Chartile: Prophecy

by Cassandra Morgan

  “What has happened?” he asked desperately, his voice no longer gruff.

  “Do not play with me!” shouted Dimitri.

  “Dimitri, I believe he was under some… influence—”

  “Silence!” Dimitri cut Valin short. The knife began to redden with heat, and the man screamed in pain. “Where is she?” Dimitri demanded once more.

  “I know not! I know not!” said the guard. “Please! I did not intend – she has us all!”

  “What do you mean?” Valin asked more kindly.

  “No! No coddling!” Dimitri screamed, and the man fought to remain still against the pain of the burning blade at his throat.

  “I swear, I do not know where she is!” he said.

  “Then you are of no use to me.” Dimitri kicked the man in his stomach. The guard stared up at his captor and watched as Dimitri reached a hand toward his chest, the air in front of his palm moving like heat on stone. The guard clasped his hands to his throat, gasping for air.

  “Dimitri, stop!” Valin shrieked. Dimitri glared at him then released the guard from his torture.

  “Tell me where Taraniz is,” he said again

  The man gasped for breath and tried to sit up. Dimitri slammed his boot into his chest, pinning him to the floor.

  “The throne room!” he cried in desperation.

  Dimitri smirked. “You lie,” he whispered and, without hesitation, sliced the man across his throat.

  Valin pushed Dimitri away. He did not care if the half-dwarf barbarian used his magic on him. He was stunned at what he had just witnessed and terrified for Piper.

  “You did not have to kill him!” Valin cried. He knelt beside the guard, a single tear trickling down his face, and he pressed the guard’s gambeson to his bleeding throat.

  “We cannot risk him informing someone we were here,” said Dimitri, wiping the man’s blood from his knife onto his own pant leg.

  Valin watched as the man gave one last gurgling breath, then rose and pointed his sword at Dimitri. “You are nothing more than an outlaw,” he spat. “Only the Destined may use magic. You have killed an innocent man with it! This is why it was forbidden in the first place!”

  Dimitri calmly pushed Valin’s sword tip to the side and took a step toward him. His eyes raged with panic and fear, though his face and voice remained calm.

  “Perhaps you should reconsider whom you are placing on the throne, then.” He turned and walked away, continuing his quest to find Piper.

  Valin hurried after him, still attempting to find a promising room in which to locate Duke Noraedin’s circlet. They passed hall after hall. The carved tree pillars growing thicker around as they walked deeper into the heart of the palace. Valin no longer tried to check for passersby as Dimitri was now leading the way.

  A breeze moved through the passage way, though no open windows were anywhere near them. Dimitri stopped and turned to face the wind. Valin nearly ran into him. He looked around franticly, trying to see what had made Dimitri halt.

  “Dimitri,” said Piper’s voice in his mind. “I’m in the tower… the library… Dimitri…”

  The voice trailed off to a whisper. Dimitri turned on the spot, looking at the ceiling and walls like a cat hunting a fly.

  “What is it?” Valin asked. He feared more magic was afoot, and knew it could only mean trouble.

  “Dimitri, help me,” whispered the voice in his mind again.

  Dimitri took off, running full out, back up the corridor the way they had come. Valin called after him, but to no avail. Torn between letting this love-crazed young man eventually kill himself with his dark magic, and attempting to stay together for Piper’s sake, Valin ran after Dimitri, his foot falls echoing loudly in the grand halls of the palace.

  They skidded around the corner into the noble’s wing minutes later. Valin stopped when he saw the body of the soldier, and the pool of blood that had begun to solidify around the man Jayson had killed. Fear filled his heart for the safety of the returned kings, and, ignoring Dimitri, he flew past the man into the library.

  Dimitri rattled every door in the hall. He used his magic to move the mechanisms of the locks for some of the more promising looking doors, but they only opened into small living chambers for the visiting nobility.

  The last door at the end of the hall caught his eye. It stood open by several inches. He raced for it, wrenching it open, and leapt up the stone steps to the tower above. The door at the top was open. The broken mirror of the dressing table was the first thing he saw as he approached the door. His heart began to race faster, and he felt his stomach drop.

  “Dimitri!” called a voice, and this time he heard it aloud.

  “Piper!” he called back, racing into the room. Piper was chained to a dusty four poster bed. She struggled against her bonds, but her face brightened when she saw him. “I’m here. I’m here,” Dimitri said and ran to her.

  “I did not know if it would work! Oh, Dimitri! I’m sorry. Forgive me! I love you!” she said, and tears ran down her face. “Taraniz. She used her magic to hold me here. But… She is over taken. She is not evil, Dimitri! We have to save her!”

  Dimitri reached out with his magic, but pulled back almost immediately. There was an unfamiliar magic in these bonds for certain, and it pained him from the inside out. Bracing himself, he reached for the magic, willing it to take refuge in his body. When he felt the last of the energy drain from the chains, he forced it toward the ground, and one of the stones broke into tiny fragments at his feet. His face was beaded with sweat. He turned back to the chains, his hands now shaking from the residual pain still coursing through him. The metal shackles around Piper’s wrists began to bend and morph. She gasped as the metal dug into her wrists.

  “Hold on,” Dimitri whispered to her and the cuffs broke free.

  Piper sat up and wrapped her arms around Dimitri’s neck, kissing him fiercely.

  “I’m sorry I left. It was always you. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” she said through her kisses.

  Dimitri held her close, the warmth of her body was the most comforting thing to him. He kissed the top of her head then suddenly held her at arm’s length.

  “What do you mean Taraniz is over taken?”

  “Noraedin,” she said. “It is as we feared. She cannot control him. But it is not her fault! Dimitri, he has her now. She is not herself.”

  “Piper, where did she go?”

  Piper looked at the door and her body went numb. The color drained from her face as realization swept over her.

  “The boys,” she whispered, and leapt from the bed.

  

  Jack and Leo walked as quietly as they could, one on either side of Jayson. They had already been attacked by two more groups of palace guards and were glad for their magical training as Jayson was now unable to fight. He crouched on the ground, holding his head between his knees as his friends formed a protective circle around him.

  They wandered the empty corridors, weapons at the ready for another attack.

  “She has to know we’re here,” said Jack. “That has to be why the guards have started coming after us.”

  “I think you’re right,” said Leo. “We need to find Piper. I think it has to be the four of us together.”

  “Yeah,” said Jayson. His voice was dry and shaky, but it was the first time he had spoken since the incident. They stopped, and looked at him with concern.

  “You okay, Jay?” Jack asked.

  Jayson nodded. “As much as I’m gunna be. It’s like, I knew it was going happen. Or maybe it happened because I tried to make it so it didn’t happen. I don’t know. But, we have to finish what we came here to do, right? Maybe after this is all over, I can find his family and give them money or something.”

  Leo and Jack smiled weakly at him. Jack pulled him into an awkward hug, but Jayson returned it gratefully. Leo handed Jayson his bow that he had dropped several corridors back, and Jack handed him his quiver. They turned to continue on, when a blast of ener
gy knocked them from their feet and sent them flying through the air.

  They slammed into the far wall, and the room spun before their eyes. They hurried to their feet, holding their heads and steadying themselves against the wall.

  Walking slowly and determinedly toward them was a tall, young woman. Her blonde hair hung loose to her shoulders, and the air around her quivered with a strange energy.

  “You should not have come back,” she said. “You should not have been able to come back. I bound your souls in unbreakable ties!”

  The boys fell to their knees, and memories that were not their own flashed through their minds. As the images raced before their mind’s eye, Jack, Leo and Jayson felt a sense of calm and understanding come over them. The memories were theirs, but from another life. They stood as one, missing pieces from their training and past lives making everything clearer.

  “Your unbreakable ties only work in this world, Noraedin,” said Leo, but his voice was deeper and more commanding. “You know magic extends past the limits of time and space.”

  “He won’t listen, Florine,” said Jayson beside him. But he was not only Jayson Hill. He was King Jenemar from the far western reaches of the Belirian Forest. “He has never listened.”

  “Noraedin,” said Jack, and his voice too was different. He spoke calmly, and stepped toward Taraniz with his arms open wide. “We can discuss this civilly. You are killing that young girl. This is not our time anymore.”

  Taraniz raised her hand, and Jack was forced back against the wall again. Leo and Jayson ran to his side.

  “Enough of your pretty words, Kasmalin! It was all you were ever good for! Chartile is finally mine, and you will not take it from me again!”

  Leo and Jayson reacted out of instinct. Somehow, the souls of Kings Florine and Jenemar used the boys to create a barrier between themselves and Taraniz. It was just in time. A streak of blue lightning slammed against the barrier, and they could feel the tingle of the electricity through the air. Jack pulled magic from deep within his core, and released a fire ball that passed through the barrier, aimed for Taraniz.

  The girl was too fast. She caught the ball, and seemed to absorb it into her chest, laughing as it disappeared.

  “Have you learned nothing, little boys?” she sneered, and laughed maniacally. “You cannot defeat me! I am more powerful than you will ever be!”

  One of Jayson’s arrows flew through the air and pierced Taraniz through to her heart. Though it had not been Jayson nor Jenemar who had released it. Another, and another was loosed, and they imbedded themselves deep into Taraniz’s body. They turned to see Valin, who had found Jayson’s bow and quiver as it was lost when they were first knocked back.

  “Perhaps not with magic, but the body of the girl you have controlled can still be killed.” Valin loosed Jayson’s last arrow into Taraniz’s heart. The blast of energy was deafening. Everyone clasped their hands to their ears, and ducked as the arrows once buried in the princess now flew through the air.

  “Valin! NO!” Piper and Dimitri emerged from another corridor. Piper ran to Taraniz, and she fell into her arms. Dimitri ran to Valin, holding him back from interfering.

  “Ani, no, no,” Piper sobbed. “I’ll save you. I promise.”

  She raised a trembling hand toward the wound above her sister’s heart. Taraniz grabbed Piper’s hand, her fingers barely holding on.

  “Just let me go,” she whispered. “I do not want to hurt anymore. He cannot hurt you if I am gone.”

  “No,” said Piper defiantly, though her voice shook through her tears. “No, I will not let you go, not when we have only just begun. I cannot be a queen without you. I don’t know what to do. You cannot leave me like our mother left us.”

  Taraniz coughed, and a trickle of blood formed at the corner of her mouth. She smiled at Piper and placed a loving hand on her cheek. Piper kissed it and cried. The boys, Dimitri and Valin approached the pair slowly and knelt before the princess. Jayson placed a hand on Piper’s knee in comfort, and Jack rested his hand on her shoulder.

  “I believe in you,” Taraniz whispered more weakly now. “Knowing you believed enough in me to try and save me is more than I could have asked. I am at peace. Now, I must face the judgments and punishments of my actions. I love you, dear sister.”

  She turned to the boys, her eyes fluttering to stay open. Faintly, her voice nearly inaudible, she whispered, “Take care of her.” Taraniz’s eyes closed, and she breathed her last breath.

  Piper pulled Taraniz close to her and sobbed, her tears falling into her sister’s hair. Dimitri hugged Piper, and Leo also laid a hand on her back.

  A black shadow which none of them had noticed grew and expanded on the ceiling overhead. Valin looked up, his eyes widening at the sight. The shadow morphed and moved, collecting itself into a solid form and hovered inches above the floor.

  “It’s not over,” Valin said quietly. They turned, their bodies stiffening at the sight of the figure. Jayson, Jack, Leo and Dimitri rose to form a protective circle around Piper. Piper pushed her way through and sent a streak of lighting at the shadow. It bent and twisted as if in pain, and formed itself again into a less identifiable form.

  “That was for my sister!” she screamed, and tried to send another lighting strike at the figure. Valin stopped her as they watched the shadow grow blacker before their eyes.

  “I require a new vessel,” it hissed. Its voice echoed into the far corners of their minds, and they all fought not to clamp their hands to their ears in agony. “You will do nicely.” Though it did not have eyes, they all knew it looked at Piper.

  “You will have to get past me first!” said Valin. He rushed forward and raised his sword at the figure in challenge.

  “Valin, no!” said Piper and Dimitri together. The figure laughed though it sounded more like the creak of an old door. It extended its shadowy form out, wrapping its blackness around Valin’s throat and lifted him from the floor. It threw him against the far wall, where he slumped to the floor unconscious.

  “No!” cried Piper, and her mind became flooded with visions and memories that belonged to King Pasalphathe. She flung her arms out to steady herself, and felt a warm hand in hers. It was Jayson. Leo’s hand found its way to her other hand and squeezed it tightly. Jack grabbed Jayson’s hand, and they erected the barrier again.

  “He is stronger than all of us, Pasalphathe,” said Leo in Florine’s voice.

  “His energy must be dispelled in a way that it cannot reform,” said Jayson as Jenemar.

  “The circlet may be our only chance. It is made of orenite and holds the Draconian runes.” King Kasmalin spoke through Jack.

  As the kings continued their discussion, Dimitri reached into his pocket and pulled out his orenite cuffs. Piper saw him, and broke free of her friends. The barrier flickered but stayed intact. She rushed to Dimitri’s side, yanking the cuffs from his hands.

  “No,” she said desperately, shaking her head. “I just lost my sister, I’m not losing you too!”

  Dimitri pulled her to him, kissing her fiercely, and gently pried the cuffs from her hands. She pulled away and clawed at the air in an attempt to retrieve the cuffs.

  “This evil has plagued us all for too long. I wish only to see you happy.” he whispered and slipped the cuffs onto his wrists.

  “Dimitri, we will think of another way,” said Kasmalin’s voice.

  “Don’t you make me cry again,” said Piper through her tears. “You cannot leave me! Everyone has left me!”

  “We do not know where the circlet is,” said Dimitri. “We will never find it in time, and he may kill all of us before we even do.”

  “Then let me do it,” said Piper, pulling at Dimitri’s hands, a desperation he had never heard straining her voice. “If someone is going to do this, it should be me. The boys can rule the elves. Please. Please, don’t do this to me!”

  “I love you more than you could ever know,” said Dimitri, and he stepped through the barrier. “I tho
ught you might be tired of being in the body of a little girl,” he said mockingly to the shadow before him. “Care to try some power on for size?”

  The shadow laughed again and charged at Dimitri. Jayson, Jack and Leo held Piper back as they watched the shadow bore its way into Dimitri’s chest. His scream cut through their hearts, and they watched him fall to his knees, clutching at his head as he fought with the soul struggling to take over inside him. His orenite cuffs began to spark, and his body jerked from side to side. He stood, turning to face his friends. He controlled the grimace on his face, and for a fleeting moment, he was at peace. He locked eyes with Piper, and she broke free of Jayson and Leo. The barrier collapsed as she ran to him. Dimitri convulsed violently, blood oozing from his face and ears. Piper cried and tried to hold him, her gaze locked with his. The last thing she wanted him to see was how much she loved him.

  Dimitri lurched backward. The orenite cuffs sparked violently, and black dust burst from his mouth. Piper flung herself on him. “Dimitri! Dimitri! Wake up, please. Please.”

  Leo, Jack and Jayson ran to her, the will of the kings within them subsiding. They dropped to their knees beside their friend and mentor, tears in all their eyes. Valin, nearly forgotten in the heat of the battle, stirred on the floor by the wall. He pushed himself to his hands and knees, shaking and holding his head. He looked up, his eyes focusing on the body some feet away from him. His heart sank, and he hurried to Dimitri as quickly as he could.

  “What happened?” he asked. His words were slightly slurred.

  “He sacrificed himself,” said Leo, tears in his eyes. He removed his glasses and let them fall to his chest on their string.

  “How? Why?” Valin dropped to his knees. He touched the cuffs around Dimitri’s wrists. They were hot, and he saw burn marks on the skin beneath them.

  “He used his orenite cuffs to defeat Noraedin,” said Jack softly.