Insignitis: Destiny, page 33
“Now, Saphira, I want you to make the vines lower and retract into your triangle only. Just trust yourself.”
That’s the fourth time I’ve heard that today.
Saphira peered at Reilly who no longer had his hand raised, but the chamber remained. She looked around the chamber, trying to memorise its shape, colour, thickness and even its leaves. She had no idea of what she was supposed to do, and she doubted Lilith or Reilly would tell her. She knew she had to do it on her own.
Slowly, she touched one of the leaves and its adjoining vine. It was soft yet firm and felt warm. She looked closer and saw each line and pattern of colour on the leaf and vine. She took a few steady breaths and whispered a sentence that felt stupid for she was basically talking to a plant.
They watched Saphira touch the plant and heard her whispering but only Reilly would have been able to hear it. Lilith watched closely, knowing Saphira was memorising every detail in front of her. The girl may doubt herself and her ability to control her gift, but being in such a room with two other gifted people may be providing some degree of feeling as though she belonged.
Slowly, the vines began to retract and narrow as they approached where Saphira stood. However, they gasped in surprise when they watched them gladly wrap around Saphira’s wrist like a snake. They watched Saphira smile as she touched the leaves - they froze in shock when they noticed each leaf glow as the sap filled with light.
“Saphira, my love, isn’t that hurting you?”
“No, why?”
“It should be.”
“I’m confused. It’s only ivy.”
“You’ve flooded it with sunlight, Saphira,” Lilith said.
“I don’t understand.”
“When it wrapped around your wrist, your aura flooded it with magic, and somehow, it transformed into sunlight,” Lilith said.
“Well, I was remembering being in a forest once, it was summer so the sun made everything vibrant.”
“You really are powerful, Saphira, and I think I should provide serums to curb the exhaustion. You need more than three lessons a day, and you’ll also need to study using the books I provide.”
“Lilith, that’ll render her bedridden.”
“Considering what I just witnessed, I think that exhaustion won’t last long.”
“But I was exhausted when you did the location enchantment.”
“It was the blood tie that caused that. You lost a lot of blood, Saphira. I daresay Serrae and Vesryn are still cleaning the spell casting room in their house.”
“Are you serious?” Reilly said. “That blood should no longer be there. The Elven Star would have absorbed it.”
“Reilly, you may know far more than you ought to, but there are things you don’t know about spell casting rooms.”
“Why is my blood still there?” Saphira said.
“A blood tie is forbidden for a reason, Saphira. It turns the blood toxic, it is why it causes a lot of pain, and the legal way of breaking one just makes the pain last longer. Reilly broke the law by breaking it within moments.”
“Why was it illegal?”
“Saphira, the magic I used is volatile, and such magic is difficult to control. It was made illegal two centuries ago because many lost their lives. But I had to burn it, my love. If I didn’t, Petra would have had an advantage. I don’t even know if she knows it’s been broken.”
“Let’s hope she is unaware, Reilly. Now, back to that ivy. The magic Saphira used can’t be revealed to many. It’ll cause far too much conjecture and pointless jealousy, especially in our Elders.”
“You mean they would fear me, don’t you?” Saphira said.
“Only a handful. Most would just envy you, Saphira, and with jealousy comes rumours and with rumours comes lies, and I think you’ve had enough lies in your life.”
“What if someone witnesses my magic? Won’t they wonder what I am?”
“Well, considering Reilly has successfully hidden gifts from everyone, I daresay you’ll gain that ability, too.”
“What have you hidden, Reilly?” Saphira said.
“I have a few gifts no-one is aware of, and one is hearing thoughts, but that’s common in those of royal blood, regardless of race.”
“What else have you hidden?”
“Everyone knows I am very adept at summoning, but unlike most, I can replicate enchantments another uses but due to my bloodline, they’re stronger, and I can aim them from a fair distance. But I’m still honing that aspect, though.”
“Well, don’t be honing it during Saphira’s lessons. You should go and have lunch before returning. I’ll give you two hours, so I expect you to be on time. I’ll be in my alchemy room.”
The sound of boiling and crushing reached their ears when Reilly and Saphira entered the lounge. The smell nearly made Saphira cough for it was pungent and eye-watering. Whatever serum Lilith was brewing, it clearly involved the fungi and plants she noticed in Lilith’s wicker basket. However, she was silently praying that the serum brewing wasn’t the one Lilith mentioned for she knew she would vomit it back up.
“Come in.”
“Lilith, forgive me, but I would rather not. My eyes are watering and I am fighting against my desire to cough,” Saphira said - Reilly smirked.
“Oh right, that’ll be the Crown imperial flower. Don’t worry, it’s not the serum you’ll be taking.”
“What the hell is it for, then?”
“It’s used as an addition to fertilisers. Now, if you want to distance yourselves, take the books I have placed on the table and read them in the spell casting room. Start with the one Aestra brought. It’ll help you understand the other. I’ll come and collect you in two hours, then we’ll try another spell casting technique, then I’ll take you to the botanical garden where I’ll show you some plants that will aid healing.”
“Of course, Lilith. Come on, these books will take a while to read, my love.”
The books were both made of leather, dyed red, with parchment pages. The image on the front covers were a match - two forms of stars. One being a pentacle, the other the Elven Star. The stars were separate but joined by a gold and silver chain formed by suns and moons. Did the Elven languages have connections with Goddess Solas and Mactire? Saphira saw references all over Cerna.
The texture of the leather was firm yet soft but had some cracks due to age. The parchment felt like velvet and rustled as they were turned. In the spell casting room, the rustling of the pages created a slight echo. To Saphira, it was a welcoming and relaxing sound. It was a sound she loved hearing, but the books she owned didn’t have the same ambience as the books she now held.
Reilly watched her place a book onto her lap and gently open the leather cover. He watched her touch the parchment and turn a page - a smile appeared on her face. Reilly knew reading was a way she coped whilst at the orphanage, but the books she had in her possession were not the fantasy and mythical stories written by humans. They were enchanted and full of knowledge she should have gained years ago.
Saphira turned to the first page where many runes were displayed, but there was only one per page. Below each rune there were paragraphs full of detail involving that specific rune. The first one caught her attention for she recognised it from the front door of Reilly’s home. It resembled a triangle with a cross through the centre, but in the point where the points met, there was a upturned “V”. According to the first paragraph, it represented the home or building, and the cross represented a keyhole and the upturned “V” represented the direction in which the door opened. At Reilly’s home, the door opened inwards.
Below the first paragraph was a translation but it was in Elvish - “Pri aezox neoqu ”, but below the translation was in English - “Those inside, protect”. However, there was something else, and according to the translation, it was a warning - “Pri hem relroq ”, which translated to “Those who wish harm shall be repelled”. Saphira was confused - how could a door know a person’s intentions?
“You look confused, my love.”
“How can a door know a person’s intentions?”
“The enchantment senses auras, and like magic, they are affected by emotion. If someone is enraged and intends to cause harm, the door will not open but repel the person by emitting a gust of wind. They end up on their back struggling to breathe.”
“That sounds a little fierce.”
“It may be, but it protects whoever is inside. If children are present, it’s even stronger. I’ve heard some have broken bones because of it. Anyway, we better get back to reading before Lilith scorns us, especially me,”
“Why you?”
“She’ll blame me for distracting you.”
“Well, you’re not. I need as much help you can give me. These books are thick and I doubt I’ll finish one in two hours.”
“You won’t. She just provided two because you need to study outside of your lessons.”
“I’m not surprised. Well, I better get back to reading.” She sighed in false defeat.
“Oh stop it, we both know you like reading.” He chuckled.
“So do you, apparently.”
“I’ve read a few in my time.”
Saphira smiled but rolled her eyes at his rather pathetic attempt at bragging. She swiftly got back to reading.
Saphira sat tired at the dining table being spoon fed, yet again, by Reilly. She had only noticed how tired she was when they returned home. Her arms, legs, and feet ached as if she had run a marathon. Maybe the impact of the wave caused her muscles to finally protest against movement.
Saphira couldn’t stop blushing as Reilly fed her for Serrae and Vesryn were dining with them. But neither batted an eye - they just conversed as they ate. She found it incredibly strange for this never happened in the orphanage. If anyone witnessed her being fed like a baby, they would laugh until tears fell from their eyes. She knew Reilly wouldn’t have missed these thoughts, either, which added another layer of embarrassment. She knew she may never get used to this part of Reilly’s duty regardless of what anyone said.
However, no-one asked about her lessons but did ask about the books Lilith provided. This was when she discovered one of the books were more advanced than once believed. It may be for beginners, but there were, apparently, different degrees of the term, and she was in the upper part of the definition of “beginner”. She didn’t know if she ought to be proud or distrusting of Lilith’s opinion, but that was another thought Reilly heard. She knew his gift of hearing thoughts wasn’t intentional, but something was causing it to go haywire. Maybe it was her doing and they just didn’t realise it.
After dinner, she was embarrassed, yet again, for Serrae needed to aid her to bathe and dress for bed. But when her legs refused to bend to enable her to walk, she had to give in and allow Reilly to carry her to her bathroom and let Serrae take over. Once in bed, she tried to read but the moment her head touched the pillow, she was out cold.
Chapter 39
Runes
Night had fallen by the time the Assembly Hall was empty of the dead. But the children remained in the sanitarium where the younger ones had not stopped screaming for their mothers. No-one could blame them, and the sound scarred everyone who witnessed it. It was far beyond a cry of pain, it was a cry of utter anguish that no-one could console. Those children were truly alone in a world they barely knew and understood. Their young minds were tarnished by needless pain, and Petra, and her puppets, were to blame. But even that the children wouldn’t understand - such blame wouldn’t exist until they were older.
Taeral tried to hide the pain he was in, but Mirrin wasn’t fooled. He knew someone had to collect the children, but how could he? The sound of their screams were all he thought of, and seeing them would make it worse. He knew it was cowardice, but the anguish he heard was like a knife cutting through his very being. But he knew he had to push his fear aside, and collect the children.
They had a home to go to, but he knew it wasn’t their true home. That was within their mothers’ warm and loving embrace.
“Taeral, I can feel the pain you are in, and I doubt I’m the only one,” Mirrin said.
“Those children may have a home to go to, but they will never physically have the love of their mothers’ in their lives. Their screams, Mirrin, I keep hearing them.”
“Many do, Taeral, but when you speak of their mothers’ love, that will never be forgotten, regardless of their age. That kind of love is eternal from the very moment we are conceived, and nurtured in our mother’s womb. Those children may be in pain, but they will find that kind of love again, and you know that.”
“Mirrin, that will take years, and until then, they’ll be in pain.”
“Taeral, children are stronger than everyone believes. Also, Petra and her puppets are going to pay for everything they have done.”
“Mirrin, you know what the prophecy states.”
“I know, but considering Saphira has the gift of Seeing, that prophecy may not play out, word for word.”
“We have no true idea of what gifts Saphira has. Her fear and denial has caused them to become erratic, and somehow combine. That is something I doubt anyone has seen.”
“Maybe so, but considering her behaviour earlier, I think we should forget our assumptions. She’ll learn, and considering her eidetic memory, I daresay she’ll learn swiftly.”
“During which she’ll suffer pain.”
“Reilly’s at her side. He’ll do his duty to her, and I think fiercely considering what he witnessed.”
“His defiant nature will ensure that is true.”
“Come on, I’ll help you transport the children to their families.”
“A few guards will be joining us, but they won’t don their armour. They don’t want to scare the children.”
The night was warm, calm, and the weeping willow tree stood proud under the stars. The pond barely rippled in the breeze, but reflected everything like a mirror. But the surrounding oak trees were foreboding in the minimal light the stars and moon provided. Everything was opaque, and regardless of their vibrant and thick foliage, they had a feeling of loneliness.
Reilly lay beneath the tree, watching the stars glitter, but his mind was flooding with confusing memories. He had been right here when Saphira vanished from his side. He wasn’t even affected when Saphira nearly drowned. He was bonded with her, but unlike when he was ambushed, and nearly killed, he lay unharmed. Did visions render his bond useless? It was the only reason he could think of. But was it a vision if it actually happened in real time? Visions were like dreams - they either revealed aspects of the past, or they revealed the future. But what happened was in the present, just a few miles from Siluas. Something else was going on, and it clearly involved Saphira’s gifts, which were still largely unknown.
He sighed but did not move, even though Saphira was asleep in her bed. She was safe where she lay, but if she had another vision, dream, or whatever it was, he wasn’t there. But in that moment, he needed to clear his mind. There were more important things going on than his confusion.
Reapers. Those are monsters created by taking Elven lives. Are they aware of who they once were? If so, is there a way to return them the way they once were? There is resurrection, but that’s forbidden. Still, Petra wants her son resurrected, and he’s a monster. What am I thinking? No-one would deem it right regardless of how they died.
Reilly sat up, pulled his legs toward him, and lay his head on his knees. His long hair fell to the left as he sat there. He needed to return home, but if he did, Saphira would awaken when she felt his unsettled emotions. He couldn’t wake her - she needed as much sleep as she could get before her lessons recommenced.
Regardless of his desire to return home, he walked back to town where he would buy a meal, and eat it as he listened to the musicians. Hopefully, a good meal and music would calm his racing mind.
Elbereth stood in her cabinet, facing a basin of water. A reflection was present, and it wasn’t hers. It was Saphira who lay in bed, but she tended to toss and turn. It wasn’t the first time she had witnessed this, nor was it the first time she had scryed Saphira. Just like Reilly, she had secrets of her own. Ever since she had a vision where Saphira sat at the pond, and watched Reilly hide in the nearby trees, she had a feeling there was more to the prophecy.
No-one knew of her knowledge of Saphira, not even Aubree and Reilly’s parents. But in the case of Serrae and the scroll she received, she had knowledge she could (and would) never reveal. Saphira was more powerful than everyone knew, and Elbereth knew why. That knowledge would stay within her mind, and no-one was powerful enough to break down the mental walls she had erected years ago. Saphira had to be kept safe, and the moment Reilly found her, Elbereth knew he would do everything within his power to protect her.
However, Reilly wasn’t invincible, and Petra had proved that multiple times. They both suffered, apart from when Saphira was in the pond. Unlike most, she knew why Reilly did not suffer, and it was rare. But considering what Saphira truly was, it was a fact she could not speak of, not even to Saphira and Reilly, for it wasn’t her place to reveal such information – it was Saphira’s family’s decision.
There was a knock on the door, and Elbereth swiftly ran her hand through the water. The reflection of Saphira vanished, leaving nothing but clear water.
“Enter.”
Elbereth turned and watched Aestra and Serrae walk in. Both had questioning expressions on their faces. However, she kept her own blank. Her eyes were drawn toward a scroll in Serrae’s hand.
“Let me guess, that scroll is from your father, Serrae.”
“Precisely.”
“Elbereth, my husband may be brazen, hasty, narrow-minded, and frankly, cruel at times. But even he cannot force Reilly to break his bond with Saphira. He’s just stuck in his assumptions of the Human world.”
“Assumptions are not what I would call them. He is prejudiced, Aestra, and loves having gold, jewels, and power. It still surprises me how he bonded with you. You may be of noble birth, but he is far richer, and he favours it.”
