he would not get stuck in all of these predicaments—but he did. I am sure in his mind he might have thought differently, but I am positive he did not think about the consequences. The problem with most dwarves in my realm is that they do not think about whom they are affecting. Sometimes it is the creature who attempts to save them, and sometimes it might be an innocent centaur that happens to wander by. It all just depends on whoever happens to be there at the time.

In the midst of Mount Trickledown was the King of the Dragons, ready and waiting, its razor sharp claws gleaming in the light of the sun. They say that the King of the Dragons was holding the dwarf for almost an hour, which meant one thing: the dwarf was dead. Being in the presence of the King of the Dragons would have scared Eris under any other circumstances, but he seemed to be brave.

Chapter 1

Eris’s shimmering wings glistened in the sun. Anticipation was building up as he crossed the threshold of the cavern expecting to hear a growl, or some indication that the King of the Dragons was nearby. Unfortunately, to his dismay, there was only silence. From his surroundings, he could see that there were icicles dangling from the ceiling of the cavern. This made him concerned that he would not survive this horrific trip into the unknown.

Dwarf, he whispered, crossing the threshold of the cavern, are you there?

Silence was all he heard. This meant one thing: the King of the Dragons could be anywhere.

Puff, puff.

Eris glanced up. To his horror and astonishment, the King of the Dragons was staring into his face. The King’s nostrils were flaring excitedly, formulating smoke. Unexpectedly, the King of the Dragons wailed a long sigh, making Eris quiver.

Was he going to die? That was a possibility. Eris moved slightly forward, eyeing the dragon as he went. There was a sudden crack. Glancing up, Eris saw that one of the icicles was about to break free.

The icicle broke, striking the dragon’s head. The dragon swayed for only a few seconds; then, to Eris’s surprise, landed with a thunderous crash on the marble floor.

Glimpsing at the dragon, he kicked it, just to make sure it was unconscious. Looking at the gigantic beast lying on the floor, Eris did not move. Yet his heart was pounding violently in his chest. He felt as though it was going to burst.

Tears erupted from his eyes. Was he afraid of the King of the Dragons? Possibly. It could have been he was afraid of death. Of course, he would die heroically, for we all know heroes that die for their beliefs are the kind of heroes we need.

Eris turned to go, but amazingly, he could not. There was something that was holding him back—something that was gnawing at him—something he needed to do. But what was it? The dwarf. He needed to locate the dwarf and get out of the cavern undetected. The only question was how. He was not, in my view, the greatest fairy who met all of the qualifications of a hero, not to mention his annoying obsession of himself. Normally you hear about a hero who is selfless, brave, and charismatic. Yes, he was brave—charismatic even—but he wasn’t selfless.

Eventually Eris found the dwarf. He was lying on the ground whimpering as if he were an infant—an infant who desperately needed its mother. I never in my life have seen—or cared to have seen—the heroic rescuing that Eris attempted that fateful day. Was it the same Eris I knew and hated? No. He was a different fairy—a fairy that you rarely see in that kind of situation. That image of the epic rescuing of the dwarf will be forever instilled in my mind.

The day that Ignatius, the skunk, turned a corner upon the long, horrendous path, was also the day that changed his life. As he walked along, the clouds were covering the sky, making him feel uncomfortable. He covered his burgundy coat, hoping the rain would hold off just long enough for him to head home.

Fate, as we sometimes realize, is something more than just turning a corner and finding a rock. It’s recognizing one’s destiny that makes the difference. Ignatius knelt down, looking at the shiny rock, thinking it was just a pebble. As he was examining it—feeling it in his fingers—its smoothness, its texture, he finally decided that this rock needed to be examined further. He settled quickly on taking it to the one man who could possibly know what this rock was—The Rock and Pebble Master. He chose to live alone. I often remember vividly being told by my father of how good the man was at explaining mysterious objects. He was the best in the realm.

Knocking on the brass doorknocker, Ignatius waited a few seconds. A moment later, a man with a bushy beard opened the door, his face half-grinning.

"What are you doing here, Ignatius?" he questioned, opening the brass door wider so he could get a better look at his furry friend.

Sorry to come unexpectedly, said Ignatius, but I found something in the woods that I think you should examine.

Examine! shouted the man, outraged. I haven’t examined anything in years. You think I could, with the kind of condition I am in? No! I want you gone!

The man attempted to throw the skunk out, but Ignatius would not stop babbling on about the rock he found in the forest.

I think this rock has magic, Ignatius was saying. Maybe one day, some fairy could use it.

Oh, you and your stories! I do not want to hear your bizarre story. Sorry, Ignatius, dismissed the man, go home.

Knowing Ignatius as well as I thought that I did, he would not accept no for an answer. I remembered he was very stubborn.

Please, sir, pleaded Ignatius. He got on his furry hands and knees. He was clasping his hands as he spoke the next sentence. "This is an opportunity that you can’t pass up . . ."

The man was suddenly struck with empathy. Then he decided to hear Ignatius’s account.

Okay, said the man, sitting down on his wooden kitchen stool, tell me your account. Start from the beginning.

Ignatius cleared his throat.

Well, he began, I was walking away from my usual lunch with Gwendolyn, the Badger, when I came across a rock in the forest. This rock was nothing like any rock I had seen before. It had strange markings on it. It was clear and distinctive, almost transparent to a creature’s eyes.

And where, exactly, did you find this rock? questioned the man, beginning to be fascinated by Ignatius’s account.

Along the path, replied Ignatius. Anyhow, as I bent down to examine the rock more closely, I became aware that this was no ordinary rock. This rock was something I believe will help a fairy defeat—

Before you get a huge head about this rock, let me observe it more closely, interrupted the man.

You will? requested Ignatius, his face lighting up, as if he were a light bulb turning on.

I guess so, sighed the man. If it gets you gone faster, why not?

Ignatius carefully lifted the rock out of his small bag and handed it to the man. It took a few seconds for the man to answer him.

Ignatius, you’re right. This is no ordinary rock. In fact, this is not a rock.

What? That was all Ignatius could get out. What do you mean?

I mean: the supposed rock" you found is actually a crystal—a Crystal of Light."

A what?

"A Crystal of Light," the man explained. See, according to my research of unique rocks, I’d say this crystal does some astonishing things. Kill is one of its remarkable features.

Kill? queried Ignatius; mesmerized by all the information he was given. Kill who? Witches?

Possibly.

So what you are saying here is that I stumbled upon something that could change the course of history? exclaimed Ignatius, excited about