Burden's of a Tahakén Prince
Hope is like the sun, which, as we journey toward it, casts the shadow of our burden behind us. Samuel Smiles
Thunder cracked inside the earth as the two horses charged down the road. The bay flew across the dirt effortlessly, the roan following suit, straining for more rein. Raku grinned; his mare was fast, though not as fast as the horses he was used to. Next to him Alanna urged her roan faster, her hair streaming out behind her, catching rays of sunlight and giving it a fiery glow.
Suddenly she threw back her head and let the reins go her arms spread as she guided the roan with her knees. Then she reached for the reins once more and tried to regain control of her mount. People scattered from their patch as they rode the road at a gallop, screams were caught by the wind and torn back as they thundered past.
Raku sighed and his smile faded as they reached a small twisted tree and he slowed his bay to a trot. She fought for her head, snorting in excitement, but he easily got her under control. Alanna on the other hand was having trouble, she had her gelding slowed but he didn't like it. He had taken the bit between his teeth and was trying to unseat her. Raku watched as she snarled and pulled harder on the reins.
Feeling power beginning to build he focused on Alanna, and when she hissed "G'vananex", or "Be Still" in the Language of Power he felt his blood run hot and cold and his skin crawled. Thunder boomed and he resisted the urge to cover his ears, swiftly he leapt from his horse, invoking his magic to assist him in the task, and appeared at her side. The roan was paralyzed in fear, unable to disobey the command and his eyes rolled as he fought the urge to run.
He quickly entered her mind and terminated the spell and replenished her dwindling Life Energy, the source of all life, with his Gift. Next he stroked the roan's neck and sent calming fire throughout his body. Then he remounted his mare, in a matter of heartbeats he had gone from mounted to saving Alanna to remounting. Such was the skills of the Princes of Tahakén.
Alanna blinked and straightened and looked about her dazed, but her uncertainty was cast aside by the interruption of the guards. The Lord was a furious shade of purple and he gapped like a fish out of water as he tried to from words. Raku was unaffected; an approaching horseman would see to the Lord and if he needed could erase all the guards memories of what had happened as well as the Lords.
The Knight was Sir Charles of Oakleaf, a large and honourable fief to the south. Sir Charles was a well known Knight and respected for being one of the best, he was also a good friend of the King. He rode his grey stallion easily and visibly approved of Alanna and Raku.
Raku bowed from the saddle to the Knight, subtly motioning Alanna to do the same, after the man spoke. After bowing once more he left the conversation to the Lord and shifted his bay out the way, forcing Alanna's roan over with him.
The Lord was left in a foul mood after the Knight departed and took it out on the smallest person in the party, Alanna. "Ill punish you later," he snarled and kicked his horse sharply in the side. Raku frowned, he was all for punishment, but not when it wasn't deserved.
As they rode into the city walls Raku glanced up towards one of the statues and his eyes narrowed as a figure materialised, bowed mockingly and vanished. Raku straightened and kept his fingers near his blade, it seemed he wasn't the only Tahakén Prince in Merath.
The doors crashed open and a slave cried, "The Prince! He has been slain!," Guards poured into the room to protect the King. A collective groan rose from the nobles before screams were heard and they fled. Alanna caught his eyes for a moment, she looked stunning in coal, and then he turned and ran, feeling ashamed for what he was. In the commotion he never heard a pair of familiar footsteps following him. He fled down the hall and darted between rooms, using his Gift to navigate through walls.
Following the sounds of armour and clanking boots he came to a hall and made himself solid. Taking a deep breath he walked down and turned the corner, guards rushed him, swords drawn. Running out of time he called his gift to his fingers and threw it forward like an emerald wave towards the guards. The first died instantly as fire consumed him and rebounded off the walls back against the guards. They all fell within several seconds and Raku walked forward calmly into the bedroom, its walls were blackened with ash and a musk was heavy in the air.
"Raku," a man snarled and Raku spun, his hand immediately going to his blade and his magic flooding across his skin. Brown eyes and hair framed a bearded face and a feral smile.
Raku glared at the stranger, "Michael," he hissed and drew his sword. His "Brother" the resident Tahakén Prince grinned and advanced on him.
Taking a defensive stance Raku waited for his comrade to indicate his first move.
Michael struck first and sent Raku on the immediate defensive, twisting and turning and matching his brother for every move he made. Their blades met and sparks flew off the swords.
Michael spun around and drove his sword back into Raku, if he had been there. Baring his teeth he began the most complicated manoeuvres he knew, using a combination of Shang, Knight training and dirty street fighting in an attempt to catch his comrade off guard.
Suddenly a scream pierced the air and Michael turned towards the noise, before quickly jerking back. The opening was enough for Raku and he arched his blade up and under. His opponent released his blade and threw his body backwards and then flipped himself out the window, landing easily on his feet. Raku ran to the balcony and launched himself off it and tore after his enemy. Shifting he took cheetah form and raced across the grass, ahead of him Michael had taken monkey form and was navigating the wall. Growing he shifted again and jumped into the air, airborne he changed once more and flew after his brother.
Realising he wasn't about to catch him he threw a bolt of magic at him, his Gift rejoicing in its use. Michael flipped back into human shape, his cloak snapping about him as he deflected the blow. Raku plummeted towards the ground and shifted at the last second, landing in a half crouch with his fist taking the force of his weight.
Michael glared at him, "You will die "brother," he spat as emerald gathered at his fingers.
Tahakén slaves were all trained in the Gift and all of its uses. To achieve the higher of the ranks, Tahakén Royalty, you had to have passed Mastery in Magic use. Raku and Michael each were the equivalent of a Black Robe Mage, several of them, and each knew every spell written and had made a few of them themselves. Such a battle would never have been seen and wouldn't be seen after. The Master didn't like University fools prying into his business so he rarely had his "Pets" publicly kill any of their Mages. It bought baggage he was too lazy to clean.
Identical fire flared at Raku's fingers and he slowly inched closer. Brown eyes narrowed on him, Raku was the superior in the combat arts, though magically he was weaker. A fact his twin was prepared to use to his advantage.
Thunder with no sound exploded in the air about them and a wall of green fire shimmered around Raku as a tornado, the length of the castle, sprang forward from Michael's upraised palms. Raku winched at the ferocity of the attack and opened his arms, mimicking his brother. Green fire charged to attack the tornado and tendrils of it were drawn away until it collapsed. Then he clapped his hands together, and lightening flashed from his fingers.
He didn't wait to see what his opponent did and spun away, kicking his right leg up and pivoting on his left. As he turned he bought his hands up and around, his right arm following his foot. He leapt up, narrowly missing the missile thrown back at him, and landed, his right foot taking his weight and he coiled into a ball before snapping his open palm forward towards his brother.
A wall of power erupted from his right hand and swooped down on Michael, Michael frowned and his voice was lost to the roar of the winds as the wall fell on him.
The slaves of Tahakén were taught many different methods on Magic use. Magic without words, without spells, Magic without using your Gift, taught how to use the Magic in the elements around you.
Some spells were swift, easy to create and prepare and their damage catastrophic. Others took longer and did less damage and more others were a range in between, using the variety of teachings taught.
Magic such as the one Raku had just used were like a Rhino, when compared to the animal world. In regarding its charge, the spell was slow to create, compared to many, but when it got going it was difficult to stop. Raku used this spell now because his brother excelled him in Magical Combat and because he didn't yet want to use his Gift on a powerful spell Michael could easily deflect or turn on its caster.
Abruptly the spell dissipated and Michael stood in the centre of a charred ring, his clothes and hair dishevelled, the air about him had frozen. A smile crossed the corner of his face and the water particles within the air about him turned frosty. Shards of ice slowly rose and moulded into millions of tiny spear heads that began to hesitantly spin. He threw his palm forward with a yell and Raku knelt, placed his hand on the ground and then jerked his arm back up.
A wall of earth erupted from the dirt and covered Raku in layers as the shards of ice closed in on him. Straightening from his crouch Raku slammed both his fists into the wall of earth and emerald rippled across its unnaturally smooth face. Two great forepaws followed by a large furry head emerged from the stone and powered by a great furry body, loped towards Michael. The Earth-Bear reached mid-point between them and as he charged forward a pair of jaws erupted from the ground and clamped around the bears hind-leg. There was a roar of thunder as the bear spun around to face its emerging opponent.
The Wolf growled and hackles raised circled the Bear, the sound of rocks colliding rumbling from its chest. Raku glared and swiftly raised his arms as a fire tornado birthed in the air about him. Mentally swearing at the swift depletion of his gift and reserves he realised he would lose this one, like the many before, he would be defeated by his brother.
Stumbling away from comets of fire he fled into the bushes nearby, following the life patterns around him until he came upon a clear stream. Taking a deep breath he dove into the shimmering water and powerfully swam to the riverbed. A warped shadow announced the arrival of his brother, as did the fireballs thrown into the water.
Raku slowly straightened from his crouch and stood calmly as rock burst from the riverbed and covered his feet, holding him to the bottom. His arms flat at his side he altered the water surrounding his head and breathed easily. Grinning in a bubble, he threw up his arms and roared a challenge. Water rose from the crystal surface and shifted into a torso and head, two arms burst from the torso and the hands formed a fist.
The arm lifted up before slamming down towards Michael, who was watching nonchalantly as the figure of water materialised in the stream before him, before his eyes shifted and he dove out of the way. Growling he mimicked the spell his brother used and the earth rose around him to form an identical figure to that dripping above the riverbed. Thrusting his fist forward his earth self swung its boulder calluses towards the waiting water-Raku. Raku raised his arms and caught Michael's punch at the wrist; he knocked it off course and retaliated with an uppercut.
Michael danced to the side and sent a spinning kick towards his head. Raku ducked and spun around, flipping himself onto his left hand and kicked up at the elbow twisting towards him. The water and earth warriors matched their maker's movements and the roaring of water or the rumbling of rocks sounded when each was struck.
Raku's Gift faltered before flaring back again as he withdrew the stored magic in the jewels adorning his fingers. Michael barked a harsh laugh, "You cannot and will not beat me, brother."
He uttered a spell and his warrior leapt forward and pinned Raku's, then he shifted his form. The ice warrior spat shards of ice into the earth's face, but remained immobile. The earth warrior changed into a great serpent and coiled itself around the ice. Grinning, Michael tightened his hold, he would shatter the ice.
"You know," he began conversationally, "The Master is always looking for "new meat". The ice warrior began to crack and miniature rainfalls of water began to flow from the cracks. Raku slowly swam to the streams surface as his magic reached a dangerous low and dragged himself into shore, he was beaten.
The earth serpent coiled tighter around the fractured ice warrior and then with a final squeeze the warrior shattered, shards of ice exploding and rippling out. Hissing, the serpent slunk back down until three-quarters of its body rested on the earth. Michael absently stroked its head as he past and it folded itself back into the earth that gave it birth.
Raku coughed as he turned over and gazed up into the canopy, streaks of sunlight filtering through the trees and lighting the element battle ground in a golden haze. His eyes flickered and he forced himself over, the blade hidden in his boot digging into his ankle. Shudders ran through his body and as he rose to his feet, blood began to snake its way from his nostrils.
Michael halted before him and looked him over with scornful eye, "You always were the weaker, brother."
Raku coughed, a bone rattling sob, and eyed his twin, "Valuing life is not weakness, Tamsin knew this." Michael's eyes narrowed, and he gripped Raku around the collar, lifting him off the ground he pulled his face close.
"Don't youdaremention her name, "he snarled, his face contorting in fury.
Raku's life force flickered and dimmed as the remaining magic within him fought to keep him alive, "Why? Are you afraid?" he asked, a smile crossing his face as Michael visibly balked.
"No," he snapped, "I fear nothing," though he could not stop his eyes from wandering around the clearing.
Raku groaned in pain, "You were wrong," he whispered as Michael threw him to the ground.
The Tahakén Prince glared at his brother, "No, what I did was right!"
Raku forced his dying body into a kneeling position, knowing if he laid on his back he would drown in his own blood, "Then why don't you sound convinced?"
Michael said nothing, though his boot connected with Raku's face and sent him sprawling. Raku gazed up into the blue sky and sighed. Closing his eyes he waited for it to end, waited so he could be at peace. He felt, rather than heard, Michael come to stand above him and fingering the hilt of his dagger absently.
A crushing force constricted his breathing and Raku relaxed, knowing it would be over soon.
He sat on the edge of a cliff, the cliff nearest to his child hood home and breathed in the salty air. Waves crashed against the wrinkled faces below him and down the track he heard footsteps. Laughter reached his ears and he turned and saw his little sister as she towards him. Emerald eyes and waves of dark hair mirrored his own, and further down the track he saw his twin, Michael, watching them with a smile on his face.
"Ra," she gurgled, her round cherub face shinning in joy as she ran up to him.
He smiled down at her and picked her up, swinging her around, "Tamsin," he laughed as she pressed her face into his cheek, ignoring the funny pressure on his neck.
"It's a shame," he heard from a distance and suddenly he was on the ground, his sister's face peering worriedly at him. And then he was falling and falling, trying to clutch at the never-ending walls of darkness.
"You could have redeemed yourself, that girl salve your fond of, she could have given you a chance back into The Masters good graces," Michaels voice hardened, "You could have trained her and we could have seen who's student was the best. Pity neither they nor you will live to find out."
Suddenly his fall halted and Raku looked about him. It was darker than the darkest of nights, devoid of all light and Raku realized that this was Death. He rose to his feet and waited, feeling something approaching. A light, like that of candle kilometres away, was slowly appearing. As he peered into the shadows he saw the light wasn't a candle, it was a person, a woman, in a white dress. So white it burned at a glance that Raku couldn't look. Steadily the light grew, pushing away the darkness, as the woman walked towards him. Unable to look anymore he shut his eyes and hid his head in his elbow, the light unbearable.
Suddenly the light dimed and he felt a hand on his shoulder, looking up he froze. Emerald eyes gazed at him and long brown hair cascaded over her right shoulder in pony tail.
Silenced stretched for heartbeats and then he flung his arms around her, his little sister and wept unashamedly. She returned his hug and then gently pulled away to look at him.
'Ra," she whispered, her voice echoing softly in the Death around them.
Raku couldn't speak; he could only gaze at her in wonder.
"You have to go back," she smiled sadly and Raku came to his senses.
"No, Tamsin, I'm sorry for what I did, I should have done more. I should have," he trailed off. Yes, he should have done more. But he hadn't.
She pulled away and began to walk away; Raku hesitated and then quickly followed her. As she walked, the shadows shifted and morphed and slowly formed to the element battleground. Michael materialised with his boot crushing Raku's body and Tamsin walked over to him and gazed at him softly before turning back to Raku.
'You have to go back," she repeated, glancing down at his body. Raku followed her gaze and looked away uncomfortable.
"Why?" he rasped and she turned her emerald eyes on him. Suddenly his vision swam and they were soaring above a boat with crimson sails and an ebony hull, the Red Sun. They dropped and landed easily on the deck, crew members manning the sails and scrubbing the floors. The Captain stood on the bow spirit talking easily to a girl facing the dawn. Sunlight gave her copper locks a scarlet tinge and when she turned wind blew strands across her face. She brushed it back and smiled straight at the Captain with amethyst eyes. Raku stiffened, it seemed as though she was gazing straight at him.
Alanna got to her feet and drifted easily past the hulking and fearsome Captain and he raised his arm. Raku growled and clenched his fists, forgetting he was only an apparition, if he hurt her... The Captain slung an arm over the girl and laughed at something she said and then they walked straight through Tamsin as she stood watching Raku watch them.
Tamsin let him watch as they disappeared into the hatch and then catapulted them back to the clearing.
"She is important to the future, brother," she said sadly, "and her training must reflect on her role."
Raku stiffened; he had an idea what "training" she would undertake under his instruction.
"What role is she to play? Tell me, can you see the future?" he asked curiously, for though the magic he had been exposed to over the years gave predictions, it was never completely accurate.
Tamsin smiled and shook her head, "I do not know, and nor could I tell you if I did."
Raku sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, "I would do anything for you, you know that."
Emerald eyes saddened and she took his hand to her cheek, "I know. That is why you refused to train me…" she turned to look at the frozen Michael, "why you allowed Michael to do it."
Raku flinched and looked away; he couldn't stop the shame flooding him, and scuffed his boots.
"I am sorry for what he did to you," he confessed hoarsely, "If I had known-".
Tamsin cut him off, "The past is the past, Raku. We must look forward now."
Raku nodded and took a deep breath, "What is it you want me to do?"
"Alanna, formally of Trebond and Tortall, must assume the mantle of Tahaken Royalty," she announced clearly.
Raku blanched and raised an eyebrow, "Lady?" he asked, and waited for the answer he feared.
"Princess, " Tamsin replied, her green eyes grim, "She will be the first and the last, " she paused, "If she does not break." She focused the full power of her eyes on him, "You are to see that she does not break, she cannot!"
Raku cringed away from the other worldly power in that command and her eyes flashed silver before swirling back to emerald. "The God's plan has been disrupted," she spoke softly; "they are not pleased and have chosen a new."
Raku frowned; he was not a pawn of the Gods, to be used as they pleased! Tamsin eyed him and suddenly grinned, "You will do as the Gods command. If you do, I will be freed."
Raku's eyes widened in surprise, "What do you mean by freed?"
Tamsin took a step forward, "I will no longer belong to the Dark God, I will be free from Death. That is the Gods offer".
So happy was Raku he missed the hesitation in her words or the flick of her eyes heavenward.
Raku nodded, "Okay," his grin was infectious and Tamsin smiled back at him and kissed him on the check, Raku never felt the stirring of a strange magic seep into his skin.
She glanced over at Michael, "You will have to rid yourself of him, he is delaying the path." Raku nodded and looked at his brother.
"Tell him-", Tamsin hesitated, "-tell him I love him and forgive him." She walked over to the trail and turned, she raised her hand in goodbye and then she was gone.
Raku opened his eyes and gazed without fear at Michael as his brother tried to crush his throat. His finger tightened on the blade at his ankle, his sister needed him! With a growl he threw the remainder of his strength and Gift into the move. His blade came up and thrust into Michael's leg, the blade was special, when used by an experienced user it stole the Gift of whoever's blood it touched.
Raku felt Michaels power, and that of the others who's Gift he had stolen, and drew it into him, down the blade of the dagger, through the hilt and into himself. His limbs immediately stopped shaking and Michaels, no his, Gift began to heal his crushed windpipe. Strength flooding his body, he threw his brother off him and flipped himself to his feet. Michael lay winded and in shock as he gazed at the blade sticking into his thigh, "What have you done?" he shrieked as he realized he was without his beloved Gift.
Raku said nothing and walked over to him, brimming with power he hauled Michael to his feet and withdrew the dagger with his other hand.
Then he held the blade up near his twin's throat, gripping the hilt he drew it back and thrust it down onto his brother's skin, leaving an ugly gash along the side of his face.
"She forgives you, Brother," he spat, and turned around, dropping the defeated Prince, "For that your life is spared."
Then he walked away, leaving Michael clutching his face and cursing him, vowing he would pay for this and this wasn't redemption.
The man stood on the cliff face calm in the eye of the storm surrounding him. Lightning flashed and illuminated the frozen rain over him, he remained dry in the tears of the skies and wind snapped his coat out, power glittered across his skin.
Within him, a strange Magic shimmered in glee as a decision was made. Taking a deep breath Raku nodded, though the girl Alanna reminded him of his sister, he would make her the greatest woman in existence, he would make her a Tahakén Princess.
Author's Note:
ZulaGirl: Thankyou!
CotB: Thankyou! Like the Magic Raku's got? :D
Fang: I know, it is seriously depressing. Some stories have 14 chaps and 100 reviews. I nearly die when I see that...
Review people! A little short, but the next chapters will make up for it