The Forgotten Spell (Legends of Green Isle Book 1) Read online

  “I’m a meat eater. I don’t eat vegetables.”

  “Aye, then ya best not be eatin' the soup, mighty meat eater. It don't have anythin’ but vegetables.”

  Lamfada smiled slightly seeing DaGon frown, his scaly forehead pushing down over his eyes as he glared at the bowl in front of him. “I guess this one time won't hurt. Otherwise I may have to eat you.”

  Sitting in silence, the two companions consumed the meal and afterwards burped loudly. Lamfada cleared the bowls and then pulled up a small chair beside DaGon. Lighting his pipe, he stared into the flames of the fire.

  “What is botherin’ me soul is why she wanted the map.”

  “Who?”

  “Queen Onagh.”

  “You mean she was behind the whole thing? She’s the one who ordered Queen Erulisse to imprison me for giving the map to Sonya?”

  “Aye, so there’s the rub, unfortunate for ya to be knowin’ that tidbit. Queen Erulisse has her own spies within the Crystal Palace, just like the Fairy Queen be puttin' ‘em in Elf Court. How do ya think she found out about the human Queen Onagh put into a painting?”

  “Okay, you lost me. What human?”

  Lamfada rocked back in the chair. “Onagh had a male human friend. Many suspected she was goin’ to use the transformin' spell to become human and run away with him, leavin’ ole' King Titus by himself. But somethin’ happened and she suddenly locked the human in a paintin’. Queen Erulisse be thinkin’ it has somethin’ to do with the map and the Wand of Prince Finley, which was bein’ cared for at Crystal Palace.”

  “I know the Wand is powerful. The Elf King used it against the Black Warlock Uthal after the Second War to lock him in a mirror on Black Isle. I didn’t know it was hidden in Fairy Dell though,” DaGon sighed.

  “Not anymore,” the leprechaun laughed slightly. “Erulisse made the Fairy Queen give it up, sayin’ she sensed it was in danger. I hear Onagh be a might upset about it. Said her allegiance to Green Isle be called into question.”

  “Serves her right for what she did to me. But why would Queen Erulisse not say anything when they came and put me in the cage?”

  “And be lettin’ the Fairy Queen know she has spies there? Ya haven’t been around the system very long.” The leprechaun squinted at the dragon. “I wonder what Queen Erulisse be seein’ in the likes of ya, for her to say ya is very important to Green Isle. Be as naïve as a baby, ye is.”

  “I’m too tired to think about it right now. I need sleep. Maybe tomorrow we can go see Queen Erulisse and ask her that very question.”

  “Aye, now isn't that a grand idea.” Lamfada sat quietly for a few Moments as DaGon’s breathing became heavy. Rising, the leprechaun went to a small shelf by his bed and pulled out an oval mirror adorned with wooden carvings of leaves and a raven. Wiping his hand across the surface, the mirror face liquidated and then brightened. A beautiful Elf woman with golden hair stared back at him.

  “Did you accomplish the task?” she asked her voice lyrical and soft.

  “Aye, he be here, just as ya requested.”

  “Good. You will meet the other on the road tomorrow. Bring them both here to my castle at Ellyllon.”

  * * * *

  Walking through a compact tunnel with a leprechaun was no easy task for the dragon. Not only did DaGon have to endure endless tales of great heroics from him, but also his body ached from the hunched position he was forced into by the shallow ceiling height.

  “Are we getting to the end anytime soon?” he demanded suddenly, interrupting yet another bold tale of the tiny man.

  “Just a wee bit further, just around this bend.”

  “Thank goodness. I don’t think I can take anymore tales of your mighty adventures in the Great War on Earth.”

  “Now, Mr. DaGon dragon, don’t tell me ya isn’t excited to hear about the legends of the Fomorians and our Green Isle?”

  “I’ve read enough of them through the archives of the Elf library. Besides, I don’t believe you slew three dozen men by yourself, and then climbed up ApHar Mountains to its very peaks to catch some unknown bird for some fair maiden.”

  “Okay, okay...so climbin’ the peaks may have been far-fetched, but the rest of it’s true.”

  Dagon rolled his eyes at the statement. “I wonder how much?”

  Around the bend was a large arch that opened up into a massive outer chamber. The path sloped downward into a bowl-shaped cavern, its bottom littered with moss-covered boulders. A carved stone resembling a tree trunk held up the ceiling. The walls sparkled with gold flecks, adding brilliance to the green light of Lamfada’s torch.

  DaGon noticed no opening. “How do we get out? I don’t see any passages.” He stretched his tight muscles and cracked his back, spreading his wings with relief.

  “How do ya think? Same way we be gettin’ in.”

  “Chalk-drawn door?”

  “Yep.” Lamfada pulled the white chalk from his pocket. “If ya dig down a little outside in the canyon, ya be findin’ a whole barrel of it. I hid it for safe keepin’.”

  “I’ll be sure to keep that knowledge handy,” DaGon mused sarcastically.

  Lamfada drew a door and tapped on its surface. The line lit with an eerie white color as the rock opened outward into a small canyon. Hidden within old ruins from a long-forgotten age, the two stepped out into the fresh air.

  Lamfada smiled and sucked in a deep breath of air as he tilted his face towards the sun. Putting his torch into the dirt, he doused the magical green flame and leaned on the gnarled wood, examining the broken structures around them.

  “Hmmm...seems a little quiet for it bein' early in the morn. I be wonderin' just how the Flower Fairy Queen is handlin' our disappearance, Mr. DaGon. Do ya think she exploded into tiny little bits by now?”

  “Well, I’m sure she’s not in a pleasant mood. I feel sorry for whatever ogre had to tell her. She may just turn him into something unpleasant.”

  “No, not her highness...it will be a great tongue lashin' or maybe even the very paintin' she put the human in. She be a feisty one, that Queen Onagh,” Lamfada laughed as he gazed into the air, smiling at nothing.

  “Can we get started?” DaGon asked impatiently.

  “In just a wee bit. Seems like I be forgettin' somethin'.” Lamfada fumbled around his pockets.

  In the distance, a shimmer of light caught the dragon's attention. Its gleam floated from above the treetops, getting closer by the second. A small voice called out the leprechaun's name from within the ball of light as it approached.

  Lamfada squinted at the flurry of wings coming at him. “Aye, and there it be.”

  “What?”

  “The thing I almost be forgettin’,” the leprechaun replied, pointing to the light.

  “Lamfada? Lamfada?” a tiny fairy cried with urgency. “I’m so glad I found you outside. I didn't think before I headed this way how I would get down into your caves. I just flew because I had to warn you.”

  “Aye, child. And what would ya be warnin' me about?”

  “Is this DaGon, the dragon who worked for Queen Erulisse? The one the Fairy Queen locked in the dungeons with you?” she asked, fluttering in front of the dragon's nose. Delila stared at DaGon for a Moment, her eyes twinkling.

  “Yes, I’m DaGon,” the dragon replied, tilting his head back as he caught the fairy admiring him.

  “I'm Delila,” she bowed, smiling brightly.

  Lamfada looked at one and then the other and shook his head. “And if ya don't be minding, we have somewhere we need to be goin', so what is the warnin', Delila?”

  “Oh, yes...well, Mother overheard Queen Onagh talking to that cat, Sonya...” The fairy shook her head, flustered, the dark waves of her curls shifting slightly over her green eyes.

  “Sonya? Onagh was talking to Sonya?” the dragon roared, his anger rising as a stream of fire burst from his mouth. “It confirms it. The Fairy Queen set me up!”

  “Well, what do ya think I was talkin' about last night? So
nya is Onagh's spy.”

  “You know what happened?” Delila exclaimed, flying to Lamfada.

  “Aye, child, and now we need to be headin' to Ellyllon and Elf Court. Queen Erulisse is expectin’ the three of us.”

  “What do you mean, expecting the three of us?” DaGon blustered hoarsely. “This has become very confusing to me.”

  “Ya two have a great destiny ya didn't be knownin' about, and the time is comin' for it. In order for the legend to begin, ya two must be banished to Earth.”

  * * * *

  “There’s something transpiring of great importance, but I don't know what it is yet,” the cat hissed at the shadow beside the stream, her back arched in anger.

  “Follow that fairy, for Master wants to know.” The figure leaned forward, its ragged voice snarling from beneath the dark cloak. “I must return to Black Isle for another task and cannot afford the time. The ingredients for the spell must be found and the Wand recovered. Do you know where it was taken?”

  Sonya blinked slowly in thought. As she licked her paw, her attention seemingly engrossed in the delicate nature of her fur, she purred nervously. “No.”

  “Then find out,” the entity demanded. “Or your time in this game will come to a close.”

  “And if I found out, would my time come to an end then?”

  “Do as you are bidden, cat, or you shall find out just how expendable you are.”

  The creature folded in on itself and took the form of a black raven, flying skyward, leaving the cat alone. Sonya walked over to the mushroom and sniffed the top where the small fairy had sat.

  Who did he think he was, ordering her around like this? She was no dog, tracking scent like the hounds of the Elf King, and she was no fool. Giving him the whereabouts of the Wand of Prince Finley would be a mistake, especially when it came to her survival. Sonya lifted her small pink nose and gently took in the lingering scent. One thing was certain, she thought as she headed down the path. The Wand must not be found until the time of its legend arrives.

  * * * *

  “DaGon, dear, you must not be angry with me. There was not anything I could do. I had to let them take you.”

  “But it wasn’t my fault. That cat...”

  “I know what Sonya did, my sweet.” Queen Erulisse rose from her desk. “But it had to be done this way. The hunt must follow another.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “The map had to go to that wretched Fairy Queen, so that false tracks can be laid and the sword kept hidden. Onagh believes if she can read the runes and find the sword, her allegiance to Green Isle will never be questioned. Unfortunately, that vixen is but a pawn in this chess game, for there is a greater thing at stake.”

  “Aye, but she knew she needed a key. She wanted me to remake it,” Lamfada pointed out.

  “Yes, Sonya read my most personal journals and discovered one of the secrets of the map. But Onagh does not understand fully why a key is needed and what it does. Onagh believes it is for deciphering the Fomorian language written on the outer edges, giving direction to where Prince Finley hid his father’s sword. But the key is magical. Without it, the true message woven in the words will not be deciphered. The seeker of the sword will be led in a circle. Do you understand now, my dear?”

  DaGon’s brow furrowed. “Then why use me as a piece in your political game?”

  “King Angus and I witnessed the horrific massacre of the last of the Fomorian race three thousand years ago. Uthal slaughtered every one of them when he found a way from Earth through a mirror portal somewhere in the ApHar Mountains. If Prince Finley had not bequeathed the Wand and map to Angus before he died on the battlefield, the Black Warlock would have destroyed everything.” The queen brushed away a tear.

  “Before the Second War, Prince Finley was able to hide the sword, because it is the only weapon that can kill Uthal. We must make sure its whereabouts are kept secret until the prophecy is fulfilled and its champion from Earth comes to claim it. And you, sweet DaGon, are part of that legendary prophecy. Can you forgive me now?”

  “What do you mean? This is making no sense whatsoever to me,” DaGon bellowed.

  Erulisse touched the dragon softly on his snout, the gesture calming him. “Long ago, a kind wizard, who befriended the Fomorian people, took upon himself a curse in order to find a way to defeat Uthal. In his cursed state, he was able to see into the future and he saw four children from Earth who would carry out the task of destroying the Black Warlock. He also saw two beings from our world entangled within this prophecy. You and Delila, dear dragon. You both are the chosen guardians of the four he predicted would save us.”

  “Oh! How exciting. What must we do? Mother will be so proud.” Delila fluttered to the table where the queen stood.

  “But there is a catch, my sweet ones. In order for others to be truly deceived, I must banish you to Earth, and have the Flower Fairy Queen proclaim it. I am so sorry it has to be this way, my wonderful friends, but we need word to go back to Crag Cairn and Uthal of your fate. This way your true intentions on Earth go unnoticed and you can stand watch, protecting the portal until the time comes for the legend of the four.”

  “How will we know when it’s time? Mother will want to know,” Delila asked.

  “When you see children once again fill the house of Charles Stewart and the bloodstone he stole is found,” the Elf Queen replied.

  “Now ain’t that bein’ the human Onagh locked into the paintin’?” Lamfada asked, leaning forward on his gnarled cane.

  “Yes. I am thankful that wicked Onagh came to her senses. Could you imagine what would have happened if Uthal had gotten ahold of the map and the Wand? Oh, my dears, not only would we be in danger, but Earth would be also. Our entire existence would have been put in jeopardy.” Erulisse’s eyes flashed in anger.

  “All for a bit of romp in the hay, so to speak,” the leprechaun muttered to DaGon with a wink.

  DaGon glared at the leprechaun.

  “Delila, my sweet, I will give you time to say goodbye to your mother. But at dawn, you must be there with the others at the knoll above Fairy Dell where the white crypt stands. At the first rays of the new day, you and DaGon must pass through the mirror portal to Earth.”

  * * * *

  “She wants me to do what?” Queen Onagh huffed at the knight who brought the sealed message from Ellyllon.

  “Because of his escape, he is now a fugitive. His accomplice was one of your own,” the knight replied.

  The Fairy Queen sat on her turquoise crystal throne with no emotion. She couldn’t believe her luck in the matter. Her hurried plans to cover up her deed faded away, and she relaxed. The knowledge that Erulisse would not be coming to the Dell lifted her spirits and she sat still, blankly gazing at a spot above the knight’s head.

  “She asked that in addition to her offer of aid in locating both DaGon the dragon and your Ambassador, Delila, you send a proclamation of their banishment to Earth.”

  “Yes...yes, of course. The order will go out immediately.”

  The knight bowed politely before turning and walking out of the throne room. Onagh remained seated, her face filled with joy.

  Onagh reveled in the news. Now, she could have Fortinose study the map in peace, and once he could translate the words, her quest for the sword would begin.

  * * * *

  The white crypt glowed in the light of the twin moons above as DaGon and Lamfada climbed the timeworn path leading up from the valley in which Fairy Dell sat. Delila buzzed around their heads, her excitement evident, as she talked non-stop about tales she had heard of ancient fairy folk who lived on Earth.

  Erulisse had sent the trio undercover with the knights who delivered the message to Queen Onagh. As the entourage made their way towards Crystal Palace, the three slipped from behind the caravan of soldiers and headed up the hill to the white marble building.

  “Well, me friend, it’s been good knowin’ ya for this short period of time,” the leprechaun stated a
s they reached the plateau where the crypt rested.

  “You say the words as if you’ll never see us again,” DaGon observed.

  “It’ll be some time before ya both will be seein’ me,” Lamfada replied.

  “I wonder what Earth is like?” the tiny fairy wondered. She hovered above DaGon’s head for a Moment watching the distant horizon as the approach of the sun tinged the purple sky with swashes of yellow. “I’ll miss Mother, but we’ll be back soon, I’m sure.”

  Lamfada took a deep breath and grinned, a sly look passing his face. “It be depending on how soon is soon to ya, child. Is yer ‘soon’ hours or years?”

  “What a funny question to ask.” She laughed slightly.

  “I’ve heard only horror stories about Earth. Humans are so unkind to those who are different. The Elf library has many books on the subject.”

  “It be time, Delila, for ya to be singin’ the song of weavin’,” Lamfada instructed. “The sun be almost up.”

  As the first ray of the new day hit the side of the white crypt, Delila poised next to a carved oval wooden frame which hung on the side. Singing a chant in Fairy language, her song called forth silvery liquid, which bubbled from the center of the oval frame and bathed the area in a metallic swirling mass. For a brief Moment, the three saw their reflection before the pool of liquid swirled in an ebbing flow counterclockwise.

  “Just be steppin’ through and ya be on yer way to Earth,” the leprechaun stated, waving his hand at the small step that led up to the magic portal.

  “Goodbye, Lamfada. We’ll see you soon,” cried Delila, eager to start her adventure on Earth. She zipped quickly into the mirror, disappearing from view.

  DaGon was not so excited. He tentatively stepped up and put a leg into the mirror, hesitating. “You never quite clearly answered the question of how long we’re expected to be there on Earth. What’s your definition of ‘soon’?” he asked the leprechaun.

  “About one hundred and fifty years,” Lamfada proclaimed with a laugh as he took his cane and pushed the dragon completely into the portal.

  Once the silver liquid faded, the leprechaun pulled his small wooden mirror from inside his jacket. Waving his hand across the surface, the face of the Elf Queen appeared. “It be done, Your Highness.”