Issue 11May 2012

cover art by Richard Fay

A publication of Silver Pen, Incorporated

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Kids'Magination Magazine

Director and Publisher: Sue Babcock

Fiction Editor: Kellee Kranendonk

Cover Art: Tree-Climbing Crimbolain by Richard Fay

Kids’Magination Magazine is a publication of Silver Pen, Incorporation, which is a non-profit organization focused on quality writing and reading. Kids’Magination Learning Center is a division of Silver Pen dedicated to children who are eager to write stories about the fantastic flights of their imaginations.

Copyright ©2011. All reights reserved. No part of this publication may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotation embodied in critical articles or reviews. For information contact sue@silverpen.org

All stories herein have been compiled by Silver Pen, Incorporated under Kids’Magination Magazine. These are works of fiction. All characters and events protrayed in this book are either products of the author’s imagination or are fictitiously used.

The Silver Pen Writers’ Association

Presents a Silver Pen, Incorporated Publication

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About our Cover Illustrator

Richard H. Fay currently resides in upstate New York with his wife, daughter, two cats, and a rather confused shepherd-chow mix. Formerly a laboratory technician-turned-home educator, Richard now spends his days juggling various creative projects. Many of the fruits of his labour have appeared in a number of publications.

Contents

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Contents

A FAr AwAy PlACe 1

written by Gery Huntman

the Moon roCk And the egg 9

by Shari Klase

Fiction

Page 1

A FAr AwAy PlACe

written by Gery Huntman

Crystal opened her eyes and saw a late afternoon sky, streaked with dark-marbled sepia clouds, and sunlight beaming through the gaps. She smiled. She knew where she was - her Far Away Place. She could smell the lush grass that she was lying on, and there was a strong scent of rose and lavender permeating the land.

She lifted herself to a seated position and felt a wave of weakness overcome her. There was also pain deep inside her chest. I have not recovered yet from my last battle with Rhab-di, she grimly thought.

She scanned her familiar surrounds: the fertile, green fields, with the deep, serene river that wound its sleepy way through the valley. Three castles were in close proximity to each other – Sir Kenneth’s fortress, accessible from the fields and roads, but impenetrable to all but the most powerful of magic; Lady Xena’s abode, once a humble cathedral but now the lady warrior’s home, protected by an enchanted wood; and finally Goldmire’s Tower, jutting from the Meandering River, and only accessible by boat.

Aside from the ominous dark clouds, all signs seemed to indicate that life was peaceful – birds were high in the sky riding the air currents; a mother duck paddled slowly in the river, followed

by a line of eight ducklings, watched by a half-snoozing crane. Wild horses could be heard galloping along the east bank, neighing in exuberance at their unbridled freedom.

Crystal forgot the pain in her torso, and her weariness, and soaked in the beauty and tranquillity of her home away from home, the land she swore to protect with all her might and magic for four long years.

She heard the sound of splashing water and turned her attention to the Tower. A row boat appeared from behind the circular wall and Goldmire was sitting comfortably in it, although his hulking form caused the boat to draft deeply – leaving only an inch or two between floating and sinking. Only after a dozen strokes, the giant clumsily stepped onto the riverbank, only a few yards from Crystal. She grinned, for she always enjoyed the company of the Far Away Place’s least comely inhabitant. They looked quite a pair when they were close to each other. He was nearly twelve feet tall and Crystal was barely above three – she was quite short for a seven year old.

Goldmire was no ordinary giant, for he really was a monster, turned to the cause of goodness. He was tamed by the child-mage, Crystal. He had a humanoid form, but he was covered in bright yellow fur and he had long, sharp claws on his hands and feet. His fangs were long too, but ever since he was turned, he had a kind face – most of the time. When Rhab-di attacked the Far Away Place, Goldmire changed into a menacing defender, a ferocious adversary.

“Young Mistress, you have come back, and yet you were here only a few days ago! Does this mean the enemy is attacking again?”

Crystal got to her feet, flinching with the pain of the effort. “I suppose so, Goldmire. I never pick when I turn up, but it’s always when I’m needed.”

The large hairy face showed deep concern. “Lady Crystal, you are still wounded! Sir Kenneth has a healer – perhaps he should see you.”

Crystal shook her head. “Nothing can heal me like the land itself, and with the blessing of King Saxon. The trouble is that it always takes time.” Her thoughts turned back to the times when she had audience with the King. Saxon was an elderly man, or so it seemed to the seven year old, and had a very kindly face. She knew him all her life and he was her protector. He was like a grandfather and she loved him dearly. “As long as he is King and this land is free, I will heal.”

Goldmire looked to the sky. “Hmm. I think Rhab-di will be coming soon.

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The sky is turning the colour of his soul. That is always his way. Will you be strong enough?” His eyes could not disguise a mortal fear for her life.

“I’ll survive, and so will the land. I’ve had greater challenges in past battles.” Crystal had a sense of purpose few adults could match, and her eyes sparkled with determination. This was the core of her magical ability, along with her mysterious tie to the Far Away Place.

Out of the nearby woods a female form appeared, with a long bow in hand, and a quiver strapped to her back. It was Lady Xena, and when the huntress-warrior saw the pair by the river bank, she ran effortlessly across the green field, literally jumping the narrow road to Sir Kenneth’s castle, and tightly hugged the petite girl.

It took only a few seconds for Xena to realise Crystal was hurt. “This is no good, child,” she observed.

“But I am here, and we are about to fight Rhab-di again.”

Lady Xena straightened herself and surveyed the hills that surrounded the Far Away Place. Her green eyes were piercing, and she could see the smallest of creatures miles away. “I see nothing, but the signs are all around. I fear you are correct.” She placed her bow on the ground and quickly tied her long black hair into a pony tail, a ritual she followed prior to every battle.

Goldmire started to pace around the field, slowly building his mental preparedness for war. Each stomp of his foot on the ground sent tremors around him.

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Trumpets suddenly sounded from the most majestic castle in the Far Away Place. The great gates opened and a silver armoured knight, riding a great white horse, rode out and followed the road toward Crystal’s group. Sir Kenneth wore red plumes on his full helm and he firmly held a long white lance with a gold blade at its tip. The horse galloped the span to the river bank in a matter of seconds, without a single bead of sweat forming on its muscular body, and he snorted when Kenneth reined him in.

The Knight effortlessly dismounted and took his helmet off, and dropped to one knee before the blonde-locked girl. “My Lady, I have seen the signs, culminating in your appearance. I am, as always, at your service.”

Crystal looked at her knight and her heart warmed with his conviction, and his strikingly handsome features. He was perfect, like Sir Galahad, and he completed the group that had, for the past four years, defeated the Foe that threatened to turn beauty into ugliness, harmony into chaos, and peacefulness into pain and

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misery. “Sir Kenneth, I will need your skills today.”

“As always,” he responded, echoing his former statement. He returned to his feet and saw the look in his compatriot’s faces, and then returned his gaze to her. “You are still weak. I had a feeling this may be the case, as it was only a few days ago that we had battled with Rhab-di. Will your magic be strong enough, my Lady?”

Crystal’s lips pursed and her eyes sparkled again. “Of course. We will defeat the black-hearted creature.”

Sir Kenneth dropped his head in acknowledgement and respect, and smiled. “As I guessed. You are a wonder, Lady Crystal.”

Just as the knight completed his words, lightening started to rain down on the hills to the east, and the few rays of sunlight were snuffed out by the dark clouds completely filling the sky. He jumped back into his saddle and unhooked his lance, ready for combat.

Lady Xena loosely nocked an arrow on her bow and simply stood still, eyes penetrating the eastern hills, having already spotted other signs that Rhab-di was going to attack from that direction. Goldmire stopped pacing and flexed his hands, mumbling words that could only be understood by his kind, but the intent was absolutely clear. Crystal shakily turned to the east and opened the palms of her hands to the heavens – large balls of light materialised in each. She focused on them, ensuring they were ready to defend her small group. She felt tired – more weary than she had ever felt before, and yet her magic was still strong. Her determination fed it.

The four did not move from where they were. They knew that Rhab-di always went for them – that was the creature’s purpose. Crystal secretly thought that the fiend actually targeted her, for she always sensed that her life, and the Far Away Place, were intimately connected.

Rhab-di appeared atop a hill a mile to the east. The creature was bigger than it had ever been before – a massive black cloud, shapeless, menacing. Lightning flashed from within, but it could not illuminate the cloud itself. It was a rolling mass of nothingness; of death.

Rhab-di, even without any sign of being a living, breathing creature, emanated a human-like malevolence. There was a shriek of glee that projected from the boiling cloud, and it seemed to sense Crystal’s weakness. It picked up its speed and came thundering toward the four warriors.

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Sir Kenneth suddenly spurred his stallion and he immediately charged at the cloud, lance as steady as if it was resting on the ground. The gleaming head of the weapon penetrated the cloud and it flashed gold light, scattering – annihilating, a great swathe of Rhab-di’s mass. A shriek emanated again, but this time of pain. However, the cloud was huge, and the majority of it still remained, and it rolled effortlessly past the valiant knight.

Lady Xena fired arrow after arrow into the mass, and each time it entered the cloud, a giant chunk of cloud evaporated with a silver flash from the arrow head. The enemy felt this too, and Xena destroyed as much volume as Sir Kenneth, but still there was a tsunami left, heading for Crystal.

Rhab-di, despite his pain, was jubilant. Confident.

In a rage not ever seen by the mundane of humanity, Goldmire screamed out so loud that it shook leaves from trees, and then he slammed both his fists into the ground. A shock wave pulsed forward and lifted the very earth in a foot high wave, and when it hit the cloud, it shook the mass, the very vibrations causing internal disruption. Lightning bolts crossed each other, causing explosions and collapsing great pockets of Rhab-di’s gaseous body. And yet, after all of these attacks, there was more left of the enemy than what was taken away.

The cloud was now only a dozen yards away, and while it had slowed considerably, it was going to encompass all except Sir Kenneth. Crystal had been in this situation before, but the foe was always more diminished than what she now faced. She threw both her globes of power with all her might and they entered the darkness, and as they fell into the blackness and collapsed, Rhab-di cried in pain as great volumes of the cloud sucked into a new-born whiteness. Crystal saw the great Rhab-di, second after second, shrink smaller and smaller. For a while she thought that this battle would end like all others before, with the enemy disappearing...

Then Crystal’s greatest fear came to realisation. The magic had ended and there was still some cloud – no more than six feet in diameter. Goldmire leapt for the gas but the cloud evaded him; Xena had run out of arrows and drew a dagger but it was too late to intercept the foe; Sir Kenneth cried out in despair as he was far too many yards behind Rhab-di.

She invoked another two globes just when the cloud encompassed her. They were small conjurations: faint, barely holding their shape. She was spent… there was so little left in her. She fought with all her might, all the

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determination she had that made her so special, and then… she felt her globes collapse and drag the entire cloud into them, as well as herself…

As she became distended and one with the bright light of her magical globes, she saw the face of King Saxon - that warm and kind face - and she was able to feebly speak. “My King, I’ve failed you! We’re all lost!”

He shook his head, as he too was sucked into the white light. “No, you did not fail, my dearest one. You fought a great battle and war.”

She was one with the light.

***

The heart monitor flat lined.

Crystal’s mother and father collapsed by her still body on the hospital bed, weeping uncontrollably. Dr Saxon, Crystal’s surgeon, couldn’t help but sob as well. He loved the dear, little fighter, and he was there with her since she was first diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma four years before.

He looked at her pale face and saw peace, but also a trace of that incredible determination that allowed her to fight and win many a battle over four years, where perhaps other children would have given up much earlier. He was proud of his own achievements, because he gave her some life and she grasped it with both her hands and became a wonderful person and inspiration for all who knew her.

He then turned to the small table next to her bed and saw the little diorama

that Crystal had built and augmented over the four years. A small scene with three castles and a river running through. Three figurines were placed close together next to the river bank – a knight on a horse, an Amazon warrior, and a strange monster that seemed to have come from some fast food children’s meal. She loved her table, he thought. It was the world she went to when she was most in pain, when the chemo was overwhelming, when the radio therapy beat her down, or when one in a long line of operations had taken place when another malignant tumour was cut out.

He knelt and joined Crystal’s parents at the bedside and wept with them. He could barely speak but he needed to say one comforting statement. “She’s at peace now. She is now without pain in a Far Away Place.”

AUTHOR BIO: Gerry Huntman is writer based in Melbourne, Australia, living with his wife and young daughter. He writes science fiction, fantasy and horror, and also enjoys writing for young people. He has published many short stories in his fields, as well as a young teen fantasy novel, Guardian of the Sky Realms (IFWG Publishing, 2010).

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the Moon roCk And the egg

by Shari Klase

“The humans are getting closer. The enchantment is waning. Something must be done.”

Great Owl stood on one leg. The other was crooked and he could not stand on it long due to a flying accident ages ago. He squinted his old eyes at the other owls to see better. But the others hung their heads. None wanted to make the dangerous journey to Crater Mountain for the magical “Moon Rock” that would keep the Enchanted Woods hidden for another score of years.

None wanted to face the “Impassible,” who was cruel and unmerciful. He had to be bartered with to obtain a Moon Rock that was hidden in a secret, old tree; none knew the location of except the old crow and his cronies.

Timothy, Great Owl’s son, looked around him with disgust at his fellow owls. He knew if someone did not go, the Enchanted Woods was doomed. The Moon Rock had kept the Enchanted Woods hidden for almost twenty years now but the magic was fading. Their beautiful forest and all the creatures in it would soon be visible to all wood-choppers and home-builders. Trees would fall! Animals and birds would die!

Fiction

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“I will go, Father,” Timothy spoke up quickly, as if his courage would come as speedily as his voice.

“No!” Great Owl barked out. “You are too young, and you are the next Keeper of the Woods.”

“That is why I must go,” Timothy nodded. “I am not too young to have an egg, and I must be responsible to my family and to the creatures of our kingdom.”

Viola looked away and gasped. “You are not going to take our egg!” she cried out in anguish.

“Of course not,” Timothy replied angrily. “I would never do that.”

Great Owl hung his head. Timothy’s remark had not been meant as a rebuke, but he felt the words in that way.

“You did what you had to do, Father,” Timothy said softly, seeing Great Owl’s discomfort.

“It was wrong,” Great Owl whispered. “I never should have given up. Your mother…”

Great Owl could not finish and Timothy gulped. He knew what his father was going to say. There was nothing greater than mother love. If mother had been alive, she would never have allowed Great Owl to give up the egg to the Impassible who demanded it in exchange for a Moon Rock to protect everyone in Enchanted Woods.

“Only I don’t know what I WILL give him,” Timothy faltered.

He had no treasure that would be as valuable as a Keeper’s egg. He had nothing good enough to impress the Impassible, who demanded nothing less than something great. No mere trinket or sparkly item that impressed most crows would do for the Impassible. He demanded sacrifice.

Great Owl ruffled his feathers and shifted his weight. He hobbled over to a dark chest in the corner of his lair. He unfastened the chest with his beak and the lid flew open with a clang.

“You must give him this.”

Timothy gasped. “No, father, not the crown! The crown belongs to the Keeper. It must be passed down…”

“To you,” Great Owl sighed. “Yes, I know. It should be passed down to

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you. But the Impassible won’t accept anything else.”

Timothy blinked with his wide eyes. “If you give him the crown, he will have ownership of the kingdom. He will be the next Keeper.”

The thought of such a hideous being ruling over all the gentle creatures of Enchanted Woods made Timothy shudder.

“If I don’t give it to him, there will be no kingdom to protect, Timothy.”

Inside their hollowed out tree, Viola was comfortably settled on a nest. Her speckled, downy feathers and soft eyes gave Timothy a lump in his throat.

“I don’t want you to go,” Viola said hoarsely, trying not to cry.

“I have to, Viola, for the sake of our family and the future of our home.”

Viola sighed. “I wish I could go with you. I could get Mother or my sister to stay with the egg.”

“No, Viola. Your mother is too old and your sister is too flighty. There is no substitute for mother love.”

“But you must not go alone,” she pleaded.

“Who will go with me? None of the other owls are brave enough or strong enough.”

“I wasn’t thinking of an owl. I was thinking of Will,” Viola suggested.

“A human? It is because of humans that I have to go.”

Viola blinked an eye and shook her head. “Will is not like those humans. He is good and kind. He helps injured creatures.”

“He is just a boy,” Timothy scoffed.

“You were just a boy not long ago. Will can be of help to you. The Impassible will not be expecting a human. The crows will not stop or harm a human.”

Timothy nodded. “You are right. But I have never spoken to a human before.”

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“There was never one wise enough to listen before,” she said as she smiled at him.

Will was feeding his small horde of wounded animals when Timothy landed nearby. Among them was a sick raccoon, three young mother-less birds and a fawn with a splint on its leg.

Will had seen Timothy land and he was startled to see an owl behave so familiarly with him.

“Who are you?” he asked and then laughed because he had actually asked an owl a question, expecting an answer. So he was even more surprised when Timothy answered him back.

“I am Timothy. I need your help.”

“You talk?”

“Yes, we creatures of the Enchanted Woods have that ability. But there is no time for explanations now. Will you help me? The whole future of our kingdom depends on it,” Timothy urged.

“What do I have to do?”

It was to Will’s credit that he barely needed any explanation before he heartily agreed to accompany Timothy on his journey. Luckily, Will had a sister who agreed to take care of his animal charges until he got back.

“So you need me to fight off a bunch of crows,” Will laughed.

“Well, technically, we’re not fighting them, just bartering with them unless they don’t give us an audience with the Impassible.”

“And this Impossible is a big, old crow with a nasty disposition?”

“His name is Impassible. He’s a one-eyed, enormous crow with the meanest streak you’ve ever seen. Not to mention that before we even meet the Impassible and his cronies, you have to climb Crater Mountain.”

“What do you mean by “you”? Aren’t we both in this together?”

“Absolutely, but I’m an owl, remember. I can fly. You have to climb,” Timothy explained.

While Timothy flew, Will began climbing Crater Mountain. Timothy led the way as he guided Will up the craggy path. Timothy stopped to pause on big rocks along the way so Will could catch up. It wasn’t long before they were

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standing in front of a huge ditch in the ground.

“Woah! What is this?” Will asked.

“Why did you think it was called Crater Mountain? Fortunately, I can fly over it. Unfortunately, you will have to walk around it.”

“How many of these are there?” Will groaned.

“It’s called Crater Mountain,” Timothy repeated, laughing.

“I guess I know now why there are Moon Rocks here,” Will sighed.

Just ahead two crows were watching Will’s approach.

“Oh ho! What’s this?” Xerxes asked.

“We’ve never had humans on Crater Mountain before,” Leopold said.

“It’s none of our business if people want to break their necks climbing mountains,” Xerxes offered.

A third crow flew in, wings flapping wildly, and broke into their conversation. He had a few more brains than the other crows.

“Is it any of our business if owls start trespassing around here. Samson’s not going to like that,” the new crow, Simon, added as he joined Xerxes and Leopold.

“Let’s get him!” Leopold suggested.

All three crows dive bombed Timothy, knocking him out of the air. Timothy landed in a heap, dazed and unsteady on the ground. Although he knew he should have been keeping a sharp eye out for crows, he had been distracted while safe guarding Will around the craters.

Will, though, had seen Timothy fall and came running to rescue his friend. He picked up a handful of rocks and pelted the crows who jumped back, cawing angrily.

“What’s this? Are they together?” Xerxes asked furiously.

“Hey! What do you two think you’re up to?” Simon called out to them.

“We need to see the Impassible!” Timothy shouted bravely.

“Ain’t no Impassible anymore. There’s a new show in town and he don’t like other owls!” Leopold shouted back.

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“Shush, would you!” Simon cuffed a wing at Leopold’s head. “They don’t need to know anything.”

“Other owls?” Timothy asked. “Well, whoever he is, we need to see him. We need a Moon Rock.”

“He won’t be giving no Moon Rocks to the likes of either of you!” Simon scoffed.

“Yeah,” Xerxes laughed. “He hates humans and he hates owls. Well, not technically all owls as he is an owl himself.”

That admission was rewarded with another cuff on the head, this time for Xerxes.

“Ow!” Xerxes complained.

“But I’ve brought the Keeper’s Crown for a bartering piece.”

The crows each in turn froze and gasped. “The Keeper’s Crown!”

Timothy held it up. It shone luminously before their greedy eyes.

“We might be able to strike a deal,” Simon said coyly.

“We won’t make deals with you, only your leader,” Timothy said with a commanding voice.

The crows agreed reluctantly to escort them to their leader. They ordered the two to follow them. They proceeded a ways up the mountain until they reached a grove of trees. In the center stood an old gnarled hollowed out tree such as ones like Timothy and his family used for homes.

Simon flew up on a branch and gave three taps with his beak on a doorway leading into the tree. A voice boomed out.

“What do you want?”

“Someone here to barter for Moon Rocks,” Simon answered timidly.

“I told you, no bartering for a while. Tell them to go away and solve their own problems. I’m not my brother’s keeper!” the voice growled out angrily.

“But this one has a Keeper’s Crown,” Simon replied.

“A Keeper’s Crown?” The voice asked excitedly.

The door flew open and out stepped a huge great horned owl, the likes of

which Timothy had never seen since his father in his prime. In fact, this owl was the spitting image of Great Owl. Timothy’s mouth gasped open.

The owl stared at Timothy and Will and cried out furiously. “Why didn’t you tell me the greedy ones were human and owl kind.”

He turned on his heels and was about to re-enter the tree but Timothy shouted out.

“Was your father Great Owl? Were you an egg when you came to be here?”

The owl stopped dead in his tracks and spun around. “How do you know these things?”

“Because if this is true, you are my brother! I am Timothy, the son of Great Owl.”

The huge owl cried out in a great voice and sobbed. “But I never knew I had a brother! I was abandoned by my father. The Impassible became my true father and cared for me. He named me Samson and said I would be great. This is why I have hated all other owls.”

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“Our father did not abandon you. It broke his heart to give you away. The Impassible would not give up the Moon Rock for anything else. Great Owl did what he thought was best. Yet, he told me before I left that he was wrong to do it.”

Samson embraced his brother. “Thank you for telling me this, Timothy. You are a true brother.” A tear fell from his eye. “Tell me about our mother.”

Timothy hung his head. “She died shortly after you were laid as an egg. It was a terrible accident. She flew out of Enchanted Woods in search of food and she was shot, so father has always wanted to protect Enchanted Woods more than anything.”

“He values being the Keeper more than he valued me,” Samson moaned.

“No,” Timothy said consolingly. “Father didn’t believe he could protect you or

raise you by himself when he had me to care for all ready. The Impassible promised you wouldn’t be harmed. But being the Keeper means nothing to him. He gave me the Keeper’s Crown to give to…well, it is to give to you now, Samson. You can claim it and become great just as the Impassible has said.”

“That is not for me,” Samson told Timothy quietly. “You are the great one. You risked your life for Enchanted Woods. You made friends with a human. Moon Rocks are becoming scarce.” Samson looked over at Will. “Will, you must work to bring human creatures and animal creatures together in unity. Moon Rocks will be gone soon. There will be no hope unless there is kindness in all creation. Will you do this, Will?”

“I will try,” Will vowed.

“You must come back with us, Samson. We can be a family,” Timothy pleaded.

“No, Timothy. I was placed here for a purpose. These stupid crows cannot

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be entrusted with the remaining Moon Rocks. I must be the keeper of Moon Rocks and you must be the Keeper of the kingdom. You will take a Moon Rock with you so your trip was not for nothing.”

“But they are scarce,” Timothy’s voice quivered.

“This one will be for a purpose. I want Enchanted Woods to be safe for a while longer.”

“I have a wife and an egg, Samson. I wish you could see them,” Timothy said eagerly.

Samson smiled and looked wistfully away. “I have seen them. I have seen the future in my mind’s eye. Because of you and Will, it will be a happy one.”

BIO: Shari Klase is a writer and poet who enjoys writing children’s stories especially. She has published in The Kids’ Ark,Shine Brightly, Stories for Children Magazine, and Guardian Angel Kids. Writing for her is more than a hobby. It is a passion and a gift.