The Adventures of the Junior Phoenixes, Part 4: The Pendant of Light

Chapter 24: Onward and Upward

Chapter 24

     The cloaked figure walked up and down the Library of Light, pointing out the most interesting books that were stored there. Sherman, in particular, was fascinated by how much knowledge was stored there. Star walked excitedly from aisle to aisle as the cloaked figure explained book after book.

     “How can you not remember your name?” Star asked after a while.

     “I beg your pardon?” the cloaked figure asked.

     “How come you don’t remember your name?” Star asked again.

     “The Master- excuse me- Easter never called me by my given name,” he explained, “He only ever gave me orders and shouted commands to me. I have been the bidder of his orders for o’er a millennia. He never bothered to call me by any name, only ‘Fetch me this!’ or ‘Bring this to me!’ He wasn’t a kind man by any means.”

     “Are there any books about him in here?” Star asked.

     “Unfortunately, no,” the cloaked figure answered, “He was always meticulous about making sure historical books and accounts contained no mention of his name. It is the reason why so many accounts about him are varied and random and most often exaggerated. No one really knows the truth about him because he makes sure that his history remains ambiguous and shrouded in mystery; incomplete.”

     “That is rather clever,” Sherman said. “I always thought he was one of a long line of Easters. I thought he was part of a magical family that had passed the Pendant of Light down from generation to generation.”

     “That is what he wants the world to think. As I stated, he is quite meticulous about the details of his history.”

     “But he does have kids,” Star said, “Argent Tenebras is his son, isn’t he?”

     “Yes. He is one of a few. Some have passed on, others still exist. There are a few magical families that, when traced back far enough, will discover they owe some of their lineage to Easter.”

     “Really?” Sherman asked. “That is quite interesting, to say the least. Imagine tracing your family tree and discovering one of your branches stems from Lazarus Easter! Crikey, that would send me for a whirl after all this.”

     “No kidding,” Star said.

     “But, as I stated before,” the cloaked figure said, “No one knows the full truth of his history. Nothing is written down about him.”

     “Nothing written down about him,” Star repeated, “But that’s not completely true, either! The Bronze family have a scroll about Morgan le Fay and Easter’s in it. Digger showed it to me! There is one thing out there that has his writing in it. Plus he wrote that book about the Pendants- well, I guess that doesn’t count because he doesn’t talk about himself in it.”

     “That book is poisoned!” the cloaked figure said, “Be wary of it! It contains his poison and his tainting! Do not read that book closely! It will only poison you further!”

     “Blimey!” Sherman noted, “Too bad that book is on the boat with the others.”

     “Um,” Star said, “Yeah, sure, that’s where it is.”

     Sherman gave Star a curious look.

     “The Bronzes have an account of the Banishment of Morgan le Fay,” the cloaked figure remarked, “Curious, indeed.”