Quest For The Key

Chapter 4: The Library

Centra had spent a good part of the day in the library of Obradome researching about the key. He had discovered some interesting and puzzling information.

A long, long time ago there stood a castle right near the outside of a forest. It was the castle of Arglass or other wise know as  Whendrop, in the realm of the fairies. Ruled by King Raffa and Queen Merenna, accompanied by their son, the prince. His name was Justin and he was in charge of all the men at arms and all the armies. Although the young prince was always kind to his subjects, he was a liar and was horribly, nasty to all  people outside the castle walls, such as villagers.

In 1547, Justin came down to the village in search of a blacksmith.  Most blacksmith were unwilling to lend a hand to the young prince, due to past references, where he had cheated them out of everything they had.  Only one blacksmith agreed to the task. His name was John, John Woodmer. He was the best of all blacksmiths.  John was prepared for a trade. He would make the prince what he wanted and in return the prince would have to give him some farm land and his latest wife Victoria so, he could settle down and start a new life with farming. The prince agreed and told John that he wanted a skeleton key made for the castle of Arglass. 

John kept his word and got right on to making the key but, that greedy prince Justin did not. “Why should I give away my wife Victoria, my beautiful Victoria and to a peasant?” thought Justin one night as he sat by the fireplace. He knew that without her he would not get the key but, how oh how would he do it? Justin thought of what he could do and then he had it. Prince Justin knew that if Victoria was dead giving her away would be impossible. Victoria would get sick and die, that way John could not have her. It was apparent that from Justin’s past he’d never been known as quite intelligent.  That night he slipped some poison into her evening tea. A pain in her chest startled the kind woman while she sat brushing her mane before bed. When Victoria complained of feeling sick she went to the castle doctor, but, already to late, she fell to the floor dead in front of him. 

Somehow word got out about the death of the princess and John became aware that Justin had cheated his way out of their deal like he had to everyone else and he was simply infuriated. The moment the key was done he rushed off to the forest in search of a sorceress. For he had often heard talk of a witch named Wendra that lived in the deepest part in the forest. After days of walking and scouting he had finally  found her he begged of her magic and wisdom to put a curse on the key. Wendra agreed for the prince  had once asked for her assistance then cheated her out of everything. That had been a long painful, month for Wendra and a great struggle.

She cast:

Thou who find or wear this key, shall be cursed for eternity, 

everyone but the Woodmers and people of good heart, 

shall die,

and be shot down with death like darts

thou shall be immortal but I solemnly pray,

thou  will  have  bad luck in  every way.

John then went back with the key to the castle to present it to the prince, pretending he had not heard of the death of his future wife, and did not suspect a thing. John accepted the farm and married shortly after.

The prince on the other hand did not live happily ever after to one day rule the throne. He soon after fell in love with the key and wouldn’t let anyone else near it and the curse had worked. Around him the castle was crumbling and the defences were weak. That was why when a group of bandits attacked the castle by surprise the prince and everyone else who wasn’t ready had not a chance to fight back.  The castle was soon overpowered by the bandits fearless leader Farslor who took the key away from Justin. Then killed him and burned down the castle. For you see without the key Justin was mortal again and since the key had fed off his energy and soul while he had been wearing it, Justin was weak and died nearly immediately. Now the key had a new master but, Farslor was only man and was just as weak and useless under the power of the key as the prince. All the other men were dazzled by it’s whispering. The key seemed to speak to them at night and soon enough there were fights and the men turned against one another. The remaining bandits were imprisoned in the Castle of Begannor. Begannor was another strong castle, still standing to this day. The key was not right for that castle but the prince soon wanted it next. So, with out so much as looking at it the king ordered one of the servants to give it to his son Hakory. Hakory wears it around his neck everywhere he goes. It seems to have a different affect on him. Making him power hungry and cruel instead of useless and powerless. Legend has it that if the key was ever to be destroyed it would kill everyone that had at one point in their life wore it and it could only be destroyed by a Woodmer. For “Destruction Of The Key” flip to page 9000 in the book of “Long Life Legends

 Reading all this Centra was filled with thousands of questions but he pushed them all aside and focussed on the task at hand. The last person to have the key was Hakory. Bardran’s son. Centra and Bardran were old friends and if he had the key then.......... but, wait. Jealousy now had the key. It didn’t match up. How had it gotten from Hakory to Jealousy.

Centra decided it was time he wrote his dear friend and maybe that would give him some answers. He wrote:

Dear Bardran,

It’s been awhile since we’ve talked.  How is everything there? How is your health and your wife’s health and your son Hakory.  I hear there is a new baby on the way. Is this true? What have you of a key your son wears?

Your dearest  friend,

Centra

After he’d sent it on it’s way only then did he sit back and let all those thousands of questions pour over him and slowly thought about each and every question, one by one. He thought about the key and it’s effects on man and the magical powerful words it whispered to it’s master. He thought about what he had read of all the castles and kings, witches and fairies in good and bad. Centra also pondered about the man that had made the key. John Woodmer. The blacksmith. He wondered if there still were any Woodmer families in the village. If all went wrong he would send his men to find them.