The Custodian Chronicles: Finding Dragons

Playing Ball Changes Lives

Light glittered off the jagged glass pieces of a shattered clock tower face. Cedrick Custod, the young man who'd broken it, was leaning against the side of the clock face. He was tossing a gold object in his hand like a coin that the light flickered off as it spun up and down, up and down. Cedrick's deep electric blue eyes had been gazing at the rising sun, but now looked down at the square below. Several young boys were scanning the ground for any forgotten bits of shattered glass because any piece or shard of shattered class from that clock tower was a treasure, a token of the greatest battle of the War of Freedom, and the boys were hoping to find some bit of it to treasure themselves. Cedrick studied them for a few moments, continuing to flip the golden object as he glanced around with his eyes only then kicked a piece of glass from the bottom of the clock face down below. The boys heard it and rushed to get piece for themselves. The oldest boy even broke the large piece into smaller ones so each one could have it which made Cedrick smile to himself, glad he could give them a bigger prize.

A great sigh escaped him as he looked back up at the sky again. The golden object flipped faster, as the blue eyes looked at the tall tower of the government center: the building that had dominated Cedrick's new life. A new life that wasn't anything like he'd expected and less than what he'd wanted. Since his brother, Roxorim, was crowned king, meetings and negotiations had taken over Cedrick's life. As the official head of the Custodian line, his time had been strained by all the demands on it, and Cedrick hated it; he kept tossing the object up and down, up and down, up and down. This was his life; a life he thought would be full of battle was now all about compromise.

Cedrick sighed and caught the golden object and looked down at it, rubbing his finger over the golden phoenix: the mark of his family, the badge of honor given to them at the beginning of the world. He'd worked so hard to earn his, but now he had it, he felt his life didn't live up to having it. Cedrick's shoulders sagged a little as he studied the impressive craftsmanship of the metallic gold pin in his hand.

"You up here again?" A gentle, sweet voice floated over to Cedrick's ears, and a smile spread across Cedrick's face as two gentle hands wrapped themselves around Cedrick's chest and held him securely. The smile rested on his face as Cedrick turned to see the elegant sea of red that rested against his arm. Cedrick took the arms around his chest with one hand, kissed the red head, then turned to face her better.

Cedrick's eyes became lost in the distance as he replied, "It helps me think to be up hight. It's quiet."

"Mmmm," Elphacena knew there were more reasons, but chose not to address them now; there were more important things to deal with at the moment. Cedrick felt her avoiding the point and inwardly thanked her for it. He wasn't in the mood, and it wasn't time to review the frustrations of his 'new life'; at least, not as they were about to leave. He needed the peace she was offering him. "I can understand that a bit; it gives you perspective being so high, up where you can see the world, but sadly, it's come time to land; we have to go."

Cedrick sighed from the depths of his chest, but he didn't seem to really do anything else anymore. "Guessing that's ours down there then." Cedrick nodded at a carriage in the square that had been carefully loaded over the last hour or so; Cedrick had avoided looking at it, afraid of what it meant.

Elphacena looked down; her cheek slid against his arm, "Yes, that's ours; Drake and his family are ready and waiting. We're only waiting on you."

Slowly, Cedrick nodded, his mind turning over the plans again, "And thus it begins."

Elphacena smiled a little and nodded, "Yes Cedrick, so it does, but come on. The sooner we leave the sooner we'll be back."

"But back to what?" Cedrick sighed gloomily.