Chartile: Prophecy

by Cassandra Morgan

  “You look like no elf or human I have ever seen,” said the man. His voice was deep and smooth. “Where are you from, and how did you find us?”

  Leo swallowed hard and took a deep breath. “My name is Leo DeHaven. I am not from your world. My friends, Jack and Jayson, and me, we…we are from another planet, or dimension or something. We don’t know how we got here. There was this light, and we woke up here. We met Piper from Outland Post, and she helped us. We came here with her and Dimitri when Empress Nefiri sent him to get us. I think she wants to talk about Taraniz, but I don’t know what that’s got to do with us. I was going to the pre-banquet and I got lost.” He inhaled again, having spoken the entirety of his speech in a single breath. “You’re— you’re The Black Diamonds, aren’t you?”

  The dwarf smiled at Leo. “You are observant, little man. What else do you know that may be of use to me? Speak well, or you may find yourself meeting not with the elders, but a rather agonizing end.” He swung the cage away from him and gazed over the edge of the drop off. Leo watched as the man kicked a stone over the side. He heard it bounce out of ear shot as his cage slowly spun.

  “What…what do you want to know?” Leo couldn’t hide the fear in his voice this time.

  The other man, dressed nearly identical to the first laughed a hearty, belly laugh. “Oh, haven’t you scared the lad enough, Kylani? Let him down.”

  “No!” said Kylani. “He may be a spy for Nefiri or Una.”

  “I’m not! I promise! Please, let me go! I’ll…I’ll talk to the council on your behalf. I’m on your side, I swear!”

  The two men looked at each other, then at Leo. Now he’d done it. Leo swallowed and clasped his hand to his mouth. He had promised to do that which he had sworn he wouldn’t: interfere in Chartile. Prophecy or no, he reminded himself – and his friends – constantly that this was not their world. It was not their battle to fight. But there had been an unspoken promise between them. Once they had proven the existence of the prophecy, wouldn’t they try to fulfill it? To right the wrongs of the land? And even if the prophecy did not exist, if Leo believed in it, didn’t it give him the responsibility to carry it out regardless?

  Kylani approached Leo, holding the cage in place. He brought his face so close to Leo’s, the boy could see his beard and hair were dyed black. “You would do this? Why?”

  “Where I come from, everyone’s the same. I don’t see why it would be different for dwarves. Plus, I’m sure you have some great ideas to, like, help defeat Taraniz, and stuff.”

  “And stuff,” Kylani repeated. Leo nodded and stared into the man’s dark brown eyes.

  “Why would we want to defeat Princess Taraniz, when she has promised us the rights we desire if we fight for her?” the second man asked from behind Kylani.

  “Brande! Hush!” Kylani glared fiercely at the other dwarf.

  Leo was quiet. He was sure this was information that neither Empress Nefiri nor even Dimitri could have known about. If Taraniz had started infiltrating the dwarves from the inside, their downfall would be much easier and faster.

  Kylani turned slowly back to Leo. “Well?” he asked, “What say you, little man?”

  “Because she’s mean?” Leo answered.

  Kylani and Brande fell into a fit of merciless guffaws and laughter. Leo’s face turned bright red. After several uncomfortable moments, the two men took several deep breaths and wiped the tears from their eyes. The man called Brande moved the cage back to the ledge. He held the door open, but Leo did not move.

  “Come, young friend. We believe your intentions to be true. My name is Brande, and this is my brother, Kylani. Let us speak.”

  Leo stepped unsteadily from the cage. Kylani caught him, and patted Leo firmly on the back. Brande led the way back inside as the guard who had first caught Leo glared.

  The dwarves were beginning to emerge from their homes again. They cautiously skirted around Leo, and pulled their children away from him as they went. Although the society of The Black Diamonds seemed mostly comprised of men, Leo was surprised to see a few women as well. The center square they passed through had a number of tents and make shift merchant stands. Everything from food and clothing to armor and weapons was available for sale.

  Brande and Kylani led Leo through another door at the far side of the mine. It opened into a short tunnel that turned sharply and immediately opened into another large, abandoned mine. This mine consisted entirely of the little wooden homes that dotted the edges of the first mine. Side by side, some leaning awkwardly, others straight and nearly perfect, there had to be at least a hundred little houses within, creating a unique cityscape with walkways between rows of homes, and poles with hanging lanterns.

  Leo stopped in the doorway. His eyes gaped at the scene before him. Brande clapped him on the back with a chuckle and urged him forward through yet another door. This one opened into a small, dusty room. A table and chairs sat at the center, each with a large black diamond the size of Leo’s fist fixed at the top and center.

  Brande pulled three black chalices and a glass decanter from a cabinet by the door. He poured the golden liquid into the chalices, and dropped a pearl-like sphere in each that began to bubble.

  “Pearl wine?” he asked Leo. The boy hesitated, then took the chalice. There was a high chance he could be imprisoned again after this meeting. This might be his first and last time having an alcoholic beverage. He raised the cup in a small gesture of a toast and took a sip. The wine was thick and tart, and the pearl-like mineral created tiny bubbles that rose up into Leo’s nose making him cough and choke. Brande and Kylani laughed again and patted his back.

  “You take this black diamond thing for real, huh?” Leo asked. He raised the black chalice in his hand, attempting to steer the conversation away from his embarrassing splutter. The two men took their seats across the table.

  “And why not?” asked Brande.

  “Do you know what a diamond is, Leo, my boy?” Kylani set his chalice on the table and leaned forward.

  “A clear mineral…uh…carbon, I think, that….when put under immense pressure in the right conditions forms a lattice-like structure. That’s what makes them so strong.”

  Brande nodded with a smirk and replied, “Diamonds, though extremely rare, are absolutely perfect. There are few other minerals that can penetrate its lattice work.”

  “Sometimes,” Kylani continued, “a rogue mineral does penetrate it, and a beautiful, even rarer mineral is created. Black diamonds, though more fragile than their pure white form, are just as beautiful in their own right, if given the chance.”

  “But the world can’t be divided into just black and white. Think of all the other colors that can be created when you mix the two together.” Leo sipped his wine. The tiny bubbles rose into his nose again, reminding him he was not absently drinking water. He attempted not to make a face as the tannins spread across his tongue.

  “An intriguing point, lad,” said Brande. He raised his chalice in salute and drained it. “But if you only see the world as one color, and someone gives you the opportunity to make it so, would you take it?”

  “You mean Taraniz, don’t you?” asked Leo, pushing his chalice away from him.

  “She is planning to attack Mount Kelsii within the month. By bringing the Dwarves under Elven rule, it will also bring us under their law, where men and women have more equal rights.” Kylani drained his chalice, too. He slammed it on the table, making Leo jump. “We are tired of not having a voice on the council! There are plenty of men who have found their souls. They will not give us the chance to prove it!”

  “I don’t understand,” said Leo. He remembered Dimitri had said something about souls as well. “What do you mean your souls?”

  “There are three Levels of Understanding,” said Brande, holding up three fingers. “Your Mind is what you know, what you reason to be true, just and moral. Your Heart is your instinct, what you have never learned, but have always known. Your Soul is your emotion, your abil
ity to show compassion or mercy. It is believed that men cannot, or have difficulty, finding their souls. This is why we are not permitted a seat on the council. An elder must be able to show balance in all three Levels of Understanding. Princess Taraniz does not, however, understand our religion in this regard. By aligning with her, we gain rights to sit on the council, but we lose the right to practice our religion. The Elves find our ways too magical for their tastes, though this is not true. Dwarves cannot do magic. We never have and we never will. It is not in our blood. Our council would become more like the Elven Conclave of Nobles.”

  “So, if I speak to the council for, you won’t fight for Taraniz?” Leo folded his hands on the table before him. He wasn’t sure if it was all the philosophical talk of souls and understanding or the wine, but he was becoming light headed.

  “Not just speak, Leo. We want a negotiated seat with the elders,” said Kylani. “The Black Diamond Quarter has the right to a voice. Even if the rest of the dwarves do not wish to follow our ways, we all have the right to protect each other.”

  Leo grabbed his head. This was all very confusing.

  “We knew who you were the moment you came to Fortress Kelsii,” said Brande. “Not all of us are in hiding here. We have infiltrated every aspect of the Fortress. Guards, miners, tailors, priestesses. We have a person in almost every conceivable position and within nearly every household and guild.” He paused and waited for Leo to sit up again. “And not just here. We have begun to reach The Tutarian Mountains as well. There are members on the council who are loyal to us. Even Queen Isla. I refuse to believe that you finding us today was a mere coincidence.”

  “So it’s true, what Empress Nefiri said. Queen Isla’s been working with you. Is it true she’s also got a boyfriend who is a Black Diamond, too?” asked Leo.

  Kylani stood slowly. He stared down at Leo, his black eyes glistening with tears. “My dearest Isla has been one of us since before her ascension to Queenhood. You are King Florine, returned to us as the prophecy foretold. Right this wrong. We do not want to kill our people.”

  There it was. The weight of an entire race had just been put on the shoulders of a fourteen year old boy. The chance to interfere, for good or ill, had been laid upon the table, ripe for the taking. Leo had thought he had been fighting it tooth and nail. Now it seemed he had no choice. He was backed into a corner. To refuse would mean he had been a bystander to the murders of hundreds, probably thousands of people.

  Leo remembered back to a video game he had played with Jayson and Jack last year; so very long ago now. As the king in the game, he could choose whether to negotiate with the enemy or send his people to war. Jayson wanted to choose war. There was better armor and weapons. Jack said he should choose to negotiate because there were more level ups to intelligence and persuasion. It was at that moment, the rain outside had ended and they decided to go to their fort. The video game was never touched again— a decision still waiting to be made.

  Leo stood to meet Kylani’s gaze. Brande stood with him. They looked at each other across the table, tense, unmoving, black-brown eyes meeting blue eyes.

  “I’m sorry,” said Leo, “I can’t do it. I’m just a kid. If this is what you guys want, then you need to come out of the shadows and, like, fight for it. And not by killing people and stuff, either. That’s not going to do anybody any good. You have to prove you deserve to be there. You can’t put this all on me.”

  Chapter Eleven

  The Meeting of the Elders

  Jayson was enjoying some sort of strange, spikey fruit when Leo placed a hand on his shoulder.

  “What is that?” Leo asked, his nose crinkling as Jayson turned.

  Jayson nearly choked. “Dude! Where the heck have you been?” Jack, Dimitri and Piper turned to see Leo shoulder through beside Jayson to join their circle.

  “I got turned around. Ended up in some abandoned mines.” he replied and reached for a small stuffed mushroom.

  “You are lucky you made it here at all then,” said Dimitri. He popped a mushroom in his mouth with one hand, the other rested comfortably around Piper’s waist. “Most of the abandoned mines are on the other side of the mountain, and are quite dangerous. There is a reason they are no longer used. It is rare their veins are dried up. It is more likely to do with the stability of the cavern.”

  “Well, here I am! When is this thing supposed to start anyway?” Leo asked. He seemed too giddy. He bounced on the balls of his feet, and swung his arms to his sides. His friends wondered if he had been given a glass of pearl wine when he entered. No one said anything. The thought was too unlike Leo. After the incident with Jack and Gemari, they were looking for any reason to be cheerful. The dread and anticipation of the council meeting seemed to be breathing down their necks.

  The activity in the room seemed to bubble into a chaotic frenzy. Council members flitted back and forth amongst their small groups, whispering to each other anxiously. A horn sounded in the far corner of the room. Guards filed through the large doors to stand around the perimeter of the room. The council members took their seats at the long table. Nefiri, the Queens and Princesses made their way to the plain, tall backed thrones in front of the raised platform. Valar emerged from somewhere amongst the bedlam of the elders and their retainers. He touched Piper’s shoulder. She jumped, and the color drained from her face as she turned to him. Valar nodded and smiled. Dimitri kissed her cheek, then hurried away to stand behind Nefiri’s throne.

  Jack, Leo and Jayson looked at each other. They seemed to be the only still figures as the occupants of the room flitted wildly around them.

  “No matter what happens,” said Jayson, “we have to stand together.” The wonder of their adventure was beginning to fade, and a heavy weight seemed to be settling on them with each council member that joined at the long table at the center of the room.

  “Agreed,” said Leo and Jack nodded. “I need you guys to just follow my lead, okay. Please just trust me.” They did. They trusted each other unconditionally. They had to. They had been through too much together not to believe in each other. They turned to take their seats beside Piper and Valar on the raised platform behind the royalty. The horn sounded again, and silence fell.

  The kitchen staff continued to bustle back and forth, filling chalices with pearl wine and water. The boys noted that while there were both humans with orenite cuffs on their wrists and dwarves, there was not a single girl or woman among them. Leo shifted uneasily in his chair as one of the elders stood to address the council.

  “This Council has been called to decide the succession of Empress Nefiri of the House of Auldfr and the involvement of the Dwarves in the civil war of the Elves of Chartile.” The woman sat and yielded to Nefiri. The Empress stood and glided a few steps forward to address the table of elders before her. The boys craned their necks to look at her over their shoulders. Piper caught their eyes, and shook her head only once. They immediately faced forward again and tried to not fidget.

  “Good Elders, Royals and honored guests. It has been my privilege and honor to serve as your Empress these past sixty-seven turns. I now find myself beginning to tire, as the stone does under the beating winds. I have felt the calling of our Lady Rashiri, and wish to spend the last of my days in service to our Goddess. Though I may depart from this throne, our people shall never fade!” Nefiri paused, and spread her arms wide. “Strength and stone!”

  “Strength and stone!” The Council echoed her and raised their glasses in a toast.

  “Who now will speak on behalf of Queen Isla and Princess Faeridae of the Tutarian Mountains?” the same woman as before stood again and asked.

  An old woman, her beaded braids flecked with gray stood. She had attempted to paint her skin to appear less weathered, but the affect was quite the opposite. “I am Ulfwyn of the House of Hallvor of the Cobalt Quarter. I speak for Queen Isla of the House of Arnkatla. Queen Isla has served the people of the Tutarian Mountains for over seventeen turns. She succeeded Queen Carende
il of the House of Esjamourn when she went home to the stone and our Lady Rashiri too soon. Queen Isla is trained in the ways of war, and has been a valuable asset in training our army in the Tutarian Mountains. She would be instrumental in protecting our people during this time of upheaval amongst the Elves, should she so choose our involvement. I vote that Queen Isla succeed Nefiri of the House of Auldfr as Empress of the Dwarves of Chartile.”

  Ulfwyn sat, and there were many smiles and small gestures of toasting, but nothing more. The boys dared glances at each other. This was going to be a long meeting.

  A younger woman rose from her seat to address the council. She was Lady Ulfwyn’s opposite. Her hair had been brushed straight without the traditional beads. Rather, a pattern of gold runes and symbols had been painted down her long plait and matched the gold painted around her eyes and lips.

  “I am Ygdalla of the House of Dryfinal of the Amethyst Quarter of the Tutarian Mountains. I speak for Princess Faeridae of the House of Gudvor. Faeridae was made Princess when our Queen Isla unexpectedly succeeded Queen Carendeil. She chose to be trained in War like her Queen before her, but has also shown a great aptitude for negotiations amongst the elders and wisdom beyond her years. If Queen Isla succeeds as Empress, Princess Faeridae would indeed complement not only our new Empress, but work well with Queen Una and Princess Gemari of Mount Kelsii. I vote that Queen Isla succeed Nefiri of the House of Auldfr as Empress of the Dwarves of Chartile.” Jack Leo, and Jayson saw Ygdalla flash them a quick smile and a wink as she sat. She had the air of a woman who knew her beauty, and knew how to use it.