You know, as I'm revising all of these chapters, I only just realized how damn horrible I was at grammar a while ago. Everything was a big mess, and I bet it still is. But it is much better then before, trust me.

Disclaimer: I would own the TP characters if I could, but I can't, I won't, and I shouldn't.

Chapter 3: Flying Winds, Crashing Hopes

Romeli fingered the rock in her hands. Something about it...she had seen it before, maybe in one of Numair's lessons. Frustration filled her—the name was on the tip of her tongue. Rock…saphire…topez…diamond…opal. It was an opal. She was sure of it.

She grew even more amazed as she thought of the name. It was a black opal. But what in the world was it doing here? Opals were only found in Carthak and a few Northern regions. Even there, the rock was rare.

Its colors consisted of blue, green, orange, and gold fires. She had learned that it could store miraculous amounts of magic, which made the rock so priceless.

After basking in the sun and viewing the opal's capturing colors, Romeli could tell that Shadowdancer was growing bored.

Hey Shadowdancer?

Yes?

Do you want to gallop with me?

You don't even have to ask, you know, the horse replied smartly, adjusting her footing.

Romeli took off her clothes, knowing that when she transformed they would fall off anyways. Once stripped, she put the black opal by her clothes, and started to think like a horse. She could feel her neck lengthen, her hands turn to hoofs, and her legs become powerful kicking machines. When she opened her eyes, she was ablack mare like Shadowdancer. She started to gallop down the field with Shadowdancer in hot pursuit.

At lunch time, Romeli the horse, and Shadowdancer returned to the spacious oak tree. To change back to her human shape, she thought about her who she really was. Despite the fact that she herself did not really know the true answer to that question, she felt her antlers sprout, her ears round, and her back gain the flexibility it naturally had.

Once in her human shape, she put on her clothes and dropped the opal in her pocket. After she put the saddle back on Shadowdancer, they rode home. Romeli smiled. She now knew what she was going to give her parents for Midsummer's Day.

After brushing down Shadowdancer and putting everything away, she went to look for her father. The best place that she knew any mage would was the library. Sure enough, when Romeli checked the large room, Numair was huddling over a pile of scrolls.

"Da?" she asked, knowing him, she probably didn't hear her walk in.

He looked up and smiled at his daughter, but now he couldn't look away. Instead, he walked up to her and cupped his hand under her cheek.

"That tickles Da," Romeli said looking up at him. Her eyes were dancing drawing him even more into her trance. She gasped and quickly looked down.

Numair put his hand under her chin and brought her head up. A tear rolled down her cheeks. Numair took a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped it away. He put his hands on her shoulders and looked deep into her eyes.

"What's wrong?" he asked, his scholar face replaced by one of a father's. Romeli looked down again. He quickly raised her chin up with his hand defiantly.

"I want to be normal. I don't want this...green hair, or eyes that capture people." More tears rolled down only to be wiped away by Numair. "I don't even want my powers!" she insisted desperately. In all honestly, her insecurity was a reoccurring theme. It wasn't the first time she had cried over being different—it certainly wouldn't be the last either.

"If you were normal, you wouldn't be the beautiful daughter I have now." Romeli smiled weakly and sniffed. "Normal isn't a good thing. If you were normal, you would be at the palace fluttering your fan and...and...fainting every few hours because of those hideous corsets. Think about it. If everyone was exactly the same, same eyes, same hair, same personality, where would all the fun be?"

"There wouldn't be any." Romeli replied cheering up with every word he said.

"Right. You're just one-of-a-kind. To me, originality and uniqueness is a good thing. Never keep yourself down because of it."

Romeli hugged her father tight. He kissed her forehead and hugged her back. Numair never forgot his daughter's distinctive smell of aspen leaves and cinnamon. Nor did Romeli forget her father's scent of freshly washed cotton and soap. Once they let go, Romeli's toxic eye's danced and Numair's crow's feet pair wrinkled in return.

"Now what did you come here for?" he asked fingering a glitter streak in her hair. To him they felt like dragon scales, except in little strings.

"Oh, right," Romeli said mindlessly. "Can you teach me how to make those glass things?"

"I've never taught you?" Romeli shook her head. "Well, you haven't lived until you have. This way." He led her to a desk in the corner of the room and they set to work.

OOO

At the dinner table, Daine, Numair, and Romeli feasted on chicken and potatoes with bread. They ate in silence flashing back on the day's events. You could tell the sorrow in Daine's and Numair's faces that they had to help in yet another war.

Finally Romeli broke the silence, "Guess what?" both of her parents looked up at her with their brows raised. "My horse's name is Shadowdancer. She's a great horse, and fast too. When we want galloping in the fields she beat me by a longshot."

"Wanna race?" Daine challenged. Numair snorted.

"Goddess, that's a great idea." Romeli blurted out. "Da, you can be judge, and Shadowdancer could watch, what with her getting entertained easily and everything..." Once again, Numair snorted.

"It's a deal. Next Monday morning. I need to work on my horse shape," the wild mage confessed.

"Oh! Right. Ma, this is for you," Romeli said getting out an emerald glass sphere. Despite the emerald color, she could see through it easily. Inside was another sphere of the same emerald green as her gift.

"Romeli, it's beautiful!" voiced Daine as she turned the sphere over in her hands and admired the work. "Yours is better then Numair's" she came over to her daughter and gave her a firm hug.

"You're welcome." Romeli said hugging her back.

"Numair told me about the what happened in the library. Remember what he says. He hasn't let me down yet," Daine explained.

"I wouldn't dare. Dad, this is for you." Romeli said taking out the black opal that was in her pocket. The tips of her fingers itched with power when she touched it. It began to glow a bright emerald. She quickly handed it to Numair worried that she did something to it.

"A black opal? Where did you find it?" Numair whispered nearly speechless.

"I found it when I was walking with Shadowdancer. What did I just do to it? And why isn't it glowing when you touch it? Your Gift is stronger." she asked eyeing the stone uneasily.

"Actually your Gift is stronger, and I think it has to do with your power over plants, but I don't know. Plants don't really have anything to do with opals," Numair said in his scholar voice.

Romeli stared shocked. Stronger Gift then Numair's? But that would make her the strongest mage in Tortall. And at the age of fourtnee?

"Romeli, we need to talk about the war, Daine pointed out, interrupting the girls thoughts.

"Do I get to fight?" Romeli asked excited. She was good with a bow and arrow, not nearly as good as her mother however. Her best weapon was the double bladed staff. It was a little shorter than her tall height, and when she spun it, the blades on each end blurred and struck faster than a cobra. Ironically, one of her deadly staffs was named Cobra.

"Sort of," Daine explained. "You and me will fight in a large battle that will be more then half a year from now. It's one of those scheduled battles that happen every once in a while. Until then, the king will post us somewhere."

Romeli nodded, glad she could help. Even moreso, she was excited to see real action—her hands were always itching for adventure.

"Wait a minute, I get to see the King?" Romeli never saw the king before, since Daine and Numair were both on leave. No one even knew Romeli existed except for Aunt Alanna, Uncle George, and her family. "What's Da going to do?"

"I'm going to be putting defense spells on forts and nearby fiefs."

"Can I help?" she asked. "I'm good with charms like that and my Gift can't run out."

"I'd rather have you with Daine. Think about it. There are plenty of mages that are good with those things. And only two wild mages that can transform into animals," said Numair. The reason in his voice made Romeli nod in agreement.

"Can we skip lessons today, Ma? My ankle has been hurting for a few hours now and the pain wont go away," She informed, wincing when she started to feel the heart beat throb around her foot.

"Sure. Everyone needs a break today. Be ready to work extra hard tomorrow though." Romeli mock saluted and walked up to her bedroom. The pain in her foot only worsening with every step.

OOO The castle Rathausak the palace of King Maggur, Scanra OOO

Three weeks ago, King Jonathan III of Tortall, went over to Scanra to conduct a meeting concerning the reason King Maggur deliberately raided two small towns set close to the Scanran border. King Maggur, wanting just this, spoke to the other King more as a friend than a country rival.

Jonathan, now experienced with the enemy country and its ruler, knew he was being black mailed the minute King Maggur spoke to him.

"As you know, Scanra has been doing very well with resources the past few years, and our number of soldiers has flourished. Your country on the other hand, has been having tough winters, and the immortals have been stealing your knights," Maggur said sitting at a table with Jonathan and his men across from him.

Jonathan rose a single brow. "Your ability to state the obvious astounds me."

Maggur ignored the comment. "Either we have a war, or I tear up your country bit by bit. And I know you don't want blood shed across the country." Maggur's slimy voice made Jonathan clench his jaw angrily. The King of Scanra was dressed in jewels and expensive robes. His blonde hair was slick, and he wore his crown and scepter with the air of a God. Jonathan's black beard and hair were done simply and his blue eyes went well with his blue tunic and breeches.

"I know, and you know, the reason for starting this war isn't because of your strong army or food. Tell me Maggur or I will force it out of you," Jonathan threatened. Blue fire surrounded his left hand. Maggur's guards tensed up behind their king.

King Maggur hesitated. It wouldn't hurt to tell him. He won't know what I'm talking about anyways. Sure he'll ask questions, but it's a mystery to me too. "Two lands will take a turn. One knows It. One has It. It has the meaning of life, power, magic, and jewel. Lands will collide. Blood will be spread. All for It," Maggur recited dreamily. A wicked smile peeled across his lips.

Jonathan's face was full of everything but understanding. He sat there thinking over what the other king just said, then started to blurt out questions.

"Is it the Dominion Jewel?"

"No, not really."

"What about a powerful opal?"

"No."

"Well, what is It then?" Jonathan asked clearly impatient.

"We do not know. All we know is that you have It. The mages can sense It all the way from here. So far The Prophecy is true," said Maggur, full of patience.

"If Tortall wins this war, you sign a treaty saying that you will never attack Tortall again."

"And if Scanra wins, we will search your country for It. And we will kill if needed."

"Swear by blood." Jonathan said darkly cutting his finger with his dagger. He got a quill and filled it with his blood. King Maggur did the same. They signed their name on a contract and cleared their cuts.

Jonathan nodded and walked out of the door thinking about the past conversation. What is It? And what does It do? He walked out of the castle with his men and galloped as fast as he could to Tortall. But he knew it would be a few weeks until he got there.

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