Palmu Chronicles, pt. 3.
The prophesy fulfilled.
J. Pardo libguy3@yahoo.com

ZeKrog bowed his head honored to be part of this Wizardic community.  

"To identify you as a neophyte Wizard, you must pronounce your name
with emphasis on your old name. When you are deemed worthy, your name
will be Zekrog. As your initiation, you must accompany Timi and Tuck on
their quest to save Timi's mother from Draconix," Zerho explained.

"I understand," ZeKrog nodded.

"Get some rest, your journey begins at dawn," Zemus said.

Timi and Tuck were in the background during the ceremony and were
pleased that ZeKrog successfully completed the bonding.  Zemus' words
hit hard, the journey begins.  They hugged close with the realization. 
Will they be alive at evening?  Could they actually rescue the Queen?

Zemus looked to his "children" and tried to reassure them.

"Have faith, draw from the power within you and we shall see you alive
again." he said.  "Shoo! Get to sleep, you'll need it for the trip."

They held hands as the headed into the house. Spontaneously, they
kissed then went to their separate rooms.

As a gift Zemus sent a sleeping spell to their rooms, helping them
rest.

ZeKrog was too excited to sleep experimenting with his new-found power.

"MORPHUS ANIMALUS!" he yelled. Changing into a lion, then a tiger, then
a mouse, each may be needed at any time. "Strength, though important,
may not be the most prudent course in every circumstance."

He needed to sleep, so he changed himself into a sheep and counted
himself until he nodded off.

In the morning they bade farewell to Zemus.  In his final warning,
Zemus told ZeKrog, "if they try to smoke you out of the trees, seek a
bonding with stick of power, and jam it in the ground.  Remember, only
Yew can prevent forest fires."

Loaded with supplies they headed off in the direction of the sun, to
Castle Palmu.

"SENSORUS TELLUS!" ZeKrog yelled. "That will warn us of anyone or
anything approaching."

Walking through the forest, they encountered small animals which
scurried out of their way.  Stepping over a log, they heard a scream.
They looked around and saw nothing. Tuck looked down near his foot,
looking back at him was a squirrel, at least he thought it was a
squirrel until it talked to him. 

"Get your damn foot off of mine, ya overgrown monster!" Sudd the Sprit
yelled.

Tuck jerked his foot up. "SORRY!" he yelled.

"AHHHH!!" Sudd said holding his ears. "YOU DON'T HAVE TO YELL, IDIOT!
I'm a sprit, I can hear miles away."

"I just thought..." Tuck responded.

"THOUGHT WHAT? Just because I'm small I can't do anything?" Sudd said
angrily.

Timi decided to diffuse the situation. She got on her knees to get a
closer look at Sudd.

"Oh, you handsome thing," she said sweetly, turning up the heat a bit. 

Sudd looked at this vision of loveliness. 

"AGA! AGA!" Sudd tried to say.

"You were saying?" Timi asked.

"Nevermind" Sudd said, hanging his head.

Timi reached her hand out and Sudd jumped on.

"Milady, I am at your command," Sudd said, bowing his head solemnly.

"Thank you, Sprit!" she replied. "So what may we call you?"

"Suddaluthenamenan Spritenclan," Sudd said, pronouncing his name
slowly, "please call me Sudd."

"You honor me with your true name, Sudd," Timi said. "We are on a quest
to rescue someone."

"I know you are, Princess Timinetus," Sudd said, "I have the talent of
insight. When I touched your hand, I knew who you were and your
mission."

Tuck took Sudd from Timi.

"And you, Master Tuckerby, are a protector with latent powers. You have
a strong affinity to detect wizardry, and wizards tend to look
favorably on you," Sudd revealed.

Tuck looked surprised at Sudd's accuracy.

"What about me, Sprit?" ZeKrog said, grabbing Sudd, and trying to look
gruff.

Sudd nearly fainted when he saw ZeKrog, Urfs normally eat sprits for
lunch.  He calmed down when he concentrated on ZeKrog.  

"AHEM! You are now a wizard," he told ZeGrog, " a bit cocky from the
newly gained power, but you have a good heart."

"Cocky?" ZeKrog said, trying to look hurt. "HAHAHA! No one's called me
cocky before and lived, especially a sprit. Of course, they're usually
not alive after the first gulp." He put on an evil-looking grin.

"Gentlemen?" Timi said, "if we can continue."

"Certainly, Milady," Sudd said.

As they walked along the forest, they spotted a group of Urfs trying to
start a fire.  The Urfs gathered loose twigs and were about to light
them with a torch (the flammable kind), when a large branch from a
nearby tree knocked the torch from the hand of the largest Urf.  He
looked around confused, then grabbed for the torch again.  This time
the branch knocked HIM down, and slapped on the torch until it
extinguished. Clearly no accident, the rest of the Urfs got the message
and ran away while the fallen Urf crawled away on his knees.  The tree
gave him one last swat in the rump as he left.

ZeKrog and crew were waiting for the people behind this deed to show
themselves, but they never did. Boldly he approached the tree, reaching
for a stick.  This tree was a magnificent Yew, with large branches. 
Perfect for a stick of power.  ZeKrog never made contact with the limb
as it pulled itself out of the way.  Thinking it was the wind, he
reached again. 

"Touch it and you're history," said the voice in the tree.

"Who said that?" ZeKrog asked.

"I did!" the tree.

"Show yourself!" ZeKrog demanded.

"You must be blind, if you can't see me," the tree responded.

Suddenly an angry face formed in the bark. The mouth had no teeth, so
surely its bark was worst than its bite.

ZeKrog stepped back in amazement.

"What's the matter, never seen a Yewman before?"

"A yewman?" ZeKrog asked.

"Yewgo, the Yewman," Yewgo answered.

"Oh! I am ZeKrog, a new wizard." ZeKrog said, "and these are my
friends, Princess Timinetus, Tuckerby, and Sudd. We are here to rescue
the Queen. She was captured by Draconix."

"Yes, I heard it through the grapevine. Those grapes are sure
talkative, once you squeeze it out of them," Yewgo said with a smirk.
"I knew the Queen for many years, she would climb my limbs for hours."

Timi shyly moved closer. "You knew my mother?"

"Child, I knew your mother, your mother's mother and many generations
back of your mothers. All had an affinity with nature, it's what keeps
you in tune with the ley lines."

ZeKrog interjected, "Zemus told me before we left to bond with a Yew
stick, if you see signs of trouble,"  especially someone playing with
fire."

"Zemus? What's that rapscallion up to these days? I've known him since
he was a boy, before the binding of Pal and Mu. The Mus bloodline is
very old, and Zemus almost as much."

"The binding took place over a thousand years ago!" Timi said
excitedly.

"Correct!" Yewgo said. "One thousand, two hundred and sixty three, to
be exact.  It was from me that Zemus got his Yew stick, which he used
for the binding ceremony. The Pals from the Northern lands with the Mus
from the Southern, bound together forever. Your Grandma many
generations past, Talinetus, stood proudly as its first Queen."

Timi smiled broadly hearing of her family's past, then frowned. "But
what of her hushand? The histories do not record much of him."

"Ah, your so many greats Grandfather, Zenith. A pleasant man, he was a
farmer who brought vegetables to the market, he could grow anything,
that was his talent, he also had a wicked sense of humor.  Tali visited
the market frequently, at first to sample his wares, but eventually he
won her heart. His talent was so strong that he became a wizard, after
he married Talinetus, he was not content to sit at home, so he spent
his time doing what he loved best, getting his hands dirty. It was he
that planted the great forest from the beans of the nursery.

"Beans?" Tuck asked.

"Yewman beans," Yewgo responded. "It's where life as a Yewman begins.
Anyway to finish, one day Zenith went high into the hills and was never
heard from again."

"May I have a part of Yew?" ZeKrog asked.

"Certainly! It was time for me to branch out anyway," Yewgo said,
yanking a limb from his body and giving it to ZeKrog.

"We must bid Yew adieu," ZeKrog said, "thanks for your help."

"My pleasure. Come back anytime," Yewgo replied. As the group left they
heard him singing what surely is a favorite song, I only have eyes for
Yew.

"Okay," ZeKrog said. "Let's see if we can speed this up a bit."

"TEMPUS TURBO!" 

Within a few steps they were out of the forest at the top of the Zanith
hills. Everyone could see the large army of Urfs guarding the entrance
of the castle which was in view. ZeKrog recognized many of his former
friends and hoped to devise a plan that would keep them from harm.

"Do you know any other way to get in?" Tuck asked Timi.

"Of course! I spent many-a-night exploring these parts, sneaking out at
night with my friends. We'll use the kitchen entrance."

Everyone followed Timi, suddenly she stopped. "They've blocked the
entrance. There are six of them, I will take them out."

"Do not kill them," ZeKrog ordered, "they are compelled by Draconix. 
Their weak minds cannot fight his compulsion."  

"I don't believe in killing, unless my friends are in danger.  What do
you suggest?"

"We must get control of their minds, without notifying Draconix,"
ZeKrog said. "Use your charms. Can you make yourself into a female
Urf?"

Timi concentrated and transformed into a Grarg. 

ZeKrog had to laugh. "That's good, if you want to be eaten. Grarg is a
delicacy, a juicy snack that does not fight back."

With a little more effort, she got the features right. ZeKrog gasped at
her beauty. He never saw a more beautiful Urfa.

"That'll do," he managed to say, his face sweating from the exertion of
not attacking her.

She saw his discomfort, and reverted back to her natural state. She
approached the kitchen's entrance, as soon as she was out of ZeKrog's
sight she became the Urfa, with an added spell of beauty.  The six Urfs
stared slackjawed at the vision of loveliness. Without saying a word
she ran away, the opposite direction from her friends. The Urfs,
deprived of their mates for many months, chased after her. Out of their
sight, she became a cheetah, running in bursts of speed to a far away
tree.  The Urfs were confused at not seeing the Urfa, so she teased
them closer to the tree. Seeing the Urfa miles away, they ran to her
abandoning the entrance.  The others ran in through the kitchen,
shortly followed by Timi.

The kitchen staff was cleaning up for the evening. Helna screamed when
she saw ZeKrog, but settled down once the others arrived.  She screamed
again when she saw Timi. Helna was one of Timi's favorites when she was
small.  She'd play in her kitchen, then run out to play with Helna's
daughter.  Oh for those happier times.  Timi embraced Helna, and begged
her for help. 

"We must find the Queen. I know she's been taken prisoner.  We're here
to rescue her," Timi explained.

Helna eyed her suspiciously. "How ya gonna do that? You're just a
pippin!" she said emphatically.

"I'm a semi-wizard now, Helna.  I can practice the Powers, at least
some of them," Timi replied. "Find me some old scrap metal, and I'll
prove it to you."

Helna when to the storage room and came back dragging a large cast iron
pot. Rust had eaten a hole in it, but otherwise it was solid.

Timi stuck her fingers into the hole. She concentrated and her arms
began to swell. Large biceps and broad shoulders appeared as she
strained to split the pot. A large crack developed from the effort. 
Finally with a grunt, she tore the pot in half with a loud groaning
sound.  Too loud it seems because it attracted the attention of the
chief guard stationed on the other side of the door.

"WHAT NOISE?" Kug asked.

ZeKrog knew Kug from his earlier infantry days, and hated him. Not
enough to kill him, but he wouldn't mind him getting a few bruises.

"PUGULUS MAGNUS!" ZeKrog yelled, directing his Yew toward Kug. An
unseen force knocked Kug to the ground, punching him in the face
several times until he was knocked out.

They quickly closed the door, and dragged the guard out the exit. Timi
lifted him up and ran with him to a hidden field, then returned to see
the room had filled with soldiers with arrows at the ready.

Draconix was behind them. "Kill them!" he shouted. The first flank of
soldiers fired their arrows.

TEMPUS HIATUS! ZeKrog yelled, stopping all time.  He walked casually
away from the approaching arrow. "TEMPUS RESUMUS!" he yelled, and was
struck from behind by an arrow, killing him instantly. 

Tuck looked up from his hiding place and saw an arrow heading toward
Timi at the last second he jumped in front of her and was shot in the
heart killing him instantly.

Sudd was about to yell a warning to Timi, but Draconix spotted him and
stomped underfoot, breaking his neck.

Timi looked around at the commotion and saw her friends' massacre. 
Draconix was smiling deviously at her.

"Where is your protection now, Princess?" Draconix said, then started
an incantation.

"VISIBILUS NIHIL!" Timi yelled, disappearing from his sight.

Draconix wasn't expecting wizardry coming from a child, and was
unprepared for her disappearance.

"No matter," he said, "I know you'd never leave your friends' bodies
without a decent burial."

He walked over to ZeKrog. "Idiot!" he said, spitting on ZeKrog, "every
wizard knows to use a protection spell before a Time spell."

He picked up ZeKrog's Yew stick which hummed with power. "Another one
to add to my collection. When I get Zemus' and Zerho's, then I will be
the most powerful wizard, and no one can stop me."

Timi remained invisible as she approached Draconix. Silently, she
invoked a strength spell, growing in size and muscularity. She grabbed
Draconix quickly and threw him into the wall, momentarily knocking him
out.

She intending to finish him off but he, instead, sprang his trap.

"BINDUS PRIMUS!" he yelled, throwing a binding spell on Timi.

She could not move, though still unseen.

"VISIBILUS OMNI!" he yelled, making her visible.

He could not believe her beauty.  

"OBEYUS OMNI!" he yelled, grabbing her head.

Her eyes widened then became dull, and his slave spell took hold.

"Give me your power!" he ordered.

Timi could not fight the compulsion, and silently opened a ley line
directly through him to his Yew staff.  He felt the power surge as he
tapped into the source.

While he was reveling in the power, Timi thought of her friends.
Draconix had killed everyone she held dear, all except Zemus and her
mother, and with this new power, even that would be accomplished.

She looked deep within herself, and saw the chain Draconix had on her
mind. An image formed close to the chain, a large, muscular, version of
herself had the chain in her hands. She pulled at the chain so that two
links went in opposite directions. Concentrating she put extra effort
on, her biceps bulging from the efforts until she felt the central link
spread apart, and eventually break. She looked to Draconix, but he was
in a stupor from the power surge.  Now free of him, she sought the
Valhindra, the mother-lode of ley lines found deep in the earth.
Reaching down, mentally, with as much exertion as the chain-breaking,
she found the source.  Like a tree of great power, the Valhindra
glowed. So large was the source that she could not see around it.
Timi's avatar gave herself completely to the Valhindra, opening her
arms wide and walking right into the power. Inside, she found Gaia, who
embraced her. 

"My child," Gaia said, "you are troubled."

"Mother Gaia, why have you allowed your power to be corrupted by men?"
Timi asked passionately.

"My power is like light, neither good nor bad, it is the user who
corrupts it," she explained.

"I need to tap your full power, then, to defeat the evil," Timi said.

"Many have asked for that power, and all have died not having a pure
heart to contain it," Gaia explained.

"I know I must try, no matter the consequences," Timi said, resolute in
her determination.

"Then it is yours!" Gaia replied, "may it bring you happiness."

Timi opened her eyes and saw Draconix approaching. She feigned a dull
look, not wanting to make him suspicious.

"That effort must have knocked you unconscious, now that you're back, I
will have my way with you," Draconix said with a leer.

Timi reached out for him, and he thinking her submissive responded in
kind. She laced her fingers within his and immediately snapped down,
breaking his fragile wrist bones. As he screamed in pain, she drew on
the power given to her by Gaia. She grew both in height and in
muscularity, until she toward over him, her head touching the ceiling.
So full of power, her fingers crackled from the arcing from one to
another. She reached down and grabbed ZeKrog's Yew stick which became a
blinding silver. 

"MUNDO NIHILUS, TEMPUS REVERSUM!" Timi yelled, slamming the Yew into
the ground in front of Draconix.

The force was great as the Yew transferred its power into the Earth,
back to Gaia. The ground split, creating a large chasm which swallowed
Draconix, then grew larger as the castle itself, then the land around
the castle, then the mountains fell in.  The great forest with all of
its inhabitants followed the mountains, then all of the known world
fell. All except Timi and the Yew. Timi saw the world destroyed, and
remembered the letter that came with Zemus. 

"MUNDO RESTORUS! TEMPUS RESTORUM!" she yelled, as the world formed
again. In the process, she altered one small element. She prevented the
ley line from reaching Draconix, while he was still a young man. Conix
lived his normal life as a street sweeper, never realizing his full
potential.

They were all back at the castle, alive and well. ZeKrog was in his
finest Wizardic regalia kneeling before the Queen. 

"Because of your great service to us, I name you Chief Wizard of this
castle, rise ZeKrog!"

"I will serve you to my dying day!" ZeKrog said humbly.

"May that day be centuries in coming," she replied.

Tuckerby was next in line. "Tuckerby Zemusclan, you are brave and
worthy of your clan name. My daughter has told me of your deeds and
your intentions to marry," the Queen said without mirth, "and I
approve!" She was grinning as she made that declaration.

Timi went shyly to Tuck and offered her hand, which he gratefully
accepted. Because she gave all the power back to Gaia, she became once
again a diminutive girl, but one with instant access to power, as she
squeezed his hand briefly causing him to yelp.

"Suddaluthenamenan revered member of Spritenclan, your voice has aided
me. I would be honored to have you be the Royal Singer and Insighter,
and entertain the Castle at functions," she asked her her bowed.

"I would ask a boon. May my family join me?" he asked cautiously.

"Certainly, how large a family do you have?" she asked happily.

"Seven thousand six hundred and fifty eight, give or take a few
cousins." He said with a smile, "but only my wife and 3 children would
be coming, though the others might visit." He smiled as she at first
grimaced, then looked relieved.

"We will build an addition for any in your family to stay for a visit,"
she declared winking at him.

Zemus and Zerho came for the celebration. They knew what had transpired
and were pleased of the outcome.

"Timinetus! Your deeds are legendary. To control such power, and not
keep it for yourself proves that your heart is pure. It is my pleasure
to serve you.  It there anything I can bring you?" Zemus asked.

"You already have," she said lifting Tuck's hand up.

Zemus called over ZeKrog. "Because of your bravery and humility, You
are no longer ZeKrog, now I name you Zekrog, and welcome you as a
Master Wizard."

Zekrog bowed his head humbly accepting the honor.

Now ends this chapter of the Palmu Chronicle. Others will follow
exploring the lives of the heroes.

J. Pardo
libguy3@yahoo.com