The Barrier: The Teorran of Time: Teen Fantasy Action Adventure Novel (24 page)

She couldn’t help herself and slid in next to the stone and fell asleep. Serin woke, finding herself standing next to the statue. It was as if her body was still on the ground but she couldn’t see her body there. One particular symbol stood out. A slight glowing red shimmer danced around it. Several faces hovered at the top barely inside the tall standing stones.
How could there be faces inside the stones, and how can I see them
? They were sleeping, or at least that is what she thought. The woman of stone's eyes, now deep green, blinked and stared at her. Serin gasped to hold in the automatic scream she wanted to let out.

The features of the woman softened and a fleshy tone overcame the gray hardness of the stone. Serin’s heart raced and she wanted to run but her body was frozen in place. The statue moved her head slowly then her arms, before her whole body was released from its permanent prison.

"What is your name child?" the woman asked.

"I am Serin Lockwood, daughter of Ambrosia."

The statue studied her deeply before kneeling on one knee and bowing to her.

"My queen, I am so sorry for your loss. I loved your mother deeply she was my best friend."

"What, wait, what?" Serin said. "Queen? You knew my mother? How, where? I have so many questions. Who are you?" Serin managed.

The woman looked around trying to find an explanation.

"I am Lady Fortuna from the wyvern nation of sky and water." answered the statue, the voice echoed off the stone.

"What are you doing here, why are you here, who are these people?" Serin asked.

"I am the High Priestess of the Wyverns. I was entombed here by the evil Gavin Rhill to keep me and my wyverns from taking him to exile. This is a portal and these are my high court protectors." she said, "We have been here for hundreds of years.”

“Hundreds of years?”

"There is no time my Queen, you are the only heir to the crystal city, Srinna Vossa, and you must return and bring magic back to the world. Together with your Dodjen, you must get to the crystal catacombs and find the secret entrance that will take you back to the city. There you must take possession of the city and become queen. I will summon the wyverns but you must search out the black wyvern. Your Dodjen must bond to him in order to complete the circle." She said.

"My Dodjen? What are you talking about?" Serin asked.

"The man you travel with, he is your Dodjen. You are his elemental mage, you must stay with him. He cannot die. You together are the key to stopping Gavin Rhill. You are the new High Priestess and you have great power to heal and call on the wind to help you. You must strengthen your powers, for you will need them. Here I will give you this." the woman lowered her pendant over Serin.

The stone itself never moved. She then raised her finger and touched Serin's temple with the point of her first finger. A sharp prick etched into the softness of her flesh and Serin flinched. A hot stinging sensation moved through her body and into her limbs. A numb prickling sensation remained.

"My court is now yours. Even though they are in stone they will help you through your journey. Now return to your Dodjen. Waste no time, you must hurry. My queen, be careful! Gavin Rhill is sly and evil and he will stop at nothing to get what he wants."

"What is a Dodjen? I don't understand."

"Go, quickly!" her voice became agitated, her tone filled with fear and urgency. "There is no time to explain, only trust your Dodjen. Gavin Rhill has secrets everywhere. People I trusted betrayed me, you must succeed!" the voice faded.

The image of the woman became the flat stone once more.
Queen? Wyverns? Dodjen
? Serin thought as she stood slightly slouched partly from the numbness of her body but also from what she had just seen. Memories suddenly filed her mind of the time she spent with the Wyverns. A warmth formed in her chest as she remembered them.

"Wake up, Serin you have to wake up!" she told herself slapping her cheeks and shaking her head.

The misty hues of the people faded back into darkness and she hoped that she would wake up any moment. The cool night air stung her lungs as she breathed in deeply, hoping to jar her into consciousness. She sat down on a stone while the images of the woman and the people flowed through her mind. The same words in her mind as before, over and over.

                                          *************************

Shaz heard a flapping and whooshing sound coming from overhead. He crept out from under the shelter. Several trees stood along the edge of the clearing he had not seen before. He wondered if it was the mist that hid them or if they had wandered here. The whooshing deepened as it moved closer. The tree tops swished back and forth as Azrak's stunning red feathers emerged from the branches. Leaves and small debris fell to the ground. Azrak landed softly almost soundless. In his muscular arms, he held Serin's body.

"What have you done?" Shaz yelled as he gripped his sword. The muscles in his neck pulsed heavily and he gritted his teeth.

"I found her like this, in the forest. Why did you let her out of your sights?" Azrak said, his voice strict with his own anger.

"I didn't- you said to let her be." Shaz said.

"She's breathing and I don't believe she is harmed. Very cold, but not hurt." Azrak said coarsely.

"Set her down here." Shaz said.

Azrak moved with a slight bouncy swagger and set her down. Her breathing was steady and he could feel her pulse.

"She means a lot to you, doesn't she?" Azrak asked.

"Huh? What, her, well-"

"Ah I see, that kind." Azrak said.

A minuscule smile crested the corners of his beak. Shaz busied himself by carving a stick with the small blade he kept in the small of his back. Jagwynn paced swinging her tail in wide arcs. Azrak built a nest under a large tree.

Serin finally stirred and sat up bleary eyed.

"What's going on?”

Shaz put his blade back into the little sheath and tossed the stick. His bum was numb from sitting on the tree stump.

"Are you ok?" Shaz asked.

"What happened? How did I get back here?"

"I don't know, you tell me. Azrak found you and brought you back." he said.

“I-“ Serin paused and thought about how absurd it sounded and then said, “I’m sorry I went so far.” Jagwynn licked her face, “Yuck Jag.”

Shaz chuckled, he knew how slobbery her kisses were.

"Hungry?" he asked, giving her a small wrapped package.

She nodded and took it from him.

“We need to get to my father’s castle soon.”

“Why?”

“My dream last night told me the sheath is there.”

Serin nodded and put a big bite of food in her mouth.

“Meet back here when you have orb.” Shaz said to Azrack who only grunted and leapt into the morning sky.

“Come on, let’s go.” Shaz said.

Castle

"It must be here somewhere" he said running his hand along the rough stone wall.

The long wall ran along the east side of the old deserted castle. Bright emerald shaded grass shimmered as the soft misty rain fell from gray skies. A low rumble echoed against the mountain ranges to the east and west. Their hair hung straggly around their round faces from the hours in the damp air.

"What?" a small-framed man asked from behind the other. He tried to reach around to see what he was doing.

"The door. Get away, I am going to find it." Turkill said pushing his brother back.

"What door" Ladtwig asked, sniffling while wiping his nose on his sleeve.

"The invisible door." Turkill said.

"But if it's invisible how are you going to see it?"

"I just will."

"But how can you its invisible."

"Yes Ladtwig, I know that’s what I said, the invisible door." Turkill said.

"Yeah but invisible means you can see it." Ladtwig scratched his chin.

"Well maybe you can't see it, but I can" Turkill kept his fingers on the rough hand carved stone wall.

"But how can you, you can't see something that isn't there."

"What are you babbling about?" Turkill asked.

"The invisible door."

"What invisible door?"

"The one you are looking for" Ladtwig said.

"Oh yes that one, I can't find it, its invisible." Tukill said

Shaz stared down from his horse at the two little men. He couldn’t help but snicker under his breath. Serin found the little men irritating and was losing patients. The notion of an invisible door perplexed Shaz until Serin elbowed him.

"Excuse me, is this the Reinholt castle?" Shaz asked.

Turkill and Ladtwig jumped and spun on their heels and thrust themselves against the wall.

"Who are you?" demanded Turkill.

"Who are you?" Shaz asked with a smirk.

Ladtwig studied Shaz, then Serin and then back to Shaz.

Annoyed Serin said "I’m Serin, this is Shaz, and Jagwynn, and we are searching for the Reinholt Castle. We believe this is it, do you know for sure?" Serin's beautiful voice gently carried over the bristling of the nearby branches. Jagwynn came up next to Shaz’s horse and the men jumped and held onto each other.

“She won’t eat you. She might nibble a little though.” Shaz said

“Shaz, don’t be rude.” Serin said.

The men looked between Shaz and Serin. Serin smiled at them reassuring them he was only teasing.

"I’m Ladtwig and this is my brother Turkill." Ladtwig said bursting out.

"Shhh, are you daft? You don't just go giving out our names to complete strangers, you numb skull." Turkill said, and covered his brother’s mouth.

"Nice to meet you Ladtwig, Turkill."

She elbowed Shaz in the arm for not addressing them politely.

"Uh, oh yes, nice to meet you" Shaz stammered trying to hide his laughter.

Their smitten expressions humored him. It happened every time men first meet Serin. Shaz knew of her beauty, both inside and out. It was hard on occasion to keep his growing feelings for her from confusing things.

"Well then,” Turkill said addressing Serin, “yes this is the Reinholt Castle but there is no way in. The door is invisible."

“No door, you say?” Shaz said. They had noticed as they rode over the hill, that the peaks of the rooftop spires towered over a rundown roof, the remaining building was in great disrepair. The wall stood over ten feet tall and, unlike the castle itself, was in impeccable shape. "I am sure there is a door here somewhere."

"We have been over every inch of this wall and there is no door, that’s why they call it an invisible door." Ladtwig said, as he mimicked Shaz.

Serin blurted out a loud laughter, covered her mouth quickly, her eyes wide.

“Thanks.” Shaz said.

Shaz dismounted and moved toward the little men, who took a few steps to the side. As Shaz came up to them they had to raise their heads. As Minca, the taller one, Turkill, only came to just above Shaz's waist and Ladtwig a few inches shorter.

Serin dismounted and followed Shaz.

"So how do you suppose we get in then with no door?" Shaz asked.

Serin shrugged.

"What do we do? We have to get in there." Serin asked.

The wall towered above them.

"I could try and throw you up there and then you can grab the top and climb up." Shaz said, stepping backward.

"What, no thank you."

"We could throw one of them then." Shaz said. The brothers scowled at Shaz, took a step farther, and then resumed their cat fight. "What you’re small, I could throw you all the way up there and then you can-"

"Can what? Fall to our death on the other side, no thank you." said Turkill.

"Thank you, brother." Ladtwig said a sigh of relief in his voice.

"Your welcome brother" Turkill said.

"Oh, so now you're not mad at each other." Shaz asked.

"Of course not," they said at the same time looking at each other and then back at Shaz.

They stepped back their eyes wide as Jagwynn walked right next to them. A small bead of sweat dripped from Tukill’s face. Then something caught Shaz’s attention. He maneuvered through the skinny little men over to the wall. Several large bushes covered several sections. Low rumbles echoed on the other side of the mountains as a storm began moving toward them. Serin followed Shaz and as she passed Ladtwig and Turkill, she brushed up against Turkill's bare arm. Turkill's went beet red under his chestnut brown skin. Ladtwig laughed and teased his older brother. Serin ignored them, Shaz snickered under his breath.

"You have some admirers." Shaz said.

"Yes, so it would seem." Serin said. "Did you see that?"

"Yes, but I am not sure what it is."

He pushed back the branches of a bush. The brothers began arguing over who was going to get Serin, barely lifting their arms while flicking their hands at each other.

Shaz took several steps back from the wall to assess the distance. And noticed a silvery glow seeped from between the individual stones. The tendrils formed the shape of a door.

"Serin, over here. There, do you see it?"

"Yes, but it wasn't there moments ago, was it?"

"No, it just formed."

Shaz walked to the door. A large, nearly invisible handle appeared. He gripped it and gave a heave. The door budged only slightly releasing a small puff of dust. Ladtwig and Turkill were confused that he was trying to heave open a stone wall and broke into laughter.

Shaz pulled again and the door creaked open slowly. The stone wall materialized into a door which opened into a courtyard. The Minca stepped backward and clutched each other. The horses whinnied and became restless.

"That's odd." Serin said.

"We better be careful." Shaz said.

They carefully stepped through the doorway, Shaz going first. It opened up to a side gate of the complex. Several small pathways sunk into the overgrown weeds and grasses. Large ruined stone carvings of people and what appeared to be made up creatures scattered the courtyard. Shaz configured in his mind, noting possible escape routes and hiding places. Serin was drawn to the heaviness of the weeds and overgrown plants. It felt like they had been placed under a heavy burden. She felt the sadness in the air as the clouds above sifted and swayed around the castle spires but didn't move on.

"This place is very sad," Serin said.

She lifted a wilting yellow rose.

"Mmm, I sense there is a great deal of magic here" Shaz acknowledge, touching a ruined statue.

"What kind of magic, exactly?" Serin asked. She let the little flower droop again.

"Magic, what do you mean, magic?" called Ladtwig from the other side of the doorway.

Turkill was holding him back, checking for booby traps and possible danger.

"They just walked through the door you dim bat and they didn't get hurt" Ladtwig said.

"Yes, but they are not Minca, we don't just get in anywhere ya know."

"Nonsense, you’re just superstitious."

"Remember what Murleck said about doors?"

Ladtwig stopped dead in his tracks, a small bead of sweat appeared on his forehead. He gulped heavily and slowly stepped back.

"I’ll go first." Turkill squared his shoulders.

"No, you can't, what if you get turned to stone?"

"Then you will know you are safe, do you want the treasure or not?"

"Ok, then hurry up." Ladtwig said. He let go of his brother’s cloak.

"Oh, so now the treasure is more important than me, is it?" Turkill asked.

"Oh come on, what do you want from me. First you say I can't go through the door without being turned to stone and then you say you will and then you ask me if I want the treasure and then you say that I am just thinking of myself, make up your mind." Ladtwig said, throwing up his arms in exasperation.

Turkill thought for a moment. With a large grin said, "You’re right I will go through the door."

"Fine, but what if you get turned to stone?"

Turkill shot Ladtwig a sideways glare and Ladtwig burst into laughter.

Shaz and Serin watched the two little men. Serin with her hands on her hips and a slight scowl. Shaz grinned, his hands in his pockets.

"You find this funny?" she asked.

"What, it’s funny," he replied chuckling as he flinched from her hardly any effort smack.

"We don't have time for this, remember?"

"Oh come on, it's been a long time since anything good has happened and this is funny."

Turkill and Ladtwig blankly looked about. Shaz couldn't help it and burst into a loud chuckle. Serin huffed, spun on one foot and started along the old broken pavers. Ladtwig and Turkill shrugged not figuring they were the matter and continued to argue about going through the doorway.

"You have to admit, they are funny" he said, as he caught up to her. "I see that." he said.

"Ok, fine but we don't have time for this."

"It's good to see you smile, even if it's only half of a smile." Shaz said.

Serin couldn't help to smile at him. He was right it had been a long time since she felt happy, and she had to admit they are funny little men, so it seemed. Shaz gave her a one armed squeeze and then went back to being serious.

"Now that we are here at the-" He saw the header stone on top of the heavy wooden doors to the entrance far across the courtyard. The words read 'Reinholt Castle.' Shaz rubbed his face.

"What is it?" Serin asked.

"The name of this castle is the 'Reinholt Castle.'" he said, pointing to the door.

Serin could hardly make out any letters, let alone any words.

"How can you see that far?"

Shaz shrugged as though he didn't know, but he did know. He felt inadequate that he was the one the universe had picked to travel this horrible path.

"This is your home." she said.

"Yes, so it would seem." trying to keep things light he continued "It looks like some housekeeping is in order."

Serin smiled softly, not wanting to intrude on thoughts that were for sure running through his mind. He knew little about his parents and his past. The Minca stopped arguing instantly when they heard Serin declare it was his castle. They ran through the doorway together without even thinking. Once on the other side, they stopped, looked at each other, and laughed at themselves and how dumb they both had been.

"This is your castle?" Ladtwig asked.

"It would appear to be that way." Shaz replied.

The years had not been good to the castle. Several holes of different sizes had eroded into the walls. Many towers of varying sizes decorated the landscape along with several partially ruined sculptures. Remnants of large gardens scattered the courtyards.