The Sorceress of Belmair

“There was a library of what were referred to as forbidden books in a hidden room in the Academy,” Cinnia said slowly. “Cirillo helped us discover it, but we were only inside of it briefly when we were forced to flee the place carrying what volumes we could. The library turned in on itself, and disappeared completely. Since Ahura Mazda has the ability to come and go as he chooses, is it possible there was a book there that aided him to increase his magic?”

“Who has the books you managed to retrieve?” Kaliq asked.

“Prentice, the Academy’s scholar of magic,” Cinnia told Kaliq.

“A hidden room with a guardian that protected it, and caused it to disappear again,” Kaliq said. “Whoever did that was more powerful than a Yafir lord. The room is still there. It is just hidden better now.”

“Cirillo said the room had gone for good,” Dillon remarked.

“Your uncle does not know everything,” Kaliq replied drily.

“The key disappeared when the chamber did,” Dillon said.

“I will not need a key,” Kaliq answered him.

Lara could not help but smile at this. “Let us break our fast, and then you, Dillon and Cinnia may go to the Academy to access the hidden room. After that the rest of us are going to take a nap, for we have been up all night sitting by Cinnia’s side as she traversed the Dream Plain.”

They all adjourned to the little family hall where the servants were busy setting the board and then bringing in the meal. There were eggs, scrambled into a fluffy, mass along with rashers of crisp bacon, fresh fruit and breads served with little tubs of newly churned butter. Sweet, hot tea was brought. It was not particularly popular in Hetar, but in Belmair it was quite favored. Dillon had developed a great taste for a strong red tea to which he added honey.

“I am going home now,” Ilona said when they were finished. “I’ll sleep better in my own bed.” She looked to her son, but he said nothing. The queen of the Forest Faeries shrugged. “If you need me, Dillon, call to me. I will come.”

“Thank you, Grandmother,” he told her and he kissed both of her cheeks.

Ilona returned the gesture, reaching up to give his handsome face a loving pat as she disappeared with a smile in a cloud of mauve mist.

“She really is the most elegant faerie,” Zagiri sighed, “even if I am not her favorite. Mama, do you think I can attain that elegance one day?”

“I am her favorite,” Marzina said smugly with typical ten-year-old candor. “I believe she loves me even more than she loves Dillon.”

“I think it is time for both of you to nap,” Lara said. “And yes, Zagiri, you will most certainly attain your grandmother’s elegance one day. Now come along, girls.” And she led them from the chamber.

“You will not need me as you have the great Shadow Prince,” Cirillo said quietly. “Come, Nidhug. I believe we should nap, as well.” Then hand in paw he and the dragon departed from the chamber.

“An interesting pairing,” Kaliq observed. “I am amazed that his faerie heart is genuinely engaged by her.” He turned to Cinnia.

“Your dragon is quite an amazing female, my dear. I have never known her like before.”

“Let us go and regain the hidden chamber, my lord,” Dillon said.

“Step within my robes,” the Shadow Prince said, and when they did they instantly found themselves in the library of the Academy. As they moved away from him, Kaliq stood very still as if sensing something. Then he said abruptly, “Come!” and led them into the most deserted far section of the archives. Against a wall stood a tall bookcase. Well concealed as you may be, you may not hide away from me, he said in the silent language of the magic folk.

To the amazement of his two companions the little door appeared and sprang open for them. Dillon looked to Kaliq, who nodded. Together the trio entered the hidden chamber. He led them to the room’s center, and then murmured something to Dillon.

“I am Dillon, son of Kaliq of the Shadows, and Lara, a great faerie woman,” the young man began. “I am king of Belmair, and I ask permission of he who guards this chamber to allow us peaceful entry. Reveal yourself to us if you will, great lord.”

The eye in the ceiling above them opened, observed and then suddenly before them a very gnarled and ancient male figure appeared. He was bent, and his hair was the color of pure snow, but his eyes were a startling bright blue. He was garbed all in white.

“Cronan!” Kaliq exclaimed, and he bowed respectfully.

“Kaliq,” a surprisingly strong voice for one so old came from Cronan.

“When you disappeared it was thought you had gone into the Beyond,” Kaliq said.

“This is your son?” Cronan asked, not bothering to offer any explanations to Kaliq though he obviously sought some knowledge.

“Yes, Dillon,” Kaliq replied.

“You always were a romantic fool, Kaliq,” Cronan said, but his tone was gentle. “Now tell me, young Dillon, king of Belmair, what is it you seek here in the forbidden atheneaum that I guard? Greetings, Cinnia, daughter of Fflergant. You are amazed to find one of my kind here in Belmair, I can see.”

He was a Shadow Prince! Cinnia had recognized his kind immediately. “I am, my lord,” she admitted. “But you do our world great honor by your presence.”

Cronan chuckled. “I do,” he admitted affably. Then he turned back to Dillon.

“We need to learn how the Yafir lord, Ahura Mazda, manipulates time for his folk. And we need to know what will happen when the Yafir once more walk the land. Will the population die, or can they survive?” Dillon asked.

“Tell me, why do you seek this wisdom?” Cronan asked.

Dillon explained the situation facing both the Belmairans and the Yafir, telling the ancient Shadow Prince, “I wish to bring our peoples together, to live in harmony once again. It has reached the point where neither of us can survive without the other.”

“This is a great undertaking,” Cronan replied. “And it will not be easy, young king of Belmair. You will have opposition from some, and that opposition will be led by Dreng of Beltran here in Belmair, and by Ahura Mazda himself for the Yafir. Would you start a civil war, young king?”

“Nay! But if we do not unite as one people we stand in danger of losing both of our races,” Dillon said passionately.

“Perhaps that is what is meant to be,” Cronan responded.

“Nay! I was not chosen to come from the world of Hetar to oversee the destruction of Belmair’s world,” Dillon told Cronan firmly. “I was called to unite it.”

“He has your confidence, Kaliq,” Cronan remarked drily. “I well remember your youth, and teaching you. But he is young yet.”

“He is young,” Kaliq agreed, “but I believe he can do this, Cronan.”

The ancient Shadow Prince nodded. “Very well,” he said. “I will help you. The Yafir lord took the knowledge he has from one of the books here. It is called A Compendium of Time Manipulation. When that fool, Napier IX, banished the Yafir, and Ahura Mazda was so desperate to save his people I turned a blind eye to him when he entered this place. I let him roam at will, and that is the information he sought and took.”

“Can time be maneuvered to protect the Yafir when they come up from the sea?” Dillon asked Cronan. “I would not harm them in any way. I am thinking mostly of those mortals, and those with mixed blood who have lived there the longest.”

“It is possible, but it will take a thorough knowledge of time itself, and a very strong magic to make this all happen. You will need that before you can treat with the Yafir,” Cronan said sagely. “Those who would return will want to do so immediately once they learn the option is open to them. You will not want to delay for the best way to thwart Ahura Mazda is to destroy his power base, or at least weaken it severely.”

“And in the days we are learning about time, and fashioning our spell,” Dillon noted, “we can also work toward helping our Belmairans accept what is to happen.”

“That, I suspect, will be the most difficult thing of all,” Cronan said.

“Duke Alban, I believe, will be open to these changes,” Dillon told the ancient.

“Alban descends from the family of the lady Arlais,” Cronan remarked. “She was to wed a duke of Belia, but