Elemental Worlds Collection

Chapter 2-2

"Torren isn"t dead," the princess retorted. "I can feel it deep down inside. Anyway, there may be times when you can"t follow him. I can go then."

isn"t"What about recruiting the younger princess and princes? Could they help?" suggested Blundo.

Both Pettic and Lucenra cried out together. "No, It"s too dangerous."

"No doubt they"d like to get involved," Lucenra went on, "but it"s not going to happen. They must know as little of this as possible. Nothing if I have my way. They"re all too impulsive and would no doubt put themselves at risk trying to solve a mystery."

"Just a thought," Blundo apologised.

They left it at that. Blundo was to do more research and he would also try to find out about any magicians who had recently moved into the area. Lucenra and Pettic would continue to follow Torren whenever they could.

Sitting in his apartment in the palace, Pettic thought about the past few months and tried to decide exactly when Torren had started behaving oddly. It was, he decided, after he had been crowned as Crown Prince. This always took place on the eighteenth birthday of the heir to the throne and gave him some more responsibility. He or she was gradually taught how a monarch should govern. Torren had been excited at this and about being able to take some of the responsibilities of the crown.

On the day of the birthday that the two friends shared, the coronation of the Crown Prince took place followed by a formal dinner. Pettic got dressed in his best, and made his way to the chapel where the Archbishop was to perform the ceremony.

He expected to be seated at the back, as a commoner, but to his surprise the usher guided him to a seat just behind the Royal Family. He queried this and the usher told him Prince Torren himself had insisted Pettic be seated there. He told the organisers Pettic was his best friend and he would not countenance him being anywhere but near the Royal Family. He had, after all, been brought up in the royal nurseries and was like a brother to Torren.

After the coronation, Prince Torren stepped forward to take the oath, which he did in a strong voice. Then, against all precedent, he stepped forward and called Pettic to come up. Pettic looked around, surprised, but the king waved him to do as Torren said, and so Pettic stood and slowly walked up to the prince.

The prince turned his friend to face the crowd of people in the royal chapel. He then announced to them all that, with the agreement of the King, his first act as Crown Prince was to endow his best friend with a title. The Earl of Flindon had recently died without any heirs. As he was the last in line to that earldom, Prince Torren had asked the king if his friend could take on the role. His father readily agreed and Pettic had been duly crowned with the small coronet that made him an Earl. Torren was himself at this point. The false Torren would never have thought of this, Pettic was sure.

Three days after their visit to Blundo, the two young people had not needed to follow Torren, as he had not gone off alone. The prince kept to his rooms or went out and about with some new friends from the guards. He seemed to have forgotten about his threat to Cledo, but Pettic did not dare to bring the animal back to the palace because of the dog"s perpetual growling whenever Torren appeared. This would no doubt remind the prince of his threat, and probably get Pettic banished from the palace, if not the capital, for disobedience.

The day for the next meeting with Blundo arrived and Lucenra and Pettic met on the way to the magician"s tower quarters. ("Why do magicians always live in towers?" Pettic asked one day, but no one seemed to know the answer to that question.)

On the way they met Torren.

"You two seem to be spending a lot of time together these days," he said, scowling. He turned to Pettic. "I hope you don"t have designs on my sister. She"s a princess, you know, and can"t possibly marry a commoner, so forget it."

The princess looked at her brother, eyes flashing.

"Pettic"s not a commoner. Remember, you yourself raised him to an earldom. This makes him part of the nobility."

"He was born a commoner, and will remain a commoner no matter what titles we give him. Nobility comes with birth," he sneered.

With that, he strode away down the corridor leaving the pair staring after him in amazement.

When they arrived at Blundo"s quarters, they found him in a state of excitement. He had found something exciting among the papers left by his predecessor, he told them.

"It was a book about different planes of existence," he said. "It seems that there are four other planes besides this one corresponding to the four elements, Earth, Air, Fire and Water. This plane is a combination of all four. I suppose that"s why our world is called Fusionem. A fusion of all the other planes. There are ways of passing between these planes if you know how."

"What"s this got to do with Torren?" Pettic asked.

"Ah! I"ve not finished. Have patience young man. I also found a diary. It was my predecessor"s diary."

He turned to Lucenra. "I believe your father banished my predecessor. Am I right?"

"Yes, for treason. Father found he"d been in touch with some people who were plotting to overthrow him."

She gave a little laugh. "He denied taking part in the conspiracy, of course, saying he didn"t know why these people wanted the spells he prepared for them. Father was reluctant to take action against him because he"d been with us for a great many years and had become a friend. However, Father decided he had to banish him just in case. Father said that he should have found out what the spells were for in any case, if he were innocent."

"That explains why he seemed so bitter in his diary. He must have forgotten to take it when he left. He"d hidden it though, behind some other books. In it he rails about his banishment and says he"ll get his revenge somehow."

Blundo picked up some books on the table in front of him. "Later on, he says he"s found a way to pass to other planes. He mentioned these books. I looked at them and I think I know what"s happened."

The two young people leaned forward expectantly as Blundo paused for dramatic emphasis.

"Go on," Pettic urged.

"Well, these books say it"s possible to pass to another realm by walking through the arches in the Standing Stones outside the city. The moon must be shining through, and be full. Then you pass through to one of the other realms."

"So you think that Torren"s in one of these other planes?" said the princess.

"No. What I read leads me to think that Prince Torren is imprisoned in what Hellom (that was his name, wasn"t it?) in what Hellom called a mini-plane, or a "Bubble". It"s one created by a magician for his or her own purpose. Hellom wrote at length about creating one. I think he"s put the prince in that mini-plane."

"So what"s all this about the other realms then?" Pettic asked. We just need to find out how to get into this "Bubble" and get Torren out."

"Ah, it"s not so simple. There are four keys created by Hellom and he"s hidden one in each of the elemental realms. Anyone wanting to enter the Bubble needs all of the keys." He opened one of the books at a page he had marked. "They are all precious stones relating to the elements and set in some kind of artefact. The one relating to Terra, the realm corresponding to the element of Earth, is an emerald. Aeris, or Air is a diamond, Aqua which is the water elemental realm, a sapphire and Ignis, or fire, is a ruby." He closed the book and put it down on the table.

"Unfortunately, we don"t know what they"re set in. Equally unfortunately, whoever goes to search cannot return without them. They are the keys to the return just as the moon is the key to getting there. Further, although it"s the gems that are enchanted, for some reason they will not work to enter the Bubble unless they"re in the artefact and worn by the person trying to enter."

The pair looked at each other.

"It"ll need a brave person to take this task on. Whoever goes might not return if they can"t find the artefact with the gem in it," Lucenra said.

"I know," replied Pettic. "Since we"re the only ones who know about this, and obviously you can"t go, it seems it must be me."

They argued a bit about this, but eventually Lucenra realised that if she disappeared, her parents would be asking questions, and so they agreed Pettic would go.

"There is one more thing," said Blundo. "People there in those other worlds will speak a different language. I can make an amulet that"ll allow you to understand others and them to understand you. It won"t be ready for a couple of days though. I"ll send for you as soon as I"ve got it ready."

The pair left Blundo then and went to wait impatiently for his summons.

Three days later, Blundo"s assistant knocked on Pettic"s door. He told him the amulet was ready and he could pick it up as soon as he wished. Blundo also sent a message saying the moon would be full and shining through the arch at six minutes after midnight in two days" time. After that, the next chance would be a full month later.

Pettic decided he was as ready as he would ever be. He admitted to being a little afraid. No one knew what lay beyond the arch–not even what world he would be going to. What if he could not get back? What if it were the world of the element of fire and it was just that—fire and nothing else. Or even water, come to that. He could not breathe if there were no land. Still, he had taken on this task to help to rescue his friend and he would see it through.

He made sure he had enough provisions, although how much was enough? He had no idea how long it would take him to locate the artefact with the gem. He sharpened his sword and stacked a large number of arrows in his quiver. He mentally offered thanks to Torren that he had insisted Pettic learned the arts of weaponry with him. At least he would be able to defend himself from any hostile natives, and maybe even hunt some food if necessary. When he thought he had everything he could think of, he went to see Lucenra.

The princess was ready to go to visit the magician when Pettic knocked at her door, and they left immediately.

When the pair entered his room, Blundo went to a cabinet and unlocked it. He reached in and took out a wooden box, also locked, and lifted a beautiful pendant from it.

"This opal in the amulet has been imbued with the magic for you to understand and be understood," he said, handing it to Pettic.

The young man slipped it over his head.

"I have something else too," continued Blundo. "You"ll need to know the gem when you see it, so I"ve made this little amethyst earring for you. It"s fairly unobtrusive but it"ll warm when it gets near something magical. The gems will have been imbued with magic, you see, so they can act as keys. Remember, if you get near an emerald, ruby, sapphire or diamond and this warms, it"s very likely the gem we want."

Pettic put the earring in his ear. Lucenra smiled. It made him look quite fetching.

"One more thing." Blundo continued to speak. "Time doesn"t flow at the same rate in these other worlds, I"ve been told. It might be quicker or slower, so you may find much time, or no time at all, has passed when you return.

Pettic frowned at this thought, but resolved to continue regardless, even if he found that he had come back here after many years. He still needed to rescue the Crown Prince so he could take his rightful place on the throne when his father died. It was inconceivable this usurper become king. Even more so since the people would not know he was a usurper and would think their beloved Torren had changed into a tyrant. Pettic had no illusions that Dilrong would be anything other than a tyrant.