Surviving Prophesy: The Immortals

by Frances Howitt

  ‘Not yet. We’re waiting for it to warm up. Why are you here?’

  ‘Schubert took Yolanda in there before dinner and didn’t want to be disturbed, now you’ve done the same. I can’t go to bed like this. You know what we had to clean up today. Please, you’ve had one tank of water already and that’s the last till morning.’

  ‘Come in Julius,’ Megan called.

  ‘What’d you do that for?’ Zacharias asked her as Julius immediately came in and paused to eye them.

  ‘Julius has already seen me naked, but I haven’t seen him,’ Megan remarked. Julius grinned at that but he also glanced at Zacharias. It might not have been visible, but she could feel Zach’s sudden tension. ‘My beautiful sexy man, you have nothing to worry about,’ she whispered in his ear. ‘I only thought we were all being a little selfish hogging the water tonight. It’s only a shower. It’s not as though we haven’t done this before and there is room. Besides, it’s not very fair to shut him out when he doesn’t have anyone to turn to. He’s lonely.’

  ‘You’re right,’ Zacharias said, his jealous tension easing. He couldn’t deny he knew exactly what it was like being on the outside watching enviously as others found a partner to love and share everything with. The least they could do was share relaxation time and company. He couldn’t help wondering if she was hiding behind having company however, to keep him at bay. Having said that she’d washed him; now it was his turn and he was not going to miss this opportunity despite Julius’s presence. His friend would understand and would certainly not interfere. ‘Want to check the temperature Julius?’ Zacharias asked, since his arms were wrapped about Megan.

  ‘Can do,’ Julius responded amiably and joined them standing by the fire to open the tap from the secondary tank over the fire. He gingerly tested with his hands. ‘Nearly,’ he told them and now met Megan’s curious childlike gaze. She’d been standing closest to the fire and mostly hidden from his view by Zacharias’s body.

  ‘You’re still dressed Julius,’ she commented.

  ‘It’s cold over by the door.’

  ‘It’s not cold just here,’ Megan told him and ran a hand down Zacharias’s back. Yes, he was appreciably cooler there on the side away from the fire. ‘Are you warm enough?’ she asked gazing up at him.

  ‘You’re keeping me toasty,’ he assured her, not about to let her get cold just to improve his own comfort.

  ‘Water’s hot enough,’ Julius finally announced and undressed. Then he turned on the jets and followed them in. He watched Zacharias wash Megan’s hair, his fingers moving in slow, gentle motions. Zacharias then moved on to covering every inch of her body in suds. There was nothing cursory or utilitarian about Zacharias’s ministrations; he was openly caressing her. Just as interesting, was that she was not only letting him, but even silently encouraged him with small sensuous movements. Hell, this was foreplay he was witnessing. Now he clearly understood why Zacharias hadn’t wanted any interruptions. Julius abruptly met Megan’s eyes and he flushed, embarrassed to be caught staring. Her gaze drifted over him in a thorough survey and he straightened, daring her to comment on his aroused state. There was no way he could help reacting to the sight of a naked attractive woman being caressed in such a way. She raised an eyebrow and it was ample reproach for encroaching on their privacy. He hastily turned his back, concentrating on doing the washing he’d risked their ire for.

  ‘Are you finished Julius?’ Zacharias asked, aware his friend had been standing facing away but largely motionless for a while, his hands by his sides.

  ‘Yes,’ Julius responded, turning. Only Zacharias was visible, so Megan was probably already dressing. ‘Sorry Zach, I didn’t think I’d be intruding quite so badly,’ Julius said quietly.

  ‘You didn’t, but you would have if you’d been any earlier.’

  Julius’s jaw dropped then he grinned back. ‘Now I know why you look so content. Congratulations!’ He fell silent as they turned the corner into the dressing area. They were just in time to see a silky purple dress slide over Megan’s raised arms and drop to her ankles.

  ‘Are you going to turn the water off?’ she asked glancing at the two men standing motionless but staring. She’d never seen Zacharias’s expression before; his eyes glittered and he looked hungry. His gaze and Julius’s too, swept over her. ‘Is something amiss?’ she asked uncertainly.

  ‘No love,’ Zacharias said going to her. ‘You’re beautiful.’

  ‘Try sexy as hell,’ Julius added. The purple satin clung to her faithfully like a shiny second skin revealing the fact she wore nothing beneath. He hastily grabbed his towel, trying to distract himself from ogling what wasn’t his, or more importantly, being noticed doing it. ‘Goodnight,’ he called to them and slipped out having dried and dressed in record time. He had little doubt they would prefer to be alone and continue celebrating in private.

  11

  ‘What will you do now?’ Schubert asked Megan after a late breakfast the following day.

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘Well, I thought you were really only going to the Santoi hospital to seek a cure. You don’t need that anymore,’ he pointed out smiling.

  ‘True,’ she smiled back at him then turned to Zacharias. ‘We haven’t really talked about it. Once I’ve learned to read and write, I’d like to continue my studies in magic. There have been so many instances when I’ve felt out of my depth and blundered my way into inventing spells. I’d never know if they would work or if I’d inadvertently cause a disaster. I’d like to learn the right way of doing things.’

  ‘I can understand that,’ Schubert agreed. ‘Knowledge is always useful, but is especially necessary when it comes to wielding magic.’

  ‘Where would you like to study?’ Zacharias asked.

  ‘You think I should?’ she asked.

  ‘Yes, it’s sensible to be better prepared for all eventualities. We should find somewhere I can enrol too,’ Zacharias said slowly.

  ‘You want to go to school?’ Megan couldn’t hide her surprise. ‘Why?’

  ‘We will be safer together. At a school full of wizards we will be better defended against another Mistry or Scritcher attack. Besides, I might be old compared to you, but I haven’t had much formal training and there are always new skills to acquire.’

  ‘I suppose so. What kind of skills had you in mind to learn? Some academies specialise in the fields they teach. I went to the healer hall even though it was not going to further my magic use.’

  ‘I think it might be sensible to learn to fight and defend ourselves first. I don’t need to have useable magic to improve my skills in wielding a weapon more effectively. You’ve got your fire spell, but there must be other things you could have done without exhausting yourself so fast.’

  ‘You have a point. There’s a warrior academy in Sunnydale that trains wizards. It caters for animus too so you’d probably be able to join those classes. Am I right in thinking that’s not far from here?’

  Zach nodded, considering where they were for a long moment and noticing Schubert’s nod of confirmation.

  ‘We’d have to find out if they would take a woman though,’ she added.

  ‘Learning warrior wizard skills never used to be restricted to men. You certainly have a warrior’s courage, decisiveness and strength of will,’ Schubert spoke up. ‘You would find a way to hold your own if not excel. Sunnydale always used to have a good reputation.’

  ‘Thank you Schubert. We won’t of course know if they think I’m suitable to train until we go there.’

  ‘Sunnydale is about six day’s travel from here,’ Schubert said. ‘When were you thinking of leaving?’

  ‘Well, we don’t know if that Mistry reported where he had tracked us to,’ Zacharias said. ‘Or how soon he will be missed, or if another creature will be sent after us. It’s probably better not to linger here. I don’t want to lead more danger to your door. We’ll leave at first light.’

  ‘I think another trip to visit other friends
might be sensible for us too,’ Schubert commented eyeing Yolanda. ‘If that Mistry was able to track us from the cave, then you’re right that it might be sensible to leave for a while and let the trail go cold.’

  ‘You’re both welcome at my place,’ Julius suggested. ‘I might be rubbish at fighting but I’m not sure I fancy enrolling at a warrior academy to learn more. I’d hate all their rules and regulations. No, give me the simple life back home any day.’

  You’d prefer to live on campus with all the other students, or apart?’ Megan asked Zacharias.

  ‘We won’t be protected if we take lodgings away from the school grounds.’

  ‘True, but most schools house the pupils in large dormitories. We won’t be together. You will be expected to share with all the other men.’

  ‘You had a room of your own before and no-one seemed to mind me taking you out alone for the day.’

  ‘I was blind so couldn’t share. As for the propriety of you taking me out, I wasn’t considered a student, so different rules applied. Besides, I am certainly not a teenager any more. But at a new place, we will need to fit in. And whilst everyone will soon know I have a boyfriend, it is unlikely you will be allowed near my dormitory or anywhere else private.’

  Zacharias frowned, noticing Schubert was biting his lip and Julius had a hand over his mouth trying to stop grinning. They all knew he was not going to be happy without her in his bed, especially now they’d finally consummated their relationship. ‘I’m not sure I like this term “boyfriend”. I’d rather fiancée.’

  ‘Fiancée?’ she queried.

  ‘Zach! It is customary to get down on one knee and ask before bandying about such words. It also assumes there’s been sufficient communication to have been a mutual agreement,’ Julius chided.

  ‘I wasn’t assuming anything,’ Zacharias defended. He drew her into the kitchen, closing the door from their eavesdropping friends. ‘I merely want you, and everyone else, to know how committed I am to you and our future. The word just seems to fit.’

  ‘So it’s not a proposal?’ she asked tentatively.

  ‘Megan, I love you and make no mistake, I want to marry you as soon as you’ll have me. You would make me the happiest man alive. However, I know it’s too much, too soon to ask you to decide that. At this point I am happy to settle for being your fiancée if you’d like that?’ he asked her holding her closely.

  ‘I’m not immortal Zach,’ she said unhappily.

  ‘I have known that for some time and have chosen you to be my wife regardless. Do you love me Megan?’

  ‘Yes, I love you,’ she whispered and he exhaled gustily, his smile wide.

  ‘Would you consent to think about it? And in the meantime will you be my fiancée?’

  She regarded him for a long moment. He was right that she wasn’t sure she could set a wedding date yet. He was also right that “boyfriend” didn’t quite cover what they felt for each other. They’d already been through so much trauma and actual life and death situations. She also knew he’d stood by her bed day after day, caring for her when she was ill and weak. There were many aspects to his nature she loved.

  ‘Yes Zacharias, I will be your fiancée.’

  Zacharias swept her up off her feet, swinging her around and kissing her soundly.

  12

  It took nearly a week for Zacharias and Megan to reach Sunnydale. They’d ridden swiftly east, keeping to themselves and not mixing with any locals in the bar of an evening at the wayside inns. They wanted to keep a low profile and generally pass through leaving as little of a trail as possible. Schubert had lent Megan a book and each evening Zacharias sat with her teaching her to read and write from it. She had an excellent memory and once she learned the letters of the alphabet she could sound out to herself the letters of a word until she knew what it said. She had been present in the schoolroom when the sighted children had been taught to read and write and had absorbed the sounds, aide-memoires and sequence of the alphabet. Now she found that years of incomprehensible overheard lessons made sense and fell into place. Certainly she was relieved to at least be able to write her own name and to read enough to be able to figure out what many words said, albeit slowly.

  ‘Sunnydale,’ Megan spelled out the boldly engraved signpost and smiled at Zacharias. They stood on a low rise and looked at a small town spread before them, with a walled fort at its centre. The landscape as far as they could see was open and rolled with small undulations. The land was mostly set to agriculture around the town with only small copses of trees. Where they stood, the vegetation was quite varied in sheltered spots but tended to rough grasses, heather and rock in exposed areas. Certainly there was a constant brisk breeze. They were glad it was still relatively warm. It was nearing the end of summer and they had ridden through several consecutive days of bleak grey drizzle. Today, Sunnydale lived up to its name, brief though it was. A gap in the clouds let the sun light the town for a few short minutes before the clouds covered it over again.

  ‘That’s probably the academy there on the left of the town’s outskirts,’ Zacharias said pointing. ‘See the nice wall around it?’

  ‘That’s a reassuring sight,’ she agreed. ‘Let’s get a move on. That nasty set of purple clouds are heading this way. Hopefully we’ll be inside before the storm hits.’

  Following their guide through the inner gates Megan shivered suddenly, feeling something weird pass over her. She glanced round sharply, wondering what that had been and then noticed a well built but silver haired man was watching them with more than a casual interest. He nodded to their guide then disappeared inside the doorway at his back.

  ‘You can leave your horses here,’ Tommy, the young man acting as their guide told them, indicating a hitching rail to their right in the inner courtyard.

  Megan was glad there was a roof over the rail giving shelter from the approaching storm to not only the horses, but also their belongings. Spotting a water trough she let her horse have a quick drink before tying her. Zacharias did the same but didn’t dally knowing Tommy was waiting for them.

  They followed Tommy through a wide arched doorway in the reddish stone wall. Inside was a broad corridor leading to a grand, double story reception hall, brightly lit by glass panels in the ceiling. The corridor they followed skirted the hall however, giving them glimpses through the intervening pillars and balustrades, of a red and black chequered floor and impressive weaponry displayed on the walls. A massive tapestry at the head of the hall, depicting a battle scene, was the only softening feature despite its rather macabre violent images.

  ‘Wait here please,’ Tommy instructed them having knocked on a door and heard a voice from within calling “come”.

  ‘Headmaster Tarquin will see you now,’ Tommy said, reappearing a minute later. He waved them inside and closed the door behind them.

  ‘Headmaster Tarquin,’ Zacharias said inclining his head politely. ‘Good afternoon. I am Zacharias and this is my fiancée Megan.’

  ‘Welcome to Sunnydale Academy. Tommy tells me you are interested in enrolling for training?’

  ‘We both are,’ Megan said, unsurprised the headmaster should be that silver haired man she’d seen outside. His gaze kept switching between them but had mainly settled on Zacharias. Now she in turn was being subjected to his sharply assessing gaze. ‘Can you tell us what type of courses you do here? We heard the bias was warrior training and weaponry. Is that correct?’

  ‘It is,’ Tarquin affirmed. ‘But you both have magic; what is your interest in the military?’

  ‘That thing at the gate was a test?’ Megan asked.

  ‘Yes, not many notice it but you reacted quite strongly.’

  ‘What does that tell you, aside from the fact I’m a wizard?’

  ‘It simply tells me you are a strong one. We don’t have women wizards here very often. What is your background?’

  ‘I was born blind. In fact I have only been cured just over a week, so my reading and writing skills aren’t too go
od yet. I’m trained in healing actually. My magic gave me a form of sight that enables me to sense the living world. I am interested in learning how to better use my magic, especially for defence or offense. I’d like to learn how to use real weapons too.’

  ‘You’ve had a scare?’

  ‘A few too many recently. I’ve worked out how to use wizard’s fire as a blanket and also as a lance, but it’s exhausting to maintain for long. I’m probably doing it inefficiently or incorrectly and doubtless there are other spells I could have used that were easier.’

  ‘May I ask what you needed wizard’s fire for?’

  ‘Do you know of the Scritcher creature?’ Seeing his frown, she added. ‘Nasty predatory beetle, about a foot high.’

  ‘I’ve heard tales of them but never seen one myself. Are you sure that’s what you saw?’

  ‘I’m sure. We’ve been attacked several times now by the creatures. So when I found a hive of them I went in and burned them out. It’s the surest way I’ve found to kill them.’

  ‘She nearly didn’t make it out of the cave alive,’ Zacharias said quietly. ‘Scritchers don’t run. They attack, even when their fellows are being burned alive. Show him your arm,’ he added.

  Tarquin frowned looking closely at the still red scar on her arm. It was crescent shaped, jagged and had been made by something with small sharp teeth. He also noticed the arm had many small shiny patches that looked like burns. He found he didn’t doubt her story. There was something about her level gaze that assured him she was no wilting flower despite her diminutive size, gentle brown eyes and attractiveness.

  ‘You used a lance flame on them?’ Tarquin asked.

  ‘Yes, well actually I’ve done that too, but for the hive I had to blanket flame large areas at a time. I used a precision fire lance on a Mistry creature when he attacked Zach.’

  ‘A Mistry? You’ve seen one? What happened?’

  ‘He was trying to abduct Zach at the time. Zach’s friend tackled the beast but quickly got badly hurt by the Mistry’s claws. I killed it,’ she said with a small shrug.