| Part 1: Chapter 1 |
| Two months before the mage�s search and leagues to the east of Daishan in a city named Intara, a twelve year old girl sat on the top of the palace wall. Her gown was made of fine blue silk, with long puffy sleeves of silver gauze and a moderately low neckline in the style of Intaran nobility. Her hair, golden blonde with shimmering red highlights from the rising sun, was beautifully pinned on the top of her head and decorated with little silver moon and star beads. Everything about her spoke of aristocracy, from her dainty be-jewelled slippers to her high cheekbones, yet there she sat on the wall still wet from the morning�s dew, skirts hiked up, staring off into the sunrise and restlessly shifting on the uncomfortable stone. This was hardly the proper behaviour for someone of the Intaran Royal Bloodline. �Risanna,� her nurse whispered, closing the door to the tower stairs behind her. �Come down from there. You�ll ruin your gown. You know better than to sit on that dirty stone like some peasant child.� The old woman frowned at the girl, who climbed down from the wall and brushed off her dress. �I�m sorry Liah,� the girl apologised, looking down at the ground. �I wanted to see the sunrise. Today is a special day.� She looked up at her nurse, who was surprised to see that Risa�s eyes were red-rimmed, and there were wet streaks down her face. �A year ago today I received the news that the ship my family was on had been caught out in a bad storm and had sunk. A year ago today I was orphaned and sent to live with my uncle, the king of Intara and the last remaining member of my family.� She straightened and managed a weak grin. �I suppose you�re meant to tell me to come to the dining hall for breakfast?� she asked of the woman. Liah�s eyes shone with sympathy and she took a moment to pat Risa�s cheek with a wrinkled hand before giving her dress a quick once-over and briskly brushing dirt off the back. �It�s the private dining room this morning,� she said, smiling at the girl. �Come down to your chambers and we�ll wash your face and hands.� She led the way into the tower and down the long flight of stairs to the inner halls of the palace. Pausing to straighten a painting of a field of daisies, she set a brisk pace through the lavish corridors. Risa hardly spared a glance for the beautiful sculptures and paintings adorning the walls, the lush carpets over fine imported stone floors, the silk embroidered wall hangings and the finely sculpted granite columns as she trudged along. She was much too lost in her thoughts to look around, and had seen it all far too many times to be amazed. She came out of her reverie and, frowning, she hurried to catch up to Liah, who was holding open the gold enamelled door leading to her chambers. Barely glancing at the rich furnishings and expensive decorations in the sitting room, she hurried into the bathroom and carefully washed her face and hands. When she was satisfied that they were clean, she went back into the sitting room and held out her hands for Liah to inspect. �They�re clean,� her nurse finally pronounced, letting Risa�s hands go. She glanced at the grandfather clock and exclaimed over the time, grabbing her charge by the arm and hurrying out of the room and down the hall. �Your uncle won�t be happy that we kept him waiting,� she predicted, pulling Risa along behind her. �He has a guest.� �A guest?� Risa gasped, stopping Liah. The nurse had said breakfast was in the private dining room usually for casual occasions, but there was a guest! Risa was puzzled by this apparent anomaly. �Why didn�t you tell me there was a guest? I would have been quicker. Who is it?� �We can�t stop for questions,� her nurse told her, tugging at her sleeve. �Come child, hurry.� Risa let Liah lead her through the halls, muttering under her breath about nurses withholding important information. They came to a large door, embossed with golden scrolls and colourful engravings. The servant standing outside bowed to Risa and slipped inside the door. �The Lady Risanna,� he announced, and bowed her in. She walked by him, shoulders back, chin high, the perfect noble girl. She stopped a few feet away from the table and curtsied to her uncle. The servant bowed again and closed the door behind him. The private dining room was a large enough room for its purpose, seating 8 people for informal meals. The wall hangings were pretty, but not the best in the palace and certainly not meant for impressing well-to-do guests. The carpet, a rich green, was soft and thick enough to sink down under Risa�s weight. �Ah, Risa,� her uncle said, smiling at her. �This is Mernellin Silverpine, a mage from Redgate University, north from here in Tear,� he said, gesturing to the other man at the table. He then introduced her to the mage, paying no mind to the servants that brought in covered dishes whose aromas made Risanna�s mouth water. �Mernellin, this is my niece Risanna.� �It is my pleasure to meet you,� the man smiled, standing to bow to Risa. He sat once more, twitching his robes. Risa curtsied, then took a moment to study him. His robes were of a deep blue colour, and quite rumpled. His hair, a light shade of brown, was unruly, sticking out in every direction. Around his neck hung a chain bearing an amulet in the shape of an eye with a slash of lightning through it. There were more things around his neck but all she could see were bits of silver chain- he had tucked the rest into his robes thus making it impossible to tell if there were pendants or charms on the chains. He smiled at her, showing perfectly straight, white teeth. That smile made her pause for a second. It seemed so familiar, but she was almost certain that she had never met this man. Risa composed herself, returned his smile and sat down. Risa�s uncle smiled and waved the servants away, telling the other two at the table that they could help themselves from the dishes. He began to uncover platters and dishes, and Risa sighed at the smell that rolled up. Bacon, sausages, hash browns, eggs, toast and orange juice were all served out and everyone set to with a will. As they ate, they chatted pleasantly about the weather and other light topics. Risa, going over her plan for a day of exploring the forest behind the castle, couldn�t stop her constant twitching and shifting. Her uncle was used to it and didn�t notice, but it was impossible that Mernellin was not aware. However, he politely pretended not to be bothered by her restless attitude. Once they were done eating and the dishes had been cleared away, her uncle sat back in his chair and steepled his fingers. �Tell me, Mern, why have you come? More to the point, why are you still here? On every other visit you�ve made, you came sneaking in during the wee hours of the morning, woke me up to tell me some snippet of highly useful information, then left before I�ve had a chance to take off my night cap.� Risa sat and toyed with her napkin, trying to mask her intense interest in this conversation. Her plans to wander the forest were forgotten in this bit of intrigue. Her uncle knew this man, and what�s more, Mernellin came in the middle of the night to inform him of various things before slipping away. This was no normal visitor! The mage smiled at Risa�s uncle. �Of course, Leoric, I did not stay simply for the food, which I might add is quite excellent. I came because of your niece, Risanna.� Leoric�s eyebrows rose, and he turned toward Risa. �Do you know anything about this?� he asked her. Risa�s eyes were quite round, and she shook her head. �No uncle, this is the first time I have even heard of Mernellin Silverpine, let alone know of his plans.� At the mention of his full name, the mage winced. �Please,� he breathed, �call me Mern.� Risa nodded graciously at him. �Alright then, Mern it is.� �Thank you,� he said. �Now, back to business. Risanna, I�d be much obliged if you could identify this object.� With that, he reached around to the back of his neck and undid the clasp on one of the mystery chains around his neck. Pulling it out of his robes, he extended his hand towards Risa. She held out her own and Mern dropped whatever it was onto it. Risa looked down into her hand, and gasped with surprise. She took hold of both ends of the chain and brought them up so that her uncle could see the beautiful ruby pendant. Leoric arched his eyebrows at Risanna. �It�s pretty, Risa, but what does it mean?� Risa bowed her head in embarrassment and fingered the pendant, shifting in her chair. She then looked up, a puzzled expression on her dainty face. �How did you get this? You look nothing like�� she broke off, looking at her uncle with a guilty expression on her face. �Alright, what did you do?� he asked, half-angry and half-amused. He knew she wouldn�t do something that would really give him cause to be angry. Risa took a deep breath and, staring at the pendant, started her story. �It was about four months after I came to Intara. I was depressed and angry at the world, and I wanted to get out of the castle without a whole retinue so I dressed up as a commoner and sneaked out. �I was walking through the main streets of Intara- don�t worry Uncle, I never went in the bad parts- when this old beggar man bumped into me. He apologised so profusely and I felt kind of sorry for him, but I had no money on me so I gave him this necklace. I thought he could sell it and get far more use out of it than it would be decorating a rich girl�s neck. �He looked right into my eyes and said, �Don�t be sad, little one. Everything is okay in the end; if it�s not okay, then it�s not the end.� His simple little bit of advice brought me out of my depression, and gave me something I�ll cherish far more than any necklace.� Mern chuckled quietly to himself. �She�s wise for her age, Leoric.� King Leoric smiled at Mern. �It�s her parents� fault.� Risa snapped out of her contemplation of the ruby, and gave Mern another puzzled look. She opened her mouth but before she could speak, Mern jumped in. �I came to Intara months ago on one of my many travels, and your �old beggar man� offered this pendant in exchange for gold. �About a month ago, I was on the road when I had a vision of the ruby pendant being borne into the sky by a puff of wind, which then formed into a shape of a girl. The shape whispered, �Don�t be sad, elder one. Everything is clear in the end; if it�s not clear, it�s not the end.� Then it turned into a crown, and I came out of the vision. �I came back to the city and found the old man, who told me that he got the pendant from a young girl. He also told me what he said to her, and I knew the vision was linked to his words. The wind changed from a girl to a crown. That led me to believe that the girl was special somehow, and possibly linked to royalty. The fact that she had possession of such an expensive pendant and simply gave it away indicated royalty. �I have come to the palace to take Risa to Redgate. She� I believe she has the potential to have air magick.� Risa�s eyes got rounder, and she smiled. �Magick, I? A dream come true, certainly.� She turned to Mern, eyes lighting up. �You mean that I have magick?� Mern nodded. �Yes, Risanna, you have magick,� he told her. �Well you have great magick potential. Your skin glows as only someone with magick inside will glow. If you come with me you will study with the best mages at Redgate and learn how to control your powers. You will not learn of simply magick though, you will also be taught practical things to know, and how to get on in life as a mage. I think you would enjoy it greatly. I see in you the potential to be a great mage.� Risa grinned at him, then turned to her uncle. �Uncle,� she began, then glanced at Mern. �King Leoric,� she began again with a rueful grin, �it would be an absolute dream come true if I were allowed to go study at Redgate. I will not be much trouble there, and I will study hard and learn everything I possibly can. Please let me go.� She could not contain her excitement, and bounced in her chair a little. Leoric took a long moment to study Mern and Risa in turn, then threw his hands up at Risa�s pleading eyes. �Alright,� he told her. �You can go, just turn your sad gaze away! I should have guessed you have magick long ago; I never could last long under the spell of those blue eyes of yours,� he said, grinning and tweaking her nose. Risa laughed joyously, and turned back to Mern. �When do we leave?� she asked him. She didn�t realise it then, but those four words were the beginning of a completely different way of life from anything she'd ever known. |