A/N Annie thanks, I love it when people like my stories. Golden Goddess I
know that you knew that the cat was special, I you were getting
uncomfortably close to the truth. I had to put you off the scent. Anonymous
thanks for the review, I don't think that there is anything your parental
controls would object to in chap 9 (Hehe). I hope that you will be allowed
to read it. Chibi-Chingo, I'm glad the Tortallians are nicer now. The last
paragraph basically tells you that Zira has Old Magic, and was the cat.
Cyanthis thanks for the review. Ivy Dragon, I've always wanted to be a cat
too. Zurizip, thanks for the review. Here is the next chapter I hope
everyone enjoys it, and please review. Reviews make me very happy.
Chapter X: Old Magic
Shae looked at her best friend, she was trembling and there was an amber luster about her body.
"Shae!" Her voice was hoarse. "Build up the fire." Zira walked over to the window and threw it open. One of the panes of glass shattered from the force of the blow. There was a soft autumn breeze, Zira's eyes glowed and it turned bitterly cold. Then she walked over to the fire. Shae had put two more logs on the fire, and then had jumped back onto the bed. Zira turned towards her.
"Shae you should go."
"Would I distract you?" Shae asked fearfully.
"No, but it won't be pleasant in here."
"Then I will stay," she said bravely. Zira looked at the fire, her eyes glowed intensely and the fire became a burning inferno. Shae inched to where the wall met the bed. She shivered. She had seen Zira perform magic, but she had never been afraid of Zira before. She had known that Zira was powerful, the next in line for the Antithean throne always was a powerful mage, but this was different from anything she could have imagined. Zira stood midway between the window and the fire. She held out one hand cupped, ready to catch something.
"It!" Shae thought suddenly, as she saw the ring sparkle on the outstretched hand. "She is calling It. Eimar be with her," she prayed. "Eimar be with your chosen one." Zira's hand was beginning to glow, she was pulling, pulling with all her might.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Zira found It and began to call, pulling it along. Her fingers were freezing, but her other side was burning. She was split between cold and hot, friend and foe. It was coming. Zira inwardly smiled.
"I will end the drought, my people will have food again," she thought and pulled harder. It was coming. Suddenly it stopped, stopped dead as if it had hit a wall, but mortal walls should not have been an obstacle, It would pass through them if she asked. Sapphire light blinded her for an instant. She smiled, so the king was trying to stop her, much good it would do him. She began pulling again, the wall was thinning quickly. Amethyst fire fortified it.
"The Lioness," she thought bitterly, and called It more forcefully. She began to wear through the combined gifts.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Call Numair!" Alanna cried at Jon. He nodded, and sent out a thread of his gift to seek the greatest mage in Tortall.
"Can you feel any magic?" Jon yelled back at Alanna, sweat pouring down his face.
"No! it is as if it just is compelled to go in that direction," Alanna shook her coppery hair out of her face, it was damp. She pushed more power into the spell. A tall form appeared at the door. His hair was messy, and he was half dressed, but his eyes were alert.
"Jon what is it?" Numair asked.
"Help us!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Zira felt black fire come down like a sledgehammer on her spell. She dropped it for a moment but then picked it up again. She channeled all of her power into the spell. Sweat poured down her face, steaming on one side, and the droplets freezing on the other side. It came towards her again, more slowly but It was moving.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"It is still moving!" Alanna said through grinding teeth. "We need someone else!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jasson sat on his bed in his spacious page's quarters. He laid down the book he was reading.
"Why didn't I sit next to her?" he asked the corner of his room. "She sat with me when I was feeling alone," he sighed. "She won't want to be friends with me now. I wish I could stand up to Liam." He looked at his hands, they were strong and large, he liked his hands, they made him feel less like a coward. A bright blue finger of the gift nudged him.
"Jasson, I need you," his father said in a far away voice. Jasson jumped up. His father never called for him. Jasson ran out the door following the blue flame. There was something about him that made his father wary. His gift. King Jonathan loved all of his children of course, but Jasson always felt as if there was something different about him that his father didn't like. He had the strongest gift of the royal children, but his father had a strong gift as well. Why should he be fearful of his own child's gift? Jasson ran quickly going through doors which he had never seen let alone been through. He had to reach his father, his father had called him and he ran.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Zira was trembling and glowing a bright and severe amber. Shae began to cry there on the bed, she had never been so scared. She didn't know why she was weeping so passionately, but it was awful to watch her best friend, like this.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Zira's magic was working through the layers of gifts. Ebony, sapphire, amethyst, blinded her stars flashed in her eyes, but she continued.
"Eimar be with your people," she prayed.
"Amane," she heard It reply.
"It want to come to me, It wants to go back to Antitheos," she thought jubilantly. She pulled the well of her magic was as full as ever. "Old Magic doesn't drain," she thought happily. Then she staggered, her own weak body could be drained though. She forgot her body, and called to It. It moved an inch, the magic of her adversaries was wearing thin.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jasson burst into the room, and saw his father, Lady Alanna, and Master Numair, haggard and fading.
"I'm here!" he yelled his clear voice ringing in the stone room. His father beckoned him over, and took his hand.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
All of the gifted in the palace remember that night.
Neal sat up violently in his bed. He looked around the room and felt an oppressive atmosphere of fighting gifts.
Liam, put his head down on his desk trying to relieve the pounding headache that he had.
Tobit could not get to sleep he tossed and turn in his bed violently.
Duke Baird, lying on his sick bed fainted under the pressure of the most powerful mages in the world using up their gifts recklessly.
The same happened to all of the gifted, they all had a feeling of foreboding, and none were at ease.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Zira was oblivious to all of this, all she could do was call, trying to bring It back to her people, then suddenly an intense orange light blinded her. She collapsed to the floor.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Shae screamed when she saw Zira fall. She leapt off the bed to her crumpled friend's side. She rolled her onto her back. Zira's body glowed amber. Shae felt her pulse it was faint but there. She lifted her onto her bed, painfully aware of how light Zira was, she felt empty, like a shell. Shae laid herself on the bed, with the limp body of Zira in her arms, weeping. A gentle autumn wind ruffled their ebony hair.
Chapter X: Old Magic
Shae looked at her best friend, she was trembling and there was an amber luster about her body.
"Shae!" Her voice was hoarse. "Build up the fire." Zira walked over to the window and threw it open. One of the panes of glass shattered from the force of the blow. There was a soft autumn breeze, Zira's eyes glowed and it turned bitterly cold. Then she walked over to the fire. Shae had put two more logs on the fire, and then had jumped back onto the bed. Zira turned towards her.
"Shae you should go."
"Would I distract you?" Shae asked fearfully.
"No, but it won't be pleasant in here."
"Then I will stay," she said bravely. Zira looked at the fire, her eyes glowed intensely and the fire became a burning inferno. Shae inched to where the wall met the bed. She shivered. She had seen Zira perform magic, but she had never been afraid of Zira before. She had known that Zira was powerful, the next in line for the Antithean throne always was a powerful mage, but this was different from anything she could have imagined. Zira stood midway between the window and the fire. She held out one hand cupped, ready to catch something.
"It!" Shae thought suddenly, as she saw the ring sparkle on the outstretched hand. "She is calling It. Eimar be with her," she prayed. "Eimar be with your chosen one." Zira's hand was beginning to glow, she was pulling, pulling with all her might.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Zira found It and began to call, pulling it along. Her fingers were freezing, but her other side was burning. She was split between cold and hot, friend and foe. It was coming. Zira inwardly smiled.
"I will end the drought, my people will have food again," she thought and pulled harder. It was coming. Suddenly it stopped, stopped dead as if it had hit a wall, but mortal walls should not have been an obstacle, It would pass through them if she asked. Sapphire light blinded her for an instant. She smiled, so the king was trying to stop her, much good it would do him. She began pulling again, the wall was thinning quickly. Amethyst fire fortified it.
"The Lioness," she thought bitterly, and called It more forcefully. She began to wear through the combined gifts.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Call Numair!" Alanna cried at Jon. He nodded, and sent out a thread of his gift to seek the greatest mage in Tortall.
"Can you feel any magic?" Jon yelled back at Alanna, sweat pouring down his face.
"No! it is as if it just is compelled to go in that direction," Alanna shook her coppery hair out of her face, it was damp. She pushed more power into the spell. A tall form appeared at the door. His hair was messy, and he was half dressed, but his eyes were alert.
"Jon what is it?" Numair asked.
"Help us!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Zira felt black fire come down like a sledgehammer on her spell. She dropped it for a moment but then picked it up again. She channeled all of her power into the spell. Sweat poured down her face, steaming on one side, and the droplets freezing on the other side. It came towards her again, more slowly but It was moving.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"It is still moving!" Alanna said through grinding teeth. "We need someone else!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jasson sat on his bed in his spacious page's quarters. He laid down the book he was reading.
"Why didn't I sit next to her?" he asked the corner of his room. "She sat with me when I was feeling alone," he sighed. "She won't want to be friends with me now. I wish I could stand up to Liam." He looked at his hands, they were strong and large, he liked his hands, they made him feel less like a coward. A bright blue finger of the gift nudged him.
"Jasson, I need you," his father said in a far away voice. Jasson jumped up. His father never called for him. Jasson ran out the door following the blue flame. There was something about him that made his father wary. His gift. King Jonathan loved all of his children of course, but Jasson always felt as if there was something different about him that his father didn't like. He had the strongest gift of the royal children, but his father had a strong gift as well. Why should he be fearful of his own child's gift? Jasson ran quickly going through doors which he had never seen let alone been through. He had to reach his father, his father had called him and he ran.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Zira was trembling and glowing a bright and severe amber. Shae began to cry there on the bed, she had never been so scared. She didn't know why she was weeping so passionately, but it was awful to watch her best friend, like this.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Zira's magic was working through the layers of gifts. Ebony, sapphire, amethyst, blinded her stars flashed in her eyes, but she continued.
"Eimar be with your people," she prayed.
"Amane," she heard It reply.
"It want to come to me, It wants to go back to Antitheos," she thought jubilantly. She pulled the well of her magic was as full as ever. "Old Magic doesn't drain," she thought happily. Then she staggered, her own weak body could be drained though. She forgot her body, and called to It. It moved an inch, the magic of her adversaries was wearing thin.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jasson burst into the room, and saw his father, Lady Alanna, and Master Numair, haggard and fading.
"I'm here!" he yelled his clear voice ringing in the stone room. His father beckoned him over, and took his hand.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
All of the gifted in the palace remember that night.
Neal sat up violently in his bed. He looked around the room and felt an oppressive atmosphere of fighting gifts.
Liam, put his head down on his desk trying to relieve the pounding headache that he had.
Tobit could not get to sleep he tossed and turn in his bed violently.
Duke Baird, lying on his sick bed fainted under the pressure of the most powerful mages in the world using up their gifts recklessly.
The same happened to all of the gifted, they all had a feeling of foreboding, and none were at ease.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Zira was oblivious to all of this, all she could do was call, trying to bring It back to her people, then suddenly an intense orange light blinded her. She collapsed to the floor.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Shae screamed when she saw Zira fall. She leapt off the bed to her crumpled friend's side. She rolled her onto her back. Zira's body glowed amber. Shae felt her pulse it was faint but there. She lifted her onto her bed, painfully aware of how light Zira was, she felt empty, like a shell. Shae laid herself on the bed, with the limp body of Zira in her arms, weeping. A gentle autumn wind ruffled their ebony hair.