Chartile: Prophecy (24 page)

This took even longer than the previous
exercise. The rain from the night before had made everything around
them wet, and it was difficult to separate the vapor in the sky
from what surrounded them. Once they had all lifted a hand, Dimitri
smiled.

“
Now, bring those energies
together, and bring them toward you.”

This was not as easy as it sounded. But
slowly the sky grew darker, and tiny droplets of water landed
around them. Dimitri eyed Piper with a mischievous grin. She sat
deep in concentration, her lips slightly parted. His smile deepened
as the sky completely opened up. In a matter of moments, they were
drenched. Leo, Jayson, Jack and Piper scrambled to their feet and
attempted to take shelter under the nearby trees as Dimitri
continued to laugh beneath the pouring rain.

By the end of the day, they had gotten wet
at least twice more with falling snow and thick, gray fog before
drying out beneath the scorching sun. They were exhausted, but the
elation the boys felt was hardly containable. They had used magic.
They fell into their beds that night with smiles that did not fade
even as they drifted into sleep.

The next day was bright and luckily dry.
Their magic lesson had not affected the normal weather patterns of
the mountains too greatly. Dimitri was glad for he wished to begin
teaching the boys to work with fire. He was awed at their ability
to grasp the laws and concepts of magic so quickly. It had taken
him months of practice to learn what they had in a single day. As
they stood before him again, Dimitri stifled his excitement. He had
never given much credence to the so called prophecies of Chartile.
It wasn’t that he disbelieved so much as it didn’t play a part in
his life. The prospect of being the one to teach the returned kings
did not sit with him as a burden or weight. It was unreservedly
exciting.

They began the morning with their usual
fighting drills. Leo refused to let them become rusty. “We’ve been
using weapons longer than we’ve been using magic. If we really need
to defend ourselves, well, I think fighting will be more
instinctual, ya know?”

As the morning wore on, the monotony of the
drills they performed every day passed by in a blur. By mid-morning
Dimitri was pacing and fidgeting to move on.

“
Alright, let’s see how
you handle something a bit hotter,” he said and grinned
mischievously.

Piper took him by the arm and turned away
from the boys.

“
Dimitri, I would much
prefer if I were the one to teach them how to use fire,” she said
quietly.

“
My gem, I believe I can
handle a little fire,” Dimitri chuckled. He winked and nudged her
shoulder playfully.

“
I know,” she said rubbing
her hands together. “But… teaching someone may help me to face my
fears.”

Dimitri sighed and nodded. “Alright,” he
said. He kissed her forehead and brushed her hair out of her eyes.
They turned back to Jayson, Jack and Leo, shoulder to shoulder.

The boys stood at attention like soldiers,
chests out and chins up. They felt the importance of today’s magic
lesson and were not about to mess it up.

“
The first thing you need
to understand about using fire,” Piper stopped her pacing and
stared directly at the boys. “Is it can quickly get out of hand. Of
course, it is important to remember the other elements can be just
as deadly, but the amount of energy necessary to create such
devastation is far greater than for fire. A little can go a long
way.” She sighed and swallowed hard. “You may not always have a
flame available to you from an outside source. Fire needs fuel to
sustain itself, and therefore, you may need to feed it your own
energy to keep it going. Fire is made from certain components in
the world around us, and you will need these as well as your energy
to fuel and sustain the flame. I will draw each of these elements
to you individually so you may learn their energy patterns. Then, I
will have you do the same to me.” She paused again and bit her lip.
“Once you can call each of these elements from your surroundings to
you, compress them into your hand, and surround them with your own
energy.”

They spent at least an hour working with the
individual components. Piper was strict and demanded perfection
from them, but the boys did not complain. Dimitri became bored and
sat beneath the shade of the trees at the edge of the clearing,
pulling up clumps of grass and weeds, and tying them into a knotted
chain. He watched as Piper worked with Jack, Leo and Jayson each
individually. She stood behind them, holding out her hand beside
theirs, and walked them through the steps.

The boys were amused with how each of their
little hand-held flames seemed to take on the personality of its
creator. Jack’s flame danced slow and peaceful like a gentle candle
flame. Leo’s fire ball was bright, compact and perfectly round.
Jayson was sure he had singed his eyebrows when his flame erupted
nearly a foot skyward in his rush of excitement.

Once they were all creating their own
personal flames, Dimitri rose and painted a number of targets on
the flat, smooth surface of the rock face of the mountain. They
practiced throwing their flames at the targets, and as their aim
grew more accurate, they experimented with different sizes and even
the speed of their flames. The formality and seriousness of their
training slowly ebbed away. Piper tried to smile and encourage them
as they went, but her frequent hard swallows and twirling the ends
of her hair did not go unnoticed by her friends.

After several hours of practice, Jayson
attempted to light the end of one of his arrows. The shaft
instantly caught fire. He dropped the arrow to the ground, stamping
the flame in a kind of dance to put it out. Leo laughed then tried
to set his own blade alight. He was successful at first, but the
metal began to heat quickly. He let go of the sword, and the hilt
hit his toe as he shook his burnt hand.

“
There are many layers of
magic needed to attempt such a feat,” said Dimitri. “You need to
magically protect the wood or metal from the natural effects of the
fire. Draconian runes could help with this, but it would be a very
complicated endeavor.”

“
Bummage,” said Jack, and
he sent a last feeble fireball toward the targets on the stone. A
sizzle and a small plume of steam billowed into the sky as Jack
missed his mark, and instead hit the small trickle of water that
ran beside the mountain.

The sun was high in the sky now, and their
work with the fire had made them all hot and sticky. They welcomed
the break to refresh themselves in the little brook. Leo ran inside
to retrieve some food for their midday meal and returned to find
Dimitri and Jayson had paired off against Jack and Piper in a
magical water fight. He left the fruit and bread beside the path
and quickly joined in. An hour later, they sprawled on the grass,
drying and sunning themselves on one of the last warm days of the
season. Change was coming, not only the autumn season.

A strange whistle echoed off the mountain
from somewhere beyond their clearing. It was unlike any bird they
had ever heard. They opened their eyes, and looked at one another.
It sounded again, a bit closer this time, and the boys leapt to
their feet. Dimitri put a finger to his lips and motioned them to
follow. They crouched low ducking behind the trees, and watched as
a dwarf in the ravine below them whistled again. His call was
answered, and two elves appeared from deeper in the forest. As they
drew closer, Jayson, Jack and Leo saw the same heraldry emblazoned
across their gambesons as the soldiers who had been with Taraniz
the day they arrived in Chartile.

“
What news have you,
Maltori?” asked one of the elves. “What could be so important you
could not have sent a messenger bird?”

“
I dared not risk it being
intercepted, sir,” said the dwarf. He looked behind him so often,
he appeared to have a twitch. “We have sent word to Tutaria via the
Great Passage. The Diamonds have rescinded their agreement to help
Princess Taraniz. Reinforcements will be on their way within a few
days.”

“
I know him,” whispered
Leo, “He’s one of the blacksmiths for the armory. He was a spy for
the Black Diamonds. Kylani introduced me.”

“
We will need to move
quickly then,” said the other elf. He pulled a small bag of coins
from a pouch on his belt and tossed it to Maltori. “Thank you for
your service. Our lady will be pleased.” The elves turned back
toward the trees. Jayson fixed an arrow to his bow, and Jack pulled
a throwing dagger. Piper, Leo and Dimitri readied fireballs in
their hands and nodded to one another.

“
There is something else
Princess Taraniz may wish to know,” said Maltori. The elves
stopped, and the dwarf jingled the bag of coins. The first elf
rolled his eyes and pulled another purse of coins from his pouch,
tossing it to Maltori.

“
Speak,” the elf said
impatiently.

“
Another heir has been
discovered. The twin of Taraniz they claim. Her name is Eva Ruani,
though she calls herself Piper.”

The elves exchanged concerned looks, then
turned back to Maltori.

“
You are certain?” the
second asked.

“
She was presented to the
Council by Valar. He was once King Aramor’s advisor,
yes?”

“
Valar is a traitor. There
is a bounty on his head, as well as the girl. What are their
chances of capture?” asked the other.

“
Piper is never alone. She
stays with the returned kings, and is always with the Empress’s
retainer. Valar comes and goes. He is currently under the
protection of the dwarves.”

“
We will inform our lady
at once. I suggest you find refuge outside your mountain. If what
you say is true, then Mount Kelsii will soon be under siege. Thank
you, Maltori.”

The elf had barely finished speaking when an
arrow pierced his chest. He cried out, staggering backward. Maltori
turned to see the group at the top of the ravine. His eyes caught
sight of Piper, and he screamed, “It’s her!” Dimitri’s fire ball
landed squarely in Maltori’s face as Jack’s dagger landed in the
dwarf’s thigh. As one, the party hurried down the steep embankment.
The second elf ran into the forest. Fireballs from Dimitri, Jack
and Piper followed close behind him. Jayson, Leo and Piper stopped
when they reached the fallen elf. Dimitri and Jack continued after
the other. Between the thickness of the trees, and the smoke from
their fire balls, Dimitri and Jack lost the man in short order.

“
NO!” cried Dimitri
furious, and began swearing in Dwarvik, or at least that’s what
Jack assumed.

“
We have to warn Nefiri,”
Jack said. They ran back toward the mountain as quickly as the
thickness of the forest allowed them. They broke through the
clearing to find Piper, Jayson and Leo starring at their fallen
foes. Dimitri’s fire ball had been more than effective against the
traitorous dwarf. Maltori lay charred and unrecognizable in the
grass. None of them could look at him. Instead, they crouched
beside the injured elf who clutched at his chest and spoke through
pained, wheezing breaths.

“
Please,” he called
desperately. “Please help me.”

“
We have to get him to the
healers,” said Jayson’s shaky voice.

“
Absolutely not,” Dimitri
replied, “He is a traitor. He can die like one.” The sneer in
Dimitri’s voice was unlike what his friends had come to
know.

“
He might have information
that could be useful,” said Leo. He bent to examine the wound in
the man’s chest. The elf coughed, and blood trickled from the
corner of his mouth. Leo pulled back quickly, looking rather gray.
“I think his lung is punctured.”

“
It is clear now,” heaved
the elf, his eyes wide. “I did not know, but she has us
all.”

“
He’s in shock, or
something,” said Jack. “Come on.” He reached down to help Leo lift
the man. Jayson stepped forward, dropping his bow and quiver and
reached a hand under the man’s arm.

Dimitri snatched up the bow and quiver and
raised an arrow to the string, pointing it at the elf’s head.

“
I will see him dead
before his treacherous soul sets foot in my mountain.”

No one moved. Only the sound of the elf’s
labored breathing broke the silence.

“
Dimitri, the boys are
right.” Piper placed a hand on his arm. “He may have valuable
information that could help us in the coming battle. Or possibly a
way of breaking into the castle.” She had never seen Dimitri so
full of rage. She forced her hand not to tremble against his
skin.

“
Did you forget he wanted
to kill you?” Dimitri shrugged her hand off his arm and kept the
arrow pointed at the elf.

“
His actions do not give
us just cause for the same,” said Piper calmly. Her green eyes
stared at Dimitri, though he would not look at her.

“
No, please,” said the
elf. “I did not know, but, I still— my wife, my son. Send me to
them. Let her burn me no longer.”

“
We can get you help,”
said Jayson, and he squeezed the soldier’s hand, his voice cracking
as he fought back tears.

“
She will find a way back
in.” The elf squeezed Jayson’s hand back weakly. “My mind is mine
again. I must atone for my actions.”

“
Enough. If it is death he
wants—” said Dimitri, but Piper reached forward and snapped the end
from the arrow. Dimitri finally turned to her. The anger in his
dark eyes meeting the fear in hers. He threw the bow to the ground.
“Fine! If this is how you want to do this, he’s your kin. I am no
elf.”