Chapter 20: Returning time

I sat in the lawn chair watching as Melody chased Major who had stolen her apple. Ash had once more turned the gargoyle a vibrant pink which it did not seem to mind. I glanced at the drakes as they kept diving into a basin and swimming around. Griffin and Dragon were laid out on the edge of another basin.

The cats were somewhere, probably in the shade. The Phoenixes were crooning from the nest box I had made above the front door. They had two rainbow colored eggs which I had told Silver very firmly to leave alone. I sighed, “Life is good.”

I frowned when I saw Silver walking towards me, “And then Silver brings rain clouds.”

Jasmine chuckled as she worked to shorten the hair on Ash’s two stuffed animals. Silver absently murmured and created another chair and sat, “It is hot out here. Why are you not inside where it is cooler?”

I reached into the large bowl of ice and water and pulled Jewel out, “Because we are enjoyed the nice day.”

He frowned as he wiped his face and Melody ran up, “Grandfather come play in the water.”

Almost all the children in the neighborhood were in and out of the basins which seemed to stay full and deepen for them. He smiled, “And where is your companion?”

Jasmine snorted, “Swimming in a basin.”

I grinned, “Well it does look like an otter.”

Melody frowned, “Does not.”

I smiled, “Have you seen an otter?”

She shook her head and Jasmine growled, “Sinclair!”

I grinned, “Ask your mother or one of your grandparents to show you one.”

She nodded and pulled on Silver, “Come on grandfather.”

He stood with a sigh and glanced at me, “I need to talk to you.”

I grinned, “I am busy.”

Jasmine laughed as Silver was pulled to one of the basins where two other children were already swimming. It was a very nice day and I did not let Silver or Gloria when she arrived, spoil it. By the time dinner was over the girls were already tired and yawning. Jasmine was relaxing while I cleaned up and Gloria said she would put the girls to bed.

Silver straightened his robe as they left and looked at me, “I need a favor.”

I sighed as Jasmine giggled and stood to follow the girls and her mother, “What now?”

He watched Jasmine leave before looking at me again, “Ten leagues outside the south gate is an old castle.”

I nodded since everyone knew about it and he took a breath, “No one has entered it for over five hundred years. The last was a powerful wizard and he left protections to protect it.”

I knew that because many had tried to sneak in and died or vanished, “So what do you want?”

He looked at the nest box for the Phoenixes that I had brought in, “There is a record that said he had a rookery full of Phoenixes.”

I shook my head, “And you think they would still be there?”

He smiled, “I took a trip out to the castle. He left protections against magic but I was able to determine that there was a very powerful time suspension spell inside.”

I smiled, “Even if I were to somehow enter the castle and bypass this time suspension spell I would not let you take an egg from a Phoenix.”

He sighed, “Sinclair...”

I shook my head, “Phoenixes do not lay eggs often so they are rare and precious to them.”

He thought and looked at me, “What if the egg was not fertile and would not hatch?”

I looked at the two Phoenixes, “Can you tell if an egg will not hatch?”

Silver snorted but the female Phoenix nodded. I sat back as I thought, “I get to keep anything else I find?”

He nodded and I stood, “I will check the castle and see what I can find.”

I went to help tuck my children in and read Melody a story before I went to bed. I was up early with Jasmine before giving her a kiss and going to get a few things. I had Jewel and the drakes stay when I left. It was noon when I reached the castle. The whole area around it was overgrown but I notice no birds would fly near it.

I could see hundreds of magic strands on the walls and in the air over it. I slowly walked around the castle and when I saw the stream flowing through it I thought I had a way in. I finished my walk around before wading into the water and slowly laying down. I crawled and floated as I pulled myself up the stream until I reached the thick bars.

I looked at the few strands of magic and smiled as I reached for a bar. Time and water had done my job already. I twisted and pulled it back and forth and it fell out. I worked on two others next to it and set the bars aside each time they came out. I shifted my pack off and pushed it through before turning onto my back and wiggling through after it.

I sat up once I was in and pulled the pack on before slowly turning. I had to move carefully, the strands of magic went from wall to wall and crisscrossed each other in the air. I was able to use the silver pen knives to shift the magic where it touched the walls. I took my time and slowly moved in.

I saw the tiny courtyard between the stables and the servants entrance. I could see birds frozen in mid air where they had touched a line of magic, some had decayed and fallen apart. I had to follow the wall around and move hundreds of threads of magic to reach the servants entrance. I opened the door and stared at what almost look like a fog of magic.

I was kneeling and it took awhile to see where the magic was anchored. There were points on each wall, floor and the ceiling. I sighed and began to move the points up one wall and across the floor to the other before bringing them up the other wall. It took an hour to move down the hall until I could look into the kitchen.

I shook my head but started moving the strands of magic. I stopped at the pantry and was able to determine the food was still good. I got a glass and filled it from my water bottle before leaving. I worked on the hallway until I had it clear to the stairs. Through the large arched doorway I looked into the great hall.

It was like the hallway, covered in a fog of magic. I knelt and kept looking as I realized something with brighter strands was glowing in the center of the hall. I shook my head, it would take at least a day to move enough strands to reach the glow. I moved to the end door and checked it before moving a few strands of magic.

If this was like other castles it would led out to another part of the castle. The guards armory, practice area, barracks and the rookery. I was careful opening the door and sighed at all the strands of magic. Again it was as if the area were covered in a fog of magic. I stood and thought before turning to move back to the great hall.

I looked at the brighter strands in the hall. I began shifting and moving points of contact. I had to go from wall to floor to wall as I slowly moved the strands. I glanced at the window when it began to grow dark and moved back to the hall. I went to the kitchen and started shifting strands to reach the stove.

Once I was finished I was able to start it and spread out my bedroll. The stove kept me warm as the night cooled. I smiled when I heard my daughter Melody whisper goodnight. I was up early and searched the pantry before eating. I used the knives when I returned to the great hall as the sun brought light to the high windows.

I could see through the fog of magic to a pedestal with what looked like an hour glass. I grinned and began to move to strands again. I was moving further away from the doorway and moving the strands up when I reached each the wall. The strands on the floor became thicker the closer I got to the pedestal.

Time seemed to slow and stretch as I moved back and forth and forward an inch at a time. The sun moved across the sky as I inched across the room until I was only a few inches from the pedestal. I froze when I heard footsteps from a suit of armor. I moved back to the door and stepped into the hall and looked back as a knight walked into the great hall.

It walked straight to the pedestal and shifted before reaching out to lift the hour glass and turn it over. I spun and began running as all the work I had done vanished and the strands of magic started sliding back into place. I reached the entrance door just ahead of the magic and moved out and to the stream and dove in.

I quickly crawled out through the bars and turned to look back in. The strands inside the wall stayed where I had put them. It was awhile before I moved back in and saw that all the strands outside the Keep had not gone back. When I checked the door and hall it was to see it full of magic like when I had first seen it.

I shook my head and went out the way I had come in. I moved around while looking at the castle wall and finally smiled. I moved to the wall and started climbing, at the top I had to hold on while using one hand to shift the strands of magic. It took me awhile to climb onto the wall and I had to rest by then.