Chapter 22: Wizard's walk

I finished changing Michael and turned to put him in his cradle as his brother started to cry. I sighed and lifted William out to check his diaper. Melody looked away from her new book, “They smell.”

I smiled, “So did you when you were their age.”

Princess was draped over one of her hands and reached out to pat her arm. She looked at her and went back to reading. Silver walked in the back door and smiled as he crossed to the table, “Having fun?”

I growled as I finished replacing my son’s diaper, “It would have been nice to know she was going to have twins.”

He chuckled and gestured to the pot on the stove, “That takes all the fun out of it.”

I put William into his cradle and turned to check the bottles warming up, “I thought you and Edmond were working on the fair?”

He sighed, “We were and are. The stone statues are finished as well as the large stuffed animals. Edmond and I are taking a break, we are having problems with the spells for the plant creatures.”

I turned when the two bottles floated out of my hand and to the cradles. They started feeding the twins and I sighed and sat, “So why come here?”

Silver smiled and I looked at Melody to see her listening. I reached out to give one ear a tug, “You better finish before your mother returns.”

She grinned and turned back to the simple picture book. I looked at Silver and he smiled, “I was thinking about something I read once.”

I kept watching the babies and he sighed, “Do you know why it is called the Wizard’s Walk?”

I glanced at him before turning back to the cradles, “Because wizards live there?”

He smiled, “Actually more live in the city or outside the walls.”

I shrugged, “Than I have no idea.”

Melody looked from me to her grandfather before he touched her book. She sighed, “Can I make the pictures move?”

I smiled, “What does Princess think?”

She grumbled, “She said no.”

I caressed her cheek, “Your mother said she would help you learn those spells when she returns.”

I looked at Silver, “So why is it called Wizard’s Walk?”

I smiled as he continued to watch his grandchildren, “There is a line of power or a source of magic beneath the walk. There was something else but I can not seem to find out what it is.”

He looked at me, “I will watch...”

I grinned, “I have strict orders not to leave Melody alone with you.”

She giggled while he frowned but I reached into my shirt to touch the amulet, “Jasmine?”

It was several moments before she answered, “I have only been gone a couple of hours.”

I smiled, “Your father is here and wants to watch the children.”

“No ... wait, what does ... is he alone?”

I looked at Silver, “Yes.”

There was silence for a minute before she sighed, “Okay but if we have fur on the walls and floors or different colored walls he better fix it.”

I grinned at Silver, “You heard her.”

He sniffed as Melody giggled and I stood, “I will look into the walk.”

I went to get my pack and as soon as I headed for the door Jewel appeared with the drakes. She landed on my shoulder while the drakes flew above us in the chilly air. They almost seemed to dance as they played a game only they knew. I did not bother going to the walk and headed to the library.

Of course the guard frowned when I came to the guarded section. I ignored him as I started searching through the books and scrolls on the shelves. I found what I was looking for under the original city maps. I unrolled it very carefully and looked at where the Wizard’s Walk would be. What I saw was ruins with a name Banster.

I blinked because Banster had been an ancient god of magic and mystery. I bent to look at the map carefully before standing to look at the shelves. I rolled the map up and placed it back on the shelf before beginning to search for something else. This time it was an ancient book on temples and gods.

I went through it slowly because the language was in and hard to read. I thought of the map as I put the book away and left. The drakes came down and chirped as I walked out of the building. I smiled, “The Wizard’s Walk.”

They caroled as they headed back into the sky and Jewel purred and rubbed against my neck. I smiled and hummed while walking and glanced at the two pickpockets that began following. I sighed and shook my head before making a few hand gestures that sent them away. A lot of the area was already looking like winter.

I walked to Edmond’s old tower and around to the servants door. I picked the lock and waited since I had touched a spell strand. Edmond appeared in front of me in an illusion, “Who dares enter...”

He blinked as I smiled, “Did I catch you at a bad time?”

He smiled and shook his head, “I was only reading. Why are you at my tower?”

I glanced around, “Do you know who Banster is?”

He nodded and I grinned, “Do you know why it is called the Wizard’s Walk?”

He leaned forward, “No.”

I gestured, “When they built the city an ancient temple to Banster was where the walk is now. It was in ruins with mounds of earth against the sides and on top. Since it was lower than the level of the city they just filled in the earth and built over it.”

He shook his head, “They would have looted the temple.”

I grinned, “According the text of Banster they often had secret rooms and hidden cells. They also had crypts and hidden vaults under the temple for their relics.”

He grinned and then sighed, “I have to go shopping with my wife.”

I laughed and waved, “Wait until you have children.”

He laughed and gestured and his image vanished. I walked in and glanced around as the drakes flew in. I knew something others did not, this tower had been built over one of the wings in the old temple. It also had a basement that he had never used. I grinned and crossed to a bare wall and knelt to examine the floor before touching very old faint scratches.

Jewel chirped as she looked past my face and patted it and pointed. I followed her tiny claws to see a stone relief carved into the wall. I moved closer and grinned as I pushed one of the eyes in and there was a grating click. I moved back and began pushing on one side and a section of the wall swiveled and opened.

I looked into the darkness and Jewel chirped. Two drakes flew past and in as I stood, “No one has been in the basement in a long time.”

I pulled a mage lantern from the kitchen wall and stepped into the opening. Just a couple of paces in there was a set of stairs that went down. It had seven steps before there was another landing with stairs going down back in the other direction. It did that several times until we were thirty paces under the tower.