A Coursing Passage (A Life of Magic Book 3) Read Free Page B

taller than any building and swayed in the breeze.
    "No ax nor fire may destroy you. You shall live rooted to this spot, only passing away when all the descendents of those you oppressed have forgotten your very existence. When they no longer tell tales of the evil king will you finally die. You shall serve as a warning and a reminder."
    The man turned and faced into the kingdom, "All of those who have fled have escaped. It is time." His magic flowed out of his body and deep into the ground. The magic rolled through the ground, rocks tumbling and the very mountains shaking to their cores. The man worked all through the night, forcing his magic and will into the ground of the kingdom. Buildings tumbled and fell, leaving no structure standing throughout the kingdom. The very soil changed and plants died until the only growing thing in the kingdom was the tree of the king. The kingdom was destroyed and the mage had fulfilled his promise. He turned to the tree, which shook in anger.
    "I am no better than you my brother. I have just destroyed an entire kingdom. People died. Animals were destroyed. The very land will never bring forth plants. I have utterly destroyed everything my father controlled." He smiled sadly, "However, I also freed my people. They will once more sing around the fire, dance in the squares, and teach their children to laugh. So maybe I am redeemed." He laid down and cast one last spell. His body collapsed and started to transform. Another large tree grew up beside the tree of the king. Where the tree of the king was gray and dark this tree was bright and beautiful. The bark was a rich mix of browns, the leaves were all the colors of nature, and the tree stretched towards the sky. It gently swayed in the breeze.
    Both trees stand looking out over the wasteland that was once a kingdom. Lost to all who once lived there and who would ever desire to live there. They still stand there today, one a dark, dour tree. The other a tree full of life and color. I have seen them with my own eyes.
    The people escaped that night. They crossed fields and rivers. Finding themselves outside the kingdom they looked back and watched a kingdom be destroyed, a land die. The were left with a decision. What must they do to survive, to hold true to what the mage had asked of them. Some wanted to settle down, to build homes and plant gardens. Others felt that since they had lost their home they would never live within one again. The two groups split families and communities, but they loved one another. The elders developed a solution. The people would stay as one group, the Lost Kingdom. However, they would be made up of two distinct groups. These groups would be defined by their lifestyle. One group would build and maintain campgrounds, inns, and taverns. These places would provide homes and communities for those who desired such things. The other group would wander, never building nor developing homes. They would live on the road, among the hedges and fields. They would visit the campgrounds, inns, and taverns of their families. So the two groups were born. Yet both groups go through changes. The group that had homes occasionally needed to leave, to explore, or to visit their family and friends on the road. Those on the road grew tired of the wagons and packs. They desired gardens. So both groups are fluid, ever changing in who is on the road. Those who live on the road most times are called the Wanders. They are the ones who live in wagons and tents. Those who live off the road in houses, yet travel occasionally are called the Travelers.
    And to this day they live happy lives, full of laughter, dance, and joy.
    ***
     
    By the time Stain had finished his explanation my stomach was starting to let me know that it was time for food. "Could we stop for lunch?" I asked Stain.
    He grinned and nodded towards a place on the side of the path. "That is a fine idea. I feel like I could eat something also." We all found a place to rest for a