Epilogue
A very long time ago, in a world called Skyland, where there lived magic both good and bad, wizards, wizardesses, dwarves, dragons and all sorts of fantastic creatures, there was a stone called the Kilindel. It was very ordinary looking, rather oblong shaped and a dull gray color. It belonged to Airmight the strong, who was the king over all the Eshmear. The Eshmear were people who could turn into different sorts of animals, depending on their abilities. The Kilindel was forged by the Eshmears at the dawn of time and had been passed down from generation to generation of kings. Some people rumored that someone with enough magical ability could take the stone and use it to rule over everyone in Skyland. Airmight did not have enough ability to do this, and on top of that, Eshmears were very peacable and did not want war.
However, there was a wizard named Ilindol, who wanted the Kilindel stone for himself. He believd the rumors, and wanted the Kilindel so he alone could be the sole ruler of Skyland. He conspired for days on how to steal the stone orb which sat on Airmight's scepter. Ilindol was a silver wizard. The only wizard more powerful than him was Zyol, the only golden wizard and his master, who had taught him all he knew about the art of magic. However, Zyol was getting old. Though all wizards are almost immortal, Zyol had not had to battle any enemies in a long time. That was partially a good thing, as Skyland had had peace for many years. However, Zyol's magic was getting weak on the edges, and his staff practically collected dust by his bed. Ilindol was ready. If he stole the stone, he thought, he could easily defeat the wizard. Ilindol had always been the more strategic of the two. He planned an attack on Windhoel, the huge fortress of the Eshmear. Ilindol's army the stormed the castle and took it as their own. In minutes they had made it to the inner chamber room where Airmight and the scepter were. After a deadly duel, Ilindol took the scepter as his own, and left Airmight to his death. However Airmight's mage was able to heal him, and their army retreated. It was all lost, they thought. However, Ilindol was weak from the fight, and he had not enough power to make the Kilindel his. He and his army went to bed, never dreaming that the dwarves from the outer regions nears the Snarkel Caves had rallied behind Airmight during the night. His troops strenghthened, Airmight planned a surprise attack on Ilidol in the morning. As the sun rose, Ilindol awoke but just as he began summing up the power of the Kilindel, a crier noticed an army approaching. It was the Eshmear and alongside them the Snarkel dwarves! Airmight and his army stormed the castle. Soldiers pounded down the doors to Ilindol's chamber and rushed upon him yelling. Though Ilindol tried his hardest to finish the spell, if he didn't protect himself he would be killed! In all the excitement, it's no wonder that Ilindol dropped the stone. He threw a force field around himself and threw back his enemies one-by-one. Airmight soon realized all his men would be killed if they kept fighting any longer. So he called back his troops seeing that Ilindol was not holding the stone. The army searched through Windhoel and the courtyards, searching for the elusive Kilindel. The ranks broke apart in the confusion, and Airmight sadly had to call his troops back. But where was the stone? It had rolled down into the courtyard after being thrown out the window (an ontie had mistaken it for a real stone and had thrown it at a soldier out in the open) and had ended up by the stables, in a huge pile of manure. A few days later, as Ilindol and his army retreated(since Ilindol lost the stone he set out to find it) the entire poop pile was thrown into Darkening River, and washed down to the Fords of Hasslenite. There was the small village of Goldvon, which belonged to Risa Leon, and was very poor and struggled to survive. In Goldvon lived Alantical Hammock, known as Callie, who lived with her family in a small cottage on the outskirts of the village, near the Fords. One day, when Callie was 9, she noticed something strange. What's that? She wondered, as she peered into the water. It was a stone! A very ordinary stone, and yet so not so ordinary that she was took a fancy to it, and picked it up. The stone seemed to quiver with life. And it seemed to fit right in her palm, just the right size for her to close her fingers around it. Callie didn't know that she was holding the Kilindel stone, an oblong orb that so many were searching for. The girl took the stone and tied a string around it, and Callie wore it all the time. Little did she know the extraordinary adventures that were waiting for her because of her new possesion.
Chapter One
It was a cold dreary day when I, 14 year old Callie Hammock looked out the window of the carriage I had been riding in. The cold wind blowing through the window tousled my golden-brown hair, and my blue gray eyes showed how tired I was. Driving the carriage was Thomas, my father's only manservant and the person entrusted to take me to Kell, the town surrounding King Begarus' fortress city Ellector. King Begarus was the sole ruler of Toria, Land of the Dragon lords. As the carriage rumbled through the town square, I wished I was going anywhere but to this small Torian town. Fact is I'm actually a native to Toria since my father grew up here in Kell and married my mother here in this very town. Of course my family never talked much about our heritage. Living in Goldvon my parents had never told me about my roots. However,a few nights ago, my father and mother had died suddenly of a strange disease, and me along with my 3 brothers, had all been shipped off to assorted friends and relatives. The twins Ezra and Sarrow had gone to live with my father's brother, and my youngest brother, who is only 3, went to live with my grandmother, who lived in Goldvon. However I was traveling all the way to live with my Aunt Sadin, whom I'd never even met. I wasn't very optimistic about this meeting. I had overheard Thomas talking to one of the grooms at their last stop. Aunt Sadin could be very mean if she wanted to be. I just hoped my aunt was in a good mood that day. I looked out the window again, still practically in shock about my mother and father's death. I had hardly had time to mourn since I had been whisked off to Kell almost before I had time to realize what had happened. We had been traveling for three days, over hills, through gorges, and across the countryside just outside of Kell. Now as the carriage had pulled up to my aunt's large cottage, that had a dress shop in the back. Apparently, from what I had heard from Thomas, my aunt was a widow and was dating a greedy pig named Mr. Collins. Sadin worked as a dressmaker to bring in money. I let one tear slip down my cheek before pulling myself together and gathering up my sparse belongings. As I walked up to her aunt's door, I wondered what lay in store for me behind those large formidable doors. I knocked on the door. A butler opened the door.
"Who are you?" he asked with an air of authority.
"I am Callie Hammock, Mrs. Sadin's niece. I am here because my parents..." "Who's that at the door Reggie?" interrupted a woman's voice. The voice happened to be my aunt, who walked over to the door.
"So, you are Callie hammock." said Aunt Sadin as she peered down slightly at me.
"Uh yes... My parents both died last Saturday and my father said I was to come here right before he died."
"Ah yes I already know dear. He had sent a letter to me a month ago saying he didnt have much time to live. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you are here." I wasn't so sure she liked this woman at all. Aunt Sadin was a tall, slight woman in her mid-50s with large spectacles that balanced dangerously close to the end of her nose. I was tall, but even I didn't come up to Aunt Sadin's shoulders. My aunt sighed, and dismissed me with a sweep of her hand.
"Your Father was a very silly man, Callie. I'm not surprised that he was," Sadin stopped. "Never mind, I've said too much already. Well take your things up to the spare bedroom, up the stairs and the second door to the left. We'll figure out what to do with you later." "Right," I muttered under my breath. My aunt didn't even want me! I disliked Aunt Sadin more and more by the minute. Upstairs there was a small parlor room on one side of the hallway, a master bedroom on the other side and after that was another door. I opened it to find what might have once been a children's nursery, and a small cot had been moved to a wall on the far end of the room, next to a dirty window. It was dark musty and very uninviting altogether, and I hated it. I missed my old room back in Goldvon with the circle window and the bright sunny yellow sheets. Right then I would have done anything to go back home.
