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Chapter Nine

“Prodigy”

            Prodigy.  Everywhere that Chesare went in the Mage Citadel the word followed her like a shadow, and after hearing it so many times on so many tongues she was heartily sick of it.  Even here, standing alone in a darkened hallway she could feel the word upon her shoulders like a weight.  It had been a month since she had first been admitted to the Citadel, and to everyone’s surprise—perhaps especially her own—there hadn’t been a single aspect of her training that she hadn’t been able to master with complete ease.  Archimagus DeVir had told her on the day that they had met that fire was fickle, and that she had to make it her servant or else it would consume her, but after only a single month of study she had not only made fire her servant, she had turned it into a willing slave.  It hadn’t taken the Council long to recognize that she was an exceptional student, and after no more than a few lessons they had decided to allow her to skip a few of the more basic classes to learn at a faster pace.  And learn she had.  Within a very short span she had outdistanced every single one of her classmates…and most of her teachers.  She did not remember who first used the title “prodigy” when referring to her, but the name had stuck.  Nor was it entirely inappropriate if she was honest, for she readily devoured every lesson set before her like her fires consumed fuel.
            Unfortunately, her rapid rise amongst the ranks of her classmates hadn’t come without cost:  several budding friendships had died before they had had a chance to blossom.  She hadn’t realized what was happening initially, for when she had first arrived the other students had welcomed her with open arms and had celebrated her successes as their own.  But as success piled upon success for her, the celebrations had slackened noticeably, and eventually they had disappeared altogether.  People who she had once thought of as friends now treated her with cool politeness or even icy disdain.  Envy and friendship are a hard mix, she thought sadly, even among mages.  It bothered her she supposed, when she allowed herself to dwell upon it, but as a royal princess, loneliness was already a constant companion.  All her life, the people who had been allowed to come close to her had been carefully screened, and only the most suitable companions were admitted.  Sadly, very few of the people that her parents had deemed “suitable” were actually worth knowing, and as such she had never really had any true friends.  In part, that was why she and her sisters were so close:  even if they had no one else, they had each other.
            Lost friendship opportunities aside, Chesare was enjoying her time in the Citadel immensely.  After 15 years of nannies, governesses, and bodyguards watching every single move she made, even the relatively cloistered lifestyle of the Citadel represented an almost unheard of freedom for the sheltered princess.  When she had first arrived, her mother had tried to force the Citadel to allow the many people tasked with watching over her to accompany her everywhere she went, but Master DeVir had flatly denied the queen’s strident requests.  Chesare smiled at the memory of the conversation, for Archimagus DeVir had listened patiently to her mother rant for several minutes before saying The Mage Citadel is a school, Your Majesty, and your daughter is here to learn.  In order for her to do so effectively, she must be free of distraction.  Remember that she is not here to learn politics or languages:  she is here to learn how to keep herself from destroying everything—and everyone—around her.  He had then gestured at the bandaged hands of several of the women surrounding the queen.  Your servants were lucky that they were not burned alive yesterday.  That could just as easily have happened.  Chesare’s smile slipped a bit at that, for he hadn’t been exaggerating, but within a second or two it returned, for the sheer joy of being allowed to walk unaccompanied through the halls of the Citadel despite her mother’s protests never failed to make her smile.
            The truly remarkable thing was that the teachers treated her as they would any other student.  Her lofty birth didn’t impress them in the slightest, and she had found that she very much enjoyed being treated as just another student.  Even being assigned chores and duties—simple tasks meant to fill her time productively—had been enjoyable.  A princess never had to sweep floors or dust shelves.  That’s what servants were for after all.  Chesare laughed out loud at that.  Mother would die on the spot if she were to find out that I have to help wash sheets!  Well, technically she didn’t wash them, but she did have to keep the water heated for the laundresses.  Chesare stopped at a candleholder and concentrated briefly, and the candles obediently flared into life.  In fact, the reason she was standing alone in this hallway was because one of her duties was to walk this particular hall at sundown each day and channel the candles alight.  Most of the other students hated this particular duty, for the hallway was very long and there were a great many candles to light, but Chesare absolutely loved it.  Being allowed to practice using her abilities unsupervised was a high honor in the Citadel, and normally only the more advanced students were ever allowed the opportunity.  Being assigned the duty meant the instructors knew you could be trusted not to injure yourself or others with your abilities.
            As Chesare channeled yet another candle ablaze, she caught a glimpse of movement out of the corner of her eye, and as she turned to see what it was one of the heavy doors at the entrance to the hallway slowly opened and a head popped through to take a look around.  When Chesare recognized her friend Lady Adrianna, she broke out in another smile and waved.  Adrianna grinned and waved back, and quickly stepped into the room, rapidly closing the door behind her.  She started to walk towards Chesare, but after no more than two hurried steps Adrianna’s excitement overcame her and she broke into an all-out run.  Chesare’s smile turned into a wide grin, for only one thing in the world could make the auburn-haired girl hurry, and that was gossip.  When it came to the spreading of gossip Adrianna could never contain herself, and the bigger the news the faster she had to spread it.  If she was actually sprinting this time, clearly something big was coming.  Her long brown hair flew behind her pretty face like a chestnut cloak, and as she ran toward Chesare, Chesare turned to watch her approach.  Adrianna DeVir had introduced herself to Chesare on the day she had arrived, and the two had quickly become close friends and confidants.  Even her mother couldn’t complain, for Adrianna was of impeccable birth.  Not only was she an Air mage, she was the daughter of Duke Brendenn DeVir of Dakkadia, and the niece of Archimagus Cedric DeVir.  Chesare’s exalted birth didn’t intimidate her in the slightest, and perhaps even better Chesare’s skill at magic hadn’t driven her away.  Far from it, for Adrianna had the same practical view on power that Cedric DeVir did:  they both believed that one student’s progression had nothing at all to do with another’s, and that a true friend stood by you no matter what.  When Chesare had first realized that the other students were starting to hate her, she had pulled Adrianna aside and told her that for her own good Adrianna should turn her back on her.  She still remembered Adrianna’s fierce reply.  No one chooses my friends for me, Chesare.  No one.  And if all it takes for someone to stop being friends with me is for another person to be better than them at something else, then they are fools and we were never friends to begin with.  Adrianna had lost some friends, but many others had learned from her example.  These students weren’t Chesare’s friends exactly, but at least they were cordial.  Hopefully, one day they would see past their jealousy.
            As Adrianna barreled down upon her, Chesare realized two things in rapid succession:  the first was that Adrianna was running very, very fast, and the second was that she was extremely close…and she hadn’t started slowing down.  Apparently Adrianna realized the same thing, for the grin on her face changed to a look of concern, and when she tried to stop herself short of a collision, she failed.  Adrianna smashed into Chesare with an extremely unladylike squeak, and as Chesare tried to redirect the force of the impact, she and Adrianna spun around twice, and then fell to the floor with Chesare falling beneath Adrianna and cushioning her fall.  After the dust settled, Adrianna pulled herself up and asked with a horrified look on her face,
            “I’m so sorry!  Are you all right?  You aren’t hurt are you?”  Tears started rolling down Chesare’s face and the horrified look on Adrianna’s face intensified at the thought that she had hurt her friend, but then she noticed that Chesare’s whole body was shaking with laughter, and that the tears in her eyes were from hilarity and not pain.  Adrianna’s face changed from horror and concern to rueful mirth, and finally she too broke out in peals of laughter, and the two of them laid on the floor for a long while as their laughter washed over them.  Finally, when the tears and laughs subsided, Chesare sat up, wiped her eyes and said,
            “This had better be good, Adrianna.  That was excessive even for you!”  Adrianna sat upright as well and said,
            “Oh it is, Chesare, it is!  The Dakkadian royal family just sailed into the harbor!”  Chesare frowned at that, for she didn’t understand what the big deal was, but Adrianna wasn’t finished.              “They came here aboard the Sovereign, and the Corsair herself is with them!”  The revelation struck Chesare like a thunderbolt:  the most notorious pirate on the ocean had just sailed into her father’s harbor, bearing the king of the most dangerous country in the world aboard her ship.  Everyone in Illymar had heard stories of Corsair, the bloodthirsty pirate queen, and the thought that she might actually get to see her filled her with instant excitement.  Then a thought hit her.
            “Aren’t you related to the Corsair somehow?”  Adrianna’s smile turned into a grin, and she replied
            “As a matter of fact, I am!  Lady Prudence Daemira is one of my aunts!”  Chesare’s hand shot to her mouth in surprise and trepidation,
            “Do you think we might get the opportunity to meet her?”  Adrianna laughed and said
            “I’m certainly going to ask!  I’ll beg if I have to.  I can’t believe it” she giggled excitedly, “The Corsair is here!”  With another squeak, she shot to her feet and grabbed Chesare’s wrists to pull her up.  As she jerked Chesare to her feet, she glanced around at the unlit candles still awaiting Chesare’s ministrations and her face fell.  “There’s still enough daylight that you can actually see the Sovereign from the east tower.  Most of the other students are already there, but you’re never going to get all these candles lit in time!”  Chesare glanced around the room at the candles and frowned in consternation, but then her mouth firmed into a line, she squared her shoulders, and her eyes flashed a brilliant red.  She waved her left hand once, from right to left, and every candle in the hallway instantly flared into life.
            As the hall burst into brilliant light, a shadowy figure standing motionless at the back of the hall came into sight.  The figure was an exotically beautiful, nearly naked woman whose arms and legs were covered in elaborate tattoos.  She had long straight hair that at first seemed to be white, but a closer look showed that the white she could see was actually a long streak that fell atop jet-black hair.  The streak flowed elegantly from the middle of her forehead and followed the rest of her hair to her waist.  She had been well hidden by the shadows, but the sudden light had obviously caught her completely by surprise, and despite the distance separating them Chesare could clearly see shock on her face.  Chesare’s heart leaped into her throat, for her first thought was that one of the teachers had just caught her misusing her abilities, but a closer look dispelled that notion instantly.  The woman wore armor on her shoulders, hands and legs, but it seemed to be ornamental in design rather than functional because much of her arms, legs and midriff were left uncovered.  The most astonishing feature of the woman though, was the tiny black and crimson dragon draped over her shoulder.  At first, Chesare mistook the creature for a serpent, but as it raised its head and hissed silently, it spread a pair of bat-like wings as if it were going to take flight.  The thin membrane of skin on the inside of the dragon’s wings was the same deep crimson as the thick scales on his chest, but the rest of his scales were a black so deep they didn’t even reflect the candlelight.
            Chesare grabbed Adrianna’s arm, her eyes widening in shock, but before she could turn             Adrianna around to see the mysterious woman, the woman nodded once to her and smiled slightly, then stepped backwards into a doorway of pure blackness.  As the darkness enveloped her, Chesare had the distinct impression of the wings of a dragon crossing in front of her like a cloak before she disappeared from sight completely.  The last thing Chesare saw of the woman and her dragon was the malevolent glare in the dragon’s glowing eyes.
Adrianna saw the look of fear in her friend’s eyes and quickly turned to look at the spot Chesare was staring at.  There was nothing there, however, and after a few moments she turned back to Chesare and asked
            “Is something wrong?  You look as if you’ve seen a ghost.”  Chesare opened her mouth to reply, but she quickly changed her mind about telling Adrianna about the woman.  She didn’t know why, but she knew that Adrianna was better off not knowing about the apparition.  It took a bit of effort, but somehow Chesare was able to pull her eyes away from the spot the woman had disappeared and force herself to meet Adrianna’s worried gaze.
            “It’s nothing.  I was just making sure that all of the candles are lit.  The east tower you said?  We’d better hurry.”  Her voice trailed off as she glanced one more time at the back of the hall, but there was no sign of the strange woman, or her dragon.  Adrianna grabbed her arm and turned her to the door, and together the pair left the hall and raced against the setting sun to catch a glimpse of the legendary Sovereign.  As Chesare allowed herself to be led away, she couldn’t get the image of the woman out of her head.
            They did indeed make it to the east tower in time to see the Sovereign, and the last rays of the setting sun highlighted it beautifully.  It was a majestic ship even if the black sails made it seem menacing, but Chesare couldn’t seem to shake the feeling that someone was watching her.  Chesare tried to listen to the gossip and speculation about what the Corsair would be like in person, but try as she might, she couldn’t get the image of the woman out of her head.  The woman had not tried to harm her or attack her in any way, but she knew without a doubt that the woman meant her harm.
            The next morning, Chesare went to a section of the Citadel that she had never been before.  She hadn’t been able to sleep for fear that the woman would return, but by the time the sun came up she had decided on a course of action.  There was one person in the Citadel that would know exactly what she had seen, and Chesare resolved to go and see her as soon as daylight could be seen on the horizon.  When the first glow of the morning sun could be faintly seen on the horizon, Chesare was already dressed and out of her door, and she skipped breakfast completely to walk quickly and purposefully towards the library.  When she reached the large wooden doors of the library, she hesitated.  She knew she needed help, but what if the librarian didn’t believe her?  She supposed that she could have imagined the entire thing, but the memory of the dragon’s eyes convinced her that what she saw had indeed been real, and with that assurance she grasped the door handles and pulled the doors to the library open with a yank.
            She had never been to the library before, and so she hadn’t known what to expect, but the image that had come to mind had been one of dusty scrolls and piles of books spread chaotically throughout a dimly lit closet.  The librarian herself would be a wizened old hag, probably toothless, whose entire existence was defined by the piles of books and scrolls that she never willingly left.  When the doors opened, she was very pleasantly shocked, for perfectly aligned rows of shelves lined the walls and filled the open areas, and comfortable couches surrounded small tables to provide readers a comfortable place to study.  The entire room was very well lit, with large windows providing ready light during the day, and huge ornate chandeliers spaced throughout the room providing illumination during the evening.  As she walked in, a large carpeted path led from the main door to the back of the hall, and by the back wall there sat a huge ornate desk, and behind the desk sat the librarian…the very person she had come to see.
            As she walked forward and thought about what she was going to say, she got distracted by the thousands of books that sat on the shelves.  History, art, literature, magic; all of these were readily available, but to her immense surprise she also saw a large section of books marked “romance”.  Unable to contain her curiosity, she veered off the path to look, and found hundreds of books dedicated to the very stories her sister Lyrahe adored.  She felt a pang of sadness at the sight of “Love’s Sacrifice”, for she hadn’t seen her sister in a month, but then she remembered why she was here, and started to turn back towards the desk, but a beautiful voice behind her made her jump with fright.
            “I do not often see Novices looking through the romance section.  Normally they are too busy with other duties to consider reading books for their entertainment value rather than their practical value.”  Chesare whirled around to look at the speaker, and found herself staring eye to eye with a tiny golden dragon curled around the neck of an incredibly beautiful golden-haired woman.  The dragon nodded to Chesare and pointedly returned its attention back to the books that Chesare had been looking at.  The beautiful woman spoke to her again, saying “I noticed that your attention was drawn to ‘Love’s Sacrifice’ but that you didn’t reach for it.  Does this book hold any significance for you?”  The dragon turned to look at her again and cocked his head to the side almost quizzically, and Chesare found herself answering,
            “It’s my sister’s favorite book.  She reads it all the time.”  She hesitated a moment, and then continued.  “I saw this section of books and I was reminded of her.”  The dragon nodded slowly, and the woman spoke again.
            “I see now.  You must be feeling a bit of homesickness.  Time in the Citadel can be stressful, and Novices often find comfort in familiar things.  If you would like to borrow the book you are more than welcome to.”  Chesare quickly shook her head, explaining,
            “No, thank you.  Romance novels actually are not my favorite subject.  I was just thinking about my sister.  But I do thank you for the offer.”  She hesitated again, but a glance at the friendly face of the woman convinced her to dive right in with her dilemma.  “What I really need is your help.  I came here to see you.”  At that a puzzled look crossed the woman’s face, mirrored by a quirking of the dragon’s head in an unmistakably gesture of curiosity.
            “In that case, shall we adjourn to a more comfortable setting?  I’m not sure what help I can be for you, but whatever help I can offer is yours for the asking.”  Chesare nodded her thanks, and the librarian led her to one of the many comfortable couches spaced throughout the library.  When they both were seated, Chesare began.
            “Last night, I was attending to my chores in the hall leading to the laboratories, when I caught someone watching me.  My duty was to light all the candles in the hall, but I got in a hurry and lit them all at the same time.  It was when the candles came up that I saw her.”  She paused for a moment until the librarian nodded, and then continued.  “She was very beautiful, with black and white hair like a Dakkadian, but she had a black dragon on her shoulder that looked very much like your dragon.  She had tattoos all over her body, but I couldn’t tell what they were.”  The Librarian’s eyes opened wide at the description, and she stood up abruptly.  Without saying a word, the woman left the couch and walked to her desk.  She opened up a drawer, but didn’t withdraw anything.  Instead, she placed her hand several inches above it and the dragon’s eyes flashed a bright red.  For an instant, the drawer flashed a matching red and the room became too bright for Chesare to stand, but before she could raise her hands to cover her eyes, the flash ended and the light in the room returned to normal.  The librarian reached into the drawer and withdrew a large, leather-bound book, and then closed the drawer behind her.  She returned to the couch, sat down next to Chesare and laid the book on the table in front of the couch.  The cover of the book contained no title, but the Librarian opened the book, flipped through several pages, and stopped at a chapter entitled, “The Queen of Shadows.”  The book was written in Faeish, but Chesare’s study of languages had included learning the Fae alphabet and symbols.  Before she could read what was written about this Queen of Shadows, the Librarian turned the page and a revealed an unmistakable likeness of the woman she had seen.
            “That’s her!  That’s the woman I saw last night!” she exclaimed.  She took a closer look at the tattoos covering the woman’s arms and legs and realized they were stylized bones, like sharp ribs extending from a snakelike spine.  The armor the figure wore was jagged and asymmetrical, but very beautiful.  She looked up at the golden-haired woman and asked, “The chapter was entitled ‘Queen of Shadows.’  Who is she?”  At that, the librarian gave her an appraising look and said,
            “Odd that one so young can read Faeish.  It is a difficult language to learn.”  The dragon cocked its head to the side, and the woman continued, “I do apologize, for I have been very rude.  May I have your name, Novice?”  Chesare’s hands shot up to her mouth in embarrassment.
            “I’m so sorry, Librarian.  I should have introduced myself to you right away.  My name is Chesare Illvanna, and my parents are the king and queen of Illymar.”  Both the dragon and the blonde woman inclined their heads in identical bows and the woman said,
            “I’m honored to meet you, your Highness.  My name is Asiria, though most of the mages in the tower call me ‘Halo’” the dragon’s wings stretched up behind her head until the tiny spines on top of the wings touched, creating the image of a golden halo above her head.  The woman gave her a wry grin and said in mock consternation, “Although, for the life of me I can’t understand why anyone would have chosen that particular name for me.”  Despite her trepidation, Chesare giggled at the joke, and Asiria smiled at her.  After a moment, a serious expression returned to her face.
            “The woman you saw last night is well known to me.  Her name is Severeielle, and she is known to my people as the Queen of Shadows.  If you saw her, you must have taken her completely by surprise, for she moves through shadow as easily as we move through light.  Invisibility is her greatest weapon.”  She paused for a moment, and then gave Chesare an appraising look.  “She must have underestimated you if you were able to take her by surprise.  She will not make that mistake again.”  Chesare shrunk a little in her seat.
            “Why is she watching me?  What did I do to her?”  Asiria closed her eyes and shook her head slightly from side to side.
            “For well over two thousand years, the Queen of Shadows has been seeking out mages of exceptional power or talent, and watches them for reasons of her own.  As far as I have been able to determine, she has never actually spoken to or harmed anyone, but then, only she knows why she feels compelled to watch these people.”  Chesare’s eyes widened
            “Over two thousand years?  But you’re human!  An Elf or a Fae can live that long, but that’s impossible for a human!”  Asiria smiled politely and said,
            “We are not human, little one.  Many people make the mistake of assuming that the dragon that stands upon my shoulder is an exceptionally clever pet, but that could not be further from the truth.  The person you are speaking to now is not Asiria, the human.  The ‘person’ you are speaking to now is Asiria, the Dragon, and the woman you are looking at is my familiar.  Dragons are highly intelligent, but we cannot communicate with humans, Fae, or Elves without a bridge.  Our humans provide these bridges.”  She opened the book and slowly flipped through the pages, allowing Chesare the chance to view the titles of several of the chapters.  A few of the chapters had benign titles like Queen of Gardens or Lord of Snows, but others had very disturbing names such as the Queen of Assassins and the Lord of Death.  She shuddered at the picture of a man wearing what seemed to be a porcelain mask, for the eyes of the mask were hollow, almost as if she were looking into a skull.  “There are many like me, and each of us has our own domain.  I am known among my own kind as the Queen of Knowledge, and it is my purview to seek out knowledge in all of its forms to collect it.  That is what drew me to the Mage Citadel, for in the mages I have found like minds.  Mages seek knowledge in much the same way that I seek it, and we work together to obtain it.  The same holds true for others of my kind.”  She opened the book to another chapter, and Chesare’s eyes shot open in shock at the title.  “As you can see, I am not the only Dragon Witch to enjoy working with mortals.  I am sure you recognize the name, but many people do not realize her true nature.  This is Furionchires, the Queen of Battles, and she fought beside Zarryiosiad herself to end the reign of the Fae’rohs.  You see, Chesare, each of the Dragon Witches has a purpose, and sometimes those purposes are at odds with each other.  The Queen of Shadows seeks mages of great power.  For what reason, I cannot guess.  Should you see her again, try asking her.  She may actually tell you.”  With that, Asiria closed the book and stood up.  She walked back to her desk and opened the same drawer she had taken the book from, and once again the dragon’s eyes blazed with power.  After the flare died down, Asiria once again closed the drawer and returned to the couch.  Unable to contain her curiosity, Chesare asked
            “Why do you ward that book so carefully, Asiria?  Is it dangerous?”  Asiria smiled at her and raised her hand to gently stroke Chesare’s hair.
            “All knowledge can be dangerous, if it should fall into the wrong hands princess.  In the right hands, the knowledge contained within this book can be priceless.  In the wrong hands, the knowledge that it contains can be deadly.”  She stroked Chesare’s copper curls one last time, and then placed her hand on Chesare’s shoulder.
            “You should run along now, princess, while breakfast is still being served.  Do not worry about Severeielle.  I promise you that so long as the Queen of Shadows watches you, she will not harm you, for that is not her way.  If she truly intended you harm, you would already be dead.  No, she is looking for something in particular, and so far she hasn’t found it.  When she does, she may reveal her motives.  Until then, it is best not to worry.”

                                                            ***

            Asiria watched as the young mage left the library, and considered what to do.  Having the Queen of Shadows prowling around the Mage Citadel was bad enough, but having her watch a particular mage made the problem much worse, for Asiria had lied to the Princess.  She knew exactly what brought Severeielle to the Citadel, and she knew exactly what she was searching for; but telling Chesare the truth would have brought her no peace.  Quite the opposite actually, for every Dragon Witch knew that for 2500 years the Queen of Shadows had been searching for any mage born with the potential to become a Harbinger—the creature that the Zarryiostrom knew as the Avatar.  Severeielle’s hatred of the Harbinger was implacable, and Asiria knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that should Chesare—or any other mage for that matter—show signs of becoming a Harbinger, Severeielle wouldn’t hesitate:  she would kill that mage on the spot.

            That may actually be the best solution, in the end thought Asiria.  A Harbinger was a danger not only to those around her; it was a danger to the entire world.  Severeielle had stood by as the last Harbinger had come to power, and it had cost her dearly.  This time she would not make the same mistake.  With a mental nod, Asiria made her decision.  Astranaithes must be warned.  The Queen of Shadows is on the move.  She stood up and walked to a bowl of water that stood behind her desk.  As she leaned over the bowl, the golden dragon’s eyes flashed red yet again, and the surface of the water became a silver mirror.  With the dragon’s eyes blazing, the woman spoke a single word in a powerful voice.
            “Astranaithes”
            In a flash, the mirror-like reflection on the surface of the water changed to reveal a stone arch, with an overcast sky behind it.  Asiria didn’t know exactly where the Queen of Wisdom made her home, but through the arch she could just make out mist-covered mountains in the distance.  Abruptly, a face entered the view of the mirror, and when Asiria recognized the gorgeous auburn-haired woman’s features, she smiled and bowed slightly.  The woman returned the courtesy, and said.
            “Asiria.  It has been a while.  I trust things are well with you?”  Asiria nodded at the question and said,
            “They are, Oracle.  But, I have come across some disturbing news that you should be made aware of.  Last night, a student caught the Queen of Shadows spying on her.  Severeielle left without incident shortly after she was caught, but the girl was frightened enough to come to me for advice.  I told her she has nothing to fear.”  The last was more of a question than a statement, but Astranaithes frowned.
            “Tell me of the student, Asiria.”
            “Her name is Chesare Illvanna, and she is the daughter of King Orem III and his wife Althea.  This is the first time I have met her, but I have heard her name being discussed by many of the mages in the Citadel.  She is considered to be a prodigy.  Apparently, her strength as a Fireborne rivals that of Morvandis.”  At that Oracle’s eyes widened.
            “Truly?  Then it is no wonder the Queen of Shadows is interested in her.”  She narrowed her eyes in thought, and for several moments said nothing.  Finally she looked up and said, “She will have to be watched.  Can you accomplish this, or should I send someone to assist you?”  Asiria frowned.
            “Do you really think that will be necessary, Astranaithes?  Severeielle did not attempt to harm the girl in any way.  I would think that this would indicate the Queen of Shadows does not view the Princess as a threat.  Providing a guardian would draw undue attention to her and may force Severeielle’s hand.”
            “I did not say that she needs protection, Asiria; I said that she needs to be watched.  I have been monitoring the portents for some time, and the Fates are clear about one thing:  the pieces are in place for the possible emergence of another Harbinger.  Apparently, Severeielle realizes this as well.”  She frowned slightly, and cocked her head to the side.  “There is something different this time.  When Zarryiosiad Ascended, it was clear from the beginning that she was the one foretold.  This time, prophecy is…unclear.”  Asiria waited for Astranaithes to continue, but the Queen of Fate left it at that.  After a few moments, Asiria asked.
“If this is true, shouldn’t we allow Severeielle to eliminate the threat?  The Harbinger is a danger to everyone and everything.  Surely killing a potential Harbinger before she has the opportunity to Ascend is the right thing to do?  Sometimes a little evil can contain a greater one.”  Astranaithes smiled in amusement.
            “And should Severeielle fail?  What happens if it is a preemptive attack by her or one of her minions that triggers a transformation before the world is ready?  No, Asiria.  Allowing the Queen of Shadows to strike is not the correct path, for she is almost certain to fail.  What Severeielle refuses to realize is that Fate will allow us only one opportunity to stop a Harbinger from fulfilling its destiny, and until the Champion is revealed the Harbinger must be allowed free reign.  Without the Champion, the world is lost.”  Her eyes suddenly changed, filling with regret and more than a hint of sadness.  “You know as well as I that Severius will not be able to stand against the Harbinger a second time.”  Her eyes hardened, and the regret left her face as if it had never been.  “No, we must allow events to play out as Fate wishes.  Only then will the Champion be revealed.”  Asiria nodded in acquiescence, and asked,
            “I will do as you command.  I will watch the girl for signs that she may be the new Harbinger, and I will report my findings to you.  Do you have any further orders?”
            “Not at this time, Asiria.  If Severeielle strikes, do your best to protect the girl, and contact me as soon as possible.  I will send aid as quickly as possible.  But remember this: if Severeielle chooses to act, she will most likely send Cassiramaithris.  Beware the possibility, and ward against it.”  Asiria’s eyes narrowed at the name.  The Queen of Assassins was the Queen of Shadow’s most effective disciple.  She was a relentless and deadly foe, and once she had been assigned a target, she never stopped—ever.
            “I will remember, Astranaithes.”  She paused for a moment and closed her eyes, and then continued in a quiet voice.  “I had hoped that Zarryiosiad was the last.  It seems that Fate has decided otherwise.”
“            Fate always does my daughter.”  And with one last smile, the image of Astranaithes faded from view.

*

Zarryiostrom Main Page

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Click here to read Chapter Three

Click here to read Chapter Four

Click here to read Chapter Five

Click here to read Chapter Six

Click here to read Chapter Seven

Click here to read Chapter Nine

Click here to read Chapter Ten

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