Black Herald
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Author's note: A story based on info from the White Gryphon. Hope you like it!
*
Prologue
* Vho twined her curly black hair into a tight knot at the back of her neck, and shrugged into the loose red robe that was the best thing to wear in this heat.
Her bare feet padded catlike along the corridor; it was time for another training session. Adept Shalamm was waiting in the workroom.
"Vho," He spoke gravely, but his blue eyes sparkled incongruously in his dark skinned face. "You are reaching the end of your training. I do not think you will ever become an adept class mage, but you can access almost any ley-line; you can truthfully class yourself as a master mage."
Vho was not disappointed; Adepts were few, and Master rank was higher than many. It was much higher than she would ever have dreamed in the years, long ago, when she was no more than an unimportant servant girl in the palace.
"Soon you will be a successful truth-seer - "
Shalamm was interrupted by shouts and calls. With Vho close behind, he hurried from the shielded workroom, and downstairs. In the light-soaked courtyard stood a horse, one of the rare creatures that only visitors to the Empire or the most important nobles ever owned.
This one was more beautiful even than the horses that the Kaled'a'in K'Leshya visitors owned; a pure, dazzling white, with eyes like a cloudless sky, like an adept mage. It was wearing an elaborate, blue and silver saddle, and wore a bridle bedecked with silver bells.
"Look at it in mage-sight," Shalamm advised her quietly. Vho blinked at the odd request, but obediently invoked it, and gasped.
Standing before them was a guardian spirit, a being of pure power that pulsed in an aura of dazzling silver blue.
"Are you a messenger of the Gods?" Shalamm's voice was slightly shaky.
The horse looked at them with its strange, blue eyes. :Of a sort.:
The voice echoed in the minds of all the assembled people. Many fell to their knees. Shalamm stepped forward; as the most powerful Adept in the temple-school, he acted as spokesman.
"Why have you come to us, messenger of the Gods?" he asked, his voice steadying.
:One among the students here is the one I seek.: The spirit-horse informed them. :I will take them far away, to a land in the north.:
A murmur swept around the courtyard. Such a thing was unheard of - but who could contradict a messenger of the Gods? Shalamm stepped back.
"Choose who you have come for, Great One." He said.
The spirit-horse walked along the line of people gathered there, and stopped before Vho, gazing into her black eyes with his own blue ones.
:You. I Choose you. You are the one I have come so far for, the one who is needed so far to the north. I Choose you.: Vho was filled with a giddy ecstasy, an outpouring of love from this spirit to her.
"You choose her?" said Ihram in astonishment. "Her? But - she is the daughter of a servant. She's not even Adept potential!" Vho was shocked. The arrogant Ihram was the son of a noble family, and his Adept potential had made him even more self-important, but to challenge Edern's (How did she know his name, part of her wondered) Choice was unthinkable.
Edern apparently felt the same. With a slight rear, he spun on his hindquarters and turned to face the suddenly cringing Ihram. :Do you doubt my Choice, boy?:
Ihram shrank even farther into himself. "N-no, Great One," He stuttered. "I spoke in haste. I apologise."
Edern nodded, and turned to face Shalamm. :Is this one able to come with me?: He asked. At Shalamm's aquiesance, he continued. :Is the temple able to equip her?: He enquired. :It will be a long journey.:
Shallam nodded respectfully. "The temple can easily equip her, Great One," he said. "But I believe I can shorten your journey. The allies of the Haileigh Empire, the Kaled'a'in, are reputed to have outposts far in the north. Perhaps, to a being of your importance, they will make a Portal to one of these places. Then you would not have so far to travel."
Edern nodded. :I have also heard of the Kaled'a'in. Your words are wise.: To Vho alone, he confided, :Wish I'd've thought of that before.: Vho blinked. The casual staement did not sound like what a Godly messenger would say.
Shalamm beamed at Edern's praise. "I myself am an Adept," he continued. "I am able to send both you and Vho to the city of the Kaled'a'in, White Gryphon. From there you must journey on your own."
*
Author's Note: The rest is coming up soon. And yes, I do know that the Haileigh are dead set against any kind of mind magic. It will make the story veeery interesting later on. Hehehe . . .
*
Author's note: A story based on info from the White Gryphon. Hope you like it!
*
Prologue
* Vho twined her curly black hair into a tight knot at the back of her neck, and shrugged into the loose red robe that was the best thing to wear in this heat.
Her bare feet padded catlike along the corridor; it was time for another training session. Adept Shalamm was waiting in the workroom.
"Vho," He spoke gravely, but his blue eyes sparkled incongruously in his dark skinned face. "You are reaching the end of your training. I do not think you will ever become an adept class mage, but you can access almost any ley-line; you can truthfully class yourself as a master mage."
Vho was not disappointed; Adepts were few, and Master rank was higher than many. It was much higher than she would ever have dreamed in the years, long ago, when she was no more than an unimportant servant girl in the palace.
"Soon you will be a successful truth-seer - "
Shalamm was interrupted by shouts and calls. With Vho close behind, he hurried from the shielded workroom, and downstairs. In the light-soaked courtyard stood a horse, one of the rare creatures that only visitors to the Empire or the most important nobles ever owned.
This one was more beautiful even than the horses that the Kaled'a'in K'Leshya visitors owned; a pure, dazzling white, with eyes like a cloudless sky, like an adept mage. It was wearing an elaborate, blue and silver saddle, and wore a bridle bedecked with silver bells.
"Look at it in mage-sight," Shalamm advised her quietly. Vho blinked at the odd request, but obediently invoked it, and gasped.
Standing before them was a guardian spirit, a being of pure power that pulsed in an aura of dazzling silver blue.
"Are you a messenger of the Gods?" Shalamm's voice was slightly shaky.
The horse looked at them with its strange, blue eyes. :Of a sort.:
The voice echoed in the minds of all the assembled people. Many fell to their knees. Shalamm stepped forward; as the most powerful Adept in the temple-school, he acted as spokesman.
"Why have you come to us, messenger of the Gods?" he asked, his voice steadying.
:One among the students here is the one I seek.: The spirit-horse informed them. :I will take them far away, to a land in the north.:
A murmur swept around the courtyard. Such a thing was unheard of - but who could contradict a messenger of the Gods? Shalamm stepped back.
"Choose who you have come for, Great One." He said.
The spirit-horse walked along the line of people gathered there, and stopped before Vho, gazing into her black eyes with his own blue ones.
:You. I Choose you. You are the one I have come so far for, the one who is needed so far to the north. I Choose you.: Vho was filled with a giddy ecstasy, an outpouring of love from this spirit to her.
"You choose her?" said Ihram in astonishment. "Her? But - she is the daughter of a servant. She's not even Adept potential!" Vho was shocked. The arrogant Ihram was the son of a noble family, and his Adept potential had made him even more self-important, but to challenge Edern's (How did she know his name, part of her wondered) Choice was unthinkable.
Edern apparently felt the same. With a slight rear, he spun on his hindquarters and turned to face the suddenly cringing Ihram. :Do you doubt my Choice, boy?:
Ihram shrank even farther into himself. "N-no, Great One," He stuttered. "I spoke in haste. I apologise."
Edern nodded, and turned to face Shalamm. :Is this one able to come with me?: He asked. At Shalamm's aquiesance, he continued. :Is the temple able to equip her?: He enquired. :It will be a long journey.:
Shallam nodded respectfully. "The temple can easily equip her, Great One," he said. "But I believe I can shorten your journey. The allies of the Haileigh Empire, the Kaled'a'in, are reputed to have outposts far in the north. Perhaps, to a being of your importance, they will make a Portal to one of these places. Then you would not have so far to travel."
Edern nodded. :I have also heard of the Kaled'a'in. Your words are wise.: To Vho alone, he confided, :Wish I'd've thought of that before.: Vho blinked. The casual staement did not sound like what a Godly messenger would say.
Shalamm beamed at Edern's praise. "I myself am an Adept," he continued. "I am able to send both you and Vho to the city of the Kaled'a'in, White Gryphon. From there you must journey on your own."
*
Author's Note: The rest is coming up soon. And yes, I do know that the Haileigh are dead set against any kind of mind magic. It will make the story veeery interesting later on. Hehehe . . .