Rodrigo Zacara and the Mirror of Power

6. The Secret Code

Rodrigo wasn't listening to what the knights said next. He didn't even notice their footsteps leaving the library. Adara's words kept spinning round inside his head.

"That doesn't make sense. Arakaz doesn't have an heir."

But he knew the truth. Arakaz had an heir and he'd just arrived in Karinthia, as Arakaz had done hundreds of years before. He had to find that book and work out what the prophecy said about Arakaz's heir but he couldn't do it now. His friends couldn't find out about his kinship with the emperor.

'Come on, let's get out of here before anyone comes back,' said Darion.

The six of them left their hiding place and began to descend the stairs, trying not to make much noise. When they finally reached the courtyard, they found Kyle and his friends waiting for them. Rodrigo barely even remembered the reason why they had gone to the library in the first place.

'About time,' one of them said. 'Were you thinking about staying up there forever?'

'We had to hide because Adara and Balkar appeared,' Oliver answered.

'Anyway, don't go thinking we're stupid,' Kyle said. 'We know you used some kind of trick. We'll work out what it was and we'll really scare you. You can be sure of that.'

'I'm already wetting myself in fear,' Oliver said. 'Oh, no. Wait. It's from laughing. I'm wetting myself laughing! Where's the bathroom?'

Without another word, Rodrigo and his friends headed off in search of a quiet spot where they could talk about what had happened. After walking for a bit, they sat down in the grass of the gardens between some rose bushes.

'Did you hear that upstairs?' Darion asked, looking at Oliver and Rodrigo, eyes shining. 'You're going to find a weapon so powerful you'll be able to defeat Arakaz! This is the best news Karinthia has had in centuries. You're going to achieve what we've always dreamed!'

'So it's true!' Vega exclaimed. 'You did come from another world! I would never have believed it.'

'They've come to find the Mirror of Power,' said Darion. 'And we'll do everything we can to help you.'

'That would be great,' Oliver said, 'because we can't go wasting our energy on washing up, cleaning the floors, gathering potatoes. We need to save our strength for finding that mirror. It would be perfect if you could do these difficult tasks for us.'

'What a cheek you have!' Aisha laughed. 'But no. Anyway, I bet it's Rodrigo who's going to find the Mirror of Power. If it were you, you'd break it as soon as you put your face in front of it.'

'Ha. I'm cracking up here.'

'They're just words written in an old book,' Rodrigo said. 'We don't even know who wrote them. Maybe it was a blabbermouth trying to pass as a fortune-teller.'

'Balkar and Adara seemed to take it seriously,' said Aisha. 'You heard what the grand master said. The seers' prophecies always come true.'

'I know, but it seems weird to me that someone can predict the future. In our world, fortune-tellers can't even predict if the sun will rise in the east or west.'

'Well, you'd better get used to the idea, mate,' said Oliver. 'One of us is going to find an object so powerful that it will send Arakaz himself running. I'm just wondering how the emperor's crown will feel on my head. I don't think it would look good on you: your head's too big.'

'And yours is too small,' Rodrigo replied. 'So small that I think it squeezes your brain sometimes.'

'Ha! Good one, Rodri!' Oliver said, clapping. 'The bad thing is you're right.'