CHAPTER SIX:
MAGIC LESSONS
The next morning, Graydon ripped Verania out of her dreams of the glowing and the red woman.
She sighed as she got up to find the others, while Graydon went back to the kitchen to get some water.
"Where were you gonna go?" She heard Jade ask Kit and went over to them.
"West. To the Shattered Sea."
"Alone?"
"Well you're more than welcome to join me, but I'm sure as hell not waiting for Muffin Girl to learn how to pick the right finger."
"Muffin Girl?" Verania questioned.
"Yeah, she used to be a kitchen maid. Everyone always talked about her muffins," Kit explained and Verania nodded understanding.
"Okay, her name's Elora Danan. We owe her our allegiance." Jade looked at Verania before she turned back to Kit.
"Says Willow."
"She bears the mark."
"Maybe he put it there," Kit argued. "It wasn't there before. And even if it was Raziel, how do we know she didn't mark a bunch of babies. Yeah, maybe you have one too. Maybe you're Elora Danan."
"Maybe I'm Elora Danan," Boorman said. "I always thought there was something special inside me."
"I'm certainly not Elroa Danan," Verania commented.
"You don't believe it either?" Jade asked.
"It's not that I don't belive it, as much as I don't really care."
Jade looked at Verania for help. "What he said," she said, pointing at Boorman.
"I guess you have a better idea on how we can save the prince," Jade turned back to Boorman.
"Oh, I'm bursting full of better ideas. But first, I recommend that we split before Miss Chosen Face catches wind and decides to follow us," Boorman uttered.
"You shouldn't do that." Graydon headed towards them as Kit got on her horse.
"Lurk much?"
"She is Elora Danan. I'm sure of it," he said, ignoring Boorman.
"How?" Kit questioned. "Can you provide me one shred of evidence that proves she's capable of literally anything, magical or not?"
"Idiots! Nincompoops! Where is she?" Willow yelled as he and a few other Nelwyn came on the glade.
"That's the concurrently worst and the best insult I have ever heard," Verania mumbled.
"Elora?" Graydon asked worriedly and Verania furrowed her eyebrows. Why was her brother so worried about that girl? Did he like her?
"We thought she was with you," Jade said.
"This, right here, is why no one's allowed above ground, ever."
"Relax. She's probably just frolicking in a meadow somewhere nearby," Kit joked.
"Oh, yeah, I forgot you're hilarious," Willow said. "You're also being awfully cavalier with the fate of the world, Princess. Now think about this for a moment. Everyone you've ever cared about will be made to serve the power behind the Crone, and their only hope of escaping that nightmare is now wondering around in the woods!"
"Stay in pairs," Silas told them. "Let's spread out."
"Where a you going?" Kit asked as Jade went to join the others.
"To look for her. But just do what you want. You always do."
Kit sighed and turned around, ready to ride off alone.
"Wait, I'll come with you," Verania said as she got on her horse.
"Why?" Kit asked. "Don't you want to help looking for the Chosen One, too?"
"I don't think I'd be much of a help, there are enough people looking for her. Besides, we shouldn't all seperate," Verania rode up next to Kit.
They went for a few minutes in silence before Verania spoke up again. "Why do you hate her so much?"
"I don't hate her," Kit denied. Verania looked at her with raised eyebrows. "I don't," she said again. "I just, she's annoying and a complication on our quest. She's here for Airk, but I know my brother, he doesn't love her. And now she might also be Elora Danan."
Verania wanted to ask if Kit was jealous but bit it back, not wanting to upset the princess any more.
"What about you? Do you believe Dove is Elora Danan?"
"It's certainly not impossible. I don't really care if she actually is Elora or not though. It would be helpful if she was, I mean she could save the world, but eve if she's not, it's not my business. I feel rather sorry for her. All she wanted was to go save the man she's in love with (wether he loves her back or not), and now she's supposed to be the most important girl in the world and save us all. It's a great responsibility."
"Yeah, poor Elora Danan," Kit snorted.
"I'm just saying, all this wasn't her decision," Verania reasoned. "Whatever, let's change the subject. I noticed you and my brother made up."
Kit was silent for a second but decided to play into the change of subject. "More or less, yeah. I'm sorry about Yan by the way."
Verania got off the horse to walk for a bit. Her butt and legs hurt like hell. Kit did the same.
"Uh, thanks, I guess... Can't say I knew him well, and I definetly didn't like him, but he was not as bad as I always thought he was," Verania said. She hadn't had any time to grieve her loss, but she wasn't sure if she was even ready for that yet.
"I know I shouldn't blame myself, but how can I not? It's in our nature to try and find someone to blame, we're just human after all. There are those who blame others, and then there are those who blame themselves." Verania paused. "I guess I am one of the second kind."
"Although I won't ever admit that to anyone else, I'm probably one of the first kind," Kit said.
Verania smiled at her. "That's fine, the world needs the selfish and the selfless."
"Are you saying I'm selfish?"
"Well, you're definitely not selfless, so-"
"Oh, shut up," Kit laughed and Verania was glad she understood her sarcastic humour.
"The world isn't just black and white though," she said.
"Wow, you really covered some distance," Boorman's voice sounded behind them.
"Yeah, I'm not really in the mood for banter," Kit replied.
"Ah, that's a shame. You know, I want you to know I'm with you. I'm not with them." Boorman claimed. Verania furrowed her eyebrows. What the hell? "I was coming to find you two but it just so happens we're all going on the same road, so I duped them into thinking that I'm with them. The truth is I'm with-"
"Yeah, we get the gist," Kit cut him off. She turned to look at Verania, raising an eyebrow questioningly. Verania shrugged, she had no idea where this all came from so suddenly.
"Despite what you may have heard I'm not actually a thief by trade. I'm more what you might call obtained of rare artifacts," Boorman justified himself for no reason at all. Verania didn't care about his life story and she doubted Kit did.
"Grave robber?" Verania asked sarcastically.
"Hmm, treasure hunter. And I became this because when I was about your age, someone told me the legend of the Kymerian Cuirass."
"The Kymerian Cuirass?" Kit questioned.
"Yeah, the Cuirass. A legendary armour-"
"I know what it is," Kit interrupted.
"Kinda changed my life," Boorman kept going.
"And so you wasted it searching for a magical breastplate that somebody told you about in a bedtime story?"
"That's like the saddest thing I've ever heard," Verania commented.
"No, her father, he didn't think it was sad," he said to Verania before he turned back to Kit.
"No, he spent five years searching the world for it. I know 'cause I was with him. I was his squire."
Was that what this was all about? Making Kit trust him by telling her stories (true or not) about her father?
Kit looked at him sceptically.
"So, what? You're telling me you know what happened to him?"
"Oh, yeah. He found it," with that Boorman walked off, leaving a confused Kit behind.
Over the time, Verania fell a little back next to the wagon, which made her overhear Willow and Elora's conversation. As Elora threw up right on his shoulder, she got out to walk for a bit.
"You alright?" Verania asked the blonde.
"Yeah, just a little queasy," she smiled back.
When the night came they stopped on a beautiful meadow with a great view of the mountains.
They all sat around the fire as Willow tried to teach Elora simple magic.
"There is an energy that flows through all living things," he explained.
"The bloodstream of the universe," Elora remembered.
"Yes. Now that energy can neither be created nor destroyed, only transformed. What we call magic is the art of transforming that energy from one form to another." He pulled out a pouch.
"Okay, hold out your hand," he instructed and poured some seeds.
"Oh! Eckleberry seeds."
"Plant them. Anywhere, just here."
After Elora had scattered the seeds on the ground infornt of her Willow said, "Repeat after me. Tuatha authrock mora hoatha."
"Too aka throck morda whoatha."
"Close," Willow lied. "Let's, uh, let's try it again. Repeating the words exactly as I say them."
Elora tried again and again. In the beginning Verania thought it was quite funny but it soon got rather annoying.
"Kinda sounds like she's getting further away from it," Boorman remarked.
"You're doing well. Honestly," Willow reassured Elora.
"You don't seem so sure."
"Look at my face, do you believe me? You're doing really well. I want you to keep practicing saying the words in sets of three till you get it right."
"How will I know when I got it right?" Elora asked.
"Well, a little sprout, about yea high." Willow showed about five centimetres with his fingers. "Will poke up out of the dirt and, after a few weeks practice, we'll all be having eckleberry jam for breakfast."
"Few weeks? Okay, yeah," Kit didn't look pleased. "How long until she starts shooting lightning bolts out of her fingertips?"
"She has to master the four pillars of sorcery, charms, potions, concentration and divination before she can even begin battle magic," Willow explained rather harsh.
"Why don't we just do battle magic now?" Elora asked. "That sounds really fun."
"No, nothing fun about it."
"Oh. Can I use this?" She grabbed a crooked wand which was immediately ripped out of her fingers by Willow.
"No! Give that back. This is Cherlindrea's wand. It's a powerful magical conduit you're nowhere near ready for."
"Okay, well, I love eckleberry jam, you know. On a toasted bun, little bit of melted butter. It's delicious. Really looking forward to that. So, you keep up the good work Elora. Yeah? 'Cause I'm very excited," Boorman said rolling his eyes.
"Just ignore him," Willow told Elora. "I firmly believe you have the power deep inside you. Very deep."
So Elora started repeating the words over and over again. All night long.
On the next morning Elora still sat in the same spot, chanting silently.
Verania, Kit and Jade stood a few metres away.
As Jade was practicing with her throwing stars, Verania watched curiously.
"Can I try that?" She asked Jade.
"Uh, sure," Jade handed her the stars. "But be careful, they have sharp ends everywhere."
Verania nodded, she threw the first and it hit the tree she aimed at. She cheered about her little success, which was not much surprising since she learned how to throw daggers at a young age. The trew the second star and it hit the same tree, a little more to the right.
"You're good," Kit said and Jade nodded. "Have you tried it before?"
"No. I always liked throwing daggers though, and these stars are way more balanced." Verania went to the tree to get the stars back. "I'm gonna get some water," she told the girls as she handed the throwing stars back over to Jade.
"My name's not Elora." She heard not-Elora say as she picked up her water bottle. "It's not even Dove. That's just what Airk calls me. It's... Brünhilde," she mumbled, ashamed of her own name.
"Oof."
"Really?"
"Yeah. And unsurprisingly I got teased a lot, and when I wasn't getting teased, I worked in the kitchens, and I learned how to cook. That's who I am," not-Elora said. "That's all I am."
"No, you can do this," Willow assured her. "You're just not feeling the words. Cone on, try with me. Tuatha-"
"I swear, if you say tuatha even one more time, I'm gonna lose it."
"Right, I get it. You're frustrated. Well, so am I. But believe me, seed charms are nothing compared to what you'll face once we reach the Immemorial City," Willow said.
"Great sorcerer. Think you'd be able to beat some feeble old hag," Elora mumbled.
"Feeble old hag? If the Crone was ever a person, she became something else long ago. A moldering abomination. If you ever wanna see Airk again, let alone save him, you have to focus," he yelled and threw the book on the ground.
Elora got up and ran away sniffing.
Willow sighed and picked the book up again.
"Well, it's the truth," he exclaimed as he noticed Verania's and Boorman's judging looks before he walked off.
Verania got up and followed him.
"Hey!" She said as she has caught up with the Nelwyn. "Can I ask you something?"
"What do you want?"
"How do you know if someone's a sorcerer?"
Willow stopped and turned around to look at her.
"If this is about Elora-"
"It's not," Verania cut him off.
"Well, then why are you asking?" He questioned.
"I overheard Elora and your's conversation yesterday. In the wagon. Those dreams you mentioned... I think I might have them."
"You think you're a sorcerer?"
"No, I mean, I don't know. That's why I'm asking you," Verania explained.
"Uh, can you give me an example?"
"Well, first there where only little things, you know. The kitchen maid shattering a plate or something like that. Then I dreamt of the death of my brother Dermot. It went exactly as I saw it. And now, for a few weeks to be exact, I see two different women over and over again. Nothing happened yet, but I feel like it has a greater meaning."
"That does sound a little... weird. I wouldn't say it's impossible for you to be a sorcerer, just improbable. Who are your parents, child?" Willow asked her.
"King Zivian Hastur and Queen Arianna Hastur of Galladoorn," Veraina said.
Willow furrowed his eyebrows.
"Hastur? Are they your birth parents?"
"Yeah, why?"
"You don't look like a Hastur. Has anyone in your family light hair, blue eyes or pale skin?"
"Well, no, but why does that matter? Anyone can be a sorcerer. Magic is not something genetic, right?"
"Yeah, but- wait," he interrupted himself, holding his hand up to stop her from talking. "You said you saw two women in your dreams?"
"Yeah," Verania said slowly, not understanding what he was implying.
"Was the one dark haired and wore red?"
"How do you know that?"
"I've had a dream about her, too. I'm not quite sure who she is though," he mumbled, scratching his chin. "Tell me about the other woman."
"Uh, I dont really know how to describe her. She's, like, glowing everytime I see her. Golden hair perhaps?"
"Cherlindrea," Willow whispered. "Why would you dream of her? The Queen of Fairies is dead. Did she say anything, do anything?"
"She always says, 'Beware, my child, darkness is near. Follow the Chosen One and stop her from giving into the fear. Prevent the great war to come. Then, my successor you shall become.' Then she smiles and vanishes in light," Verania told him.
"And you never thought about telling someone?" Willow asked incredulously.
"No?"
"I believe perhaps you really are a sorcerer. We'll have to test you first, but if I am correct, and I always am," he paused and looked at her.
"I think you might be Cherlindrea's daughter."
Verania blinked twice.
"I'm sorry, what?"
A/N:
Oh my God! Another plottwist! How unexpected, who would've ever guessed that?!
Okay, sorry.
I just thought it would be nice to give my oc a subplot to make the story a little more interesting.
Oh, and it would be great if you'd give me a little feedback on how you like this story, my writing style etc. I am here to learn and grow. If you notice that I made a mistake (grammar, spelling, information or whatever), please tell me so I can correct it.
The next chapter will be published tomorrow around the same time.