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Far across the misty green sea lay the tiny island kingdom of Sackonia. Each day was much like the next. King Adada and Queen Chichi ruled from their tall castle on the topmost hill. The royal bees performed their formation flying exercises, and the Queen, took tea at four 'o clock with her ladies.  

In time the king and queen had two small boys, Renzy and Mercer. All had been quite for a very long time. That was until the day Mercer built a kite.

High in the northwest castle turret young Mercer worked in his laboratory. He was always experimenting and inventing. He was a very clever boy. He'd invented his upside-down boots so he could walk on the ceiling. But most of the time he spent trying to turn ordinary metal into pure gold. That's why they called him Mercer the Alchemist. Today he needed help with a new invention. He'd written a note to his brother Renzy, but he was having trouble getting his raven to deliver it.

“Corax, Corax, come down here,” said Mercer.

The raven sat on the window ledge and pretended not to hear.

“Corax! I know you can hear me. Please take this message to Renzy.”

Corax covered his ears with his feathers.

“Look, I know you’ve already taken three messages, but please, please take this one. I won’t ask you to do anymore work today.”

A few minutes later Corax flew out of the window in search of Renzy.


On the other side of the fish-filled moat young Renzy stood up in his saddle. He waved his sword at full gallop. Corax landed with a bump on Renzy’s shield. The young boy drew his horse to a halt and unrolled the parchment. The message read,

Dear Renzy,

Need help.

Love,

Mercer

What is it this time? thought Renzy to himself. Only last week he helped his younger brother with the turning-jam-into-gold experiment. It had not been a success. Renzy and Mercer had become very sticky.

At last, Renzy climbed to the top of the stone staircase. From here, at the top of the castle, he could see all of Sackonia. He could hear the pounding surf against the cliffs. And far out to sea, the Island of Forgetting was just visible. In the other direction he could see the Bay of Calm where the King Adada’s ships groaned at anchor in the mist.

What he couldn’t see was the distant Land of the Black Castle and the domain of Sir Egbert Fuffy Pants Rotter, perhaps the smelliest of all knights.

In the corner of the round stone room, Mercer fiddled with something that looked like a giant bird. Renzy stared at the strange looking object.

“This is a kite,” said Mercer.

“And what’s it for?”

“Now that is a good question,” said Mercer, and if he had had a beard—which he did not—he would have stroked it thoughtfully. “You see, sometimes people build things, and then decide what they are for.”

“What does it do?” asked Renzy.

“Oh it flies.”

“No! Really?”

“Well, it's supposed to fly. We attach one end of this rope to the flagpole and the other end should go up in the air.”

“I’d like to see it fly,” said Renzy.

“Then let’s try it out,” said Mercer. And that's what they did.

The two young boys climbed  out onto the roof. It was windy.

“Hold onto it,” yelled Mercer. “I’ll secure the rope. When I say let go, let go.”

But at that instant, a gust of wind blew across the high tower and lifted the kite —and Renzy— into the air. Up and up rose the kite. Renzy hung on. Already the kite was moving fast.

“Tie the rope around the flagpole,” yelled Renzy in to the wind.

But the rope flew out of Mercer’s hand and that was the last time Mercer saw Renzy for a very long time.

***

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