Chartile: Prophecy

by Cassandra Morgan

“Leo, we have something to ask of you,” said Isla. Piper emerged from her room with throw pillows from her bed. The boys took these and sat on the floor, giving their seats to Brande, Kylani and Isla.

  “What’s up?” asked Jayson. He plopped down on his pillow a little harder than he intended and promptly rubbed his tailbone.

  “Sorry?” asked Isla. She looked from Jayson to the ceiling several times, her brow furrowed.

  “What can we do for you?” Jack asked.

  Brande, Kylani and Isla settled into their chairs and looked to one another before speaking.

  “As you are aware, the camaraderie between our two peoples has been tense to say the least.” Isla said. She released the clasp on her cloak and it fell across the back of the chair behind her. “It has been difficult attempting to find common ground amongst them, and one leader they all can look to.”

  “Well that definitely isn’t us,” said Leo. “You saw what happened in the armory. Neither side has exactly given us a warm welcome since then.”

  “Outwardly, yes,” said Brande. “But in secret, there are more people than you would know that look to you for leadership.”

  “Really?” Jayson shook his head disgustedly. “They sure have a funny way of showing it.”

  “Remember, Jayson, they must tread carefully.” Kylani smiled and closed his eyes for a moment. “We have all lived in fear of each other for so long that it has become our Heart instructs us to keep our true feelings to ourselves.”

  Queen Isla stood. “We need someone to lead the charge against our enemy in the battle. I know you have not been permitted to attend the strategy meetings since the incident in the armory, but that can easily be swayed.”

  “You want us to command units in the army?” asked Leo, and his mouth fell open. “Are you kidding? We don’t know the first thing about commanding armies.”

  Isla turned to face Leo. “Not command, Leo. Lead. We need someone to rally morale and unite our peoples under one banner. No more segregation. No more pointed fingers. We need to be as one.”

  “Then you need to stop calling yourselves The Black Diamonds,” said Dimitri. He looked hard at Brande, Isla and Kylani, though his tone was understanding. “If you want to be as one, you need to act as one.”

  Brande moved to stand but held his place. “That would mean giving up what we have been fighting for.”

  “No it doesn’t,” said Jack. “Look, I’ve been talking to Gemari. She’s on your side.”

  Isla nodded. “She has come to me in confidence to learn more of how we wish to see our society grow.”

  “She’s a good ally,” Jack continued. “Why don’t you ask her to go to the Council on your behalf and make The Black Diamonds a temporary Quarter? That’s really what you want in the end anyway, isn’t it?”

  “You believe Princess Gemari would do this?” Brande asked, his eyebrow raised.

  “If Jack asks her to she will,” said Dimitri with a coy smile.

  “I’ll talk to her,” Jack agreed.

  “Thank you, Jack,” said Isla. “Now, are you still willing to lead the charge at the battle? I do believe it will still help with morale.”

  “We can’t,” Leo said, breaking the silence that had followed Isla’s question.

  “Leo, no!” said Piper.

  “I trust them.” Leo nodded at Kylani and Brande. “If you trust me, then trust them.” Piper clenched her jaw and Dimitri rubbed her back as Leo continued. “We won’t be at the battle.”

  “What? Why?” Brande, Isla and Kylani asked at once.

  “We — we have a secret mission.” Jayson said and shrugged.

  “There’s a good chance Taraniz won’t be at the battle,” Jack added.

  “We — we are going to the Elven palace to capture her,” Piper replied. She closed her eyes as the words fell from her lips and sighed.

  Brande, Kylani and Isla only nodded.

  “Fear not,” said Isla, and she nodded reassuringly. “If we could keep the secret of The Black Diamonds for all this time, rest assured your secret is safe with us.”

  “If anyone asks after you, we will take care of it,” said Kylani.

  “Thank you,” Leo breathed relieved.

  The sky outside had turned completely black as another early autumn storm rolled in over the mountainside.

  “We should go,” said Isla. “I should not be caught outside my curfew.”

  “You have a curfew? For real?” Jayson nearly laughed.

  “As part of my probation,” she explained. “I am to have an escort at all times, and I am not to be found out past the ninth hour.”

  “Where’s your guard now?” asked Piper concerned.

  “I slipped him the tiniest bit of dreamshade in his tea. He is currently napping in my common room. He will wake soon, so I must return.” She stood and bowed to them, then secured her cloak and pulled the hood over her head and face once more.

  Piper checked the hall before seeing them out, then again, bolted it behind her. She flopped back into her chair in a rather Jayson-like fashion and sighed loudly.

  “What a strange day,” she muttered, and they all nodded in agreement.

  Chapter Fifteen

  A Spy Among Enemies

  Leo opened his eyes to darkness, though he knew it must be morning. Every muscle in his right arm and shoulder ached. He wiggled the fingers of his right hand which lay sandwiched between his two large feather pillows. He winced as pain shot through his wrist. He groaned and rolled to face the gem covered ceiling above him. Jack had landed a solid shot to his shoulder during practice the day before, and he wasn’t about to move sooner than he had to. He didn’t even bother with his morning meditations. Though he and his friends seemed to have certain memories and instincts for fighting, it did not take away from the lack of muscle tone, regardless of muscle memory.

  Leo suspected he hurt more than his friends after their fighting practice, but he never voiced such. Every night they went to bed sore and achy, and awoke just as stiff and painful. Piper had ordered they drink a strange, lemony tea to ease the pain, and it did help. But this morning, the storm that had plagued them all day yesterday had left an odd pressure in the air, and made the pain almost unbearable.

  Dimitri had insisted they practice in the pouring rain. They were not permitted a break from the deluge until Jack left to meet with Gemari for lunch to fulfill his promise to Brande, Kylani and Isla. Leo didn’t understand Jack’s fascination with her. He still found her slightly annoying. Jayson had mentioned her nice ta-ta’s, but when Jack had pulled a dagger, completely serious about dueling his friend, it was never discussed again.

  Leo heard movement and voices out in the common area. He knew their breakfast had been delivered, and sure enough, within minutes, the aroma of those delicious honey-glazed biscuits reached him even through the pillows. His stomach gurgled at the first inhale, and he gave in to his hunger.

  “Look who finally decided to grace us with his presence,” Jack teased when Leo stepped out of his room, squinting and rubbing his shoulder.

  “Shut up, man. You hit me major hard yesterday,” said Leo. He grabbed the remaining cup from the tray on the table and drank the lemony tea.

  “Here,” said Dimitri rising from his chair. He and Piper had already joined the boys and seemed eager to begin their lessons for the day. Dimitri rose and laid his hands on Leo’s shoulder. A cool, tingling energy moved down his arm. Leo felt the muscles relax as the magic wound its way through the fibers and into the pain.

  “Thanks,” said Leo. He stretched his shoulder, and nearly upset his tea cup.

  “Seriously, when are we gunna do magic?” Jayson whined through a mouthful of biscuit.

  “Today,” said Piper with a demure smile.

  Jayson, Jack and Leo sat a bit straighter. They looked at Piper and Dimitri with wide eyes and slack jaws.

  A piece of biscuit fell from Jayson’s mouth before he asked, “Really?”

  Piper giggled. “Yes, Jay
son. Really.”

  “We believe you are ready,” said Dimitri.

  “Can you teach us how to do what you just did?” Leo asked flexing his shoulder again.

  “The healing arts take an understanding of anatomy,” Dimitri said and leaned back on the sofa, his arm around Piper. “This takes many years. I only know what I do, and that is very little in itself, as Nefiri had fallen ill several years ago. I was her caretaker and learned from our healers. Not magic, but about medicine and anatomy.”

  “So, what are we going to learn, then?” Leo asked.

  “Elemental magic is the easiest,” said Piper. “From there, moving objects will be next.”

  “Like telekinesis?” Jayson was nearly bouncing on the edge of his seat in anticipation. “Oh, that is so cool!”

  “One step at a time, my friend,” chuckled Dimitri. He tossed a piece of biscuit in the air, ready to catch it in his mouth. Piper snatched it mid arch and popped it in her own mouth with a devious grin. Dimitri tackled her to the floor, and Piper laughed gleefully as he tickled her. They did not stop until she nearly kicked over the cabinet with the forgotten pearl wine.

  As they walked to the Black Diamond’s mines, they remained more observant to the dwarves they passed as they went. Though most skirted around them close to the walls, they caught subtle hints of what Isla had been talking about. A small smile, a slight incline of the head, lingering eyes or a look over the shoulder. Jayson, Jack and Leo had decided to make an attempt to show the dwarves they were trustworthy. They smiled, bowed, and greeted as many people as they could along their trek in the proper Dwarvik way. Even Piper began to accept her role as the future Elven Queen, and followed suit in respect and greeting. Though outwardly, no one seemed to take heed, they were sure their actions were not going unnoticed. At least, they hoped.

  The air was still damp and muggy, but the boys enjoyed their time outdoors. They had spent so much time enclosed in the mountain, the open air and skies were a welcome sight. They walked down the steep path to the forest’s edge, and to the little clearing that had become their regular practice space.

  The boys lined up facing Piper and Dimitri. Their excitement almost tangible as they fought to keep from bouncing on the balls of their feet or wringing their hands in anticipation.

  “Elemental magic is most often associated with weather magic,” Dimitri began. “Certainly the ability to cause a sudden rain or thick fog has its advantages against an unsuspecting enemy camp. But these are actions one would use from a distance while safely hidden under cover.”

  “In situations where you are in hand to hand engagement, however, something far less subtle, such as fire, wind or forcing a stream of water at your opponent is more practical.” Piper flinched when she spoke the word fire. The boys nodded their understanding. They were determined to show Piper they were taking their magic lesson very seriously.

  “However, both tactics require the manipulation of the energy in the environment around you. Please, sit,” said Dimitri. Jack, Leo and Jayson did as they were bid, but couldn’t help but wonder how this would help them throw a fire ball at their enemy.

  “If you have been practicing your meditations as instructed, you should be familiar with your own energies now. I want you to sense those energies now. Allow the sensation of your own energies to completely surround you.”

  They closed their eyes. Immediately they found the calm familiarity of their meditations with little effort. “Now, extend your senses outward. I want you to feel the energy pattern of the person sitting beside you.”

  They sat for quite some time, concentrating, trying to figure out what Dimitri had instructed. It was not easy. Eventually, they felt a different kind of energy mixing with their own.

  “Whoa. Cool,” whispered Jayson and a smile pulled at his lips.

  “Excellent,” said Dimitri. “Now, cast your senses outward even farther. Try to sense the water droplets in the clouds. They will not be the size of the rain you recognize, but they will be there. Raise your hand when you have identified them, but do not break your concentration.”

  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 ow
n 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.