The Chronicles of the Black Crystal. Vol: 1: Andrew River
Chapter 3: The Book

As each day passed, I could feel my strength had come back to my body. My stamina exceedingly grew, as a result, I started to explore my chambers. My room had been furnished with clothes that fit me so. There had been a little footlocker at the end of my bed; that contained all my clothes. With the bookshelf and bed table, I also had a small desk that rested by the entry way to my chambers. I had three long bay windows that inhabited my chamber. The view out of two showed the walkway leading up to the mansion. The third stare out onto a little garden. With a marble fountain in the center. A wreath of benches circled the fountain. With shrubs, that kept a watchful eye on them. It was a peaceful place to look upon.

A week later as my strength restored to the fullest, I explored outside of my little chamber. I roamed all through every nook and cranny of this estate. Moreover, none were forbidden that I could not enter. A whole house filled with a maze of claustrophobic hallways and corridors. They never led to the same place twice. However, they all led to the grand marble staircase. As you glided up these thick, broad stairs; they led back where you started. When you thought that you would become lost, the house surprised you. It always led you back.

One of the rooms had a huge collection of great, old, rustic novels. On sanded down shelves. Each room had some educational value. The whole estate had that seeping out of its walls. However, this place was different. This room felt different. However, a good different. Nothing that you should be frightened of, but had something you can only explain as being magical. Expressing something of that magnitude is hard. How could you?

I placed my fingers onto the spines of these books. Some of the spines had been bony and rough, while others were smooth and soft. All kinds of shapes of books, big and small, thin and large filled the petite library. I paced throughout this one little library compared to hundreds, that abode in this mansion. Every novel felt the same, expect one. When I passed by it, I could feel it. A little energy force, speaking to me through the air. The same feeling you get when someone has their piercing eyes wondering to your soul. This sense of magic stopped me in my tracks. This book was alive, like you and me. I know it is impossible. How can anything, that is not alive have life in it? This book had a binding, pages and the usual characteristics of a novel, on the other hand, it had been not a normal book.

I pulled out this full, massive book. I had to grab it with both of my hands. One was not enough. It had been bigger than the width of my hand. The cover was a brownish tan. It had the appearance of some animal skin. However, I could not tell what animal. Across the cover had been branded a strange title with a strange language. Two pieces of twine wrapped and cradled the book. To keep whatever was inside secure. My curiosity overpowered me. I undid the twain and opened this mysterious novel. As I opened it I realized the binding was loose and weaken by many times opening such a book. This novel had to be mended, however, if you did something like that to a book like this. It would mess up the characteristic of the novel. Throughout the rough-edged pages, there had been pictures, pieces of strange inhuman items, and pieces of nature plastered onto these pages. Even some of the words had a shimmery glow to them. The book consisted of many chapters. These chapters were as followed:

1)Introductions

2)The History of the World That You Live In.

3)The Similarities of Nature and your Physical Form

4)The Language that Connects Us

5)The Meaning of the Ancient Language

6)How to use the Ancient Language that Forms us

7)Using Simple Phrases in Your Everyday Life.

8)When is it the Right Time to Cast and How to do it?

And the final chapter caught my eye. But however, it would catch anybody’s eye for that matter.

9)How to use the Darkness that Surrounds you.

I realized that this novel was not an ordinary piece of literature. But I did want to learn more about it, even if this is a bunch of lies. Nevertheless, it will be a fascinating read. I went to the far corner of the room. Where shelves fortified my body and I sat down. I turned to the Introduction.

“Dear Reader,

Are you ready to open your mind to the world around you? Some might express the feelings that you will uncover is the pure imagination of your mind. But they will not be. It will be something more. It will be an eye opener, to the world that you thought you knew very well. There is much more than meets the eye; I can tell you that for certain.

As in any other stories you heard as a child, there was always a good vs. evil, the pure light vs. the darkness. Those stories mimicked the real world. Those stories got you ready for the world. For some, you can relate. Others you try to compare. Try desperately to become those stories. Now you can. You can become the hero or the villain. Whichever you are destined to become.

These chapters consist of the history of the world you live in, then the history of a language that you can command to perform anything you thought impossible, then finally learning about the darkness that is in this world. And how to control it using your mind and other emotions that we humans possess. Some of these spells I guess you can say will take years and months to perform correctly. On the other hand, some you will get right away. Depending on how strong you are with your powers.

Only a select few have these powers. Some people do not even know they have such powers until they face danger, hatred or heartache. But to others, they replace out they have this ability when they are young. Out of the blue. Some of us can conjure it easily in our lives. On the flip side, others need a shock to awaken their inner power.

With this power, you can help many. Some only spent all their lives learning some poor qualities what this power can conjure. Take, for example, Healers. They spend all their lives learning and mastering certain qualities of healing. Others will be teachers to teach the next generation. And some will be influential leaders. We can be a part of this world that no one knew possible. You must believe in yourself.

Take warning! There will be beings that will use this power for a horrifying evil act. They will take the road of hatred. And I cannot stress enough that no one should take that miserable path. However, with evil, there is a good. You can protect the innocent, from the darkness that people will crave in their hearts. Both sides will think that they will be doing the best for everybody that lives in this world. You cannot destroy the one without destroying the other. For in this world, there will need to be light and darkness. The one cannot live without the other.

So, for this, practice for anything that will come to pass. Be ready for anything, and be prepared. Have trust in yourself. And believe that you can conquer anything. Farewell reader. “Yn gryf. Gadewch eich pwerau yn eich arwain.”

I closed the book, to ponder what I just read. Is this book serious, or is it a piece of fiction? This work of fiction can’t be true. There is no such thing as magic in this world. Or is there. Something about this story has truth in it. I believe it. But how far should I believe it? I wanted, no I craved more about this book. Am I destined for evil because I desire whatever this book teaches? Or do I crave more because I am destined to be a great powerful being? For the first time since I awoke in this mansion, something makes a bit of sense. Even if this euraka moment had been laced with curiosity and confusion.

I felt like I needed to hide this book and keep it for myself. I put this novel underneath my shirt to hide it from anyone that walks by, even though they will see a huge lump in my shirt. I got up and walked out the door to head back to my chambers.

When I reached my chamber’s, I locked the door and took out the book out of my shirt. I needed to hide this book. An overwhelming protection I had toward it; for some strange reason. I walked around my room trying to replace anywhere to place it. As I walked around, beneath my foot there squeaked a wooden floor board. I bent down and pressed onto the ground. A piece of the floor was loose. I grabbed something to pry the board open. A good chunk of wood had created a hole in my floor. But there had been no possibility that anyone could see the downstairs. I concluded that the hole would have been a perfect spot to hide my new treasure. I placed this treasure of mine, into the perfect hole which the missing floorboard produced. I put the floor board back into place like it was before.

I went out of my chambers and into the hallway. As I passed Master Jim’s study, which inhabited the floor of my room, Master Jim was inside. He sat on the main desk while looking over a letter. I proceeded to trot in.