| Subject: Thank you! Another (shorter) part of the story inside! |
Author:
Swordslash
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Date Posted: 23:15:57 12/22/03 Mon
In reply to:
Swordslash
's message, "Sinistria: Remain in the Shadows" on 21:23:25 12/09/03 Tue
Thriolil spoke nothing about the voice in the days to come. He knew that it had been meant for him, and him alone, to hear. He thought he must have seemed disdainful, because Aleathien stayed away for the remaining days left in the journey to Manriel. She said nothing, ate nothing, and drank nothing. He grew worried about her.
When at last they came in sight of the city walls, Aleathien spoke for the first time in a while.
“Here we shall be safe.”
“Safe from what? What is there to fear?”
She rounded on him, her eyes flashing. “There is much more to fear than you know, son of Ignorance. If you had paid one bit of attention to what happened back in the clearing, you would know this – someone’s after you, Thriolil, and it’s my job to stop whoever it is. You will learn to fear this person more than I do because it’s you they’re after, not me. Don’t think that I can always save you. Some day you’ll have to learn to use your own powers to protect you, and you’ll have to learn to use a sword and a bow. I won’t always be here. I’ve seen my future. There is no way to avoid it – I’m going to die to save you. So while I’m still alive I’m going to have to teach you everything you need to know. Don’t fight me on this. So, do you understand any of what I’ve just told you?”
Thriolil was stunned at this outburst. It was more than he’d ever heard her say at once. He mumbled a few words of consent and followed her meekly into the city.
The guards had never seen a girl Aleathien’s age act with such authority. They let her in as soon as they saw her. Both Thriolil and Aleathien were brought to the Lord.
The Lord of Manriel, a man named Saiyen Lightbreeze, looked down on the two people before him. He looked the boy over first, his eyes noting every detail of Thriolil’s figure.
This boy has courage. He is kind, outspoken, caring and friendly. I sense power around him. What does this mean? Surely, he cannot be the one, he thought. His gaze shifted to the girl and as he scrutinized her he took an involuntary step back.
This girl! She cannot be! Such boldness, rebelliousness, and bravery I have never seen in all my days. She has the spirit of a fighter – that cannot be denied. I must be wary of this feisty and fiery girl. She could be the key to my downfall or the key to my rise towards the throne. Either I must watch her very carefully or I must bend her abilities to my liking. Is she the cause of the Magic surge I felt a while back? Using his Magic, the Lord of Manriel delved into Aleathien’s soul and memory, and met her shield. It was brought up to a certain power so great that not even the Lord of Manriel tried to break it – that meant certain death. Scared, he signaled to the guards to release the boy and the girl.
“Girl, come here.” Aleathien walked forward, her head bowed respectfully. She knew that if she wanted even a slight chance of winning favor she should be polite. The man spoke again. “Lift your chin, girl.”
Aleathien did so, and Saiyen found himself looking into the most amazing grey eyes he had every seen. Their gaze was strong and steady, searching as well. Saiyen tore his eyes away from the sight of her face. He looked at the guards, dismissing them with a nod. He beckoned the boy forward and motioned to a chair. Thriolil sat down, bewildered by the man’s actions.
“What relation do you have to this boy?” he asked.
Aleathien’s chin raised slightly in an action of defiance. “He is my…my brother.”
Saiyen Lightbreeze shook his head. “You’re a horrible liar, did you know?” he remarked.
Aleathien laughed, a silvery and musical laugh that sounded like bells. “I have always been.” She gave Saiyen an appraising look, and then spoke. “I am Aleathien, his guardian. I have been protecting him from the Shadow. It is my destiny and I will follow it.”
Saiyen’s head jerked upwards, and he caught his breath. “You mean that he is the one named by the prophecy?”
“I am named clearly – he is not, but my senses tell me he is the one. I have already once fought for his life. He has met HER, and did not even known it. Things are worse off than I feared. Glyaela is loose!”
Thriolil rose at this. “Glyaela is the one who told me that I was a Wight. She meant no harm.”
Aleathien turned slowly, as if not believing him. “What? Glyaela told you that you were a Wight? She was trying to trick you! Do not listen to her, Thriolil. Don’t listen at all, she wants you to use your powers for her good.”
“Her good?” Thriolil asked. “What are you talking about? She was kind to me!”
Aleathien grabbed his shoulders and shook him as if trying to shake that thought out of his head. “No! She is a servant of Marrith the Sorcerer, who is a commander of the dominion of Evil, Thriolil! She was trying to make you one of them.”
Thriolil looked at Aleathien in disgust. “You’re so uptight. You think everyone is out to get me because of the stupid prophecy. Why can’t you understand – some other people are good too!” He turned away, sat down and glared at her.
She had said nothing during this outburst from Thriolil. She looked hurt and frail in that moment, and Thriolil realized then that she was not the tough person she seemed to be. After looking at him despairingly for a space of seconds, she turned back to Saiyen.
She spoke to him in the language Thriolil couldn’t understand. It was a fluid, beautiful speech. Thriolil heard it as if it was a dialect from a story. Saiyen understood it perfectly.
“Saiyen, he doesn’t believe in me anymore. There is nothing I can do. I have failed in my only task. I will try, but I fear for the state of the world!”
Saiyen spoke to her in the same tongue. “Aleathien, if all the girls in the world were like you, then we should have no problems. Don’t worry, you have done your best, and if I judge you right, you will continue to do so.”
Aleathien smiled. “I will, Saiyen.”
Then the doors swung open and a girl walked in. She had red waves of hair to her waist and sparkling blue eyes. Her skin was fair but slightly suntanned. She smiled, revealing bright white teeth. As she approached Saiyen, she half bowed, half curtsied to him respectfully. Then she spoke.
“I am Sarenya, travelers. Welcome to Manriel. My lord, I have something for you.” She handed him a message and left, flashing a grin at Thriolil.
Thriolil watched Aleathien for her reaction, but he was not rewarded. Aleathien had carefully restricted her emotions to a space where no eye could see. He felt power emitting from her, and knew that a shield was up.
When Sarenya was gone, Aleathien immediately began speaking to Saiyen in the same language as before. “Sarenya! That treacherous Glyaela’s sister! She lives here?”
“Yes, I know, shocking isn’t it?” replied Saiyen.
“She MUST be gotten rid of.”
“She is not what you think of her!”
“Sarenya is Glyaela’s sister – she is a Wight just like all the rest of her family!” exclaimed Aleathien.
“The girl is not evil, nor is she a Wight! Honestly, Aleathien, I expected better judgment than that of you. I’m beginning to agree with Thriolil there.” Saiyen gazed at Aleathien, and once the shield was down, he took the chance.
He searched her thoughts, and found what he wanted. As he looked through the memories and emotions that Aleathien kept hidden so well, Saiyen realized that Aleathien harbored a deep feeling of suspicion about the Sarenya, and that her suspicions had proved to be right in the past. For a few seconds, Saiyen wondered if she could be right, and then he shook that thought out of his head.
“Well,” he said, speaking in the common tongue, “I will have someone come and show both of you to your rooms. You are here as my honored guests. Let no harm come to you as long as you are here, which is as long as you desire!”
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