The Inheritance

by D Michele Robbearts

  Nimue sat quietly for a moment, she had to digest everything she just had learned. Teharessa waited for her to reply. She knew it was a lot to take in. She was so hurt by Ahmar’s betrayal it still stung her pride. He had humiliated her in front of her people. He would not get away with it if it was the last thing she did. He would pay for his actions. Because she had loved him, she might have forgiven his just leaving her. The fact that he left her to be with that witch Morgaine was bad enough. But what was unforgivable was that they had plotted to steal her only child to use for an evil spell.

  When that didn’t work, they had stolen a mortal child. The fact that Ahmar would kill his own child for evil purposes proved he was dark. Even with him being half-light his true self was embraced by him. He made his choice to be evil. He would die for what he tried to do to her son. Nothing on the Earth was more precious to her than her son. For him, she would do anything.

  Nimue could still feel the worry coming from Teharessa. She had to tell the Queen her plans. Maybe that would help ease her concern over the current situation. They were now going to have to work together for their people.

  The world as they knew it was in jeopardy of being destroyed. “Teharessa, I’m sorry that you were betrayed. I have seen the coming war now that Morgaine is fully dark. I saw the darkness in her as a student. I foolishly thought her love for another of my students could overcome that dark within her. She is power hungry and has the potential to be so strong that it will take more than just one of us to defeat her. Now you tell me she has the power of Ahmar behind her.

  I have a plan to fight this dark army. We have to assemble an army of light beings that can fight dark magic with light. I have in my possession the Mystic Talismans. I cannot keep them all together. If something was to happen to me and they fall into Morgaine’s hands, the results would be horrific. The wrong hands… well, you can imagine. May the Gods have mercy on us then!” Nimue felt the enormity of the task before them. She knew they were in for a hard battle.

  “I want us to work together. I will find magic born guardians for the talismans. We will all make a pact to stand together to defeat the dark army. When it is over each will keep watch over the talismans and pass it through our bloodlines. In doing so, it should prevent them from falling into the wrong hands. We will seek to protect all our lands and stamp out this evil. It is the only way we will defeat them.

  Already I have seen the havoc Morgaine and her allies have committed. We cannot let them continue to spread their evil. Queen Teharessa thought the plan was a good one. While she now hated Ahmar with the passion she had once loved him, she had an obligation to protect her people. In her blindness and weakness from loving the wrong person, she had almost lost her son and her kingdom.

  Jahann would one day rule her kingdom. She had to destroy Ahmar before anyone found out about his bloodline. She would protect her child at all cost. Jahann was a pureblood as far as anyone knew and that was the end of it. Teharessa would tie up loose ends and this would never be spoken of again. Nimue's plan was sound. She would be her ally because it serves her purpose and would not have the responsibility alone in this endeavor. If they failed, she would not be solely to blame either.

  The more she thought about it, the more she liked the plan. “Nimue I agree with you; your plan is a good one. I will be your ally. My people will be safe if we defeat this army. I will go back home to make ready. We will have my warriors as well to help in this fight. Might I suggest, that you pick magic born from each race to be guardians?

  We will need to meet up to plan and make the blood pact. That way none of us can betray each other. I have had enough betrayal from someone close. I do not want any more from those I fight with. Pick guardians that are worthy and pure of heart. Evil cannot enter a pure heart.”

  Nimue thought was the wisest thing she heard in a long time. “I will take your advice and pick only those worthy and pure. You can count on it. We can’t afford another betrayal. I will send you word once they have been chosen. We will meet here. Between you and I, we can cloak our magic and the talisman enough to perform the blood pact and invoke the powers of the talisman. We then can bind them to the guardians.”

  Teharessa stood up and said her goodbye to her host. She left the way she came, not bothering to walk to the shores and take a boat. She used her magic, thinking of her home and transported herself in an instant. She appeared in her throne room. Her servants bowed as she took a seat on her throne. Teharessa felt the worry lessen. It was a welcome feeling. Since this fiasco started all she felt was guilt, shame, embarrassment and betrayal were left from once had been love.

  They still had a huge fight ahead of them. But hopefully, they would defeat Morgaine and Ahmar with all the combined powers. She now knew why the Primal Gods had divided up power at the beginning of time. Power corrupted and it was not meant for one person or people to have it all. Even the Primal Gods were not just one in number. Check and balances. The very fabric of all life depended on it.

  CHAPTER 7

  As soon as Queen Teharessa left, Nimue went to her potion room. It was her favorite place to go when she needed to think. The walls lined with bookcases were filled with every type of magical book written. She loved her books and the smell of the pages within the books. Knowledge was vital in being successful in the craft. That and one’s relationship with the Goddess. The magic flowed through the witch and depending on what type of soul a witch had was the type of magic called to them. If you had a pure heart and soul, you would lean towards light magic. If you had a dark soul or heart, you leaned towards the dark arts.

  The witch that was in between had the potential to be either dark or light. This witch usually had a natural gift in magic. Because they shared both the light and dark. It was the balance that kept those in check. Even the slightest misstep could make them go wrong though.

  Those individuals had to be the strongest in their efforts to control themselves. That is where proper training came into play along with choice. It is why families sent their young ones to train early. Why Nimue had tried to help Morgaine. It didn’t help because Morgaine had a darkness in her from the start and she did not want to be saved from the dark.

  Nimue had been entrusted with the Mystic Talismans when she became The Lady of the Lake. The Lady that came before her had the duty once. It was part of the legacy of being The Lady of the Lake. In the end, she knew she had to split up the talismans. It was a dangerous time for the magic world. Nimue had taken a vow to protect the talisman, to do what was best for them. She would do this to the best of her ability even if that meant separating them. They were magical objects of great importance and meant for the use in light magic. No way was she going to let them fall into the hands of dark magic.

  Nimue sat in her room and looked around at the books. She tried to think of anything that might be useful in their fight. Those books contained all the myths and legends of magic. They contain potions and spells to combat all manner of situations. She would look in the morning, she was tired and needed a clear mind to focus.

  Magic was a craft that needed complete focus to harness the magic and imbue the spell. She looked down and saw her grimoire. She closed the book, putting it in the secret hidden spot behind the wall, needing to safeguard it better now. She usually just shut the door and placed a locking spell to prevent anyone from seeing her book. It was getting late and the stress of the day had taken a toll on her already. Sleep was what she needed.

  Nimue went to her rooms and got ready for bed noticing a chill in the air, a thick mist that was lingered around the island tonight. She had called upon the mist and rain to protect the isle. She had also cast a spell that made anyone or anything meaning harm to become befuddled if they got to close to the isle. The spell would make them feel anxious and feel the need to leave. The extra precaution was in place, evil was afoot, and Nimue felt it in her bones.

  Once she finished the extra protection spell, she made ready for bed. Nimue sat at the edge of he
r bed and waved her hand gently, “Fire come to me so I can light a fire for warmth, hear my call.…. She felt the warmth start at her fingertips, the fire element had heard her call. She blew softly across her palm and pointed her palm in the direction of the fireplace. Fire shot from her fingertips out towards the fireplace. The fire lit fast causing it to give the room a soft glow. There was warmth now and the heat made Nimue’s eyes heavy with weariness.

  As her head hit the pillow, she called on the goddess to aid her with sight and to show her who to pick as guardians and what she needed to do. The world was at stake. She asked the goddess to give her a sign and thanked her for any help given. Her last thought was how lucky she was to be in the service of the Mother Goddess as she drifted off into a deep sleep. She gave her a sense of purpose and always soothed her mind when she stressed about her responsibilities. “Blessed be.”

  The Goddess had indeed sent her a dream and showed her who to choose and what she needed to do. How to bind the magic to the guardians. She had sent peaceful sleep to Nimue. And when she woke in the morning, she would feel better because all of her questions would be answered. The Goddess showed favor to Nimue. Out of all her priestesses, Nimue was one of her favorites. She knew what her priestess was up against and she had helped her because the world could not end in this manner. Evil could not be allowed to win, checks and balances needed to be kept. Evil would always be a part of this world and good would always be there to counter it. The Primal Gods had made sure of that.

  She woke to the sound of knocking on her door. Getting up she got to the door and cracked it open. She peered out of the door wiping the sleep from her eyes. Merlin was in the hallway pacing back and forth like clearly something was on his mind. “Merlin, what has happened? Why are you knocking on my door?” Merlin stopped pacing, turning to face her, he spoke, “Sorry, I heard that you had an important visitor yesterday. I came to see if you had any news on Morgaine.”

  Nimue knew he was still upset about Morgaine. He was keeping to himself and dealing with the conflict emotions that he was having regarding Morgaine. “Let me get dressed, I'll meet you in the great hall momentarily.” Merlin nodded his head and made his way to the great room.

  Nimue got ready for the day. She entered the great hall just as Merlin had finished his ale. He stood up as she entered and said, “I’m sorry to have woke you. I was impatient in wanting news and I should have waited for you to tell me on your own.” Nimue smiled. This is why she like Merlin, he was thoughtful and he admitted his faults. He took responsibilities seriously. He was a good servant of the Goddess. He was blessed in his magic by the Goddess because he was worthy.

  “Please sit Merlin, I have a lot to tell you and we have plans to make. I did have a visitor yesterday. Queen Teharessa came to call. She more or less confirmed what we have been thinking. Morgaine is dark now and has a dark warlock as her ally.” Merlin felt a stab of jealousy at the mention of the dark warlock. He was coming to terms with the loss of Morgaine. To hear that she had a male ally made him feel jealous and mad.

  Nimue saw his face and felt the jealousy coming from him. She felt sad for him saying, “Merlin, we do not know if they are romantically involved. Relax and calm down.” She recounted the tale the queen had told her minus the part of her son’s bloodline. That was not her secret to tell. Merlin listened and took it all in. He had a quick wit and he knew the plan was a good one.

  If what the queen said was the truth, then they would need to be a team. Working together better the odds for success. He hoped that the rumors of Morgaine and her But in his heart, he knew that Morgaine was set on her path and that unless she was stopped the world would suffer. Hoping that when the time came, he was strong enough to do what he must do. He had to be strong enough.

  CHAPTER 8

  Nimue had to send for the guardians she would send trustworthy messengers. They had to be fast and able to protect the messages. That is why she had not sent ravens. She didn’t want the messages to fall into the wrong hands. They all needed to convey and take possession of the talismans. They would all perform the binding ritual and make the blood pact. The pact would include an agreement to aid in the war against the dark army. As long as they stood together, darkness could be defeated. The messengers were sent out with strict instructions.

  Nimue had time to now get the keep ready for visitors. The guardians were on their way. She had seen who they were in her vision and knew once summoned they would come. And once they were told of the plight of the magic world, they would not turn their backs on the world. They were each in their own way worthy of the talismans. Each had a pure heart, each practiced light magic. With the combined magic of the group, evil would have a hard time in its bid to claim this world.

  While they waited for the guardians, Merlin practiced his magic. He read from the books in the library. The need to stay busy consumed him. It was how he dealt with the pain of loss. He was working on recording his spells and knowledge into his grimoire. He had made a beautiful cover for his book made of soft black leather. He decided to represent all of the elements on the front cover. He wanted to carve a design onto the cover. It would help keep him busy and keep his mind on something other than the coming war.

  Merlin was just finishing up a carving of a water drop on his cover when the first guardian showed up to the keep. He knew that Nimue would wait for them all to get to Avalon before giving out the talismans. The guardians would all be there shortly. Knowing time was of the essence and they would not keep Nimue waiting. Merlin went to his rooms to refresh himself. Dinner would be served soon. Then he would get a chance to meet whoever had arrived at Avalon.

  Nimue already had the talismans ready. She decided to wait until all the guardians were there. She would them give them to their new owners. She would give only Merlin his in private. The rest she would give at the same time. She wanted Merlin to have his first, he needed to be singled out. If anything happened to her, it would fall to him to be the leader of the light army and of the guardians. That would be stressed upon him at the time he was given his talisman.

  Nimue was notified that all of the guardians were finally there. They would all take dinner and be introduced. Then she would give them leave to rest. Tomorrow they would be given their talismans and they would all perform the binding ritual and make the pact to stand together when evil needed to be stamped out. Granted there would always be evil, but if it ever got to the point of world domination they would assemble. Teharessa was sent word of the gathering as well. She needed to be in attendance.

  CHAPTER 9

  The great hall of the keep was where dinner was served. The long tables were filled with bowls of bread, cheese, roasted meats, fish, and apples. There were pitchers full of ale, wine, and mead. The Lady of the Lake set a grand table for her guest. Merlin came down to dinner eager to see who the lady had summoned. He was the only one of them that knew of the war coming. He would keep the knowledge to himself, Nimue would tell them soon enough.

  As soon as he walked into the room, all eyes turned to watch him enter. The only person he recognized was Melusine. She was also training in Avalon with him. She was part water spirit. She could walk on land, but she was at home in the waters of rivers and lakes. She had power over water. He liked her because she was good-hearted, and she was strong in her water magic. Besides her, there were three others.

  It looked as if he would be the only male among them. All the women were beautiful in their own way. They gave off the light that was within them. They each shone with a radiance that was easy to see if only one looked. “Good eve ladies, I hope I did not keep you waiting. I don’t see The Lady here yet.”

  He took his seat and waited for Nimue to enter and make the introductions. She walked into the great hall right after he sat down. Seeing her, he instantly stood and bowed to her. “My lady… I hope you are well. We were waiting for you to make the introductions.” Nimue glanced around at the group and saw that only one person was missing. Teharessa would
be there the next day. Then all would be present for the ritual. “Everyone, please sit, I know you must be weary from your journeys.

  I will make introductions, then please eat and refresh yourself. I recommend you seek your beds after dinner. Tomorrow we will meet, and I will confide in you why I’ve asked you here.” Everyone took their seats and looked at her expectantly.

  Gesturing towards Merlin, she said, “This is Merlin he is training on Avalon. He has almost completed his training and he is a skillful wizard. Melusine pointing to her left is also here for training on Avalon. She is from the West; her powers are gifted in her ability to control water. Melusine inclined her head to acknowledge everyone. This is Derryth, she is a gifted witch from the North, her powers are linked to the Earth. Next is Aine, she is part Sylph. She comes to us from the East, her magic is linked to Air. Last but not least is Fiona, she is from the South, her powers are linked to the element of fire. Each of you here is gifted with magic. I asked you here for a purpose. Tomorrow you will learn of it. Let us eat now and after get some rest.”

  All the guest looked at each other and nodding to one another to give them each their respect and in greeting. Nimue was the first to pour herself some wine. After that everyone started to help themselves to the food.

  While that was going on each person there wondered why exactly they were called upon by the lady. It was a great honor to be given an audience with her and they wondered why they were called. They also wondered why the others were called as well. They would know soon enough. For now, they all ate their fill they were tired from the long trips from their homes. Food and rest would ease their worry.