Ok…I'm at the end of my spring break. And I thought I'd give you all another chapter…but first..i have got to tell you all about the amazingness of my spring break:
I went to New York, New York…cool huh….but here is the part that will make many of you swoon…as it did me.
I went to go see "The Boy from Oz" on Broadway…staring….HUGH "gorgeous as all else" Jackman. Now, if you know me, you know that I'm violently in love with Mr. Jackman. Out of all celebrities…he is, without a doubt, my favorite. And if you don't know who Hugh Jackman is….he played Wolverine in the X-men movie. So…I got to see him live on stage…and I was so happy and swooned and it was all very swoon worthy, even if his character was homosexual. But here is the best part…after the show, I went to the stage door, where all the actors come out and….oh my dear lord god, got his signature on the poster for the show….I got to shake hands with Hugh Jackman…I got his signature…I …almost…died!
So…I just wanted to tell you all that. Actually, I wanted to brag madly. Cause, you know…it's like, brag worthy. Anyway…
Here's the next chapter…I think you'll all love it.
*****
The Secret Magic: 3: Whisperings
By: Karigan Marie
Chapter 2: Waiting in Solandia
*****
Jade opened her eyes groggily. She shifted from her face down position to sit up in the amazingly soft bed. Blinking, she looked around the small room she had woken up in. She didn't remember falling asleep after her quick meal and chat with Kayandu. She rubbed at the cool satin bed comforter. It was interesting that, even with the hot humidity that seemed to fill every breath of air, the soft bed covers could feel so cool to the touch. She looked around again and noticed little slivers of light peeking through the curtains of red, orange and yellow silk curtains. She wasn't sure how long she'd been asleep this time.
She lifted her bare arms above her head and stretched languidly. She absently lifted her curly mass of hair off her neck, letting the damp tendrils dry out some. She wiped away at the drops of sweat on her neck. She's never felt such humidity in her life, not even on the hottest days in Carthak. It wasn't 'hot', just humid. She could feel the drops of water in every breath she took. She pushed the heavy covers and sheets off her legs and swung them around to hang over the edge of the bed. She was slightly surprised to see she was wearing different clothing. The yellow satin top and loose fitting breeches were gone, replaced by soft purple ones. They were essentially the same cut, just slightly different design on the top. It rested more snuggly to her torso, the thin purple straps a bit thinner. The breeches were just as loose as the others had been and felt just as soft and breezy.
She pushed herself off the bed and let her feet fall to the satin covered floor. She stood straight for only three seconds before she had to reach for one of the side tables to steady herself as her vision turned black. She closed her eyes and waited for the vertigo to pass. It took longer than she expected. She took several deep breaths and let the wooziness completely pass before she dared open her eyes again. She hadn't realized how weak she was. She stood straight finally and took a few steps around the room. She sat back down on the bed breathing heavily, her hands shaking. She noticed a glass pitcher of water and a glass on the table next to her bed and reached for it. Carefully, she poured herself the water and drank cupfuls. Stopping her gulping to breath she looked at the glass designs and noticed the same female figures with wings. They were beautifully crafted and detailed.
She heard a small noise from somewhere and turned to look for it. If you pressed her, Jade would have said it sounded like a cat, but it was different. She looked around the room in confusion before finally sitting down again in exhaustion. She scrunched her nose in curiosity when she heard the sound again, from underneath her. She dropped to the floor and pulled up the satin bed sheets to look underneath the bed. In the shadows she saw two piercing blue eyes seconds before it jumped at her.
She squeaked in fright as something latched on to her nose. She pulled back frantically and the little animal let go. Jade rubbed at her nose, glad to notice the sharp teeth hadn't broken any skin. She finally looked to the animal; her jaw dropped.
Sitting right in front of her was a tiny cub... well, it looked like a cub, sort of. She knew there were lions in the Carthak menagerie. Her mother had shown her pictures of them a long time ago. The males had great fur manes and darker, the females, graceful and dangerous. But this cub…well, it wasn't a lion. She thought it to a tiger, but wasn't sure. Her parents had never seen one, only pictures. But they had described them to be golden brown and orange with dark brown strips. This little cub was pure white, with black stripes. An image of the ivory food tray Anabaya had brought in flashed in her mind. She reached out slowly, and when the tiny cub didn't make a movement of protest, Jade picked the little thing up around the middle. Its fur was soft and silky, its skin shifting with the movement. She brought it to her lap and cuddled it for a moment before picking it up under its front legs and lifting it up.
Quickly discovering its gender, she looked the cub over. "Oh, you hansom boy!" she whispered in awe. It made a mewing sound that was rougher than a cat's but still very small and helpless. Jade grinned despite herself. "Mama would have sold her wild magic to get a look at you." The tiny cub wiggled back to her lap where it began licking at her hands. She got a view of its sharp fangs when he playfully nipped at her and Jade wondered how he hadn't pierced her nose with those things. The cub walked all around Jade, rubbing its body along her side, its long tail swishing from side to side. When it passed over her lap again, the tail passed under her nose, causing her to sneeze and giggle slightly.
"I see Prakash has found someone to indulge him in his play." Jade looked up to see Kayandu walk inside the small enclosure.
Jade grinned. "He's very beautiful. What is he?"
Kayandu looked down at the small cub. "Impossible, really." Jade smiled despite herself. "He is a white tiger."
Jade nodded. "I thought he looked like a tiger, but I've never heard of a white one before. Are there many around here?"
He smiled. "There are many in the village, you'll see them. Though there are hardly any in the wild. In order to have a white tiger, to tigers with it in their blood must mate, and even then, there will not always be a white cub as a result. We breed them here. They serve as wonderful guardians."
Jade nodded and sighed. Placing the small cub on the satiny floor, she uncrossed her legs and stood. She growled softly when her vision went black yet again. She grasped the bed.
"You should not be out of bed yet, Epassiur. You are still very weak."
Jade looked around. "After a month, you'd think I'd be all better."
He smiled softly. "You were near death when you were brought here, Epassiur. Half starved and desperately hurt. It is true you have been recovering very well. But you spent a moon's cycle with only the nourishment we could get inside you while unconscious. You are still very small and thin. Your body will take a long time to fully recover. Your body will probably never be as it once was."
That frightened Jade. "What do you mean? I'll never be better?"
He soothed her. "No, no, Epassiur. You will be fine after some time. I meant that the malnourishments your body has suffered will probably affect your growth. You probably won't be as tall as you once thought. And it will take will to put the meat back onto your bones that you have lost.
Jade looked down at herself. He was right about the weight she'd lost. She cringed at the fact that through the tight satin shirt, she could easily see the outline of her ribs. She'd have to work on that.
He smiled. You should get back into bed. Anabaya will bring you some food soon. Jade nodded and crawled back into her bed. He patted her head gently before bending down and picking up the small cub. It mewed loudly and wiggled. "Prakash seems to want to stay with you, Epassiur."
Jade reached for the small white tiger and placed him on her lap. She looked up at Kayandu. "Is there anyway I can send a message to Carthak; to my father? I'm sure he's very worried about me."
Kayandu spoke softly. "I do not think you understand how far away this Carthak is. It is past the great northern mountains. Hardly anyone has every come from there to here or from here to there. We have no contact with them. The last time a visitor came from the north was over twelve years ago, before you were even born, Epassiur.
Jade swallowed in unease. "How am I going to get home, than?"
Kayandu raised his eyebrows. "To that, I have no answer; only what I have been told."
"Who brought me here?" Jade asked urgently. "Does she have a name?"
He smiled. "I imagine so. Though she did not tell me. Only that she would be back for you."
Jade stared at him. So you took in some girl; a girl you don't know and promised to look after her, with no form of payment or information?"
He looked confused. "You were hurt, Epassiur. She could not look after you; did not know how. So she came to me. Would sort of man would I be to turn out a hurt child?"
Jade sighed. She was tired all of the sudden. "How am I going to let him know I'm alright?"
"Soon, Epassiur. Soon. I'm sure."
*****
It had been two weeks of bed rest and Jade was ready to get out of bed. Finally. She woke up that morning with more energy than she'd had in a long time. Countless days of stuffing herself full of deliciously spiced food had put a little, not much, but a little more weight on her. She jumped from the soft bed and stripped off her blue night clothing, letting it fall to the soft floor. Anabaya had drawn a bath for her in a corner of the room, apparently that's how Anabaya had cleaned her up when she was brought here. It was a very large ceramic bath with small tables of varying sizes around it.
She stepped up the bath and ran her hands along the clear water. She smiled widely when she discovered the water was cold; she still had not become accustomed to the sheer amount of humidity that hung in the air. Quickly, gritting her teeth, Jade hopped in, yelping when the cold water made her jump. She let the cool crisp water wash away all the sweat that had build up on her over the last few days.
Just as she was rinsing the last of the soap root out of her hair, Anabaya came in with various cloths. She placed them on the bed with a smile and quickly left. Jade quickly jumped out of the water, rung out her hair and stepped over to the bed. She had been told her own clothing were too far-gone to ever be used again and had been disposed of after she'd seen them.
She cringed when she remembered the sheer amount of dried blood that had been caked all over the breeches and shirt. They'd given her the folded piece of parchment that had been stuffed in her pants; she was surprised it survived the fall. She decided to hang on to the interesting document; her father would want to see it when she got back.
She picked up the golden yellow silk fabric and gaped. It was really quite pretty. It wasn't like Anabaya's dress. It was much simpler and Jade was relieved she wouldn't have to figure out how to put whatever Anabaya was wearing on. She picked up the breeches and put them on. They were very loose around the legs, flowing and swishing easily. Then she eased the shirt over her head. It had red threads designing various lines across the hem that reached down mid thigh. It had long sleeves, and Jade wondered if it would be too hot to go out in so much clothing. But the sleeves flared as they got to the wrists, allowing for air to travel through. She put her feet in the tan sandals that laced around her legs and combed out her wet hair.
Jade rushed to the silk fabric where she had seen Kayandu an Anabaya go in and out of various times and pushed it aside, intent on finally exploring this Solandia. She was greeted by blazing sunlight and the intensification of the ever-present spices in the air. There were various other wood buildings all around, silk and satin fabric ornate on each. All the doors were wide open, allowing for the breeze to enter each small house. Silky fabric could be seen dancing gently in the doorways from the breeze. There were lots of people walking about, attending to daily chores. There were various men helping to build a house not too far away, all of them only wearing the breeches of their clothing, sweat glistening off their golden chests. They called out to each other in their language.
Jade heard running water and looked to the left. There was a flowing river with crystal water. A grouping of women looked to be bathing their young children in it, chatting happily amongst themselves. There were men and women walking about, some holding baskets of supplies, some casually chatting. Some women were walking up from the stream with what appeared to be tall vases of water resting on their heads. Children of all ages ran around. The girls that looked to be around Jade's own age wore very similar dresses, all in different colors and designs. Jade smiled.
She took a few steps out and nearly peed herself when an enormous white tiger causally walked by. He stopped near her, sniffed at her a few times before walking on, a small child around the age of six or seven clinging to his back for the ride. Jade swallowed with some difficulty. She looked around some more. She noticed four or five other white tigers milling about. One near the river had all the appearance of looking after the grouping of children that played in it. Another rested near the entrance of one of the wooden homes, casually lying about enjoying the sun. It gave a great yawn that showed off its enormous razor sharp teeth. In the distance, near the river she noticed several children cleaning off their horses, their little figures barely reaching the horse withers.
Jade walked down the river some. It was there that she got the biggest shock of all. Huge elephants with odd saddles strapped about them as if they were horses carried several men across the river. Jade stared in shock. They weren't like the elephants back in Carthak. Carthaki elephants were larger in general, though not by much. The males stood an average of ten feet, females a little smaller. They also had very large, floppy ears that cover their shoulders and a small, smooth forehead. Both males and female Carthaki elephants had large tusks and had dips in their backs. These elephants had much smaller ears, smaller tusks, the female's seemed almost non-existent, two humps on their foreheads, and an arched back. What amazed Jade was the fact that they seemed to be used as a major source of transportation, tamed. None of the Carthaki elephants were so tame.
She watched as elephant after elephant crossed the wide river, the deepest part reaching to the elephant stomach. On their backs they carried various objects. Jade raised her hand and placed against her forehead over her eyes to shield the falling sun's glare. She could see into the distance; it was mostly flat land with an occasional hill, the river reaching as far as she could see. The silhouettes of the elephants and men crossing the river, which sparkled gloriously from the falling sun; it made for a spectacular sight, one Jade thought would impress any royalty. She smiled at the sights around her. Over the next few days she see so many different animals it would have made her mother salivate.
There was the Black Buck, which looked like an antelope. It had ringed horns that had moderate spiral twists of three or four turns and were over two feet long. Mostly tan, it's black back stuck out. The Sarus crane, Kayandu called it, was taller than any bird she had ever seen, the males almost six feet tall; its vibrant colors were amazing. There was the rhinoceros, which they had in Carthak as well, but different. These only had one horn and its skin had loose folds that made it appear almost armored.
She quickly discovered that the white tigers were among the village, not just for show, but also to protect the villagers from other wild cats, leopards. These cats had elongated and muscular bodies. Their paws were broad and their ears short. They had short and sleek coats. She saw hides at some of the homes. The coloration varied from the color of straw to grayish to even chestnut. The backs of the ears were black except for a spot either located centrally or near the tips, which she was told fooled other animals into thinking they were eyes. The throat, chest, belly, and the insides of the limbs were white. The rest of the head, throat, chest and limbs all had black spots. The belly had larger black spots, almost like blotches.
The most beautiful animal she saw was called a peacock; she would never forget what it looked like. The large, brightly colored birds had a distinctive crest and an unmistakable ornamental train that took up most of its body length. She asked Kayandu to tell her about them, and what he'd told her amazed her. The train, or tail, he said was formed by 100 to 150 highly specialized upper tail-coverts. Each of these feathers sports an ornamental eyespot and has long disintegrated barbs, giving the feathers a loose, fluffy appearance; apparently only males had these. When displaying to a female, the peacock erects the train into a spectacular fan, displaying the eyes to their best advantage.
Jade, who had never been all that interested in animals was awestruck at every turn. There were so many new animals. She was walking along the river a few days later when she came upon he most recent discovery. The horses. They were normal. Looked like most other horses. Except for one little detail. They were the biggest horses Jade had ever laid eyes on.
She thought back to the first day she left her little room. She had seen horses along the river being cleaned. She had though that children had been standing next to them. It dawned on her that they weren't children, but full-fledged men and the tallest barely reached the withers. When she stepped closer to look, she noticed their hoofs were the size of dinner plates, their bodies muscular and thick. The tails had been allowed to grow out until they dragged against the ground; their manes were long and soft as well. They were mostly dark chestnut, bordering on black. She saw a particularly beautiful mare; she was midnight black from nose to tail. She was strong and proud and Jade thought that Kilbao would have sold its entire treasury to have her among their prize mares. Yet at ten, Jade barely reached the mare's belly. She barely reached the smallest horse's belly, whereas in Carthak, she had reached to withers of the smallest horse.
Jade stepped away from the heard and walked over to the edge of the river where trees began to lead into a great forest, once Kayandu said was very enchanted. She sat at the edge of the river on a fallen log under the shade of a large tree. She rested her elbows on her knees and her chin in her hands.
She had been in Solandia for almost two months. True, she spent a month of that unconscious and unaware, but she was starting to think there was no person that was going to take her home. She liked Solandia, nearly unbearable humidity and a completely non-comprehensible language aside; but she really wanted to go home. She really wanted to go to her father and she really anted to see Atune again, though she wondered if either was still alive. And while Kayandu was fun to talk too, apparently he was the only person in Solandia that could speak her language. She was getting a bit lonely.
She looked down at her dark blue clothing. It had red stitching all over it, displaying various forms of flames and fire. Despite the fact that the looseness of the outfit let air run into it, the humidity still required getting used to; she had taken to tying up her hair on the top of her head to avoid the slight sweat on her neck and shoulders from dampening it. She wiggled the toes of her sandals, smiling at the oddity of them and noticing the tan lines that had formed from the straps. She smiled. She had only been awake for two weeks and only walking about for one, but she had definitely turned a few shades darker; it was near impossible not to here, the sun was always blazing.
She was startled out of her thinking by an interesting voice. "It's about time you woke up." Jade's head turned to look behind her. At the top of her vision she could see something. When she looked up to the point of nearly staring above her own head, she was surprised to see a girl crouched down on one of the upper tree branches, piercing eyes staring down at her. Jade gaped. The girl rolled her eyes and took a little hop off the branch. Jade flinched as the girl fell to the ground, sure that she'd break something. But she simply landed on her feet, her knees bending to absorb the impact more easily. She straightened back up and continued to look Jade over.
Jade was speechless, the girl really should not have been able to jump that far and not break a leg. But something told Jade this girl was anything but normal.
One side of the girl's lips turned up slightly in amusement and she placed her hands on her hips. "Here I thought you'd wake up in a few days and you take your sweet time." Jade was to shocked to say anything. The words were richer than anything she'd ever heard before, drawn out and elongated to flow into each other, somewhat like Kayandu, but more so. The girl's smirk turned into a soft smile. "You look like your mother."
Jade snapped out of her gaze in surprise. She stared at the girl in amazement and tried to get words out of her mouth. Something pulled at the corner of her memory. Something told her she should know who this was. "Who are you?" The girl's smirk grew wider. And than it clicked. She knew who she was before she even got an answer. And the shock was ten fold.
The redheaded girl stuck out her ivory hand and silver nails. "I'm Justice."
*****
A/N: Surprise!!!! And this is just the funnest ending to a chapter EVER!!! Do I have you all jumping out of your seats yet??? I know lots of you were sad that I didn't have any firebirds in the second story. And I promised it was purely strategic. And it IS!! You're going to see a LOT of firebird stuff from here on out. Happy? I really want to know what you guys think about this….and I like to read everyone's foreshadowing…so don't hold back. I LIVE off all that. REVIEW REVIEW please……