Chapter 16
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After it was decided that Kiriana and Eric would stay with the Guardians at the Sphinx, Kirana started her magic lessons. Presley sat off to one side, watching as she tried for about the fiftieth time in the last half hour to erect a Sphere of Protection around herself, without much luck.
"Ugh! Rath, this is impossible!" she yelled in disgust, beginning to get frustrated.
"Just have patience, Kiriana. These spells take time to master. Try it again," Rath replied.
Kirana sighed, pursed her lips together, and merely stared at Rath for a long moment as though she couldn't quite believe that she was letting him talk her into this. Then she shook her head and gave a slight shrug.
"Sure, why not? What have I got to lose? Other than my pride, that is,"she mumbled, half to herself.
Ignoring Presley's amused laughter from the other side of the room, she squeezed her eyes shut in concentration. This time when she chanted the incantation and crossed her arms over her chest in the Osiris position, she opened her eyes and saw that the emerald green shield had stretched almost to Presley himself.
"Very good, Kiriana," Rath complimented her. "Now, dissipate it."
Kiriana nodded and let go of her concentration, letting the shield drop. Then she staggered drunkenly, the effort she put into the spell having left her quite dizzy-headed. Stumbling backwards, she fell back on her butt before either Rath or Presley could catch her and fainted.
"Kiriana!" Presley cried, jumping to his feet and running to her side.
He dropped to his knees at her side and lifted her limp form a little bit, just enough to position her head and shoulders on his lap.
A few moments later, she started to come around again, a soft, agonized moan escaping her as she did so. Then her eyelids flew open and blue eyes met green ones as she found herself looking up into the worried faces of Presley and Rath.
"Whoa, what happened?" she moaned, clutching her forehead as she sat up.
"Are you all right?" Presley asked. Kiriana nodded, instantly regretting having done so.
"Yeah, I...I'm fine. Oh, man, that took it out of me. I guess I put a little bit too much *umph* into the spell, huh?" she replied, that last remark having been meant as a joke.
Rath nodded as he and Presley helped Kiriana to her feet, steadying her until she got her balance again.
"Yes, it would seem so. The effects of that particular spell do take some getting used to," Rath said.
"No kidding, Sherlock. Do you know any spells that won't take as much out of me?" she asked hopefully.
"Hmm...well, one spell that an apprentice usually learns is to summon lightning. It's a fairly simple spell," Rath said.
Kiriana raised an eyebrow, gazing at him doubtfully. She was about to say something, but she never got the chance to. A moment later, they heard the sound of approaching footsteps. They turned and saw Nefertina enter the room, followed closely by Eric.
Nefertina moved to Rath's side and planted a quick kiss on his cheek. He wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him, and his lips brushed lightly against hers in a tender kiss.
"How go the magic lessons?" Eric asked.
Kiriana sighed. "It's going all right. I finally figured out the...umm...what did you call it Rath? The Sphere of Protection spell?" she said. Rath nodded.
"Show me," Eric said.
His daughter glanced at him doubtfully for a moment, but then she sighed in resignation when, out of the corner of her eye, she saw the looks of encouragement from Rath and Nefertina, and from Presley as well. She shook her head, her fiery red hair flying gently around her face, and with one quick motion, she brushed back a few loose strands that had fallen into her eyes and tucked them back behind her ear.
"All right. But you all might want to back up just a little bit, because I really don't know for sure just how far I'm gonna be able to project this thing," she replied finally.
Eric and the others stepped back, giving Kiriana enough room to cast her spell. Once she was sure that they were back far enough, she took a deep breath and let it out slowly, closing her eyes in concentration once again.
"Well, here goes nothing," she muttered softly under her breath.
Then, being careful not to put quite as much *umph* into her spell this time, she crossed her slender arms lightly across her chest, whispered the incantation, and in her mind, she expanded the shield out as far as she dared without becoming dizzy-headed again.
Sure enough, just like before, she opened her eyes and saw that the emerald green shield had stretched almost to where the others were standing. Through her concentration, she noticed Eric looking on with an expression on his face that to her seemed to be a cross between absolute shock and fatherly pride at her newfound magical abilities.
She held onto the shield for as long as she truly dared, then, before she allowed the effects to overwhelm her, she let go of her concentration and breathed a little sigh of relief as the shield disintegrated around her.
But, unfortunately, the spell hadn't come to her any easier now than it had the first time. Feeling lightheaded and more than a little drained from her efforts, Kiriana stumbled backwards just a little bit, but this time Presley was at her side, reaching out to catch her before she could fall again, steadying her. She leaned heavily on him for a few moments, trying to regain her composure.
"Thanks for catching me," she whispered gratefully.
"Hey, it was no problem. Are you okay?" Presley said, concern for her shining in his green eyes. She nodded as he reluctantly took a step back from her once he was certain that she was able to stand on her own again.
By now, Eric was at his daughter's side. "Are you sure you're all right?" he asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine...really. I'm just not used to doing something like that and it kind of takes a lot out of me right now. I'm thinking I should probably only use the Sphere of Protection spell as a last, desperate resort," she replied.
Suddenly Natalie poked her head in the doorway, a hint of amusement sparkling in her blue eyes.
"Are you coming?" she asked.
"Yeah, we'll be there in a minute," Nefertina replied.
"Well, you'd better hurry, or you're all going to have to find your own way!" Valeius quipped, suddenly appearing in the doorway next to Natalie.
"We're coming, and you're NOT driving my chariot!" Nefertina shot back.
"I think it would be safer that way. Nefertina drives like a maniac," Kiriana giggled.
Nefertina shot her a wounded look and everyone else burst out laughing. She rolled her eyes.
"Oh, very funny. Come on, guys, le go," she said.
"Where are we going, anyway?" Kiriana asked as she followed the others out of the room towards the garage.
"We're going out to celebrate," Nefertina said cheerfully.
Kiriana gave the cat Guardian a confused glance. "Celebrate what?" she asked, not quite understanding just where Nefertina was going with this.
"Another victory over Scarab and the fact that I've got my memory back. And besides, isn't today your birthday?" Nefertina answered.
Kiriana merely nodded, taken aback for just a moment. She was about to ask just how they knew it was her birthday, but then she realized that Presley obviously must have mentioned something about it to these strange ancient ones. She shrugged and pushed the thought aside for the time being as they entered the garage.
Nefertina popped open the dome on the HotRa and Kiriana climbed into the backseat between Eric and Presley, while Rath and Nefertina sat in front, Nefertina at the wheel again and Rath at her side. The others climbed onto the Jetcycles as Nefertina closed the dome and started the ignition.
As she revved up the engine, Kiriana instinctively grabbed hold of the back of the driver's seat. Presley glanced over at her sympathetically as the HotRa tore out of the Sphinx and out into the night with the others following close behind them on the Jetcycles.
TBC...next part, Kiriana has a run-in with Scarab. Stay tuned! LOL! Sorry, I couldn't help myself, I had to say it. R&R!
~*Celestia Vitaria*~
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After it was decided that Kiriana and Eric would stay with the Guardians at the Sphinx, Kirana started her magic lessons. Presley sat off to one side, watching as she tried for about the fiftieth time in the last half hour to erect a Sphere of Protection around herself, without much luck.
"Ugh! Rath, this is impossible!" she yelled in disgust, beginning to get frustrated.
"Just have patience, Kiriana. These spells take time to master. Try it again," Rath replied.
Kirana sighed, pursed her lips together, and merely stared at Rath for a long moment as though she couldn't quite believe that she was letting him talk her into this. Then she shook her head and gave a slight shrug.
"Sure, why not? What have I got to lose? Other than my pride, that is,"she mumbled, half to herself.
Ignoring Presley's amused laughter from the other side of the room, she squeezed her eyes shut in concentration. This time when she chanted the incantation and crossed her arms over her chest in the Osiris position, she opened her eyes and saw that the emerald green shield had stretched almost to Presley himself.
"Very good, Kiriana," Rath complimented her. "Now, dissipate it."
Kiriana nodded and let go of her concentration, letting the shield drop. Then she staggered drunkenly, the effort she put into the spell having left her quite dizzy-headed. Stumbling backwards, she fell back on her butt before either Rath or Presley could catch her and fainted.
"Kiriana!" Presley cried, jumping to his feet and running to her side.
He dropped to his knees at her side and lifted her limp form a little bit, just enough to position her head and shoulders on his lap.
A few moments later, she started to come around again, a soft, agonized moan escaping her as she did so. Then her eyelids flew open and blue eyes met green ones as she found herself looking up into the worried faces of Presley and Rath.
"Whoa, what happened?" she moaned, clutching her forehead as she sat up.
"Are you all right?" Presley asked. Kiriana nodded, instantly regretting having done so.
"Yeah, I...I'm fine. Oh, man, that took it out of me. I guess I put a little bit too much *umph* into the spell, huh?" she replied, that last remark having been meant as a joke.
Rath nodded as he and Presley helped Kiriana to her feet, steadying her until she got her balance again.
"Yes, it would seem so. The effects of that particular spell do take some getting used to," Rath said.
"No kidding, Sherlock. Do you know any spells that won't take as much out of me?" she asked hopefully.
"Hmm...well, one spell that an apprentice usually learns is to summon lightning. It's a fairly simple spell," Rath said.
Kiriana raised an eyebrow, gazing at him doubtfully. She was about to say something, but she never got the chance to. A moment later, they heard the sound of approaching footsteps. They turned and saw Nefertina enter the room, followed closely by Eric.
Nefertina moved to Rath's side and planted a quick kiss on his cheek. He wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him, and his lips brushed lightly against hers in a tender kiss.
"How go the magic lessons?" Eric asked.
Kiriana sighed. "It's going all right. I finally figured out the...umm...what did you call it Rath? The Sphere of Protection spell?" she said. Rath nodded.
"Show me," Eric said.
His daughter glanced at him doubtfully for a moment, but then she sighed in resignation when, out of the corner of her eye, she saw the looks of encouragement from Rath and Nefertina, and from Presley as well. She shook her head, her fiery red hair flying gently around her face, and with one quick motion, she brushed back a few loose strands that had fallen into her eyes and tucked them back behind her ear.
"All right. But you all might want to back up just a little bit, because I really don't know for sure just how far I'm gonna be able to project this thing," she replied finally.
Eric and the others stepped back, giving Kiriana enough room to cast her spell. Once she was sure that they were back far enough, she took a deep breath and let it out slowly, closing her eyes in concentration once again.
"Well, here goes nothing," she muttered softly under her breath.
Then, being careful not to put quite as much *umph* into her spell this time, she crossed her slender arms lightly across her chest, whispered the incantation, and in her mind, she expanded the shield out as far as she dared without becoming dizzy-headed again.
Sure enough, just like before, she opened her eyes and saw that the emerald green shield had stretched almost to where the others were standing. Through her concentration, she noticed Eric looking on with an expression on his face that to her seemed to be a cross between absolute shock and fatherly pride at her newfound magical abilities.
She held onto the shield for as long as she truly dared, then, before she allowed the effects to overwhelm her, she let go of her concentration and breathed a little sigh of relief as the shield disintegrated around her.
But, unfortunately, the spell hadn't come to her any easier now than it had the first time. Feeling lightheaded and more than a little drained from her efforts, Kiriana stumbled backwards just a little bit, but this time Presley was at her side, reaching out to catch her before she could fall again, steadying her. She leaned heavily on him for a few moments, trying to regain her composure.
"Thanks for catching me," she whispered gratefully.
"Hey, it was no problem. Are you okay?" Presley said, concern for her shining in his green eyes. She nodded as he reluctantly took a step back from her once he was certain that she was able to stand on her own again.
By now, Eric was at his daughter's side. "Are you sure you're all right?" he asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine...really. I'm just not used to doing something like that and it kind of takes a lot out of me right now. I'm thinking I should probably only use the Sphere of Protection spell as a last, desperate resort," she replied.
Suddenly Natalie poked her head in the doorway, a hint of amusement sparkling in her blue eyes.
"Are you coming?" she asked.
"Yeah, we'll be there in a minute," Nefertina replied.
"Well, you'd better hurry, or you're all going to have to find your own way!" Valeius quipped, suddenly appearing in the doorway next to Natalie.
"We're coming, and you're NOT driving my chariot!" Nefertina shot back.
"I think it would be safer that way. Nefertina drives like a maniac," Kiriana giggled.
Nefertina shot her a wounded look and everyone else burst out laughing. She rolled her eyes.
"Oh, very funny. Come on, guys, le go," she said.
"Where are we going, anyway?" Kiriana asked as she followed the others out of the room towards the garage.
"We're going out to celebrate," Nefertina said cheerfully.
Kiriana gave the cat Guardian a confused glance. "Celebrate what?" she asked, not quite understanding just where Nefertina was going with this.
"Another victory over Scarab and the fact that I've got my memory back. And besides, isn't today your birthday?" Nefertina answered.
Kiriana merely nodded, taken aback for just a moment. She was about to ask just how they knew it was her birthday, but then she realized that Presley obviously must have mentioned something about it to these strange ancient ones. She shrugged and pushed the thought aside for the time being as they entered the garage.
Nefertina popped open the dome on the HotRa and Kiriana climbed into the backseat between Eric and Presley, while Rath and Nefertina sat in front, Nefertina at the wheel again and Rath at her side. The others climbed onto the Jetcycles as Nefertina closed the dome and started the ignition.
As she revved up the engine, Kiriana instinctively grabbed hold of the back of the driver's seat. Presley glanced over at her sympathetically as the HotRa tore out of the Sphinx and out into the night with the others following close behind them on the Jetcycles.
TBC...next part, Kiriana has a run-in with Scarab. Stay tuned! LOL! Sorry, I couldn't help myself, I had to say it. R&R!
~*Celestia Vitaria*~
