The Golden Scepter - Chapter One

He waited, and listened to the floor below. His parents had not been disturbed from their sleep with the ringing of the bells. He said a silent prayer, a prayer to the Gods that he might live to see them one last time.

Not wanting to keep Elias and Corei waiting he walked back to his window. Concentrating he said another incantation, and feebly, a beam of light writhed down the window, alongside his house, to form a ladder. He threw his bags down first, and then climbed down the ladder. The night was cold, and he was thankful he'd worn trousers, a woolen tunic, and a long cloak. Reaching the ground he waved his hand and the ladder winked out. Linneaus picked up his bags and walked to the center of the plaza to the fountain where he would meet Corei and Elias. He spotted them, as he knew he would, clothed from head to food in robes as dark as the night around him.

" I'm here!" Linneaus watched as Elais and Corei took off their hoods and examined him in the darkness. They shot their eyes to this bags, assured he'd brought what was requested.

Corei smiled. " Fine, then we'll leave."

" But where will we go?" Linneaus whispered. Elais's eyes brightened at the question.

" Well, where do you suppose Xavier will go?"

" There are many places." Elais said in a defeated tone. A cold wind disturbed their cloaks. On it they could smell the incense that burned in the temples.

" I think I have an idea," Linneaus said as he reached a hand into his bag of spells and pulled out a parchment.

" Well, what is it?" Corei said as she watched Linneaus observe the scroll. The sorcerer looked up, somewhat of a smile on his face.

" There is a place, many miles from here, that only sorcerers and people with magic know about. It is a place that is heavily guarded."

" And what is this place?" Elias asked, drawing her cloak against the wind of the night.

" In the ancient tongue, it is known as Brogada el-Shista Keepa,"

" The what?" Corei stammered. Linneaus cleared his throat before he spoke.

" Brodens Keep. It is a place of pure magic, and seldomly do people get in."

" Then that is the place we want to be," Elais said as she stared around them, looking at the torches suspended on long poles that gave light at night to the vast streets of Crest. It was strange that she didn't note any nocturnal gypsies dancing well into the night. Perhaps the thought of destruction by the Holy Scepter had frightened everyone. Linneaus spoke a few words from the parchment, and instantly a spiral of light appeared to his left. Speaking again the light intensified, the spiraling became more concentrated, and they all could feel a wind coming from within it.

" This portal will led us there," Linneaus’s voice sounded strained as he replaced the parchment.

" I've never walked through one of this before," Corei admitted as she stared frightfully into the portal.

" Its perfectly harmless. All we do is step in, and then we are there."

" And how close will we be there?" Elais asked. Linneaus turned his eyes from the portal and looked into hers.

" Well, I am not as experienced as the others. Some can calculate portals to the exact location of their destinations, other have missed them no more than a couple of miles. We, on the other hand, might end up farther than we expect, but Brodens Keep should be in our sight."

" I guess a couple of mile wouldn't hurt us to walk." Elais said as she stepped the glowing entrance of the portal.