The Legend of the Mystical Inkwell

By AJ DeLaura

In The Legend of the Mystical Inkwell, AJ DeLaura explores a new avenue for his writings. His heroine, Paulina De Milliante, a young teenage girl, inherits a magical inkwell and a weather-worn leather journal from her great-grandmother. The inkwell has been in her Sicilian family for five centuries and has been passed down to a fourth-generation female. “You may write about your future. Be wary, for what is written cannot be undone.” With her new powers come major responsibilities.

Paulina and her kitten, Willi Whiskers, enter the strange land of Goloriacum and cannot return home until the biddings of the country’s First Minister are completed. Her story is one of coming of age, of discovering her personal power. New friends and fantastical resources help her overcome obstacles as she seeks to discover her true self.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Nov 28, 2022
• ISBN: 9781669854906

AJ DeLaura

A. J. DeLaura grew up in Southeastern Connecticut where he currently resides with his wife. Most of his working career was involved in developing and delivering management training programs to supervisory personnel throughout the Southeastern Connecticut area. In the early 2000’s he founded his own training consulting firm, with clients from Southern New England to the Mid-Atlantic region. Recognized as an entertaining storyteller, he decided to put his skills to paper and has created numerous adult and children stories. This is his first novel.

Book preview

Copyright © 2022 by AJ DELAURA.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 11/28/2022

Xlibris

844-714-8691

www.Xlibris.com

842760

Contents

Foreword

Chapter One   An Ending/A Beginning

Chapter Two   The Journal

Chapter Three   It Begins

Chapter Four   Professor Gurnico Horsesnorts

Chapter Five   The Ministers

Chapter Six   Where is Paulina?

Chapter Seven   Fourteenth Generation

Chapter Eight   The Villagers of Goloriacum

Chapter Nine   The Prime Minister

Chapter Ten   For Protectors Only

Chapter Eleven   We The People

Chapter Twelve   Uncontrolled Emotions

Chapter Thirteen   Recovering the Journal

Chapter Fourteen   Faux Journal

Chapter Fifteen   Distressing News

Chapter Sixteen   Eureka

Chapter Seventeen   The Bloodline

Chapter Eighteen:   Part II Return of the Ministers

Chapter Nineteen   Frida goes to the capital

Chapter Twenty   Changes

Chapter Twenty-One   Three Generations Past

Chapter Twenty-Two   Good News, Bad News

Chapter Twenty-Three   Loria

Chapter Twenty-Four   Time to return home

Chapter Twenty-Five   The Portal Home

Chapter Twenty-Six   Moonfish

Chapter Twenty-Seven   Kol Kari Island

Chapter Twenty-Eight   Battle Planning

Chapter Twenty-Nine   Protectors Past

Chapter Thirty   Northern Shore

Chapter Thirty-One   The Council’s Decision

Chapter Thirty-Two   Unintentional Consequences

Chapter Thirty-Three   Manifesting the Past

Chapter Thirty-Four   The Kon Kari Stone

Chapter Thirty-Five   Six Fingers

Chapter Thirty-Six   The Plan

Foreword

The Mystical Inkwell is a detour from the Tom Waller Tailfeather series, but one I thoroughly enjoyed writing. The hero is a unique young lady who faces extraordinary challenges as she comes of age.

I hope you enjoy the story and the characters I have created. You can contact me at [e-mail] or [e-mail]. I would love to hear from you.

A special thanks to my readers for their acceptance and encouragement of my work. Telling stories has always been a passion of mine, from entertaining my young twin sons to making educational points real for my adult students in management classes. My mind creates worlds filled with miscellaneous characters caught in challenging predicaments not of their making. They face obstacles and expand their skills and abilities. Generating both the circumstances and their obstacles puts me in the unique position of giving life to their worlds, their abilities, failures, and their successes.

I do my best to make each character unique and interesting. You may be fond of some and may abhor others. Hopefully, you remember them and possibly learn from them.

A special thanks to Nancy Shull, my dental hygienist, for giving me the idea of an antique magical inkwell. From that conversation to six months later, The Legend of the Mystical Inkwell was born.

Chapter One

An Ending/A Beginning

It was dawn. Everyone was usually fast asleep, including Willi Whiskers, Paulina’s feline companion. You could find him coiled up in the crux of his best friend’s armpit with his head lying on her shoulder. Willi was an intelligent kitten who loved to play fetch with Paulina’s hair ties. It was he who created the game, insistent upon her participation. Most mornings he woke early and sat on the bed, peering at his best friend’s slumbering face. This morning was unusual. Paulina was up and dressed early today. She had been weeping, and Willie did not like his friend to be sad.

He ran down the long spiral staircase to the main living room, wandering among guests gathered there. Paulina’s crying stopped, but he could tell the grief lingered.

Willi thought. She may need me.

The young gray kitten sauntered across the drawing room through unrecognizable human bodies. The aroma of prepared foods stimulated his olfactory senses, piquing his interest, notably, the smoked fish. Then, there it was, the unmistakable scent of his best friend. He trotted up to Paulina, brushing against her legs, making his presence known.

Paulina kneeled and stroked Willi’s back from head to tail. Today, she needed him more than he realized. She scooped him up into her arms and held him tight. From across the room, her mother’s outward demeanor signaled displeasure, implying he must go to his place. He couldn’t have the running of the house. Paulina’s great-grandmother had passed, and grieving family and friends filled the house, showing their respect for this noble woman.

Paulina’s great-grandmother, in her one hundred and four years, accomplished much. She was a successful businessperson, author, poet, and a recognized artist. Her business acumen and dynamism brought her to the attention of the Nation’s Whitehouse. At one hundred years of age, they awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her lifetime of contributions to the country. Paulina was younger then but remembered how proud she was of her Nina.

In her last days, she called for her family to travel to see her. This included her three sons, Paulina’s grandmother, and her mother. In every fourth generation of the De Milliante family, there was a female child. Paulina was a fourth-generation female of Nina’s lineage.

Paulina promised her mother to speak today at the memorial. Mere words could not convey the true feelings of affection for her Nina. She would speak of a special moment they shared.

I share a special bond with Nina. She treasured us all, speaking often of the joy we brought to her life. I can only tell you of my experience with her and the profound influence she had upon me.

She always had time for me. On the frequent visits, Nina prepared a kettle of tea for us. I watched as she boiled a teapot of fresh spring water, selecting two hefty pinches of exotic tea leaves. At the right moment, she placed them into the pot, letting them steep until she judged they were ready.

Steeping the tea leaves releases tannic acid, neutralizing the caffeine. The more you let them steep, the less caffeine. You understand? Her cousins chuckled to themselves in agreement.

As we waited, she had me fetch two of her special teacups from the ancient Chinese Longevity Cabinet. Nina would pour the tea through a ceramic strainer, leaving just enough space at the top for clotted cream and a hint of local honey from an experienced apiarist.

"On one of my visits, I asked her. Why are they called apiarist?"

The term, based on the Latin word apis, meaning bee, was first used in year 1654 for the beekeeper, who focuses on just one species of bee.

Nina’s vast knowledge amazed me. After preparing our tea, we would retire to the sunroom to sip our drinks, eat homemade cakes, and talk about varied themes. I always learned something new. I will miss our tea-time. One week ago, we met for tea for the last time. She knew her life was ending. She wanted to meet with us. It meant so much to her.

"Over her long life, Nina gathered wisdom. I asked her what the secret of her success in life was. Without hesitation, she said. Everyone is born with their own special talent, regardless of their station in life. The secret is to accept yourself. And find your own voice. A voice you discover, not one chosen for you! This is difficult. There will always be resistance from others, nonbelievers, and many societal obstacles. It further requires demanding trial, and error, and perseverance. And a willingness to learn new things. Nina was a caring and accepting person. She loved everyone. I miss her already."

Paulina sat down, wiping away her tears as several others shared their remembrances. When the last person finished speaking, her mother invited everyone to partake of the refreshments. Paulina went to the table, took a sampling of smoked fish and several crackers, and retired to her bedroom.

Willi Whiskers, his tail bobbing back and forth, was waiting at the door as she entered her bedroom. He sniffed the air, taking in the sweet aroma of the smoked fish Paulina carried on the plate.

Hello Willi, I brought a treat, just for you. Your favorite.

His purring filled the bedroom with his longing for Paulina and the smoked fish. He rubbed up against her legs, looking up at the plate. Willi jumped up onto the dresser, waiting for his treat to be set down for his delight. Paulina watched him eat with a regal delicacy, small bites chewed with care and eyes squinted shut. His enjoyment was on display.

I knew you would love it. Wish it could be more, but we have to share with our guests.

Willi’s eyes snapped open, and his tail stood still. He glared at the door and bawled a disconcerting meow.

Don’t be selfish now. I gave you a sizable portion.

Meow was his response as he went on with his seafood feast.

As Willi reveled in delight, Paulina sat on her bed, thinking of her last visit with her great-grandmother. It was, by far, the most memorable visit she experienced with her.

After their tea, Nina asked her to remove a cardboard box from the bedroom wardrobe. She did and waited with restless expectation. Nina told her to remove the contents. To her surprise, what Paulina found lying in the package was a delicately carved wooden box. She placed it on the bed.

Your life may change forever with what I am about to show you. For the best, I hope. Before I reveal the purpose of this wooden box, I must share some information you need to know.

Paulina sat spellbound, with furrowed eyebrows. What was coming next? She wondered if anyone else received the forthcoming information.

Nina began. All women of our people assume the surname of De Milliante. This has been a tradition since the sixteenth century.

The conversation filled Paulina with bewilderment as she questioned how this related to the wooden box.

"Our Clan began generations ago on the Island of Sicily. We believe our people were from the original inhabitants even before the Greeks settled there in ancient times. The Sicels, from the root of the island’s name, may be the peoples from which we began. A cultural blend of Greeks, Romans, Normans, Moors, and the Turks is the legacy of the island. But in the 1500s, it was the Spanish Inquisition which provoked our family’s forebears to recreate ancient practices for protection from eradication."

It’s not clear why you are telling me of this history now.

It will be clear soon. We are alive today because of our ancestors’ revived practices. The wooden box will make more sense to you. Let us explore it.

She examined the box, walking around the bed to view it, kneeling, and staring at the sides and four supporting wooden feet. A detailed carved wooden case, twenty-four inches wide, by twelve inches deep and twelve inches high?

Continue.

The entire case has carvings on the top, sides, front and back, including both handles. And the case sits on the heads of four Chinese dragons. The hinges and the front clasps have a decorative motif.

Very good, my dear. What are the carvings?

Paulina walked around the case again, exploring the individual scenes. There are scenes of a slave market and a Chinese food market. I think.

Go on.

Hmm, the scenes are Asian and European. Oh, and a map of Sicily, I guess?

Nina was very pleased. Excellent. The case is camphor wood for longevity. Made in the 1500s. It portrays a tale of prosperity and slavery, buried mysteries and cryptic powers to protect our heritage. Open it.

A sense of provocative excitement filled her with curiosity and uneasiness. Her stomach filled with butterflies. It was unclear why her Nina was revealing the wooden box, but she sensed its importance. Why show me this now?

She released the two front latches with extreme care, and, with measured restraint, opened the top. The ancient metal hinges whined, hesitant to reveal its secrets. In her imagination, an intense golden beam of light was about to escape towards the ceiling, like the curse of Raiders of the Lost Ark. But no light appeared, only a heavy aroma of camphor from the box’s internal walls.

Nina asked. Tell me, what do you see?

Carvings on the inside and… She inspected what appeared to be a feather.

And, what?

A quill pen, I guess?

What else?

A small cobalt glass inkwell. So beautiful. The corners of her lips curled up into a smile.

The corners of Nina’s lips turned up into a smile too, and her seasoned eyes closed with contentment. Very good, my dear. Very good. It’s like the sky and the sea. It is associated with open spaces and freedom. And represents inspiration and sensitivity. Blue also represents meanings of depth, trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence and intelligence. All the attributes that Protectors possess.

Protectors?

Later, my dear. What else to you see?

Sensing her great-grandmother’s satisfaction filled her with increasing pride.

Something appears to be wrapped in an ancient cloth.

"The material is Islamic. A khilca."

Oh. It is covering something.

Open it!

With great care, Paulina unwrapped the item, being extra cautious with the delicate material covering it. A leather-bound journal revealed itself as she removed the cloth.

Open it. And tell me what you see.

A journal. She looked up at Nina with eyes opened full in amazement.

Look inside!

Paulina opened the book with restrained precaution. With a wide-eyed gaze, she stared at several of the pages.

What do you see? Nina kept a determined command over her emotions, struggling to maintain a calm countenance.

Well, there are several pages with very fancy writing.

Nina’s facial tone lightened as she interrupted with uncontrolled excitement. You can see the writings? Her eyebrows rising, her eyes sparkling.

Yes. The journal is maybe one half to three quarters full. The rest is blank. Why do you ask me that?

The journal pages are blank to everyone except for specific family members. You, being one of them.

I am confused Nina. Please help me understand.

During the 1500s, the Inquisition accused many members of our community of being heretics because of the Moors’ resident on the island. They further accused them of practicing demonic spells because we protected our Islamic neighbors. The Inquisition arrested, tried, and executed them, confiscating their lands and wealth.

Paulina recoiled in disapproval. I never knew this. That is horrible.

In the fall, Antonina Phillippe De Milliante, the wife of a wealthy and noble Sicilian lord, was determined to fight back. She protested to the district Overlord, to no avail. Her assertiveness and accusations outraged him. To punish and silence her, he accused her family of being demon worshipers. He arrested, tried, and executed many of our ancestors. Their land and wealth taken, and surviving family members sold into slavery.

My God. Was there nothing anyone could do?

Antonina took matters into her own hands. Against the family’s ancient oath and despite the personal risks, she set out to resurrect ancient rituals long buried in the De Milliante family tomb. She broke into the tomb searching for the wooden chest.

Paulina pointed to the case on the bed. This inkwell? Her skin turning white, her eyebrows raised in disbelief.

The same. At first, she could not find it. Our ancestors secured it to avoid any future tomb robber from discovering it and abusing its powers. She had the family’s history. The robbers did not. She found its hiding place.

The inkwell has power?

It is harmless. However, with the correct formula for the ink, you can create history.

Is that what she wanted to do? Did it work? Did she save her family members?

No, not at first. The ink formula required specific ingredients known only to our ancestors. It contained rare herbs, earth minerals, special animal oils and salts. It took her sixty-four days to locate and prepare the ingredients. They tried and executed two more of her family members during this time for demonic practices.

She must have been devastated.

Yes. Antonina vowed it would not happen again. She gathered extra ingredients and kept them at the bottom of the box. Our ancestors have done the same over the centuries.

Paulina believed she knew the answer to her question, but felt compelled to ask. Why are you sharing this with me?

"Every fourth-generation female inherits the inkwell. You are a fourth-generation female child. The box