The day of the Park Dedication, brought the city alive much sooner than normal. Shouts and laughter could be heard long before the ring turned yellow. Flint woke to the music of a flute playing somewhere close by. He groaned aloud, as he moved to the washstand to splash cold water on his face and back of neck. Last night had been long and tiresome. Sometime today a group of youngster would, on a dare, enter the old mine shaft. They would try to run the length of the shaft and back to prove ho...

Flint Bracks opened the back door of his shop to sweep the dust out into the alleyway, and took a quick peek at the “Ring of Light” to see how much time remained before he should open. The “Ring of Light” a one-foot thick ring of crystal circling the largest stalagmite column in the center of the city, rose slowly from the floor growing brighter as it ascended getting brightest when it reached the ceiling five-hundred feet up. Growing dimmer as it descended, providing light and time for the c...

Part ONE The steady echo of hammers hitting rock, the creaking of wagon axels under a heavy load along with the shouts and laughter of workers only added to the level of noise, increasing steadily as the city began its workday. The wizard’s light, a one-foot thick circular ring surrounding one of the many natural columns reaching from the floor to the ceiling three hundred feet above the city, was just starting to rise. It’s orange-red glow began to brighten to its eventual yellow-white, spre...

CHAPTER ONE The Village * * * * The first rays of morning lit the small village to find Mogu standing in the ceremonial circle where he had spent the night. His face was non-expressive but his eyes shown with the light of triumph. There was nothing to stop him from being chief now. He would also take Leyiya for his woman. She would fight at first; her parents would force her, though they would try to delay. A smile tried to curl his lips but he fought the urge. Everything the council had tri...

Jasmine “Why the sad look my lady?” Galland, head of the Queens guard asked. “Are we not on the greatest adventure one could ask for?” “I would much rather be at home. Instead, I’m on this dumb animal headed for The Light knows where, to find a wizard that is supposed to be all powerful, then I’m supposed to teach this wizard what he needs to know to win the final battle. Does that sound like fun to you?” She could hear the snickers of the other men, which in turn made her angry. “Whoa, Girl...