by c a king
“Too bad she has to open her mouth,” Clairity said referring to Jade.
Willow had been so distracted by the morning's events, she hadn’t noticed her best friend come over to sit beside her. “What would get you up so early?”
Clairity laughed and replied, “I couldn’t leave you to deal with that lot alone now could I?”
Clairity was short, with an average build. She wasn't a stunning beauty, but she had style. Her hair was cut in an uneven bob which hugged her face in all the right places and highlighted her high cheek bones. Today her hair was black. Of all the colours, black definitely suited her the best, probably because it also matched her eyes which were such a dark brown you could easily mistake them for black. Her skin was a pale white, perfect like the porcelain dishes and figures her mother made. It made Willow laugh when Clairity’s mother would pinch her cheeks as hard as she could to try to add a little colour to her daughter’s face.
“Can we get some service here? Or do you think wasting our time is in your best interest?” snarled the girl in front of her.
Willow looked up directly into a pair of icy green eyes staring back at her. They were as cold as they were beautiful. She shivered as if a chilled wind had blown on her bare skin, forming goosebumps on her arms. In those few moments of hesitation, she briefly lost herself to intimidation. Luckily, Clairity was there and had already started putting baskets together for the the impatiently waiting group. It was odd, but lately it seemed her friend knew exactly where and when she was needed or should be.
“Staring into space as we wait, pathetic. Wait till father finds out about this!” Jade said in a voice loud enough to be heard by most of the town. “And what is she wearing?” The three girls burst into a high pitched laughter together before heading down the road, not back the way they had come but further down the lane.
Willow knew the three girls were strolling toward the boys still sitting on their step. Sure enough, they offered a flirting wave and a giggle. That was all it took to gain the boys' attention and soon they were all talking and laughing together.
The two boys from the Council group were oblivious to what the girls were doing. They were far too preoccupied with the delightful aroma of fresh baked bread coming from the stone oven out back of the bakery.
Clairity gave her a nudge. “Anyone home?” she asked.
Willow shook her head, breaking free from the trance she had been completely engulfed in. She looked up at her friend who motioned to basically the rest of town waiting in line for their baskets for the day. The two girls knew everyone in town and after the line had ceased they made up baskets for anyone who hadn’t been by yet and together they delivered them. The last one Clairity took home with her.
All that was left to do now was to pack all the remaining fruits and vegetables into boxes for the orphanage. The children living there had it the hardest. They had to share everything and they had very little to start with. Compared to the way these kids had to live, Willow was in a dream land. She felt sorry for them. Truly the only hope they had was to develop some ability the Council might find entertaining or extremely useful. Willow made sure every day there was something especially yummy in the boxes, a sort of treat they could look forward to. After all, if circumstances had been a little bit different she might have been living there as well. She didn’t know why she wasn’t, but figured the orphanage was already full by the time her parents had died.
She felt a tap on her shoulder. “Need some help with those?” Jessie asked. Usually one of the three boys would offer to help carry some of the boxes. Willow was always eager to accept since it meant making one trip instead of two, not to mention company along the way. As much as she wanted to help the orphanage she hated going there as well. It was dark, musty, and the last few times it left her with an uneasy feeling, like someone was listening and recording her every move while she was there.
Jessie was the tallest of the triplet brothers. Usually children born together look identical. Not in the case of these brothers. They were each different in appearance and personality. It was almost as if they were three parts to one whole person, each getting different qualities. The only thing they had in common at all was the light brown shade of their hair and matching eye colour. Jessie was muscular and very strong looking, but quiet. Dezi was just shorter than his brother and wasn't overly muscular, but had defined shape to his arms and chest which suited him. He was loud, fun and exciting, always the life of the party. The final brother Pete was the shortest of the three, although still taller than most boys their age and was quick to offer his opinion when he had one. He was neither boring nor remarkable, but could captivate an audience when he chose to. Most of the time, however, he was lost somewhere in the shadows of his brothers.
The orphanage was located on the far side of town and was the largest building other than the castle. The outside was weathered and old, definitely in need of major repairs, much more than the rest of the town. Inside were four rooms, the first was a small sitting room for visitors. Willow couldn't imagine that they had many visitors, but supposed it made Penelope and Micca feel better in case, on the odd chance, someone did drop in. Peeking in the door, it appeared as she had thought. The room didn't look as if it had been used in a very long time. There was a layer of dust on the furniture. In the centre of the room was a table with a tiny porcelain vase filled with what appeared to be dead wild flowers from the forest. The seats were benches with high backs and had some faded cushions that looked like they had been in the same spot since the beginning of time. Directly across the hall was the second room which was Penelope and Micca's bedroom.
There was an unsettling silence in the front areas for a house that so many children called home. The hallway led to a tall wooden door, which opened into a food preparation room. The makeshift kitchen wasn't large and had cupboards that lined all of the walls. In the centre of the room was one wooden table. It was the sort you would stand at, not sit. Willow and Jessie lifted the boxes onto the table. Usually someone would have greeted them before now. Neither had been past that point before or seen the large room that the children spent the majority of their lives in. Out of concern and a little curiosity, the two opened the door to the main room. The door itself was a heavier wood than the rest of the building.
“Explains why the front is so quiet,” Jessie said almost stealing Willow's exact thoughts. She nodded in agreement.
The main room was by far the largest with over double the space of the rest of the house. There were long tables and benches set up for eating at. Later, after dinner the children would move the tables and benches to one side of the room and find a spot on the floor for their pillows and blankets to sleep for the night. There were seventeen children that lived in the orphanage all between the ages of ten and fifteen, most had been under four cycles when their parents had been declared dead. They knew no other life than the one they were living.
All of the house inhabitants were in the main room, going over what looked like a long list of rules. The Council had been coming down hard on the children lately for playing unsupervised outside and had threatened to, 'Put the whole lot to work keeping the castle clean if they had nothing better to do than pester people.' That meant reduced outdoor time and strict rules for behaviour in the presence of others. The majority of the children were sitting on the floor in a semi-circle around the adults as if it were story time. Off to one side, Willow noticed a boy leaning against the wall staring at her. He was short with brown hair and a few freckles or dirt spots, it was hard to tell which. His brown eyes held no emotion whatsoever and a long blade of grass hung out of his mouth to one side as he chewed on the other end. His clothes were old and patched over patches with some stains that would never come out.
“His name is Arnold,” Jessie said breaking the silence between them.
“I know, but shouldn't he be with the others?” Willow asked, her gaze never straying from the sight of the boy.
“The new arran
gements probably have him going stir crazy. It has to be rough hardly ever leaving this room,” Jessie whispered.
Looking around the room she agreed that would drive her over the edge too. Still, she couldn't help but feel there was something else behind that chilling stare.
Micca noticed them standing at the doorway. He hurried over to thank them both for bringing the food out to them and apologize for not meeting them sooner. Then he excused himself to head back to his discussion with the children.
It was almost dinner time so they retraced their steps out of the building. Just walking outside it felt like a weight had been lifted from the air around them. It was so much more fresh and free.
Jessie, feeling the uneasiness in his friend offered, “Diana is having story time tonight. She asked me to tell you there is going to be something special she insists you need to hear.”
Willow smiled all the way back to the market place. That was definitely the best news of the day and after the two parted, she headed home to clean up the mess for tomorrow and wash up for the evening's excitement.
Chapter Two
In the distance, sitting on a slightly higher elevation and to the north of the town, was the great castle made completely of different types of carved stones and metals with coloured glass windows. High peaks boasting elaborate statues of great majestic birds in flight enhanced the grandeur of the building. The large doors of the front entrance were big enough to allow for a giant to enter and were elaborately decorated with a carving of a magnificent tree boasting beautiful sweeping limbs. On either side of the doors, stood two very large statues, the first of a large feline lunging forward and the other looked similar to a cross between a wolf and bear standing on two feet with arms outstretched and growling fiercely.
Inside, the carvings told stories like a picture book as they danced across the walls. Ask a question and the answer may be revealed or in the event of disaster, prophecies could be uncovered. The floors resembled polished marble boasting golden accents, with lights twinkling above like stars in the ceiling. A grand stairway, in the middle of the room, twisted magnificently in a circular motion to the upper levels where the sleeping quarters were located.
There was enough space and living quarters to house more than ten times the town's population, but only Council members, their families, the guards and some entertainers were permitted to stay anywhere on the grounds.
Looking to the right from the stairs, you could see two golden doors open wide to a glorious ballroom with a ceiling made of rare gems and crystals. Past that was a hallway leading to the dinning room which was decorated with crisp fine linen on tables set using only the finest porcelain dishes. Further down were food preparation rooms including a door to outside brick ovens for cooking. To the left of the stairs was a hallway which led to the common use rooms. These were mainly used for sitting and furnished with all the comforts one could hope for. Soft, golden coloured cushions lined every chair and grand vases filled with delicate flowers from the gardens sat on top each of the beautiful brown polished marble tables.
At the end of the hallway were two blue glass doors opening to a walkway, which led to an adventure through the gardens that tantalized the mind and offered utopia to the senses. Floral aromas filled the air, a beautiful array of colours caught the sight and a sweet taste danced on the tip of the taste buds of anyone who was lucky enough to walk through. Stone benches and smaller versions of the statues out front added additional beauty throughout.
The path ended at a large iron gate. The highest point of the gate was a semi circular shape containing what appeared to be words 'E Pepvo Eco Glay Callum' written in an ancient language that no one, currently living in the castle, could read or write. Malarchy had told people that the meaning was, 'The Council above all others.'
In the hours before sunset, a humming, musical in nature, would whimsically rise from the garden as the beautifully coloured flowers of the day transformed into bright, glowing blossoms that lit up the pathways at night. The sun always set in the same place slowly disappearing behind the great hill, but not before setting it ablaze in a brilliant glowing green.
A stone wall surrounded the grounds with one iron gate leading into the property from the town merging with the path heading to the front doors of the castle. Four guards were always posted at the opening, two on each side, to ensure only invited people were allowed to enter. Behind the gates sat a building which housed the guards and entertainers. It was also made of stone with carved pictures of guards standing by open doorways, not like any of the doorways in the castle or the iron gates, but smaller ones with carved stones in each corner. In some of the pictures it appeared the guards were defending the opening from something coming through. There were twenty-six guards who rotated shifts covering the front gates.
They were permitted to send two people to town daily for food and other needs, for both the guards and entertainers. Other than that they remained in the building unless called for by the Council or on duty. At special events they were instructed to have extra guards inside the grounds to keep control at all times.
The entertainers were permitted to practice on certain days, at certain times and performed something different daily for the benefit of the Council's amusement. They were not permitted to leave the castle grounds at any time. Any entertainer who disobeyed was not allowed back and would have to return to their former life, which of course none of them wanted to do.
The grounds themselves were vast and included a practice area for all the different types of abilities, a courtyard for dances and events, and a games area for entertainment. The practice area had targets for shooting at, an obstacle course, an arts and crafts section, an invention studio, a stone patio, a grass area, and a fenced in area. It was mainly used by guards keeping their combat skills sharp and any entertainers preparing for a show.
The games area consisted of an outdoor arena where two or more people could test their abilities against each other. The arena had been closed for use for as long as anyone could remember.
The courtyard was the most used area outside, with a beautiful stone patio surrounded by stone benches for sitting. At the front was a stage type area where instruments and entertainment props were kept. Although the castle contained a beautiful ballroom inside, the courtyard was the popular place to hold dances and other nightly entertainment.
During the daytime the younger children from the castle were allowed to play outside. They were rarely heard of, or seen by the townspeople and never stepped foot outside the castle gates. The majority of times the youngsters were in a common use room away from everyday activities. At most large events, they would be paraded around for their cuteness factor, giving moms and dads a chance to beam with pride over their little bundles of perfectness. This didn't always have a good effect on the older children who, occasionally, would become jealous over the toddler spot light. In particular, Jade, wished many times her younger brother, Jordan, would go away or disappear. She craved attention so much that it didn't matter if she never saw him again as long she could have the full attention of her parents, mostly her mother, to herself.
Just outside the garden gates sat a large stone table and chairs where, almost every evening after dinner, the Council would meet to discuss current events, business, if any, and laws. There were six chairs on each side and one at the end. A giant glass bowl of water sat in the middle of the table.
The Council itself was made up of thirteen people and although they were all deemed to be equal, Malarchy and his wife Nebulah clearly lead the meetings and decisions.
“Old business?” Malarchy's voice rang out over all of the small talk going on at the table as the rest of the Council scrambled about to take their places for the meeting. He had claimed the single spot at the end of the table. Behind him the glow of the sun setting beneath the great hill illuminated his head and face in an eerie green aura, adding to his illusion of power over the rest of the Council.
Malarchy was on
e of the oldest on the Council although he looked no older than thirty. He wasn't remarkable by appearance standing at 5'10' with a slim build. His head was shaved bald and his teeth were uneven creating the appearance of fangs when he spoke or smiled. He dressed flamboyantly in fine linens of bright colours with golden trim and gemstones adorning every place possible. Most of the town weren't sure exactly what his abilities were and were too frightened to find out.
“None,” replied his wife Nebulah to the left of him. She stood only 5' tall with golden blonde hair. Her most noticeable feature was the size of her chest, doubling the size of any other woman in town and was matched with a small waistline and hips. It was a wonder she didn't lose her balance from being top heavy. Whenever she spoke a noticeably fake smile crossed her face directed at whomever her audience might be.
“New business then?” Malarchy's voice sounded again loud and confident.
“The children have asked we consider a dance to celebrate their sixteenth cycles,” his wife answered immediately.
“We haven't for others before, why now?” argued Aurora. She was one of the newer members of the Council and had been appointed only four cycles ago as cousin of another Council member Zebulon. Seated directly to the right of Malarchy, she was medium height but the thinnest lady at the table. As usual she was wearing a crisp white suit which was illuminated by the natural glow that radiated from her body. Her hair was short and spiked at the top with gold, silver and copper tones and her eyes shimmered the most electric hues of blues and purples. Unlike other Council members she never felt the need to wear jewelry or to add anything flashy to her appearance.
Aurora was known as a 'light'. She was able to read energies and could lend energy to another person to enhance their natural abilities. Unfortunately, the lack of training for her talents meant she couldn't control them properly and would often misread an aura. Since large groups of people caused her headaches and pain, she hardly left her room except for some meals and daily Council meetings. She avoided events and trips to town at all costs. Her lack of knowledge of her craft also meant she was a target for exploitation of her energy enhancing abilities and was rarely aware when someone was tapping into them, often left wondering why she would become very tired some evenings.
