by Kira Stüssy
His plan was to withhold what he knew, from Mirabelle especially. She was persistently curious, always pestering him with this and that. And it would be a challenge to hide anything from her interrogative stare that she so often gave. But when he saw the look of pure happiness that spread across her face when she saw her younger sister, he was positive the lights in the room literally became brighter. Seeing her so happy constricted his heart painfully.
He alerted Erion of the startling news concerning the young Durrant child as soon as he escaped Mirabelle and Iris. After explaining the young girl’s appearance and retelling what Rain had told him, Erion simply nodded and said, “Caspian and Mira don’t need to know this yet. They don’t need the extra confusion.”
Ash couldn’t agree more, but the thought of hiding even more information from Mirabelle was surprisingly difficult. He didn’t want to see those large gray eyes look at him with any more hatred than they already did. He normally didn’t really care what others thought of him, he had trained himself over the years not to. But something about her was different, almost...illuminating.
“How do you feel about the additional job assignment?” Erion broke through his reverie.
“Guardians? Yeah, no clue what that’s about. But the Queen always has some trick up her sleeve doesn’t she?” That morning Queen Selene, the Moon Elemental, had sent a personal note through the Legion headquarters assigning Ash and Erion an additional job as Guardians. They had no idea when they started or who they would be protecting, but the note indicated they would find out soon enough.
He blinked repeatedly to bring himself back to the present. I need to focus, now is not the time to let up my guard. He thought. Erion nodded to the far left, his eyes wide and urgent. Ash straightened up slightly so as to be able to see the expanse of desert that surrounded the gates of Hartrain. The sun shone bright and hot and dust particles fogged his vision, but in the distance he could distinctly see two black figures shuffling towards the walled country.
As they drew closer, Ash could more clearly make out the forms. A boy and a girl. The girl’s silky black hair flew behind her like an opaque cape and the boy’s brilliant eyes burned Wielder blue through the dusty air. It looked as if the boy was dragging the girl along. Eventually, they were near enough that Ash could see their faces and he almost called out at what he saw.
He knew that girl and he hated her.
But she was Nostosianand his job was to protect all those in the country, no matter which Kingdom they were from. As part of the treaty of the Kingdoms, he took an oath to get into the Legion that tied him to that way of thinking ‘til death. He could now see that the boy had feathery brown hair and a twisted smile that only came from a mind lost to insanity. Something about the boy seemed familiar, something about his jaw line…
The black haired girl was out cold, her body slack as the maniacal boy pulled her across the desert. Ash started to stand up, ready to run after them, but Erion tugged on his arm warningly, “Don’t.”
“She’s from Nostos, we have to help her.”
“If we go after them now, we’ll just get killed. We won’t be able to do much good if we’re dead.”
“So we’re just going to sit here and wait for them to kill her instead?”
Erion silenced and Ash turned back to the boy and girl. The boy shouted out, his voice slightly high pitched, like he had just barely hit puberty. The large stone walls that surrounded Hartrain shifted thunderously to let them in. As the gates opened, a band of half a dozen Hartrainians clad in all black gear marched out to meet them. A couple of them took the girl from the young Wielder and carried her inside the gates. One of them handed the boy a canteen of water and ushered him inside as well. Within minutes, everyone entered the city and the doors prepared to close.
Ash knew this would be his only shot.
Ignoring Erion’s terrified hiss, Ash sprang to his feet and dashed out into the open. This went against every code he had ever learned about Scouting and it was only his first mission. But he knew that sometimes you had to bend the rules in order to do the right thing. And he knew that staying hidden in the brush while he watched one of his fellow citizens be taken by the enemy couldn’t be right.
He pumped his arms as fast as he could, his breathing growing more ragged with every step. The heavy air filled his desperate lungs with dust and heat, making them beg for water. The stone walls moved towards each other now, like the colossal Gates to Hades. Only a small sliver remained ajar. He pushed himself even harder, practically to his breaking point. He had to make it, he had to help that girl. Sweat poured from his burning skin, trying in vain to cool him off.
The doors were feet away from shutting now. With a strained grunt, he snapped out his Knowledge and felt the strong wind flow past them. With a burst of energy he didn’t have, he jumped from the sandy ground and allowed the air currents to pull him up into the air. His muscles ached but he flapped his Knowledge as fast as he could muster anyways. He tucked his arms in to his sides in an attempt to become as aerodynamic as possible.
He was going to make it. They were almost shut, but at the rate at which he flew and the amount of room left in between the stone walls he could just barely fit…
“Umph!”
Right as he was about to squeeze through the crack and enter Hartrain, a speeding object tackled him midair from his left. Ash cartwheeled through the air before tumbling painfully to the ground. The sand broke his fall but he would still have to deal with some nasty bruises in the morning.
“What were you thinking? You would have been killed!”
Ash sat up and met Erion’s furious gaze, “I was trying to help her.”
“Look, I know you want to play hero but we have to be smart. You can’t just run into situations without thinking. You’re brighter than that Ash. So what did you think you were going to do once you got in, eh? Take on their entire army single-handed? Yeah, that’s what I thought.”
Erion plopped down beside him and sighed deeply.
Ash stared up at the looming walls, “I just wanted to help someone.”
“Yeah well we’re going to have to start doing a lot of that I reckon. Our Legion skills might actually be of some use soon enough.”
“Why do you say that?”
Erion’s sky blue eyes hardened as he spoke, “Because as of now, the peace treaty has been broken.”
Chapter 8
A knock came at my door exactly two weeks after my arrival in Nostos. Without waiting for me to allow them, Ash and Erion barged into the room. Erion looked worried while Ash seemed slightly more than bored. They wore outfits of forest green jeans and combat jackets with boots laced up tight. I spotted the strange wood knives that Elementals seemed to fight with tucked into the various loops and pockets of their uniforms. Caspian and Iris, who both sat on my couch over in the corner playing cards, stood up at their arrival.
Erion wasted no time cutting to the chase, “Miss Mirabelle, we require your presence down in the Nostosian Courts.”
“Good morning to you too.”
“We apologize, but there isn’t much time for formalities.”
I nodded, “Do either of you know what they want to talk about?”
“We aren’t sure,” The uneasy look in his sky blue eyes set my stomach into queasy discomfort. I tried to catch Ash’s eye but he refused to look at me, preferring his fingernails instead. “We were given orders to retrieve you and escort you to the Courts.”
“I’ll go with her.” Caspian laid a protective hand on my shoulder.
Erion nodded, “Yes you will, because they require that you come as well.”
Caspian and I looked at each other in surprise.
“We’re taking Iris.”
Erion sighed, “Very well.”
Caspian and I each took one of Iris’s hands and followed Ash and Erion out the door, down the corridors and stairs, and onto the path that wove through the village. I clenched Iris’s hand tighter than I normally
would. With my rising stress level came an even firmer grip. What the Court wanted persisted to be a mystery to me. When we came to the foot of Center Hill, I watched Iris’s eyebrows shoot up in confusion but it was not until we stood on top of the hill and Erion spoke into the open sky asking for permission to enter the courts that she turned to me and said, “Is he okay?” I nodded and gestured to the hole in the ground that opened up like the Rabbit Hole to Wonderland and almost laughed when her jaw just about hit the floor.
For the second time, I made the trip down the dirt sculpted tunnels to the underground Courtroom. The dim light flickered against the brown walls eerily and I gave an unintentional shiver. Ash pulled the large door open and held it ajar for us to walk through. As I passed him he reached out and grasped my arm, alarm shadowing his face, an alien emotion on his face, “Mirabelle, just remember, don’t speak unless spoken to. The Court does not condone defiance.”
The abnormal heat from his hand radiated up my arm, spreading a pleasant warmth through my body, “Since when am I defiant?”
The worried look evaporated and left me with only a vacant, crooked smile, “Just keep your mouth shut, alright?” I nodded and he let go. I strode into the large, dome-like room of the Courts and sat at the far table between Caspian and Iris. The four Council members perched on their thrones above, staring down at us. Ravens waiting to devour their prey. I heard the enormous door shut as Ash slipped into the room, taking a standing spot beside Erion in the back.
Silence fell. The leader with the golden eyes (who I now knew to be the Elemental king due to his sun Knowledge) stood and spoke directly to us, I distantly recalled his name to be Cyro, “Mirabelle and Caspian Durrant, we have summoned you here today as a way to disclose confidential information. Everything you hear today shall remain private and only known to the people in this room until the Council permits otherwise. Is this clear?” We nodded. “Good. Now, it is our understanding that Caspian Durrant successfully received his Water Knowledge this last Monday, correct?” There was that name again: Durrant.
“Yes,” Caspian answered.
“And Mirabelle Durrant received an unclassified Knowledge on this same date?”
I nodded.
“Very well. Has it been disclosed to you that once an Elemental receives their Knowledge they are required to attend the Nostosian University to master your newly acquired skills in a way that is beneficial to our country and in order to gain the tools you need for future associations with the four Kingdoms?”
“So, you’re saying we have to go to school to be with other magical people our age to learn how to use our powers?” I asked.
“That is correct.”
“So, like Hogwarts?”
The King Cryro blanched, “I beg your pardon?”
“Mira, please shut up.” Caspian hissed into my ear. As tempting as the prospect of making a list of Harry Potter jokes sounded, I listened to my brother and zipped my lips.
“You will attend school on all days except Sunday starting at six in the morning and concluding at six in the evening. Every day you will spend half of your time with other Elementals your age and the other half with other children from the other three Kingdoms. You will be expected to comply with all of the demands your teachers make and to not cause any trouble. You will also be expected to complete any extra work outside of the classroom.”
“Yay, even magical worlds have homework.” I muttered to Caspian who merely glared in response.
“This is not all of the news we have to share with you today.” The golden eyed king then sat down.
The man with the electric blue eyes now stood, I now knew of him as the Wielding king, Borak, and when he spoke, his accented voice boomed like thunder, “The complication with your school attendance lies in information you have not yet been given concerning your heritage.”
This took me by surprise, “What are you talking about?”
“The blood that runs through you and your brother’s veins is not purely Elemental.”
Caspian spoke this time, “Not purely Elemental?”
“Do you know who your father is? Of course you do not, your mother escaped with you while you were just infants. We do not have all the information, for that you must ask your mother, but what we can tell you is this: your mother was originally married to a Wielder named Xavier Mayne. Intermarriage between Kingdoms is, of course, illegal so they were banished for their crime. That is why you were not raised here in Nostos.”
“Wait a minute,” I cut in, unable to listen a second longer without more clarification, “if my mom married a Wielder…and that man is our father…Caspian and I are…”
“Half Elemental and Half Wielder, yes.”
“But then how are we allowed to stay here? Isn’t the fact that we exist a crime?”
The blue-eyed man nodded, “Yes, but part of the Law recognizes the fact that the children of an illegal marriage did not commit the crime. The Law allows for these children to return to Nostos if they so choose. Your mother was the first to commit this felony in over three hundred years so we have been refreshed on the rules concerning your case.”
Three hundred years?
“And what are these rules?”
“You must live in this duality in secret. Your mother and her husband have already been escorted back to the human world, but we ask that you stay for your own safety now that you know of your heritage. Nostos is not without enemies and we would be much saddened to learn that something terrible happened to you if you return to the human world while you are still so vulnerable. You two must attend the Elemental lessons and All Kingdom lessons. But you must keep this information confidential. Our people do not accept abnormality with grace.”
“Why have we been introduced as Elementals if we’re half and half?”
He pondered this, “It was evident that for whatever reason the Elemental gene was dominant in you both. The cause is unknown seeing as we have not had such a case like yours in centuries. But despite the dominant Elemental trait, we expect you to have the abilities of both. Therefore, you will be taking Wielding classes independently once you become more comfortable with your Elemental powers. We have decided this is the best possible way to accommodate your situation. ”
Now Cyro stood and addressed us, “You have each been assigned a Guardian from our Legion that can attend the school with you and keep a discreet watch over you, just in case. They will make sure you adjust well to this new environment.”
A warm hand rested on my shoulder. I looked up to see Ash’s stony gaze locked with the eyes of the Elemental king, “Don’t worry, they’re in good hands.”
“If all is understood, then you may be dismissed.” And the four Council members stared down at us until we dispersed from the room and the large door slammed behind us.
*
As soon as we wound our way back through the dirt tunnels and up the stairs into the fresh air rushing around Center Hill, a small explosion occurred, namely: Erion.
“So that’s why they needed us to be their Guardians?!” Erion shouted into the chilled air as he whirled to face Ash who had slumped onto the ground in a heap of forest green gear. Erion’s lilted accent became more and more pronounced as his face grew redder with panic. “Did you know about this? Did you?”
“Yes, because I am actually part Seer and therefore predicted this meeting ages ago. Sorry mate, I meant to tell you.”
“Oh screw you!” This was the most informal term I had ever heard Erion use and it caught me off guard. He kicked at the grass angrily, “You know what this means, don’t you? If anyone else finds out about this…”
Ash perked up suddenly and grabbed the front of Erion’s shirt. Erion stopped stomping around and looked at Ash, “Nobody is going to find out. We have orders to follow and as long as we do that, we’re fine.” But he didn’t sound so sure.
He released Erion’s shirt. Erion brushed himself off and spoke more calmly, “Since when do you follow orders?”
“Since this time they actually make sense.”
Erion muttered bitterly under his breath. I glanced over at Caspian who stared at me and we shared a look of bewilderment and confusion. I gripped one of Iris’s small hands in mine and she squeezed back.
“So,” I said, trying to break the silence, “which of you was assigned to be my Guardian?”
“Who do you think?” Ash winked at me and it took all of my willpower not to slap my hand to my forehead.
Of course.
Ash lightly punched Erion, whose face now hid in his hands, in the shoulder and smiled broadly at us, “Awh c’mon, this will be fun!” he shot me one of his sly grins that I was so quickly becoming accustomed to and said, “Who’s ready for some quality education?”
*
That evening, Ash entered my room presenting a silver tray piled with delectable foods.
“Oh, that looks amazing!” I exclaimed, my stomach rumbling in appreciation. We gravitated towards the white leather couch in front of the fireplace and sank into the plush cushions. I licked my lips as he handed me my tray.
He raked his fingers through his dark hair and said, “Bon appetite.”
“Thanks for bringing this up.”
“It is my pleasure,” he bit into a french fry and gnawed, as if lost in thought, “I know you’re new here, but how much do you know about our foreign relations?”