Legends from The Warlock's Chair - Book One - Ravengaard

Chapter Ten - The Arcs of Heaven

THE CHILDREN WERE IN THE MEADOW AT THE FRONT of Ceridwen's cottage. It was the first weekend of the summer holidays, and they were looking forward to, hopefully, six weeks of sunshine and adventure.

It was Sunday, mid-morning, and they were sitting in the shade of the spreading oak out of the glare of the hot sun. A pleasant breeze gently stirred the long grass and flowers that grew all around them.

Eldon and Holt were already there when they arrived. Princess Meriol, Captain Thrax and Altard the Spellcaster arrived not long afterwards, accompanied by a party of Elven hunters.

Ceridwen sat in her rocking chair with Sorrow lying at her feet. The wolf-dog appeared to be asleep, but the children could not forget how quickly it had changed into the terrifying Vorkun beast.

After thanking them all for coming, the White Witch started to explain a little of the history of the Arcs of Heaven.

'Talberon Rykar, a disciple of Myrddin Emrys and one of the most powerful wizards that ever lived, gathered the four gemstones that make up the Arcs of Heaven. He travelled the world and suffered great hardship to collect them,' she paused for a moment and took a sip of lemonade from the glass on the table beside her. 'On their own, they serve as a source of powerful magic. But used collectively, in combination with the right incantations they are one of the most potent sorcery's known. Called forth from the stones, the Arcs of Heaven were used to contain Ravengaard and banish him to The Evermurk, one of the grimmest hells imaginable. Over time, the magic as weakened somewhat, now he seeks to overcome the barriers and return to carry out his foul deeds once again.'

'What happened to the stones after the alliance defeated Ravengaard?' Danielle asked.

'After they banished him; to be certain no one race commanded the magic that the Arcs of Heaven possessed. That never again would one race hold the balance of power, they were split between the races of the Alliance,' Ceridwen continued. 'Man kept one and the remainder were given to Elf, Dwarf and Gnome. Now we need to locate them all once again. Use them to reinforce the barrier and prevent Ravengaard from returning to this world.'

'Where are they now? Do you know?' Danielle inquired.

'We still possess ours,' Meriol responded. 'It is locked away in the Royal Chambers part of the great sword known as the Moonblade. My father showed it to me one day, told me the history behind it. How the Elf King, Lowr Galadre wielded it in battle against the Trolls of Mor'Cirith and of its use in ridding the world of the dark Warlock.'

Holt, who was lying down chewing on a grass stem, sat up suddenly.

'I have heard tell of a mysterious object that supposedly allows the user to wield magic,' he said speculatively. 'But the last I heard it was in the hands of a Gnome Warlord who was misusing it to obtain wealth and power for himself.'

'That could well be one of the stones we seek,' remarked Eldon, who was busy sharpening the blade of his axe.

'That is probably the Amulet of Hidden Ways,' stated Ceridwen. 'Said to grant the bearer the power to transport from one location to another using the lines of mystical force that crisscross the surface of the seven worlds.'

'There may be a problem obtaining it, though,' warned Holt. 'I cannot imagine that he is willing to relinquish it up anytime soon.'

Eldon ran a finger down the edge of his axe blade.

'Perhaps he will just need a little persuading,' he said with a satisfied grin.

'Well that accounts for two of them,' Ceridwen said hopefully. 'Now we need to track down the Dwarves. Find out if they still possess their one.'