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Post by Kiki on Nov 3, 2008 19:37:20 GMT -5
Chapter 1
Shrill laughter pierced the air as small children played with a ball, bouncing it against a rock outcropping. Aways away, an older boy, around twelve, watched. His brown eyes observed the smaller children with intelligence beyond his years. The small children paid no attention.
It was a balmy day with a light breeze that carried a faint trace of the decaying leaf litter from the forest nearby forest. The boy turned his head toward the southwest where the adults were harvesting the wheat of late autumn. The first frost would come soon and the crops wouldn't hold up much longer. The boy could sense the coming weather change in the air.
A girl with short black hair and blue eyes ran over. “Magnus!” she said. “Want to play?” The boy shrugged and the girl sighed. “You're no fun.”
“Sorry,” he said. “Just studying the weather. It's interesting, Marci.”
“You're odd,” Marci said, but sat next to him and looked at the sky. Clouds passed overhead and time passed until the sun became a fiery ball in the sky just over the western horizon. A set of black clouds swiftly moved and covered the sun. Magnus raised an eyebrow. He hadn't sensed anything in the air to indicate a storm.
Lightning and thunder roared overhead. The children and adults scattered to their houses to sit the storm out. Marci tugged at Magnus' sleeve to get him to follow, but he didn't budge. A look of utter hatred and danger crossed the boy's face and Marci was frightened. Another flash of lightning and five hooded figures appeared in the village. The color of the robes couldn't be distinguished in the near blackness. The figures were clearly mages, though. Only High Mages wore hooded robes like that.
Everything was silent except for the thunder rolling overhead. Then, the sound of spells being cast and people screaming erupted as the mages began to catch the buildings on fire. Marci whimpered and hid behind Magnus, but the boy was unaffected. One of the mages turned toward him. “Who are you that you are not afraid of the Guild?” The voice from the robe was surprisingly feminine.
“I am Magnus.” When those words were spoken, everything went silent. Not a creature breathed. The mages turned toward the young boy who wasn't afraid of them. Marci was huddled behind her friend, hoping he would protect her. The five mages approached Magnus and he glared defiantly at them. One of the mages raised a hand, prepared to strike the boy, but a loud roar shattered the silence. The mages disappeared in puffs of black smoke and the villagers scattered into the forest aside from the two friends.
A white funri dragon with blue eyes swooped down and landed, gracefully wrapping her long body into coils. The dragon had an ethereal glow and look about her. Unlike the other dragons Magnus had seen, this one looked tame. Magnus, Marci, climb on my back. A gentle voice sounded in their heads. They glanced at each other, hesitant. I will not harm you. Goddess Rein has asked me to fetch you. I promise you.
Marci was the first to walk to the dragon. Her parents heavily worshiped the goddess of purity and innocence. Magnus knew that he could trust his friend's judgment, so he fearlessly climbed on the white dragon's back, then helped his friend up. The dragon took off smoothly, but cold wind soon was swirling around the children and they huddled close together for warmth.
But the cold didn't last long. A white land with flawless architecture and gardens came into view. The pair of children had to use their hands to shield their eyes from the radiance that was before them. The dragon landed softly and the pair got off her back, then she turned into a human with long white hair and gentle blue eyes. She motioned for them to follow.
After a while, they were led into a small chamber where another woman was waiting. Her beauty was even moreso than the dragon's. The woman was positively glorious. Her hair was even whiter than the stone surrounding her and her eyes were the most vibrant green, lusher than the forest in spring after the long winter. They were deeper recesses of wisdom than Magnus had seen before. Even the village elder hadn't held so much wisdom. She looked young, around twenty, but was obviously much older. Her clothes were exotic. They were as white as her hair and were pants and a shirt, not a dress like most women wore. They had golden embroidery all over that seemed to form images that shimmered and danced in the light. The hems were a deep hue of blue and seemed to swim like the River Noli as she walked toward the children.
“Marcella, Magnus, welcome to my chambers,” Rein said. Her voice was calm and sounded like a gentle stream running over stones and it soothed Magnus' nerves. “Magnus, you were brave this night, but foolish. You attempted to take on five High Mages from the Guild.” Rein's voice was just the slightest degree colder, but it froze Magnus' insides. “But this is not my place to speak. You are called to the Assembly. Come.”
Rein started walking and the pair followed though Marci clung to the back of Magnus' shirt. Magnus was unafraid as he looked around; he was more intrigued and curious. Symbols and intricate carvings depicting scenes long past and from mythology adorned the pillars, floor, ceiling and walls. They were all brightly colored and seemed to take on a life of their own. Magnus could've watched the images for an eternity, but they soon came to a large pair of double doors that were made of bright red wood, quite unlike anything Magnus had seen before. Rein gently placed her hand on the doors and they slowly opened.
Before him was the whole collection of gods and goddesses he had known since he was very young. Even the demi-gods and goddesses were there. In this room, the decorations were different. Everything everywhere appeared to be made of brightly woven reeds that reminded him of baskets, but it was all stone. It took Magnus' breath away at the detail, even moreso than the halls before. Rein gently detached Marci from the back of Magnus' shirt and gently picked the little girl up. “Marci, you must stay with me, my child. Your friend will be all right.” The Goddess of Purity left the room and the large double doors closed behind her.
A woman with hair darker than midnight and eyes the color of crisp, golden autumn leaves motioned to Magnus for him to sit in a chair next to her. The twelve-year-old boy fearlessly sat down. “Welcome, Magnus, to the Assembly Chamber of the Gods and Goddesses,” the woman said. “I am Rahi, the Creator, Goddess of Darkness, Enalid and Lith'il. You should be honored to be here. You are one of the few mortals to have set foot here.” Magnus nodded. He was a boy of few words. Rahi stood and began to pace.
“I never thought the Guild would become so reckless,” she said, shaking her head head. “I never thought they would get so out of hand. Magnus, do you know why they attacked Trow tonight?” The boy shook his head. “You are the Key to winning the war.”
“What?” Magnus asked, confused. He furrowed his brow, trying to figure it out. Rahi chuckled slightly.
“Don't strain yourself,” the Creator said. “Peneth, if you wold, explain.”
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Post by Kiki on Nov 8, 2008 8:24:56 GMT -5
Chapter 3
A low growl woke the pair and they were face to face with the nine inch canines of a full grown sabercat. Marci let out a faint whine of terror and the sabercat growled again. It was obviously in no mood to deal with children trespassing on its territory. Marci got behind Magnus who stood up. “We apologize,” he started, bowing lowly but keeping eye contact with the fierce predator. “We were being chased by...” The cat let out a snarl, in no mood to speak or listen to stories. It just wanted the children gone. Marci cringed, but Magnus seemed unaffected though he could feel his pulse beginning to rise and his palms beginning to perspire.
Magnus was at an impasse. The sabercat was blocking his way and he couldn't negotiate with it to let him pass. He gulped and a bead of sweat rolled down his left temple. The cat obviously noticed because it smirked and let out a fierce roar. Marci squeaked and Magnus cringed, losing his cool. A more ferocious growl sounded from a distance and the sabercat looked in the direction of the sound, then ran off, tail between its legs.
The boy was frightened by now though he refused to show it. He had a duty to protect Marci and be strong for her. But whatever had scared the sabercat off must have been formidable indeed because the large cats were rarely ever scared off easily because they were one of the top predators of the forest. After a few moments, a girl with long blue hair drawn to the right side by a golden clip laid with a sapphire dropped out of the canopy. She was wearing cream colored clothing, but it was only enough to cover the necessary areas. Magnus got on guard and licked his lips. The girl chuckled. “If I was going to hurt you, I would've by now,” she said. Her Fairy accent was strong and unmistakable as she spoke. “I sensed somebody in danger, so I came as fast as possible. Who're you?” The girl tilted her head to one side, curious.
“I'm Magnus and this is Marci,” Magnus said, motioning.
“I'm Imril,” the girl said. “You're soaked and you must be exhausted.” The pair nodded; they had gotten barely four hours of sleep before hand. “We can go back to my village. You'll be welcome there. You've been touched by Elondra's favor. Do you have the energy to make the journey?”
“I don't think so,” Magnus said wearily, last night's events finally catch up with him. Marci passed out.
“Oh my!” Imril said, catching the young girl before she hit the ground. She gently lifted Marci up onto her shoulder, then held her other hand out to Magnus. He looked at Imril warily. “I won't hurt you. I'm just taking you and your friend to my village the quickest way: teleportation. I swear on my Ukati.” Magnus didn't know much about Fairies, but he knew enough that one wouldn't swear on their Ukati-whatever one was-unless they really meant it. Magnus grabbed the young Fairy's hand and they disappeared.
When they reappeared, Magnus fell to his hands and knees, shaking violently. It had been the first time he had teleported anywhere and the feeling of being ripped from one place and thrown to another was worse than riding a bucking horse. He would've emptied his stomach of its contents if he had eaten anything beforehand. An elderly woman ran out to meet the trio. “Enomi?” the old woman asked, looking at Imril.
“Nonli,” Imril answered. She handed Marci to the old woman, who walked away. Magnus made a weak protest and it went unheard or if it wasn't heard, it was ignored. Imril helped Magnus to his feet. “That was my nasu, or grandmother I believe you would call her. She's also the Village Elder, so don't worry much about your friend. Emil-nasu is great with healing. I promise your friend will be fine. I guess I've been given the task of looking after you.” Imril blushed, then reconsidered. “Atza!” An older Fairy boy with green hair ran out of a hut that was well disguised in leaves and vines. “Noril-atza, Magnus. Magnus-ilu, Noril-atza. My brother, I believe you humans would say.” Magnus nodded wearily as Noril supported him and Imril walked off.
Noril led Magnus back into the hut he had come from and helped him onto a bed. “Elil?” Noril asked. Magnus tilted his head. “Oh sorry. I am not used to speaking Human. Are you all right?”
“Extremely drained, hungry and thirsty, but other than that, yes,” Magnus said.
“Rest,” Noril said. “It will do you well.” He gently pushed Magnus down onto the bed, then used a spell to put the boy to sleep.
Magnus woke with a jerk. He looked around the little hut, confused at to where he was for a moment, but the events came back to him. He put his head on his throbbing head again. “Awake, I see.” Magnus looked around and saw Noril standing in the door. “You were with Arassae a long time.”
“How long?” Magnus asked.
“The moon has risen and set once and the sun is at its highest point again,” Noril said and Magnus groaned. He had been asleep nearly a full day. “What bothers you?”
“Just how long I was asleep,” Magnus said.
“Your energy was low,” Noril said. “You ran from the Guild and your own villagers. It is understandable. You must be famished.” The Fairy handed Magnus a basked filled with fruits, berries, herbs and nuts. “It will restore your energy. I know it is not what you are accustomed to, but it is good for you.” Magnus nodded and started to eat it. To his surprise, the natural offerings of Peneth were full of flavor. He ate the whole basket and he felt rejuvenated. He looked down and noticed his clothes were the same cream colored material except his were more than what he had seen the two Fairies wear. He had a full shirt and pants whereas Noril just had enough to cover the necessary areas.
“Can I see Marci?” Magnus asked. Noril tilted his had. “My friend.” Noril nodded and led Magnus out of the little hut.
A small village nestled under a waterfall met Magnus. The huts were almost indistinguishable from the natural terrain except for some windows and perhaps a doorway, but even those looked fairly natural. The trees were surprisingly green for this time of year, whereas all the others were losing their leaves in a fiery display. It was also warm like spring. But Magnus could smell the spells in the air.
The waterfall was extremely tall, but made relatively little noise as it crashed into a large lake below. The sound was akin to a small stream. Vines crept up the side of the waterfall and rosebuds and closed lunafuras, moonflowers, could be seen. Though the sun was high, shady trees kept the heat off, but let enough light through to make a rainbow form at the base of the waterfall. Magnus smiled. He liked the sense he got from this place. It felt like nothing could reach them.
Noril led Magnus to another hut and Marci was sitting on one of the beds-a hammock made of leaves, really-and was eating something similar to what Magnus had had a few moments ago. The boy walked to his friend and sat next to her. “Thank goodness you're all right,” he said. “You worried me when you passed out like that.”
“Nope. I'm fine,” Marci said, popping another berry in her mouth. “I just don't have the energy you do, Magnus.” The girl smiled sweetly, then popped the last berry in her mouth. “Emil's been taking care of me, so you don't have to worry. She's nice.” Marci smiled as the old woman walked in.
“Etil Magnus tonim,” the Elder said, looking at Magnus. The boy tilted his head.
“Nolil,” Marci answered. “Iterek motli noshti. Kannek.” The Elder nodded and left. Magnus stared at Marci, bewildered that his friend could speak Fairy. It especially surprised him because it was a hard language to learn and he had heard that it could take up to twenty years to learn. “There's a lot you don't know about me.” She hopped off the bed and Magnus blinked. He hadn't even asked her about it, yet she still answered. “I have Fairy blood from my mother's side. I also have a lot of other bloods in me, but I can't tell you. Rein-unete told me I couldn't tell you right away.” The girl giggled and pulled Magnus off the bed. “Come on!”
She pulled Magnus into the village and toward the waterfall. Several small Fairy children were playing in the lake. Magnus was awed as he watched the children manipulate the water with their magic. He hadn't seen magic used aside from the bad said of it when nomads came and attempted to burn the village down. He didn't think somebody so young would use magic, but then again, those had been humans using it specifically for their own gain. He had figured Fairies were more connected to Peneth than most humans were. They were also clearly blessed by Elondra. He had never seen a waterfall before, but he knew this one was magnificent.
The Fairy children looked up at Magnus and Marci a little warily and curiously. “Nochle,” Marci said and the children smiled. They motioned for Magnus and Marci to join them. Marci did so happily, but Magnus stood there. He had never been much about playing. He had always been more into studying the natural phenomena. He had always been a loner and very serious, more like an adult than a child. The only friend he had was Marci. “Come on, Magnus!” She pulled him into the water and he fell face first.
“Marci!” he said, standing up. He kicked some water at her and she used magic to splash him back. Magnus smiled and a splash fight soon ensued between boys and girls. Magnus' forces were outnumbered by Marci's, but his had more skill than hers. After the girls had won, everybody was lying on the ground, soaked, but laughing from having such a good time. Even the ever serious Magnus was laughing, having let out some of his pent-up child.
The sun was soon setting, though, and the children walked to the center of the village where a bonfire was. Magnus looked around, a little confused. Everybody was sitting down. Marci sat next to Emil, but the boy was left standing. Imril motioned for him to sit between her and her brother. “What's going on?” Magnus whispered.
“Emil-nasu is going to tell us the tale of Elmi the Leaf,” Imril said. Magnus nodded. He had obviously heard the myths and tales before, but he thought it would be interesting to hear the Fairy version.
“Contra noni telma tha,” the Elder began. Magnus sighed. He had been looking forward to hearing it. There was a momentary pause. “In light of some in our presence that won't understand the native tongue, I must tell the tale like this.” There was another momentary pause before the Elder began.
“In the days of yore, the gods and goddesses did not help us much and they were not worshiped greatly. There were only nomadic tribes. There were no villages and there was no agriculture. The races foraged from the land and they all lived in relative harmony. Humans, Fairies, Elves... Whatever race, there was relative peace. Yes, there were fights, but no wars.
“Soon, though, agriculture was discovered and villages began to spring up. They were far off and rarely did they interact, but they were sometimes close enough to where they could trade. Things still remained fairly peaceful and independent.
“That is until several humans were hand-picked by the gods and goddesses. They were given extremely potent magic. They were told to use these powers for only good. According to the legend, Elmi was the first to receive the Gift. She was apparently fourteen or fifteen. Though young, the girl had acquired much knowledge. She had spent much time among the different races, learning their ways. She learned philosophy and astronomy from the Centaurs. She learned healing from the Elves. She learned deep understandings of the meanings of the stars from the Avians. She learned swordplay from the Fairies. She learned guidance, discipline and structure from the Tunders. She learned diplomacy from the Dragons. She learned kindness, compassion and hospitality from the Amrils.
“With all this knowledge, she founded the Mage's Guild. She formed a hierarchy loosely based on what she had learned from the Tunders. She founded the Guild to help the nomads and small villages.
“For a long time, the Guild existed like this. There was a major faction in each major region. But there came time when Elmi died. She was struck down by a spell. Some believe it was by an assassin, others believe it by accident. We will never know unless we could speak to her. But this set hot debate among the Guild factions as to who would lead next. No solution could be reached. The Guilds began to fight among themselves, then a war began. The war continues to this day.”
The end of the tale was met with complete silence. Magnus had never heard a lot of the details in this version before. He had, of course, heard Elmi was indeed the Guild One, but he hadn't known she had been so young or known so much. He also didn't know what the old Fairy was speaking of when she mentioned Amrils, Tunders, Avians and Centaurs. Of he had seen Fairies, Elves and dragons before, but he was baffled about the others.
A small feast was brought out and the inhabitants of the small village ate and generally had a good time. Magnus and Marci joined in, but the boy was detached. He went over the two versions of the legend over and over again. Points met up, but other points also conflicted. He was mildly disturbed by the discrepancies. He also didn't know which version to believe. Something nagging in the back of his mind told him he would find out at some point.
The moon rose higher in the sky and the Fairies retired to their huts one by one. Marci went with the Elder and soon Magnus was left alone in the center of the village with the remains of a smoldering fire and the moon high above. After the festive events that had celebrated the two visitors, everybody else was tired except Magnus. His pondering was bothering him and he thought and thought until Goddess Arassae sent him into slumber with Elmi shining down coldly on him, daring him to discover the truth.
Chapter 4
Magnus awoke to somebody shaking him. It was Imril and her face looked panicked. “What is it?” the boy asked groggily, yawning and stretching.
“A missle,” the young Fairy said. Her fear was obvious in her voice, but was enhanced by her thick accent. “Go to my brother's home.” She hurried him up and to the hut. Several small children and Marci were in the small, one-room hut. Noril was standing at the window, watching. Magnus walked to the other window and watched. He had seen missles before, but this one was strange. The normally gray or brown feathers on the bird were bright. Shades of scarlet, blue and even white were clearly visible. The bird hovered above the center of the village where the fire had been.
Magnus had heard tales of how the massive creatures had carried off small children because they had strayed too far from their families. He had figured they were just tales, but with the way the Fairies were reaction, he figured there must be some truth to them. The missle continued to look around for a few moments, then took off. It seemed that the whole village released a held breath. Adults walked out to the middle of the village, swords on their hips; they clearly weren't going to take any chances.
After a while, the children were released when the adults declared it safe. Magnus had never seen anybody in his village react negatively to missles before so the reaction of the Fairies was puzzling to him. But he had also never seen a missle with that coloring before. Maybe it was more aggressive than other missles. He had no way of knowing.
The boy sat on a rock near the edge of the village. It was perfectly flat, perfect for sitting or a singular person to eat at. Magnus sighed. So many things about the Fairies were puzzling to him even though he hadn't been with them long.
He crossed his arms and tucked them tightly against his body. He had no memory of his parents or anything before Trow. It severely bothered him at times, so he tried not to dwell on it. He sighed. In Trow, he had studied the ever-changing weather patterns and that had kept him plenty busy. Here, the spells were so thick he could smell them and they blotted out all natural currents. Without being able to study the weather, he had nothing to do. He didn't want to play with the other children because that wasn't his style. He couldn't read because it seemed the Fairies had no books.
A tear rolled down the boy's cheek, but he wiped it away, refusing to show any sign of weakness. He had to be strong for Marci and himself. If he showed any sign of weakness, he wouldn't be able to complete the journey and the great destiny that lie before him.
Marci walked over to Magnus and he jerked out of his thoughts, jumping a little. “You okay?” she asked.
“Yeah,” Magnus said. “Just thinking.” He sighed inwardly. Though Marci was his friend and he talked to her about most things, he didn't talk to her about his personal feelings that he did his best to bury. He knew she thought of him as strong and unbreakable as a stone pillar, but he was far from it. He was only a boy that sealed away his deepest feelings of loneliness, grief and loss to appear strong. He was more like a poin, a type of pastry that was tough on the outside but soft and malleable on the inside.
“What's the matter, Magnus? I know something's wrong,” Marci said.
“It's nothing,” the boy said, turning his back on his friend. Marci sighed and walked off, leaving Magnus alone with his thoughts.
Marci came back some time after noon. She looked around for her friend, but couldn't find him anywhere. “Emil-katzu!” Marci yelled, running to the Elder's hut. The old woman looked up. “Magnus is gone!”
“Peace, child,” the Elder said. “Your friend will return to us. Just give it some time. He will be all right.”
Magnus struggled against the talons of the strangely colored missle. “Let me go!” he yelled, but his struggles, yelling and cursing did nothing. The missle kept a firm grip on the boy.
After a time, the large bird landed in the forest, but it gingerly placed Magnus on the ground first. Magnus rubbed his sore shoulders because that was where the bird had held onto him. He felt lucky that his shoulders hadn't been ripped out of the sockets. “Good.” A semi-melodious voice made Magnus turn around. A man with short black hair and piercing jade eyes stood at the mouth of a cave that jutted strangely out of the ground. “Good work, Mon'l.” The missle, now clearly female, nodded. She was obviously the strange man's familiar.
“Who are you?” Magnus asked boldly.
“Relax,” the man growled and Magnus flinched. Something about the man's demeanor scared the boy, but he wouldn't admit it. “Come.” The man jerked his head toward Magnus, then the cave. The boy followed, not wishing to get on the man's bad side. “Sit.” He pointed to a chair and Magnus sat. A small fire with boiling water sat in the center of the strange cave. The man poured some of the water into a crude stone cup, then sprinkled some herbs in it, then handed it to Magnus. “It's tea, not poison.” Magnus took a sip of the tea and its warmth spread through him, relaxing him and his suspicions.
A silence fell over them until the man spoke again. “You're Magnus, correct?” Magnus choked on this tea and the man hit him on the back to help him cough, much to Magnus' surprise. The man had been sitting just opposite of him the moment before. “Don't choke. We can't have you dying.” Magnus gulped and looked fearfully at the man. “Relax. I'm not going to kill you. Goddess Arassae told me about you and Creator Rahi informed me I was to teach you necessary skills such as swordplay. I'm Craen.”
“I-Is that true?” Magnus asked. He was still afraid of Craen, so is voice merely squeaked.
“Look, boy. A lunoi appointed by those two goddesses wouldn't lie,” Craen growled. “You're the one destined to defeat the guild. Have you not been to the Assembly yet? Has Elondra not touched you with her favor?” Magnus knew Craen was speaking the opposite of what he really meant, so the boy gave a small nod. He wished greatly to be back in the small Fairy village. “Well, then, you're Magnus. As I said, I'm Craen. My job is to teach you skills you'll need at the basic level though mostly swordplay. The reason you're so afraid of me is because I'm half lunoi. As we're the servants in Lith'l, we are scary. But I'm also half Elf so I'm not all bad. We'll begin right away.” Crane got up and handed Magnus a practice sword. “Show me what you know.”
Chapter 5
The bitter winter wind bit through even the strong spells that surrounded the small Fairy village. Three months had passed since Magnus had disappeared. The small village had given up hope of seeing the boy again though Marci still clung to a thread of hop. She sensed her friend's life force though it was faint from the distance that separated them.
Some snow fell to the ground of the village though it melted as soon as it made contact. Marci watched and sighed as she sat on the stone where she had last seen her friend. An echoing and ear piercing screech rang through the silent air. Marci turned and saw Mon'l. The multi-colored missle swooped down with Magnus on her back. He got off the large bird and patted her. “Thanks for the ride back,” he said. The large bird nodded, then took off into the snow storm that raged outside the village.
Marci walked to Magnus. He didn't look much different immediately aside from his shaggy brown hair that now reached to his jawline. One more subtle feature that was noticeable was his eyes. They looked more like an adult's than a child's now. Marci had been experimenting with the gift from Iloaz, changing her body's age, so she now had the body of a 13 year old. Magnus smiled at his friend, but she slapped him. “Where were you?!” she demanded, tears welling up in her eyes. “I was so worried...” She locked her arms around him in a hug and began sobbing. Three months of worry mixed with indescribable happiness and relief were relayed through those tears. Magnus gently patted his friend's back.
“I'm sorry,” he muttered. “I was more or less kidnapped by Mon'l at first, but she took me to a place where I could learn necessary skills for the journey.”
Marci pulled Magnus into a hut and Emil was standing there. A gentle smile was spread across the old Fairy's face. Marci's face was a little puckered as though she had eaten something bad or heard something she didn't want to and Magnus tilted his head. He could tell the two were communicating in a way unknown to him and the conversation was private. “Welcome back,” the old Fairy said with a bow. Magnus blinked, a little confused. He had seen people bow to each other, but he hadn't understood why. He felt an unseen force smack him in the back of the head and he bowed back. Craen was watching over him no matter what and would correct his mistakes and remind him of things in this manner.
“Thank you,” Magnus said. He shrugged off the heavy coat he was wearing. It was lined with white wolf fur on the inside, so it was perfect for the cold weather, but he was warming up in the village. It was still like spring because of the spells, but every now and again, a strong blast of cold air punctured the village, so the Fairies had adopted a slightly heavier wardrobe from what Magnus could tell.
Marci gasped when she saw what Magnus was wearing. He was wearing black pants and a long sleeve shirt. They were extremely well-woven so they shone and had green hemming, bound to the black cloth with red embroidery. “You...Have you been to Lith'l?” The girl's eyes were wide and round as the two moons. What Magnus was wearing was associated with the lunoi, not humans, so it was a shock to all except Emil.
“No, but the man was a lunoi,” Magnus said. “My teacher was harsh and scary, but fair.” The boy shrugged. “I'll tell you about it later.”
'I believe that we should have a feast in honor of your return,” Emil said with a smile. “The moons will rise soon and the blizzard will subside. That is the ideal time for a celebration.”
“Yeah!” Marci said, her light blue eyes sparkling. Her hair was the same cream color as the dress she wore. Marci's ability to change her appearance had always mystified Magnus, but he was used to it.
A while later, as Emil had said, the snow had subsided and Nethra and Loch'in were high in the sky in their full glory. The festivities were loud and rambunctious. Magnus was the center of attention naturally. Normally, though, he would've tried to slip away but he hadn't been in the company of so many for so long that he was glad for the attention. Of course, he felt a little uncomfortable being the center with the loner aspect he had felt for so long, but he brushed it aside to enjoy himself.
Around the middle of the night, about half the Fairies had retired to bed along with Marci and the Elder. It was mostly the men who were still out. Several were drunk from the wine that had been brought out for the celebration. Noril was among them.
The Fairy swaggered over to Magnus and put an arm around the boy's shoulders. Magnus glanced at Noril, a little confused. The Fairy planted a sloppy, wet kiss on the boy's cheek and Magnus pulled away from Noril. “What's are you doing?” Magnus asked.
“You're beautiful when you're confused,” Noril said, his words slurred. Magnus winced and took a few steps back from. He didn't understand what was going through the Fairy's mind. Noril took another swaggery step toward Magnus. “You're beautiful in the moonlight. Come on, Mag. You know it.”
“What are you talking about?” Magnus asked, taking another step back.
“You know you love me,” Noril said. He continued to swagger toward Magnus until he was pinned against the large rock wall near the waterfall. The Fairy placed another sloppy kiss on Magnus' cheek. The boy felt helpless since Noril had his wrists pinned against the rock wall. Magnus felt another smack on the back of his head. He could almost hear Craen yelling at him to use the techniques he had been taught. Magnus winced as he used his foot to touch a pressure point on Noril's ankle. The Fairy fell to the ground, asleep, and Magnus stepped over him. He walked toward the lake, then bent down and splashed his face with water. He hadn't known boys could like other boys. He had grown up where everybody liked the opposite gender. Magnus was disturbed by the new revelation. He hoped Noril would be back to normal in the morning.
Magnus retrieved his fur coat and wrapped it tightly around himself, then walked into the forest. He reached the edge of where the spells reached and saw the snow was ankle deep. He stepped into it and began walking, the frosty silence his only companion.
A wolf's howl pierced the air and it froze Magnus' insides. He had heard the legends of wolves taking small children if they wandered to far from their families. He had also heard they were creations of Theros, the god of chaos, to make the lives of small villages tough. The howl sounded again and Magnus shivered. It wasn't so much the howl itself that bothered Magnus; it was the tone. It was a long, mournful, lonely howl that seemed to have some intelligence behind it. He then heard a pained yelp and a sickening snap.
Magnus hesitated, unsure of what to do. He had heard wolves were merciless killers that didn't care about anything but themselves. He heard the wolf's pained whines and panting. He felt a slap on the back of his head and wondered what Craen was trying to tell him. The slap came again and Magnus rubbed his head, then walked, listening to the wolf's whines.
He soon found a light gray wolf with her leg in a steel trap. Her leg was clearly broken cleanly in half. She whimpered and whined as she strained to free herself. Magnus was overcome with pity for the creature. He had never seen a wolf in such a pitiful situation before. The wolf sensed his presence and looked at Magnus. Her blue eyes locked with his and she showed intelligence beyond the normal level associated with the species. She whimpered and looked at him, clearly asking for help.
Magnus hesitated again. He wasn't sure if she would attack him while he tried to free her or if she would attack him afterward. The wolf whined again lowly, then a short, high-pitched one. For some reason, the boy's fears were quelled and he could tell he was safe. He walked to the trap, then tried to pull it open. It didn't budge, but the wolf whimpered a bit. She touched her nose to Magnus' arm and he was easily able to open it. He gently pulled out the wolf's broken leg, gaining a loud, sharp yelp from her, then he let the trap snap close again. He felt a strange connection to the wolf and he couldn't leave her.
He gently picked her up and carried her back to the village. To his surprise, Emil was waiting for him. She was sitting in a chair at the center of the village, next to the smoldering embers remaining from the fire. She looked up when Magnus reentered. Her eyes looked like two stars, full of endless knowledge of past, present and future. “I see you have returned to us again,” she said. Her voice had lost its thick accent to be replaced by a mysterious but somewhat wistful tone. Magnus nodded, confused by the mystery of the old woman. “Come. Sit.” She patted the chair next to her. Magnus sat down, careful not to hurt the she-wolf's injured leg. The old woman's eyes twinkled with a mysterious light as she looked at the wolf and Magnus. She gently placed her hands on the injured leg, then took them away after a few moments. The leg was completely healed. Emil gave them a mysterious smile before retiring back to her hut.
Magnus took the she-wolf with him back to the hut where he slept, then gently placed her on the ground. He stroked her head before curling up and falling asleep.
Chapter 6
Magnus woke the next morning, sweating. He took his coat off and sat it beside him. To his surprise, the she-wolf was still there, asleep on the floor. He silently got up and left the hut. Marci was sitting near Emil. The two were chattering in rapid Fairy and laughing at certain intervals. Magnus smiled, then Marci turned her head toward him and ran over. “Emil-katzu told me that you did something good last night,” she said. Though she had the body of a thirteen year old, she was still acting like a nine year old.
“If she means saving that wolf...” Magnus said, scratching his head. Marci went wide-eyed.
“You saved a wolf?” she asked and Magnus nodded.
“Yeah,” he said. “I wanted to leave her, but Craen wouldn't let me...” He trailed off, not really able to explain how his teacher had intervened. He could tell Marci wanted to see, so he led her to the hut. The she-wolf was stretching, then she growled at Marci. Magnus unconsciously shifted his weight to a position the wolf would understand and she stopped growling, learning Marci wasn't a threat.
“Wow,” Marci said, still wide-eyed. Magnus looked at her, confused. “Magnus, she's your familiar! You understand her and she understands you! Plus, her eyes show she's a lot smarter than most wolves! There's no other explanation!” Magnus and the she-wolf locked eyes as they looked at each other.
“Nathara,” Magnus said. He surprised himself a little. He was understanding the thoughts the wolf was conveying to him. She had named herself Nathara and had been run out of her pack six months before for stopping attacks on humans. She walked to Magnus and pushed her head into his leg like a dog would. He smiled and patted her head.
They left the hut and were met by silence. Everybody in the village looked at Nathara. A hiss came from a cat that was somebody's familiar. The blue feline walked to Nathara and hissed. The wolf's hackles didn't rise. She only reacted by turning her head away. The blue cat blinked, surprised by the wolf's reaction, then let out a purr of approval. The cat had taken it on himself to check out each new familiar's reaction and test their intelligence. He approved of Nathara, then walked to a black haired Fairy.
Emil walked over to Magnus and Marci. “You must leave soon,” the Elder said.
“What?!” Marci asked, shocked.
“Arassae-unete told me you must get on with your journey soon,” Emil said. “You've stayed long enough and Magnus has found one of his familiars.” The old woman's eyes twinkled with the same mysterious light Magnus had seen last night. “I'd love to keep you here, but I cannot go against a deity's will. You may eat one last meal with us, but you must be on your way after that.” Magnus nodded. He looked at Marci and saw her on the brink of tears.
The village ate in an uncomfortable silence, then they crowded around the pair, bidding them safe travels and that the Assembly watch over them. A pack was given to them by Emil and Magnus thanked her. Marci was bawling as they left. Nathara paid no attention to Marci, barely tolerating the girl's presence.
A cold wind bit Marci as soon as they left the village. Magnus was fairly unaffected by it as he was wearing his thick fur coat. Marci shivered severely, but Magnus pulled a coat made of rabbit fur out of the bag.
The pair walked until night. The biting wind stopped abruptly as the sun set. Magnus rummaged around the bag until he found a large leaf and several poles. “Hey! That's the tenzi Emil-katzu made for us!” Marci said. “It's shelter. I can set it up easily.” She snapped and the tenzi was instantly set up. Magnus blinked, surprised. “Come on.” Marci motioned for Magnus to crawl into the tenzi and he followed. He was awed by the space inside. The leaf had only been as tall as he was, but there was a lot of room inside. There were several leaf hammocks and a fire pit in the middle and the fire was already lit as it crackled merrily.
The boy sat near the fire and took his coat off. “This is nice,” he said. “Magic, I assume.”
“Yep,” Marci said with a nod. “Like I said, Emil-katzu made it especially for us. It's a bit sturdier than other tenzi. I'm glad she made for us.”
“I'll say,” Magnus said. “Without shelter, we'd probably become ice during the night.” Marci chuckled, but nodded. She knew that they would slowly freeze to death without the tenzi. Though they had walked all day in the bitter wind, they had barely been affected because she had kept a small layer of Fire between them and the cold. Magnus blinked. “Did you see Nathara come in?”
“No,” Marci said. “I don't think she did.” Magnus poked his head outside and the wolf was nowhere to be seen. He came back in and sighed.
“No sign of her,” he said. He felt an indescribable void of worry open. He couldn't explain it, but thought it had to do with the bond between familiar and tamne. Tamne was a term used on Valacia to refer to people with familiars. Granted, most people did have a familiar, but it was still useful to have a term.
After a while, there was a yelp outside the tenzi and Magnus poked his head out. Nathara was there with a dead lonil next to her. She had clearly killed the deer-like animal and dragged it back to Magnus and Marci. She wagged her tail though it was a little jerky. Magnus guessed she had gone a long way to bring them fresh meat. He patted the wolf on the head, then hugged her around the neck. “Thanks so much,” he said. The wolf let out a little yelp that clearly meant “you're welcome”. He motioned for her to come in and she did, then laid down next to the fire. Magnus took out a dagger and started to skin the animal. It took about half an hour, but he managed. Since there was no time and this wasn't the season to tan hides, he threw the skin out of the tenzi. He cut some of the meat off and put them on sticks he had found in the pack. Magnus saw Nathara take a chunk of the raw meat to eat.
He was touched by the wolf. He had known familiars were close and considerate of their tamne, but the level he saw here went beyond anything he had heard of before. He had also thought wolves would always eat what they killed right away to prevent other predators from getting the meat. Granted, Nathara was much more intelligent than the average wolf, but it still surprised him. He would have to stop underestimating his familiar.
The meat was done cooking within half an hour. Marci had used her magic to help speed up the cooking process. It was burnt a bit, but Magnus wasn't going to complain. He had fresh meat and a warm place to shelter in the dead of winter. They retired to heir hammocks after finishing their meal.
Chapter 7
A growl from Nathara woke Magnus. It was a low, menacing growl that was warning somebody not to come nearer. An even lower growl sounded outside. Nathara flinched, but didn't drop her guard. Magnus picked up the short sword that Craen had given to him and he pulled it out of the sheathe. He slowly pulled aside the flap that hung to protect the inside of the tenzi from the harsh weather outside. He pointed his sword at a man who had blonde hair that went to his jawline and blue eyes. Magnus glared. “Who are you?” he asked.
“Relax, hun,” the man said, flipping his hair. His voice was a little higher than most men's and a little more feminine. Magnus blinked, confused by the man's demeanor. “I'm not going to harm you or your fem that's in there. I just came here because I sensed a majorly strange aura. The fem in there is strange, hun. She isn't completely human.”
“I know that!” Magnus snapped. “You think I don't know my own best friend?” He moved his sword closer to the man's abdomen.
“That isn't fabulous, child,” the man said, pushing the blade down. “I won't harm you.” He smiled charmingly. “I promise.” Magnus suddenly felt relaxed and that he could trust the man, then shook his head, his suspicions returning.
“What spell are you using?” Magnus demanded.
“It's not a spell, sweetie,” the man said. “I'm a psychic vampire. I can manipulate the feelings of others, sweetie.” He smiled charmingly again. “But I've had my fill of energy, so you're safe. I told you I wouldn't harm you.”
Magnus was still suspicious of the man, but put his sword down and went back in the tenzi. The man followed. “Wow! This is fabulous!” the man said. Magnus' expression went flat and he retrieved his sword's sheathe, then put the blade back in. Marci was just waking up. She stretched, then opened her eyes and looked at the man. She blinked and he blinked back. Magnus did several double takes, looking back and forth between Marci and the man. A strange silence had settled over the inside of the tenzi save for Nathara's low growling. “You got me, hun. You got so many auras combined. It's fabulous!” The man flicked his hand. “I'm Danil. You're Marci, right, huh? And you're Magnus, right, sweetie?” Danil looked at the pair.
“What if we are?” Magnus asked. He was trying is best to sound demanding, but his confusing of Danil's behavior still hung heavy on him. He was also somewhat calm, thanks to the vampire manipulating his aura.
“It'd be simply fabulous,” Danil said, flipping his hair. “Arassae told me to look for a girl with many different types of auras and a boy whose aura held locked away potential. Obviously, the list for the fem's auras was unique, so it wasn't hard to find. Also, your potential is quite interesting. What I wouldn't give a for a tasted of that yummy aura.” Magnus got on guard, but the vampire relaxed him. “Chill, sweetie. I already said that I wouldn't hurt you. I'm full and Arassae told me I couldn't take from you unless you allowed me. Plus, I'm a civilized psychie. I don't take without permission.” He smiled charmingly.
Magnus sighed. He could tell the vampire was being truthful. He motioned for Nathara to quiet down. The wolf left out a scoffing noise and laid down, but her hackles were still up. “Don't worry, sweetie. Wolves have never like us psychies.” Danil said with a flick of his hand. He sat on the floor.
“Hey, Marci, could you could you cook?” Magnus asked. Marci nodded and retrieved a few pieces of meat from the lonil carcass outside. She used her magic to thaw it, then began cooking it.
“Fabulous! I haven't had lonil in a long time!” Danil said.
“Huh?” Magnus asked. He had never been around a vampire before so he didn't know anything about them.
“I mainly live off energy, but I still need sustenance, sweetie,” Danil said.
“You're interesting,” Magnus said. “I've never met a vampire before.”
“Most never have,” Danil said with a flick of his hair. Magnus' expression went a little flat again. The vampire's mannerisms reminded him more of a woman than a man. “I know my way of acting is strange, but it's the way I am, sweetie.” Magnus blushed out of embarrassment for the vampire having called him out. He wasn't going to be able to hide anything from him. “When we get to Nashu, you're going to have to wise up, sweetie. You still have that small village air about you.” Danil sighed longingly. “Innocents are always the best auras. They've got such a sweet, pure taste to them. You're an old soul but you're still pretty innocent though you've suffered in your past.” He scratched his chin. “You're an interesting hume, Magnus.”
“Thanks?” Magnus said, unsure of whether it was a compliment or not.
“It's a good thing to be called interesting by a psychie, sweetie,” Danil said, smiling sweetly. Magnus looked away. He felt uncomfortable whenever Danil smiled like that. It was too feminine. He shuddered a little and Danil chuckled. “It'll take you a while, but you'll get used to me.” The vampire smiled again. “I'll be helping you a lot while we're here. I'll continue building on Craen's teachings.” Danil smiled and put a finger on his bottom lip in thought. “That lunel's aura is interesting and so yummy! Mm!”
“You know Master?” Magnus asked. He had come to call Craen Master, not Teacher. He highly respected the half lunoi.
“Of course, sweetie. He's famous in swordplay circles,” Danil said, flicking his hand. “He's one of the most sought out teachers on all of the planet. Most that can manage to find him are turned away. He's very selective of the students he teachers. Even though he was told to teach you by the deities, he's refused to teach some that he's been told by Arassae to teach. You're very privileged, sweetie.” The vampire flicked his hair and Magnus was in awed silence. He had even more respect for the old man than he had had before. He was also extremely honored.
“Dinner's done.” Marci pulled the meat off the fire. It was burned again, but nobody complained.
Chapter 8
A few days later, they were jogging to keep up with Nathara's fast pace. The she-wolf had been very irritable since Danil had come to travel with them. Magnus could tell the wolf didn't like Danil as he had said. They had covered a great distance in the few days they had been traveling. The Carmen Mountains were dark silhouettes in front of them. They had covered what was normally a month's journey in just three days. Magnus could tell that Danil's lending them energy, Nathara's fast pace and a spell somebody was using were all factors.
They slowed down, reaching the outskirts of a small village. The huts were made of smooth white stone with some simple yet intricate carvings. He could tell that this village belonged to Elves who were always associated with the color white. Nobody was visible, but it was understandable as the snow was thick and the wind bitter cold.
Magnus knocked on one of the doors and a man with short ginger hair and green eyes answered. Magnus' eyes went wide when he saw animal ears on the man's head. “Who are you?” the man asked, a little suspicious.
“I'm Magnus, this is Marci and this is Danil,” Magnus said. “This is my familiar, Nathara. We've been traveling for days. May we shelter here until the storm passes?”
“Let them,” a soft voice said from inside. The man stood a side and let the trio in.
“Thank you,” Magnus said. Danil bowed. The man grunted and walked into another room. Magnus took off his coat and sat in a chair. A woman with hair a deep shade of bronze and the same green eyes as the man. She rubbed her enlarged middle; she was clearly pregnant. “Thank you for allowing us to stay here.”
“Think nothing of it,” she said with a smile. “I can't stand to see people, even travelers, suffer in the harsh weather. I'm half Amril. My name is Cassni.” She smiled again. Magnus walked over to her and poked one of the ears on top of her head. It twitched in response. Cassni smiled when Magnus' eyes went wide. “I take it you've not seen an Amril before.”
“No, ma'am,” Magnus said. “I've never left my village until before about three months ago. I've seen Elves and Fairies before, but never anybody like you.” He shifted his weight a little, hoping he hadn't offended her.
“Don't worry,” Cassni said, still smiling. “You didn't offend me. My people are a bit of a curiosity. We are usually slaves, but I'm half Elf, so I'm safe from servitude. My husband is full blood, but the Elves of this village wouldn't boss us around. We've helped them in a time of great need.”
Magnus nodded. “I see,” he said. “I know I said before, but I'm Magnus.” He bowed, then motioned to Nathara. “My familiar, Nathara. I rescued her a few days ago from a trap.” Cassni nodded.
“I'm Marci!” The girl was nearly bouncing off the walls. Magnus shook his head, envying his friend's energy. Even after traveling nearly nonstop, she still had boundless energy.
“Danil.” The vampire had grown sullen and irritable over the past few days. He hadn't fed in the past few days and he had lent his energy to Marci and Magnus, depleting his stores even more. His cobalt blue eyes had become nearly black.
“What's the matter?” Cassni asked Danil. The vampire only growled, causing her flinch.
“He's a psychic vampire and he hasn't fed in a few days,” Magnus explained.
“I see,” Cassni said. “If it's energy he needs, I'll sacrifice some.”
“No, malady,” Danil growled. “You can't spare any. You need it for the babe.” Even though he was drained, he wouldn't take energy from anybody that couldn't spare any. He was a gentleman no matter what. He never let his sullen moon get in the way of his kind nature even when he hadn't fed in days.
“Eth'lni'tra,” Cassni said. A bracken collie walked out from another room. “My familiar.” The collie walked to Cassni. A moment passed before the collie nodded. “She'll give you energy. Can you use this kind?”
“Any,” Danil said, then bowed. “I thank you.” He walked to the collie and ran a hand on the underside of her neck. The dog's eyes closed and she started panting. Several moments passed and Danil removed his hand from the collie. His eyes were back to the bright cobalt blue, but the collie was panting. He patted the dog's head. “Thank you.” The collie nodded before curling up next to the fire and falling asleep.
“Will she be okay?” Cassni asked, a little worried.
“Of course, hun,” Danil said, flipping his hair. “She'll be back to normal when she wakes up.” He smiled. “She'll be fabulous.” He flicked his hand, then sat down. “I promise you can trust us, hun. We're just simple travelers. These two are my niece and nephew.” Magnus looked at Danil. The vampire caught his eye telling him to keep silent and play along. “I'm looking after them. Magnus' father abandoned him and his mother. She died about three months ago. The same holds true for Marci.”
“Poor things,” Cassni said, her eyes clouding with grief. Magnus could almost believe the story except the fact his true memories interjected. He saw tears glistening in Marci's eyes from the false memories. He thought Danil was using his energy to manipulate their feelings and even their memories. Marci was clearly easy to manipulate, but Magnus wasn't as easy to. He felt a slap on the back of his head and glared behind him. The smacking was already getting on his nerves and he had only been away from Craen a few days.
“Would you like something to eat?” Cassni asked.
“Very much,” Magnus said. He had already gotten a little sick of burned meat with only the occasional bit of fruit and such from the bag. They were only eating the food in the bag sparingly, not wanting to run out. Magnus and Marci ate most of what they consumed since Danil didn't need as much as they did to keep going.
Cassni struggled to stand up, so Danil stopped her. “Relax, ma'am. I'm a diligent cook. You just relax. Straining yourself right now would be bad for the babe.”
“You're a dear,” Cassni said with a gracious smile on her face. She clearly wasn't moving much because she was so late in her pregnancy. Danil guessed another week or two until she was due.
The vampire smiled as he began to rummage around the pantry, grabbing cooking utensils after he was finished in the pantry. He hummed as he mixed the ingredients into a stew. The house was soon filled with the smell. Magnus and Marci had dozed off a few minutes prior, both exhausted. Danil hummed and looked over at them. “Cute.”
“Those two would make a cute couple if they weren't cousins,” Cassni said. Danil blinked, confused for a moment, but quickly remembered the cover story he had come up with.
“Yeah,” Danil said. “They're so cute together, hun.” Danil noticed Cassni's husband hovering in the doorway to a connected room. He clearly wasn't happy with the vampire calling his wife 'hun'. “Don't worry, sweetie. I'm not trying to to steal your fem. I call all fems 'hun' and all males 'sweetie'. My nephew still finds it a little strange, but he's fairly used to it by now. You can calm down, sweetie.” Danil exercised his ability to change the emotional currents in the room. He sensed Cassni's husband slowly relaxing. The vampire had to use more energy than normal because the Amril had more resistance and was like a shield, much like Magnus was. Danil made a mental note to train Magnus to increase his Shielding abilities.
Two days later, Magnus wandered around the village, the snow up to his knees. The weather was getting worse instead of better. They were about thirty days from the spring equinox now, give or take a few. Magnus sighed. He knew it was going to be a long time until the weather got better. It had been an unusually harsh winter. Granted, winter was always harsh, but this one had been harsher than the other winters Magnus could remember.
Magnus stopped walking when he reached a tree that had been stripped of its leaves the season before. He leaned against it, studying the air currents and cloud patterns. In the short term, he could tell the weather would be clear and crisp, great for traveling. But that would only last about a week or so. They would probably have to hunker down in the village until the bad weather passed. But they were severely behind in their travels. It was bothering the boy to stay in the village more than a day.
He also reflected on the eighty days, or two and a half months, he had spent with Craen. He had been there on his thirteenth birthday. Generally, he would've been considered a man, but Craen had said he wasn't yet worthy of that title. The winter solstice-his birthday-had struck with a vengeance. The temperature had dropped harshly and at least three inches of snow had fallen. Valacia was a land of extremes in just about everything. The seasonal changes were extremely abrupt. The only change that wasn't clear cut was from spring to summer.
Magnus started walking again until he saw a man around twenty-two staring at the ground. His hair was bright red, much like fire. The boy had a sneaking suspicion that the man was a Fire user. Sometimes appearance reflected magic use, but not all the time. When the man sensed Magus, he jerked his head up, blue eyes glaring coldly. The man stalked off, seeming to disappear in the distance. Magnus scratched his head, but shrugged it off. He looked to his right, sensing another presence.
An Elven girl around sixteen was standing there. Her blue eyes were wide with surprise. He middle was curved out a bit. Magnus could tell that even under her thick coat; she, too, was pregnant. “I'm sorry,” he said. “Am I trespassing?”
“N-No,” the girl stammered. “You just surprised me, being here like that. You're one of the travelers, aren't you?”
“Yes,” Magnus said with a nod. “I'm Magnus.”
“I'm Ad'yral,” the girl said. “I'm here visiting...” She trailed off, looking at the ground. Her free hand slid down to her middle. Magnus noted that Ad'yral was holding a bouquet of flowers in her arm. They were white lilies and a few bloomed lunafuras. Ad'yral flicked her free hand and the snow around a certain area melted. Magnus blinked and saw a gravestone. Ad'yral gently stepped into the melted area and placed the flowers on the stone. Magnus joined her. Ad'yral sniffled and the tears began to flow. Magnus gently patted her back to offer some comfort.
The two stood there for a while, Ad'yral sobbing on Magnus' shoulder and him patting her back. Even though he knew nothing about her save her name, he couldn't just leave her there alone. Eventually, the Elf's tears dried up. “I'm sorry,” she said, wiping her nose on her coat sleeve. “I couldn't help myself. It's been three months since he was killed by Hael.”
“It's all right,” Magnus said. He couldn't exactly relate to her situation, but he still felt bad for her.
“He was K'ss, my brother. He died protecting me,” Ad'yral said, sniffling. “I miss him so much and these past three months have been torture for me with out him here to support me...” Magnus felt a faint stirring in Ad'yral's middle, signifying the baby was moving. Magnus blinked. He remembered Ad'yral moved her hand to her middle when she first said something... The Elf smiled sadly. “Yes. My brother was my lover. Of course, I hadn't known at the time he was killed that I was pregnant. But there's nothing wrong with siblings loving each other in my mind. The gods and goddesses are intermarried and have had children together, so why not us?” Magnus was silent. He hadn't said anything about it being wrong; he had just been surprised. “The village pretty much shunned us because of it. I'm so lonely...” Ad'yral sniffled like she was going to cry again, but her tears were dried up.
“What about Cassni and Kouyl?” Magnus asked. “True, Kouyl isn't the nicest guy but Cassni...”
“I hadn't thought of asking them,” Ad'yral said. She bowed the best she could. “Thank you for putting up with my sob story.”
“It was no problem,” Magnus said with a smile. They started walking back to the village. They remained silent until Magnus heard a loud roar and Ad'yral scream. He saw her being carried off by a bright red dragon. He was swept off his feet by the force of the wind the dragon had created. He stood back up and started running after the funri dragon. Mon'l suddenly appeared at Magnus' side, soaring lowly. He hopped on the missle's back and she soared high into the air, following the serpentine dragon.
Chapter 9
“Come on, Mon'l! You can do it!” Magnus said, urging on the bird. The missle's energy had started giving out an hour before; they had lost track of the red dragon. Saying Magnus was raging would be an understatement; his anger toward the dragon was indescribable. Magnus had realized by now he had no way to fight it. He had been taught a little magic by Craen, but only the basics of the Basic Four; namely how to manipulate the Elements, not use them. The boy swore at his stupidity for not having his sword on him at all times. He made a mental note to start carrying it at all times.
A strange four-legged creature with a woman's head and covered in scarlet, blue and silver feathers soon caught up to him. An Elf was on the creature's back. The woman had a longbow and a sword. “Here.” She tossed the sword to Magnus and he caught it.
“Thanks!” he said. The woman nodded and they kept in pursuit of the dragon.
After a while, Magnus noticed Mon'l beginning to lose altitude. They had been flying nearly three hours, so it was understandable, but it wasn't a good thing. The Elf flew over with the creature and pulled Magnus on. “Mon'l, go rest!” the boy said and the missle nodded, starting to go into a freefall toward the ground. “Thank you.”
“Think nothing of it.” The woman's voice had the light Elvish accent, but also had a hint of Fairy accent, indicating she had some Fairy blood somewhere in her line. “This is a broma. She's my familiar. Her name's Ak'le. I'm Fet'yon. Ad'yral's my daughter.” Magnus nodded as the woman-Fet'yon- answered his unspoken questions.
They flew silently for another two hours until the broma reached a cave high in the Carmen Mountains. The pair pressed themselves against the outside of the cave. The heard deep, low breathing. Fet'yon motioned so that Magnus understood that Hael was asleep. He nodded. Fet'yon slowly inched into the cave, motioning for Magnus to follow.
Fet'yon slowly crept into the cave and saw Ad'yral chained to a wall. The girl was passed out, her face bruised and swollen even after so little time. Magnus' anger flared toward the red dragon. Another loud roar split the air, causing Fet'yon and Magnus to jump, then run out of cave and hide behind a large boulder. An electric blue funri dragon snaked into the cave.
For a while, the pair listened to the dragons grunting and snorting, then a scream. The blue dragon quickly flew out of the cave, Ad'yral in his claws. “NO!” Fet'yon yelled. The blue dragon paid no attention. Hale, the red dragon, came out of the cave, roaring. He was clearly angry.
Magnus walked slowly toward Hael. The dragon whipped his head toward Magnus. The boy stared into one of the dragon's big eyes and recognized them instantly. Hael had been the red-haired man in the graveyard before he had kidnapped Ad'yral. “Hael, can you follow the blue dragon? May I come with you?” He held the dragon's gaze.
“Fine,” the dragon said in clear Human. Magnus blinked, shocked the dragon could speak. He hadn't known the creatures were that smart. “Don't stand there like a giant with a headache! Get on my back if you don't want to be left behind!” Magnus cringed a little at the dragon's tone, but climbed on and clung to one of the spines. Fet'yon tossed Magnus her longbow and quiver.
“Use it if you need to,” she said. Magnus nodded and Hael took off.
They soon caught up to the blue dragon. Hael let out a ferocious roar and pulled up next to the blue dragon. “DROK!!” Hael's roar was deafening and Magnus had to clap his hands over his ears, but quickly grabbed back onto the spine he was hanging onto so he wouldn't be lost to the wind. Drok swiped at Hael with his claws, but the red dragon pulled back, dodging the attack. Magnus wished the dragon would go down and Hael dipped below Drok. Magnus fumbled around with the longbow and managed to knock an arrow. The arrow shot off almost as soon as Magnus knocked it. It shot past Drok, missing him and going far to the right. Magnus swore under his breath, extremely annoyed.
Drok sharply dropped his altitude, falling under Hael. The blue dragon flipped onto his back, flying upside down and scored his claws into Hael's soft belly. Hael let out a pained roar. Magnus clumsily knocked and shot another arrow toward Drok, but missed again. Magnus ground his teeth from frustration. He wished Craen had taught him more about archery. It especially wasn't helpful that the longbow was almost as tall as the boy was.
Drok was now flying with his back to the sky, his belly no longer exposed, much to Magnus' frustration. He shifted his position and Hael flew down below Drok. Magnus again pulled the bow back and an arrow sang off the string. Drok quickly decreased his speed and Magnus heard a scream that froze his insides and made his heart plummet.
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Post by Kiki on Nov 8, 2008 8:25:36 GMT -5
“Hael! Pull up!” Magnus screamed, pointing a finger at a falling figure. “We have to save her!” The red dragon snorted, but followed Magnus' directions.
The caught up and Magnus managed to catch Ad'yral in his arms. The arrow he had shot went straight through Ad'yral. It was clearly a mortal wound that not even magic would be able to heal. The arrow had struck just in front of and below her left ribs and straight through her. Magnus wasn't sure of the full extent, but knew she wouldn't survive. “Hael, land, please.”
Magnus got off the dragon's back with Ad'yral in his arms. He gently sat with her. The blood from the wound was still flowing, soaking the white snow and Magnus' coat, but he didn't care. Ad'yral opened her eyes. They were somewhat glassy, but still showed the smallest spark of life. “Magnus... Where...are we...?” Ad'yral coughed violently and blood began dribbling over her lip.
“Save your energy,” Magnus said softly. “You need it for the next two months...” Ad'yral chuckled a little that mixed with a cough.
“I know I'm going to die,” the Elf said, her voice cracking. She coughed violently again, more blood flowing over her lip. She began shaking from the blood loss. “I'm....going to join him... I'll...be fine...” Ad'yral closed her eyes and smiled. She squeezed Magnus' hand a little. “Thank you... You were the first to show me kindness in months... You...have a great future...ahead of you....” The Elf's breathing was beginning to slow and the pressure on Magnus' hand was becoming less. “You...have a kind soul... Use it...but don't let it...overtake you... Hold those dear to you...or they...may end up...” Ad'yral's body shuddered and Magnus felt her heard stop beating as she took her last breath. Tears spilled out of the boy's eyes and he was frozen to the spot. He had killed an innocent girl in the prime of her life. Worst of all, he had killed her unborn child.
Snow started falling and a few flakes landed on Ad'yral's smiling face. Even though she had died happy, Magnus still felt horrible. His insides had frozen and he couldn't move. Tears streamed down his face. He tossed aside all his preconceptions of strength and let the tears flow. He mourned for the lost girl and her unborn child. He mourned for his past, letting out nearly thirteen years of pent up loneliness, grief and longing. He cried for K'ss, Ad'yral's brother though he had never met him. He cried for how he would tell Ad'yral's mother.
He sobbed for hours, even as the moons reached to their highest points. All of the years of pent up grief came out in the hours he cried. He realized now why Craen had said he wasn't anywhere close to being a man. He had buried his fears and past, not wishing to face them. He knew a man faced his tears and let his past affect him. He had been running away from the like that child he still was.
Magnus also realized that strength wasn't determined merely on physical accomplishment or status and that there were many different meanings. He realized Ad'yral had been extremely strong. It wasn't Magus' definition, but another type of strength that came from deep within the heart. She had endured losing her brother and father of her child. She had been shunned by her village but had kept on fighting and hanging onto life after many would have given up.
Magnus eventually cried himself to sleep, still holding Ad'yral's hand and her head on his lap.
A little while before noon, Hael nudged Magnus' shoulder to wake him. The boy jerked awake, startled. He had slept fitfully, reliving the prior day's events over and over. But he had had a bittersweet dream. It was of Ad'yral and K'ss. Ad'yral had been holding their child in her arms. The baby had been a beautiful girl. Magnus almost started to cry again but his tears had dried up the night before.
Magnus blinked when he realized it was Hael that had woken him. He thought that the dragon would've left him. What shocked him, though, was the look in the dragon's eyes. It was pure sorrow and anguish. Hael hadn't wanted the girl to die; he had merely been following orders from Drok.
Magnus shook his head. He was understanding the dragon on a level he felt only with Nathara. There was no way he could have two familiars; he had never heard of such a thing. “Will you take me back to the village?” Hael nodded and Magnus climbed onto his back, struggling to get Ad'yral's body up.
Around sunset, they arrived back. Nathara ran to greet them, followed shortly by Marci and Danil. Fet'yon also ran to greet them. The look on the mother's face was indescribable. “I'm sorry,” Magnus said. Tears began trickling down his cheeks again. “I...I...I accidentally shot her.. I'm so sorry...” He fell to his hand and knees. He wanted to start sobbing but those tears had dried up the night before. Fet'yon said nothing and did nothing but stand there.
Magnus started babbling about his regret, his sorrow, his loneliness and anything else he could think of to hope Fet'yon didn't hate him for killing her daughter. Of course, she had every right to hate him, but Magnus still didn't want that. Fet'yon, to his extreme shock, bent down and hugged him. “I don't blame you, my child,” she said, holding Magnus in her arms. “I was the one that gave you the bow to use. I'm also at some fault here.” Tears started flowing down her cheeks.
Chapter 10
“En'l notch'e imer'l ton'l hatr'n.” Danil presided over Ad'yral's funeral. The whole village had turned out. Magnus was silent throughout the whole thing. Though Ad'yral had been shunned by the whole village, they felt the impact of her death. She had been much beloved before her pregnancy.
People had been muttering to Magnus that they didn't believe him. Most obviously didn't believe him or his story. Even though Hael had backed him up, the village people still didn't sway to believe them. Hael had terrorized the village for a long time, so nobody believed him.
Magnus had isolated himself from the rest of the village. The only time he chose to face people was at meals and even then it was only to get the meal, then he went back to sulking in a corner. He hadn't eaten much in the past three days. The only way he ate was when Nathara encouraged him. The familiar cared deeply for her tamne and wouldn't let him waste away.
He had even brushed Marci off. He knew it was hurting her, but he didn't care. The hurt she was feeling was nothing to the unimaginable grief that consumed him. The hurt would only last a little while whereas the damage done to Magnus would last a lifetime.
Marci walked over. “Magnus...”
“I know what you're going to say and you know it's not true,” Magnus snapped. “I killed her! I shot the arrow! I shot it through her! I committed one of the worst crimes! I don't deserve to live anymore!” He turned and dashed off.
He ran for a long time until he reached a sparse forest that covered the slopes of the Carmen Mountains. He continued walking as the tears flowed. He had barely stopped crying over the past three days. The grief and guild gnawed at the thirteen-year-old's insides. It was all consuming and overwhelming.
Magnus heard soft footfalls on the snow behind him and knew it was Nathara. The wolf was just behind him, but he didn't acknowledge her presence. He just kept walking. He started to feel a faint force pulling on him. It stirred something inside him and it resonated in him. He stopped walking and Nathara stopped next to him. Her ears and tail twitched. She was clearly sensing whatever Magnus was.
The wolf took off and Magnus fell into pace beside her and familiar and tamne ran as one. They eventually came to a clearing. Magnus saw a small bulge in the snow that faintly resembled the shape of a sword hilt. He sense a strange presence in the clearing and Nathara's hackles were risen along with her lip drawn back in a snarl. Magnus wished Danil were with him to tell what the presence was, but the vampire cleric was still overseeing the funeral.
Magnus felt the presence relax and saw Nathara relax along with it. He walked into the clearing and it slowly became like spring as he approached the sword. The snow melted and he could clearly see it. Its blade was whiter than most and slightly curved. The guard was shaped like wings and had a milky, opalescent stone laid in the middle. The grip was made of pure silver from the look of it and the pommel was the same milky stone that was set in the guard.
He finished walking to the sword until he was only an arm's length from it. He looked at Nathara who was still at the edge of the clearing. The wolf motioned with her nose and he grabbed the sword's hilt. A luminescent glow came from the moonstone pommel and Magnus was surrounded by a strange void, not the clearing. A woman-girl, really-with leaf green eyes and blonde hair stood opposite Magnus. He couldn't see anything of her body because of the cloak that was wrapped around her. It was the white of the gods and the hemming was gold. A golden noth'il (seven-pointed star) on a chair hung on the robe.
“Welcome, Magnus,” the woman said. She didn't look older than fifteen or so. Magnus was struck with her resemblance to Ad'yral and grief and guild wrapped their icy tendrils around his heart again. “Now is not the time for grief, Magnus. I have little time. I'm just glad that you decided to run off like that and you trusted in your familiar.
“I'm Elmi. The spirit of Elmi, actually, but there's no time for technicalities. This sword, the Lune'thi, was held in my own hand as I ruled the whole of Valacia in peace with the Guild. It was forged by Elves and reinforced with magic to survive the passage of time. It is a powerful blade, able to deflect spells and cut through most objects.
“Many of the Guild began to think it was the Lune'thi that gave me my powers. It only enhanced my already great powers. Some of the Guild began to plot against me. One inexperience mage cut me down when the Lune'thi wasn't in my hands. I wasn't on guard which is how I died.
“You must now wield this blade which was forged for peace to bring peace to the planet again. It will have to taste much blood, but you must if you wish to fulfill your destiny. Magnus, I didn't intend the Guild to get out of control like this. It tarnished my true intentions and I'm portrayed as merciless now. Please, spread the word I wanted peace. You must defeat every faction of the Guild. Don't leave the Ones alive. Slay them. Flay them alive if you must. I don't care how you do it; just destroy that which I created.” Elmi closed her eyes and started to fade.
“W-Wait!” Magnus said, stumbling forward, but the vision faded. Winter had taken grasp of the forest again and twilight was setting in. The boy dusted the snow off the sword and pulled it out of the ground. It weighed excellently in his hand. It looked shorter in his hand than when it had in the ground in the spring vision. He shrugged it off, then turned to leave. A plain black scabbard was hanging on a tree branch. He took it and put the Lune'thi in it. The scabbard shrunk to match the blade. “Woah!”
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