Mages Council

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: All flamers will be used to heat my igloo in winter.

"You really think you can transport me to another continent? And through any mage barriers?"

Those were the first words that the last Jirajen, Ariel Godborn, said that fateful day. Her friend, River, the mage whose power was second only to her own, had entered her home in the early morning to inform her that she had finally worked out the old spell she had been studying from a twenty thousand year old mage diary.

"I'm sure I can!" River responded, practically bouncing out of her seat.

Ariel was sceptical. "Mages have been trying to work out that spell for centuries! How do you know that you've really got it?"

"The size of the thing you send determines the amount of time you have to stay there. I sent a penny with a couple of spells on it. I had to leave it for 3 hours, but it brought back a ring, a couple of coins, and a small doll! It went somewhere else!"

Ariel was astounded. "You really did it."

"I did!" River was ecstatic.

"Let's send me somewhere, then!"

Ariel hurriedly packed a couple of bags, dressed, and pulled back her knee length golden blond hair into a loose braid. As an afterthought, she grabbed her dog. As she finished, River set up a small circle on the floor and piled the bags on it, leaving a space for Ariel and her dog, Chester. "This is to help direct the magic," She explained. "It doesn't really have much of a purpose. Ariel nodded and stepped into the circle, holding tight to Chesters collar .

"Now, I'll be able to contact you any time. Let me know if you need something."

"Alright."

"Where do you want to go?"

Ariel thought for a moment. "I want to go to Tortall."

River nodded, and added it to the spell. Waving her arms to direct the magic flow, she began the spell. The circle glowed. Chester growled. A wind came up, spinning around Ariel like a cyclone. Her braid whipped and wrapped itself around her. As River said the last few words, Ariel was struck by sudden inspiration.

"Wait, River, how long will I be -"

She vanished in a crack like thunder and a flash of light.

----

In the city of Corus, the capital of Tortall, Tortalls strongest mage, Numair Salmalín sat up in bed, gasping, his head pounding. Something large and magical had just happened.

All across the city, mages were hit with a sudden, violent, headache. Many fainted.

Daine the Wildmage almost fell from the sky, as she returned to the capital as a hawk.

And in the practise courts of the palace, everyone got a big surprise.

----

Ariel appeared in another crack of thunder and a flash of light. She noted the targets at the end of the field she was standing in, and released Chesters collar. She was celebrating mentally - IT WORKED! - when she realised that, by the arrows still in the targets, she must have landed in the middle of a practice court or archery competition. She turned quickly, meaning to suprise anyone coming up behind her. There were about 20 stunned looking people standing about ten feet back, all holding strung bows, some aimed at her. She raised her hands, showing that she meant no harm.

They stood like that for a few moments.

Finally, one stepped forward. He looked a little older than the others. 'Who are you? What do you want?"

"My name is Ariel Godborn. I mean you no - "

One of the other boys cut her off. He was about her age, and beautiful. "It's a mage! Just shoot it!"

Ariel stiffened. The air around her flared green and purple, the colors of her two sets of magics.

"I wouldn't recommend that." A new voice cut in. Everyone turned to look. A young man, maybe 30, was walking toward them. His hair was black, and long. He wore black robes. A woman walked beside him, her smoky gray curls, bouncing slightly.

"Master Numair!" The older looking boy gasped. The others sighed in relief, except for the beautiful one. He was slightly taller than Ariel, with blue eyes and blind hair so pale it was almost white. He never took his hard eyes off of her. Ariel shook her head. That one was dangerous, she could tell.

The other man, Numair, was still talking. "She's a mage, yes. And a strong one. I can understand your worry. But if you give thought to that, you wouldn't have a chance against someone strong enough to pass my mage barriers." The woman nodded.

"This one holds power. Strong power. She is not to be underestimated." Her voice was soft, almost whispery, but not quite. Ariel liked her on sight.

The man held up his hands, and the whispered conversations coming from the boys stopped. Ariel noticed that they all wore the same uniforms. Pages then. Or squires. None were old enough to be knights.

"My name is Numair Salmalím. This is Daine Sarrasri. May we ask who you are?" His voice was cultered, but accented. Ariel saw the mark of Carthak on his features.

"My name is Ariel Godborn."

The man nodded. "And you are here for what reason?"

"I'm here to study the new age Lady Knights, and their realm."

The woman cut in. "Maybe we should take this inside?" She motioned to the silent pages.

Ariel shook her head. "If it's all the same to you, I'd prefer to stay outside."

Numair nodded again. "Alright. Will you consent to be checked?"

Ariel knew what magical checking could do to a mage. "I do not."

Numair looked astonished, as did the woman and the pages. "You do realise that you are addressing Tortalls strongest mage." His voice was powerful now, as he gathered in his magic.

Ariel nodded. "Your reputation proceeds you. Even across oceans."

Numair shrugged. "You know that I will have to forcibly check you now?"

Ariel smiled. "You can try."

Now he smiled. "This may be painful. Why don't you just let me check you, and avoid the pain?"

Ariel shook her head again. "Being checked is painful to any mage. The stronger the power, the greater the pain."

Numair gathered power into his palm. The white edged black ball glowed with power. "I'm sorry."

He threw the ball. It flew straight, until it was about a foot from her. Ariel didn't move, but watched it come. Everyone was anticipating the outcome of it, when the ball swerved. It hovered above her outstretched hand. She looked at it closely as everyone gaped. "This is good." She commented, and closed her fist. The ball of magic disappeared. "My turn."

She didn't move, but a glowing dagger of purple energy flew toward him. It slowed slightly about two feet away, and as his magical shields flared black and disappeared, it sped on. It stopped, a mere centimetre between it and him. It hovered, it's point facing the stretch of skin just between his wide eyes.

Ariel made a motion with her hand and the dagger flew back to her. "It's a good thing I like you." She remarked. The dagger hit her between the eyes and disappeared.

She came forward and clapped him on the back. "You'll just have to take my word for it that I'm not evil, or against you. Sorry about your shields, by the way." He smiled at her. So did Daine. The pages stared at them, realising that something crucial had just happened.

Ariel smiled at them, and realised that one of them was a girl. She was tall, roughly Ariels size, with mouse brown hair, cut short, and dreamy hazel eyes. Ariels smile didn't waver. She turned, and gestured to her dog. "This is Chester, he's my familiar. Or he's supposed to be."

She looked up at the palace as her stomach rumbled. "So. How about dinner?"

----

Kel had been enjoying a good archery class, waiting for her turn at a target, as she talked with Neal and Merric. She was about to step up in line when light flashed and thunder crackled. She blinked wildly to clear her eyes. Neal was on the ground, clutching his head. Kel and Merric hauled him upright, as he used his gift to rid himself of the pain. Upon getting him on his feet, Kel realised that everyone was staring at the field. She turned around. There was someone on the field. They had long golden blond hair, in a loose braid that stretched almost to their knees. They were dressed outlandishly, wearing just a loose shirt and breeches. There was a dog and a pile of bags on the ground beside them. The person didn't move for a moment. Then they - she - whipped around. Kel drew her bow. The girl raised her hands.

There were a few akward moments.

Neal stepped forward. " Who are you? What do you want?" he demanded.

The girl started to respond, but was cut off by Joren of Stone Mountain. "It's a mage! Just shoot it!"

The air around the girl flared green and purple.

That's when a new voice cut in. "I wouldn't recommend that."

It was Numair Salmalín, the realms strongest mage. With him was The Wildmage, Daine. Numair proceeded to question the girl, who was sheltering the dog behind her.

Her name was Ariel. She was here to study the female knights. She refused to let Numair check her. And she refused to let Numair check her.

After a moment, Kel realised that it was going to come to a mage battle. The hair on her arms stood up.

For a few moments, Kel watched in awe as the girl not only stopped Numairs gift, but broke through his defences. Everyone gaped when she did such a work of magic without breaking a sweat. Finally, the girl clapped Numair on the back and turned to the pages. There were a few double takes as the pages took in the fact that the girls eyes switched back and forth from green to purple. Kel studied her. Ariels hair, when let out of her braid, would be knee length. It was more gold then blond, and there were two short locks that framed a pretty face, with those strange eyes, high cheekbones, a perfect mouth, and a long nose. Her skin was golden brown, and her only decorations were small gold hoops in each ear, and a ring through her eyebrow. Her shirt, deep crimson, was loose, but draped like silk over her well endowed chest. The end of it was tucked in to her tan breeches. Her dog was a reddish tan color, with large dark ears, and a bushy, black striped, white tipped, tail. It wore a light blue color. There were three bags piled on the ground behind her.

Kel met Ariels eyes squarely, noting that the girl didn't seem to be suprised that she was the only girl there. When Ariel asked about food, almost every page offered to lead her there. Kel watched as the girl eyed them all, finally accepting Neals arm. Her dog followed her as she left with Neal, and left her bags on the ground.

Almost an hour later, the boys had gone through the bags, all except one, which the could not open, and had distributed all her underclothes between them. Then they carried the bags to the palace. Kel was thoroughly jealous that Neal was so taken with this girl, this mage, this Ariel and went to bed early, without eating.