Spirit (Legend of the Dragons Book 1)

by Denelle Elison

  “What can I do for you, Jerrick?” asked Rinald.

  Jerrick glanced down briefly, drawing courage. “I have come on my own behalf to ask for your daughter’s hand in marriage.”

  Rinald knew it would come someday. After Briahnna’s seventeenth birthday celebration, he had been assaulted with many offers for his daughter’s hand. He knew to whom she belonged. He had his reservations about the boy, for Jerrick kept many secrets. But King Rinald still regarded him as a son and knew that he and Briahnna would always protect each other. Rinald, however, was sad. She was his last child, and though she would not be far away, once married, she wouldn’t be here with them, always brightening the darkest of days. He would miss her deeply. Rinald sighed inwardly then looked at Jerrick and grinned.

  “It’s about time boy,” Rinald said. “I have an appointment with Abriel’s parents tomorrow evening and wasn’t quite sure how I was going to reject their sure-to-be proposal.”

  Jerrick smiled. “Abriel,” he said and shook his head.

  “You are sure about this?” the King asked. “She is unbelievably stubborn, and from what I’ve been told, has quite the temper,” he said with a knowing smile.

  “I take it you have not been on the receiving end of her temper?” Jerrick asked.

  “No… however, I have been on the receiving end of her stubbornness.” Rinald shook his head.

  “She is my light,” Jerrick stated earnestly. “I love her.”

  “Then she is yours, as she always has been.” Rinald gave Jerrick a short nod. “We will have a celebration feast this evening and make the announcement. You will be wed immediately following this war, maybe sooner.” King Rinald shook his head. “Things aren’t quite happening as quickly as I’d hoped. I fear this war might last longer than either of our kingdoms anticipated.”

  . . .

  Rinald summoned Briahnna to his study immediately following Jerrick’s proposal.

  “You’re home!” Briahnna screeched, racing into her father’s arms. “I worry every time you leave.”

  “Oh Bumble Bee,” said Rinald. “Forever looking out for me. I’ve missed you so.”

  “I’ve missed you,” said Briahnna through her tears.

  “No crying,” Rinald commanded. “I have wonderful news.”

  Briahnna wiped her eyes, took a step back, and smiled up at him.

  King Rinald took her hands. “You are betrothed, my dear.”

  “Excuse me?” Briahnna asked in shock. “To whom?”

  “Jerrick,” he said. “He came to me as soon as I returned and asked.”

  “Oh.” Briahnna stepped away from him and looked around the room. “I...” she hesitated, at a loss for words.

  King Rinald was confused at her hesitance, “I thought that this was something you wanted Bri.”

  Bri closed her eyes. “I know. Everyone thinks this is what I wanted. I thought that this is what I’ve always wanted…But…I don’t know.” She exhaled. “I’m so confused. I feel like he’s keeping things from me. I don’t know what he’s doing half the time, and he won’t tell me. I’m afraid he doesn’t want the same things we do. Father, I’m afraid he’s on the wrong side. He is so powerful and I know how much he craves more…” She sat at his desk and put her head in her hands.

  King Rinald stepped beside her and placed his hand on her shoulder. “I am proud of you Bumble Bee. You have always kept a straight head, no matter how you might feel. Do you love him?” he asked.

  “Yes. I’ve always loved him”

  “Yet you still hesitate,” said Rinald. “I understand your worry, and I would not force you into something that you do not want. Let me tell you of my feelings about this situation first before you make your decision.” He hesitated. Rinald knew Jerrick well. He had watched him grow. Watched him win the heart of everyone around him. He was not like Briahnna. He won the hearts of people as a politician would. She won hearts as a giving, kind, and earnestly interested individual.

  “I do not know what Jerrick is up to,” he said. “I suspect things, but have no proof. As you said, he is powerful and I think there are many who want him to use his power for their gain. I also think that Jerrick is too smart to be someone’s puppet and makes his decisions on what he wants most. He is a storm waiting to rage. You are his sun. You calm him as no one can. He wants you to be happy, and he will do everything in his power to make you happy. I believe you will be a good influence on him. He will listen to you.”

  “I’m not so sure,” she said. “We fight often.”

  Rinald laughed. “You’ve grown up together. You know each other too well sometimes.”

  Briahnna smiled at him.

  “You make your decision. I know that he wants more than what he has. But I believe you will help him understand that all he needs is you.”

  Her father was right. She needed to do this, help Jerrick see the good in his life, help him see that all they needed was each other and hopefully reject any external influences. She always wanted to be with Jerrick, and this was going to happen.

  “Ok,” she said simply. “I am his, and he is mine.”

  . . .

  Jerrick hesitated before entering the dining hall. He did not know how Briahnna would react. In all honesty, her rage scared him just a little. He was elated that the King did not hesitate, but was afraid to open up and feel her uncertainty and disdain. He took a deep breath and entered.

  Briahnna sat in one of the two chairs designated for the honored guests of the celebration. She always took his breath away. As he entered she looked up with an amused expression on her face.

  Jerrick opened up and she sighed in obvious relief. He could feel her hesitation, but she was also happy. This is what they both had always wanted. She took his hand under the table and he laughed, exhaling the breath he was holding.

  “I thought you’d be angry with me.”

  “Well…” she hesitated. She was teasing him. “You always seem to get what you want. Why should this surprise me? Plus, my father thinks that I’m a good influence on you,” she said, giving him his classic wink.

  Jerrick squeezed her hand. “You are.”

  Chapter 17

  After Jerrick’s eighteenth birthday passed, Jerrick took his troops and went to the battlefront, leaving Briahnna home with her mother and Darian. She was lonely. She thought with how often Jerrick had been gone before, that it would be okay, that she had grown used to it. She hadn’t.

  Briahnna heard the school in Estreed was in need of helpers. With everyone off to war, the school lost most of their volunteers. The only thing Briahnna could think of to help her loneliness was to keep busy, and what better way to stay busy than to help at the school?

  The school looked like a large castle – a very old, large castle – with plenty of yard surrounding it for the children to play in. She was very excited. She had never been to this school before.

  Upon walking into the main doors of the school, Briahnna paused, a bit shocked at how dilapidated it actually was. It looked close to falling apart, or down, or whatever castles did when they reached that point of old. She poked her head into a classroom and stepped back in dismay. Most of the students looked like this castle. Worn. Thin. Dirty. She was shocked. How had she never noticed how different everyone else was? They obviously weren’t living in luxury, but then again she had never thought that anyone in Mageia was really lacking. She had seen Gabriela’s family’s home, but they had chosen to live there after their father passed because it was a comfort to live in his home. The King had taken care of them financially after he died, and Gabriela came to work at the palace. Why hadn’t she realized that there were other magiks in the same circumstances that Gabriela had once been in?

  Delighted that Briahnna was there, the Headmaster put her to work right away, rotating her between teachers every hour. That was how desperate they were. Everyday she started with a different teacher, and eventually made it full circle then would start all over again. Tedious as it sounded
, she absolutely loved it, well… after the kids deemed her worthy to enter their territory. Living in harsh environments caused harsh attitudes.

  After teaching the six children at the palace for so many years, Nathaniel, one of Briahnna’s former teachers decided to go back to the school to see if he might do some good. Briahnna’s first rotation was with him.

  “Students!” announced Nathaniel to his class. “It is my honor to introduce to you Princess Briahnna. She has volunteered to help in our school for a time. Everyone welcome the Princess.”

  Wondering what exactly they were supposed to do to welcome a princess, student after student stood, looking at Nathaniel quizzically. To the students Nathaniel mouthed, “Welcome Princess,” then bowed slightly. Briahnna smiled warmly as the students did as Nathaniel had and clumsily welcomed her, obviously not in unison. They were the eleven and twelve-year-olds.

  After welcoming Briahnna, everyone sat down.

  “Why aren’t you at war?” a boy in the back asked skeptically.

  Briahnna was startled and wasn’t quite sure how to answer. He obviously didn’t think very much of her. Looking around she noticed that a majority of the class likely felt the same.

  “Forster!” berated Nathaniel. “Watch your tongue. We do not speak to the princess that way.”

  “Well, what way should we speak to her? Nobody’s ever taught us,” the boy named Forster shot back. “I talk this way to everyone. Why should she be any different?”

  “She’s the Princess,” Nathaniel answered. “We treat her with respect and kind words.”

  “No!” Briahnna looked at Nathaniel and then to Forster. “I would rather you treat me as you do everyone else.” She looked back to Nathaniel. “I would rather earn their respect than demand it.”

  Nathaniel nodded. “As you wish, Princess.” He turned to the class. “All right, back to our lesson.”

  Briahnna almost wanted to take back what she had said about the children treating her as they did everyone else. She felt like she was being assaulted at every turn and wasn’t quite sure how she was going to earn her right to be there among them. Words may not hurt physically, but they were definitely deflating her self-esteem. These kids were good with their words; usually talking quietly among themselves but loud enough for her to hear their backhanded comments about her snobbish upbringing, or how she walked as if she was so much better than everyone else, among other rude or crude things. Needless to say, by the end of the day she no longer held her head high.

  Oh, and the magic tricks they had up their sleeves! They would discretely attack her with their magic, and when she tried to find the culprit, she received only silence. She had to keep from crying every time she returned to the palace. It didn’t help that she had a guard with her every time she went. It wasn’t so much the small children; they were all excited and happy to get to know her. It was the older ones. They were brutal.

  She was so frustrated with herself. She was seventeen for goodness sake, yet here she was sitting in her room trying to hold her tears back. She could do this. She wasn’t one to give up. If she couldn’t earn their respect then she was at least going to show them that she was not one to be trifled with. It was time to fight fire with fire. It was time to harness her spirit element.

  Striding out of her room, Briahnna went straight to Darian. “I need your help.”

  “Oooookay,” Darian said, scrutinizing his headstrong sister. “What can I help you with?”

  “Well…” she said hesitating slightly, not sure exactly how to explain what she wanted. “Jerrick can use his spirit element in a lot of different ways. It seems endless sometimes. I think that I should be able to use it to discern where magic is emanating from.” She looked at Darian, unsure of herself. “Do you understand what I’m saying?”

  Darian paused for a minute, thinking about it. “I think so. You want to know who exactly is using their magic in a crowd.” He shook his head and laughed, amazed that she might actually be able to do it.

  “Yes.”

  “You’ll need more magiks,” Darian said eagerly. “You go find mother, and I’ll round up some guards.”

  Briahnna smiled. Darian always liked to experiment with her magic; find out everything that she could do. She rarely worked with her spirit, however, because it scared her, and he always pushed her to do so. Now that she was willing to try something Darian was more than happy to comply.

  . . .

  It was difficult. Briahnna wasn’t quite sure exactly how to harness her spirit without an instant need. This took thought and concentration, and she wasn’t sure what she was supposed to think about or concentrate on.

  “Okay,” Darian said, becoming a voice of logic after Briahnna groaned in frustration. They practiced with some guards and her mother. After being blindfolded, someone hit her with magic. She was supposed to turn and point. It wasn’t working. She got lucky once, and pointed in the right direction, but that was just once, and it was just that, luck. “What did Jerrick tell you to do when you threw Samson into the pond?”

  Briahnna cringed. “I wasn’t using this particular element, Darian,” she said, looking pointedly at the guards.

  “Bri, I know, but what did you do to make him do exactly what you wanted?”

  Briahnna exhaled, thinking back. “Okay… he said that I needed to think about a specific target. He said that I needed to know exactly what I wanted to do, then just do it.”

  “We’re going to use that concept here as well,” Darian said. “Know exactly what you want to do. You want to feel where the magic is coming from. Not exactly a target, but concentrate on feeling, not thinking, feeling, expanding, finding.”

  Darian blindfolded her again and began whispering in her ear, while directing one of the guards to use their magic. “Find…Find your target…Find the source…Feel the magic.”

  Briahnna felt her senses expand as she listened to him speak. Like a bubble surrounding her expanding toward everyone else, feeling, finding…she started to feel the magiks around her, feeling their individual elements, their magic, and then she felt magic expanding, swirling around one of them. She found it. She found her source, and she pointed.

  “Ha!” Darian yelled. “Did you feel it, or did you guess?”

  Briahnna took off her blindfold. “I felt it!” she laughed. “I think I can do it now. Let’s try again!”

  After practicing and practicing, Briahnna was able to feel magic coming in multiple directions, and was able to defend against more than one target at once. In fact she could throw something at them before they hit her. But she had to choose to either defend and shield herself or get hit by whatever was thrown at her while throwing her magic.

  She felt the wind and earth being harnessed from different sources. Knowing that she could handle it, she used her spirit to individualize her earth, wind, and water, and direct them to her targets. Yanking off her blindfold, she tumbled from the opposing elements and watched two soldiers soar up and away in her wind. Then she turned to see others fighting branches of trees holding them in the air while others were sitting soaked on the ground. She heard Darian’s laughter as she released the men in the trees.

  . . .

  Briahnna found herself back in Nathaniel’s class a few weeks later. She was braced and ready, walking around the room gathering up a quiz that the kids had taken, when she felt someone harnessing their wind. She knew exactly who it was: Forster. Briahnna suspected that he had been behind many pranks and smiled to herself. Easy. He was just one kid.

  After pausing for a second, Briahnna continued gathering quizzes. Hearing students burst into laughter, she turned around.

  “WHA-” Forster began with a grunt. Two pencils were lodged in his nose.

  “Forster…” warned Nathaniel. “I have told you time and again not to mess around during class. You have a free break to do whatever you want…to a point, that is. Take the pencils out of your nose.”

  With eyes wide, Forster took the pencils out of
his nose and shook his head. “I didn’t do it, Nathaniel, I swear!”

  Nathaniel snorted. “The pencils flew into your nose on their own? They took it upon themselves to magically appear there? I don’t want to hear your silly excuses. I want you to behave!” he said sternly.

  “They did fly there on their own!”

  “Forster!” Nathaniel began. “I’m not going to tell you again! Behave!”

  Forster sat back in his desk, angry that Nathaniel didn’t believe him.

  Briahnna turned around from her task, looked at Forster from behind Nathaniel’s back, and gave him a wink and small smirk. Forster quickly sat up in his seat and glared at her, growing thoughtful.

  After lunch Briahnna went out to the grounds for free time. During free time many of the students practiced their elements. They didn’t really have anyone to help them learn how to use their magic. She liked to observe.

  “How did you do that?”

  “Hi, Forster,” Briahnna said, observing some of the kids practicing.

  “It didn’t even hurt when the pencils flew into my nose,” Forster said, standing in her line of sight. “I want to know how you did it.”

  “I’m not going to reveal my secrets until you treat me with respect,” she said, looking down at him.

  “I thought you weren’t demanding our respect,” he said, giving her a pointed look. “I thought you wanted to earn it.”

  “Fine. You can at least speak nicely to me,” she said expectantly. “I haven’t heard a nice thing spoken from your mouth since I got here.”

  “Never mind.” He turned and walked away.

  Briahnna shrugged and made her way to a water magik who was trying to form a water orb. She accidentally hit everyone with water when she tried to will it to her hands. Many of the kids were getting frustrated with her and yelling at her. Forster worked with wind, determined not to notice what Briahnna was doing. But he couldn’t help himself. He looked over and saw her whispering into the water magik’s ear. Briahnna stepped back and the girl brought a perfect orb of water to her hands, smiling up at Briahnna as she did so.