Balthazar
Irashma meadow was very big and wide.
Where ever you looked there was grass and wildflowers everywhere. Sophie, Ted,
Jack and Sam got down from the cart
“Thank you for the ride” said Sophie,
giving the cart driver a coin.
“It was my pleasure misses” said the cart
driver “do you want me to stay here to take you back to the village?”
“Don’t bother sir” replied Sophie “we
have no idea how long we are going to stay here”. So the cart driver left with
his horse and cart.
Ted took a good look at Irashma meadow. “This meadow is so green,
colourful and peaceful” he said “it’s almost as if that war fifty years ago
never happened”.
“I must ask” said Sam “how will we
find the white crystal of Ishma here? This meadow is enormous.”
“Excuse me” said a voice behind them
“did you say the white crystal of Ishma?” It was an old man, with long white
hair, wearing a white robe and was carrying a long staff.
“Who are you?” asked Sam, getting
ready to fight the old man just in case.
“I am Balthazar” the old man answered
“I was a magician of Ishma, but I live here in Irasha now. Why are you looking
for the white crystal of Ishma?”
“Prince Charles of Ishma is planning
to rule over Ishma with the power of the black crystal of Ishma” explained
Sophie “that is why we’re here. Prince Edward and Princess Julia sent us here
to search for the white crystal of Ishma”.
“So he is planning to do what his
ancestor Prince John did huh?” said Balthazar “Hmm I had a feeling this would
happen “you better come with me”.
“I take it you know about the black
and white crystals of Ishma?” asked Ted.
“Yes” replied Balthazar “the truth is I
am a descendant of the magician who gave Prince Arthur and Prince John the gift
of magic three hundred years ago. That story had been passed down in my family
ever since”.
“I remember reading that story” said
Ted.
“Is there no story that you haven’t
read?” asked Sam; he has heard Ted saying he had read this or that lots of
times.
“Come on Ted and Sam” said Sophie
“now is not the time for arguing, Balthazar do you know where the white crystal
is?”
“Yes I do, the truth is fifty years
ago the king of Ishma at that time gave me the white crystal” said Balthazar “the
white crystal is why Ishma and Irasha were at war with each other. Irasha wanted
it, but the king of Ishma wouldn’t let them have it, so it caused that war.
After the war was over, the king gave the crystal to me. He feared that someone
else might want to have the white crystal for its powers for selfish reasons.
So he gave it to me to keep it somewhere safe”.
“Why here at Irasha and not at
Ishma?” asked Jack.
“The people of Irasha had no idea
that it was lost here, so hiding it here was a safer place than Ishma”.
Balthazar led them straight into the
middle of Irashma meadow and brought them to a large white memorial. The
memorial was very tall and had names on all its four sides. “This memorial is a
remembrance of those from Ishma who died in the war that took place here fifty
years ago” explained Balthazar “this is also where I hid the white crystal”.
“But I don’t see the white crystal
here” said Sam, looking at the memorial.
“All is not what it seems” said
Balthazar. He raised his stick and said “Open Sesame!” The memorial moved
backwards and there in front of it were stairs. “Go and retrieve the white
crystal and hurry”.
“Okay” said Sophie “boys lets go” and
they headed down the stairs.
