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Pasha and the Lost Mountain
Chapter One
The great hall was supercharged
with an energy that was only ever present when the
four Master Wizards gathered in the same place at
the same time. They had travelled from the four
corners of the Earth, to bear witness to the
beginning of a new era and celebrate the end of the
Keeper’s reign. Tonight, they would be witnesses to
the passing of the great charter from the old Keeper
to the new. The Keeper’s grand mahogany chair stood
empty at the head of the masses. They chatted
amongst themselves, each boasting of successful
missions in their regions. It was easier to
concentrate on the positives than to remember the
huge costs that often came alongside such victories.
A boisterous voice from the far
end of the hall halted the festivities, “That had
better be dinner. I am so hungry I could eat a
dragon,” remarked the rotund and jolly wizard of the
North, sending a chuckle around the room.
Almost on cue, his wishes were
answered as a large wooden table laden with a
sumptuous banquet squeezed itself from the
middle of the wall. It twisted and turned until it was finally free, then
continued its journey toward the waiting wizards and
the still-empty
chair of the Keeper.
They did not have to wait long;
with the wizards in place, five golden banqueting
chairs shot out from the wall and spiralled toward
their designated diner. The fifth chair landed next
to the Keeper’s chair, spinning around as if looking
for its occupant.
The Keeper shuffled into the
hall, his once-tall frame hunched over from years of
faithful service. His dark hair had long since been
peppered with grey, but his blue eyes were still as
sharp as ever, taking in the scene before him as he
slowly made his way to the chair of honour. His
diamond-encrusted slippers never left the floor as
his long white embroidered robe swayed from side to
side. At the head of the table a large book
hovered, waiting patiently for him to arrive.
Following behind the Keeper was a mysterious cloaked
figure with a large hood. The person seated the
Keeper in his great chair and sat down in the chair
beside him. A huge ruckus erupted at the table as
the wizards huddled together.
“Who is it? Who is it!” some
demanded in unison.
The wizard of the East answered,
“I don’t know! Maybe it’s someone we’ve already
been acquainted with.”
“Who could it be?” another wizard
whispered.
“Who would it be? It
would have to be someone destined for such a
responsible position, but I do not know what human
nowadays would understand such powerful
forces.”
“Maybe it’s not even a human, but
a mystical creature!”
“Oh! I could not imagine that
the Keeper would bring shame to this honourable
position by letting any mystical creature
become
the highest ranking authority in this magical
world!”
“Silence!” The Keeper shouted in
disappointment. “Be patient and honourable!”
With everyone now in their place,
the book nudged forward prompting the Keeper to
start, his deep voice echoing through
the great hall.
“Be it known that all of mankind
makes a choice between good and evil. In both life
and death, we journey on our
chosen paths. Though the virtuous road has been well-travelled, a few
trudge the walkway of wickedness.
With my rein as the Keeper drawing to a close, I am
duly bound to deliver this written record of my
reign to you, my successor, before I depart and
command the wall of visions to simultaneously play
an accurate record of my rein.”
This is what the wizards had been waiting to see and
they all turned their chairs to face the large blank
wall opposite the Keeper’s chair. All eyes focused
on the faint pinpoint of light that appeared,
watching in eager anticipation as it expanded
quickly to display a large visual picture.
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