Quest for the Arcane Crown Yajat Sharma (most popular ebook readers .txt) 📖

“Tell us, Mascae.” the Scavenger glanced at Mascae who was playing a computer game with Daniel.

“Busy,” Mascae said in a tense voice.

“Yippee, I win!” Daniel said, joyfully punching the air.

Mascae jumped in anger. “Again! Let’s play again.”

“Ex-King of the Dark World, jumping like a kid.” James rolled his eyes and asked Mascae about the hours left.

Mascae scratched his chin. “Hmm… half a day more? But I don’t mind. I am enjoying this video game. These amazing things were not there in my times.”

“I should straighten my legs then,” James muttered and collapsed on a sofa.

13

Archer had a dreamless sleep. He was woken up by the Scavenger.

“Come on! We have reached the Shrine of Youth,” Mascae said, looking out of the window.

Archer sat up groggily and found everyone putting on their armour.

The chariot spluttered to a halt.

The children looked around, but couldn’t see anything except trees.

“I can’t see any shrine,” James whined.

“It’s not visible to an untrained eye,” Mascae said haughtily. “But for trained ones…”

Mascae got off the chariot, followed by the others. He went towards a tree and floundered around it until he found something hidden in the coarse and flaky texture of the bark. He pressed it. What followed was a crunching sound as a clump of trees sank, and a large temple of pure white marble surfaced. It was a beautiful shrine with intricate designs etched upon its outer wall.

They all walked up to the large door and pushed it. It creaked open. There was lush green grass inside. In the middle of each garden stood a fountain spouting fresh water. A path lined with white cobblestones led to a statue. It was the statue of Lord Arcane.

The Scavenger knelt silently in respect. The children followed him and bowed.

Archer saw that water slowly trickled down from the hands of the statue and dripped into a vase.

The soul of Mascae also came up to his father’s statue and bowed his head in silence and then glanced at the vase.

“Go on,” the Scavenger said. “Have your fill.”

Mascae held the vase to his mouth and drank. Suddenly, he collapsed, making the vase fall. The Scavenger was quick to catch it. He eased Mascae down. Mascae was unconscious for a few fleeting seconds, and then he opened his eyes.

“Ah, now I remember it all,” Mascae said.

“Then I guess we have to go to the Tomb of Death once again for the rainbow,” Archer said.

The Scavenger shook his head. “No need. I discussed it with Mars already. I know where we can find the origin of a rainbow.”

“Where?” Archer asked.

The Scavenger was silent for a while. “Arcane used to tell me that a rainbow is a form of good energy. He also told me that there is always a rainbow in a pure person.”

“I’ve got it!” Matt said. “Lord Arcane was a pure person. So wouldn’t he be the best origin of a rainbow?”

The Scavenger nodded. “Yes. And my guess is…”

The Scavenger looked at the statue and then to the vase. He took the vase and touched it with the right hand of Lord Arcane’s statue. A bolt of colourful light shot out from the vase. It was a rainbow at the end of which a portal was visible.

The Scavenger grinned. “Here’s our ride. Come on, let’s go.” He jumped in and everyone followed.

Archer was floating in a fire, with no sense of direction. He saw the light up ahead and drifted towards it. Then, as had happened before, a massive fireball shot towards him. A figure appeared just when the fireball was about to hit Archer. The figure raised his hands and shot light to the fireball. The fireball broke into pieces.

Suddenly, Archer was conscious, aware of everything. He looked back and found the figure turning and running away.

“WAIT!” Archer called.

The figure turned, and Archer saw who it was. It was the soul of Mascae.

Mascae looked relieved and happy.

“My role is complete here, boy,” Mascae said, looking away. “Tell the Scavenger that I am sorry I misunderstood him. Thanks to you all, I have attained salvation.”

He turned back. “Father, I am coming!”

The soul of Mascae entered the light and disappeared.

Archer landed on solid ground. He looked up and found his friends and the Scavenger looming above him. He realized that he was the last one inside the portal with Mascae.

“Where’s Mascae?” the Scavenger asked.

Archer took a deep breath. “He left us… He said he had completed his work. He told me to tell you that he was sorry he misunderstood you. He also thanked all of us for giving him salvation.”

The Scavenger was silent. “Mascae was a good man and a good ruler… He may be gone, but we will honour him by restoring peace to the Dark World.”

Everyone observed silence for two minutes in Mascae’s honour.

The Scavenger spoke. “For centuries, his soul wandered. Now, his miseries have ended. He will be back with his father again.”

Everyone smiled at the thought of father and son enjoying their lives for all eternity.

Archer examined the dense bushes and the ancient, giant trees around the spot where they all were standing.

“I thought the Trail of Fire would take us to the second piece of the Crown,” Archer said, puzzled.

“Yes. And that’s exactly where you are,” the Scavenger smiled.

“So where is it?” Daniel asked.

“I don’t know. Maybe in the bushes… or the trees, or -”

No, it isn’t! A voice boomed all around.

“Who are you?” the Scavenger demanded, clasping the hilt of his sword, ready for an attack.

I am the protector of the second piece of the legendary Arcane Crown of Magic.

“What’s your name?” the Scavenger snapped.

Aren’t we rude? I am called the Joker, the Master of Cards, the Tickler, the Chess Master and the Fat Priest.

“I don’t care who you are. I just want the second piece.”

But it just can’t be so easy. You need to pass three tests. If you lose in any of the tests, oops! You will be fed to