A smile was on the child's face, the girl sitting on the edge of her bed, bare feet dangling as she listened to her mother move around the kitchen. She liked to listen to her mother sing, the sound of her voice beautiful and calming, filling the little girl with joy. Pots clanked, and drawers slammed, the song never ceasing as her mother began the laborious task of preparing dinner for five hungry children.
She hummed along to her mother's tune, her eyes cast downwards at the threads she held in her hands. Cords of snow white and coal black were waiting to be woven, and a blazing green thread was seen, looking out of place next to the cords. She handled this green thread with care, blue eyes showing her deep concentration as she threaded a needle with it. Her little tongue peeked out the corner of her mouth as tiny fingers moved, looping the green through the needle's eye.
She gathered up the cords, twisting them together, forming the base of a bracelet. The green thread was sewn over the cords, tying them together, the thread being far sturdier than the thick cords of white and black. She marveled at its strength, finding it surprising that something so thin could be so unbreakable. It wasn't really thread that she handled, but a strand of hair she had stumbled upon by pure chance. Its color mesmerized her, the little girl found she was unable to part with the hair for even a second. And so she had come up with the idea of fashioning something she could wear at all times.
Her smile widened, the girl admiring the finished product. The green hair seemed to catch the light in the room, shining brightly, and she stifled a giggle running a fingertip across its top. She imagined she could feel a warm buzz, knowing her friend Laharl would say it was merely static electricity she felt. But she was convinced it was something more, and the warmth soothed her, made her feel calm.
"Alice!" She was still fingering her bracelet when her mother called her name, and she started, eyes blinking rapidly.
"Coming mother!" She called back, slipping the bracelet onto her thin wrist. It was a perfect fit, the cord being a thin elastic that would allow room to expand as she grew.
The warm feeling spread to encircle her wrist, almost pulsating in time to the beat of her heart. It made her grin, delighted to feel it so warm and alive.
"Alice!" Her mother again, this time sounding impatient with her daughter's delay. Alice slid off the bed, landing on the floor in a crouch. She stood, slipping on her shoes, then hurried out of the bedroom she shared with her three sisters. "There you are!" Her mother exclaimed when she entered the kitchen. "I need you to go fetch your siblings...Dinner is almost ready."
"Yes mother." She nodded, ready, as always to do the task without complaint. She ran to the door, pulling it open, hearing her mother call out after her.
"Mind the roads!" came the shouted out advice. "It'll be dark soon!"
Alice nodded. and slipped outside, the scent of the almost cooked dinner chasing after her. She hurried down the dirt path, glancing to and fro for a sign of her brother and sisters. No sign of them on the property, and she shrugged, walking towards the gate of the fence that surrounded the house. She carefully opened it, making sure to prevent the chickens from escaping the front yard, hearing them squawk in protest.
It swung close with a loud clang, and she was running again, looking for any sign of her siblings. She found Lucille over by the water well, the girl pausing to sip at the sweet water it contained. Lucille promised to come straight home after her drink, and again Alice was off, searching out her other siblings.
As she got closer to the main street, she heard laughter, but it was the sound of malicious joy followed up by shouts, cruel taunts at the expanse of another. A frown on her face, she tip toed nearer trying to see what was going on. Boys were out, older than she, and surrounding something or someone. The insults continued, and she realized with a start that her brother was among the rowdy boys.
"Dagan!" Alice cried, hands on her hips. "Just what do you think you are doing?!" He didn't hear her at first, bending down to pick up a rock. As he crouched down, she saw just whom was in the center of the crowd, and she gasped. A boy was on his side, laying with his hands held protectively over his head. Ugly insults were hurled at him, that of four eyed freak and jerk face, book worm and nerd. Her own brother was preparing to throw a rock at the boy, and she let out a scream, her voice piercing and shrill causing the shouting to come to a sudden halt.
"Dagan!" She repeated his name, marching up to her brother. He was taller than her, forcing her to go on tip toe, but she bravely stood up to him. Her blue eyes flashed with anger, and she wagged a pointed finger in his face. "Wait until mother hears about this!"
Dagan dropped the rock, taking a step back from his youngest sister. "Don't be such a tattle tale Alice!" His eyes shifted away from her, glancing at his friends, uncomfortable to be seen being cowed by the young girl.
"Don't be such a bully!" retorted Alice, stabbing her finger into his chest. "How could you? Picking on Laharl like this!"
"Aw...he deserved it..." muttered another boy, earning Alice's sharp glare. "Always reading them books with the big words in them. Thinking he's better than us!"
The boy, Laharl still laid on his side, still too frightened to move, lest he draw back their unwanted attention. No sound came from him, not even one of pain, the boy holding back his tears.
"He's a freak!" added another, a gob of spit being spat in the boy's direction. "We caught him playing with a baby monster!"
Alice tried to keep the surprise out of her eyes, wondering what Laharl had been doing with such a creature. "Doesn't matter." She said insistently. "You shouldn't be picking on him!"
"What does she understand?" demanded another. "She's just a little baby." The boys all laughed, beginning up a chant, repeating the word over and over. Alice narrowed her eyes, stamping her foot as she shouted at them to stop it.
"Uh quit it fellas..." Dagan said, her brother recognizing the signs of a full blown tantrum coming on. "She's about to blow..." The boys all paused, peering at the girl, seeing how red her face had gotten. Her eyes were two narrow slits, and she gritted her teeth, preparing to let loose with a scream. "Alice..." That was all he got out, the child letting loose with an awful wail that drew attention to the boys and their misdeeds.
Dagan lunged forward, intending to clamp a hand over Alice's mouth, and got bit for the effort. "Little brat!" He snarled, lifting his hand as though he intended to strike down his sister.
"What's going on here?!" A woman's voice demanded, causing them all to freeze. "Why is Alice screaming?!"
"It's my mom." groaned a freckle faced boy. "We're in for it now..."
"Quick, scram!" Another boy shouted, already taking off in the opposite direction. The boys all nodded, and began running, leaving behind Alice, Dagan, and Laharl.
"You better leave." Alice said, pausing in her screaming. "Before I tell Jack's mother what you were all doing to Laharl!" Dagan nodded, and took off, dashing past the concerned woman.
"It's all right!" called out Alice cheerfully. "I just saw a bug." The white lie slipped easily off her tongue, the woman seeming to accept her word as truth. Alice waited until the woman had turned away, before she looked at Laharl. He was slowly uncovering his head, revealing mahogany colored locks and a dirt smudge face. His glasses lay to the side of him, and he began feeling along the dirt, trying to find his spectacles.
"Here...let me..." Alice said, walking over to pick up the glasses. She held them to Laharl who took them gratefully from her hands. She watched as he placed them onto his face, fingers nervously positioning the glasses over the bridge of his nose. She watched him slowly sit up, brushing the dirt off his clothes. She waited until he was composed, lacking the hint of tears in his eyes. And then she was speaking, Alice asking, "Were you really playing with a monster?"
Purple eyes looked at her, the boy trying to judge if he should be truthful or not. At last he nodded, and at her smile, he grinned. "I almost did it Alice! I almost tamed a monster!" He frowned. "True it was nothing more than a baby griffin, but it was about to eat out of my hand..."
"That's wonderful news Laharl!" Alice exclaimed excitedly.
"Yes." He nodded and sighed. "The magic had almost worked...and then they came along and ruined the spell." A look born of pure frustration colored his eyes. "They chased it off with sticks and stones, then turned to me. If my spell had been stronger it would have protected me."
"Well...there's always next time." Alice said, hoping to encourage him. Laharl's eyes brightened, and he said,
"Do you really think so Alice?"
"Yes." She nodded. "If anyone can do it, it's you!"
He laughed then, putting a hand behind his head, holding himself as he gave in to his joy. "That's right! I'll awaken the lost magics one by one, and then they'll have to bow down to me!"
Alice merely smiled, not fully understanding her friends' obsession with the lost magics. Magic was mainly a thing of the past, only the most basic of spells still existed in the world. No one knew why magic had begun to fade away, why the spells had disappeared from books and the minds of everyone but the most powerful of mages. It seemed a hopeless cause, and these days no one bothered with the path of the sorcerer, knowing there was little power left for them to command. And yet Laharl's greatest desire was to become a user of magic. He poured over books night and day, trying to rediscover the spells that had vanished from the books. He even managed on occasion to do a spell, casting fireballs and sometimes managed a beast summoning. It made him hunger for more, even as it branded him an outcast among the village boys.
"Have you seen my sisters?" She asked when Laharl stopped his laughter.
"Hmm...one..." He said. "I think Prisma was headed towards the inn. Come..." He held out a hand to her. "I'll take you there."
"Okay!" Alice touched his hand, curling her tiny fingers against his. She idly wondered if he wanted to walk her there as a form of protection against the boys, though she'd never ask him. She would never, ever want to wound anyone's pride, and she knew Laharl was extra sensitive and very proud. Walking side by side, they made their way deeper into the village, never realizing they were being watched.
--
The image of the two children flickered for an instant, rippling like a puddle of water. "Steady..." a voice commanded, and a hand was raised, green energy circling around a thick wrist. The image hardened, retaining it's shape, following the two children as they made their way through the village. Occasionally the image would focus in on the female child, gracing the observer with a view of her sweet face.
"Alicia..." whispered the voice, a man's husky tone that was full of wistful longing. He sighed, and lowered his hand, and the image in the mirror faded away, revealing an icy blue surface that was constantly on the move. The man stared silent at it, gazing upon the Water Mirror, a frown on his face. He just didn't have the hang of it yet, the control needed to let the mirror show him what he wanted without constant attention devoted to it. He wondered if he'd ever learn, and he sighed again, turning away from the Water Mirror.
"Freya?!" He exclaimed in surprise, seeing the golden haired Goddess floating in the entrance way of the vault. Her hands were on her green clad hips, and she wore a disapproving expression on her face. "How long have you been there?"
"Long enough." She said, and began flying towards him. "This...obsesssion of yours with that human child is bordering on unhealthy." Freya scolded him, coming to a stop on the dais. "Not to mention unseemly behavior for one who would rule the Gods!"
"Please Freya..." He interrupted her with a weary sigh. "No lectures...not tonight..." He began his descent down the dais, conscious of the woman floating behind him.
"I know about your little visit to Midgard today!" She suddenly cried out, and he froze in his tracks. "I know that you went down to that human's village to see her...that you stopped time so you could...you could touch her."
"What do you want me to say?" He demanded, not turning to face her. "Shall I lie to you Freya? Would that make you feel better?"
"Lord Rufus!" She exclaimed, moving nearer, almost daring to lay her hand on his shoulder but letting it fall back to her side without touching him. "You risk much in going to Midgard. You dare to break the covenant, the orders you yourself put into place...and for what...for a whim?!"
"It is as you say." Rufus began, the words coming out slow and hesitant. "I did decree that the Gods were forbidden from interfering with Midgard...but...as ruler, shouldn't I be exempt from following these laws?!"
"No you should not!" shouted Freya, and he turned, seeing her glare at him, her hands once again resting on her shapely hips. "As our leader, you should be setting an example, not breaking rules at every turn! It was bad enough you placed Coriander under your protection...protection I might add you gave merely because of your infatuation with that child! But to go one step forward and actually set foot on forbidden ground?! This is madness of the worst kind!"
Rufus gave an uncaring shrug of his shoulders. "We all have a little quirks. This one is mine."
"But!" She fell silent at his raised hand, her expression infuriated.
"No buts Freya." He said, frowning at her. "I will do what I like. Try and stop me if you dare, but you'll find your powers are woefully unmatched against mine." He resumed walking down the dais, hearing her let out a wordless snarl of rage and decided not to aggravate her by reminding her of Odin's many transgressions. The sound of
bells followed, the goddess teleporting out of the room. Rufus sighed, and continued his walk, fighting against the temptation to use the water mirror once more.
--
Voices carried out into street, boisterous laughter, and heated chatter coming from the open windows of the inn. Alice stood on tip toe, fingers hooked over the ledge of one such windowsill, trying to peer into the dark inn. She couldn't see very much with her eyes barely clearing the ledge.
"Are you sure she's in there?" She asked, turning to glance at Laharl. The tall, gangly boy had no trouble looking into the window, purple eyes gazing about the room.
"Yes I see her. Come on!" He pulled on her hand, nearly knocking her over in his impatience.
"Slow down Laharl!" Alice said, forcing her much shorter legs to keep up with his long stride. He ignored her, dashing up the stairs, reaching for the handle of the door. It swung open, and the voices grew louder yet, several people turning to see the newcomers. They soon lost interest when they saw it was mere children, turning back to their conversations.
"She's over there..." Laharl pointed, and his voice dropped down to an excited whisper. "With the visitor!"
"Visitor?" She questioned out loud, and for a second her heart pounded fiercly in her chest. Could it be the green haired man she had seen earlier, the one whose hair she wore around her wrist?
"Yes...a warrior priest..." confided Laharl, his voice holding a hint of awe to it. "One that still has a bit of magic to call his own!"
"Ooooooh!" Her own eyes widened in amazement, the girl wondering if the man would put on a magic show for them before leaving town.
"His name is Dyn." continued Laharl, raising his hand to point the man out to her. She looked at the man, and felt disappointment, seeing his hair was brown not green. Her frown deepened, for the man was like no priest she had ever seen, tall and handsome, with his long hair tied back in a ponytail.He wore heavy armor on his body, a reddish brown color, over brown leather pants. A sword was sheathed at his side, and he kept placing his hand nervously on the hilt as he conversed with the crowd of girls around him.
Her sister Prisma was among the priest's admirers, blushing and batting her eyelashes at him. Dyn's cheeks were slightly reddened, the man looking uncomfortable by the attention he received.
"Do...do you think he could teach me some magic?" Laharl wondered out loud.
"He looks more like he's suited to to the sword than spells." commented Alice, hearing Laharl let out an amused snort of laughter.
"Yes...he doesn't look very much like a wizard does he?" He said. "He's got far too many muscles, and that sword..." He shrugged. "I guess when the magic started to fade, those who wanted to be of use to the world had to learn how to rely on other arts."
"Even if he can't teach you magic, he might be able to help you learn how to fight against those bullies." Alice suggested, surprised when Laharl responded angrily.
"I don't need to learn how to use a sword to deal with them!" He snapped. "I told you...one day my spells will work, and then they will be in for an awful surprise." He smiled, a slow curving of the lips, creepily happy at the idea. "I think I will turn that brother of yours into a toad...Yes...a big, fat slimy toad..."
"But only for a few minutes right?" Alice asked anxiously. "Mother would be awfully cross if he stayed like that."
"Er yes...only for a few minutes..." Laharl said, fighting not to cross his fingers. "Come on...let's go collect that sister of yours..." He took hold of her hand, pulling her after him once more.
"Why do I get the feeling you are using me as a way to meet this warrior priest?" wondered Alice out loud.
"Would I do something like that?" Laharl turned innocent eyes on her, and she smiled.
"Yes!" was the resounding answer.
Laharl laughed, and quickened his step, eager to meet the magic user. The two children reached the crowd of girls, and began shoving their way between them, squeezing to the front of the crowd. Angry voices were heard, annoyance in the women's tone at the children getting in the way. Laharl and Alice stopped before the man, craning their necks back to gaze up at the warrior.
Dyn glanced down, and smiled kindly at the children. "Hello little ones." They dutifully chorused hello back, staring at him unblinking. Dyn retained his smile, bending down on one knee so as to be eye level with Laharl. "And what's your name little girl?"
"A...Alice..." She said shyly, clinging to Laharl's hand.
"And I'm Laharl." He introduced himself, thrusting out his hand to the warrior. "Are you really magic?"
Dyn laughed, seeming delighted by Laharl's forwardness. "I know a few spells, but I'm hardly what you call magic."
"But you do know spells..." Laharl said, feeling the warrior pump his hand vigorously. At his nod, he grinned, Laharl urging the man to show him a few.
"I don't know..." began Dyn hesitantly, glancing at the girls for support. "Magic is a valuable commodity in this day and age. It shouldn't be wasted just on a whim."
"Oh please!" Laharl begged, and Alice nodded her head. The girls picked up the chorus, all begging Dyn to show them a few tricks.
"Well...I suppose one or two tricks wouldn't hurt..." Dyn said, reluctance being eroded away by the zealous begging the crowd was doing. Cheers erupted from Laharl and the girls, the crowd ended up outside, surrounding Dyn in a circle. Expectant eyes were turned on the warrior priest, Laharl watching with keen eyes as the man began carving runes into the sand.
"Now this here is a summoning spell..." Dyn explained. "With it I can call all manners of beasts to my hand..." Voices called out suggestions, laughing and teasing, of monsters and mythical creatures, none wanting to see something mundane. Dyn called out for quiet, concentrating, his eyes squinting shut. He held out his hand, calling out softly, his words too low to hear.
Nervous laughter was heard when nothing appeared to happen, Dyn calling out over and over again. Minutes passed by and still nothing came, and some of the girls lost interest, turning to leave. It was then that they heard the clip clop of hooves, people turning in the direction the sound came from. A loud gasp was heard, the circle opening up to admit a white stallion.
Alice's eyes widened as she saw the silver horn in the center of the beast's head. It was no mere horse the priest had called, but a unicorn! Laharl was beside her, his whole body vibrating with excitement, awed to have seen real magic performed.
The unicorn walked towards Dyn, proud head held up high, and so entranced by the spell was the beast, it allowed it's body to suffer the touch of mortals. The girl's were touching it, stroking it's velvet soft skin, marveling to see a real live unicorn. Alice hurried forward, eager to touch the beast, but found she was too little. She frowned, ready to cry out when hands touched her, lifting her upwards to the front of the mare.
"Go on little one..." whispered Dyn in her ear. "She won't bite."
"Really?" Alice reached out with her hand, stroking the muzzle of the stallion. He whinnied, and she giggled, eyes delighted by the beast. "It really is a unicorn...!" She marveled, touching it's horn. She turned to glance over her shoulder at Dyn, giving him a wide smile. "You really are magic!"
"Not quite little one...not quite!" laughed Dyn, continuing to hold her before the unicorn.
Laharl had been quiet during all this, but now he strode forward, eyes intent on the beast. His hand was stretched out, the boy eager to touch the stallion. But at his approach the unicorn's eyes narrowed in rage, and it let out an infuriated sound. Nostrils flaring, the unicorn reared up on it's back legs, the girls falling to the ground in their haste to get away from the angered beast.
The horn nearly speared Alice, only Dyn's quick reflexes kept her from being impaled. He shouted out a word, a foreign, gutteral sound even as the unicorn continued to buck and thrash about, eyes showing fear as it gazed at Laharl. "Get back!" shouted Dyn, and Alice realized with a start that he was talking to Laharl.
The boy's expression was crestfallen, upset that he hadn't gotten to touch the unicorn. Dyn set Alice down on the ground, and began talking soothingly to the beast. He walked slowly towards it, keeping up a constant stream of chatter, trying to calm the beast. At last the unicorn lowered itself to the ground, still keeping a wary eye on Laharl. Dyn touched the stallion, stroking his head, and whispered something in its ears.
With a whinny, the unicorn was turning, hooves striking up sparks on the ground. It gave one last snort, and was off, running back in the direction it came from. Everyone stared after it, watching until it faded from view, and then the spell was broken, angry chatter being heard.
"You shouldn't have tried such a dangerous spell!"
"Were you trying to get us all killed?!"
Dyn was quiet, staring at the runes he had carved into the ground. He ignored the angry women, trying to puzzle out what had gone wrong. Prisma, Alice's sister let out an angry growl, snatching Alice by her hand. "Come along sister. This man is far too dangerous to be around."
"But..." Alice said, even as her older sister dragged her away, ignoring her protests. "But it wasn't his fault!"
Dyn sighed, and lifted his head, glancing at Laharl. The boy still stood in the same spot, gazing off into the distance. Dyn frowned, looking at the boy, eyes narrowing as though he tried to stare deep into the boy's soul. He gave a shake of his head, and with a mutter began rubbing out the runes with his feet.
--
To Be Continued...
The name Alice may be changed. My partner in crime, Amanthya isn't too sure about it, so we're casting about for a new name. Just a little heads up for future chapters. Of course...if it does change, I'll go back to edit out this chapter with the proper name. :)
--Michelle