The Sorceress of Kalan Part 2 Chapter 1: Sorceress Dalia was frustrated; tomorrow was her 18th birthday. She would be a full sorceress. Her training wasn't complete yet until she joined the council. Tomorrow would be the ceremony of rising. "My mother was eighteen, her mother was eighteen, her mothers mother was eighteen. Now I'm turning eighteen." Dalia said to herself. "Uhhh! I can't stand it . Why do I have to wait 'til tomorrow?" Dalia started wailing. She walked around the grounds trying to calm down. Rumi was now at the Boy's Academy. The events of last year were still clear in her mind. Neither Yukii or Vey had been heard of since. Dali still treasured the note Vey left her. She walked by the concert hall. She could still see Vey standing there. Her younger brother ran up to her yelling. " Dali, Dali, guess what." "What." "Look what I got." He pulled out a sword, brand new. It had a black crosshilt, studded with emeralds. A shining silver blade, with three blood channels. It was perfectly forged and razor sharp. It was magnificent. A gift from his sword-master. "Master Kalothei said that I now have the rank of weapons-master." Rumi said excitedly. "That's great, in two years you can participate in the tournaments of Aleathia." Dali said happily. "Isn't it great?" "Certainly." Rumi ran off to show everyone his new sword. Dali watched him run off. She turned to the Girl's Academy and saw Lady Wisteria. "Hello Dalia, are you excited about your initiation tomorrow?" "Oh yes Lady Wisteria. I just wish it would hurry up." "You should get some sleep then, you have a big day tomorrow." "It's the middle of the day!" Lady Wisteria laughed. She watched Dalia trudge up the stairs. She could remember the day she was to become a sorceress. Lady Wisteria sighed and walked off. "Ahh! Why do I have to wait?" "Dalia, Lady Wisteria will think you're crazy if you keep talking to yourself. You do sound crazy." Dali whirled around. "Pel! Don't sneak up on people like that." Pel's purple eyes shone. Dali thought of Vey's purple eyes. Pel laughed. "If you want tomorrow to be here so badly why don't you go to bed?" "This from an Elf? It's only noon!" "A nap then?" "A nap! Naps are for babies." "Pelegrath!" Pel turned. "I'll be right there Geny! Have fun Dali." Pel turned to Geny. "Have fun Pel." Pel ran down the hall. "Make sure you know your verses for tomorrow!" Dali went to the roof. At least today is an off day. She sat up there thinking about last year until the moons rose. "Lights out!" Dalia went back down to her room and fell asleep. Dalia's dreams were troubled. This dream again. She was in another time witnessing a hanging. Everything went black and she was alone. Right in front of her the figure in black materialized. The figure raised a hand and this time said one word, you . All of a sudden it vanished. Dali woke screaming and crying. The hanging was too much for her everytime. Lady Wisteria and Geny came running in, scared something had happened to Dalia. Dalia was shaking when the two women came burst through the door. They ran to her side while she sobbed and shivered. "Dalia, what happened?" Geny asked. "We were scared you were being kidnapped." " I don't know. My dream. It was so real." Dalia shook her head. "It what do you mean it? Your dream?" Geny asked. "No the woman in my dream. She spoke to me." "What did this woman say?" Lady Wisteria inquired. "She pointed to me and uttered one word 'You'. I'm scared, what does this mean? It's different from the last time." "Last time? What do you mean last time?" "I've had this dream before, but it was different." "I want you to rest right now Dalia. O.K.?" the Lady told her. "Sure." Lady Wisteria and Geny walked out of the room and Geny turned out the lights. "What do you think it means?" asked Geny. "Come, I want to show you something." Lady Wisteria led Geny to the library, way, way in the back. She pulled an old dust- covered volume off the shelf. THE PROPHECIES OF DEMA DEMANCEOCHA it was titled. "Her last prophecy, read it." Geny opened the first page on it was written THE PROPHECIES OF DEMA DEMANCEOCHA as recorded by ARAHN DEMANCEOCHA, loving and devoted husband. Preserved by RINEJAS DEMANCEOCHA loving and devoted son. She read aloud the first prophecy. "Listen my sweet, you will hear the words repeat forever. The war will start without me for my death is not long away take cover to survive. Remember me........Never Forget." Then Geny turned to the last page, careful not to rip the frail book in two. The last page read: A sorceress was being hung. Two men stood before her. The bigger one put a noose around her neck. "Any last words witch?" Voh spat as he said the last word scornfully. "Yes." "Oh please do tell." Thad said. "You will be sorry for a great war is about to break out, taking more lives than any other war. This one lasting until one of power beyond that of the gods steps forward announces her ancestry, her birthrite, her craft. The same craft that runs through her family. Sorcery. A very powerful magic to any who know how to use it. When she comes forth only then can peace return!" "Make it qu... Geny dropped the book and looked up at Lady Wisteria. "What does it mean???" Geny asked with a somewhat hysterical edge to her voice. "She was given the dream. It means Dali is going to..." She left the sentence unfinished when she saw Dalia come into the room. Dalia saw Geny drop some sort of book. Dali went behind a cabinet and watched the two leave the room. She creeped over to where they had been and picked up the book on the table. THE PROPHECIES OF DEMA DEMANCEOCHA what could they want with this Dalia wondered. She replaced the book and went back to bed. The next morning Dalia woke and put the dream out of her mind. She was eighteen. It felt good to be eighteen, today she would be a sorceress. Dalia went to the bathroom to take the ceremonial bath. She filled the water to the top and put in Lavender, rose petals, a touch of jasmine and a pink powder called rees'del. She got in the warm water and soaked for a half-hour. Then she put some kelrtsain her hair to wash out the grit. She turned the shower head on and washed her hair. Then she got out, pulled the plug, and dried herself off. Dali put on the ritual outfit, black stockings, a white slip, a cerulean blue skirt that went down to her ankles and had sky blue embroidery at the bottom, and a white lace shirt. Then Geny came in with the Jewelry. The earrings were pearls with little sapphires in the center, the bracelet was in a criss-cross pattern alternating emeralds and rubies, the ring was a sapphire with five diamonds around it. Her necklace was the masterpiece. It was a simple chain with a single stone. The stone was a swirly blue, the same color as Rumi's eyes. It was a storm stone found only in Kia. It was considered a holy stone by the elves. Dalia took out her shoes. Little black and white ones with a half an inch heel. Geny put the veil on Dali's head and escorted her to the festival hall. Everyone was there to watch her be given the title of sorceress. Rumi was there because he was family. She sighed. "I wish Yukii could see me now." Rumi ran over to Dalia to help her to the alter. Dalia made her way down the aisle to where Lady Wisteria was sitting. Lady Wisteria spoke to Dali. "Dalia Reflerase kneel." Dalia knelt before the council of sorceresses. "Dalia today you are a sorceress, you kneel before the council to ask for your place among us. Is that correct?" "Yes." Lady Rowena sat in the middle of the table. The three prophetesses of the Turni were also there. Dali kept her head lowered. Rowena stood. "Dalia Reflerase, You wish us to recoginze you?" "Yes." The first Prophetess stood. "Who am I?" "You are Zorana, Mother of Kara and Servania. You are the 12th prophetess of the Turni." Zorana bowed. She put her hand on Dali's head. "I release you." The second Prophetess stood. "Who am I?" "You are Kara. Daughter of Zorana and twin sister of Servania. You are the 13th prophetess of the Turni." Kara bowed. She too put her hand on Dali's head. "I release you." The last Prophetess stood. "Who am I?" "You are Servania. Daughter of Zorana and twin sister of Kara. You are also the 13th prophetess of the Turni." She bowed, put her hand on Dali's head. "I release you." The three prophetesses all held their hands on Dali's head. Kara looked up. "She will survive." Servania looked up. "She will change all." Zorana looked up. Her hand shook. "I see all that will be." Her voice changed to the one in her dream. "You. It will be you." Dali stayed frozen in place. "There will always be something you have to protect." Dali's eyes widened. Zorana came back. "She has the right of kings. She will pass." Rowena smiled. "Then rise, take off the veil, and take your place." Dalia rose with Rumi's help, then she took off her veil. As she took off her veil her auburn hair spilled out. There was a muffled gasp from half of the people in the audience. She never took her hair down, it was always in a braid. No one knew how long her hair really was until now because she had to have it down for the ceremony. Her hair fell just below her waist. She was very nervous about taking her place at the council. She mustered her courage and walked up the stairs to her place. Lady Wisteria stood up and yelled out "Let the feast begin!" The servers came out and started putting food of every kind on the tables. There was Kale's spiced chicken, sweet jie turkey, ikleras, tuffed fish, banana bread, strawberry pie, boysenberry salf, Gectele's sweet tarts, lemon flan, blueberry flan, chocolate rez cake, pumpkin pie and about a thousand other kinds of foods. The council members went down to the tables and sat with their friends. Dali went to sit by Pel. Pel was scooping everything she could reach onto her plate. Dali sat down and did the same. Pel turned to Dali, "Can yoa get me at swet brump?" she said with her mouth full. "Swet what? I didn't understand you." Pel swallowed. "You snot, you know exactly what I said. I asked if you would hand me some sweet bread!" Dali passed Pel the bread and bit into a perisa. The perisa was so full of juice that when Dali took a bite it squirted Pel. "You snot, you did that on purpose! You're lucky my shirt is the same color as the juice." "It was an accident, I swear it!!" Rumi ran over to Dali. " Dali, Dali, Lady Wisteria wants to see you now!" Dali stood up and told Pel to save her plate but NOT to eat it. Dali walked over to the main table. Rumi tagged along behind. Dalia went to Lady Wisteria. "Rumilerit, you can leave now." Geny told him. "Awww." He went back to the table with Pel. "What is it ?" Dalia asked "Come with me." Lady Wisteria got up and went to the door. Dali and Geny followed her. They went to the library. All the way in the back they went. Geny pulled a book off the shelf. It looked like it was about two to three thousand years old, it had a black cover, gold embroidery on the corners, a blue-green and purple dragon on the cover, and the title was written in silver. A magical inscription was the title, it read The book of magic: to open say these words Lasredf ihksajf. Dali looked at Geny. "What do I do?" "Open it." she replied. Dalia softly spoke the words, there was a small light and the book flew open. Dali jumped a little way and almost dropped the book. She looked at the first page. Her name was written there. "How did my name get here?" "This book was made for you. A sorceress named Dema wrote it. It tells your story, what YOU are going to do. Your quest is written in it. You must do what it tells you to do. Only you can open it and only you can close it." said Lady Wisteria. Dali looked at both of them. "Just for me." The moonlight filtered into the room.