Fate and Veritas - Day 1

CHAPTER 1

My fingers grazed the icy stone walls as I made my way down to the stadium. I could hear the roar of the crowd far before I set eyes on them.

They were loud, boistrous, excited; it was like a gladitorial event, except there would be no winners. I sauntered up the back way to the pulpit where my sister, Aduna, sat. The guards gave me a nod, and I glided past, and slumped into my cold, hard seat next to hers.

“Feeling better, brother?” She asked in a disinterested tone. I shrugged, and set my sights on the stage below.

The prisoners were standing, barely clothed, on a large sewage grate. There was about twenty of them. Their ankles were chained to the grate, and they stood there shivering, their exhaled breath visible even from the pulpit I sat at.

High above the stadium was a treacherous rock roof, filled with dripping stalactites, looking to crush the unknowing crowd of on lookers below. I grinned, thinking about how even an amateur elemental could shake this cave and stir up even more destruction than the festivities planned for tonight.

My sister raised to stand up, clutching a staff made of ebony wood, except for the point which was a glistening black obsidian. Her aids and I helped her to rise, each of us supporting her elbows. She looked as though she wore a live black bare on her back – the furry cloak was huge, and her head dress was made of metal and was actually held up by her shoulders. She was a fearsome sight to behold.

She paused, waiting for the roaring crowd to notice her standing and quiet down. It only took a moment, and all eyes were suddenly upon her, and with another weighted pause, she raised her staff, and crashed it down on the ground, a boom that echoed throughout the entire underground chamber. I shivered a little, unconsciously, feeling the power she held ripple through me, and the entire audience.

The guards down on the stage moved toward the prisoners, arms extended, ready to shoot on command. A feeling of heightened tension filled the room, it was so strong even I could feel it clenching in my gut.

Aduna raised her staff, and just before she crashed it down, we noticed a stir in the crowd, on the left, near the stage. The guards turned, and just as they were about to raise their arms at the disturbance, they were spun off stage in a cyclone, and strewn into the audience.

My sister turned to me, wide eyed, and I jumped up. A small group peasants were thrashing past people to get to the prisoners.

“Well?” said Aduna, pointing at the scene with her staff, “aren't you going to do something?”

I breathed in deep, and tried not to let me insecurity show. I raised my hands, and focused my mind, summoning all of the power of the icy caverns and underground seas surrounding us. It was as if I could see them all at once, feel their cold entirety traveling through my veins, and into my finger tips.

I channeled their strength like an adept – I lowered my arms, keeping my hands spread apart, a rolling ball of blue fire swirling between them, with a quick, and well practiced flick of my wrists, I cast the ball of energy at the prisoners. The ball of blue fire contracted, and then suddenly expanded to encapsulate the prisoners. Their screams lasted only a half second, and they were ice. The attackers halted and looked up at us in awe. I couldn't restrain the smug grin spreading across my face.

But then their eyes turned in horror, as the ball of blue fire contracted and expanded again, this time surrounding the first couple of rows in the audience. The whole cavern filled with screams.

Aduna swirled around, and said, “call it back at once!” My eyes were wide, I couldn't believe what I was seeing. She hit me with her staff, snapping me out of the horror below. “Did you hear me? Get rid of it NOW!” The ball of blue fire continued to expand, surrounding three more rows in it's wake.

I reached out with all my strength, I could feel the tendons in my forearms tearing, as I tried to pry the blue fire back to me. I was the only one who could control it. It contracted for a moment, and before I could sigh in relief, it expanded, tripling in size.

The screams were getting so loud in the cavern that the ceiling began to shake, I looked up at the stalactites, and then down at the unruly blue fire I had cast, and then back at my sister, who for once, looked panicked.

“Do something!” She screamed.

Suddenly, their was a flash of warm light, which encapsulated the blue fire, creating a soft purple glow, and then both disappeared. A small ball of orange light whizzed back to it's source – one of the attackers – a short boy, with a mop of ash blond hair, and skin paler than my own.

The damage had been done, but the problem was quelled by this mysterious peasant. I looked at him in shock, and he met my gaze, unwavering. It was the most embarrassing, excruciating, moment of my life. My power was quelled by a boy – a peasant boy. My disgust almost overpowered my embarrassment.

The guards finally arrived, raced toward the attackers, and put them in chains. My sister looked over at me, and I lowered my head. How would I explain away losing control like that? In public?

“THIS”, my sister waved her staff over the scene below, “is why you're rejoining the academy. Your coma has wreaked havok on your mind. You can't focus the energy. And you have far too much power to just ignore the problem. You are going back to school.

I inclined my head in solemn acknowledgment.

“Now I have to go deal with this mess. Don't want it in the papers tomorrow.” I stepped back, and she moved past me, and I followed.

Blythe wasn't sure what had just happened. One minute they were saving the prisoners, and the next a blue ball of fire came spiraling out from the royal seats, killing the prisoners instantly. The blue fire started to expand even further, surrounding people in the audience – it was then that Blythe stopped thinking, and acted with instinct- He pushed his hands out, spread his fingers wide and released an orange ball of light. It was small, but once it reached the blue flame, something happened. The two melded together and turned purple, and then disappeared. The little orange ball reappeared and moved into his spread hands. The panic was over, sort of.

Guards rushed at him and his friends – screaming to get down on their knees, and then they were wrapped in the same heavy chains the executed souls were wearing. Blythe's small frame could barely stand the weight of the chains hanging from the collar around his neck.

Suddenly the audience and the guards parted, and the Queen of Glacialis made her way over to them. First, she looked at the executed men, and gave a nod to her guards, and then she met eyes with Blythe, appraising him. He could see another curious face behind her large headdress; a pair of icy blue eyes, and sleek blond hair, curious, and blushing? Or angry? Either way, his cheeks were a deep crimson, and his eyes were set like daggers on Blythe.

With a quip of her staff, a ray of blue light fell over the newly chained prisoners, freezing them to death. All except Blythe.

“This one is clearly an elemental,” the Queen said to her guards. “A powerful one at that. Remove his chains.” She turned to the curious young man at her side, who had been staring daggers at Blythe. “See he gets a golden ticket, Adairus.” Adairus looked exasperated.

Blythe shivered, feeling extremely conflicted – he was free to go, and was to get some sort of golden ticket (reward?), while his comrades had all been murdered. Did the Queen not know he was part of the group trying to save the prisoners? He decided to shield himself from his guilt and wait until he was alone to feel it.

The Queen whispered something to one of her aides, and the group moved on, leaving Blythe and the young man who so clearly hated him, standing across from each other. The young man was extremely well dressed, with a fitted midnight blue suit, and white dress shirt, and dark blue shoes that reflected the flickering torch light.

“You---” the young noble's voice seethed, “are very lucky my sister isn't suspicious of elementals consorting with Fennians, even peasant ones.”

“I don't know what you're talking about.”

“Perhaps she's right – I mean what self respecting elemental would have anything to do with creatures that are barely men, lower than the scuffs on your shoes.”

Blythe bit his lip, and tried to keep his brows from furrowing. Blythe didn't take the bait, and Adairus looked even more frustrated.

But, knowing not what to say next, he rolled his eyes, and pulled out a book. “Name?” He asked, trying to hide his interest.

“Blythe.” Adairus scribbled it down in his book, “just... Blythe? Fatherless then, are we?” Adairus raised a brow.

“It's Blythe Talon.” Blythe stepped forward, fists tightened.

“Blythe Talon,” Adairus said, as if pondering the secrets the name might hold, “be here in a fortnight, at eight in the evening, and your name will be on the list of registrants.”

“A list of registrants?” Blythe wondered what they could be registering for.

“Yes, and make sure to wear apparel more suited to sparring.” The nobleman looked Blythe up and down, “I look forward to getting you in the ring.”

With that the nobleman walked away, head high, leaving Blythe with a pile of chains at his feet, and guards standing all around.