The Mapkeeper and the Rise of the Wardens (8 page)

That evening, they rode to town in a large horse-drawn carriage with the royal family. Lucy was squashed between Luke and Mack on a bench seat opposing Queen Oleksandra, Prince Puck, and King Muttongale, whose stubby legs didn’t quite reach the floor. He bounced out of his seat each time they hit a rut in the road. Lucy couldn’t make eye contact with Mack and Luke for fear of bursting out laughing at the sight of the bouncing monarch.

“Exquisite day outside,” King Muttongale remarked, bracing himself against his two arm rests.

“It is beautiful!” Lucy agreed, leaning forward to gaze out the window next to Luke.

They were escorted by ten armed guards on horseback. Lucy thought it was all a bit excessive, but she enjoyed the carriage ride nonetheless. It was another first for her.

“The Festival will begin with our arrival, Ms. Barnes. I will step out with my queen and my boy…” He winked at Prince Puck. The prince rolled his eyes and shifted away from his father to face the window. “…and then I will introduce you and your brothers to the masses. You will be escorted on stage by your guards, and the ceremony will begin!” He spread his hands and grinned, unable to contain his excitement. His legs wiggled back and forth.

The carriage made a right hand turn onto a wide cobbled road labeled Central Sq. Promenade. Lucy’s eyes bulged—throngs of villagers lined the street! They erupted into a roar of approval as the carriage made its arrival. Aproned women waved lace kerchiefs while men whooped and punched the air. Children darted to and fro amongst the crowd playing hide and seek or cheered from atop their parents’ shoulders.

“Your highness, what is that massive fire burning up ahead?” Mack was leaning close to his window, peering toward their destination.

“Ah, the cauldron of fire! Each time a new Mapkeeper is chosen, the cauldron of fire comes alive. It is an ancient spell that even our most experienced maesters cannot decipher. The cauldron produces the likeness of the next Mapkeeper and spits it high into the sky for a fortnight. Today marks the final night, which is why it is time for the Ceremony of Light.”

“Hold on. So you’re saying there is a giant image of me made of fire?” Lucy leaned over Mack, straining to see.

“Get off me, sis!” Mack gave her a gentle shove. “I think you can wait a couple more minutes to see it.”

“Boo!” Lucy pouted, crossing her arms. Everyone laughed, but she couldn’t stop an uneasy feeling from creeping into the pit of her stomach. It was strange that everyone was making such a big deal over her.

The crowds only thickened as they progressed down Central Square Promenade. Several minutes later they made a wide left turn and the road spilled into a circular town center fringed by tall, narrow A-frame storefronts.

“Central Square!” King Muttongale announced.

An immense clock tower dominated Central Square, four shops flanking it on each side. The storefronts were quaint and cheery, with colorful window shutters and round-topped wooden doors. The sidings were shingled, and cozy tendrils of smoke curled out of their crooked tin chimney pipes. Lucy squinted above the cheering crowd and read a hand-painted sign above the door out Luke’s window to her right. “Emil’s Clothier.” Turning to peer out Mack’s window, she gasped.

The town center was packed with people and in the center of it all, a fiery plume lit up the darkening sky. The fire formed the image of her own body! She could even make out the general likeness of her face and ponytail!

“Holy cow,” she whispered. She could only stare.

“It’s magnificent, isn’t it?” Queen Oleksandra beamed at her from across the carriage.

Prince Puck yawned. “It’s just the cauldron of fire,” he muttered.

“I think it’s amazing!” Luke murmured, leaning across Lucy to get a better view.

The cauldron was a thick black bowl the height of two men. It rested on a heavy stone cube and spewed its thick flame fifty feet in the air. Lucy’s giant likeness stood holding the map in her left hand. From their vantage point, Lucy could see the left profile of her face dancing in the flames high above them. She noted that her fiery likeness seemed to exude a confidence that the real Lucy did not feel.

“All right Ms. Barnes, are you ready to meet the people and creatures of Praxis?” King Muttongale grinned and gestured toward the stage in front of the cauldron.

Lucy swallowed, rubbing her sweaty palms against her thighs. She was suddenly aware that she was still wearing jeans and a t-shirt.
Is that too casual?
She glanced at the queen, who dazzled in a deep purple silk gown with intricate white detailing and a gold sash.

“I guess I’m as ready as I’ll ever be… Your highness, are you going first? What should I—” Before she could finish, one of their guards opened the carriage door and the royal family filed out. The deafening roar of the crowd and radiant heat from the fire poured into the compartment, causing beads of sweat to form on Lucy’s temples. Mack looked back at his sister and shrugged. She wouldn’t have been able to hear him over the din even if he’d said something. He hopped out of the carriage and followed the royal family through the human tunnel of uniformed guards. Luke patted Lucy’s arm from behind, encouraging her to hop out.

She slid across the plush bench seat and plopped out onto the cobblestones, scurrying to catch up to her older brother. A row of stoic castle guards held back the cheering villagers, who were wild with excitement. Lucy caught glimpses of lit sparklers and heard the popping of crude fireworks from within the crowd. Someone howled—they must have been hit. Mack turned to grin at her. He waved to a group of teenage girls and they swooned, chirping and giggling in a gaggle. Lucy rolled her eyes.

Luke caught up and fell into step beside her. Lucy found herself once again grateful for her brothers’ presence. Ahead, the king and queen were already climbing the short flight of carpeted stone steps to the stage. Prince Puck trailed behind, taking his time, gazing left and right with disinterest as he strolled toward the stage.

Lucy’s stomach knotted in fear as she climbed the steps, her brothers flanking her. A red velvet carpet blanketed the wooden stage, and King Muttongale gestured for the siblings to sit in three gold-gilded wooden chairs. Prince Puck was already lounging on his throne. Queen Oleksandra stood by the king’s side, waving at the crowd. As far as the eye could see, people and creatures filled the square and spilled into the street leading up to it.

The creatures! For the first time, Lucy took notice of the different groups huddled together among the humans. None of them stood very near the stage. Toward the back of the crowd beside an alley that separated a store and a house was a large group of centaurs—they drew Lucy’s eye first. She had read of them in many books growing up, but of course, in her mind, they had only been mythical beasts! They stood still and silent as they waited for the ceremony to begin, immune to whatever craze seemed to overcome the loud, exuberant crowd of people.

She would have continued to ogle them if not for the glowing group of dazzling women occupying the opposite corner of the square beside another alley. They had silken hair and translucent skin, and looked on with the same solemnity as the centaurs. Not a whisper was shared among them. A faint aura of light emanated from the group, giving them an ethereal quality. But what made them stand out the most was that each of them stood a full head taller than the tallest human!

A dent in the crowd somewhere in the middle revealed a huddled pack of waist-high gnomes. She could only see the back row of them, poking one other in the ribs and muttering amongst themselves. They were thick and squat, with braided beards and large noses.

A familiar face near the stage caught her eye. It was Cadmus, studying her with an inscrutable expression on his face. Unable to decide whether it was a good or a bad look, Lucy brushed the question away and focused on King Muttongale, who was holding out his short arms for silence. The din subsided and the people and creatures of Praxis settled until the powerful crackle of flames radiating from the cauldron behind them was the only sound.

One of the hooded castle maesters approached the king from the opposite side of the stage, holding a twig the length of a forearm. He took his time, moving with an air of grave purpose. His deep purple cloak shielded his face and dragged well behind him. With a flick of his wrist, the twig began to glow, a soft golden orb that illuminated the tip. The maester bowed and handed the glowing stick to King Muttongale, who thanked him with a hearty slap on the back. The maester flinched. Composing himself, he drifted off stage with dignity. Lucy’s lips parted in an amused half-grin.

King Muttongale held the glowing stick beneath his mouth and his voice was amplified enough that the whole court could hear him.

“Good people and good creatures of Praxis! I come before you on this night to observe the Ceremony of Light, an ancient tradition that has been practiced by our ancestors for thousands of years. Most of us will only witness one or perhaps two such ceremonies in our lifetimes. With the exception of the Elves, of course.” He gestured toward a group of thin, fair-skinned elves Lucy hadn’t noticed before. They, like many of the other non-humans, stood in a quiet grouping on the outskirts of the crowd. “A momentous occasion indeed!”

The crowd erupted into applause. Lucy’s stomach was somersaulting. She tried not to focus on the enormity of the crowd. Instead, she stared at a charming little child clinging to her mother’s skirt at the base of the stage. She sucked her thumb and stared back at Lucy with wide, innocent brown eyes. She helped Lucy momentarily forget that she was the focus of hundreds of eyes.

“Our last Mapkeeper served us well. He passed in peace and has been succeeded by Ms. Lucy Barnes, who joins us tonight to assume her rightful role among us!” Central Square resounded with raucous noise. Lucy’s face flushed, making her hot and uncomfortable. She squeezed her abdominal muscles in an attempt to regain control of her flipping stomach. The king faced her and raised his arms as high as he could, grinning through his frizzy red beard. Queen Oleksandra smiled, her thin hands clasped in front of her. The din persisted.

At last, King Muttongale managed to quiet the people, waving his arms in a silencing motion. He stepped toward Lucy and handed her the glowing stick. Everyone’s eyes were glued on the new Mapkeeper. Lucy hated public speaking, and this was by far the largest crowd she had ever encountered. Her somersaulting stomach dropped like an anchor with the realization that they expected her to make a speech.

Taking a deep breath, she held the stick a few inches from her mouth with a shaking hand and managed to utter, “Hi... my name is Lucy Barnes, and these are my brothers Mack and Luke.” She gestured to her brothers, not quite knowing what else to do. The crowd beamed up at her, curiosity visible in every face. A profound silence hung in the air. The silence felt so dense and suffocating that she swore it was responsible for the trickle of sweat inching its way down her spine. “I uh—I just found out that I am the next Mapkeeper,” she stuttered uncertainly. The crowd erupted in gleeful applause.

Grateful for the interruption, Lucy used the back of her hand to wipe a drip of sweat off her forehead. She glanced at her brothers, who smiled to show their encouragement. The applause died and the silence that followed seemed to imply that she should have more to say.

“I, uh… I’m really excited to be here. I don’t know much of what my duties will include yet…” Sudden movements throughout the crowd caught her eye. On one side, the elves were shaking their heads and exiting through the alley. She glanced across to the other side of the crowd. The centaurs were leaving too. King Muttongale scurried over and snatched the stick from her.

“What—what Ms. Barnes means is that she is thrilled to be here, and will assume duties as Mapkeeper right away! In fact, she will hold a Council of Clans tomorrow evening in the Great Hall!” He pointed a chubby finger skyward for dramatic effect. The elves and centaurs stopped and turned at this news, cocking their heads in curiosity. One centaur hadn’t moved. He was lean and muscular, with a sleek brown coat. He stood still and listened, arms crossed across his chest. The elves reemerged from the shadows and filed back into Central Square.

Lucy was certain that her face was beet red. She couldn’t wait for this part of the ceremony to be over.

“That’s right, a Council of Clans will take place tomorrow evening at sunset. At the council she will unveil her plan to save Praxis from disaster!” The crowd erupted with violent cheering. Lucy’s heart thumped out of control. She looked at her brothers, but they shared her wide-eyed expression of shock—maybe even fear. She wiggled her fingers to make sure they were still there because she couldn’t feel her limbs. Her breaths came fast and shallow.

Her attention was suddenly captured by a tall, thin man shouldering his way through the crowd without apology. Wisps of gray hair tufted his otherwise bald head and his long, pointed nose was visible even from afar. He hugged a black cape around himself as if disgusted by the idea of touching the people surrounding him.

A chest-high mop of auburn hair bobbed along behind him, bumping into everyone in its way. Whomever the hair belonged to was too short for Lucy to see their face. The thin man reached the front row as a hush fell over the gathering. His cold, calculating glare took Lucy aback. He studied her for a moment, glanced up at the burning image, then back at her.

“Hah!” he spat. “
This
is who the map chose as our bold and fearless leader? This scrawny
girl
? At a time when Praxis is in grave peril? The most serious threat to our existence in a thousand years and we are sent
this girl
?” He shouted the last sentence. The hairs rose on the back of Lucy’s neck. She could feel the burn of his hostility from across the stage. The short redheaded man who had followed him through the crowd stood at his side, hands on his hips, scrutinizing Lucy with beady black eyes.