Attaly rose with the sun the next morning. Slowly, gingerly, she swung her
legs over the bed, and stood. Her limbs still ached from the dream…but had
it been a dream? It had been so vivid, so real…I will go to the wizard's
guild, and ask them to interpret the dream. She decided.
Instead of putting on the silken dress that was laid out for her, Attaly rummaged through the closets until she found a pair of black homespun breeches, and a white shirt, with a black tunic, embroidered in green. She slipped out of the palace, seeing no one on her way. She walked slowly in the early morning sun, looking at the wonders around her. She was soon lost as merchants began calling their wares at passer byes, and shops began to open up. She was starting to wish that she had brought money with her for food, when she saw a gray building, with an eerie green light coming from it. She smiled, and walked toward it. Upon closing the door behind her, she felt as if she had left the cheery life style of the capital city behind her.
"Hello?" she called. She heard a shuffle of robes, and a rustle of pages.
"Good day," came a whispery old voice. Attaly looked around, startled. She saw a wizened wizard standing in a doorway leading off to another room.
"How may I he-" he had stepped toward her, and stopped immediately. His half-closed eyes opened wide. Attaly frowned.
"What ever is the matter?" she asked.
The wizard only stared at her. He turned abruptly, going into a room. Attaly's frown deepened. She followed.
"Hello? Is anybody here? What's going on?" she had only just finished saying the last when ten wizards came out and surrounded her.
"What's going on-" she started. The wizards grabbed her arms, pulling her into yet another room. She tried to pull away.
"Where are you taking me? Let go of me! Let go-" They entered a great hall, and Attaly lost her voice. Before her was a great throne room. Upon a large throne sat a very, very old, wizened wizard. He radiated such a power that even those ignorant to sensing energy would be able to feel it. Attaly felt as if the power was pushing her to the ground. Unaware, her knees went slack, and crumpled beneath her. She stared at the wizard. He stared back, as wide-eyed as she was. After a moment, he spoke.
"Come forward, child."
Attaly gingerly got to her feet, and walked forward.
"Yes, sir?" she asked quietly. She was awed by the power this man radiated.
If she thought she was amazed, the old wizard was more so.
Could she be the one? He thought. Could this little girl actually set the world to rights?
He took a deep breath.
"Child, what is your name?"
"Attaly, sir."
He watched her for a moment. How could this girl be the one? He asked. IT IS SHE. Came a strong voice. A weight rested on the old man's shoulder. A god's hand, he thought fleetingly. The wizard closed his eyes briefly, then focused on the girl.
"Go back to your duties," he ordered the others.
They left.
"Sir," Attaly asked meekly. "Why did you bring me here? What is going on?"
"Attaly. Have you never felt a power beneath your fingers? Ever had anything unusual happen to you? Ever shown any sign of power?" he asked.
Attaly opened her mouth to say no, but closed it quickly. Once, when she was very young, her brother, Cal, had tried to put a spell on her. She had deflected it, somehow. And another time, only a year or so later, she had stopped Griffith from hitting her with his sword. And only last night, she had found her hands glowing.
"Yes. That's why I came here. You see, last night, I had a dream. It was very strange. When I awoke, I found my hands…glowing. What does that mean? That I have magic? Or is something wrong with me?"
The wizard chuckled. "No, no, nothing is wrong with you. You do have power. You have extraordinary power. Come, tell me more of this dream."
Attaly told him all she could remember. When she was done. The wizard sat quietly, thinking. At last, he spoke, slowly and evenly.
"Attaly, do you remember this "God"? It is key to…everything."
"What do you mean everything? I don't understand…what does the dream mean?"
"It means, Attaly, that you, you alone, have the power to stop the God, and to set the world to rights."
Instead of putting on the silken dress that was laid out for her, Attaly rummaged through the closets until she found a pair of black homespun breeches, and a white shirt, with a black tunic, embroidered in green. She slipped out of the palace, seeing no one on her way. She walked slowly in the early morning sun, looking at the wonders around her. She was soon lost as merchants began calling their wares at passer byes, and shops began to open up. She was starting to wish that she had brought money with her for food, when she saw a gray building, with an eerie green light coming from it. She smiled, and walked toward it. Upon closing the door behind her, she felt as if she had left the cheery life style of the capital city behind her.
"Hello?" she called. She heard a shuffle of robes, and a rustle of pages.
"Good day," came a whispery old voice. Attaly looked around, startled. She saw a wizened wizard standing in a doorway leading off to another room.
"How may I he-" he had stepped toward her, and stopped immediately. His half-closed eyes opened wide. Attaly frowned.
"What ever is the matter?" she asked.
The wizard only stared at her. He turned abruptly, going into a room. Attaly's frown deepened. She followed.
"Hello? Is anybody here? What's going on?" she had only just finished saying the last when ten wizards came out and surrounded her.
"What's going on-" she started. The wizards grabbed her arms, pulling her into yet another room. She tried to pull away.
"Where are you taking me? Let go of me! Let go-" They entered a great hall, and Attaly lost her voice. Before her was a great throne room. Upon a large throne sat a very, very old, wizened wizard. He radiated such a power that even those ignorant to sensing energy would be able to feel it. Attaly felt as if the power was pushing her to the ground. Unaware, her knees went slack, and crumpled beneath her. She stared at the wizard. He stared back, as wide-eyed as she was. After a moment, he spoke.
"Come forward, child."
Attaly gingerly got to her feet, and walked forward.
"Yes, sir?" she asked quietly. She was awed by the power this man radiated.
If she thought she was amazed, the old wizard was more so.
Could she be the one? He thought. Could this little girl actually set the world to rights?
He took a deep breath.
"Child, what is your name?"
"Attaly, sir."
He watched her for a moment. How could this girl be the one? He asked. IT IS SHE. Came a strong voice. A weight rested on the old man's shoulder. A god's hand, he thought fleetingly. The wizard closed his eyes briefly, then focused on the girl.
"Go back to your duties," he ordered the others.
They left.
"Sir," Attaly asked meekly. "Why did you bring me here? What is going on?"
"Attaly. Have you never felt a power beneath your fingers? Ever had anything unusual happen to you? Ever shown any sign of power?" he asked.
Attaly opened her mouth to say no, but closed it quickly. Once, when she was very young, her brother, Cal, had tried to put a spell on her. She had deflected it, somehow. And another time, only a year or so later, she had stopped Griffith from hitting her with his sword. And only last night, she had found her hands glowing.
"Yes. That's why I came here. You see, last night, I had a dream. It was very strange. When I awoke, I found my hands…glowing. What does that mean? That I have magic? Or is something wrong with me?"
The wizard chuckled. "No, no, nothing is wrong with you. You do have power. You have extraordinary power. Come, tell me more of this dream."
Attaly told him all she could remember. When she was done. The wizard sat quietly, thinking. At last, he spoke, slowly and evenly.
"Attaly, do you remember this "God"? It is key to…everything."
"What do you mean everything? I don't understand…what does the dream mean?"
"It means, Attaly, that you, you alone, have the power to stop the God, and to set the world to rights."