The Second Prophecy (Part 1 of the Dragdani Prophecies) (20 page)

“
You two go
into the living room and watch some more cartoons for a couple of
minutes, and I’ll set the table,” said Helen.

“
Can I help?”
asked Peter.

“
I thought
you wanted to watch cartoons with Daniel,” said Helen hopefully, as
every time Peter took hold of anything breakable, he would drop it
– unintentionally, of course. Helen did not mind when Peter had has
powers, for one look from her and he would fix the plate in a
second.

“
No,” said
Peter, “I want to help you,” he said, his lip curling as he
spoke.

“
We can
both help,”
said Delsani. “And don’t
worry about any accidents.” the Wizard winked at Helen, as she had
told him about Peter’s butter fingers.

“
Fine, you
can help,” said Helen sounding relieved.

In the end,
Helen thought it better, not to mention, safer to put Peter in
charge of the place mats. She put out the cutlery, and Delsani set
out the plates. When all was done and the food was out, they sat
down to eat, and Delsani had only begun to swallow a piece of one
of his juicy roast potatoes when he saw smoke rise from the floor
and twirl up almost into a thin pillar. The Wizard started to
choke.

“
Are you all
right?” asked Helen.

Delsani took
a drink and quickly said. “Helen I think that you should take Peter
into the living room.”

“
Why? What’s
wrong?” she asked, concerned.

“
The
re’s smoke.”

“
Smoke?”
repeated Helen. Then she realized what he meant. She grabbed Peter
by the arm. “Come on, Peter, into the living room
quickly.”

“
I HAVEN’T
FINISHED!” the boy squealed as his mother dragged him out of the
room.

The smoke
cleared, and standing there was a young Wizard. He was shorter than
most and was wearing orange and red robes, which Delsani knew were
the colors of a trainee council member.

“
Hello,” said
the young Wizard. “My name is Olperad, trainee of the Council of
Wiz-Wit and I’m looking for an old Wizard by the name of Delsani.
You wouldn’t happen to know where he is.”

“
I don’t know
what the heck you think you’re doing. But you better have a very
good excuse for this,” said Delsani angrily, though low enough so
Helen and Peter could not hear.

“
Excuse me,
but I doubt that I have to explain myself to you. For as I told you
I’m a member of the Council of Wiz-Wit,” said Olperad.

“
I am the old
Wizard,” said Delsani, as though offended by the way this boy
described him, “and if you wouldn’t call me old Wizard from this
moment on, it would be much appreciated.”

“
I’m sorry
sir, you must excuse me. I didn’t realize that it was you,” said
Olperad apologetically.

“
Very well,”
said Delsani, “and as for your excuse for just barging into this
house, you almost exposed the Wiz-Wit world to the boy that I have
worked so hard to keep in the dark. And then there’s the fact that
you could have also exposed our world to a Normal, who in turn
could have had no prior knowledge of Wizard and Witch kind, in
which case you were lucky that it were I.”

“
The
Grand Wizard sent me,” said
the young Wizard.

“
I find that
very doubtful, for he would not jeopardize all that we have done so
foolishly,” said Delsani.

“
It’s true,”
said Olperad.

Delsani threw the lad a stern look.

“
No, I mean,
not that the Grand Wizard is foolish, but he did send me here to
find you. The enemy has attacked the Elven Sanctuary of
Faluice.”

Delsani stood
staring at the young Wizard as though hoping that this was some
kind of sick joke.

Olperad said nothing.

“
How many
were wounded, and how many are dead?” Delsani asked
quickly.

“
The
re were no survivors,” said
Olperad mournfully.

Delsani’s
face turned a light green, as though he was about to be
sick.

“
And the
Grand Wizard told me to tell you that you are needed. He also told
me to tell you that Feudel, the master of Haludon, was in the
sanctuary at the time of the attack.”

Delsani now
stood staring at the young
Wizard as
though there had been some mistake. “Give me a few seconds. I would
rather not leave without a word to the queen,” said the old
Wizard.

“
Yes, of
course. However, the Grand Wizard said to be hasty. I, for one, do
not want to keep him waiting.”

“
The
n you may go and tell the
Grand Wizard that I won’t be long, to insure that he knows that I
got his message,” said Delsani.

“
But, sir, he
said not to return without you,” said Olperad.

“
The
n you may wait for me,” said
Delsani loudly. “Take a seat if you like. And whatever you do,
don’t leave this room.”

Olperad
nodded and sat on the dinning chair closest to him. Delsani was
just about to open the kitchen door when, “Wait!” Olperad called
out. “I almost forgot to tell you. I was told that Ulicoth has sent
an assassin to find the King. Some of our agents were sent to track
the assassin. He is now believed to be in City New York. Is that
right? I’m not very good with all these strange names the Normals
keep coming up with. And the Grand Wizard has also suspended almost
all Phazing windows except the ones you and I will use.”

“
Very well.
I’ll be back soon,” Delsani went into the living room. Helen was
sitting on the couch, and Peter as before was sitting on the floor.
Helen had not realized that Delsani was in the room.

“
Don’t sit so
close to the T.V. Peter; you’ll get square eyes,” she
said.

Peter put his hands on the floor and pushed
himself back a little. His eyes never left the television as he did
this.

“
Don’t slide
back on your bum like that or you’ll ruin your trousers,” said
Helen.

Still Peter did not take his eyes off of the
television.

While
watching him, Delsani could not help thinking that he might be
addicted to this Normal devise. Then the Wizard remembered why he
was there and gave a light cough to make his presence known. Helen
looked up at the Wizard. Before she had a chance to open her mouth,
Delsani said, “Can I talk with you Helen?”

“
Sure.” She
got up and they went to the other side of the room where they stood
whispering to each other in case Peter might hear.

“
So who was
it? And what does he or she want?” asked Helen.

“
He is a
trainee Council member. And he has news of an attack that took
place in Dorminya. I’m sorry, I can’t say any more, for I don’t
have the time, though I would like to ask one thing.”

“
Sure
anything.”

“
City New
York,” he said hesitantly, as though unsure of the name. “It is on
the other side of this America, is that right?”

“
Yes it is.
And it’s New York City. But why?” said Helen with a blank
expression on her face. “Has it something to do with the
attack?”

“
Yes,” said
the Wizard. “Personally, I believe you should be coming with us.
You are the Queen.”

“
The
re’s something going on
Delsani. Tell me,” said Helen. “Unless you want me to make it an
order, as you just said I’m the Queen.”

“
You’re
right. There is something, but don’t worry; I’ll see to it,” said
Delsani confidently. “And now there really is no time. I must
go.”

The Wizard
went back into the kitchen.

Helen
followed close behind. “I don’t like being kept in the dark,
especially if what is left of my family is in danger,” said Helen
hotly.

At those
words, guilt went prickling through the old Wizard, for although
Helen had told him that she did not blame him for John’s death, it
still weighed heavily on his heart. The thought of his own son’s
death had now come to his mind, and he knew how it felt, as he
himself did not know of the danger his son had faced.

“
Very well,”
he said.

“
But we can’t
stay. The Grand Wizard bid you to come with me as soon as you heard
his message’ said Olperad loudly. “This, this Normal will just have
to wait,” he said stiffly.

“
If you’re
not careful, this Normal, who just happens to be your Queen, will
hang you upside down by your pants,” said Helen harshly.

Delsani
laughed lightly, “Go on without me,” he said, “and tell Jaucal that
I’ll be there as soon as I’m finished. I’m sure he’ll
understand.”

“
I
don’t know why t
he Grand Wizard holds you
in such high regard,” said Olperad.

“
Well,
I suggest that while you
wait for me, you do a little research. Now go.”

“
I’m a
trainee Council member. You have no right talk to me like that. I
have three Comtant awards and five Frue grades. For all you know, I
could be a future Grand Wizard. So if I were you, I’d be careful,”
said Olperad confidently.

“
Very well,
would you please go?” said Delsani and waved his hand dismissively,
knowing that would anger the boy even more.

“
Fine, but
I’m telling the Grand Wizard about the way you’ve treated me,” said
Olperad.

“
You do that.
Now bug off,” said Helen. ‘And just for reference, that was an
order.”

Olperad
scowled at the old Wizard as he Phazed back to Dorminya, and after
they made sure that Peter was all right on his own, Delsani and
Helen sat down, and the Wizard told her all that Olperad had told
him.

“
A Druid’s
Assassin?” said Helen. “But why doesn’t he send his own
people?”

“
His people
would get nowhere, for they would rip through this world until we
would destroy them. But this Druid’s Assassin, as you called it,
would be trained and taught to blend into this world so it would be
harder to find,” explained Delsani. The Wizard saw the concerned
expression on Helen’s face. “Don’t worry, our people are tracking
it as we speak, and that’s exactly why I have to go.”

“
Okay,” said
Helen, “but you’ll tell me what happens won’t you?”

“
Yes, of
course I will,” said Delsani. “Now Helen, listen carefully, I don’t
want you or Peter to leave the house at all, okay?”

“
Okay,” said
Helen.

“
And ask
Saren to come round and then tell her everything that I’ve just
told you,” said Delsani.

“
Wait. Saren
said that she was going to pick Dorana up from school,” said
Helen.

“
She will
still be in this world,” said Delsani, “for Olperad told me that
Jaucal had sent letters to all Wizards and Witches in this world
that explicitly told them not to Phaze back to Dorminya or anywhere
else. She will still be here.”

“
Wait,” said
Helen again.

“Yes.”

“
Who’ll take
care of Dorana? Saren said that Henkot would be working
late.”

“
Don’t worry
about that. I’ll send word for her to be picked up,” said
Delsani.

Chapter Nine

A small
column of smoke appeared on the table behind Delsani. Helen had not
seen it as she was looking at and listening to the old
Wizard.

Just like the
letter that went to Delsani at the Battle of Kealhal, this one was
standing on its bottom corners, and it began to jump up and down
for attention. Still Helen did not see it. The letter then
proceeded to stamp its supposed left foot on the table.

Delsani
turned when he heard the faint taping. The letter had begun
jumping, and the Wizard caught it in midair. As he unfolded the
parchment and read what it said, his face went pale.

“
What’s
wrong?” asked Helen.

“
The
re’s been another attack.”
Delsani’s voice sounded hollow.

“Another attack,” repeated Helen weakly.

“So it says here. It was a small Witch town
that was built only three miles from the borders of Opredanas. I
knew it and its inhabitants well, as did Saren and Henkot,” said
Delsani mournfully.

“
What was it
called?” asked Helen. “The town, I mean.”

“
The
name of the town was Kuople,”
said Delsani.

“
I’m sure
that I’ve heard that name before,” said Helen.

“
That was
where Saren’s sister lived,” said Delsani.

“
Oh my god,”
said Helen at length. “Were there any survivors?”

The Wizard
shook his head. They stood there in silence for a few moments, and
then Delsani spoke. “Helen I must go before the situation gets even
more desperate. Don’t forget to call Saren. Now she definitely has
to know what’s happened. I hate to leave you with such a task but I
must go.”