Chartile: Prophecy

by Cassandra Morgan

  “I prefer Piper,” she said, closing the door. She headed for her bedroom and brought out another chair.

  “Yes, well, names and titles can be discussed once the battle is won. Speaking of which! I shall send word immediately for the rest of our group to meet here at once.” Valar ran to the door and all but ran into Dimitri in his attempt to call for a messenger. “Dimitri! Wonderful! Now, I only need to find—”

  “Your meeting will need to wait, Valar,” said Dimitri.

  “But we cannot delay much longer,” said the man. “We have little time to prepare.”

  “And I still have to train these boys how to use their magic. We were delayed yesterday.” Dimitri looked at Jayson, Jack and Leo. He smiled and winked before turning back to Valar. “Nefiri wants to move troops to the base of the mountain in a week. Scouts have reported elven troops gathering to the south. Brande and Kylani have said this was part of their plan. The elves will attempt to enter through the abandoned mines as was planned, but we have a chance to draw away at least half of their forces before they strike. Oh, I’ll let her explain it later. The point is, I am taking these three to the temple. You can stay here and explain things to Piper while we’re gone.”

  “I think I would like to join you,” said Piper eagerly. She swallowed and replied more cautiously, “I could always brush up on my own skills.”

  “I have meetings for the rest of the day,” Valar replied in defeat. “We must promise to meet tomorrow morning before any other training. What good is training without a plan?”

  “Agreed,” said Dimitri. “We will meet here after sunrise.”

  Valar nodded. “Until tomorrow then.” He bowed to Piper in the Elven fashion and swept past Dimitri, his elven robes billowing behind him.

  “Geez, is he always like that?” asked Jayson.

  “No,” said Dimitri, “I believe he is excited for something to finally go according to plan after so long.” They laughed as Dimitri led them down the winding tunnels and halls.

  They passed the healer’s quarters and entered an area they had never been before. The room was as large as the Crystal Quarter room, possibly bigger. Two of the four walls faced outward and held huge slates of stained glass that filled the chamber with a rainbow of colors. There were pews, much like a cathedral, but they faced toward the center in a spiraling circle, broken only by the small aisle that ran from the great double entrance doors to a stone altar in the middle. Jayson, Jack, Leo and Piper stopped mid-step, and Dimitri nearly ran into them.

  “The Hall of Rashiri is one of our greatest accomplishments. The Tutarian palace likes to boast about its grand architecture. Mount Kelsii was originally founded for trade, not for politics, so it lacks much of the splendor that Tutaria holds.” Dimitri beamed proudly. “This is our masterpiece.”

  He led them around the perimeter of the great spiral, and headed toward one of the many rooms off the main area. Clouds of billowing incense filled the room. Four plush cushions were placed on the floor and faced a large copper bowl that held a crackling fire.

  Dimitri closed the door behind them, and walked to the rear of the room. He pulled an extra pillow from a cupboard and handed it to Piper.

  “Are you sure you want to do this?” he whispered to her. “I know you said you would never—”

  Piper smiled at him and cupped his chin in her hand. “I can’t be afraid anymore,” she said, and sat on her cushion beside Jack.

  Dimitri pulled a tiny key from the pouch on his belt and moved to the other side of the fire bowl. “The first thing you need to understand about magic,” he said and began removing his orenite cuffs, “is that everyone has it. Most people simply do not realize they do, and there are certainly varying degrees in the amount of skill one has. Magic is nothing more than the manipulation of the energy around you. However, you need to learn to manipulate the energy within yourself before you can attempt to manipulate the world around you. To do this, you must attain a greater sense of self awareness and deep concentration. You must discover your fears and rise above them, your faults and accept them, your dreams and make them so. You must do all of this to understand who you truly are. When you know yourself, then you can know how to change your own energies. Once you have learned to manipulate the self, you can begin to study and manipulate the world around you.” He pulled out a small drum and held it between his feet. “I am going to walk you through a reflection exercise. It is a practice our elders use to keep balance amongst their three understandings. Please, close your eyes, and listen to the sound of my voice. Breathe deeply. Relax. Follow wherever your mind leads you.”

  The drum pounded like a pulsating heart, and their own hearts began keeping time with it, slow and steady. Dimitri’s voice was distant. They could barely hear him. They sat in the trance-like state for what felt like hours. The smoke from incense swirled about them, and the fire before them made the room stifling hot. At first, they fidgeted, unsure of what to do. Occasionally, one of the boys opened an eye to peek at his neighbors. They half expected to see each other surrounded in a light or floating a few inches off their pillow. This, however, never occurred. They relaxed. Every muscle in their bodies released its tension, and their breathing slowed. They no longer fought the smoke and incense, but breathed it in, welcoming.

  The darkness gave way to a hazy image that formed before Piper. She faced three doors, and they opened as one before her. Behind the first lay a golden crown. The second revealed a world with unrestrained magic. Here, Piper saw herself as the leader of her people, guiding them into an age of fortune and happiness. The last door opened to Dimitri. He smiled that brilliant smile, and held out his hand to her. Your fears, your faults, your dreams, she heard his voice in her mind.

  Leo stared into the mouth of a cave. A lion slept peacefully at its center. He could wake the lion, risking his life and the lives of those faceless people who accompanied him. He could find a formidable ally in the lion if he kept his cool. He could also walk away. He gripped the sword hilt in his hand so tight, his knuckles turned white. He didn’t know if he had become the leader everyone thought he was, or if he was still playing a game. He knew he would have to decide soon as he watched the lion begin to stir.

  Jack could hear the drum beating in his ears. It was like the pounding of broken glass shattering against a wall…his bedroom wall. His father stood above him, both afraid and dangerous. “Help me,” his father said, then turned to smash the lamp beside Jack’s bed. Jack reached out for his father. Mr. Mitchel slammed his fist into the wall, and Jack retreated back to the far side of his bed. “Leave me! I don’t need anyone!” his father screamed, and turned to race out of the room. Jack was frozen where he sat.

  Jayson knelt on the floor. A sword lay on the ground before him, covered in blood. Blood drenched his hands, and pooled around the gaping wound of the man he had just killed. The blood on his hands oozed down his arms, a warm, thick trickle, dripping onto his legs. It was spreading fast, covering his entire body. He grabbed his head, and hunched to curl into a ball. But the blood continued to spread. It covered his hair, down his head, tickling his temples and stinging his eyes. He screamed. He tried to run, but the pool of blood was too slick. He fell and felt the warm, sticky blood seep through his shirt. He screamed, but he could not hear.

  The drumming stopped, and everyone jumped. Jayson sat in a cold sweat. His breathing came in short, shallow breaths and he clenched his hands into white knuckled fists.

  “Jayson,” Dimitri called gently to him. The boy’s eyes shot open. He looked at his trembling hands. They were free of blood. He wiped the sweat that poured down his face with his shirt and attempted to slow his breathing.

  “You alright, Jay?” Leo asked. Jayson did not answer.

  Dimitri approached him, and placed his hands on Jayson’s shoulders. A cool wave of calm surrounded Jayson and pushed itself into the far reaches of his mind. He began to relax. Dimitri looked at him with raised eyebrows. Jayson nodded.

  “I wa
nt you each to practice this meditation every night before you sleep, and every morning when you wake. Practice it until you can find that place of calm focus in an instant.” he paused. “Then, we shall move on.” Dimitri leaned the drum back against the wall.

  “Really?” asked Jack. “That was it?” The experience hadn’t been as exciting as he had hoped.

  “What if it takes us too long?” Leo protested. “We don’t have a lot of time to learn this. The army moves out in, what, two weeks, maybe a little more? That can’t be enough time.”

  “I do not believe you will have any problems,” said Dimitri. “Come, we shall break for a time. I want to show you to the armory.” He extinguished the incense in the sand of the thurible, but left the fire burning low. “You can spend your free time training there.” He led them out of the room and back up the temple aisle. Jayson lagged behind. He stared at his feet as he walked, and kept looking at his hands. Piper doubled back to walk with him as they emerged into the stone halls once more.

  “Jayson, are you sure you are well?” she asked. “May I ask what you saw?”

  Jayson was silent for a long while as they walked. He slowed his pace, and attempted to put some distance between himself and his friends. “I— I killed someone. I don’t know who he was. I was covered in his blood, completely covered. I tried to scream, but I couldn’t make any noise. I don’t think I realized it ‘til now, but… Piper, I could kill someone. I could kill a lot of people. Even if they agree with Taraniz, they still have families and lives and souls and stuff. I don’t know if I can do this anymore. I know I told Leo that we all needed to grow up. I said we need to be the people everyone expects us to be, but…”

  Piper stopped walking. She put an arm out to stop Jayson. Dimitri, Leo and Jack stopped as well, but Piper urged them on with a wave of her hand. Dimitri nodded, and continued on with Leo and Jack.

  “Jayson, I do not know where I should begin. I suppose with apologies, but it seems trivial to say. I have been putting so much pressure on you as our returned kings. I often forget you are younger than I am, and I am so very confused and frightened. You must understand, you cannot be the person that others want you to be. You must be yourself, and only that. Any changes you wish to make, for good or ill, need to be made for you and no one else. You should not feel obligated to be involved in this in any way. This is not your world, and no one can fault you for staying out of matters if that is your desire. I have nothing but the highest respect for you all in everything you have experienced and the way you have handled yourselves. You have developed a grace far beyond your years. You should not continue to press yourselves to grow up too quickly. If you ever need to talk, well, I am not Leo or Jack, or even Dimitri, but,” she stared at the floor and sighed. “I know what it’s like to have blood on your hands. I will help you in any way that I can.”

  Jayson laid a hand on her shoulder. She looked into his eyes and saw his fear and turned to compassion. She held her arms open and embraced Jayson as a sister. He did not recoil or attempt to pull away. He leaned his head against her shoulder, and welcomed the genuine comfort and compassion. He hadn’t realized he missed it from his old life. His parents may have been busy with Jessica, but they still loved for him. No matter how old he was, how old he tried to pretend be, Jayson knew empathy and camaraderie were what made them all the same.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Secrets

  Jayson followed Piper along the stone corridor, a weight lifted from his shoulders. The armory was not far from the Southern entrance where they had first arrived at Mount Kelsii, but it was still a trek from the Hall of Rashiri. When Jayson and Piper entered the armory, Jack, Leo and Dimitri had only just arrived.

  “Leo, my boy!” a voice called from across the room. They looked up to see Kylani wave to them from amongst a cluster of men. They donned both Kelsii soldier and Black Diamond armor. Leo beamed at the man. He hurried past the other soldiers. They glared at the group, and tried to seem intimidating as they practiced with their swords, throwing knives and arrows.

  “How are ya?” Leo asked, holding out his hand for Kylani. The man took Leo’s outstretched arm and squeezed it tightly at the elbow before gesturing back to the center of the ring the onlookers had made.

  “Fantastic, dear boy, fantastic! Brande is giving a lesson in hand to hand combat. Care to join us?”

  Street fighting wasn’t exactly something Leo had considered as a useful combatant skill. It didn’t seem quite as dignified somehow. He watched Brande flatten a Kelsii soldier to his back with a carefully placed foot and shoulder. Leo had to admit this rather roguish technique might indeed come in handy. The ring of bystanders clapped as Brande helped the solider to his feet. The soldier shook his head and rejoined his fellows, who slapped him hard on the back.

  “Leo!” Brande called when he noticed the boy beside his brother. “Care to help me with my next demonstration?”

  “Uh, I think I’ll pass,” said Leo. The crowd laughed, and Leo felt several hands pat his back in agreement with his decision.

  “A wise decision, my young friend,” said one of the Black Diamonds beside him. “Brande is one of our best fighters. His skills have helped us out of a number of scrapes for certain.”

  “Incidents that would have never occurred if you had not decided to break the law and kill our families,” said a cold voice behind the crowd. They turned to see a man who had stepped away from the nearby archery ring. He still held his bow and arrow at the ready, pointed at the floor.

  Kylani’s fists clenched, and his already dark skin grew flush with a sudden wave of anger. Brande moved quickly to stand beside his brother, and strategically placed his right foot between his brother’s feet, ready to hold him back if necessary.

  “We have all made mistakes we regret,” said Brande. “Wiser words have never been spoken from the lips of one so young.” He nodded toward Jack who blushed and looked at the floor. “Let us move forward civilly and help each other to defeat our common enemy. We can work out our differences another time.”

  “An enemy you were working with until it no longer suited your needs.” The man spat on the floor. “For some vagabond traitor illegally cavorting with the Queen, you throw your words out rather nicely. Or did she teach you those pretty phrases as she screamed your name in the filthy mines you call home?”

  There was less than a second of calm before chaos erupted in the room. Most of the soldiers had completely abandoned their weapons, coincidentally resorting to their fists instead. Dimitri pushed the boys back against the wall, and attempted to pull one of the soldiers off a Black Diamond who had been pinned to the floor. Even Piper looked lost in the sudden pandemonium. She watched as Dimitri received a nasty gash to his forehead. She wanted to run to him. She wanted to protect Jack, Leo and Jayson. She wanted to pull the soldiers apart and stop the madness.

  Brande was caught in a two on one fight, his assailants inching him back against the wall. He swung, and caught the first man on the wrist as he blocked the attack. The second Kelsii soldier took advantage of Brande’s distraction. He pulled a knife, and Leo’s heart hit his stomach. The boy felt a surge of energy rise within him. A sword that lay abandoned amongst the fallen soldiers leapt out of its scabbard and into his hand.

  “Brande!” Leo shouted and jumped forward into the fray. He knocked the knife from the man attacking Brande and stepped between them.

  “Leo!” Piper screamed, and bolted into the fight. A Black Diamond stumbled back to keep himself balanced in his fight. Piper was knocked to the floor, disappearing amongst the boots and armor of the soldiers.

  “Piper!” Jayson shouted. He lunged forward, but Jack held him back. “Dimitri!” he called, hoping the broad young man could push his way through in time to save Piper. Dimitri, however, was preoccupied. He fought a Black Diamond warrior with a two handed great sword. Jayson pushed past Jack and jumped into the mess of bodies in the last place he had seen Piper fall. He saw her, trying to stand. She pushe
d and kicked at the legs of those around her, Black Diamond and Kelsii soldier alike. Jayson grabbed her wrist and pulled her to her feet.

  “Let go of me!” she cried, not realizing who had come to her aid.

  “It’s me!” said Jayson, and he pushed her toward Jack before being enveloped by the crowd. Jack reached for Piper, and pulled her behind him. More and more of the fighters were finding weapons from their fallen comrades or along the walls in the weapons racks.

  “We have to stop this,” said Piper with a panicked whisper.

  Jack felt his stomach drop. He watched as Leo and Brande, were pushed back to back. They were completely surrounded, and a fallen Kylani lay unconscious at their feet. The visions of Jack’s father during his meditation rushed into focus in his mind. For the first time, the fear and anger he had bottled inside him collided with his new found strength.

  “STOP!” Jack screamed. His voice echoed off the stone walls and seemed somehow magnified. The entire room dropped their weapons, some falling to their knees, their hands clenched their over ears as the boy continued to scream. The air around Jack warped and moved, rippling like heat on stone. His friends looked on in fear, and Piper wondered if Duke Noraedin was not in Taraniz after all.

  Jack’s knees hit the hard stone floor, and he held his head in his hands. “Stop fighting!” The scream that had continued to reverberate throughout the room slowly faded. Jack fell forward onto his hands. He was out of breath, and his head spinning. Piper rushed to him, catching him just before he hit the floor unconscious.

  “He’s burning up,” she whispered as Dimitri, Leo and Jayson pushed their way through the crowd. Dimitri lifted Jack across his shoulder and headed for the door.