Preface
Lord Akir stood on the deck of his ship watching as the landing craft made its way back from shore. He had taken a gamble trusting the wizard, but then the wizard had offered to accompany him and his men on their journey knowing that Lord Akir would show him no mercy if his prediction had been false. It had taken over a month to sail this far north through rough seas. The voyage had been harsh with storms and supplies running short. Fortunately his men feared him even more than they did the wizard’s magic. He had fought many a battle and had spent years cultivating the right contacts at the king’s court in order to finally be granted the king’s approval for this venture. If all went well, he planned on becoming ruler of his own kingdom.
“Lord Akir!” a man approached after climbing onto the ship from the landing craft.
“Cormack, come here and tell me what you’ve found,” Lord Akir gestured for the man to join him near the ship’s rail.
“It’s as the wizard predicted,” Cormack reported. “The village is empty. It’s as if everyone suddenly just disappeared.”
“How long do you estimate it’s been abandoned?” Lord Akir asked as he looked toward the village laid out near the shore.
“Not long,” Cormack guessed. “After looking around, I’d have to say less than a year.”
Lord Akir nodded without taking his eyes off of the shore. “What about that structure off in the distance?”
“I already sent a few men to take a look,” Cormack told his commander. “Apparently that structure is a fabulous castle. The men didn’t see anyone there either, but I’ll lead a more thorough search when I return to shore.”
“Take more men,” Lord Akir commanded as he continued to stare at the shore. “Send word to the other ships to start disembarking. Deploy scouting parties to explore past the village and castle. I want an immediate report if they see anyone.”
“Shall I have the men set up camp or can we use the structures in the village?” Cormack had learned from experience to consult with Lord Akir on such decisions.
“Set up camp near the village for the time being,” Lord Akir decided. “Send some men into the village to look for food and water and send a couple of hunting parties into the forest.” Lord Akir now turned to Cormack and smiled. “I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of eating nothing but salted meat and stale bread.”
“We’ll find you something fresh for dinner,” Cormack promised as he bowed and headed off on his many tasks.
Lord Akir turned back to the view of the shoreline. He was deep in thought when he sensed someone approaching from behind. “It is as you foretold,” Lord Akir proclaimed. “The Abandoned Kingdom.”
“Did you doubt me?” the wizard asked.
Lord Akir turned to face the man upon whose visions he had staked his reputation and possibly his very life. The wizard was much younger than Lord Akir and far more handsome. Lord Akir thought him to be from a noble family as he was obviously educated and his speech and mannerisms were quite refined, but the wizard declined to enlighten Lord Akir on his background. Generally Lord Akir found wizards to be charlatans who used trickery to create the illusion of magic, but he had seen this young wizard’s magic and he couldn’t deny its validity. The wizard carried a tall wooden staff on top of which was affixed a large blue crystal which glowed when the wizard performed magic. Lord Akir had originally thought it to be the source of the wizard’s power, but the wizard had voluntarily handed the staff to Lord Akir who, try as he may, could not make it work. Lord Akir was forced to conclude that there was more to the wizard’s magic than just the glowing crystal on the staff.
“I did not doubt that you believed that we would find it,” Lord Akir told him. “I thought it a risk worth taking.”
“So you did doubt me?” The young wizard joined Lord Akir at the rail to gaze upon the shoreline.
“Not anymore,” Lord Akir too turned his gaze back to shore where he looked at the spires of the castle in the distance.