The Dragon Prince - Book 1: Cold War

Threshold Guardians

"I won't do it."

    Rayla threw her arms into the air with frustration then held a hand out to Callum as if to say, tag, you're next. Callum was certain Zelmai would go along with the plan if only to help his niece and nephew locate their parents. What Callum didn't account for was the old elf saying no.

    The young prince reached into his satchel pulling out the cube bearing the embossed runes of the six magical primal sources. The magical sources that elves believe power all the magic in the world. His father had once called it 'The Key of Aaravos' and though Callum had only witnessed it glow from time to time, deep inside he knew he was closer to unlocking its secret.

    "Zelmai please," Callum said, holding the cube out with his hand, "we only know through Nivin that Aaravos was trapped in the mirror and my brother tells me he's now escaped. We need to know if Aaravos trapped Rayla and Nivin's parents in the spirit world."

    Zelmai shook his head and Callum thought the old elf shivered as he pointed the cube at the wisened elf. "Callum," Zelmai said sadly, "you have no idea the level of danger you are messing with here. I'm certain the magic that keeps Aaravos locked inside the mirror also prevented him from using magic. In any case, I'm asking the both of you please leave my nephew out of all of this."

   He doesn't believe Aaravos has escaped...

    Callum felt the blood drain from his face but there was nothing else for it, he had to come clean. "We invited Nivin to join us into the spirit world. He'll be here any minute and... 

    "Tell him you're grounded, which you definitely are," the old elf harrumphed.

    "We made him swear a Sunfire oath of duty," added Rayla.

    Zelmai put his hands on his face, exhaling a lengthy breath. Callum was already pushing his luck contravening his teacher's demands to end his relationship with his niece. But Callum would do anything - even if it meant ending his training - if it helped Rayla find her parents.

    "My nephew is going to flip his wig when he sees you aren't an elf, you know that?" said Zelmai with a voice as coarse as stones.

    Rayla replied, "I'm counting on his oath to keep him from telling anyone."

    From upstairs, there came a knock on the door. Callum's heart began to race as the prospect of revealing his true identity came to fruition. Nivin was a powerful Bard and a dangerous person to cross.

    "I'll get it," said Callum.

    "No!" Rayla and Zelmai said in unison.

    "No," Rayla said, holding her hand up, "I'll get it. You just stick to the shadows for now until we can ween Nivin gently into your... human-ness."

    Rayla ran up the spiralling, wooden staircase dropping motes through the shafts of light coming through the cracks in the floor. Zelma's face was tight and Callum could tell the old elf was upset. Callum tried to find the right words to say that would somehow convey exactly what he felt in his heart. He fumbled over the words when they did come. "You'd do the same thing for the person you loved," he said.

    Zelmai didn't answer, except to cross his wiry arms across his chest. He didn't have to answer, he would echo the same refrain: his relationship clouds his judgement.

    They looked up at the ceiling as the sound of muffled voices filled the living room above their heads. Callum backed himself against the cold stone foundation walls and Zelmai went over the far wall to turn down the lights. Rayla was the first one down the stairs, followed by Nivin who had to duck to avoid hitting his head on the low beams. Nivin wore the same outfit he had worn the first night they arrived at the village. Adrenaline coursed through the young mage's veins as he saw the scabbard containing what he presumed was a deadly Sunforge blade.