Magic Spawn Origins

Magic Spawn: Chapter 6

by Meredith Skye

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As Kyran left the campground, the night had turned dark. He passed a number of empty campsites, avoiding the two tents at the end of the road, near Ash Lake, where a loud, teenage party was going on. Loud music pulsed from the well-lit area.

Once again Kyran had managed to anger his brother, Rian, and get into a fight, asking questions about how their father died.

But Rian had called Kyran a freak—and that hurt.

His older brother could do no wrong. Rian never seemed to struggle at school. And he could talk his way out of anything. Everyone loved him ... everyone but his teachers.

Kyran was determined to get away from the Gondorian Warrior Circle campsite and their useless volunteer Halloween patrol. At least today was Halloween, so being forced to accompany his brother who dressed in costume was a little less humiliating. Usually Rian attended his medieval meetings in costume, no matter what day of the year it was.

Before long, Kye came to an old fence made from sandstone and iron grates. It was the edge of the old graveyard: the place that Mom had always forbidden Kye to go, even to look at Dad's tombstone. She had some crazy superstition or phobia about graveyards.

But tonight Kye felt rebellious. Nothing would anger Rian more, nor get him in more trouble, than if Kye wandered into the graveyard alone on Halloween night, exactly ten years after his father had died there.

As Kye climbed gingerly over the fence, he realized that it made sense that he should enter the graveyard tonight. It seemed fitting.

But more than that, Kyran was looking for something, some sort of answer. His mother's reaction to his question about Dad disturbed Kye. She seemed a bit rattled by it and hadn't given a straight answer. This weighed on his mind. Since no one would tell him anything, he'd search for the answers himself--starting with his father's gravestone.

The evening was unusually warm for a night late in October. Kyran could hear the water moving in Ash Gulch. Wind stirred the Ash trees making an odd sort of rustling sound, as most of the branches had already lost their leaves. Dry rotting leaves crunched underneath his feet and he moved down a trail towards the main part of the cemetery. A nearly full moon lit up the yellowing patches of grass and bare bushes along the path.

Anger still burned hot in Kye's heart. His brother had no right to speak to him that way. Rian's stupid Halloween patrol didn't matter to anyone. It's not like the rural streets of Millersfield, Nebraska were in any danger from roving bands of gangs or cut-throat thieves. A few bullies from school might take some kid's candy. That seemed more likely. But it wasn't worth all this fuss.

Kye kicked a clump of wilting grass. The anger refused to abate. Why did it seem like Kyran was invisible to everyone sometimes?

What's wrong with me?

Slowing down to watch the names on the headstones, Kye strained to read them in the dark. They seemed to be grouped generally by years. He moved from row to row until he got to the year 2001. The search took about fifteen minutes.

Then Kye came upon his father's tombstone. Corey Bross, died November 3, 2001 at age 28. He will be missed. A part of him lives on.

November 3rd? Didn't he die on Halloween night? That would be October 31st. Why all the discrepancies in the dates? And how did Kye's mother bring Kye home that night, if she had Kyran at home? He puzzled over this a few moments.

Kyran had heard that his mother was so upset that she wouldn't even attend Corey's funeral. Kye got up and began wandering through the graveyard. It was dark and peaceful here. Somewhat pleasant. The autumn breeze felt warm and comforting. Kyran liked the silence here. It appealed to him--more than hanging around with a group of noisy people who didn't understand him. Why hadn't he ever come here before?

As he neared the edge of the graveyard, he saw an old mausoleum which looked slightly overgrown. There on the door he noticed a carved rune. Walking closer he saw that it was the same rune burned onto his hand ... the rune of destruction. His heart stopped. What was this?

Slowly Kye moved over to the mysterious mausoleum. He touched the depression of the rune. What did it mean? He held up his scarred hand to the rune so that they touched. A faint clang sounded from within the door and it creaked open. Kye stood there a moment, befuddled. But this felt like an invitation.

Kye pulled the door open and entered, not brave enough to close the door behind him. The room lay in darkness, but on the far side of the room he could make out by moonlight another open door. Undaunted he moved forward to the far door and entered it.

This room was larger, maybe 20 feet by 30 feet--some sort of crypt. As Kyran entered, two candles on either side of the room lit automatically. It occurred to him, though he didn't take a closer look, that the flames were magical, not actual flames. He wasn't sure how he knew that.

On the wall along the left side and right side were stone slabs. Each of these had a skeleton laying on it. Each wore crumbling grey robes

and clutched a spear in their hand. Dust covered the floor and surfaces.

On the wall, a small wooden shelf held a large sword in a decorative dagger. The wrought-iron metal bar it rested on was shaped like a boney iron skeletal hand, holding it down on each side.

A large, stone sarcophagus dominated the room, set up on a dais in the center. On the lid, carved in stone, lay the life-like figure of a man. He looked human except that his ears were lower and somewhat pointed. Around his neck was carved a small amulet with the same rune as the door--the rune of Destruction. The same rune on Kye's hand. The stone figure looked as though it could come to life at any time.

Kye stared at his hand and at the strange statue of a man. What could the connection be? Or could it possibly be some coincidence?

Then Kye went over to one of the skeletons, which had been dead for years, by appearances. The skeleton still had his decaying grey robes on as well as leather armor. Around his wrist rested a metal bracelet. In the center of the bracelet was carved the rune of destruction, just like on the man's amulet.

Kyran knew that he should find Rian and tell him about this place, as his older brother, Rian was wiser than he was. But the recent encounter with his brother had left him feeling bitter. The anger still smoldered inside Kye. Perhaps Rian wouldn't even believe him and he'd call Kye a freak again. This sparked the anger and it grew again, fanned by the unhappy thoughts.

In his mind, Kye pictured the skeleton coming to life and going after Rian, chasing him through town. The image was satisfying. His brother deserved a scare; then he'd take Kyran seriously. They all would. Kyran touch the skeleton's bracelet.

Immediately Kye felt the stirrings of power inside him and a high pitched sound like electricity jumping from place to place. The skeleton stirred.

Kye jumped back.

With creaky movements, the skeleton sat up and spoke in a foreign tongue. "Sashe ese shalesh mi'ordem al jedessa." It waited as if for a reply.

What is your will, master magic spawn?

All Kye could do was stumble back a few feet, overwhelmed with fear. "What ...?" He felt he understood the creature, but how?

Slowly the skeleton stood, and picked up its spear. Without a word, it shuffled towards the entrance to the crypt. The other skeleton did not stir. Horrified, Kye watched it go. But where was it going? That thought filled him with a sense of dread.

"Wait!" he yelled and ran after the skeleton. "Stop! I didn't mean it!" The skeleton made no sign of hearing Kyran. Slowly and deliberately, it moved towards the Ashlake Campground and towards Rian, clutching the heavy spear.

What had Kyran done?

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