The night was still, and Dack slept soundly until the first rays of the morning sun gently shone through the mist. All was quiet as he began to wake from his slumber, too quiet, he thought as he opened his eyes slowly. At first he listened, and then he sat up when he heard nothing. Visibility was worse now than it had been the night before, but he hoped that would change as the day progressed.
He whistled and waited to hear his horse moving or perhaps respond with a friendly neigh. Two more whistles and still nothing. His blanket was nowhere to be found when he reached for it.
I put one on last night, right? he thought. I did, he remembered. I can still recall the feel of it as I was falling asleep.
Looking around from his position revealed that the pack he had put next to a nearby tree was also gone. Panic hit him as the worst feeling of hopelessness descended upon him. He imagined his whole mission would now be over, almost as soon as it had started.
Why would someone steal everything and leave me alive? He stood up and began searching the area. I will never make it if I don’t get my horse back, or at least another one, he thought as he stood looking into the mist.
“Hello, can anyone hear me?” he shouted, hoping that someone nearby might hear him. “Is anyone around?” He thought that his only two options were to walk back to the orchards and the kings’ road or to see if the stone building in the mist was occupied. “I do not have time to waste!” he shouted as he kicked the ground.
At first he thought the sound he heard was merely an echo returning, but as it grew louder he imagined it was the slow gait of a horse riding on loose gravel near the mountain pass. The mist and the bouncing sounds confused its true location, but as time passed he was sure it was getting closer.
As he focused on the sound, he was almost certain that someone was laughing. It wasn’t the kind of laugh that one uses when something is funny; it was more rehearsed, like the individual was testing new ways of sounding amused. Dack thought the whole situation was annoying, especially if the person was the one who had taken all of his possessions. He decided to stay among the trees, out of sight until the rider was close enough to catch.
After several more minutes the shape of a horse could be seen coming through the mist. Dack could still hear the laughing, which grew more maniacal the longer it was allowed to continue, but he could not see anyone on the horse or beside it. Still the horse got closer, and Dack was certain it was his; however, the laughing ceased. Because the horse was on the road, it was out of reach from where Dack hid. To move would alert whomever or whatever had taken his horse.
As the horse passed slowly by Dack, he could see there was someone riding, probably a child. “Catch me if you can,” the rider whispered as the horse sprang forward at full gallop, leaving Dack grasping air as he dove from the tree line. In the open field there was very little chance that he would catch the horse if the rider was able to stay in control. Dack decided to try to talk to the rider in hopes of getting close enough for another grab.
“Why are you doing this?” Dack asked as he moved forward slowly. The rider stopped and turned the horse to face Dack. Through the mist, Dack could barely see a faint smile on the rider’s face. It grew into a grin and the laughing began again.
“You heard me!” Dack yelled over the increasing volume of the laughter. “Why are you doing this?” He kept moving slowly forward.
“Same reason you are,” the rider said in the voice of a grown male rather than that of a whispering child. “I want the same thing. Actually, I already have what you want.”
“What is it you think I want? What can you possibly know about me?” Dack was stalling, hoping to get closer while the rider was preoccupied.
“I have been following you since you started. Well, not me personally, but there have been others. I was hoping that you were smarter, but I think you’ll do fine.” Dack noticed that the rider was no bigger than half of Dack’s height, yet he looked like a properly proportioned adult as he leaned forward, holding on to the mane of the horse. “Like now, what you are thinking, simply foolish.”
Dack was close enough for another attempt at grabbing the horse’s reins and was thinking of nothing else; he was even blocking out what the rider was saying. Within three steps of the horse Dack felt the ground grow soft beneath his feet. By the time he realized the situation, he was up to his shoulders in putrid-smelling mud. It had been covered by leaves but was now quite obvious as it held him immobilized. He managed to free his hands and reached out, but was mere inches short of the horse.
“That’s why I was practicing,” snickered the rider. “I knew you were the stealthy type.” He began laughing at Dack, using the same variations that echoed though the mist earlier. “I especially like this one,” he said as he put his head back and began a long series of laughs ending in a snort. He stopped suddenly and locked eyes with Dack. In a hushed voice, he asked, “Do you have any idea who I am?”
Dack, enraged at being treated so poorly, retorted, “I do not care who you think you are, I know you are nothing. You might think you are important while I am stuck in this hole, but I am not finished with you.” He struggled to free himself and managed to small success as the rider rode around him, laughing.
“I know everything about the Central Territory, every puddle of mud. I know how to make smug, misguided ingrates stop in their tracks.” He continued riding circles around Dack. “I am king!” he shouted, raising a fist into the air.
It was now Dack’s turn to laugh. “So it was you who sent those things to scare me when I stopped for a drink in the woods. You are the king of the Central Territory?”
“Hey, what’s so funny?” the rider demanded.
“You are,” Dack said as he managed to grab and successfully hold on to the horse’s tail. The sudden tug spooked the horse, causing it to run and helped to pull Dack out from the mud before he lost his grip. He began running after the horse again, but the rider urged it just out of Dack’s reach.
Winded from the ordeal, knowing he was not going to catch the rider easily, Dack leaned against a tree to rest. “Oh, King, I didn’t catch your name,” he said, hoping for just one more opportunity to grab the horse after a short break.
“You are right, I never threw it,” came the response at the same time several objects blurred from the rider’s hand to pin Dack tightly to the tree. “I guess that will correct my oversight,” he said as he disappeared into the mist, laughing again.
Dack tried to move but couldn’t. He looked at the things that were holding him and saw that they were deeply embedded in the tree through his cloak. After several attempts he managed to free himself from his cloak, but there was no way he could remove it without ripping it to shreds. The cloak was held by what looked like throwing knives with large heads similar to spikes. He tried pulling them out but couldn’t, concluding that they might have been barbed so they would go in easily but not come out.
“That idiot could have killed me,” he said aloud as he examined them more closely. He noticed something etched into them that was extremely difficult to read. “Property of Fixx. So that’s his name,” he said, shaking his head at the ridiculousness of someone taking the time to make those etchings. He was impressed with the weapon, but there was no way of getting one out of the tree, so he decided to follow the road toward the mist-enshrouded stone building.
As he started out the mist began to dissipate as the sun shone brighter; however, a steady breeze began to blow. He hadn’t realized how much his cloak protected him from the cold until he was walking against the wind without it. Since he could see more clearly as the minutes passed, he realized the stone structure ahead was not merely a house or small fort, but was indeed the Central Territory’s main castle. Looking around he began to imagine how impressive things would have been during the King’s Tournament.
Every five years all those aged twenty and above who wanted to participate would gather outside to engage in challenges meant to test candidates in every way possible. There were tests of mental aptitude and contests of physical prowess. To become a king meant one had to excel in every area possible, pushing out those who were merely intellectual or had simple brute strength.
Now he was here, hoping to continue his mission to reunite Storality and restore what Lucan destroyed when he declared war on everything and everyone. Dack felt important and had a sense of purpose and pride as he closed the distance. Fixx now stood in his way, or was he just a part of some sort of twisted test? What did he mean that I would “do fine”? he thought as he reviewed what Fixx had said to him. When I get my hands on him, he will not treat me like a child again!
A distant sound snapped him back to his current situation. It sounded like a horse’s hooves on loose gravel. Focusing into the remaining mist, Dack could see his horse eating from a trough and drinking from a barrel. The reins were tied to a post, but there was nothing stopping Dack from riding off.
When he finally arrived at the location, he noticed two things: a new cloak and a note. The cloak was scarlet, folded neatly, and had the note pinned to it. He removed the note, which read, Sorry about the cloak, Fixx. He picked up the cloak, draped it over his arm, and determined to do as much damage to Fixx with it as was possible. This does not make us even, he thought as he angrily stomped into the castle.
When he arrived at the courtyard, he was shocked at the amount of plant life growing wildly everywhere he looked. Trees, vines, and flowers of all kinds made the place look more like a garden than a castle. One reason for such lush growth was the presence of a small stream flowing through the area from a broken fountain. The water is damaging the walls and has probably flooded the lower parts of the castle, he thought as he stood amazed at yet another great structure simply wasting away.
Enraged at what he was seeing and experiencing, he decided that Fixx was to blame. No king, real or imagined, should let this happen; it is definitely time for a change, he thought. “Fixx, show yourself!” he bellowed commandingly.
His call was returned by stifled snickering, followed by a resounding, “No!” More laughter echoed through the castle, making it obvious that Fixx was on the move and that Dack had little hope of finding him, let alone catching him. Dack noticed smoke gently floating upward from a corner of the courtyard and started moving slowly in its direction while looking around for Fixx. The smell of something cooking became more obvious as Dack approached the small fire.
A pot with some boiling stew sat unattended while he looked for any obvious place Fixx might use for hiding. Dack noticed a wide staircase leading up to a set of doors that were slightly open; several other large doors in the courtyard led to areas on the first floor. Not wanting to spend too much time looking for Fixx, Dack decided to try a few doors in the courtyard and then go up to the second floor. As he approached the door closest to him, he noticed it was cracked; he could hear scratching noises and smell a pungent odor. Just before he was able to peek into the next room, he heard a whistle from behind.
“I would not go in there, not looking like that at least.” Fixx chuckled as he sat on the bottom step of the staircase leading to the second floor.
At first Dack didn’t realize what Fixx was balancing on his finger as he sat staring at him. When he saw that it was the key he had taken from the king of the Western Territory, he rushed Fixx without hesitation, hoping to close the distance before he could escape. He continued to sit on the step, even as Dack approached, screaming and waving the cloak. When he was almost on top of Fixx, Dack saw him stand, put the key in his pocket, and dash up to the top of the staircase.
Dack didn’t care if he couldn’t catch him; he was so mad that he could only think of the chase. As he ran up the steps, Fixx tapped his foot and whistled, ducking into the open doors and closing them as Dack lunged for him. “Open this door, Fixx!” he shouted as he pounded on the doors.
“Are you going to leave on your own?” Fixx began chuckling. “Or do I have to get rough?”
“I’m not going anywhere until you give me back what you stole from me!”
Fixx whistled twice and the frantic sound of numerous hooves could be heard from the room on the first floor. “Remember, Dack, you brought this on yourself. You could have ridden away with your new cloak.”
Dack turned in time to see two bulls erupt from the door below and eye the surroundings. Fixx whistled again, and they saw Dack standing at the top of the staircase with a red cloak draped over his arm, his mouth opened wide. He tried to open the doors, but Fixx had them securely locked. The bulls charged to the bottom of the steps and began to climb up them slowly. Dack stood rooted to the spot, not knowing what to do.
“You really aren’t that fun … or smart, for that matter,” Fixx commented. “Use the ledge, it’s your only hope,” he said quietly.
Dack moved to the side of the staircase and onto a ledge that would prevent him from getting killed by the approaching bulls. It wasn’t long before both of them were at the top staring at Dack, who was still clutching the cloak. “Now what? This isn’t funny, Fixx,” he said, hoping that Fixx could call the bulls off as easily as he had called them out.
“Now we negotiate.” Fixx chuckled. “I will get you out of this if you promise to tell me what this key is for.”
“I promise. I’ll tell you whatever you want to know, now make them go away,” Dack said sincerely.
Fixx whistled and the bulls began to back down the steps slowly, still looking at Dack. “When they are in their room, let me know,” Fixx said as the bulls moved closer to their pen.
“They’re inside again,” Dack said as he breathed a sigh of relief. “You can come out now.” He shook his head in amazement as he saw Fixx closing and barring the door to the bull’s room. He must have used a different way, Dack thought as he walked off the ledge and down the steps. I didn’t even have a chance, he concluded as he sat down next to Fixx, who was already busy eating some stew by the fire.
“So, how did you like that?” he said as he ate greedily. “Quite ingenious, don’t you think?” He giggled as he reached for a pitcher and two cups close by the fire. “When did you get it?” he asked as he poured something from the pitcher into the cups and offered one to Dack. “Well?” Fixx said as he stared at Dack, deciding if he really wanted to take something from a person who had tried to kill him mere moments ago. “Do I have to prove myself?”
“Prove what, that you are insane?” Fixx locked eyes with Dack, who, realizing that labeling someone who was mentally unstable at the time might not have been the wisest thing, said, “I’m sorry, I’ll gladly take a drink.”
Fixx pulled the cup back as Dack had it in his grasp. “This is no ordinary drink. This is a drink with a story. This drink got me here. This drink will get me home again. I know it, I know you,” Fixx mumbled as he looked around. “If you drink this, you seal your pledge to do whatever is in your power to get me home. Do you promise?” He offered the cup again and Dack took it quickly.
“Where do you live?” he asked as he took a sip.
“I don’t know,” Fixx said before Dack spit out the liquid. “Hey, that’s expensive stuff! You’re not trying to get out of your promise, are you?” Fixx asked disappointedly.
Dack looked into the cup with a look of disgust. “What is this stuff? It’s the worst thing I have ever tasted.”
“Oh, is that all?” Fixx smiled as he relaxed and began eating again.
“Really, what is this stuff?”
“You want the long or short answer? I prefer telling the whole story, but most people don’t want to hear it. I’ll tell the story, the whole story,” Fixx said excitedly as he stood up to begin.
“I just want to know if this is going to kill me. What do you call it?”
Fixx sat down roughly on the ground and pouted. “I have to tell you the story.” Dack looked at him angrily and Fixx waved his arms, “Fine. It’s tea. A special kind of tea.”
“Special? What’s so special about it?”
“I don’t know.” Fixx shrugged. “That’s all he told me.”
“Who?”
Fixx looked down at the ground, almost ashamed, before sighing and saying, “The man I took it from said it was special, that’s why I have it now.” He looked at Dack again. “You don’t like it though. I must be honest, I think it’s dreadful, but it got me here.”
Dack put his head in his hands. “You are making me ask questions so you’ll get to tell your story, aren’t you?” Fixx tried to hide his grin, but wasn’t too successful. “If it’s not too long, I’ll listen, but when I tell you to stop you had better.”
Fixx stood up quickly and began pacing as he spoke. “There was a king who could afford anything. Since he had everything, he began sending people out to get more things. Unique things. Rare things.” He stopped pacing, leaned close to Dack, and said quietly, “Special things.” Looking around again, he continued, “One day a boat brought back some things from far away, and the king was very excited about one thing in particular—”
“—the tea?” Dack interjected. Fixx nodded excitedly. “And you stole it?” He frowned and nodded slowly. “And you ran away and came here?”
Fixx sat down. “No, that’s not how it happened. I can tell you do not want to listen. Now it’s my turn for questions. What’s the key for, what does it unlock?”
“It’s one of the four keys needed to unlock the door to the portal area.”
“Portal area?” Fixx asked hopefully.
“The place where Lucan brought others through to our island.”
Fixx smiled. “And you plan to open it again and send them home?”
“I do not know how it works now. I’m sure that is something I will figure out with everyone’s help.”
“Everyone?”
Dack wasn’t sure how much he trusted Fixx, but he needed the key back and maybe even Fixx’s help to get the others. “The kings, the Scarlet Brotherhood, Theterm, and whoever else might want to help,” he said, smiling at Fixx. “You must know others who would want to go back home, or at least want to be treated fairly and equally.”
Fixx stood up, removed the key from his pocket, and handed it to Dack. “What’s next?”
“I have to get keys from the kings of the Southern and Eastern Territories by any means. The king of the east is probably already on alert, but I have a chance to get the key from the south without the king knowing. That leaves one from the north, and he is trying to get me killed, but there’s a stronger opposition in his own ranks than he realizes.”
Fixx shook his head in disbelief. “Sounds impossible. I’ll tell you what I’ll do for you. I’ll get the key from the east and you give me half of whatever you get.”
“Get? I’m not getting anything, I’m trying to return things to the way they were before Lucan,” Dack said sharply.
“Not going to get anything? Who gets the Central Territory if you succeed?”
“I would rule it until the King’s Tournament began again.”
Fixx clapped. “Then we rule together.”
“What? No, Fixx!”
“This is not a negotiation anymore, we rule together!” Fixx growled through clenched teeth. Dack was amazed at the range and quickness of Fixx’s changes in emotion. “Now, I will help you get the key from the east while you get the one from the south. I can get plenty of help, so it won’t be a problem. We can meet back here in a couple of days to determine the next thing to do. Sound fine?” He smiled at Dack.
“Are you sure you want to get involved?”
“Why not? It’s about time someone did something around here. It’s been a long time since anyone even came close to this place. Are you sure you want to do this?” Fixx put his hands on his hips and tapped his foot impatiently.
Dack smiled and nodded. I am sure about this, but not so sure about you, he thought as he extended his right hand to Fixx. They shook hands, and Dack began making preparations to leave.
“You will never get to the Southern Territory unless you remember what I’m about to tell you. Ready?”
Dack nodded.
“Follow the road south until it branches off three ways. Stay to the left. When that road branches off into three, take the middle one. Okay?”
“Left, then middle.”
Fixx smiled. “Quick learner, good. When you reach the wall, you shouldn’t have any problems getting through, plenty of huge openings. Anything else?”
“I am sure I will be fine. It will probably be two days there and two days back. I should have plenty to hold me over. Goodbye, Fixx.” Dack turned and walked out of the castle. He prepared himself and his horse for another long ride and rode off toward the Southern Territory.
Fixx watched Dack until he disappeared into the distance. Now to get myself ready, Fixx thought. He rubbed his chin while he schemed the best way to get the key. Who would help on such short notice? The boys, definitely. What else will I need? He paced while he thought. Oh, that will work. That always works. He began laughing at himself for the fun he envisioned that the project would guarantee. All I need is a bag, a big bag.
He began dashing quickly from room to room. But where, where is there one big enough? He saw a sack of grain and emptied it out. Holding it up, he determined it would do well enough.
“Look out, King, here I come!” he shouted as he dashed out of the castle, dragging the sack behind.