Ancient Mystic's War of the Realms Saga - Lady Adellandra Dratianos (best detective novels of all time TXT) 📗

His Pendant hung lifeless around his neck, mocking him.
To break the silence, O’Dell and Enchantra came in the room.
“Congratulations, Protector.” O’Dell replied proudly. “You have earned your title.”
Derrick looked up at O’Dell, bowing to him. “How? What is going on, my Lord?”
“You knew enough to bring Young Guardian here.” Enchantra smiled.
Ariana still stood silent, ringlets of red-blond hair shimmering. She faced no one, unable to move.
“What have I done?” Derrick felt awful. “I shouldn’t have shouted at her like that. I only wanted her to see what she was doing to herself.”
“You did the right thing, Protector.” O’Dell remarked. “You made her see the truth. That is why she is dressed the way she is.”
“You see, that is her Fighter’s Gear.” Enchantra remarked. “She is known through-out this world in it.”
“What about me?”
“I must say, I am impressed.” O’Dell supplied. “You thought of yourself her protector, so you became one. Now, you are the Protector.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means you are the only man strong enough to handle her.” Enchantra supplied. “You saw for yourself she is no longer helpless.”
“I never thought she was.” Derrick remarked. He surveyed his clothing once again. “But this?”
“Consider that a gift from us.” O’Dell supplied. “Now that you know about the Gold Magic, see the Apprentice. He will show you how to use it.”
“How do I find the Apprentice?”
“The same place you will find the Grand Shamus.”
“Who’s that?”
“The woman who will teach Young Guardian how to use the Silver Magic properly.” Enchantra replied.
Derrick’s head was spinning, so he held it.
“We know this is hard for you, but you must do it.”
Derrick looked from his wife to Lord Guardian. “I know, my Lord. For the sake of this world, I’ll do anything.”
Enchantra saw his short glance. “She will be fine. Take her. Hold her. Love her. She needs you more than we do right now.”
Derrick walked over to Ariana, placing a hand on her shoulder. He could hear her silenced sobs. He embraced her from behind and kissed her neck. He whispered in her ear, holding her tight. “Ariana . . .”
She moved. Turning, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him hard on the lips. He could taste her salty tears.
“Derrick, I’m so sorry.” She whispered once the kiss was over. “I treated you like dirt.”
“Shh.” Derrick placed a finger on her lips. “It’s okay. We’ve got work to do, Young Guardian. You’ve got to learn the Silver Magic and I have to learn how to be the Protector.”
They met eyes. He noticed hers were silver-blue once again, and he was happy. His wife and love was back.
“The Protector and the Young Guardian.” Ariana replied softly. “I like the sound of that.”
After they kissed again, Ariana turned to O’Dell, kneeling at his feet. “I apologize for my blatant disrespect for you. I knew better, but did it anyway. Please say you forgive me, my Lord Guardian.”
Even Derrick anticipated O’Dell’s answer.
“I forgive you.” O’Dell supplied.
She stood and nodded. “Thank you, my Lord.”
“Call me O’Dell.” He winked, making her smile. “Now, off to see the Apprentice and the Grand Shamus.”
“Where do we find them?” Derrick asked.
Enchantra looked to O’Dell. “May I, just this once?”
“They have to learn...”
She placed a hand on his cheek, which became beet red at her touch. “O’Dell...”
Ariana and Derrick held their laughs inside.
“On with it, Enchantra. Time is wasting.” O’Dell’s silver eyes glared at her.
She kissed his lips and turned to the couple. Enchantra held her arms out and began to chant.

“Deep in the forest, where the Wishing Well hides,
“Go a little deeper, and darkness abides.
“A single beam of light glimmers around now,
“Grand Shamus and Apprentice waiting for thou.”

With that, they disappeared.
O’Dell shook his head. “Was that necessary?”
“Of course not, but you know us Ancient Mystics.” Enchantra giggled, hugging him. “We have a flair for the dramatic.”
O’Dell laughed, kissing her.
Story: #1:
Lessons in Silver Magic

When they appeared again, Derrick and Ariana held hands. They saw a forest in front of them.
“Clever.” Derrick remarked.
“What’s that?”
“Not only did Enchantra cast a spell, she also gave us directions.”
Ariana grinned. “Clever indeed. Let’s go.”
Following the spell’s directions, they followed the darkness that surrounded them in the woods. Lit by a single oil lamp on a hand-crank, they saw the Wishing Well.
“Shall we make a wish?” Derrick asked with a smile.
“Nah, you never know. It might not come true.”
“Yet again, it might. Right?”
Ariana rolled her eyes. “Come on, Protector. We’ve got work to do, remember?”
Derrick laughed at his wife. “That’s my Young Guardian.”
“Enough.” Ariana laughed back. She happened to glance at the glowing necklace. It made enough of a light for her to see what he was wearing. “What are you wearing?”
“Weren’t you listening back there?”
Ariana shook her head. “Too much in my own thoughts, I suppose. Tell me.”
“This is my Protector’s uniform.” Derrick said. “I’ll be known as the Protector in it.”
“Like me with my Fighter’s Gear?”
“Just like you, but I’m your Protector.”
“Are you sure you’re just mine? I mean, if they call you the Protector now, don’t you have other people to protect?”
“Point taken.” Derrick remarked. “I wonder if that’s what Shadow meant.”
“Shadow? What does he have to do with anything?”
“He’s the one who told me to take you to Lord Guardian.” Derrick supplied. “He’s also the one to tell me Wolf senses something in the Canine Valley.”
Ariana held his hand tighter. “Yipes.” She said softly. “Uh, Derrick?”
“Yeah?”
“What would you say if I may have had something to do with it?”
“May have?”
“I don’t know, exactly.” Ariana said. “All I know is when we brought the Elders back, I sensed something in the Canine Wood.”
“You didn’t tell me that part.”
“I didn’t want you worried.” Ariana replied. “Anyway, it turned Wolf against himself, and I believe it turned me against everybody around me. It’s the Black-as-Night Crystal all over again.”
“Don’t say that, Love.” Derrick wrapped an arm around her without tangling the sword and her short-sword together. “I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking you’re turning evil, like Sabrina and Damian. I happen to know differently. If you were evil, would you want to tame the new Silver Magic?”
Ariana looked up at him and smiled. “Point taken.”
He kissed her cheek. “Maybe I’m supposed to Protect the Dreamers?”
“That’s my job, in a way.”
“You could always need help, right?”
“I guess so.” Ariana cleared her throat, breaking from his embrace. “Look over there. Is that the same beam of light as in Enchantra’s spell?”
“Let’s find out.” Derrick supplied, directly behind her.
She ran toward the light, meeting with a woman she’d seen in the Outer Realm. Or, at least a woman identical to Dorianne Jacobs. Ariana wasn’t afraid to walk directly up to them.
“Are you the Grand Shamus or the Apprentice?”
An elder man came out of the shadows in a long, black wizard-like robes. He tipped his wizard’s hat and bowed to Ariana, smiling. “I am the Apprentice. Are you the Young Guardian or the Grand Magus?”
“Young Guardian. Apprentice, what is this all about?” Ariana asked in her Young Guardian’s tone.
“We must wait, my dear.” The woman who looked like Dorianne told the Apprentice. She caught Ariana’s glare. “To see you for the first time. I knew you would turn out this way, did I not?”
Ariana didn’t know what to say. “You look like...”
“Dorianne Jacobs? Yes, I’ve been told.” The woman remarked. “I am the Grand Shamus. One of the greatest private detectives that had ever lived. Since I was born here, I returned here upon my death.”
“Are you...?” Derrick couldn’t help asking.
“Am I what?” The Grand Shamus supplied.
“I don’t know how to ask this, but are you. . .”
Before he could finish his sentence, Derrick heard Shadow’s voice behind him. He turned and smiled at his partner-brother-friend.
“Derrick Reading, meet Dixilynne Ryan.” Shadow came up to the group. “She is the Grand Shamus.”
“I told them that, Shadow.” Dixilynne remarked with a grin, hugging him. “I taught this man everything he knows about detecting.”
“Ah, but I am the one who married your granddaughter.” Shadow supplied. “Without which there would be no Grand Magus.”
“I earned that title on my own and you know it, Shane.” Luna’s voice came from behind him. “Well Gramma Dixie, we’re here. Now what?”
“Come girls. The gentlemen need to learn from the Apprentice.”
“If you’re Luna’s grandmother, you’re mine, too.” Ariana whispered. “Wow, I’m related to the Grand Shamus.”
“It’s no big deal.”
“It is a big deal my dear.” Dixilynne announced. “Can you guess the Apprentice’s true identity, Young Guardian? Think of the line and you will see.”
“Okay, Luna and I are Susan Woods’ daughters. You’re Susan’s mother, our grandmother. Am I getting close?” Ariana asked.
“Getting there.” Dixilynne prodded, smiling. “Based on the records I left behind at the System, who is the Apprentice?”
Ariana shook her head. “I never read any records.”
“I bet you had visions of the County.” Dixilynne supplied.
“Come on, sister, think! We were going over baby names and you decided on this one.”
“Theodore.” Ariana’s hand went to her wrist and to the scar made by the Musketeers those many years ago. “Theodore Ryan. The name I saw on a cement block of the System. It said Theodore Ryan’s family bought the Shore Point University building when the school was shut down. His wife Dixilynne, you, dedicated it to him, since he was lost during renovations.”
“If I am his wife, he is my husband.” Dixilynne announced. “The Apprentice is none other than your grandfather Theodore Ryan.”
“I never knew.” Ariana said. “Then again, we don’t know much about you two.”
“I do.” Luna remarked. “All you had to do was ask.”
Ariana rolled her eyes as Dixilynne escorted them away.
During their conversation, Derrick, Shadow and the Apprentice were listening in. When the women left, the Apprentice rubbed his hands together.
“I see you’ve earned your title as well, Protector.” He supplied. “My congratulations.”
“Thanks, but aren’t we here for a reason?” Derrick asked.
“To the point. That’s what Shannon likes about you.”
“Shannon knows you, too?”
“Of course. I’m her Uncle, aren’t I?” The Apprentice responded. “Now then. The Protector’s Pendants carry certain Magic of their own that accent those of the Ancient Mystics.”
“What kind of Magic?”
“A type of golden, protector-like Magic.” The Apprentice announced. He turned to Shane. “Do you still have your Dream Locket?”
Shadow nodded.
“Good. Give it to me, along with your Pendant.”
Confused, he obeyed. “What are you going to do with them?”
The Apprentice nodded. “You’ll see. And you, Derrick. Hand it over.”
His hands went to his Pendant.
“Relax, my boy. I’m only going to place a spell over it.”
“What kind of spell?” Derrick asked as he took it off.
“Dream Locket, too.” He instructed. Derrick took his Locket off as well, handing both to the Apprentice. “A spell that will help you learn the Protector’s Golden Magic.” The Apprentice took all four necklaces and hovered them in the air.
He chanted in some unknown language Derrick guessed was the Ancient Mystic, making the necklaces glow brightly. The combined golden glow was blinding, but the boys couldn’t look away. The golden glow separated to two different glowing balls of light. Each of their two original necklaces merged in midair to make one Pendant-Locket. The Apprentice held out his hands, each new necklace brought to one of them. Derrick’s on the right and Shadow’s on