THE DAGGER-KEY

- 1 - CHAPTER 1 Once upon a hundred thousand years ago in the Moxcedean galaxy on the planet Zacterron lived the Zacterronians, also known as Zacs. Although they had some characteristics unique to their race, they were humanoid creatures. They existed in a period when oil lamps and candles gave light to the dark of the night—a time of innocence and prosperity, but one with evil at the backdoor. In a moment of silence, lost within a bizarre dream, Kyhawn was sound asleep in his bed. It was a dream paved in darkness yet lit by a lantern of hope, which unknown to him held the answers to an extraordinary adventure that would change his world and everyone he loved. Across the road from Kyhawn’s cottage, a mysterious figure with red hair and dark blue skin stood behind the trees, unseen in the misty darkness. He pulled the hood of his cloak over his head, turned to his gray horse behind him, and took something sharp from its saddlebag. At that same moment, two barefooted Zacs with silverish-blue skin, dressed in tattered garments stood outside Kyhawn’s window. One of them crouched and cupped his hands to boost the other with dagger in hand up to the windowsill. This second Zac eased his dagger between the sill and the window frame, pried the window open, then climbed into Kyhawn’s bedroom and placed his hand over Kyhawn’s mouth. “Wake up! Your ship has docked,” he whispered, as he tucked this dagger back into its leg sheath. “What’s going on?” Kyhawn sat up, brushed his sandy blond hair away from his face, and rubbed his eyes. “Keep your voice down. You might wake your mother.” THE DAGGER-KEY 2 Kyhawn combed his hair with his fingers. “What are you doing here anyway, Earron?” He yawned as he tucked his hair behind his ears. “The Sealander docked only minutes ago,” his good friend responded. “You said you wanted to see Emaya again about your dream before you left, but you’ll have to forget that. They’re in a carriage on their way here for you now,” Earron said. “Are your bags ready?” Kyhawn lit the oil lamp beside his bed. His face with its large dark brown eyes, silverish-blue skin, and handsome narrow features dominated the room. He jumped to his feet. “Yes, I have my bags ready. Almost anyway,” he said hesitantly as he glanced at the window. “I thought I closed that last night.” He covered his tall, slim, twenty-two-year old body with brown trousers and a baggy wheat-colored shirt. “Are you sure it’s the Sealander cruise ship?” Kyhawn slipped on his leather boots. Earron crossed his arms and stood impatiently. “Of course I’m sure.” Kyhawn put on his coat. “But it wasn’t scheduled to dock for another two days.” “You don’t look so well.” Earron with his round face and dark orange eyes seemed perplexed. “Did you have the dream again?” Kyhawn dipped his hands into a washbowl next to his bed and nodded. “Can you meet me at the docks? I have something very important to tell you.” The short, chunky nineteen-year-old shrugged. “If it’s about your dream, tell me now.” Kyhawn patted his face with a towel. “It is about my dream. I don’t understand it any better than the first time I had it. It’s like a madness. I can’t explain it any more than what I already told you the other day.” With almost a look of desperation, Kyhawn placed his hands on Earron’s shoulders. “It’s urgent you go and see Emaya.” He hesitated for a moment. “Take Coita if you want,” he finally added as he knelt next to the window and rummaged through an old chest. “Now this is what I was going to tell you at the docks.” He glanced at Earron. “If Emaya says something terrible is going to happen on this cruise, then you have to promise …” “I know what you’re going to say.” Earron crossed his arms again. “We talked about this before. Besides, it’s occton fishing season. No one’s going to take off looking for anyone based on some barmy dream.” Kyhawn got to his feet and tossed on his bed the leather bag he’d located. “I realize it sounds insane, but please do this for me.” “I recognize your dreams have been known to come true, but then I know you better than most Zacs.” Earron placed his hand on the windowsill. “The last time Daniel L. Ferguson 3 we told Werdna and his brother Nevets about them, they made fun of us. Everyone else at the fishing docks laughed as well.” Earron and Kyhawn had been best friends before he left for trade school. Finally Earron said hesitantly, “Okay, we’ll go and see your dream interpreter friend. If she’s well, maybe this time she’ll be able to tell us something.” He dragged his hand over the windowsill, and then turned his head from side to side. His silverish-blue face and dark orange eyes shimmered in the lantern’s light. “But why are you even going if you have such a bad feeling about it?” He flicked the back of his curly black hair over the hood of his coat. Kyhawn thought for a moment. He stood over his bed and stuffed his artist’s parchment pads, quills, ink, and lead sticks into his many-pocketed cabac so he could carry them easily on his back. Finally he said in a loud whisper, “I can’t let my fear of this dream stop me from going on my first assignment.” “You’re only going to be taking care of a chest of old books and documents. And all your fellow passengers will be old and rich. Besides, maybe your dreams are only about your fear of crossing the world’s largest ocean, the Zacton Ocean.” Earron lowered his head. “I wish Coita and I was going with you.” He gave Kyhawn a cheerful smile, then took him by the shoulders and embraced him. “Go on in good spirits. I’ll see you in about eight days.” “Hopefully you’re right.” Kyhawn pointed. “Hey, remember the door’s this way.” “I came in through the window. You know how your mother feels about Coita and me.” Kyhawn chuckled. “She did say you two were a bad influence,” he said quickly adding. “Is Coita out there?” Earron positioned himself on the windowsill. “Yeah,” he nodded, as he glanced out the window at his good friend Coita. Kyhawn stared at Earron as if he might never see him again. “Remember, no one’s to know about the chest. Even you two aren’t supposed to know about it.” Earron eased out the window and gestured for Coita to give him a hand. He looked at Kyhawn: “You have our silence.” ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶ The hooded figure across the street remained still as they left, apparently not interested in Earron and Coita. The two hurried past the cottages and tall trees lining the cobblestone streets of their small fishing town of Omakohak. Minutes later they were on their way up a hill to Emaya’s cottage, but they soon discov- THE DAGGER-KEY 4 ered that no one was there. “We’ll go and see if she’s there later,” Earron said with a worried look as they made their way down the hill onto the cobblestone streets again. As they neared the street to the docks where they usually worked, Coita nudged Earron’s shoulder. “Don’t let it bother you. They’re only rubbish, these dreams of his.” “They’re not rubbish,” Earron insisted, as they descended the street to the docks. Coita shrugged. “Whatever.” Earron slung his arm over Coita’s shoulder. “In the passed, his dreams have been known to come true. But it is possible he’s just afraid to cross the ocean. His father did die at sea.” “Yeah, I know.” Earron patted Coita’s shoulder. “Let’s go to our shack, get a bite to eat, then see if we can get some work,” he said as they picked up their pace. “How’s your foot going today?” Coita, who walked with a slight lip because of a birth defect, responded with eagerness ready to go fishing. “My foot feels good.” They rushed by the fishing boats and the Sealander to where they lived, a one-room shack only minutes away. When they got there Earron quickly grabbed a strip of dried fish hanging over a fishing line that stretched across the room. As the dried fish hung from his mouth, he grabbed the lucky scarf he’d forgotten and tied it loosely around his neck as he headed back out the door. Coita also grabbed a strip of dried fish. With his fish in hand, t