by S R Ahuja
“All of her brothers were really loyal to their father, but she knew her youngest brother could be easily convinced. Although he was the son of a god, Volturious’ mother was human, and he shared many personality traits with the humans. He was greedy, for one, but not for money. He was jealous of his oldest brother’s power because he would one day rule all of the World, and Volturious would never rule anything. He would just be a prince, never a king. Even if he had been the eldest, his father would never have let him rule because he also had a human quality that would prevent him from being a great ruler: cowardice.
“Avalon knew of her brother’s cowardice, but she also believed that he held the power to overcome that fear when given the chance. She knew too what her youngest brother most craved, so she went to him and promised him what he most desired if he would help her get the magical creatures to safety. She promised him a new kingdom where he would be the only king.”
“That’s enough, Audrey,” Ms. Hastings stopped her again. “Edward, you’re next.”
Audrey sat down, and a short, slim boy with red hair took her place. He scratched his head, rumpling his hair even further, before he began. “Volturious of course took the deal, so Avalon, knowing now that there would be someone waiting to guide the people to their new home, gave her body, life, and soul to create a new world where the magical creatures could live in peace. They would never have to worry about the greedy nonmagical creatures again.
“Just as he had promised, Volturious led all of the magical creatures to their new home. The sorcerers, fairies, centaurs, unicorns, every magical creature followed him, and some nonmagical creatures came too. The powries, goblins, chimeras, and other creatures who could not do magic themselves followed, but not the magicless humans.
“When they reached the new realm Avalon had created with her body, Volturious was ready to rule, but the King of Olympus had different plans.
“The King was furious at his two youngest children for running away and disobeying him. To punish them and to take out his anger, he destroyed every trace of magic in the Northmanni World. Then, he went for Avalon.
“Volturious heard his father’s approach, and he fled to the most distant, darkest caves. No one has seen him since. Some people think he’s still hiding out there, waiting for his opportunity to STRIKE BACK!” Edward jumped at Audrey as he said the last two words, and she jumped and screamed.
“Edward, sit down,” Ms. Hastings commanded.
Edward laughed, but he said, “Yes ma’am,” and sat down all the same.
“Bryon, please finish the story for your classmates,” Ms. Hastings said.
Another boy, this one taller with floppy hair, stood up to take Edward’s spot. “With Volturious in hiding, there was no one to protect the creatures or their new world, but they needn’t have feared, for their Goddess was cunning as well as kind. She knew her father would, at some point, come to destroy the world she gave her life to create, so she placed before the kingdom a portal that would allow none through who meant harm to anyone on the other side.
“The portal has changed slightly, but it is the same one that stands today in the Dark Forest. Now, however, it will only allow the One Rightful King of Avalon through on any day other than the Autumnal Equinox.
“The King was still murderously angry, however, and since he could not get to the creatures themselves, he took back every ounce of magic that the creatures possessed. They were safe, but they had had to give up their magic.
“Avalon, even without her body, heard the cries of her people and sent to them the Nine Sisters. When the sorceresses entered the realm, they dazzled all of the creatures with displays of magic. When the creatures asked them how they could perform such feats with no magic left in the realm, the leader, Sister Morgana, stepped forward and placed a small handful of dirt into the hand of a human child.”
A boy sitting in the back of the classroom laughed loudly at something his friend had just said to him.
“Cassus!” Ms. Hastings scolded and the boy stopped laughing immediately. “What did the Sorceress say to the child who held the dirt?”
Cassus swallowed and answered much quieter than he had just laughed, “She said, ‘Your goddess gave of her body to create this world for you. She is the earth; the earth is her. She will give you the magic; you need only learn how to ask her for it.’”
Ms. Hastings narrowed her eyes so they were just tiny slits, but then she turned back to the boy at the front. “Bryon, please conclude the story.”
Bryon didn’t look shaken up at all. He continued, “It took some time, but eventually all of the creatures who had had magic before learned to use Avalon’s magic. It was easier for some than others, and some creatures eventually gave up all together, but all those who studied with the Sisters did eventually learn some magic.
“Today, one child every generation is chosen to study with the same Nine Sisters who do not age, for they, like the dirt, the trees, the sky, and the sun are a part of Avalon, and she will never let them die so long as there are those in this kingdom who need them.”
Chapter VIII
Coal
____________________________________
The guard and Sir Jack were indeed waiting for her at the end of the school day. Sir Jack and Menelwen both asked her about her first day of school as soon as they saw her. The King asked her later that night at dinner. She told all three the same thing, that the other kids seemed nice if a little too curious. She liked hearing the old stories of Avalon, but she didn’t much care for her teacher. Ms. Hastings never did anything to Jade. Jade just didn’t like her, although she couldn’t explain why. Maybe it was the way she had of making Jade feel stupid for not knowing something, or maybe it was just that she never seemed to smile. Either way, Jade did not care for her, but it could be worse. At least the other kids were nice. And she had even found a friend in Helena, who took Jade under her wing and answered any questions she didn’t want to ask Ms. Hastings.
Jade spent most of her first week at school listening to stories. The stories, she soon learned from the other children, were not just fairy tales as Jade had originally thought.
They were what the children called The Tales of Avalon, and from what Jade gathered, they were Avalon’s only form of history. Every child who lived in the kingdom, or at least, every child who lived in the Castle Hamlet, had to learn these stories so that someday far in the future they could teach them to the next generation of children.
At the end of the fourth day of school, Ms. Hastings reminded them that the Sisters would be visiting their class the next day and to be on their best behavior. After they had been dismissed, Jade walked out of the school house with Helena. “Why are the Sisters coming to visit?”
“There are so many things you don’t know,” Helena said in surprise. “On the fifth day of the week, the Sisters always visit one class. This week is just our week.”
“But, why do they visit one class each week?” Jade insisted.
“Because, they’re looking for the One.”
“The one what?”
“The one,” Helena repeated. “The Sisters are the only people who can teach humans to use Avalon’s magic, but they won’t teach just anyone. They let the elves teach their children some magic, but every generation, they choose one human who has the gift. They come to watch us and see if any of us are showing signs of magic. If they find someone who is showing signs of magic, then that person gets to be the only One in all of the classes to learn real magic! And the Sisters will teach them everything! Even more than any of the elves get to learn!”
Jade felt with her whole heart that she had to be the one person who was picked.
“What if no one shows signs of magic? Do they still pick someone? Can you volunteer?”
“No way!” Helena gasped. “You can’t volunteer because then everyone would volunteer. I don’t think they’ve ever not found someone. Avalon always picks one child to show her magic through.”
&nbs
p; Maybe she couldn’t volunteer, but Jade had a backup plan. When she got home that day, she went straight to the library, barely pausing to tell Menelwen that her day had been fine. Jade knew the library fairly well by now. She found every book about wizards, sorcerers, and magicians she could find. Piling her trove high on the table by the window, she poured through them. It wasn’t until Menelwen came to get her for dinner that she finally had her answer.
A royal guard walked her to the schoolhouse again on Friday, but as soon as she saw the other children, Jade took off running.
She grabbed Helena’s elbow before she could go into the building. “Lena, I need your help.” She proceeded to whisper her plan to her friend.
“That won’t work,” Helena shook her head. “The Sisters will see right through it.”
“Please,” Jade begged, “Just help me try.”
Helena gave in, and soon she and Jade were sneaking around inside the school house, trying to stay unnoticed by Ms. Hastings, which was not hard since there were so many people in there at the moment. They just had to get everything set up before the other children left for their own classes.
Finally, when Ms. Hastings dismissed all of the other children, Helena and Jade were back, siting in their usual seats, and Ms. Hastings had no reason to suspect there was anything out of the ordinary.
“Children,” Ms. Hastings said, sitting down at her desk. “As you know, we have some special visitors today, please say hello to Ladies Morgana, Morgause, and Glitonea.”
Three women walked through the door and straight to the front of the room. They turned as one to face the children.
Lady Morgana stepped forward and spoke, “Hello children. I am Lady Morgana, and these are my sisters, Lady Morgause and Lady Glitonea. We are just here to observe. Do not let us bother you. We would love to answer any questions you have, but please, do not let us disrupt your lesson.”
After her little introduction, Lady Morgana and her sisters moved to the back of the room and sat down. Although all of the children kept turning their heads, the rest of the day went much as a normal day at school would. It was in the afternoon that Jade finally put her plan into action. Because she could not tell one of the Avalon myths as she had only been going to school for a week, Ms. Hastings had asked her to share a legend she knew from the Northmanni World, and Jade accepted with pleasure.
“In the Northmanni World,” Jade began, standing in front of the class, “they don’t celebrate the same holidays that you celebrate here. Instead, they have their own holidays. Instead of the Vernal Equinox they have Easter, instead of the Summer Solstice they have the 4th of July, instead of the Autumnal Equinox they have Halloween, and instead of the Winter Solstice, they have Christmas.”
“What’s Christmas?” Lilly asked without raising her hand.
“Lillian,” Ms. Hastings scolded, “you will wait your turn to speak.”
Jade answered her question anyway. “Christmas is a wonderful holiday when your whole family gets together to give each other presents and eat an enormous dinner.”
“It doesn’t sound that different from Winter Solstice,” Cassus said from the back of the room.
“Cassus,” Ms. Hastings warned.
“Oh, but it is,” Jade continued. “You have a wonderful tree that you take into your house and it makes your whole house smell like… smell like… well, it smells like Christmas, and you decorate it with lights and ornaments, and the whole house just seems more beautiful. And, I haven’t told you the best part yet. Your family gives each other presents, but for children who have been good all year, there’s always an extra present or two waiting under the tree from Santa.”
Ms. Hastings was the one to interrupt her this time. “I think you mean Saint Nicholas, Amalthea. That is what the old songs call him.”
“Well, sure, if you want to sound like an old person you can call him Saint Nick too, but the kids just call him Santa. He is big and fat from eating so many Christmas cookies, and he has a great long, white beard because he’s so old. He’s probably older than the Nine Sisters. And he sneaks into everyone’s house at night through their chimney, and, if you’ve been good, he leaves you a special present under the tree, but if you’ve been bad, all he leaves you is a lump of coal.”
“That’s stupid,” Edward scoffed.
Ms. Hastings tried to scold him, but Jade spoke first. “What do you mean, ‘that’s stupid’? That’s Christmas.”
“Well, then Christmas is stupid. Why would some old fat guy climb through your chimney just to give you presents?”
“Because it’s Christmas,” Jade said. “That’s why. And it probably wouldn’t matter for you anyway because you’d probably get coal in your stocking.”
“Oh no!” Edward said in mock fear. “Somebody help me! Some old fat guy is going to break into my house to put a piece of coal in my sock!”
The other children laughed. Jade’s chest tightened as she looked around and saw that everyone was staring at her and laughing, everyone except Helena. She was staring, glaring at Edward.
Jade was watching Helena when she heard Edward yell, “Ow!” She looked over and saw Edward rubbing his head. “Who threw that?”
Everyone was looking around the room for the source of the pebble, and Jade saw this as her opportunity. She waved her hand just enough to catch Helena’s attention. Once she knew Helena was ready, Jade turned back to Edward and raised her hands in the air in front of her. She stared at Edward through squinted eyes and wiggled her fingers in the air.
Jade couldn’t see her, but she knew Helena must be doing her part because Edward was now moving forward ever so slightly.
“What the…?” he said as he looked down.
Everyone else was now looking at Edward too as he slowly scooted forward.
“Sweet Sisters!” Audrey cried, looking between Edward and Jade. “It’s Amalthea! She’s moving his desk!”
Jade continued to glare at Edward, and she smiled. But then her heart sank.
“Helena,” Ms. Hastings snapped sharply. “What is that you’re holding?”
Suddenly, Edward’s desk stopped moving and all eyes were on Helena. She dropped the twine, but it was too late. Ms. Hastings had seen. Whispers spread throughout the room. Helena looked around herself and then put her face in her hands and started to cry.
“I think that is enough for today,” Ms. Hastings said, not taking her eyes off of Helena. “Class, you are dismissed.”
Jade rushed to Helena’s side, putting her arm around her shoulders, but Ms. Hastings wasn’t finished yet.
“Everyone except Amalthea and Helena. You girls, stay here. We need to have a talk.”
Fear spread like poison through Jade’s entire body. She had no idea what Ms. Hastings would do. She didn’t know if she would just tell the King or if she would get detention or if maybe there was something worse they did in Avalon. Jade sat down in the desk next to Helena’s, and, keeping her arm around Helena’s shoulders, she whispered to her that it would be alright. Eventually, as the last student was leaving, Helena raised her head again and wiped the remainder of her tears on her sleeve. Jade took her hand, and Helena squeezed it tight.
The sisters rose from the back of the room and came forward to stand beside Ms. Hastings.
“Shae,” Sister Morgana said, and it took Jade a moment to realize she was speaking to Ms. Hastings. “We will speak to the girls.”
Helena started whimpering next to Jade, but she kept her head held up, and Jade was proud of her for it.
Ms. Hastings seemed torn. She looked like she really wanted to rip into Jade and Helena, and Jade was sure she had talons just waiting to be extended, but eventually, she gave in.
“All right,” she finally said, looking at Lady Morgana instead of Jade. “If that is what you wish, milady. We will speak about your decision after?”
“Of course,” Lady Morgana said, patting Ms. Hastings on the shoulder the way you might pat a small child. “Now, give us a moment
alone, won’t you?”
Ms. Hastings did not look happy, but then, she rarely did. She left Jade and Helena to their fate.
Jade was quite sure that the Sisters could be quite scary if they wanted to be, but as soon as Ms. Hastings had left the room, she felt like she could breathe again. The fear was not quite so oppressing.
“Now, girls,” Lady Morgana said, turning to them. “What you did was wrong. Your trick with the wire could not have fooled us, but it was wrong to try. Do you understand why?”
“Because it was a lie?” Helena choked out between fresh sobs.
“Yes, and we mustn’t lie. Not only will it get you into trouble, but it will also make you old much too soon.”
“That’s why we’re still so young,” Sister Morgause added. “We never lie.”
The three Sisters smiled. Even Helena stopped crying.
“You must promise us that you will never lie to us again,” Lady Morgana said sternly.
Jade and Helena exchanged a look, but they had no choice. “We promise,” they said together.
“Good, now, Amalthea, run along home,” Sister Morgana said. “We want to speak with Helena alone for a moment.”
Helena looked at Jade with wide eyes. Jade couldn’t leave her friend, not when they’d just made it out of the woods.
“Jade.”
Jade physically jumped at the sound of her own name; it had been so long since she had heard someone else say it out loud. Lady Morgause had been the one to say it.
“You need to go now. Helena is safe with us,” Lady Morgause said, placing a hand on Jade’s shoulder to guide her out.
Helena’s eyes were still wide with fear, but Jade could not disobey a direct order from the Sisters. She threw her arms around Helena, and, pressing her lips to her ear, she whispered, “I’ll be just outside.”
Jade grabbed her bag and allowed Lady Morgause to escort her from the school house. As soon as the door closed behind her, she ran back to the school and pressed her ear to the crack between the double doors. She could hear the guard move to stand at the foot of the steps behind her, but she couldn’t hear anything inside. She sat down on the steps and rested her chin in her hand, waiting. She didn’t have to wait long.