Chapter Two: The Shards of Wisdom
Makai nalu? No, that's not it…mauka? Not that either! Analia though in mingled frustration and anger. She stared at the black piece of parchment, unable to remember the proper order of words to complete the spell. While she was supposed to memorize with medicinal spell, she hadn't had the adequate time to. No, it wasn't for an elemental class that she was meant to do such, but for a memorization class.
While the spells that were used to memorize in this class were theoretically harmless, if the words were not in the proper order the spell could backfire and give the opposite effect. Given that possibility Analia searched her mind over and over again in a hope that she would remember the words correctly. After a few minutes she gave up on the idea of getting it finished that night and decided her time would be better spent doing something else.
She looked out the window and gazed happily as the mountain caught the last soft rays of the sun. Good, Analia thought, that will leave me time to go see Kapio tonight. Kapio was one of the two hundred advisors at the village of Kalere. Since Analia was still, for an elf, very young she took classes from the advisors as anyone else he age would (which was twenty-five years old, though she looked more the age of fifteen by human standards).
Analia stood up and looked around her quarters. To her left was a wardrobe and a pile of neatly stacked clothes that were ready to be put away or worn. On her left was a small circular window hung over her bed with black curtains that hung a foot lower than the window itself. Her bed, which was currently covered with papers from work that still needed to be done, was right next to a dark brown nightstand with only one drawer and a single candle on top.
She sighed and glanced over across the room to her door that led to the main hall. Analia plucked her coat from her chair and heaved it over her shoulders. With quick steps she walked over to the door and crept into the hall. She followed the night chilled stone hall down to the advisors' end.
The hall ran straight through the middle of the castle and had two sections: the advisors' and the students', along with a few hallways that led to the other areas. The castle itself was separated into three wings. There was the Government Wing, which held high class quarters, assembly rooms and the like, along with the nobles cafeteria. Another wing was the Class Wing. This had the quarters for both the advisors and the students, classrooms, and two cafeterias that were shared with the staff the operated all of the various facilities of the castle.
Every so often Analia passed one of the hallways the led the way to the government or staff rooms. Since everything was just a connecting grid, it made it difficult to get lost here, even for a newbie.
She soon came upon the center door, which separated the advisors' end from the students. She slipped through silently, and began to make her way along the hall again. Stopping at the third door to her right, Analia glanced admiringly and the plaque above it, for it read: Kapio Tokar: senior advisor of arms mastery and scripted languages.
A position as a senior advisor was highly coveted, even among those who were born with high titles. It represented an authority that is unrivaled by all but the King/Queen and their council as well as a certain wisdom of how the minds and emotions of the elves work.
Analia knocked on the door lightly, mindful not to disturb anyone else in the hall. An awkward moment passed before the door opened. A man appeared at the door, his face expressionless but for a slight twinkle in his eyes. His black he hair was cut short, which was unusual for elves, even for a weaponsmaster. Small, silver hairs were slowly overrunning the black, even for his young age of 216. The man was known for a calm expression in even the most dreadful of situations, and yet you would see him laughing and smiling whenever the opportunity arrived, though he always seemed to have the most impeccable timing for it all. Aside from those characteristics, he was known for his hard training and quick mind in fast paced bouts.
"Good evening Analia," He greeted, speaking in a gentle voice that only one of true strength could posses.
"Good evening Kapio," Analia replied, bowing slightly. Kapio returned the bow, though with a good deal more grace than it seemed Analia had in her entire body. He stepped aside, motioning for her to come inside with a flick of his wrist.
The inside of his room was furnished lavishly. The carpeting was died a deep crimson color and the walls were white with black outlines. There was a wide variety of furniture in the room. There was a fireplace to Analia's left with three old chairs that looked surprisingly comfortable. An assortment of cushions were stacked in a messy pile in one corner and a two person love seat was right next to them with red seats and an ebony black wood frame. Every inch of the room had a dark, but soothing look to it. Even the encased swords that hung above the fireplace were a comfort of sorts. It was light primarily by large candles that hung on the walls and were placed on the side stands that inhabited most corners of the common room. There were two other doors that let to either his bedroom or the private bathing room that every senior advisor had.
Analia followed Kapio to the fireplace were they both seated themselves in the two closest chairs. She was exceedingly grateful for the soft glow and warmth that the blazing fire provided. But despite that comfort, she was wary of the reason Kapio requested her to come here for.
"You asked for my presence, sir," she began, looking all too alert for being in such a clam and soothing room.
The old man nodded, looking none too happy. "I thought you should be the first to see this…" He said, his voice obviously far more subdued than at any other given time. "By law, I am, for no reason what-so-ever, supposed to show you this." He added, picking up an envelope that Analia just noticed was sitting on the end table beside him. Kapio handed it to her and then settled back into his chair, looking rather uneasy.
Analia opened the envelope and extracted the piece of parchment that lay inside. She paused for a moment and looked up at her advisor. His gaze seemed to be able to see her very soul; something was all too clearly amiss. Unfolding the parchment, she began to read:
Lord Kapio Tokar-
We regret to inform you that your position as an advisor at the castle of Kalere is being abolished. In a months time you will evacuate the premises of your room and a more capable person will fill your place. Forced will be used if necessary. From everyone on the council, we wish you the best of luck in finding a new job within this city.
-Councilor Ganava Favino
How can they do this to him? Analia fumed in her newly found rage. And what do they mean by 'a more capable person?' There is no one more qualified or capable than Kapio! She paused for a moment, as something suddenly struck her as odd. Did that just say his last name was Tokar?She looked up at her advisor again. He nodded, confirming what had just struck her as so odd. Closing her eyes, she took a few calm breaths before speaking, shoving the new information to the back of her mind.
"More capable person, eh? I didn't think one existed,"
"Apparently so, or else I would not be striped of my position," the lord answered, attempting to seem very calm and at ease.
"Sir…O wai kou inoa?"
"O Kapio Tokar kou inoa," Kapio answered, "I know why you ask,"
"Then what is our relation?" Analia inquired.
"That is something you will learn when the time is right,"
Feeling a sudden unease on the current topic, Analia began to question him on this original meaning of the letter. "What would it take to force a court into making this letter void?"
"Human proof that I have contributed to this castle more than the average advisor,"
She nodded solemnly, "Then proof you shall get," With that, Analia picked herself up and strode to out of the room, not glancing back.
Analia walked down the dimly light hall, stopping at her room. She opened her door, only to find that someone was already occupying her room. Annoyed, she strode defiantly into the room.
"What in the Gods name are you doing her Donovin?" Analia asked angrily. The man was sitting on her bed, his unruly blonde hair covering half his face.
"Just though I'd drop by and see you," He replied smoothly, acting as though he had some magnificent power that he obviously didn't. It was this characteristic that angered Analia most about him. Donovin was a self-proclaimed ladies man, and he was always trying to get some girl to fall for him. It was simple ignorance; the first and worst curse of the younger elves. At least that's what she told herself to calm her down. For Analia, everything he did was infuriating.
"GET OUT!" She thundered. Donovin just smiled at her and shook his head.
"You know you don't want me to go," he smirked, "You know you just couldn't live without me,"
"Hele aku!" Analia commanded.
"Wow, no reason to go ancient language on me," he gestured with his hands for her to back off. "Just give me a kiss and I will be on my way,"
"You will be getting a hell of a lot more than a kiss if you don't move your pansy ass out of my room and into that hall!"
Donovin paled. He looked into her eyes and saw a fiery rage that no smooth words of his could divert. He took off running as though the devil himself was after him with a hundred blood thirsty demon dogs.
Analia released a shuddering sigh, trying, with minimal success, to calm herself down once again. I need to start locking that damn door of mine. Sitting on the edge of her bed, she began to stack all her papers into one pile and shifted them onto her desk.
Her eyelids soon weighed down over her eyes like blinds over a window. A few moments after she had settled into a comfortable position under her covers, she drifted into a dreamless, though very uneasy, sleep.