fine detail cut in the resin that made up the dragons scales; coming from both their open, fanged mouths was the blade, shining yellow and red, giving the sword its name. He was amazed at the blade’s condition. Given its age there were no obvious pits he could see, and it was still just as sharp, its balance perfect in his grip.
There were symbols on the blade in ancient Skrol, thin, squiggly lines inside a thick circle. At first, he did not understand it, for he had only learnt a few words of this ancient subconscious language. Then, just as he focused on the symbols that wavered before his eyes, his father spoke.
“The silver orb on the hilt is a My’thos Orrinn. Do not ask me what it does,” said the king, holding up his hands to wave away the boy’s questions. “You will have to ask Lord Ness about it, because I have never been able to figure it out.”
“This is most generous. Thank you. I only hope that I can wield it as well as you,” said Havoc, sheathing the sword.
“I’ am sure you will.”
Havoc may have been mistaken, but he was sure a glint of a tear had appeared in is father’s eye, but the king had turned away quickly.
“Alright now,” said his mother, hugging him and ushering him to the door. “Take good care of Tragenn; off you go to your studies. I shall see you at the weekend.” With that, she gave him a light kiss and closed the door as he departed.
Chapter 2
The Rawn Arts
His run back was not as fast as his previous flight to see his parents. He was more content on a slow jog while he took snatch glimpses at Tragenn.
He admired the quality and gave her a few experimental lunges; in his excitement, he realised he was going too slowly, so he picked up speed; he could not wait to tell Magnus. Then he stopped; he thought that he had better break it to him gently. The sheer fact that Magnus was illegitimate and had no real rights to the Cromme dynasty grated on his younger brother. Of course, it was no fault off Magnus’, but it was still a touchy subject to some members of the family.
Magnus’ mother, Lilly, sister to Lord Rett, was once King Vanduke’s mistress before the marriage to Havoc’s mother. On seeing Molna, a daughter to a baron of one of the Aliniani tribes, Vanduke renounced all his old ways, spurned Lilly and asked for Molna’s hand in marriage, though he was not the only pursuer; his brothers, Kasan and Hagan, were also besotted with her.
Lilly, always stubborn and hot headed, was furious and sought revenge and, almost three years after Vanduke and Molna were married, she found him drunk in Lord Rett’s house in Baronstown, celebrating the Red Duke’s birthday with fellow Carras Knights. There, she seduced him. The result, nine months later, was Magnus.
Vanduke was distraught and vowed never to drink again, and his wife, ever kind and loving, forgave him. Lilly, however, banished and alone, had a terrible time at the birth of Magnus and died shortly after from many complications. Molna took pity on the boy and, when he was only three months old, she took care of him as one of her own.
Havoc was, by then, over a year old when Magnus came to live with his family, and he always saw him as his true brother, even though there were some physical differences, but they always shared in a healthy imagination and a sense of adventure.
Havoc ran through the palace and on into the library cloister; he skirted around the two-thousand-year-old ewe tree that grew in the centre, its branches now so long they needed propping up with iron poles, and then out into the sunshine.
He took the flagged path to the north towards the academy grounds, passing the parliament and council chambers on the right, and jogged to the large lawn cropped short and surrounded by elms and pines.
There in the centre stood a replica of the circle of Carras, only a third of the size, it was, however, impressive, ten standing stones five feet high, with a raised dais table in the