The Wand-Maker's Debate: Osric's Wand: Book One by Ashley Delay, Jack D. Albrecht Jr Read Free Book Online

that is gone from here is just dust, scattered all over out there now.” He said, motioning behind his head. “We thought you must be dying, and so you did this to get help in a panic.”
    Osric's mind reeled as he tried to process all that had happened. Too many unexplained magical events had taken place lately. He sat up slowly, feeling each muscle protest in agony.
    “Did Kenneth survive?” Osric suddenly had a terrifying vision of his best friend being crushed by the walls of the palace. “Was he thrown far enough away to avoid falling debris?”
    “Thrown free, Sir?” Dru sounded as confused as Osric felt.
    “Of the explosion!” He shouted. “What do you think caused this?” He indicated the rubble surrounding himself and Pebble.
    “We don't know, Sir.” He stated in apologetic defensiveness. “Kenneth said nothing about an explosion, Sir. Neither did James. They said they were just standing there,” parting his hands in explanation, “when four unicorns came running up. Three stopped at the door and the other one ran inside.” He hesitated before continuing. “Then, moments later, the entire palace just collapsed in on itself.”

 
     
     
    4 – Questions
     
     
    It was a unicorn? That would explain the horn I saw. What were they doing here? Osric recalled being pushed forward as the unicorn collided with him. If not for that, he would have been crushed along with that unfortunate gentleman next to him. He could not begin to make sense of the questions circling in his head. He pulled his tunic down between his skin and the cold hilt of his sword as he stood stiffly, examining the hole in the stone. He still couldn't believe that his simple spell had caused it.
    After he was helped out of the rubble, Pebble left to continue looking for survivors. Osric surveyed the devastation before him. Once he got his bearings, he realized it was as if every wall in the palace fell in the direction of the goblet of pearls. Every wall in turn; starting with the throne room, then the entry walls, the kitchen, the servant quarters and library, and out to the guest quarters and wash facilities. So true to that pattern was it that they would have been digging for days to get to that spot. If it were not for the hole in the roof, they would have had to uncover everything else before they got to him. The more he took in, the more questions he had, but he thought he knew of a good place to start.
    “Somebody take me to Kenneth.”
    “Yes, Sir!” Dru jumped forward eagerly.
    He led the group carefully across the top of the rubble, sliding down a slanted wall to the path Osric had traversed the night before. Osric saw three unicorns laying gracefully on the grass alongside the path. They seemed to be waiting for something. Unicorns did not typically stay in one area for long, and they were gazing patiently in the direction of the palace. What they were waiting for, he did not know.
    There was no disturbance to any of the surroundings or foliage. As Osric was led to the last outpost, he surveyed the lack of devastation along the way, and realized that only the palace had been touched. What could have destroyed the palace but not touched any of the surroundings? Upon opening the door, he saw Kenneth, asleep and looking very disheveled, but in one piece.
    “Kenneth?” It came out as a coarse whisper at seeing his oldest friend safe.
    Kenneth's eyes popped open and he sat bolt upright.
    “Os!” Amazement and relief filled Kenneth's face as he made his way to his feet. “I thought you were dead!”
    “I thought so, too.” Osric was combing his hands through his hair, dislodging dust and stone.
    “Who else made it?” A hint of hope in Kenneth's voice.
    “So far, just me. All of the town's council, Ryhain Domnall, and nearly a hundred representatives from other lands are still unaccounted for in the palace's rubble.” Osric knew he needed to get some answers, so he pressed on. “I am sorry to have to do this now,