by Toni Cox
They were all chatting excitedly when they came back to their table and Jasmin could not wait to show Maia her gift. Maia acknowledged all their presents and made appropriate comments about them, but Aaron noticed that her heart was just not in it. He saw Jasmin’s disappointment at her mother’s lack of enthusiasm and tried to distract her. He poured her a glass of wine.
“Here, Jasmin,” he said as he handed her the cup, “to ten years away from Earth and a wonderful year on this amazing planet.”
Jasmin smiled at her father’s attempt to cheer her up, but when she reached for the cup, her fingers slipped and the cup tumbled to the ground. Immediately everything went still around them and suddenly Maia was on her feet, reaching for Jasmin with a shaking hand. Jasmin stood frozen, staring at the wine that floated in the air in front of her; the cup still rolling on the ground.
“What…” Aaron managed to say, but then fell silent.
“Your magic is strong, Jasmin. When did you learn to do this?” Maia asked her quietly, but overflowing with maternal pride.
“I don’t know. This has never happened before.” Jasmin replied breathlessly.
“Can you feel the connection with the wine? Do you feel it pulling on your energy?”
“I…yes, I think so.”
“Focus on it. Try to take hold of that connection.”
Maia bent to pick up the cup, while Jasmin stood with narrowed eyes, staring at the wine floating in the air.
“Do you have it?” Maia asked and Jasmin gave a small nod. “Then see if you can put the wine back into the cup.”
Maia held the cup just below the wine and for a long moment, nothing happened. Then, slowly, the floating liquid began to move. The people around them gasped and Jasmin almost lost her concentration. Then the first few droplets splashed into the cup in Maia’s hand and, now feeling a little more confident, Jasmin managed to refill her cup without spilling a drop.
Everyone around them cheered and Maia filled her own cup and toasted to Jasmin’s achievement. Aaron was amazed at his daughter’s ability to do magic, but he was not surprised; she was her mother’s daughter. But what delighted him the most was the change in Maia, at least for the present, and he exchanged a significant glance with Riker and Rothea, who had both joined in congratulating Jasmin on her achievement.
“I am so proud of you, Jasmin.” Aaron smiled at his daughter.
The festivities on the Gathering Grounds had lasted well into the night and after Jasmin’s performance of magic, even Maia seemed to have enjoyed herself. They had come home in the very early hours of the morning and only slept for a few hours. Now it was mid-morning and they were only now drinking their morning tea. Luke was in the kitchen, making himself something to eat, but then came over to join them in the common room.
“So am I,” he added to the conversation, “but to be honest, I am not surprised. Ever since we have come here, you have excelled at everything you have done. You were born to live here, not on Earth.”
Jasmin blushed, but smiled at her brother.
“Look who’s talking, Mr. Healer,” she teased him. “What you have learned about medicine in the year that we have been here, would have taken you many years back on Earth. I have noticed that most people do not even go to see Silas first any more. They come straight to you to get their potions and ointments and whatever else it is you provide them with.”
“It is true,” Luke grinned and then ruffled his sister’s hair, “we are awesome.”
Aaron laughed at them jesting with each other, but he knew that it was the truth. They had all taken to life on Elveron as if they had been born to it. The three of them had carved a life for themselves here and he believed that, although he had considered himself wealthy back on Earth, he now believed that he was richer now without any money.
He had been skeptical about the trading system in the beginning, but he had learned that although it was a complex, and sometimes sensitive affair, it worked efficiently and benefited each person more than if they were trading in money. With the work he was doing, Luke’s work as a Healer and Jasmin’s as a Hunter, they had managed to build up their meager belongings, so that they now lived very comfortably. They even had excess and were now able to trade for some luxuries, such as jewellery and dresses for Jasmin and surgical implements and such for Luke. As for himself, he spent most of his time studying and learning about the planet and he had acquired a vast array of books and scrolls. He had built himself a bookcase and it was already starting to fill up.
Jasmin rose and poured him some more tea, which brought him back to the present. He realised his children were still on the subject of magic.
“It is harder than you think,” Jasmin said to Luke. “You have to concentrate really hard on what you want to do and you can feel your energy leaving you. I don’t know where Maia gets the strength and stamina from to do anything more than float liquid in the air.”
“I spoke to her about it once,” Aaron cut in and immediately he had their full attention.
He smiled at the memory of that evening. It had been one of those rare moments where he had been alone with Maia and she had been in a jovial mood and indulged him in his curiosity.
“Do you remember her ceremony; the one that officially recognised her as an Elemental?”
Luke and Jasmin nodded.
“She told me that a lot of what she did that evening was special effects.”
“No.” Jasmin gasped.
“Yes, for instance the sparks right at the beginning. Although she created a little spark magically by herself, she then used a power to create the many sparks that made up the images she created. This was for her Fire element. Then, although she used her Earth magic to move them, the leaves that she used were gathered the day before and stored in the trees for this very purpose. Even the water had been placed beneath the stage for her to use. And they had gathered many butterflies for days before the ceremony, so that she might use them too. You see, some of the things were just illusions.”
“But she still had to use her magic to make them all move and change shape.” Jasmin said, sounding a bit defensive.
“Of course,” Aaron replied, “and I am not saying that she did not use magic, only that she had some help. Even when she let the emotions wash over us like that, she employed little tricks to help her. She said that she can push her own emotions out of her and make someone else feel them. It is extremely difficult and not generally done. It is considered impolite, but it is tradition for the ceremony. But to reach such a large crowd would have taken more energy than she had and it might even have killed her. So she used sounds, smells and colours to enhance the feelings she emitted. Do you remember when the calm settled over you? Close your eyes, think back to that moment and tell me you cannot smell lavender.”
Aaron waited while they closed their eyes. Jasmin was first to nod.
“Yes, I think I remember that. But it was so subtle you didn’t even notice it at the time. And I remember the fear and how suddenly only the red lanterns were glowing. I didn’t think anything of it at the time, but now it does make sense.”
Jasmin smiled broadly, like a child who has discovered a long-lost toy.
“But to come back to the energy required to do the magic, Maia said it is only a matter of practice. It is like any other muscle you have to develop. You cannot simply run ten miles and think it will be easy. No, you need to train, start with shorter distances and build up your muscles. It is the same with magic. Maia has had over a hundred years of practice already, so do not worry, Jasmin, I am sure that you will become better quickly and will excel at this as well in no time.”
“Do you think she will train me?” Jasmin asked wistfully.
“I doubt she would want to miss the opportunity.”
Aaron was sure that Maia would want to play an active role in teaching Jasmin to develop her magic, but he was not sure when she would find time for it. Maia had a lot to worry about at the moment and he had seen how she s
truggled to come to terms with whatever it was that happened and with what they all feared was coming. He worried about Maia, every day, but he also knew that she was strong and he would always be there for her if she ever needed him. He allowed himself a smile before he bade his children good bye and set off for work.
Absently she waved her hand over the candle to light it and then sat down on her bed. Wolf jumped up and nudged her, looking for attention.
“I am sorry, Wolf, I have been neglecting you,” she said, draping her arm around his neck and drawing him close. He licked her face.
The days since she had been back from the Good-Will mission had been long and tiring. She desperately longed for some good news, but most of her days were taken up with preparing for the worst. Meeting Blaid had been wonderful, but resulted in him being persecuted. Jasmin’s ability to do magic had been a bright spark in an otherwise dark world. She wished she could just find a solution to their problem and stop it all before it turned into another war.
A single tear rolled down her cheek. Angrily she wiped it away. She knew she was losing control and it was not helping her cause. She would have to be stronger, forget about Blaid for now, concentrate on her training and tell her suitors once and for all that she was not interested and had more important things to do. She shook her head at this particular mess she found herself in. Four men in her life; three that wanted her, but that she did not and one that she wanted, but could not have.
Tiredly she climbed beneath her blankets and Wolf curled up by her feet. Midnight sent a quiet thought to ease her mind before she fell asleep and she slept dreamlessly that night.
Somehow, she felt stronger in the morning. She let Midnight know that she wanted to meet him for training in the afternoon, but he could have the morning to himself, as she had practicing sessions with Silas and then Riker. Wolf bounded out of the door ahead of her. Rothea awaited her on the veranda and together they made their way to Silas’ cave. By the time they reached the second steps, a Messenger caught up with them.
“My Lady, your presence is required in the Elder Hall.”
“Thank you, Enerven,” she thanked him and he darted off on another errant.
Feeling apprehensive, she turned around and headed towards the Elder Hall. Rothea gave her a worried look. It was early in the morning and to be summoned to a meeting this early must surely mean bad news. Jaik met them by the door and then asked Rothea to wait outside. Maia looked at her brother questioningly, but he just shook his head. Together they walked down the steps to take their seats. Most of the Elves were already seated and talking angrily amongst themselves. Maia almost staggered back with the force of the outrage felt by the people around her and Jaik held her arm to guide her to her seat.
“What happened, Jaik?” She whispered to him.
“The delegation that was sent to Dragonfort has been attacked and killed. All of them, even the horses.”
“Quiet!”
Lord Longshadow banged his wooden staff against the floor of the speaker’s platform. Almost immediately, the assembled crowd fell silent. Jaik felt Maia shift nervously beside him. He took her hand.
“Word has come to us from Dragonfort that our delegation never reached them. The delegation was last seen at Eikenhof Yard, but failed to arrive at Bay’s Lodge, where Scouts from Dragonfort had been waiting to guide them through the Eternal Forest. The Scouts rode out and found our people about a day’s ride from Bay’s Lodge. All of them slaughtered, most of them eaten. All their possessions had been taken.”
Jagaer took a moment to compose himself before he continued. Jaik noticed his father’s hands shake with rage.
“There was nothing left for them to send back to us, so they burned what remained of our people.”
Jaik now put his arm around Maia’s shoulder as she began to tremble. Their father continued.
“The only good news to come of this is that Lord Middleclaw is now prepared to send his warriors to aid us in this fight. He will be assembling his army over the next few Quarters and will be ready to move out as soon as we request it.”
Jaik wiped a tear from Maia’s cheek. He could feel her distress.
“But now the question remains; how did this happen? Is it coincidence that for the first time since their arrival the Vampyres have gone that far southeast? Did the Vampyres have information about the trip and followed our people there?”
The assembled people sucked in a collective breath. What Jagaer was hinting at was treason.
“Lord Middleclaw mentioned in his letter that his Commander found some other suspicious clues around the site, as well as further west. It looked to him as if this had been a planned attack. If this is the case, then this begs the question as to how the Vampyres acquired the information of our travel plans. I want all Masters of Birds to double check their flocks to make sure none are missing. All Commanders are to report to me on the state of their men to make sure none were tortured or threatened. We cannot have information of such sensitive nature leak out and endanger our people. From now on, like this meeting today, we will keep the attendance down to the Commanders and their Seconds, as well as Elders only. My daughter will of course also be expected to attend.”
A murmur went through the crowd. Maia went still beside him and he felt a terrible calm settle over her. He was almost afraid of what his sister was feeling and it took all his willpower not to remove his arm from around her shoulders.
He had spoken to his father earlier this morning. The news that it might have been a planned attack was frightening. How had the Vampyres known their delegation would be there? And why would they have attacked them? The obvious assumption would be to prevent Shadow Hall from asking for assistance. If this was the case, then they would have to have an in-depth look into their own security. Information such as this should have been privileged and no outsider able to acquire it. As Commander of the Guard, Jagaer had charged him personally to go over every security detail of their forces, as well as councils. If there was, indeed, a weak point, he would find it. The other possibility was too horrible to contemplate; one of their own had been taken, tortured, threatened and then made to divulge the information.
“The other news this morning is of a more positive nature,” Jagaer continued. “A bird arrived from Stoneloft and they are sending a small delegation to negotiate with us. The riders left two days ago, so should be with us in about twelve days. It would seem that Lord Brimstone had some incidences of his own and wants to learn more about what he is up against. If we can convince him that the threat emanates from here, then he will join his forces with ours.”
After the meeting, Jaik walked with Maia, followed at a respectful distance by Rothea and Wolf.
“It is getting worse every day,” Maia said quietly.
“Yes, I am afraid that is true,” he sighed.
“I feel so helpless, Jaik. As a Prime it is my duty to ensure the safety of my people, yet I do not know how to accomplish this.”
“Maia,” he said, taking her hand, “this fight is not for you alone to win. Your abilities are already giving us an advantage that will surely see us victorious in the end.”
“In the end,” Maia said despondently.
“Maia, what is it?”
“There must be a way we can prevent this coming to more bloodshed. I do not want more people to die. It seems that death lurks around every corner and there is nothing I can do to prevent it. If we could just stop the war before it even begins, we could save so many lives.”
“I do not see how this is possible. The Vampyres are here because they need food and probably a new home planet. I understand their need, if not their methods, and if I were them, I would also not give up on such an opportunity. They are coming, Maia, and the best we can do is to defend what is ours.”
Maia was silent then, tension rolling off her in waves that was starting to affect him too. He was about to speak again, when she continued.
“Midnight and I have been making great progr
ess,” she said. “During the last war, riding Midnight hindered him from unleashing his full firepower on the Vampyres and their beasts, as the heat and flames were too much for me to handle. But we have been practicing with Air and Fire with Silas and I am now able to ride Midnight and protect myself from his fire. This time around, when Midnight and I attack, we will be able to incinerate everything in our path.”
Jaik felt the nausea roll off Maia, but she kept up a steady pace as they walked on.
“Silas and I have also been practicing other methods. Somehow, it seems I am unable to throw a fireball. Every time I try, the energy lashes out like a whip instead. We have learned that this can be very destructive and I have mastered to control it. Silas calls it the Firewhip.”
Again, Maia’s nausea threatened to overwhelm him, but he kept hold of her hand. He knew that the thought of killing repulsed her more than anything else in the world, but he was certain that she would employ any method necessary to protect her people.
“Riker and Rothea have been giving me more lessons with the sword,” she said wistfully. “Maybe you would like a demonstration of my skill sometime soon?”
“I would be delighted,” he replied.
He had been training with her every available moment he had but, because of his duties, this was only every few days. He was glad that Riker and Rothea stepped in where he had been absent. He knew his sister was more than competent with her bow and Twin Blades, whereas the sword had always been her weak point.
“There are other things we are experimenting with,” she continued, “but they have not proven as successful yet. Somehow, although I can control Air well enough, I struggle with invisibility. It seems to trap me within this bubble every time and it takes me hours to free myself from it again.”