The Black Opal

by Linda Jordan

  He rode westward down the mountains. At the edge of the forest he ran into Ewan. Ewan had been out west on an errand for Roderick and was returning to Black Opal City. Ronan dismounted and stood, rubbing the horse’s neck. He asked his brother to take Pinecone back to the city, keeping only his light pack.

  “Are you sure you want to do this?” asked Ewan.

  “I must meet up with her. I would always regret it if I did not find out who she is and give her the help she needs.”

  “I will give father the news that you will continue to meet with the dragons. Be safe.”

  Ronan continued westward on foot leaving the road once Ewan rode out of sight. Stepping behind a tree, he leaned against a massive oak to gather strength from the land.

  Ronan felt his energy travel down into the roots of the tree and connect with the energy running through the soil. He bled off some of that power and filled his body with it. His senses became more vibrant. He listened and searched intently for anything nearby which did not belong in the forest. The Queen’s spies were out. He felt several of them on the forest road as those spirits searched for Aste and Mira. He undressed and stuffed his clothes in the pack, adjusting the straps to make them longer, then put the pack on.

  He went deep within and felt his body becoming fluid. His muscles grew longer and tighter as he adopted long legs for running and jumping, soft grey fur to keep out heat and cold, along with a short tail, sometimes used for communication. He stood upright, two heads taller than an average man, his long ears searched the forest for sounds and his eyes moved farther apart, able to see almost everything except directly behind his head. His sense of smell expanded until he caught the scent of people and horses miles away. His hands became thick and strong enough to kill a man easily with one blow, if he chose.

  Ecstasy ran through veins as his body and mind shifted. Ronan had forgotten how good magic could feel, he so rarely used this most innate skill anymore. It was simply too dangerous. He gained the abilities and speech patterns of a pooka. To a certain extent, even his mind became structured the way a pooka thought. This change would allow him and his backpack to easily become invisible, which he took advantage of immediately. He went back to the road and began to run, able to keep pace with a horse.

  After only an hour or two he sensed Mira, the child, Aste and the sister coming toward him. Moving off into the thickets to wait, he wanted time to think things out and understand why they traveled to the city. Heading straight toward danger.

  From around a curve in the road he saw Mira riding behind Aste. She carried the little boy in front of her. The sister rode in the rear. Something about her looked vacant and terribly wrong.

  Finally, he understood. She carried no soul. His mouth dropped open with horror. How could she have no soul?

  Aste glanced his way and Ronan knew she saw him, even though he stood invisible. He remembered the time she spent at court. She had been a very strong witch even then. He did not know, however, if she saw the pooka or the man or both.

  Mira looked so vibrant and alive, taking in the beauty of this world. He’d realized she held incredible power, but had no focus to her magic. She seemed scattered like leaves dancing in a wind storm. If Mira ever found that focus, she might be one of the most powerful magicians he’d ever seen.

  Ronan knew his magic was more subtle, he could make people believe his ideas were their own. Mira’s felt explosive; she could distract anyone from their purpose. They would make a good team, he thought. She exuded drama; he held secrets. Few people knew what his magic could do, he used it so rarely.

  Magic was not uncommon in his land, but only one in twenty people held power enough to do more than common things like low level glamours or fix broken shovels, shattered crockery or torn leather. Maybe one in a hundred had the power to affect living things, healing or harming. Only ten people he knew of had the amount of potency Mira and he carried. Aste existed on a much higher level. She could summon more power than anyone he ever met, yet her magic remained extraordinarily subtle.

  His main gift, which he tried to keep secret, was shape shifting. Even his father did not know. Shape shifters were mistrusted. If people realized he was a shape shifter, his ability to use that gift freely would be lessened.

  His brother knew, his friend Stephen knew and he suspected Aste knew from her time at court. Several of the pooka realized it as they taught him about their world. The Queen was too diminished to discover his secret, although she once held great power. The Sorcerer did not know, because when he had come to court Ronan stopped shape shifting. Ronan knew he had met his match. The Sorcerer would uncover him quickly and then he would never be free to use his talent again. So Ronan had publicly sent the pooka he had disguised himself as on, a life quest. Since then he relied on luck and connections to get his information.

  While following Mira’s party, he noticed a very interesting thing about the child. The boy was surrounded by faeries. Not always the same ones. They seemed to turn in and out in sets of three. Ronan had never seen anyone who attracted them like that. The faeries attraction to Aste seemed more formal. This young one would be a very interesting magician when he grew older. He wondered what form his magic would take. He was startled when the child looked straight at him, cried out “Harvey!” and laughed as if he had made a grand joke. He heard Aste laugh as well. Then the boy’s attention went back to the faeries.

  Ronan watched them stop to eat. Aste, Amanda and Dylan settled down on a log, but Mira wandered towards the stream that cut through the meadow. He stood at the edge of the trees, invisible and saw her speak to her horse. It was as if a burst of energy floated back and forth between the mare and Mira. Then the horse returned to grazing and Mira walked up to the stream.

  On impulse, he decided to show himself. He changed his fur so light could catch it and slowly became visible.

  Chapter 11 - Mira

  Mira stood in the meadow by the stream and trembled as the realization hit her again. She was stuck in this alien world. Plants ate birds and an evil Queen was out to kill her. She turned, moving back towards the others. The water burbled over rocks in the stream and the mossy, evergreens loomed above her almost like the forest she grew up in, but this was an altogether different place and she didn’t understand it.

  A forlorn voice behind her pleaded, “Please, could I have some of your food?”

  Mira jumped, nearly screaming. She turned to find a large, shadowy shape with long, half droopy ears and big brown eyes in front of her. She peered at Aste, who was engrossed with Dylan. Mira couldn’t easily catch her attention. Was this one of the Queen’s spies Aste worried about, or a being that simply lived here in the forest?

  “I did not mean to frighten you,” said the creature.

  “Who are you?” she asked, suspiciously.

  “Edward. What a silly thing to want to know.”

  “What are you?”

  “You do not know?” it asked amused.

  “If I knew I wouldn’t ask.”

  “Quite right. Answer my question first and I will tell you.”

  “Sure,” she said, handing over the last few bites of her sandwich.

  “Thank you. I am a pooka,” it stated, then vanished.

  She turned quickly, expecting to see the someone or something which frightened it away, but nothing was there. Confusion filled her and she returned quickly to the others.

  Amanda was in the middle of whining, “Why are we having this bread stuff all the time. Can’t we have some real...?”

  Mira interrupted, “Tell me about pookas,” she said to Aste.

  “Ah, so you met the one who has been following us?”

  “You knew about it?” she asked.

  “What did he say?”

  “He asked for some of my food.”

  “And did you give him any?” Aste asked, raising an eyebrow.

  “What is a pooka and what does it have to do with what I want?” yelled Amanda as she stood up, hands on her hip
s.

  “Keep your voice down, please,” said Aste, then looked at Mira.

  “Yes, I gave him the rest of my sandwich. Why?”

  “Good. Now he is in your debt and will help you. Pooka always return kindnesses. They also repay slights threefold,” said Aste.

  “So, if I’d refused, he would have been insulted?” she asked.

  “Possibly. But the important thing is your kindness to another being. Time to move on,” she said, looking around nervously.

  Amanda began another round of griping. Mira lifted Dylan in front of the saddle and clumsily swung back up onto the horse, her legs aching. She patted the mare on the neck and said, “I’ll have to think of a name for you,”

  The horse’s voice spoke in her head, “What makes you think I do not already have a name?”

  “You’re right, how rude of me. What is your name?”

  The mare tossed her head in reply and said, “I have many names, the one I like best is...,” no voice sounded in Mira’s head, but she saw a vision of shadows amongst tall trees in a deep forest.

  “Shadow, is that what you want me to call you?”

  “That is a good small part of my name.”

  They followed Aste down the trail. Mira looked off into the woods at the side of the trail. She saw no pooka, but a silvery gray wolf paced on top of a downed log, following them. She heard Amanda complaining to anyone who would listen about how sore she felt.

  It would be a long six days, Mira thought as she fretted about the pooka, the Queen and now wolves. What else did this world have in store for them?

  Chapter 12 - Nakia

  Queen Nakia sat in her council chambers. The small, windowless room with stone walls felt unjustly cold even during summer. She would have to see that tapestries were made for the walls. Smoothing her black, white and silver gown, she adjusted the rayed silver crown on her head. As she touched it the lumina stones set at the tips of each ray, glowed more brightly.

  “Your Highness,” said Gareth running a hand nervously through his greasy, graying blond hair. “The Karsa are withholding their taxes, claiming the gold veins they mine are dwindling. The Collector for the area believes they hide their profits.”

  Nakia tightened her fists around the paper she held. Why were the nobles rebelling against her when she had done so much for them? She glared down the table at her Councilors, and the Sorcerer, who sat at the opposite end. When had she stopped being able to read their faces? Could she trust any of them? Could she still trust her Sorcerer, especially with his recent failure? She felt anger rising back through her like a fanned flame.

  “How long has this been happening?” she asked, cooly.

  “Possibly for several turns. Although we cannot confirm that.”

  Dripping with sincerity, she asked, “What is your suggestion?”

  “I believe we should send in a couple of scouts to look around. Disguise them as men searching for work who become friends with everyone, find out what they can.”

  “That’s a very time consuming activity,” said Cameron, with the longest and grayest beard of her Council. “We already know the Rosans harbor rebels. I think we should call them out.”

  “No,” said Antonia, Nakia’s former history tutor. “We can learn more with subterfuge,” she said, pushing a single, silver hair back into her austere bun.

  Nakia closed her eyes and pretended to listen as they continued to disagree. She imagined various ways of torturing whoever annoyed her the most. Today it was Gareth. He would be required to bathe in water growing continually hotter until he was boiled alive. At least his hair would be clean then.

  As usual, nothing happened during their discussions, except stroking each other’s egos or enjoying their verbal battles. Although the meetings were a waste of time, it proved advantageous to give the illusion she shared her power.

  Still, maybe the Karsa were drawing closer to open rebellion. Others would be inspired by them. They must be put in their place, firmly and soon. With no martyrs for people to rally around.

  Her Sorcerer was another matter. She would have to think of a sufficient test for him to reclaim his worth. Perhaps something to do with Aste. That would be a challenge for him.

  “Enough,” she said rising. “I want three proposals written up and given to me this afternoon. I will read them and we will discuss this again tomorrow morning.” The proposals would keep them busy, but her decision was already made. She strode toward the door, all of them bumbling to stand.

  “Sorcerer,” She waved for him to follow and left the room, striding down the hallway to her private quarters, hearing his long velvet robes swishing behind her. She caught a glimpse of herself in a mirrored stone and pushed the black sheath covering her horn back into place. Upon entering a small sun room off the main corridor, she motioned for him to close the door.

  “Now, tell me what you have found out,” she said standing with her back to the windows that overlooked the river. The light of the Black Opal was reflected back at her from the mirrored stone that lined the room. Two small, purple couches sat in the opposite corner.

  “They escaped your fire,” he said.

  “I did not mean to kill them, merely to chase them out of hiding,” she said smiling.

  “Well, it worked, perfectly. They are traveling down the Forest Road toward Fire Pass.”

  “How many are there?”

  “Aste, the twins and the young child, all on horseback.”

  “Good,” she said, folding her hands together. “It is a pity we cannot take Aste’s soul. We will just have to kill her. First.” Nakia watched his face, but it looked emotionless. She knew it would be. He knew better than to show any sympathy for that one.

  Nakia adjusted the scarlet lacing on the front of her gown. “I want this done. I want it to look like an accident. I want no mistakes.”

  “I understand, my Queen.”

  “Good,” she said. “There is time. We will allow the twins and the child to come here and beg for the return of the soul and then we will take all their souls.”

  “The young child’s as well, your majesty?” he asked, twisting his robes in one hand.

  “Why not?”

  “We do not need his soul.”

  “Well, then we will just kill him as well. Or perhaps I shall keep him as a pet,” she said, waving her hand because the matter was of no consequence.

  “I think he would be a very dangerous pet, my Queen.

  She looked at him. “How can a child that young be dangerous? Surely he holds no power yet?”

  “He is an outlander. He will have witnessed murder and my spies tell me he does hold a respectable amount of skill already.”

  “Is he a threat to you, my Sorcerer?” She arched an eyebrow in amusement.

  “No, my Queen. I fear if he is allowed to grow, he would become a threat to you.”

  So that was it. How did such a frightened man gather the power he contained? Perhaps, he used the fear as a veil to hide how massive his capability had grown. She would find out. “The child may be a useful tool.”

  “Perhaps, but more likely a problem.”

  “Well, we will see. First, Aste must die. Soon. Do you have a plan?”

  “Yes, I do. And I have just the person to send,” he said, smiling slyly.

  “Good, tell me when it is done.”

  The Sorcerer cleared his throat and continued, “My Queen, I must tell you once again, what you want is not safe.”

  “I do not want to be safe,” she said, firmly.

  “To insert two souls in your body may take your life,” he said.

  Nakia saw the seemingly sincere concern on his face but brushed it aside, turning her back to him. “But it also may not. I cannot hold this land with the first soul. We already discussed this.”

  “Please, just use the second girl’s soul. It was the original plan. No one living has ever taken another’s soul into their body. All we have is the one written account. I am still unsure about
trying to take one soul, attempting two is...,” he stammered.

  Nakia watched him search for a polite word. She felt no patience for this discussion again. “No, I must have them both to overcome this. My instincts tell me this is right. I have always trusted them before and they have never failed me.” She turned to face him. “If I am unable to rule because the soul I chose was too weak or if I die from assimilating two souls, the result will be the same. This land will be thrown into chaos as the scavengers fight to see who will be presented to the Opal as the next ruler. I will have them both, and the Black Opal will accept the two twin’s souls as one. I will continue to rule,” she said, clenching her fists.

  Nakia saw the dismayed look on his face, mingled with pity. She released him with a wave. How dare he feel sympathy for her. She turned back to the window and looked out at the gleaming city, her gardens split by the River Angouleme and the Inland Sea beyond.

  She felt excited. Soon she would have two new souls. Then she would be powerful enough to devastate anyone who dare oppose her, openly or secretly. This world would learn she would never lose her power.

  Chapter 13 - Mira

  By late afternoon they were deep in the forest. Mira didn’t like the idea of spending the night there. Feeling tense and anxious, she startled at the sound of birds squawking or trees creaking. Her uneasiness spread to the mare. Shadow began to shy at leaves flapping in the breeze.

  Aste was right. This land lived in a way her world did not.

  The trees talked to each other. Leaves rustled, branches creaked and smacked together in a pattern she couldn’t grasp. She guessed the four humans were a major topic of conversation. Something green, small and hairy with a tail five times its body length, wailed as they passed beneath it, chasing them by jumping from tree to tree.

  She could hear the stream burble, it sounded like words. The earth beneath her made low rumbling noises that broadcast secrets below her hearing range.