Jacob was excited to go into the city, even if it was in shambles. Akeno taped new leaves on his shoes, and they sent Early off to report that Jacob would be coming as soon as they found a place where Akeno could hide. Early quickly returned with the message that Brojan and Akeno’s parents were eagerly awaiting Jacob’s return.
“But why would it be better to hide in the city?” Jacob asked. “I mean, wouldn’t we want to stay away from people, just in case the Lorkon or the wolves come around?”
Early flitted to him. “Brojan said it would be better to hide in a deserted house in the city. He feels it would be safer.”
They headed down the mountainside. Jacob didn’t notice that the two black wolves were watching them from bushes near the path until September pointed it out.
“Why do they do that?” Jacob said. “It’s really creepy.”
“Yes, it is.” Akeno glared at the wolves.
They made a wide circle around the animals and got back on the trail. Jacob kept one eye on the predators as they walked, but they didn’t do anything—just watched the entire time. He decided to ignore them.
After a few minutes, Jacob and Akeno reached the road that led into town and turned to follow it. A faded wooden sign with Macaria etched in it showed an arrow pointing ahead. The Minyas floated above them, and Jacob’s spirits rose a notch. They were going to see people!
The city was small, and at one point might have been considered quaint. Everything was white. The buildings, the walks—even the dirt had a white appearance to it. It looked as though the whole town had been bleached by the sun, and it made the city beautiful, even with the war-ravaged look. The road was dusty, and each step Akeno and Jacob took caused a little cloud to billow up around their feet. The street was deserted, and the sun was bright as they walked down the center of the road, almost as if they were about to have a face-off with someone at the opposite end of the street. Jacob smiled, feeling like he was in his favorite James Garner western.
He watched for buildings he’d recognize as a store or maybe a hotel. Most of the windows were boarded up. The buildings ranged in size from one story to two and sometimes three stories high, with the remains of the castle being the tallest. The road led toward the castle, which seemed to be situated on the shores of the lake.
“Hey, let’s use the castle as our hiding place,” Jacob said.
“That would be trespassing.”
Jacob chuckled. ”Yeah, but what’s the difference between that and using an old house? I bet it’d be okay with the people here. Besides, it’d be fun.”
“You and your ideas of fun. Broken bones, sneaking into castles—is this normal?”
Jacob laughed. “For a guy my age, yes.” He looked around. “I say we first find a town center or a store. See if we can learn something about this city before you shrink me.”
Akeno agreed, and they continued following the road, which eventually widened and split, encircling a building that had a few people going in and out of it. It was only a short distance from the castle, and Jacob figured it was most likely the center of the city. Judging by the posters in the windows, it was a store of sorts.
“Are they humans?” he whispered, motioning to the people.
Akeno shaded his eyes from the morning sun. “Looks that way.”
“I say we go into the store. Wouldn’t hurt.”
“As long as we don’t tell them why we’re here.”
“Of course not.” Jacob stopped and turned to the Minyas. “Would you be okay in my bag? I don’t want anyone to see you, but it would be better if we didn’t get separated right now, in case something bad happens.” He was surprised when the Minyas agreed, and he pulled his bag open, letting them fly in before shutting it.
Only a couple of people turned at the sound of the door opening. They were all human—at least, Jacob thought so. He saw shock register in their eyes as they looked at him and Akeno, and he wondered if they’d ever seen a Makalo before. A black man wearing an oily leather apron worked behind a counter.
“Your . . . Highness?” he asked.
Jacob turned to him and saw the look of recognition leave the man’s face.
“Er, no, I’m Jacob.”
“Oh, I’m sorry . . . please . . .” The man fumbled with a jar on the counter full of little brown squares that looked like caramel. “Would you like to try some Canush?”
“Um, no, thanks.”
“Are you sure? They are quite excellent.” The man popped one into his mouth, closing his eyes and grinning.
Jacob looked at Akeno.
“We have them too,” Akeno whispered. “Try one. They’re good.”
“You eat one, then,” Jacob replied.
The man opened his eyes. “Oh, I’m sorry. Excuse me,” he said. “I’m sorry. Here, you can have one, too.” He held the jar out to Akeno—who took one—then extended his arm to Jacob.
“What . . . exactly is it?”
The man flashed a smile, his teeth white in contrast to his dark skin. “A popular sweet here. It’s made from the roots of the Canush tree.”
Jacob looked into the jar. Not too scary, but he hated trying new foods. He hesitated a moment longer, then put one in his mouth, biting down on the corner. He was surprised when the entire thing dissolved as soon as he bit. A cool, sweet juice gushed over his tongue. He almost choked on the unexpected liquid, but it didn’t disagree with his taste buds, and he felt the corners of his mouth lifting.
“You like it, don’t you?” the man said. “Oh, I knew you would. It’s quite a popular treat here with the children. I mean, you aren’t a child, but I thought you would like it because you are still in your youth. Of course, I don’t mean to say that you are a boy, because you aren’t, but you are young still, and not quite a grown man—though you are a man already. I’m sorry, I’m—”
“No, you’re fine,” Jacob said, almost laughing, but remembering his manners just in time. “And yes, I do like it a lot.”
He looked around the store, noticing that people glanced away as he did. They must have been watching him try the candy. How awkward. The man put the jar back and waited, leaning on the counter with both hands.
“Sir, may I ask your name?”
“Of course, of course. It’s Gallus. This is my shop.”
“It’s nice to meet you. Like I said, my name is Jacob, and this is Akeno, my friend.”
Gallus studied Akeno, a thoughtful expression on his face, then addressed Jacob again. “What brings you to our city?”
Jacob rubbed his neck, his eyes flicking to Akeno’s. “We’re actually just passing through,” he said. Then, wanting to deflect further inquiries, he said, “Um . . . can I ask a question?”
“Certainly.”
“Why did you call me ‘Your Highness’ when we walked in?”
“Oh, well, because the last time a human was seen traveling with a Makalo, it was many years ago.” Gallus turned to hand something to a customer before continuing. “He was a prince from a faraway kingdom. Dmitri was his name. He was a really extraordinary man who went through quite a lot during his short lifetime.” Gallus looked wistfully at Jacob. “It has been a long time since we experienced true peace here. Dmitri would have been our king if the Lorkon hadn’t taken over.” He rubbed his forehead, then again scrutinized Akeno. “The Makalos are all but extinct, though there are rumors of a village not far from here.”
Akeno looked away, and Jacob worried about the attention Gallus was giving him. “What kind of money do you use here in exchange for products?” he asked.
“We don’t. Our money system was completely destroyed when the Lorkon took over the city.”
Jacob exchanged a glance with Akeno. If the Lorkon were in control, would Akeno be able to hide safely while Jacob went back to Taga?
“They’re in charge?”
Gallus nodded. “Basically, but they got bored with us a year or so ago. They were searching for something and thought we were hiding
it here, but when they didn’t find it, they gave up and no longer care what we do.”
Jacob relaxed at this news. “That’s good.”
Gallus stooped to pick up a jar of grain from the floor. “Many of our loved ones were taken away during that period and never returned. We’ve tried several times to find them, but have only been met with a great deal of resistance, and even death.” He set the jar on a shelf behind him. “We’re still in the process of fixing things around here. Mainly the government, but the city is much safer now.” He turned to Jacob, a slight frown on his face. “I’m surprised you don’t know this already. Where are you from?”
“East of here,” Jacob lied, and immediately felt guilty. He hated being dishonest.
This appeared to satisfy Gallus, however, who excused himself to assist a customer. Jacob turned to look around the store.
There was an array of odd-looking equipment Jacob assumed was for farming. There were also saddles, bridles, and other things for horse riding. Jacob’s thoughts drifted, thinking how much nicer the trip would be if they’d had horses. The switchbacks alone would have taken a lot less time. Then he remembered the bubbles and realized they would have had to leave the animals behind anyway.
He found a small stand displaying pretty necklaces and picked one out he thought his mom would like. Akeno made eye contact with him, motioning to the door. Jacob gave a small nod, but wanted to see if he could buy the necklace first.
He walked back to Gallus. “If you don’t use money, how do you buy things?”
“We exchange for products. If you have nothing to exchange, you can work for what you need.”
“Okay, well, maybe next time.” He had nothing to trade, and taking time to work off debt was out of the question. “It was nice to meet you.” Jacob put the necklace back on the rack, then gave a small wave as he and Akeno left the store.
Once outside, he looked at Akeno and raised an eyebrow. “Why didn’t you talk?”
Akeno fidgeted with his bag. ”I don’t know . . . I didn’t know what to say.”
Jacob ducked down a small alley, then pulled open his knapsack to let the Minyas out and grabbed a sack of beef jerky as well, offering some to Akeno. “Are you shy?”
“A little, I guess. It depends.”
Jacob took a bite of jerky. “Let’s find a place where you can hide after shrinking me.” He walked back onto the street again.
“I see where you’re headed,” Akeno said, a smile coloring his voice.
“It’s really not out of the way.”
“Fine, we can use the castle.”
“Awesome!” Jacob jumped into the air. “I’ve always wanted to go inside a castle!”
Akeno laughed and fell into step next to Jacob. “But if something goes wrong, we’ll know who to blame.”
The road they followed turned a few times, leading them away from Gallus’s store. It was lined with old, intricately designed flag poles. A few of the flags remained, and they must have been magnificent once. They were royal blue, with gold and silver designs.
“This street has to lead to the castle,” Jacob said.
“It does. See?”
Jacob looked ahead to where Akeno pointed. They were just coming around one of the bends in the road, and the remains of an impressive wall were now in sight. Jacob whistled. The wall was awe-inspiring—obviously designed more for show than anything, but still imposing.
They walked over the crumbling bridge and past the wall. The courtyard was filled with flowering trees and was overgrown with ivy and bushes. Daisies pushed through the weeds and vines in clumps.
Most of the castle walls had crumbled, except for the one farthest from them. It was the tallest, with a turret and tower still attached, and was closest to the lake.
Even though the front wall was non-existent, the huge wooden doors stood intact. Jacob walked up to the door, pushing it open. “Looks like the castle is still trying to keep people out.”
“Wait. Let me see what’s around us.” Akeno walked to a tree, putting his left hand on it. He closed his eyes for a moment, a look of concentration on his face. “There’s nothing here. We should be safe to go in.”
Jacob stepped through the doorway, and they entered what must once have been a grand receiving room. It was very wide and tall, and the remains of second and third-floor balconies were visible on a few of the walls. The ceiling was gone, except near the back.
“Where should we go?” Jacob said.
“I’d feel more comfortable hiding in a room with four walls and a roof.”
“I don’t blame you.” Jacob walked forward. “Let’s go to the other side of the castle.”
They walked through a set of doors into a dark and dingy hallway with many doors leading off it. The walls went up six feet on either side and extended away from the hallway, forming a large shelf, one on each side, running the length of the corridor. On top of the high shelves stood life-size statues of humans, Makalos, and many creatures Jacob hadn’t yet encountered.
“Why haven’t we run into any of these?” he said.
“They’re probably extinct or in hiding still.”
Jacob wandered down the hallway, looking at the crumbling statues. He found two next to each other that were identical, right down to their odd-looking hands. He stopped to inspect them. “Why are there two of these?”
“One is a Dust, and the other is a Wurby. They’re very much alike, except Wurbies are good and Dusts are evil. The only way you can tell the difference between them, besides how they treat you, is the color of their eyes. Wurbies have light eyes and Dusts have dark eyes.”
“So, dark eyes represent evil?” Jacob snickered. “My dad’s eyes are brown.”
“Obviously it’s not something that carries over into other species. In the case of Dusts and Wurbies, though, yes.”
Jacob continued down the hall. “When we get back, I want you to tell me all about the other races and species that lived in this world.” He saw the statue of a beautiful woman and walked up to it. It fascinated him. She looked too angular to be human, although she had all the features of a human. Her eyes had crumbled away, but the rest of the statue was in perfect condition.
“That’s a Shiengol,” Akeno said, noticing Jacob’s fascination. “There used to be diamonds in her eyes. Someone must have stolen them.”
“Why did they put diamonds there?”
“The eyes of a Shiengol are the most beautiful part of him or her, and the thing least understood by anyone else. Diamonds were used to represent both the color of their eyes and the power that originated there.”
“Power? As in magic? Like Rezend?”
“Kind of, but not in the way you’re thinking. They had amazing eyesight, and in ways you’d never imagine.”
“How so?”
“I can’t explain it very well, but I’ll tell you what I know. A Shiengol could see more colors than we can, and in three dimensions. They could see all the senses, including sound waves, and they could even see and smell molecules. Other things about them were different, too.” Akeno started opening doors in the hallway. “When we get back with the Key, I’ll have my father explain it. I want to be there when he does, though, since there’s a lot I don’t understand.”
He pushed open a door across from the Shiengol statue. “This room is perfect.” He stepped back and pointed down the hall. “All right, you go that way and I’ll walk this way.”
Jacob jogged to the end of the corridor and turned to face Akeno. The Makalo reached out, and Jacob felt a strong, tight pressure around his waist and ribs that knocked the wind out of him. The pressure disappeared, and then he was standing on Akeno’s extended palm. Nothing in between—no whoosh of air, no sensation of shrinking.
“Did I hurt you?” Akeno whispered.
Jacob tried not to gasp as he caught his breath. “No, I’m fine.”
“Okay. I’m having Early take you back.”
Jacob felt warmth in his cheeks an
d turned away for a minute, pretending to check his bag. Early was very pretty. He contemplated asking Akeno to have September take him instead, but didn’t want to hurt Early’s feelings. He clamped his mouth shut and closed his eyes. Why was he still shy around girls? He was fourteen—he should be over all that stupid stuff by now.
Early accepted the job in the way she normally would any request. He could tell her excitement had nothing to do with him, and he was surprised to realize he was disappointed for some reason. His self-confidence went down a notch, and he tried not to think of Early’s reaction as a rejection. Feeling silly for even having the thought, his face flushed more, which embarrassed him further. He shut his eyes tighter, and moments later, saw a bright flash through his eyelids, and then he stood on a firm surface. Opening his eyes, he wasn’t surprised to see huge figures surrounding him.
“Jacob, would you rather stay small for the conversation, or be enlarged again?” Kenji said.
“Make me big,” he said. He didn’t want to feel as though they were talking down to him.
“It increases your risk of being hurt.”
“That’s okay. It’s better than being small.”
Kenji sighed. “All right, we’ll get you back to normal size.”
He extended his hand and Jacob hopped onto it, grateful to have a choice—he was getting tired of people picking him up.
Kenji raised his hand high in the air, and Jacob felt the wind blow past him. The large, bouncing steps Kenji took made him feel sick, so he sat and closed his eyes, concentrating on breathing the fresh air.
“Jacob, I’m going to put you down now.”
Jacob felt solid earth beneath his feet and he opened his eyes—he was back to his normal size. Looking up, he saw Brojan, Kenji, and Ebony standing on the canyon wall above him and was momentarily confused as to why he wasn’t up there with them. Then it occurred to him there probably hadn’t been enough distance for him to be put back to his normal size without a building getting in the way. He smiled at them, feeling a strong sense of relief mingled with homesickness. He was really close to his family! He ran forward and climbed the rope ladder they lowered to him.
“Welcome back, Jacob,” Kenji said, shaking Jacob’s hand.
It took a few moments to reach Brojan’s house. When they did, the scent of spicy meat hung thick in the air, and Jacob’s mouth started watering. The group entered the back room, and Jacob felt like jumping for joy when he saw the table. It was covered with steaming, savory things to eat.
“All right! Real food!”
“I thought you’d enjoy something different from what you’ve been eating,” Ebony said, sitting next to Kenji.
“Oh, I’ll remember this meal forever!”
Everyone laughed as the rest of them took their places. Jacob ended up sitting nearest Brojan, who was at the head of the table. The conversation started by covering all the expected topics: their health, how Jacob enjoyed sleeping in Akeno’s huts, how they were getting along, how well the Minyas were behaving, and the city where Akeno was hiding. Then Brojan leaned forward.
“We wanted to talk to you because we believe the Lorkon are waiting for you,” he said. “The wolves dropped their guard on the link as soon as you left, and we think the Lorkon are using the Key as bait.”
Jacob almost choked on a piece of meat. “What?”
Kenji shook his head, a concerned expression on his face. “We suspected it before, but weren’t sure. Things are finally adding up. For example, the wolves aren’t attacking, but seem to be monitoring your progress. Nothing’s trying to stop you from getting to the castle, and there have been no real distractions.”
“But why are they trying to bait me?”
“They want you in their possession. It appears they haven’t gotten past the spells on the Key yet.”
“What are they expecting from me?” Jacob frowned. “That I’ll be able to teach them how to use it?”
Kenji took another helping of potatoes. “I think they’re hoping you’ll be the answer to all their problems.”
Jacob snorted. “Well, they’re stupid, then. They have to know this is the first time I’ve been in their world—there’s no way I’ll know how to do anything for them.”
Kenji put down the potato spoon and looked Jacob square in the eye. “Have you figured out why things heat up under your hands?”
“No,” Jacob said. “I forgot about that, actually.”
“It is immensely important you figure it out as soon as you can,” Brojan said.
Kenji agreed, then leaned forward. He didn’t say anything for a moment. Then, “Jacob, we didn’t get the chance to explain about the Lorkon before you and Akeno had to leave. We’d like to talk to you about that now. For starters, Lorkon are almost always male. Very rarely does anyone come across a female, and there are huge differences between the male and female.
“The females are beautiful, and they have talents and abilities that come with that beauty. They are captivating. The males, on the other hand, are disfigured and hideous. While it is said you will never forget the first time you see a female, the memory of the first time you see a male will have the power to haunt your dreams for the rest of your life.”
“Was the lady I saw in the forest a Lorkon?”
Kenji nodded. “We believe so.”
“We hesitate telling you more about them,” Brojan said, and then took a deep breath. He held it, then slowly let it out. “However, Ebony and Kenji have been very persistent in the belief that you should know as much about the Lorkon as possible before you meet them.”
Kenji looked at Jacob, then closed his eyes. “Jacob, I really wish things were different. I wish your first experience in our world had been under better circumstances. And more than anything, I wish the Lorkon weren’t what they are.”
Ebony leaned forward. “We believe the more you know about them, the better prepared you’ll be.”
“I think so too,” Jacob said. “Tell me as much as you can.”
“They are horrible and very powerful,” Kenji said. “They’re taller than humans, nearing nine feet. Sometimes they hunch over inside their cloaks and it’s difficult to know how tall they really are. Their teeth are stained black and yellow. They are very swift on foot and are extraordinarily strong, both physically and mentally. So strong, they don’t have need for weapons.”
He shook his head slowly. “All this aside, however, the most disturbing feature of the Lorkon is their skin. It’s blood red in color and is constantly chafing and peeling. They infect whatever they touch, and the blood that oozes from the cracks in their skin burns like acid.” Kenji shuddered at this point, rubbing his shoulder.
“That . . . is disgusting,” Jacob said. “And I have to get the Key from them? How is that even possible?”
“It will be possible,” Kenji said. “But remember, do not attack them. You’ll lose if you do. The Lorkon are immortal and invincible. We discovered this during the last war. Sneak into the castle, using the Minyas to look out for danger. Hide until you know the coast is clear. Use the abilities you and Akeno have at your disposal to get the Key and escape.”
“So I can be shrunk again?”
“Yes, but only if it’s necessary. And while in the Lorkon castle, do everything in your power not to get separated.”
Ebony leaned forward. “I’m particularly interested in what the Lorkon woman said to you.” She looked at him expectantly.
“I . . .” Jacob thought back to the infected forest. He could picture the woman—could see her mouthing the word, but nothing came to mind. Everything had happened so quickly, and she’d been so pretty. He felt a blush creeping across his face. “I . . . uh. I can’t remember.” He stared at his hands, feeling sheepish. “Sorry.”
“Let us know if and when you remember,” she said. “It could be very important.”
There was silence for a moment. Jacob finished his food while waiting for one of the Makalos to say something.
&nbs
p; “We’ve decided to allow you to take something back with you,” Brojan said. “It is a journal that tells the history of a man very significant to this land. It also explains how the Lorkon got in control, which is necessary for you to know.”
Brojan reached back, took a book from a small table behind him, and put it in front of Jacob.
Jacob gave Brojan a questioning look and reached forward to take it. It felt worn and fragile in his hands. The leather binding was rubbing away, and the pages were old and tattered. Flipping through it, he was surprised that the first page was the only one with writing. The rest were blank.
“Only the first page has something on it,” he said.
Ebony smiled. “It’s intended to be read one page at a time. The rest of the information will be available after you have read what comes before it. The ultimate book—it prevents skipping ahead.” She smiled again. “You’ll notice that the first couple of pages were torn from another journal and added to the beginning of this, as a sort of introduction.”
Jacob inspected the pages, seeing where the first few were attached. If Ebony hadn’t said anything, he might not have noticed the difference. He turned to the introduction. The writing was loose and haphazard and somewhat similar to his dad’s writing, so it wasn’t difficult to read.
My name is Dmitri. I am twenty-three years old, and I live in the kingdom of Troosinal.
“Wait,” Jacob said. “This book is about a guy named Dmitri?”
“Yes, it is,” Kenji replied. “Does that mean something to you?”
“When we got to the city, we stopped off at a store, and the guy there told me about a prince named Dmitri. Is this the same person?”
“Yes, probably. Who was the man in the store?”
“He said his name was Gallus.”
“Wait—Gallus?” Kenji sprang to his feet, startling Jacob.
“Yes . . . uh . . . he was a tall black man with a deep voice.”
Ebony squealed, jumping up, and she and Kenji threw their arms around each other, laughing and crying. “Oh, I can’t believe it!” she said. “I just can’t believe it!”
“I take it you guys know him?”
Ebony wiped tears from her eyes. “Yes, of course we do. Oh, Kenji, I hadn’t imagined he’d still be alive!”
“Neither had I! What a wonderful surprise!” They sat back down, and Kenji leaned forward. “Jacob, please tell us everything Gallus said.”
“Well, we got to the store, and he called me ‘Your Highness,’ then made me eat some candy. He said the Lorkon took over their city’s government for a while. They were looking for something, but gave up a year ago and moved on. That’s pretty much it.”
“I’m sure they were searching for the Key.” Ebony nodded. “Oh, it’s such a relief to hear that Gallus survived!”
“Jacob, when you return, find Gallus again,” Kenji said. “Let him know who you are and that we sent you. He is one of the most trustworthy people you’ll find. If he makes any suggestions about things you should or should not do, listen to him.”
Jacob raised an eyebrow. “That’s what you said about the old guy, and he ended up throwing nuts at us. How do you know Gallus isn’t crazy too?”
“You talked to him yourself,” Kenji said. “Did he seem lucid?”
“Yeah . . . he did.”
“Well, there you have it.”
“Please let him know we’re overjoyed he is still alive and well,” Ebony said. “He is in good health, isn’t he?”
Jacob shrugged. “He looked like it.”
“Such wonderful news!” Ebony said. She and Kenji smiled at each other, acting as though they were the only people in the room. Then she turned to Jacob. “You should get back to Akeno now.”
Jacob put the book into his backpack. “So—read the book, talk to Gallus, figure out my ability, get the Key.”
“Right,” Kenji said.
“At least with the book, you’ll be better prepared for what lies ahead of you,” Ebony said. “And Gallus should have more information about the current condition of the land there.”
“All right. Who’s shrinking me?”
Brojan raised his hand.
Jacob slung his bag over his shoulders. “I’m ready.”