A/N Here is my next chapter. I had to raise the rating because some of my characters are not PG (glares at the offenders) and would be out of character if I didn't change it. This really annoys me because I liked being able to write a good PG story with interesting realistic characters. So let us have a moment of silence for the lost rating Ok. Chibi-Chingo I never said that Falkin liked Zira (hehe). Me well this is not very soon but I have updated! Ivy if you go down to the bottom of this I have written the short history of Old Magic, also thanks for pointing out the grammar mistake I have changed it on my master copy. Lady rose I'm glad you like Zira better now, I never meant to make her seem evil. I think that part of her personality came from the fact that I was reading Pride and Prejudice and Mr. Darcy's character spilled into hers. Ammarice, it was Falkin who had been in 6 countries in the last 2 years. He has been a knight for those years and so traveling. I hope your cold gets better mine isn't yet. I'd be happy to read something of your's. Daemon thanks for the review. Pen Mage, don't worry I will update Squire Neal, it is just that sometimes I have ideas and other times I don't, so I update that one when I don't have ideas for this one and vice versa. Since your (excellent) list is not in the Lists section I don't think it will be removed. Golden Goddess thanks for the review (though I'm not sure being Miss Cleo is that great of a career option). MagixPawn thanks for the review. Thanks also Zurizip. Kalika thank you so much for the review, it made me feel so good that you thought my characters were realistic. I don't think you will like this chapter ending, I need to end in these types of places though, how else can I keep people reading (Hehe) (don't worry the ending of the story will be pretty final). Kalle, of course you don't just point out to me that I made a mistake you point it out to everyone (grrr) (we're roommates so I can be mean to her and she can be mean to me). Wyldon came back for one or two years to train his apprentice (who I actually mentioned earlier) Timothy of Filds because the other training master died in the Antithean Wars. Alyse I'm glad that this is different. If you go to the bottom of the page I have written more about Old Magic. Thanks to everyone and Read and Review (I'm almost at 100!!!!) (Boy my A/Ns are getting LONG).
Chapter XV: Homecomings
Jasson paced back and forth across the floor of his room. He had almost worked up his courage to ask Zira, but he still hesitated.
"The worst she can do is say is no," he rationalized to the bookshelf in the corner of his room. "I mean it isn't as if she would stop being my friend if I ask her." He fell backward into a chair, and shivered. "It's dark in here." He sent a trail of orange magic to the rack of candles on the mantle; the wicks flared up. He closed his eyes leaning back in the chair. "What am I going to do?" he whispered. A loud booming knock shook him out of his revelry. "Who is it," he shouted irritably.
"Your prodigal brother has returned," came the answer from the other side. Jasson rolled his eyes.
"Come in Liam," he said not with an excess of joy. The door swung open revealing the tall dark form of Liam, and beside him the somewhat shorter red-haired form of Reese. Jasson groaned, he hated Reese and was on not very good terms with his brother either. Reese swaggered in, looking admiringly up at his role model. Liam oblivious to his worshipper strode across the room and slapped Jasson heartily on the back. Jasson gasped then glared at his older brother.
"How is your life as a knight?" he asked him with a trace of ridicule in his voice, then under his breath, "I see no one has found the heart to kill you yet." Liam was unaware of any undertone of malice.
"Wonderful!" he gushed. "For once in my life I can fight, bully and attack, and no one reproaches me for it." He threw himself down into the chair that his younger brother had just vacated. "You should try it sometime."
"That's all very well, but I won't be a knight for two more years," Jasson said with a slightly sarcastic tone. He still did not stand up to his brother but he had learned that any subtly was lost on him. He used this to his advantage. Reese stood next to Liam; Jasson turned towards him.
"So did you follow my brother about the country?"
"Of course," Reese said with the same nonchalant air as Liam. Jasson looked at the two of them in disbelief.
"I'm surprised the chamber didn't spit them out," he said under his breath, then a little louder. "Are you to going to the ball tomorrow?" Liam smiled not a very nice smile.
"Yes, I'm going with the lovely Lucinda," he laughed. Reese looked at him.
"I thought I was going with Lucinda," he said.
"No, no your going with Camilla, you went with a different Lucinda to the last ball, the one at Port Cayne," Liam said with an all too patient voice. Reese smiled.
"That's right," Reese said a little worried, "Mithrose, I hope I can remember what Cassandra looks like." Jasson looked at Reese with amusement.
"I thought you said you were going with Camilla?" He said with an innocent smile.
"Lucinda, Camilla, Cassandra, they all look the same on their backs," Reese said. Liam roared with laughter. Jasson looked from one to the other in disgust.
"Jasson!" a voice called from below his window. Jasson stuck his head out, as much an excuse to not have to reply Reese or his brother, as to see who, it was calling. It was Tobit.
"Tobit," Jasson called excitedly, "Come on up." then as an after thought, "Liam's here."
"I'll be right up," he called.
"Tobit's coming up," Jasson said. Reese scowled; Tobit would always be higher in Liam's regard than he, and he always resented him for that. Liam jumped up from the chair.
"Tobit!" he said. "I haven't seen him in," he furrowed his brow, "years." He was grinning foolishly like a schoolboy, completely different from the worldly man that he was trying to become. "I wonder if he has changed?" Jasson smiled, it was a sad smile. This was his brother, not the other boisterous and raucous man he had been a minute before.
"He's been up at the palace for a fortnight," Jasson said. "He wanted to see you."
"Wow, Tobit," Liam repeated over and over under his breath. Reese also seemed younger, but not it a better way, he sulked. He hated Tobit. Jasson looked from one to the other. It was so strange seeing them grown up. But really were they? They seemed both young and old.
"Will I be like that? Am I like that?" Jasson asked himself. Tobit burst into the room.
"Liam!" he shouted. Both of them raised a fist and simultaneously punched the other's hand. Tobit laughed. "We haven't lost our touch have we," he said with a smile. Liam swung his powerful arm around the shoulder of his best friend.
"So what have you been up to?" Liam asked him. Tobit ran his hand through is curly brown hair.
"Well, there is the normal cleaning up the straggling immortals who might pose a threat to villages, and I done a fair share of healing. So many little villages don't even have a hedgewitch, so I tried to help where I could. How bout you, I hope you stayed out of trouble." Liam smiled innocently.
"Who me?" then he laughed. "Don't worry I got into plenty of trouble."
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Zira and Falkin got back to the palace just as soon as the candles were being lit in the windows. Through the darkness Zira looked up and saw Jasson on a balcony. She smiled, he was staring out into space.
"Jasson," she called. He looked down squinting then smiled. "Look who's back."
"Falkin!" Jasson said in surprise. "Tobit will be happy to see you. He's been watching for you and my brother for these last two weeks."
"Tobit's here?" Falkin said grinning. "I have to go see him." He turned to Zira, and gave her a mock bow, "Would you excuse me, Princess." She smiled.
"Of course Sir knight." Falkin ran up the steps of the palace.
"He's in the page's commons room," Jasson called after him. Then he turned and looked down on Zira. "Wait a minute and I'll come down."
"Don't bother," Zira said with a smile, and grabbed onto a branch of a near by tree. Swinging, and shimmying up she found herself on a level with the balcony, with one more graceful move she was standing next to Jasson. Jasson shook his head.
"I'll never understand how you are able to do that," he said with a smile.
"Practice," she replied, "It is a useful skill do you want to learn?" Jasson laughed, he always felt natural around Zira. She seemed to be the only one not expecting him to be great.
"I'm afraid I lack the talent," he replied with fake sorrow. Zira laughed, he looked at her happy and relaxed features. She had changed so much in these six years. She was still proud, and even sometimes cold, but still she was more of a person, less of the goddess that she appeared to be when they met. He turned to her his hazel eyes meeting her amber ones. "Zira," he said. She looked at him puzzled, then her eyes widened and she turned away.
"Have you seen the new horses that have come for the pages? I'm thinking of buying one of them. There's one fine mare, she's a Morgan, and a blood bay."
"A beauty?" Jasson asked her, with a wry smile. He couldn't ask her now. She leaned on the balcony and smiled.
"Gorgeous. Daine's talked to her for me. She says she, the mare that is, doesn't have any objections to my buying her. I think I'll name her Roos. It is Antithean for river." Jasson nodded.
"I'll have to take a look at her," he said. "Have you decided what you are going to wear to the ball?" he asked quietly, trying to approach the subject gently. A smile lit up Zira's face.
"I didn't tell you!" she said excitedly. "Falkin asked me to the ball." Jasson forced a smile. He knew that she liked Falkin, she had never said so much in words, but he could tell.
"You must be very happy," he said with what he thought might pass for a happy voice. She leaned her head back.
"Happy doesn't begin to describe it. Though," she said a little less happily, "I think he only asked me because no one else has." She smiled wryly.
"Well," Jasson said confidence dropping by the instant, "I'm sure you will win him over at the ball." Zira laughed.
"Jasson," she said, "What would I do without you?" He smiled impishly.
"I'm sure you would have managed to get by."
"Whom are you going with?" she asked.
"Oh," he said vaguely, "Mother wants me to take Lianne."
"Ah," Zira said, and looked at him puzzled. She then knew.
Old Magic
Ok here is a short history and explanation of Old Magic. Old Magic was given to the first kings and queens of Antitheos by Eimar to help them rule. The in order to focus their power created the Dominion Jewel, which in Antitheos cannot be named. This tradition started when it was created because it was thought that every time its name was mentioned its power would diminish. They created it using their blood and the soil of Antitheos, thus linking it both to the king or queen of Antitheos and to Antitheos itself. But they didn't think that it would be fair to make the Dominion Jewel only help Antitheos so they also placed in it the ability to be used by people who don't have Old Magic.
Now at this time the only people in the world with magic were these five rulers, and they were continuously trying to help there people and make their lives better. But it left them with less time to rule. They decided that one of them was the best ruler, and that he should keep his magic but the other four decided to divide their magic among the people. So they emptied themselves of their magic and divided it into smaller portions, coloring them different colors so that they could keep track of the different magic. They then traveled all over the world giving away the magic to the people they felt were worthy. Because it was given freely it came to be known as the gift. They returned to Antitheos after they were done and became advisors to the Antithean King. So Old Magic was passed down through the generations of the Antithean rulers. There are only two people in the world that have it at the same time, the ruler and the heir. The heir is chosen by Eimar, by the sign of the possession of Old Magic and can be anyone from the King's son to a peasant.
One of the side effects of having Old Magic is that the possessor is never physically strong. They are made of the Magic so they are extremely powerful, and extremely weak. They have weak muscles and bones and they can't really change that. Old Magic doesn't drain, it is always full, but the body of the person with it can drain, and that is why Zira fainted when she was trying to retrieve the Dominion Jewel. Another thing about Old Magic is that the bearer is part animal, Zira obviously is part cat. The reason that Daine didn't notice anything weird about her is because Zira is a cat, not that she made herself a cat (her father is an eagle). This means that she has the characteristics of a cat, namely, she is proud, beautiful, graceful, fast reflexes, climbs well, runs fast, can land without hurting herself if dropped from a height. The amber eyes and tears are another aspect of her magic. Old Magic is so powerful that no bearer can hold all of it. The tears she cries are pure magic and can be used for healing or other things.
Well I believe that that is basically it. I hope this was helpful.