Chartile: Prophecy

by Cassandra Morgan

  They took off in the opposite direction down the hall, their hands on their sword hilts and their bodies tense. Jayson, Jack and Leo watched them go, and cautiously entered the library. It was vast, larger than they had anticipated, and they stood staring wide eyed in the doorway for several moments.

  “Well, this could take a while,” said Jack. Leo didn’t answer. His eyes ogled at the plethora of information before him, his greed and addiction for knowledge fighting the will to stay on task. Jack gave him a hard push forward through the door, and Jayson followed, his spirits still down cast.

  

  Piper’s hand flew to the sword at her hip. She drew the blade, but Taraniz held up her empty hands in surrender, tucking Runa’s journal beneath her arm.

  “Please,” Taraniz said again, her voice calm and gentle. It was nothing like the voice Piper had heard her use when commanding her troops against Outland Post. “I only wish to speak with you. I promise.”

  Piper stared at her skeptically, not daring to move.

  “You are free to search me of weapons,” said Taraniz, her hands still raised.

  Slowly, Piper lowered her blade, but did not sheath it.

  “Fine. I am listening, but I want to know how you knew I would be here,” she said.

  Taraniz lowered her hands, and grabbed Runa’s journal, holding it to her chest again. She looked at the floor, silent for some time as she struggled to find the words.

  “I knew as soon as you entered Cannondole.” She straightened to her full height and took a deep breath. “I could feel your presence through the minds of the soldiers. I knew you were there, in the forest and the manor. Then I lost you for a while, but I knew if you had gone to Cannondole, I just knew where your heart would lead you. I felt you when you entered the noble’s wing.” Taraniz took a step forward. Piper raised the tip of her blade slightly, and Taraniz, taking the warning, stepped back again. “I do not know how I did it. So much that I do seems that way. I thought it was a good idea. I thought about how I might do such a thing, and then it just happened. I searched your mind for memories, and I used one of mine as well. I made them materialize so you would follow them. I am glad you did.”

  “You are lucky I did,” said Piper coldly. “You should not pry into people’s minds, Taraniz. It is not polite for one. Now, where is my grandmother?”

  “She is safe. I promise. She is with the nobles of Sparrow’s Port. I did not hurt her. I only asked her some questions. I knew you would come here looking for her.” Taraniz looked at the floor, her lower lip trembling. She ran her fingers absently over the leather of the journal and looked at Piper again. “I am sorry,” she said. “I have wanted to talk to you for so long. Ever since I discovered the truth – but I haven’t been able to.”

  “Not attacking the people of my village would have been a great start,” scoffed Piper.

  “I know. Piper, I am sorry. I am sorry for everything I have done. I never meant it to be this way.” Taraniz dropped the journal. She clutched at her head, grimacing in pain and nearly fell to the floor. Piper rushed forward, abandoning her blade on the dusty bed. Taraniz was panting, her eyes shut tight with pain. Piper touched her shoulder, and almost instantly, Taraniz’s eyes opened. She took several deep breaths and rose from the floor. “I’m alright. I am sorry.” she said breathlessly.

  “What happened?” Piper asked. Her voice was gentle, and her hand remained on her sister’s shoulder.

  “It is difficult to explain,” said Taraniz. “You must understand, I never wanted to conquer Chartile. I wanted to unite our peoples under one banner. I never wanted this bloodshed. When I discovered I had magic, it was — oh, Piper, I cannot put it into words!”

  Tears streaked Taraniz’s face. Piper reached for her free hand and led her to the bed. She sheathed her sword and sat beside her, holding Taraniz’s hands between hers.

  “It was as though an evil awoke inside of me. I became two different people, and I could not control it. I cannot control it still. The true me screamed inside my heart and my mind, but it was though a wall had been built around me and I could not escape. I had heard rumors of a girl in Outland Post that had magical abilities, and I thought that perhaps the secret to controlling that… that rage might lie there, with you.

  “I wanted your help. Truly I did. But every time I began forming a party to travel there, the evil inside of me would overtake everything and lock me away.”

  The princess wiped the tears from her eyes, and turned to face her sister. Piper saw the similarities between them now. The high cheek bones she now knew came from their mother, the freckles across the bridge of her nose, which had been from their father.

  “Piper, I want you to rule with me. I want us to be equals. We are sisters. We both have an equal claim to the throne, and magic. Teach me how I can control this hate in my heart, and we could be the most powerful rulers in all of Chartile. Think of all the wonderful things we could do for all of the races of our land!”

  Piper stared back into Taraniz’s blue-grey eyes, and sighed. “Taraniz –”

  “It’s Ani,” said the princess, with a smirk.

  Piper smiled back and continued, “Ani, I honestly cannot help you. But I have a friend. I’m sure he has followed me here by now. He taught me so much about controlling my magic. I think, with his help, and the boys, we can help you.”

  “The boys?” Taraniz asked surprised. “So the prophecy is true?”

  Piper smiled at her, and nodded excited. “Yes! This evil in you, it must be Noraedin’s soul. Ani, if we can just –”

  Taraniz’s eyes flashed black. Her smiling face fell, and she stood, pulling a dagger from inside her sleeve. Piper reached for the knife at her back, but Taraniz was too quick. She pushed Piper to the bed, the dagger raised above her face.

  Piper kicked Taraniz in her stomach and pushed her to the floor. The dagger flew through the air and smashed against the mirror of the dressing table. Piper ran to Taraniz, who lay face down on the floor.

  “Ani,” she whispered, pulling Taraniz into her arms. The girl was dazed, and the blackness faded from her eyes as she blinked them into focus.

  “Oh, Piper!” she breathed, and began sobbing when she saw the shattered mirror. “I am so sorry! I didn’t hurt you, did I? Forgive me!”

  “Of course I forgive you,” Piper whispered in her ear. “This is not you. The reincarnation process between you and Noraedin’s soul has been… compromised. I think he’s trying to finish what he started through you.”

  “Can you fix this?” Taraniz pleaded, looking up at Piper. Her face was pretty, even when she cried.

  “No, but I think with returned kings, and Dimitri, we might be able to –”

  Taraniz’s eyes flashed black again. This time, Piper was ready for it. She pinned Taraniz’s arms behind her back, and held her to the ground.

  “Leave my sister alone!” she screamed. “Ani, you have to fight this! Come back to me!” A power unlike anything Piper had ever felt surged from Taraniz’s body. It exploded through Piper with an audible blast, and Piper slammed against the mirror, shattering it even further.

  Taraniz stood, her eyes still black. They flashed back to their innocent gray-blue, but there was no kindness behind them. Taraniz lifted her hand, and Piper flew through the air again, landing hard on the bed. The shackles on the wall snapped around her wrists. Taraniz smiled, and it was very unlike the Ani Piper had just met.

  “She is mine,” said the voice Piper knew too well.

  Taraniz turned and left the room, kicking Runa’s journal under the bed.

  “Ani, wait!” Piper called. “You can fight this! Come back!”

  Her footsteps slowly faded away on the stone stairs. Taraniz was gone.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Sacrifices

  Jayson ran his hand over the smooth bark of one of the Belirian tree book shelves in the elven library. He pulled a random book from the shelf in front of him and opened to the center page. It was
a record of trading with Harpy’s Point, and judging by the fade and smudge of the ink, he guessed it was many years old. He snapped the book shut, and placed it back on the shelf haphazardly.

  “This is stupid,” he said, not caring to keep his voice down anymore.

  “Ssh!” said Leo. He poked his head around the corner and glaring at Jayson.

  “Oh, shut up, Leo,” said Jayson in anger. “You know Dimitri and Valin left us here to keep us out of the way.”

  “Jayson, this library is massive,” said Jack, his tone more hushed. “Piper could be in here anywhere. We don’t want to draw attention from the guards.”

  “We are the returned kings.” Jayson folded his arms across his chest. “We should be out there looking for the circlet and for Taraniz. Dimitri might have magic too, but there are three of us and only one of him. She’s not in here. I just know it in my gut.”

  “Maybe we can find something useful, though.” Leo thumbed through a book. “An ancient book on magic, or Piper’s birth records.”

  “I don’t think the records are in here, Leo,” said Jack. “Taraniz wouldn’t have kidnapped Gran if they were.”

  “But they could be,” said Leo. He picked up another book and gingerly turned the pages as though they were made of glass. “If Gran hid the documents in here somewhere, Taraniz might have kidnapped her to torture Gran into telling her where she hid them.”

  Jack looked at Jayson and shrugged. There was a loud crash outside the door in the hallway, and palace guards materialized from the shadows within the library. They walked toward the boys, swords drawn and their faces devoid of any feeling or emotion.

  Jayson, Jack and Leo reached for their weapons and began backing towards the door main door. The guards remained silent, continuing to pursue them slowly and steady. Jayson raised an arrow, ready to shoot. Leo reached out an arm and shouted “Wait! Stop walking for a minute,” he said. Jayson chanced a glance at him, his brow furrowed. “Move aside. Away from the door,” said Leo. They stepped out of the way and behind a tree trunk.

  The guards walked past them, unblinking. Two nearly bumped into them on their trek toward the door. The guards suddenly halted, frozen in their tracks. After a moment, two continued out the door and into the golden hall. A third guard, who had stood beside Leo, Jack and Jayson turned to them. He raised his sword, his eyes blank and staring.

  “Can I shoot him now?” Jayson cried.

  Jack reacted first. He hit the man in the stomach, then again behind the knees. The guard swung at him and nearly sliced his shoulder. Leo jumped in, swinging for the man’s arm. Jack’s bow staff knocked into the book case behind him, and parchment went flying.

  “The books!” Leo cried.

  “Not now, Leo!” said Jayson, his bow still strung. He stepped back and forth in an attempt to get a shot.

  “Into the hall!” Leo shouted, and bounded for the door.

  “There’s more guards out there!” Jack protested, but his back was towards the door and it seemed the only means of escape. He made one last jab at the guard and bolted after Leo.

  Jayson groaned, and followed his friends to the main door. More guards swarmed the halls as Jack had predicted, and they converged on the boys as soon as they stepped into the golden hall. Jayson stood in the door, firing his arrows one after another. He made sure to aim for areas that would render his enemies injured but not dead.

  He felt a hand grab his shoulder. It tightened, ready to spin him around. Jayson dropped his bow and grabbed for the dagger he kept at his waist. He turned and ducked under his assailant’s arm, jabbing him in the neck with the blade.

  Jayson’s entire body went numb as the guard’s hot blood sprayed over his hand. He staggered back, watching as the man’s once blank eyes filled with fear. The guard dropped his sword, clutching at his neck. His knees hit the floor, and he collapsed, sputtering and gasping. Jayson backed away. He didn’t want to watch the man die, but couldn’t tear his eyes from the scene. He looked down at his arm, and saw it was covered in the man’s blood. The guard’s neck continued to ooze blood between his fingers, and he spluttered and wheezed.

  “Why?” the man gasped.

  Jayson dropped to his knees, holding his blood streaked arms out before him, and rocked back and forth.

  The force of the blood lessened, as did the man’s wheezing cries. Jayson knew he was dead when he exhaled one long, gurgling breath. Jayson lost his breakfast on the floor beside the guard. He wrapped his arms around himself, rocking harder, and sobbing uncontrollably.

  The guards had somehow regained control of themselves when injured, and had run off as Jack and Leo fought them. The two stood staring at the guard, watching as he took his last breath. It wasn’t until Jayson had vomited did they rush to his side. They removed their tabards with trembling hands and tried to wipe the blood from him.

  “It happened,” Jayson whimpered. “M—my vision. I didn’t mean—“

  “It’s okay, Jay,” said Jack calmly as he worked to wipe the blood that had splattered onto Jayson’s chin. “He’s not in pain anymore.”

  “He didn’t need to die.” Jayson was still crying, his words almost incomprehensible. “I didn’t mean to. I didn’t!”

  “We know, Jayson.” Leo patted his friend on the back. He tried to wipe the blood from Jayson’s arms, but they were clenched too tightly around his body.

  Jack and Leo hooked their arms under Jayson’s and pulled him to his feet. Jayson staggered upward, leaning on his friends for support. He couldn’t take his eyes off the body of the guard before him.

  “Hey, hey,” said Jack shaking Jayson by the shoulders. “Look at me. Look at me, Jayson!” He turned Jayson’s face away from the body. “It was an accident. You were only defending yourself. We have to keep moving. Piper could be in trouble.”

  It was several minutes before Jayson was able to take the many deep breaths he needed to control his crying and heaving. Leo picked up his bow and handed it to Jayson. The boy clutched it with white knuckles then slung it over his shoulder. His legs felt like jelly as he walked. Before they rounded the corner, he dared one last glance at the guard who lay in a pool of red, sticky blood. He wondered what his name was. Piper had at least gotten Tathias’s name before he died.

  

  Valin leaned against the wall, listening intently. He peeked around the corner into the next corridor, but there was nothing. Dimitri trudged past him, glanced in each direction then hurried on.

  “Dimitri, we must use more caution,” said Valin. He hurried forward, attempting to lead the way.

  “There are no guards here, Valin,” said Dimitri, “You are wasting time by checking every opening we pass. We need to find Piper.”

  “We are no good to Piper if we are captured,” Valin said. His voice strained with the effort to remain calm.

  “We will not be captured,” said Dimitri assuredly.

  “How do you know?” asked Valin coldly. He stepped in front of Dimitri, pressing his hand into Dimitri’s chest and halting his way. “You are so certain of yourself, Dimitri. Of everything. How do I know you are not working for Taraniz?”

  Dimitri threw his head back. A smile spread wide across his face, but he stifled his laugh at the last moment. Instead, he shook his head and pushed Valin aside. “I am the last person who would be working for the woman who has tried to kill my lady for so long.”

  “Your lady? She will not be your lady when she becomes Queen.”

  “And how do you know? You are certain of yourself as well that she will choose you over me,” Dimitri stopped, meeting Valin’s gaze. “After only a few days? For someone who has no desire for power, you are rather bent on bedding her. Well, she was mine first.”

  “I have only the desire to do what is best for the elves of Chartile! For my people!” Valin cried in a strained whisper. He opened his mouth to speak again, but closed it and took a deep breath. “This is get us nowhere. We will know in good time Piper’s decision. We need to find t
he circlet.”

  “The circlet? You are not serious. I am looking for Piper. Where are you leading me?” asked Dimitri.

  “We need to find the circlet to defeat Taraniz. It is likely in the royal treasury.” Valin continued walking, no longer looking at Dimitri.

  “I should have left you in the library and taken the boys,” muttered Dimitri. “At least they are concerned for Piper.”

  “Of course I am concerned for her! Why do you think I am looking for the circlet? As a trinket to give her?”

  “You seem to have done fine in that endeavor without the help of the royal treasury,” Dimitri muttered under his breath, but Valin still heard him.

  “That necklace was my mother’s,” Valin whispered coldly. “I gave it to Piper for her to make the decision for herself.”

  “I know. I heard everything outside that rickety door of yours,” Dimitri lied.

  It was movement out of the corner of their eyes that stayed Valin and Dimitri from yet another scuffle. They turned to see a single guard running for them, his sword drawn and ready. His eyes were blank, his lips parted in a slack jaw that gave the dazed impression of sleep walking.

  They pulled their swords, shoulder to shoulder, and waited for the charging man to come within range. When the guard was ten feet from them, Dimitri charged and caught the man’s arm in his own. He swung him to the ground, pinning the guard’s arms behind his back.

  “Dimitri, no!” Valin moved behind him.

  “Kill the strangers! Kill them!” wailed the guard over and over as he struggled against Dimitri’s grasp.

  “Where is Taraniz?” Dimitri demanded. He held his belt knife to the man’s throat.

  “Dimitri, what are you doing?” asked Valin panicked. He attempted to pull Dimitri off the soldier. Dimitri raised his hand and shot a small fire ball at Valin. He narrowly dodged the flame and watched as the fire ball dissipated a few feet away. Dimitri glared at him and returned the knife to the guard’s throat.

  “Where. Is. Taraniz?” Dimitri asked again through gritted teeth. “Tell me, or that fire ball will find its way down your throat, next.” The knife cut into the man’s neck and chin. He gasped, and blinked several times. His eyes lost their dull, glassy stare, and his pupils shrank as he became aware of himself once more.