The Mapkeeper and the Rise of the Wardens (10 page)

“Serafine is legendary for leading the rebuild of Praxis. She had the most difficult task ever faced by a Mapkeeper except for the fifteenth, of course. Without her, survivors would have remained spread out and uncivilized for a much longer period of time. They didn’t want to rebuild or rejoin society after the destruction of their way of life. Clans were demolished, scattered, and terrified.”

Lucy gazed up at Serafine, memorizing her face.
If I’m going to be the Mapkeeper, I’m going to do my best to live up to Serafine’s legacy
, she decided. Taking and releasing a deep breath, she strode back along the opposite wall, perusing the other half of the diverse bunch who had each at one time been known as the Mapkeeper.

Alone in her room that evening, she studied the map and thought about what she would say at tomorrow’s Clan Council. She thought about her role as Mapkeeper. Glancing out her window, the crescent moon was a large, brilliant white slice in the night sky. Her stomach clenched in a tight knot when she remembered that Bade would be there.
What will Bade and the others say?

Lucy jolted awake to the harsh splatter of water against steel. Her heart pounded and she jerked upright in bed. Blinding rays of morning sunlight filtered through the white lace curtains framing the window.

“Oh gosh, I’m so sorry for waking you, Ms. Barnes.” Olivia wore an expression of fear, frozen in the act of pouring a pitcher of steaming water into a steel wash basin.

Lucy put a hand over her racing heart. “Oh, good morning Olivia. Please, don’t worry about it,” she sighed, flooded with nervous relief as her heart rate slowed. “And please call me Lucy.” She grinned, stretching her arms. She’d slept well in her oversized bed. She threw the heavy down quilt off, swinging her legs over the side of the bed and hopping out. Her nightgown was a comfortable cream silk garment.

“Here is some water for you to wash up. There are plenty of clean clothes in the armoire.” Olivia pointed across the room. “The royal family will be breakfasting in half an hour and have invited you and your brothers to join them in the Great Hall. Can I be of any further assistance?” She fisted the empty pitcher in front of her.

Lucy smiled. “No, you’ve already done more than enough, thank you Olivia. I’ll just get cleaned up and be down for breakfast in a bit.”

Olivia stepped out and Lucy picked up where she left off the night before, rehearsing in her mind everything she wanted to say at tonight’s Council of Clans. Her stomach re-knotted itself in the familiar ball of anxiety.

“Good morning, Lucy!” Queen Oleksandra called across the Great Hall as Lucy approached from the spiral staircase. The queen sat in her throne at the head of the table, to King Muttongale’s right. Prince Puck glared at a bowl of porridge steaming in front of him. Mack and Luke sat across from the prince, gobbling bowls of porridge, slices of bacon, and wedges of fresh fruit. They smiled up at their sister.

“I hope you don’t mind us starting without you,” the king quipped with a chuckle.

“Of course not! We don’t wait for late-comers at our house either.” Everyone except the grumpy prince chuckled as she slid into the seat next to Puck. Golden utensils gleamed in stark contrast to the dark, heavy wood of the long Great Hall table. The group was clustered at one end of the elongated table. She unfolded her maroon cloth napkin and laid it in her lap as a kitchen hand brought her a hot bowl of porridge. She thanked him and sprinkled some cinnamon on the porridge before scooping up a spoonful to let it cool.

“Did you sleep well?” the king asked.

“I did, thank you, your highness.”

“You’ve got a big day ahead. Cadmus has volunteered to help you prepare as much as possible before the Clan Council if you would like.” As he spoke, the Great Hall doors opened and Cadmus entered. He looked fresh, his hair still damp from a morning bath.

“Good morning, everyone!” he called with a wide smile and wave. He took the seat next to Luke across the table from Lucy.

“Ah, good morning Cadmus. Nice to see you. I was just telling Lucy that you’d volunteered your services to help her best prepare for tonight’s council,” the king replied.

“Of course I will.” He dipped a spoon into his fresh bowl of porridge and stirred, looking up at Lucy as a lock of hair fell across his forehead.

“That would be great,” she replied, tearing her gaze away and focusing on her food.

Cadmus reached out to one of the center platters and helped himself to a few cubed apples and some sort of sliced dark red-skinned fruit with a crisp, juicy yellow inside.

“Pip told me and Luke he’d show us the stable after breakfast,” Mack said.

“Oh, wonderful! You’ll love it. Have him take you for a ride if you’d like.” The queen beamed.

The knot in Lucy’s stomach returned as she realized that meant time alone with Cadmus. She stirred her porridge faster, steam pouring out of the bowl. She wasn’t sure how she felt about being alone with him.

The rest of the meal passed with nearly everyone engaged in pleasant dialog, but the king and queen’s attempts to include Puck in conversation were failures. The prince rolled his eyes and grunted answers to their gentle questions, shoveling food in his mouth like a starving animal. Lucy felt badly for the king and queen, but his behavior
was
slightly entertaining.

After breakfast, Cadmus took Lucy to the castle library on the fourth floor. It was very large, encompassing the entire fourth floor not already devoted to guest and servant quarters. Lucy had seen the dark wooden double doors in passing going to and from her apartment several times now, but had not known what was inside.

She gasped as she passed through the doors. It was magnificent! Ceiling-high wooden shelves lined every wall and were arranged in dozens of parallel columns across the expansive space. She drifted into the space, absorbing it with each deliberate step.

Cadmus grinned. “It’s brilliant, isn’t it?”

She smiled too, turning in a circle and seeing that the shelves even wrapped around above the doors they’d just come through! “It’s stunning! I’ve never seen so many books in my life!” Tall ladders on wheels were scattered among the shelves. Lucy climbed halfway up the nearest ladder. “Will you give me a push?” She asked, her eyes glittering.

Cadmus burst into laughter, bending at the waist and grabbing his stomach with one hand. “Are you serious?” His eyes twinkled. “All right.” He took the ladder in both his hands and gave it a smooth shove. She soared down the aisle, gripping a ladder rung with one hand and slapping book spines with the other. They were both laughing as she coasted to a stop.

“I’m glad you like the wheeling ladders so much. If you come over to this side of the library, you’ll get a terrific view of the castle grounds out these windows.” He pointed across the library to three large arched windows, leading her across the room.

“Wow,” Lucy murmured, impressed at the view that extended for miles. The grass on the castle hill and in the pastures was so green from up here! She could see Pip leading her brothers to the stable in the distance. Beyond the castle hill, the village looked sleepy and cozy in the distance. There were no signs of the mass chaos that had taken place there last night. A few tiny figures walked the streets, but she couldn’t make out their features from this distance.

Cadmus pulled out a chair and motioned for Lucy to sit at one of the tables positioned next to the windows. He took the chair opposite hers.

“This library is fantastic. Is this where Praxis’ records are kept?” she asked.

“Some are here, along with many old volumes from centuries past. But the most valuable ancient records are kept in the archive on the third floor near the Great Hall. It is kept under strict lock and key. Only the king, queen, Phestyr—the record-keeper—and I have access to the archives. The royal family entrusted me to access the archive under Phestyr’s supervision to support my studies of Praxis’ history. I became so fascinated and spent so much time in the archives that they allowed Phestyr to make me a copy of the key. Not long after that, I took over as clan leader for the people of Praxis. I have been the clan leader for three years,” he explained.

“Is that why you live at the castle?” Lucy asked.

“Yes.”

“What happened to the last clan leader?” she ventured.

Cadmus frowned. “The man who held my position before me became corrupted over the years. The power went to his head. He stole ancient records from the castle archives and was plotting an uprising. His intent was for the people to attack the creature clans and destroy them one by one. He has a vision of what he calls ‘Pure Praxis’, where humans are the only clan.” Cadmus shook his head in disgust. “As soon as his journal was discovered, they threw him in the dungeon. He’s been rotting there ever since. He is a madman.”

“What is his name?”

“Fagen Swiltering. Let’s hope you don’t have to meet him any time soon.”

The thought of a maniac imprisoned somewhere beneath them sent a chill up her spine. She pulled her loose cotton blouse tighter around her arms. She was dressed more like a Praxian today, though she was disappointed that her armoire hadn’t contained any jeans or t-shirts.
At least these clothes are comfortable
, she thought. Her outfit included a pair of plain sand-colored riding pants and brown leather boots. A soft leather string secured her white blouse at the collarbone.

Lucy gazed out the window at the gorgeous scenery of Praxis. “This place is so beautiful and full of so many wonderful people and creatures. I’m not sure I will do it justice as Mapkeeper,” she confessed.

Cadmus’ eyes softened. “Really, Lucy? That’s funny because I was thinking you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to Praxis.” He smiled a genuine, eye-crinkling grin. Lucy’s heart swelled.

“But I don’t even know anything about this place! I don’t even know who all the clans are that I’ll meet tonight! I don’t know how to use this thing yet—” she tugged the map out of her pocket.

“It’s okay,” Cadmus interrupted, holding his hands up and signaling her to stop. “That’s why I’m here to help you.” Despite her severe misgivings, Lucy trusted him. “I’ll start with the clans. You saw the Bellaux, the elves, and the centaurs at the Ceremony of Light. You might have seen the gnomes huddled in the middle of Central Square—they’re easy to miss though. Pretty small.” He grinned. “Some creatures don’t interact with the rest of us, though. There are mermaids in Glacial Lake, trolls and goblins in the Dour Mountains, and kobolds in Doldrums Forest. They all keep to themselves, but they’re still invited to the Council of Clans tonight. We’ll see who shows up.”

Lucy spread the map flat on the table between them. “Sometimes it glows and gets warm,” she said. “And as weird as it sounds, I feel—I feel like I have some sort of connection to it.” She made an uncomfortable face, embarrassed. Cadmus did not seem fazed.

“That’s good! It’s a sign that you are the rightful Mapkeeper. You must form a bond with the map and discover how to make it work for you. The map is a secretive thing. According to my research, Mapkeepers who tried to collaborate with others to unlock its power only delayed their ability to control it. It’s something you must discover for yourself. Trust your instincts.”

I want the map to work for me right now
, she thought in frustration. How could she convince the Council of Clans she would be a competent Mapkeeper if she didn’t even know how to control it yet? Cadmus’ expression softened. His smile was kind and reassuring. Lucy took a deep breath and felt the map pulse with warmth beneath her palms. She allowed a smile to form on her lips too.

“All right, now let’s talk a little bit more about the clans,” Cadmus continued. “Each clan has its own idea of what kind of behavior is acceptable. The gnomes are gruff and blunt. They will tell you exactly what they’re thinking, good or bad. They can be a grumpy bunch. Their leader is named Enzo.

“The Bellaux, led by Auriel, are calm and intelligent. They are good listeners and rational thinkers. It is hard to make a Bellaux angry, but if you do, you’re going to have a bad day!”

On the map, the Tree of Virtue, home of the Bellaux, seemed like a large and lovely place to live—a stark juxtaposition of the Dour Mountains.

“The goblins are more difficult to deal with. They do not like compromise. They want everything done their way, every time. The head goblin is a cranky little creature named Glump. They live underground in the foothills of the mountains. The trolls live higher up in the mountain caves. They don’t have a lot going on upstairs, if you know what I mean,” he said, pointing to his head.

“They’re massive and strong, and they will follow their leader without questioning. His name is Digby, and he is a ruthless leader. He will kill a member of his own clan if he is disobeyed!” Lucy’s eyes widened. “I wouldn’t expect Digby to show up to the council, though. The trolls only make occasional appearances in town, and that’s often with the intent of disturbing the peace.”

Lucy arched her eyebrows. The trolls sounded terrible! She was grateful they weren’t expected to be at the meeting.

“Next there are the elves, who live in Doldrums Forest. Their leader is Adalia, and she possesses fierce loyalty to her clan. She also tends to be suspicious of other clans. She will compromise when necessary, but only if it will benefit the elves. The elves have been wronged throughout Praxis’ history and have not forgotten it.

“The centaurs are led by Zadok, one of the kindest and most gracious creatures I’ve ever met. They also live in the forest and are almost as reclusive as the unicorns, but Zadok always attends Clan Councils. Their main goal is to foster peace among all the clans while maintaining their own secluded way of life. There are those within Zadok’s clan who believe he interacts too much with the other clans, but as a whole, the centaurs respect and love him.”

Lucy recalled the strong, serene centaur who had stayed behind at the Ceremony of Light when most of the others left through the alley.

“That covers all the clans,” Cadmus said, counting in his head and ticking his fingers one by one to keep a tally. “There are other creatures in Praxis, but they either don’t live in clans or don’t participate in our society, like the mermaids in Glacial Lake or the forest kobolds.”

Cadmus looked out the window beside them, and she followed his gaze.

“It’s a beautiful land,” she observed, mesmerized.