“No.” Prince Frederick shook his golden head as if that idea were preposterous. “That is completely unrelated.”
A breath I hadn’t known I was holding escaped. I wasn’t going to be hanged, that was always good. I turned skeptical. “So, you’re saying that I – me, Linaria Harvey, tiny klutzy farmer girl, Lina – …have magic?”
“Yes. And very powerful at that. It just hasn’t awakened yet, so to speak.” Prince Frederick said, looking to Rachel at the last few words, as if uncertain.
Rachel looked at me for a few seconds, judging me as I crossed my arms over my chest, before sighing, “You don’t believe us, do you?”
“Uh, no. Not really. Sorry. Gornish magic is only in Royals, and you say I’m not a Rounan so… There’s no possible way.” I shrugged. These people were deranged. I looked to my little cousin in my grandmother’s lap. “C’mon Keera, let’s go. We’ll see Grandma again sometime soon.”
Keera reluctantly slid out of Grandma’s embrace, looking at me with knowing eyes as she joined me by the door.
My hand was on the knob when the short, aged woman rose from her rocking chair and spoke with a sterner voice than usual. “Now, Lina, just you wait. I can prove it to you. There are other kinds of magic in this world than just Rounan and Gornish.”
I looked over my shoulder to see Grandma standing in the middle of the room now, her feet in the very center of the wheat-colored rug that fought against the chill of the wooden floor. Upon seeing this, Rachel walked calmly to the side of the room to join her quiet brothers. The prince moved a little more haphazardly, pulling his sister with him into the doorway to the kitchen. Luke and James snickered a little at this. My hand took hold of Keera’s, suddenly afraid. I stuttered, “H-How?”
“You’re not the only Allyen here. There is one Allyen per generation normally, and you and I are directly descended from the original Allyen, Nora Soreta. She created her own magic to defeat a very evil sorcerer almost three hundred years ago.” Grandma took a deep breath, and closed her brown eyes that were speckled with gold just like mine.
“Is that possible? To create your own magic?” I was quiet as Grandma held out her frail hands.
“For Nora, it was, and it was passed down to each of us.”
In the instant that Grandma’s eyes reopened, the little living room exploded with light. I shielded my eyes from the intense whiteness of it at first. The light seemed to act as a gale of wind, pushing Keera and I closer to the outer wall. The surge was radiating pure power, and when I gathered enough courage to move my hand away from my face, I saw my Grandma, a wide smile on her face standing as if she were fifty years younger with her withered hands cradling the light that seemed to gush forth from her chest.
Seeing this magic was terrifying at first, and yet, after a few seconds my fear began to subside. This magic felt warm, nonthreatening. Not to mention the fact that it was my little old grandmother using it. As I looked around at the smiling faces of Rachel, Luke, and James and the amazed expressions of Prince Frederick and Princess Mira, I began to think this might be a good thing. I began to believe they were right. I assumed my magic would be the same as Grandma’s, if we were both this Allyen thing, and I felt more comfortable with this form of magic. However, that didn’t stop the fact that the thought “I have magic” blew my mind.
Grandma turned her happy eyes to me, and her voice was strong. “Do you believe us now, Allyen Linaria? That’s an Allyen name, you know!”
I nodded slowly, still a little in shock. “Yes. Yes, I do.” After all, it was hard to argue with a giant ball of light exuding from my grandmother.
The magic shut off instantaneously. The shine vanished, and the gentle wind subsided. I realized I was breathing hard but could not stop. I ran my small hand through my bangs, and somehow the only word I could mutter after that was “Whoa”. Talk about overwhelmed.
Once the spell stopped, Grandma stooped over a little bit. The strength of the magic was gone, and she made her way back to her rocking chair with her cane that she hadn’t needed while demonstrating her power. When she sat down, her voice was quieter as she spoke, “I’m glad you understand now, because I’m afraid things are beginning to look dour. The sorcerer that Nora defeated has returned to finish what he started so long ago.”
Rachel motioned for me to sit at the table with her and the two Royals while Luke and James continued to be stationed at the door and window. I sat with them before turning to face my grandmother again. “How is that possible? I thought you said Nora Soreta lived three hundred years ago. That was right when Nerahdis was first settled, right?”
Grandma suddenly looked weary, feeling the effects of the magic usage as Keera climbed back into her lap, so Rachel picked up where Grandma left off. She looked at me through very intense eyes, different from the cheery friend I knew so well. “Yes. This sorcerer tried to take over Nerahdis after Emperor Caden was murdered, and Nora stopped him but was unable to kill him. That’s why her magic has continued to be passed down to her descendants. She knew someday Rhydin would return.”
I nodded, beginning to understand. “Rhydin… How do you know Rhydin is returning? How is that even possible if it was three hundred years ago?”
Rachel looked to the Royals next to her, and they nodded. She swallowed hard, visible in her thin neck. “Rhydin has used his extensive magic to stop his aging. That’s how he is still alive. You told me once that you woke up in the forest as a child with no memory as to how you got there. We know now that Rhydin tried to kidnap you.”
My fingers tightened on a clump of my clothes, even down to the trousers I wore underneath my dress. I began to rack my brain hard trying to remember anything about that night. Anything at all before Sam found me. Nothing would come. Not even the usual hazy shadows of a childhood memory. Just blackness. It seemed unreal.
“You may not remember anything, but surely you can tell that something other than time has erased it. He used magic, there’s no use trying to remember.” Rachel said sympathetically, her long freckled hand reaching out to rest on top of my small one. “I’m afraid that he was also to blame for the Epidemic a few years ago, and several of his Followers have been spotted in Soläna near you recently. His number one priority right now is you, Lina. This generation of Allyens is different from the older ones like Grandma Saarah. For three hundred years, there has only been one Allyen per generation. You are one of two. The other is your brother who was separated from you. The separation is for safety reasons, but we’ll get to that later.”
I didn’t really hear the last part. I already felt as if I’d been punched in the stomach, and my lungs would not work. There was an evil sorcerer named Rhydin. Rhydin somehow caused the Epidemic? He was the one who killed my parents and left Rosetta and I alone? Somehow, it all seemed unbelievable, and yet I felt an intense anger begin to swell inside of me. Worse was the fact that he had tried for me with the Epidemic, and got my parents instead. It was my fault.
My fist clenched the knee of my dress and trousers. My voice was tight as I said, “So, what are we going to do about it?”
Rachel was quiet now. I wasn’t looking at her, but I could feel her steady gaze on the crown of my head. She was my friend, and she knew my thoughts far too well.
I heard Prince Frederick’s strong voice, hinted with tenderness. “We’re going to train you. We’re going to teach you to use your magic, so we can defeat Rhydin once and for all.”
Mira finally spoke, her voice tiny, “We can finish what Nora Soreta started.”
I looked up at the fair-skinned princess, her amethyst eyes were captivating, “Is the magic good enough to beat him? He seems so powerful.”
Mira tucked a stray black curl behind her ear, and a smile graced her perfect lips again. “The Allyen has done it before. You just have to learn how. For some reason, Rhydin doesn’t seem to understand the fact that your magic is like the antidote to his. He does a lot of things that we don’t understand. For example, Rhydin letting
you go that night does not make sense. His knowledge of magic is so great due to his three hundred years’ existence that it is very strange that he doesn’t understand this. That’s why he couldn’t kill you in the Epidemic, either. This information is very hard to come by, and because of this, minimal people believe Rhydin and Allyens are more than myths. Rhydin went underground very successfully three hundred years ago, and so possesses the advantage of surprise. You have a very good chance at beating him, Lina. It will be difficult, but it is attainable. We’re all here to help you.”
I looked around the room for the hundredth time. I saw the smiling Rachel, confident as always, and her brothers off in the corner watching the windows. Seeing all three siblings together reassured me of the reality of where I was and what I now knew. Young James was grinning, and Luke had a slight smirk. Grandma looked downright proud, which made sense if I was finally going to learn the magic she had. And when I looked at the two Royals, they seemed much less foreign than they had only an hour ago.
They’d gone from complete, terrifying strangers, to two people that could, in the future, possibly be labeled the impossible term of “friend”. It was eerie to consider that I was somewhat friends with two powerful Royals. I could already see that their magic expertise would be a great help and something I would rely on heavily. My brain still hadn’t completely registered the incomprehensible concept of magic, but I felt confident about this dreamlike situation. Still processing everything, I simply smiled, and Rachel took that as my response.
She stood up from the table, as if dismissing the meeting. “Good. We’ll start your training soon to make sure you’re ready for Rhydin. While we do that, Frederick still needs to get into contact with Xavier and Daniel to see where they stand in the conflict. I’ll be spying on the meeting that Rhydin’s Followers seem to be here for. And Lina, because of everything we’ve talked to you about tonight, we want you to sleep here.”
My thoughts abruptly switched gears. I remembered that Xavier was the crown prince of Mineraltir, and Daniel was getting ready to ascend the throne in Auklia with his new wife now that his mother, Queen Maria, was getting on in years. I’d seen that in the papers sitting on the apple stand one day, so I read it stealthily while pretending to pick out the good apples from the worm-infested ones. Newspapers were expensive.
However, at the mention of my staying at Grandma’s, I immediately stood as well. “But Rachel, I can’t stay here! I have work at home to do! And Rosetta’s there by herself, I can’t leave her all night! Sam will be looking for me, too, in the morning!”
The Royals slipped their cloaks back on and disappeared into the night as Luke left his spot at the window to join his red-haired sister. “Lina, you must understand. Rhydin’s prime target right now is you. He wants your locket to amplify his own power and then kill you. On your way here, you ran into someone we think may be one of Rhydin’s Followers. Because of everything we’ve told you tonight, it would just be smarter for your own life if you stayed here. One night is all we ask, until Rachel, James, and I can locate Eli and the other suspect, the one you and Rachel met selling Mineraltin wares named Terran. Please?”
I was about to come up with another rebuttal when Rachel interrupted me, the smile vanished from her expression. It made me slow down to see how somber she was. “Lina, I promise you that I will go stay with your sister, okay? Just stay here, please. Your grandmother can protect you while my brothers and I are away. We’ll try to be quick.”
I sighed louder than what was probably necessary. I looked at the two determined tall people in front of me, both of which had their own particular set to their jaw. My hands found my hips. “Fine! One night, but that’s it!”
“Thank you, Lina!” Rachel’s brilliant smile returned as she whirled around to grab her own cloak and bag off the table. Luke motioned to James as he grabbed a sheath from behind the door, a long sword handle sticking out threaded with colorful tassels. James grabbed his own, though slightly different from his elder brother’s, and suddenly I became confused as I stared at the three Owenses.
“Wait.” The word escaped my mouth, before any thoughts had finished forming really.
The threesome halted what they were doing. Rachel had pulled her cloak on, a broad shape underneath that was beginning to remind me of yet another sword, her brown hood blending with her bright fiery hair. Luke and James were strapping thick, leather arm guards on, and for the first time I noticed that both of them wore leather gloves over their right hands that nearly blended in with their skin colors. They seemed so armed for normal people.
Eventually, my thoughts put themselves in the right order. “How do you guys fit? I mean… I guess Grandma and I are Allyens. Frederick is the crown prince, and Mira’s a princess. Both Xavier and Daniel will be kings some day with Frederick. How are you guys involved in something so dangerous?”
Rachel blinked at me. Luke looked just as confused as he reached to scratch his head, his light brown hair beginning to stick up. It was James who finally spoke, “That’s a little complicated, Lina. We don’t really want Rhydin to win either, y’know? But you could kind of say that we’re your bodyguards, I guess. We’ve protected you for a very long time, and others before us. It’s our job to protect the Allyens.”
“Oh.” I looked at Rachel, a little hurt. Did that mean she only became my friend in order to protect me?
Rachel seemed to read my glance perfectly, and took my hand. “Lina, I may be your protector, but you’re much more than that now. You’re my best friend, you know that.”
I nodded smiling slightly. “Yeah.”
The three Owenses grinned and headed for the door. They had barely opened it, yet instantly they were gone. I was left in the little living room with Grandma and Keera, and it suddenly felt very big with them all missing. I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, still trying to absorb everything that had happened.
I had magic. There was a sorcerer named Rhydin who had stopped aging, wanted my locket, and to kill me. The prince and princess were my friends, I was possibly involved with Prince Xavier of Mineraltir and the soon to be King Daniel of Auklia. Rachel, Luke, and James weren’t just my friends, apparently, they were my protectors. It seemed as if everything had changed.
I pulled my locket out of my tunic and held it close. It felt warm for once. Usually, the metal was cold against my skin, no matter how long it remained against the heat of my body. Strange. How was I going to tell Rosetta about this? And Sam? What if me having magic alienated them from me? Then again, maybe I wouldn’t have to. Maybe, this was just a dream, or it would be over before too much time went by. I wouldn’t tell them until I had to, I decided.
Grandma had taken Keera to bed, so I forced myself to walk through the doorway to join Keera in the bedroom. As I passed the window, I heard a familiar chirp. I looked into the darkness to see my little birdie through the window pane, and I smiled a little bit. Weird bird, up so late at night. It came closer and began pecking on the window rather loudly, as if trying to get into the house.
My smile disappeared as I whacked the glass with my knuckles to scare the little thing off. I inwardly apologized to the bird, but I doubted Grandma would appreciate a broken window. I shut the blue shutters, and then went to join my cousin with my hand still tight around my warm, silver Allyen locket.
Chapter Four
A few hours passed. The town fell into complete silence around Keera and I, even the great whirring of the mine came to a halt in the darkness. The beam of light pouring through the window cast a square glow onto the bed that Keera and I shared, but while Keera’s breathing slowed, I was still waiting.
I stared at the white, uneven ceiling, picking out all of the cracks in the night that had appeared, the telltale signs of an old house. This was Grandma’s guest bedroom, which was not used very often as far as I knew. Grandma mostly used it to store all of her “nice” things that she didn’t like in other places where they could get dirty. A fluffy white comforter o
n the bed, a never-before used rocking chair in the corner, a dark chest of drawers next to my head that was most likely empty.
This was so stupid. I understood where Rachel and her brothers were coming from when they asked me to stay the night at Grandma’s, but surely I was safe enough in my own house! I sighed heavily and waited until the light window-print on our blankets became incrementally dimmer. This meant the Lamp Master was finally coming around to Grandma’s street to put out the lamp posts and refill them with oil. He typically did this around midnight, the king’s curfew, which meant Grandma and Keera would likely both be asleep by now.
I rolled out of bed as nimbly as I could with my muscles still sore from planting, trying not to jostle my slumbering cousin, and shoved my feet into my holey boots. I clasped my cloak around my neck and threw my hood over my head, probably looking more like a bandit now than a granddaughter trying to go home. I didn’t have time for this. Sam would be waiting for me in the morning to continue our work, and the path up to the Canyonlands, the prairies surrounding Soläna’s canyon where I lived, didn’t open until at least midmorning. I felt like I didn’t have a choice.
I tiptoed across the creaky floor in the fading light, the map from when I was a child still permanently etched into my head of which boards were silent and which made so much noise they could probably awaken even the king. A tap at the window scared the living daylights out of me, and my foot landed on one of the especially squeaky parts of the floor, a nail head jutting into the toe of my boot. I cringed with pain, desperate to keep my mouth shut. Keera moaned a little bit, and then rolled over in her sleep towards where I had been in the bed.
I looked out the window to see the outline of a bird in the remaining glow. I chastised the bird in my mind. It was going to get me caught! I laid my hand on the smooth metal of the door handle, and began to turn it ever so slowly…
The Allyen (The Story of the First Archimage Book 1) Page 5