Wizard's First Rule

Scarlet gave a roar of flame as she took to the air, Richard's dreams and joy lifting with her.

–+-

Zedd stood watching the dragon shrinking in the sky, keeping his worries to himself. Chase stroked Rachel's hair, and then folded his arms as he lifted an eyebrow to the wizard.

"Gives a lot of orders for a woods guide."

Zedd laughed. "That he does."

A little, bald-headed man came running down the hill of steps, a hand held up, beckoning. "Wizard Zorander! Wizard Zorander!" He finally came to a panting halt in front of them. "Wizard Zorander."

"What is it?" Zedd asked with a frown.

He struggled to catch his breath. "Wizard Zorander, there is trouble."

"What sort of trouble? And who are you?"

He leaned closer, conspiratorially, lowering his voice. "I am the head master of the crypt staff. There's trouble." His beady eyes darted about: "Trouble in the crypt."

"What crypt?" The man's eyes looked surprised at the question. "Why, the crypt of Panis Rahl, Master Rahl's grandfather, of course."

Zedd's brow wrinkled. "And what's the trouble?"

The head master put his fingers nervously to his lips. "I didn't see- it myself, Wizard Zorander, but my people would never lie. Never. They told me, and they wouldn't lie."

"What is it!" Zedd bellowed. "What's the trouble!"

His eyes darted about again, his voice lowered to a whisper. "The walls, Wizard Zorander. The walls."

Zedd gritted his teeth. "What about the walls?"

He looked up at the wizard, his eyes wide. "They are melting, Wizard Zorander. The walls in the crypt are melting."

Zedd straightened and glared at the man. "Bags! You have white stone on hand, white stone from the quarry of the prophets?"

The man nodded vigorously. "Of course."

Zedd reached into his robes, pulling out a small pouch. "Seal the opening to the tomb with white stone from the quarry of the prophets."

"Seal it shut?" he gasped.

"Yes. Seal it shut. Or the entire palace will melt." He handed the man the pouch. "Mix this magic dust with the mortar. It must be done before the sun sets, understand? Sealed shut before the sun sets."

The man nodded, snatched the pouch from Zedd's hand, and ran back up the steps as fast as his short legs would take him. Another man, taller, with his hands in the opposite sleeves of his gold-trimmed white robes, passed him as he came down. Chase glared at Zedd, poking a big finger at the wizard's chest.

"Panis Rahl, Master Rahl's grandfather?"

Zedd cleared his throat. "Yes, well, we will have to have a talk."

The man in the white robes approached. "Wizard Zorander, is Master Rahl about? There are matters to be discussed."

Zedd peered up at the dragon disappearing in the sky. "Master Rahl will be away for a time."

"But he will return?"

"Yes." Zedd looked back to the man's waiting face. "Yes, he will return. You will just have to carry on until then." The man shrugged. "We are used. to that, here at the People's Palace-waiting for the Master to return." He turned and started off, but stopped when Zedd called him back.

"I'm hungry. Is there anywhere to get something to eat around here?"

The man smiled and held his arm out to the palace entrance. "Of course, Wizard Zorander. Allow me show you to a dining hall."

"How about it, Chase? Care for some lunch before I'm on my way?„

The boundary warden looked down at Rachel. "Lunch?" She grinned and nodded in earnest. "All right, Zedd. And where is it you're going?"

Zedd shifted his robes. "To see Adie."

Chase lifted an eyebrow. "A little rest and relaxation?" He grinned.

Zedd couldn't help smiling a little. "That, and I must take her to Aydindril, to the Wizard's Keep. We have a lot of reading to do."

"Why would you want to take Adie to Aydindril, to the Wizard's Keep, to read?"

Zedd gave the boundary warden a sidelong glance. "Because she knows more about the underworld than anyone alive."