The Book of Magic by T. A. Barron Read Free Book Online Page A

wind ever blew there, the poisons settled into the land itself, twisting all life into death, all light into shadow. Despite their rage and grief, the enchantresses refused to leave their long-cherished home. Soon they transformed into deadly, ghoulish beings—the marsh ghouls. And so they continued to guard their territory, feeling only sorrow and wrath, bringing revenge to all who came near. Only one person—the young Merlin—ever dared to hope that, somehow, the marsh ghouls might still recall their better selves . . . and rise to help save Fincayra.



Shore of the Speaking Shells
    A half-drowned boy washed ashore on this beach—and changed the destiny of Fincayra . For that boy was Merlin . Amazed by the intensity of this world's colors, so much richer and deeper than those of Earth , he began to explore. And he discovered the ominous whispers of an ancient shell, whispers that warned of his doom. Later, he returned to this very beach in the quest of the Seven Songs , hoping to find Washamballa, sage among the shells. The shell's watery voice poured over Merlin's mind like an endless wave—and told him what he must do to save the life of his mother, Elen .
    Shrouded Castle
    … The dreaded home of Fincayra's wicked king Stangmar.
    Rhia and Merlin both shuddered when they learned about the Shrouded Castle—the dreaded home of Fincayra 's wicked king Stangmar , his deathless ghouliants, and the spirit warlord Rhita Gawr . Yet they needed to go there, if they were to save the island from destruction. That castle held not only their enemies, but the precious Treasures of Fincayra . So they began their journey, which—thanks to the bravery of two small warriors, Trouble and Shim —led to the remarkable Dance of the Giants .
    How did this castle come to exist? That is a story best told by its stones. For those stones were hewn by teams of giants, and then assembled into a temple to celebrate the great spirits Dagda and Lorilanda . Infused with magic by the Grand Elusa , the vast stone temple turned ceaselessly on its foundation: an unending prayer to the circle of life. The temple continued to turn for centuries, guarded by men and women of deep faith. Then Stangmar, aided by Rhita Gawr, saw its value as a fortress. They stormed the temple and made it their own. They caused fumes to pour from the windows, completely shrouding the edifice. Rather than simply slaying the guards, Rhita Gawr used his twisted magic to change them into ghouliants—warriors whose lives would end only when the castle stopped spinning. And that could only happen if Fincayra's giants returned and danced within the walls that they had built so long ago.
    Smoking Cliffs
    In the far southeastern part of Fincayra lay the ancient home of the deer people, the Mellwyn-bri-Meath clan. Hallia and Eremon from the clan taught Merlin , whom they called Young Hawk, many secrets of their people—including the legend of the Carpet Caerlochlann, which was woven from the threads from countless stories. Eremon showed Merlin how to become a deer and how to find the legendary Wheel of Wye; Hallia showed him how to circle a story, how to find the seventh Wise Tool, and—most important—how to follow what she called "a trail marked upon the heart."



Varigal
    As the ancient capital of Fincayra 's first people, the giants, Varigal seems as old as the mountains that surround it. Indeed, the city dates back to the island's earliest days. Of all Fincayrans, only the hag Domnu is old enough to recall the day the first giants were carved out of the cliffs—and she remembers it only because she wagered Dagda that it couldn't be done. But she lost the wager. With help from Gwri of the Golden Hair , who glowed with the light of a star, and Lorilanda , who sang the magical chant of new life, Dagda worked all night long to carve a giant from the stony side of a mountain. When he finished, a great people, as well as their capital city, was born. That is why, thousands of