Destiny
It calls my name without words
Pulls at my heart and gently guides
My own path, destiny decides
It’s who I am, what I can become
I still don’t know where I should be
If I go the right way or there is no plan
For my journey decided by one hand
I follow nothing but am I on the trail?
What if I’m wrong…what if I fail?
If I am mistaken will you care?
I’m insignificant…I fit in where?
Like a puppet I go where you lead
But I don’t know what I will precede
I pursue you in a fixed reverie
I have no choice…it is my destiny
Pain bolted through her body like and electrical current.
Her eyes were grief-stricken and bloodshot yet she didn’t move to save herself. Each new blow pounded her body just a bit more…
“You’ve seen it, now fix it!” a stern voice ordered in the back of her mind.
Marah rolled out of bed and looked at her own sweat soaked body in the mirror. She saw a young woman of thirteen with shoulder length wavy auburn hair. She was of a slim build and short for her age but one thing about her appearance changed people’s thoughts toward her. Strong and determined eyes saw the world of Marah, eyes that told of her mood, life and stories. Fiery red eyes, that was full of mystery and magic. Eyes that only seemed normal to her.
An alarm clock buzzed loudly, Marah groaned and turned to stare at the clock crankily.
“Ohhh shut up!” she said, seemingly to no one in particular. It did. The clock turned itself off. The girl grinned.
” Just in time mate, or I would have thrown you out!” She growled.
Ever since she was small, Marah ordered things around and they simply obeyed her. The family butler answered her slightest whim and her parents, every demand made. Well until they found out about Marah’s power.
Its fabulous having magic she thought to herself as the doona peeled itself back. At that moment, things flew everywhere. The bed made itself, while a silver plated brush flew to brush her hair.
Before she left her room, she graciously thanked all the items that had moved to her wish and set off down the stairs.
For the second time that morning, Marah stood in the wake of some most extraordinary things. Her mother, Rarkah sat at the breakfast bar, eating breakfast, which is normal enough. However, between each bite of her toast she flicked her hands. Marah knew exactly where to look. In the kitchen sink foam and water flew everywhere while the dishes scrambled a little too enthusiastically into the sink. Marah sighed contentedly and went to kiss her mother’s hair, auburn and wavy just like her own. Across the table sat a burly, dark man with strangely bright blue eyes. A man Marah absolutely admired as her tutor, a playmate, and her best friend and of most importance: her father, Asim.
For a few seconds Marah stood and watched her father, deeply immersed in his reading but she soon caught his eye,
“So the princess of Cotteral is up at last!” he exclaimed.
The girl grinned and sat down to eat three pancakes that had been prepared by Butler Don.
“I could have slept longer but I was disturbed by that obnoxious alarm clock. I tell it to let me sleep in and it wakes me up. I tell it to get me up early and it makes me late!” she complained exasperated.
Well that’s magic dear.” Mums said tiredly as she floated in from the kitchen.
Marah knew full well that it wasn’t her alarm clock that had woken her up. It was that dream. Marah pushed the thought to the back of her mind as she ate. Savouring each bite of her treacle covered pancakes. They were her favourite breakfast.
Marah sat daydreaming for a little while until her mother called her back to earth.
“Sweet, I have a connective message for you.”
Marah jumped, desperately trying to think. Her family couldn’t get connective messages. Even if the Cotterals were magical, the Magi-Firm didn’t know that! To them the Cotterals were a normal human-Australian family! And anyway, she hadn’t intercepted messages before! Considering for a moment the fact that she did know the theory of intercepting messages. All you had to do was sink into a state of calm and your magic would pull you toward the messenger. In a few seconds your mind would be right in front of the person connective messaging and things would be just dandy! She laughed at the word that popped into her head. Dandy! She scoffed as her self in humour.
Suddenly she remembered the situation at hand
“For me Mums? You are sure aren’t you? We can’t get them at all though! Can we?”
Rarkah’s auburn head looked up to see her child’s eyes.
“They found out Marah, they messaged me and your father all last night. The Magi-Firm are terribly angry with us, they want you to be a normal mage, and earn your Magi license and all. We have to be a normal Magi family. They think that humans will find us out if we stay on and we cant ignore them, I’m sorry.” Her voice was forced and strangely sad but Marah did not have a chance to reply when suddenly a voice much like the one in her dream sounded through the kitchen.
“Rarkah, the girl knows how to intercept a message so let her!”
Marah looked from her Mother to her Father who had just walked in. They both nodded gravely to her questioning face so Marah sat down and made herself comfortable. Closing her eyes, she settled into her magic, a lovely pool of red, just like her eyes. The cherry colour that metal became as it heated ready to bend into shape. She was where all magic started, the heart.
Slowly, a picture came into view. The entire Magi-Firm was assembled in a circle around her. The room was full of plush seats and benches made from a fine turquoise silk with mahogany as the legs and backs of the seating arrangements.
As Marah’s eyes grew accustomed to the new settings, she found the walls were covered with past and present Magi-Firm Leaders, the person that ran the councils. Marah noticed one more thing. What seemed like thousands of sour men staring down at her scowling ferociously. One, the Leader she supposed, sat in a seat higher than the rest of the council, and also had a desk at his disposal. He seemed the most bitter of them all. Marah stared into the misty grey eyes of the Leader as if challenging him. Her eyes wandered a little further finding him dressed elaborately with a striking red, robe type thing. At his waist her wore a wide sash of white, touched with silver thread. Thrust into the tightly bound sash was a sword. It looked ancient and battered but it somehow glowed in the movements of the man. The last feature of this man that her eyes touched on was his face. Although his face was sinister and sharp, his eyes were a misty blue. The cloud swept sky at present would match the colour exactly. It was the kind of colour that told Marah she could relax. In the time and moment his eyes were hardened in his glare but she knew these kinds of eyes were kind and strong willed. Seeing his blonde hair, almost grey with his age, she started to smile in her mind. She could definitely learn to like this man.
Suddenly the Leader spoke breaking the silence in the room.
“So this is Marah Cotteral eh?”
“Yes Leader, I am Marah.” She replied with an obvious formality
“Now that we have found you.” The leader was interrupted with a bout of chuckles that ran around the room.
“ Yes, yes you did prove hard to find but now that we have caught up with you, I wish to test your magic.”
In front of Marah a grandfather clock appeared. On closer inspection, she found it had fifteen hands and what could have been one hundred little marks around the edges where numbers should be.
“ This is an inogmymetre Marah. You have to move it around the room as many times possible. Thank-you Now you begin.”
Marah considered the inogmymetre for a second then picked the object up with her mind and started moving it around the perfectly circular room. Unlike moving an ordinary object though, the inogmymetre pulled harshly on her mind. If she were moving something normal, it would have made it around the room at least twenty times by now.
After several minutes, Marah’s efforts had drawn up a heavy sweat and she had only moved the cursed thing seven times around the room! Quite dismayed with her effort, she landed the clock almost dropping it down on the floor where it had started its journey around this annoyingly perfect room.
Bowing her head to the Leader Marah apologised sincerely for her appalling effort.
“I’m sorry Leader, I truly am. I mustn’t be good at magic then. Once again, a chuckle ran around the room at her expense, and her face was beginning to redden around the fringes. Holding her breath, her anger rose steadily and she fought hard to hold the explosion at bay.
This was all too much for Marah. She tried to be normal but they still mocked her. They thought she was ignorant, didn’t they?
“I don’t care what you all think,” Marah lashed out. “I was good at magic until you all came along!”
Scared of what else would come out, Marah closed her mouth and fastened it tight listening to the murmuring of the men sitting around her, her face, growing redder and redder by the minute.
“You my girl are too old for that kind of outburst. However, we do not think you are ignorant neither do we think you are bad at magic. In fact, it is quite the opposite. The inogmymetre is a very special piece of magic. It measures magic by how many times you can make it move around the room. It challenges your mind and magic together and let me tell you. It takes a good deal of strength and character to move that great big dinosaur.”
“I still did badly” Marah said ashamed.
“For the second time this morning you are completely wrong Marah Cotteral.” The aging voice sounded in an exasperated tone. “The most times that a person has moved, the inogmymetre is four and exactly one half times. It was done 130 years ago by Angus Cotteral your great, great, great Grandfather.” Marah looked at him quizzically wondering exactly how this related to her.
“Let me explain further,” the Leader suggested. Marah nodded.
“The strongest magical person of the century becomes what is called Emperor Mage, In charge of all people’s magic. The Emperor or Empress in your case has ties to each and every person. It is the only way to stop great evils from happening.”
“But Leader, isn’t that what Magi-Firm is for?”
“No indeed!” was her answer. We keep the laws upheld and the magical community running, but all business of misused magic comes to you.”
“Ok then. So I am only thirteen and expected to run after criminals?”
Marah enquired
“That’s about the extent of things, yes. I will have a tutor sent to your house, be prepared for their stay. Tell your father that he did a good job but we need someone more compatible now. Good Luck Empress Marah.”
“But, but, but” Marah tried to get a word in but it was too late. Already the kitchen was falling back into place where it was when she closed her eyes.
Marah opened her eyes as her parents walked in.
“Do you want to talk about it? Asked her father gently. Her mother had a look of definite pride on her face.
“You did it didn’t you? You are to be the Empress aren’t you?” Rarkah asked in earnest.
Marah smiled at her anxious parents and proudly answered their questioning faces.
“ Yes I did, I have to be Empress.” Marah paused briefly. Soon Asim and Rarkah’s faces burst into joyful laughter and encouragement for the young girl standing before them. They danced around and hugged Marah like time wouldn’t end.
Marah laughed at her rejoicing parents and joined in after a while. By the time that Asim had popped the champagne, Don walked in.
“Is there anything I can help with, or that you require?”
Marah, feeling quite cocky, she replied to Don herself.
“Yes Don, there is a great favour your can do for me, go away!” Marah glanced in her parent’s direction, seeing they actually liked the idea she signalled that he was dismissed and went back to their little party.
Marah went to bed late that night. Asim and Rarkah took the liberty in preparing a celebration dinner. The courses of scrumptious, mouth-watering food went on for miles, and every time they finished one Don was called in to clean the mess as they started on another. It wasn’t the way she would have done it but in her enjoyment she let the ecstasy of her mind take control.
Marah sat up in her bed thinking of all sorts of matters that she hadn’t taken into consideration before. What if she died doing this job? She had her whole life to live just yet! What if the magical community wanted other people to take her position? What if she didn’t do it well enough? So many questions! She sighed and resettled her head on the pillow so that it was cool on the side of her cheek. What would her new tutor be like? She wondered again. Hoping sincerely that he wasn’t a strict old man like Leader, she began to draw a mental picture of him.
In the early hours of the morning Marah fell asleep, forgetting her problems for the hours that she slumbered for in the morning they would appear again.
Pain bolted through her body like and electrical currant.
Her eyes were grief-stricken and bloodshot yet she didn’t move to save herself. Each new blow pounded her body just a bit more…
“You’ve seen it, now fix it!” a stern voice ordered in the back of her mind.
It was around ten o’clock the next day, when a loud thumping at her door woke Marah. Seeing the sun so high in the sky she jumped out of bed.
Quickly grabbing an over-robe and a rushed stroke with a hairbrush, Marah answered the door. The person standing there, to her surprise was the Leader and another man beside him. “What can I do to help you?” stammered the girl as she invited her guests in.
“It is in fact,” the Leader replied, “what we can do for you.”
Right on queue, Butler Don appeared at the door grasping a large silver tray, laden down with wine and refreshments.
“Just in time Don!” Marah exclaimed as he set his burden on the desk.
“Anything else mistress?”
No, thank you Don, go and enjoy some lazy time!
Don shot a doubtful look at her and left the room. Immediately Marah relaxed again, she didn’t particularly like servants. The Leader sensed her mood change and smiled.
“I definitely approve of your attitude Marah, I honestly don’t like servants either. Anyway, I am here on an important call. I have found you a tutor. Marah this is the acclaimed Sorcerer Quarren Macon. She moved to shake the strange man’s hand. The instant his eye’s met hers, they interlocked and Marah’s whole life seemed to flash before her eyes. As soon as it started it was over. And Marah was left staring at Quarren wondering what just happened.
“Ohhh I’m sorry, I must have accidentally thought about you too hard.” said a youthful voice. “You see if a powerful magi interlocks eyes with another what the victim of the spell is thinking of, spills out into open air. It is often used for spying purposes and truth spells.” Marah smiled uncomfortably.
“Ohhh where are my manners, I'm so sorry.” She gasped breaking the silence. Quickly she whipped a table out of nowhere and moved the tray to sit on the newly placed furniture. She hoped that her mother hadn’t planned to put anything on the breakfast table at that moment. A second time, three chairs fell to the ground with a thump and arranged themselves neatly around the set up table. Don doesn’t know about magic so I couldn’t have done it in front of him.” She explained with a polite smile. The two men nodded.
“Now to business,” said Quarren “I am to be your tutor if you can accept me.”
“I do already Quarren.” Marah said warmly, the moment she saw Quarren she knew she would enjoy his company. This man was far from what she had envisioned last night.
“Not just you as your body, but as your soul and magic. I have to preform some simple magic so that I can see that your magic won’t reject my help, that is why Leader is here, to oversee the proceedings.”
“Okay, so what do I do?” Marah enquired cautiously.
“Sit back and enjoy the ride,” Quarren answered, already deep inside his magic.
Marah too let her mind wander into her deep pool of cherry red magic, which seemed to be glowing.
Soaking in her magic, she let the substance surround her with a tenderness that could only come from her. As it wafted in and around her body she began to wonder what on earth Quarren was going to do. Within minutes, Marah’s pool of pure red magic seemed to have blue-grey streaks through it. This is it she thought. Its presence in hers was remarkable. It started to cover the glowing colour so that she couldn’t see her own magic at all. Where was it? Over her own magic lay a deep carpet of blue-grey. This was the heart of her magic Quarren she thought furiously! Quarren’s covered her own magic and it throbbed underneath, shivering without the presence of the girl’s own happy self.
“Quarren is smothering my magic!” she screamed out in a crazed anger.
All Marah wanted to do was rip away from the magical bond that he and she were sharing. It was not right for her to share magic with others. Suddenly thoughts crossed her mind. Her body and mind wanted to accept Quarren as her tutor, why couldn’t she do it in her soul and magic? Gathering her thoughts for a minute she pondered about her method.
Slowly but deftly, Marah grabbed the magics, each different one in either of her hands. She began to shape them into long strips of rope or cord. Quarren fought her and his rope fought wildly to get out of her hand. Her plan was to wind them together as a rope. She was not succeeding.
A bright idea struck her then. Why don’t I merge our magics into something we both are? She thought. She felt Quarren smile at her thoughts. She wanted to ask him what he liked. Instantly Quarren shoved a picture of his deep pool of magic to her eyes. It was blue-grey like the magic she tried to shape before. It blew around her as a mist caught in a fierce wind. Slowly and to her surprise their magics began to make what she supposed were the shapes of soundwaves running through the air like leaves in an autumn breeze As if acting out a screenplay, a blue-grey Marah stepped out of the rushing soundwaves and opened her mouth. A long and beauteous note struck the air crisply and continued on to eventually fade away. While she stood in the rushes of air Quarren appeared just as she had, out of the blue-grey magics that filled the air and made the atmosphere what they were. He too struck a note with his voice; his voice though, was deep and shook the ground. The sound of his voice echoed on bouncing off her shape and weaving in and out of the atmosphere and sound waves that filled the air. Suddenly Marah wanted to join him, so as his voice faded away she began again. He read her mind and sang a different note this time and around the two figures standing in an unknown atmosphere the two notes weaving in and out of them both sounding their beautiful harmonic voices through the air. Marah listened hard and wanted more. Two voices became one as they grew and shrunk in the time of the unknown. She looked deep into Quarren’s eyes and started a beautiful tune she had never even heard before. Quarren’s strong and deep voice followed behind her, singing her song in his distinctively baritone voice. Around and around the voices ran through the air and shot in blooms of flowers, prancing around the pair in a joyous frenzy. In her head she heard the two voices burst and a radiant sound pierced the air in a scarlet soft whisper. Closer and closer soundwaves followed, dodging in and out jumping over and under running tighter and tighter, so tight that it bound the two together like an invisible moving living rope. Louder and louder the voices gained their strength as the power overwhelmed the two. Suddenly in a flashing boom of rainbow lights her and Quarren became one for just a single moment and their magic crossed their eyes and they were back in her room sitting on the chairs looking at the Leader. The colour of their magic still stained her vision. A beautiful deep purple, a shade she had never seen before speckled decoratively with her own colour of magic and Quarren’s a blue-grey.
Quarren drooped, rather than sat on a chair. He looked up and smiled weakly.
“You make some mean magic my girl!”
“Did I hurt you?” Marah cried
“No, you haven’t hurt me yet. You’re a strong one though, you have to be careful about flinging about that kind of magic.”
“I’m sorry Quarren,” Marah blushed,
“Don’t be sorry mage, that was your first lesson. Learn to control how you involve yourself in workings. If you let yourself fall into the working, you could run out of your magic.” Marah stared gob smacked at the calmly talking Quarren
“I nearly killed myself?” Marah’s voice was trembling.
Quarren laughed at her tense expression, “No, you didn’t get close, but if you were doing complex magic than you very well may have been.”
Interrupting, the Leader stepped into Marah’s view.
“I watched your technique while you were in your magic with Quarren. He is right, you wield a strong kind of magic that you have to be cautious with. You did well with your teacher today. I will see your parents so that he has a proper residence though. Marah, your time as Empress has just begun.”
Swiftly Leader swept out of the room, the last Marah saw of him was his greying blonde hair sparkle in the morning light.
She and Quarren were left gazing at each other unaware of their surroundings.
Marah smiled sheepishly at the unfocused man sitting opposite her and surveyed him
He was of a sturdy kind but timid almost. He wore simple clothes, just a shirt and pants. His features didn’t seem particularly odd, brown hair and eyes that were firmly set on his goal ahead of him. His eye twitched as he settled back in the chair, now fully returned from his magical working.
The moment of comfortable silence was interrupted when Rarkah whirled into the room in a brisk manner.
“Sorcerer Quarren I have organised you a bedroom suite with an ensuite attached. You will find it if you go up the stair and turn to your right, it’s the first door on your left. I am afraid though; you can go and see it but the furniture wont arrive until this afternoon. I ordered it magically so it will appear at exactly three O’ clock, so make sure you aren’t in the room to get bowled over!”
“Thank you very, very much Rarkah, express my thanks to Asim too. It is very good that you and he have been able to take me on so quickly. Rarkah smiled at the man. Marah grinned seeing that her mother liked him already.
“Marah, Quarren, is there anything else you would like to eat? I can get butler to prepare something down in the kitchen right now if you want.” Offered Rarkah.
“No thank you,” Quarren answered quickly, Marah and I are off for our first real lesson.”
And at that Quarren ushered Marah outside, where Marah was eagerly awaiting her first real lesson.
The pair walked out into the garden of Marah’s house. From the outside you could see the true splendour of the beautifully architectured house. The house was all made of sandstone and there were many balconies jutting out. To complete the picturesque landscape was a magnificent garden. Large oak trees lined the winding driveway while a pretty rose covered fence added colour. Around the whole area were small patches of flowers, trees and plant, arranged quite artistically. It was under a particularly large oak that Quarren and Marah made their refuge against the harsh midday sun.
While Quarren sat relaxed against the tree, Marah sat bolt upright in anticipation.
Seeing the awaiting girl’s face, Quarren offered a smile.
“Excited are we?” he teased. “We won’t be doing any serious magic for ages, you need to learn to use your magic within reasonable amounts before you do serious spells.
“And how exactly am I supposed to do that?” she asked impatiently
“Okay then, here is an overview of about a years worth of magical work and theory.
First you need to learn to keep hold of your magic. In a simple working today you let go of a substantial amount of magic without even meaning to. You will learn to control the amount of magic you can use with workings.
You need to learn how much magic you would need for different kinds of magical workings. This amount changes with every person, because of his or her magical strength. For simple ones, you may only need a pinch, while others you may need a giant handful.”
Quarren saw his student hanging on to his every word, taking it into her heart and memorising it.
“It is at that point in time,” he told her solemnly, “ that you learn never to dry your magic out. Your pool of magic can get very low but if you use too much of it then you will just simply run out of magic all together. You will no longer be a mage but a witch. Someone who can do magic with potions but not with things that a mage would take for granted. For instance, levitating objects. You also wouldn’t be able to move your magic carpet.” At those words Marah’s mouth hit rock bottom. Magic carpets! She thought aloud. So that’s how I would get round!
Seeing the delighted look on Marah’s face, he asked her if she actually knew much about magical culture at all.
Marah blushed and replied to his questioning look.
“I am very ignorant. Dad wanted to tell me about this kind of stuff but I waved it off. I didn’t know we were going to become part of the magic community again.”
“Well on top of that you will also be studying Magic history, geography, potions, charms and spells and of course our everyday life,” said the cheerful Quarren.
Marah scowled at the man.
“Great, school work! I just wanted to start magic and do my Empress job well. Obviously I can’t,” she said gloomily.
“Oh I am sure you will find your extra subjects enjoyable.” Ensured Quarren “But now, to work!”
When Marah reflected on her lesson with Quarren later, she decided she had thoroughly enjoyed it although it was definitely laborious.
In order to control her magic, Quarren asked her to look down at two oaks standing at the roadside. In time she was required to build up an image of the oaks exactly as they were in real life, sitting in front of her in her mind, out of her magic.
“Concentrate!” he urged. “Look at every leaf and twig.”
It was hard work Marah realised. According to Quarren, when she was starting to control her magic it would take any form of her will if she wanted it to. If Quarren gave her the most complex of pictures when she had built up a control for her magic, it would appear instantly.
Marah had gotten half way up the trunks of the two trees when her concentration began to break, and her magic started to get the better of her. Quarren saw her weakening effort and called her back to normality. He was very pleased. His face had broken into a smile reaching from ear to ear.
“Very good Marah, you have done extremely well. I thought I was being tough, assigning you such a hard task, but you battled it like a fully-grown mage.
I am very pleased with you. Your father has done a marvellous job with discipline. You wanted to stop and move, you wanted to stop and look at something else but you didn’t. You have been given leave for the rest of the day. You have permission to try that little trick whenever you want, but take heed. Do not under any circumstance; try something even remotely more complex than those trees. You can leave now, thank you Marah.”
She left him sitting under a tree in the garden. And she glowed with pride when he mumbled to himself that he couldn’t have found a finer student.
Finding herself halfway up to the house, Quarren zipped down in front of her on what looked like a Persian Rug that had met a lot of wear and tear.
“I forgot to give you reading material,” he explained as a heavy volume collapsed onto his still floating carpet.
“This is an Ever Book.”
Marah gasped at the book in awe. It would have taken two men to carry this thing Quarren called an Ever Book but he handled it like a feather. She raised her eyes in suspicion, as Quarren was lightly built, there would be no way he could lift it…could there?
“Do you know what Ever Books do Marah? Marah responded as quickly as a dart
“I bet they make you good at weightlifting sir!”
“Obviously you do not Marah. Ever Books as you may have realised will last the owner forever. They are full of all sorts of magical workings and spells, but also with up to date information on the magical community and world. You will find this kind of information needful I am sure. To get the latest news, log on to your computer and download it. Further instructions are in there. Study well Marah.”
And at that he threw the book down to the land bound Marah. She almost cried out in fear of the flying object, but it floated down casually into the awaiting girls arms.
Before Marah could speak another word, the man zoomed off again in the direction of the house.
I hate the way he does that! She grumbled to herself. At the very least he could have offered a lift!
She began to climb the monstrous hill to the entrance of the house again, all the while, studying the cover of the weightless book she held in her hands.
It shimmered in the sunshine. It seemed that every ray of light refracting off the deep purple cover with a frilly grey-blue and copper border. The exact colours of her and her tutor’s magic, mixed and pure! The gift astounded her. It felt as if it belonged to her and it was part of her. Yet it was much more than her itself.
Some time later Marah sat at the kitchen table, in the sun. Puzzling about the book she still held. She dare’nt open it, yet something willed her to.
Taking one big breath she slowly edged the leather cover of the book open. The first page seemed simple enough. It was written in calligraphy that:
Sorcerer Quarren Macon Head of the First Magic College of Australia
Presents
Empress Marah Kathlian Cotteral
With an Ever Book as guide for her training and testing for the status of Empress
Marah grinned at the last couple lines. Yeah right, she thought: Me as an Empress? Why is he so sure?
Eager to find out more, she turned the next page. On one side of the page, her full name was inscribed with the same sloping calligraphy. On the other there was what seemed like an index. For a moment the girl sat pondering. Like an answer, a button sprung up off the page. The words on it said help. Marah couldn’t help herself. She touched the button with the tip of her finger and the book turned its pages toward the back cover, rapidly. She stared, her mouth gaping. The pages started to slow and things were getting scary. Suddenly, without knowing why herself, she grabbed the book and slammed it closed. As she hurriedly got up, she tucked the giant book under her arm and raced off in search of her father.
He would know what to do surely! A thinking book could be any kind of evil!
She arrived to find Asim entering the library.
“Dad,” she yelped as she leaped between him and the handle of the door. “the book, its evil!
Asim started to see his daughter in such a state but forgetting this, wheeled his neck around to see the giant book she held in the crook of her arms
Marah watched her father’s face desperately for sign of alarm but instead, his face started to soften into a hearty laugh
His large hands took her shoulders and lead her to a plush lounge sitting next to the fireplace.
“Take a seat Marah.” Said Asim’s serene voice. “You decided not you needn’t find out about magical history and artefacts didn’t you?
“Yes Dad, and your going to say I told you so.” Marah grumbled, resigned. Asim smiled
“Not quite Marah, although I am going to say that was foolish. For one you would realise the value of the book you are holding in you hot little hands. It is something that all Emperors get for their study. In this book you will find all the things that you will need to know as Empress. In your case because you were ignorant of you culture and background you have lots to learn. Other emperors may have only had a small book to read because they had grown up in a normal magical environment.
“Marah’s eyes grew wide.
“I have to read this all before I am Empress.” She watched her fathers head nod, each time his head rose it reminded her of her rising temper. “That is a lot of work Dad,” she accused grumpily. I didn’t want to be Empress either.” She went on. Why cant you, or Quarren or even Mums do this? I don’t want to and I am not.” Asim shot his daughter a surprised look. “I don’t care what you think.” She continued. “Just because a stupid old bag with a giant clock thinks that I can do this doesn't mean I want to or that I can! There is no way that you or anyone is going to make me do this! I’m leaving and there isn’t anything you can do about it!” Bellowed the girl. Embarrassed by her behaviour she ran out of the room with her head down. Running for a refuge away from her normal life that had become such an uproar of absurd ideas. She had control over her own destiny!
Marah kept running. Fast. She didn’t know where she was going she didn’t care.
Still sprinting away from her only known home she began to take a bearing of where she was headed. She gulped at her boldness. She was heading down the sloping driveway of the house toward a world she had never seen before. Toward a road, and the city of Baalim.
Marah stood at the crest of a valley, overlooking the bursting, bustling city of Baalim. Cars zoomed along the road at her side toward the giant mass of cars and tall buildings. The scene was like a book she had read, as she was young. Books had always been solitude for her, being able to escape into worlds of dragons and princesses locked in a castle awaiting a brave knight to rescue her. Sighing at her own innocence as a child she closed her eyes to picture the books that she had so often read in her child-hood. Almost unnoticed the Ever book drifted into her head, revolving incessantly around her prodding and probing at her mind. Fury rushed to her face again and she crammed the book out of her mind in all efforts to ignore it.
Soon she became conscious of her surrounds and the many cars zooming past her. Astounded at the noise that the human’s cars made she realised that it was her they were honking at.
“Get off the road kid!” someone yelled
“That one belongs at home chained to the clothesline.” She heard another say under her breath
The alarmed girl, stood stationary for one more second, and then decided it was probably wise to move.
Hastily she headed for a footpath, trying to hide her face. She had been caught out already! At least if the magi firm were looking for her, no-magic people didn’t know her face. For almost two hours she trudged along the busy highway. At first her pace was quick and enthusiastic but slowly, slowly the rapid pace declined until she was almost at a stand still. Now this is getting desperate. She thought staring at the long and tedious road that she would have to travel to get into the city. “I definitely need a place to stay” Marah said thinking out loud. Sure enough, as if magic had heard her voice, in the distance she saw a sign on a dainty little cottage snuggled into a large orchard. Help Wanted. Was what the sign proclaimed. At those words Marah’s steps began to widen, her paces quicken and she was off in hot pursuit of the house with the sign.
She arrived minutes later, her face beaded with sweat and her clothes streaked with a days worth of mud and dust. Trying very hard to slow her breathing and calm her flaring senses she settled herself under a tree. It was an apple tree. Momentarily she forgot about the sign and the prospect of a job. Settling herself she sunk into her pool of red, letting it soak into her and about her body, soothing her aching legs. Remembering the trick Quarren had taught her she gathered her magic and focused her thoughts steadily on a pear tree. She wasn't sure how long she had sat there using her magic to create a picture of the tree glowing in magic. In contentment she stood and wandered over to the door and hoped she was doing the right thing. What kind of job was this anyway? None the less she brazenly brushed the doorbell with her fingertips and seconds later a woman appeared at the door.
Before she even spoke, Marah knew she didn’t at all look the part.
“You’re here for the job I presume?” the grim lady asked
“Yes I am,” Marah replied hoping not to sound curt
“You certainly didn’t dress for an interview.” Remarked the woman dryly
Marah felt her face reddening by the second. The lady sighed, a bit disconcerted.
“Alright come in, turn left after the stairs and then go along a right hand passage way and it is the fifteenth door on your left. Good luck to you then.” And with that the grim woman disappeared behind the shadows of the door and out of Marah’s sight.
For a moment the girl lingered on the step to the seemingly small cottage. Suddenly a breeze started to sweep toward the door, taking this as a hint; she followed the dancing leaf litter inside the house.
What stood before her made her eyes grow wide with excitement, terror and astonishment, all mushed into a couple seconds.
The house was decorated majestically with lush carpet scattered with artistically arranged Persian Rugs. Famous paintings lined the walls, accenting expensive looking furniture.
Everything in the room was arranged, when seen from the top of the stairs Marah stood formed the shape of the magi-firm emblem: the wings of an owl unfurled, an inogmymetre clock face in between and a battered old sword lying at it’s foot, as if in a sign of allegiance with the inogmymetre.
“Uh oh!” Marah murmured. Instinctively she pivoted quickly and tried her only getaway, running but her efforts didn’t prevail. Suddenly her body was under attack, not physically but mentally. As if moving through half dried cement, Marah had to force each muscle to move millimetres just for her next step. There was magic all around her, glowing a steady pure gold. The only colour of magic in the history of magi-firm that was ever gold was the current Leader. He was here, following her into the city of Baalim.
“Who are you?” Marah stopped her rush to the exit and asked her thoughts aloud.
“Come and look Marah Cotteral.” Replied the Leader “you were already given directions!”
Marah stood puzzled for some moments. Come and look! What on earth was her talking about? She didn’t know a single thing about where she stood or what kind of dangers she would cross paths with. Come and look. The words swirled around and around her head, begging her to move and search the unknown.
All right come in, turn left after the stairs and then go along a right hand passage way and it is the fifteenth door on your left. Good luck to you then.
That was the grim looking lady speaking. She had already shown her the way. What was she waiting for? All that she could do was to follow her only possible hope of living, with the entrance blocked by the Leader’s foul spells.
Come in turn left after the stairs and go along the right hand passage way. And that she did. Following her directions she slowly descended the stairs and turned sharply left, walking briskly into the looming darkness that lie ahead.
All things turned cold as her subconscious self continued down the corridor. The nothingness in front of her was similar to what she expected a bottomless hole to look like. The carpet began to fade and the décor of the magnificently presented house diminished with her every step
“Feeling a bit lost are we?” Someone, presumably Leader asked her teasingly. Marah hid her blushing face despite the darkness and continued her journey, her pace quickening. “Isn’t it funny that Marah Cotteral, Empress girl who thinks she can look after herself, ends up all alone? No one to protect her from harms way. Your father can’t protect you from crazed maniacs wanting to kill you because you are but a child, holding responsibilities of a man.”
Marah grimaced. She remembered. At the age of 4 there were prophecies from elite sorcerers that the Cotteral Emperor had come. The next ruler of all magics; was a girl. There were riots all over the city. Guerrilla attacks were common as apples and all over the magical community there was a price for Marah Cotteral’s head.
Marah was told at the time that a man thought that she was bad so he wanted to take her. She found out later after asking her father. He said that people thought she was evil and they wanted to kill her because she was female, but not a word did he say about Emperor
She still remembered vividly, the hungry eyes of her assassin. He was drooling at the thought of the price that he would be paid for Marah Cotteral’s dainty head. She still remembered the knife he held, he used it to lightly scratch her body all over teasing her. - She screamed out at the sight of blood. Watching it ooze from scratches in her palms.
Although to young to understand at the time, reliving the scene in dreams later on, she realised the man wanted her dead. A shadow was cast over her body and bright glimmering lights filled the air. The assassin dropped. He lay motionless on the ground, the blood stained knife still in his dead hand. Quarren took her into his arms and they ran. When Marah awoke in the morning she was lying in a new bed, in a new room and a new house. After a couple of weeks in her new home she realised they wouldn’t be going back. The Cotterals were now living as outlaws in the non-magical world.
“You’re scared already Marah Cotteral,” said the voice accusingly. “I know you’re scared. You are so bad at hiding it. You will never make a good Empress Marah. You’re to scared.” The voice taunted her as if never to stop. And if there was one thing that Marah hated, was to be called a coward. She could feel her face heating up like a cake in an oven. Her eyes were brimming with tears of rage.
“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO”
She felt as if she had bellowed just one word for decades. In her fury she kept running. Desperate to prove the man taunting her that she could be Empress. An Empress that could never be beaten.
Before she knew it she was racing to the end of the corridor with a fork in it. She already knew she was broken. She should have listened. But no, Marah Cotteral queen of the universe had to run ahead. For all she knew in her rage she ran down the wrong passage. She could be anywhere in the house.
“This is beastly Leader.” She called out softly. She knew she was talking to him.
“This house is a labyrinth and you know it.” Marah chose her words carefully next.
“I suppose I should have listened Leader. You have already told me my temper fits are childish. I didn’t listen. She gave her speech in a shameful voice, full of remorse and guilt. Finally the answer she wanted came.
“It is true Marah. This house is a maze. I am being quite cruel to you and I shouldn’t. Once you are Empress you will have the power to use my magic or confiscate it. I think that after all I have done you will probably take punishment out on me, I don’t blame you.”
“So you’re going to help me?” Marah said in a hopeful voice. A snort reached her ears before a real answer.
“Yes well I knew what you are trying to do my girl. It’s not working. How will I know that the power you have will be put to good use when you are Empress?”
“So this is a test?” Marah asked cautiously
“Ha! You were a bit slow off the mark there! Yes this is a test. What I am about to test you on would kill the average person. A strong-minded person like you would probably make it out alive. If you are fit as Empress or Emperor you will get out as fit as a fiddle and walk away a new person. You understand?
“Yes, yes, yes can we begin now?” Marah enquired
“Well here we go then!” At that the voice disappeared and Marah felt quite alone. Nothing in the corridor had changed physically. As far as she could see at least, and yet the atmosphere seemed to change dramatically. In a way that was almost unexplainable. The air in the room became hard to breathe. Marah started to feel giddy, swaying to and fro from lack of air. And suddenly, her body felt wet and cold. Her clothes stuck to her like static. Water! And lots of it! Her sudden realisation reminded her the reason that she couldn’t breathe, why her clothes stuck to her so, and the fact that she could die in a matter of seconds if she didn’t get some air!
Starting to panic she started toward what she hoped was the surface. Flailing her arms about and kicking hard with her legs, she wasn’t getting anywhere. Marah just wanted a breath of fresh air. Her lungs and throat were burning and her eyes were leaking unwanted tears.
“No!” her mind snapped at the panicky struggling figure in the water. “Marah you aren’t thinking!” her mind continued in a stern cold way. “Collect your thoughts and your bearings. Your heading down, not up!”
I should have known that! She exclaimed to herself. Following her only advise, a voice in her head, she headed upwards as fast as she could. In only a few seconds she was breathing air again. Her thudding head slowed to a dim pain and her lungs were singing joyfully for the sweet air they devoured.
She soon found herself thanking the voice in her head. Who are you anyway? She wondered. “Oh, I’m just your helper.” Replied the voice in a smug tone. I guess you will meet me one day. “I look forward to that.” Marah murmured in a lost reverie.
Surveying her surroundings, Marah found no reason not to rest. Her eyelids drooped in exhaustion and the muscles in her legs and arms felt lethargic and weak. Not even her mind could possibly focus on continuing her journey. Nestling her head on a small patch of moss and hard, cold flagstones, the girl fell asleep. Drifting like a cloud on a breezy day she didn’t feel the discomfort that plagued her body for now revitalising her aching tired drained body was all that she was worried about.
Pain bolted through her body like and electrical currant.
Her eyes were grief-stricken and bloodshot yet she didn’t move to save herself. Each new blow pounded her body just a bit more…
“You’ve seen it, now fix it!” a stern voice ordered in the back of her mind.
Something touched her. It was furry. For a moment Marah thought it was just one of the soft toys that lay on her bed when she slept. “Think again.” Said that voice in her ear. She was lying on flagstones wet and cold. There was no possibility that she was at home in her nice warm bed. The voice yawned loudly. “Come on!” It urged, “Do something.” Marah grabbed the furry thing and twisted it with a force she didn’t know she possessed. Something broke off in her hand and it’s owner shrieked in pain and terror. The thing clattered as it hit the floor. Eyes all around her glowed a sudden eerie gleam of yellow in the darkness that surrounded her. There were noises of scampering feet on the ground. What on earth are they? When a feeler suddenly touched her she almost screamed. “Spiders!” she rasped. Marah quickly moved to cringe against the wall, a move that well have could be fatal. Spiders started scuttling everywhere. From what she could tell a lot of them had found the watery depths that she had been plunged into. Others weren’t so stupid. With her eyes adjusting to the darkness she could see spiders advancing on her, clicking their pincers in anticipation, just waiting patiently enough for the command to kill. They would eat well tonight!
That’s it! She declared to herself. I’m done for and no one can save me.
A crafty voice spoke to her softly, one she knew well by now
. “You’re Empress of Magic aren’t you?” It asked. The terrified girl remained silent. “YOU ARE AREN’T YOU?” The voice thundered.
Yes. Marah replied slowly. So… the voice prompted…
“I have to do some magic then!” She replied jubilantly. “Clever,” it sniffed. Get to work!
Ok, spells. What do I know? She questioned her brain. The only spells she knew where small handy things. The kind of amateur spells that would be luck to kill ants, rather than an army of spiders!
“Are you stupid? Make one up.” The thing hissed. “Oh.” Said Marah feeling quite dim. Hurriedly she got to work. She knew only theory of creating spells, no real experience. As she struggled to sit up in a comfortable position her whole body trembled. Spiders were prancing around her, prodding her and poking her with their long furry legs.
They were getting excited; their feelings were mingling in the air, so definite that a human could feel their hope
Even with only a little magic knowledge, Marah knew there was no way she could get herself into the frame of mind that she could work an original spell. Her only choice was to use raw magic, like the magic she and Quarren used in their spell together except this was much more dangerous. There were no guidelines to this spell she would work. No prevention of her own body been thrown into the spell with the spiders. With the ease of long practise, Marah edged her way into the place where she knew her magic would be hiding. Looking for her hearty coloured magic of cherry red, Marah began to worry. All that she saw was an empty gap where her magic should be. There were some speckled blue-grey spots that she knew Quarren had planted so that she could reach him in times of need, but without her own magic, his spell was useless.
Without warning, a sob escaped from her trembling lips. Chain reactions followed. Spiders started to circle their newly found prey. Spitting silk thread that stuck to her skin-tight fast Suddenly, a spider with a red dot in its eye approach the girl sitting there. In a flash its legs snaked under her body and gripped it mercilessly.
“What are you going to do Marah Cotteral?” It asked. Marah gasped. It was talking to her! “Well. Are you going to tell me?” It demanded. “Of course you're not!” it snarled. “You witches are all alike, you can’t do a thing without magic!”
“Yes I can!” Marah bellowed at the thing grasping her tighter and tighter every minute. The spider laughed a high-pitched giggle and threw her to the ground. The other spiders advanced and gathered in a tight circle around her. They to started to laugh. Taunting her, spiders began throwing silk threads everywhere, shrieking in delight when they hit her, moaning in despair when they missed. Marah screamed, long and hard. Breath spilled into the air for a long time, so long in fact that a headache began to grow in the girl’s head. The spiders began to perch themselves as if sitting, and look at her attentively as if distracted by the noise.
“Thank you!” she gasped. “Now that we understand each other I can talk. What were your orders from the Leader?” she demanded. No spider moved. “What were they?” she questioned, her voice menacing. Most of the spiders had now began to creep forward but the gleam in Marah’s eye had frozen them to the spot. For the second time there was no reply and not one spider seemed likely to give their secrets away. Her temper heated up. If she was to be an Empress than they were going to listen! Like lightning she twirled around and grabbed the nearest spider. Pinning its legs to it’s back. It squealed in agony, begging her to stop.
“I’ll tell, I’ll tell” it cried. “No you won’t.” Said the red eye spider softly amidst his screams. His voice was as dangerous as Marah’s sounded although she knew she wasn’t feeling at all like she acted. Lying on the spider’s back holding the struggling spider’s legs in place, Marah was sweating heavily. Her muscles groaned under pressure she never thought could exist. She had to make her move, she wasn’t waiting any longer. Ferociously she jammed the already pinned legs upwards. They broke off in a sickening crack that echoed around the room, filling their ears in a ferocious song. The shocked onlookers stared in disbelieve, some sobbing in grief. Marah hid her face as she tried to choke back the threatening vomit as blood spilled over the cold flagstones and onto her shoes. Slowly she moved to stand. Still holding one of the dead spider’s legs in her hands she went over to the red-eyed spider and placed the bony splintered leg at his feet as if offering God a sacrifice. The spider sighed dejectedly. “I am not beaten yet. Even though you just chose my brother to kill. I am not beaten.” He murmured to the girl standing fearlessly before him. A second time he leaped up like a flash and grabbed Marah, holding her steady in his pincers ready to close in and cover her with silk threads. Marah struggled desperately. Her hands searched for a soft spot on the spider she might be able to hit. I’m doomed she thought inwardly. “Not yet!” Said a sharp familiar voice. “And where exactly have you been?” She demanded. “I’m here all on my own and you have been watching!” You’re supposed to be helping. “Ahhh, you see.” He replied, “I only pop up when you are in trouble or you have to conquer something that you personally would find difficult.”
“Ok, ok, ok. Enough with the explanation HELP!”
Something the spider did grabbed her attention. Silk coming from all direction started to hit her. It was coarse and hard not like before, they were only playing then! These spiders really meant business
“Startle you did we?” The spider enquired. “We are just going to wrap you up in a little cocoon and let you die slowly, painfully just like you did to Jakoomata. He was my brother and you killed him. If you’re lucky we will start eating you piece by piece. Maybe it wouldn’t be as bad as dying from lack of air. Although, I wouldn’t know, I have never died”. A mad laugh rose into the air. Spiders were laughing at her, watching her die. A panicked looks fixed itself on her face and conveyed to the spiders when their shots hit their target. Their shots of silk thread began to rapidly increase. The silk struck her skin still wet; it made her scream in agony. She could not hold in so much anguish, especially when she was beaten. In the space of five more minutes she would be wrapped up in a tight bundle ready to eat. “Ok voice!” she called in her mind, panting hard with pain. “Help me now please?” “Yes I will. We wouldn’t want the Empress to die now, would we? Tell me what do spiders hate most?” Marah tried to think, her thoughts interrupted by constant jabs of pain. Bug spray? She wondered. Where in the world would she find enough bug spay to kill all of these spiders! Closing her eyes she could see beams of white light from sparkling water. It must be day. She could not wait to find her way out of here and see the beautiful sky and trees dancing in the sunlight! Her eyes flew open. “LIGHT” she screamed, not only to herself but the whole room. “Yes!” She could hear the voice getting excited. “Your magic is light as well! So use it!” Thanking the voice quickly for her life, she burst up, out of the spider’s reach in a sudden spur of encouragement. His hold had grown lax and unsupervised and now she hopped away from the spiders, heading for the watery depths she had come from. Hoping sincerely that Red-Eye would jump in for a battle. It was definitely him that had stolen her magic. That red glimpse in his eyes could be nothing else but magic and she was going to get it back.
Stopping for just a second before jumping into the water, she used her hands to destroy the silk netting on her feet and ankles then lunged into the water.
By the time she surfaced she knew this was going to be tough. The water was icy cold, each stroke cost her more and more energy and Red-Eye the spider was descending into the water. The water made her body throb from the stinging needles that jabbed her continually. Each time her chest rose and fell, she felt as if she had to catch the air and drag it slowly into her lungs, like hauling a heavy rope in. Catching her breath she steadied herself and as soon as the spider was within her reach she grabbed out and pulled a leg harshly. Just like the other spider, the leg came away freely with a crunch and once more blood flowed and tainted the water. Amazed at her success she lingered for a second. It was one second to late. Taking advantage of the dazed Marah, Red-Eye sunk his fangs into some uncovered flesh. Marah yelped in pain and plunged downwards as fast as she could possibly go. She heard the thundering cheers of impressed spiders of their master’s defeat. She wasn’t that easy to beat! Marah realised she was starting to run out of breath. While she was swimming up to the surface again she realised another thing. She had swum a good deal further than she expected. Starting to panic a little, the girl started to swim faster and faster. Frantic for a breathe of air she began to panic. She wasn’t going to make it! She was still swimming but her mind started to go blank. For a moment there she had forgotten who Marah Cotteral was. To her at that moment, Marah Cotteral was a name of somebody else, not her’s.
“Come on!” A ghostly voice called. It was very far away. “Get moving!” It ordered. Quite suddenly a light flashed into the darkness of her mind. The light started beating on her hard. All of a sudden a large pool of copper was shown before the sinking girl, one strangely familiar. A room that was a stunning purple and teal covered all over with soft toys hanging about in small hammocks made the girl scratch her head. That room was something she had seen a million times before. There was something that turned her head when she saw the bookshelves. The books that sat there had been read hundreds of times over. She could see herself lounging on her bed with a favourite book pressed in her hands and her eyes dancing with excitement. It was her that had read those books! “And who is her?” Asked the voice. Marah scoffed. “I know exactly who! I am Marah Cotteral.” “Good!” Said the voice. “And if you are Marah Cotteral where would you be?” “Swimming,” was the faint reply. Swimming.
Suddenly Marah could feel the water again. She could feel her arms pumping hard against the water, and to her delight she felt her body burst through the surface. Air filled her lungs once more but she had no time to celebrate, as Red-Eye took a leap into the water.
He landed awkwardly, hitting a leg on the side of the rocky ledge. Marah took advantage of the spider’s shock as he did her. Instantly she lunged for the spider and dove under him to grab his legs. Red-Eye put up a valiant attempt at being hauled under by the girl. His efforts didn’t prevail. As a spider he wasn’t a good swimmer and Marah knew quite well he didn’t have a chance. He thrashed around and pulled hard but Marah’s vice like grip never failed and the spider was slowly drowning. After about thirty seconds under water Marah began to tire. Giving a hard yank at the spider for the last time the breathlessly tired girl headed for the surface where she watched the Head of the Spiders slowly sink to his watery grave. As his heart beat one last time Marah felt her magic flow back into her with a burning desire to have it fill her heart again.
Marah swam to the edge of the pool and hoisted herself out silently. A rush of cool air greeted her making her shiver. The spiders had taken off at the defeat of their master. Marah was tired. She didn’t want to keep going. After all, she didn’t want to be an Empress. But she did enjoy the adrenaline rush she got from beating something that tried her. Any challenge that tried Marah Cotteral was always beaten. Always. No stupid Leader was going to stop her! Suddenly full of life Marah jumped up and watched expectantly at the brick wall in front of her. The bricks stayed unmoving and she stood motionless. Until a small dark tunnel she hadn’t noticed before caught her eye. Searching with her hands Marah felt the wall. It was as smooth as silk without a groove to speak of. A tunnel, as far as she knew, the only way out was about three metres above her head. “Easy!” she exclaimed. All I do is summon a rope. And that she did. In the blink of an eye a rope was sitting at her feet with a grapple hook neatly spliced to the end of it. Now for the hard bit! She thought. Picking up the rope she checked the grapple hook secured on the end. Satisfied that is was safe; Marah moved back and started to swing the rope like a cowboy in the movie. And then she loosed. The hook flew high into the air, bypassing the tunnel by metres. As the grapple hook sailed down Marah dodged back to avoid its sharp edges. For a second Marah stared angrily at the object sitting on the cold hard floor, maybe in hope of it getting up and walking it’s self to the tunnel so she could climb the wall. No such luck. With a reluctant sigh Marah pick the rope up and started again. Ten throws later a wild cry rang out as the hook finally lodged its self in the rockwork of the wall. Scaling up the wall like a monkey the girl reached to top in safety, to her relief. After her furious climb Marah sat down just on the edge of the tunnel for a rest before she continued her journey.
For ten minutes the shape of the girl sat there, unmoving. Her mind, although was clearly somewhere else. Unconsciously the girl watched extreme thoughts run through her own head. Thoughts that truly tortured her. She watched her parents flee an unfamiliar house they once called home. Their faces showed looks that made her scared. They were twisted with pain and lost hope while they stood staring at the flames licking on the edges of the home they knew so long. A baby girl lay in her mother’s arms. This was price they had to pay for such a small being, the future Empress, and the world’s leader. Marah was the only thing they had to live for, assassins would try to kill her endlessly and the only way to stop them was to cease to exist. And they would become extinct, except to a world of their own where no magic had gone before. Human’s land.
A black shadow crept up behind her. It knew her every move; it followed her tirelessly and taunted her endlessly. Sometimes it would change colours to suit it’s self. Blood red when it saw anger, and cold hard black when she was lonely. It showed her emotion that she felt herself; it made the bad times even bleaker. It was only when she let her guard down that this shadow took over. And then the blanket of darkness surrounded her and hugged her tightly, too tightly. Her entire world turned upside-down when the shadow was about. Even her happy moments turned sad and the bright tunes she would sing turn into a droning dejected melancholy. A feeling no one word could describe filled her heart; gloom, frustration, sadness and sorrow. It was at these times that the light at the end of the tunnel dimmed and extinguished. Would it ever reappear? Her own happiness and glee would evaporate and she never knew when it would resurface again. Forcing back the chilling thoughts, she hoped with sincerity that happiness was only a breath away. She hoped. But then… She didn’t know.
My shadow follows just like your’s does
He’s dark and cloaked, stirring emotion
He makes me sad and my world grows dim
Love is gone and it’s all because of him
Soon he’ll be gone in a sudden breath
I’m happy again and I don’t worry
But you’ll creep back when I am down
Yes you’ll be back without a sound
Marah blinked, and was thrust back into the world of existence. She was sweating heavily and her breath was sharp. Time to get going! She turned herself of the ledge and glared at the seemingly bottomless hole that she was about to enter into. Nothing frightened her more a dark space around her, constricting her body like a vicious snake, like her shadow waiting to pounce
Marah pushed her fears to the back of her mind and blocked them. As long as they stayed put she was safe from the chaos and uncertainty the tunnel threatened to thrust upon her.
‘One step is all it takes.’ Did someone famous ever say those words? She wondered. Marah bit her lip, still facing the mountainous black hole that awaited her. “Marah!” somebody called. “Time to get moving!” “All right, all right.” She grumbled. It’s easy for him to say she thought. He doesn’t have to go rushing into tunnels to pop out the other side in hope that you will finally get out of this mess. The girl let out one more disconcerted groan and shuffled into the tunnel. To start off Marah kept sliding backwards for every time she thrust herself upwards, not that she was complaining. Every slip backwards gave her a glimpse dimmed of light, a glimpse of hope and the light kept away the petrifying things that constantly bugged her mind. Finally she was making headway. The tunnel became easier to climb with the slope easing off and the soil compacting creating an easier surface to make the trek. For a while Marah just climbed as if it were automatic. She was a machine gulping up stretches of the tunnel and she would finally reach the end. Gulp after gulp, Marah started to get lonely. She started thinking of a new thing: Her Ever Book. She wondered if it was still sitting at home in her father’s study where she let it fall before she took off. She wondered if it’s pages were crumpled and torn from its fall. Most of all she wondered: if she was ever going to get it back, if she was ever to own such a precious thing again. Another thought struck her mind and delivered a tremendous blow of guilt to her stomach. Her parents, the people that had cared for her all of her life, surely they were worried! Marah stopped for a moment, wedging her legs into the sides of the tunnel. I miss them so much! She exclaimed to herself. How could I have done this to them? I ran away without even looking back! I let my feelings take over, something no Empress would ever do! A tear pricked her eye as she gazed into the distance of black. Frustrated that she could let this weakness show she thrust herself around and continued her arduous hike forcing everything she could into the slog trying hard to forget the tears that could cascade down her face at any minute.
Finally a tear fell. It plunged down her cheek and a dam that was building up for so long drained. At long last the walls had broke and the weakness caved in. Torrents ran down her face soothing her cracked lips but not her heart. Pictures of her parents sitting by the fire on cold nights flowed through her head. She watched their proud faces as she showed them her first spell as a young child. And the day she received the news: She would be Empress. The party lasted a long time that night and just before she went to bed her father had come up to her. In his hand, a golden chain glimmered in the low light.
“This will become everything you truly need.” Asim whispered. Tightening the chain in his fist once his hand relaxed and he fastened it around her neck.
“Keep it with you always and it will be your guide.” At that he kissed her head lightly and padded out closing her door.
Fingering the chain she found a small scroll on the end. Drawing some magic out for a dim light, she read:
Our dearest Empress daughter,
May your new world bring you the deepest
of love and satisfaction.
Our hearts are with your’s the entire way
Love will give you the courage to go on
Even though we aren’t always close
You remain our little girl
With love for all of eternity
Mum and Dad
The tears still flowed long and hard. Their love was a strength that would not crumble no matter the strain and that small message was enough to keep the terrible darkness away or at least for a while.
What could have been five minutes or an hour later, Marah started to float back into the real world where she was unconsciously continuing to labour upwards. Stinging called her eyes to look at her hands. She couldn’t see them but she could definitely feel them. The pain was piercing and brutal. Pain was relentless, but so was she, working her hands harder than ever every metre she moved was an unwelcome effort. Sometimes she wondered why she kept going. Why did she bother? The magical world had already engulfed her with their opinions and declared that no Empress of theirs would be female. Her mind stopped at a stand still and so did her bleeding hands. What if she wanted to be Empress? What if she wanted to continue the tradition of the Cotteral line? These people had nothing to do with her! It was this test that decided whom was Empress and not a bunch of sexist pigs that were concreted in the past and too stubborn to move!
“I will show them.” She screamed with a hoarse throat. Moistening her throat she continued to bellow to her audience of dirt and rubble.
“I will be Empress! The best there ever was. No sexist, stereotyping person is going to stand in my way! Move it you stupid tunnel! You’re in my way!” Adrenaline built up and surged through her body. Charging along like an elephant, soil and rocks were flung everywhere, she wanted to get out now! Around and around, her head was spinning like a top and a familiar sharpness formed in her chest. It was that throbbing feeling, one that told her to panic and run. The one that told her that her shadow was coming after her. It wanted to hug her tightly and smother her so the rise and fall of her chest was gone. Panic rose inside her recklessly. Out of control it surged through her veins. Feeling the familiar touch on her mind she knew it was after her and she was going to fight until the shadow was gone, obliterated, it was going to leave her alone so that she would not live in fear of it again. That is what an Empress would do in the light of danger and what was she? That right! She was Empress.
A weak punch struck the hard cold unforgiving rock and Marah cried out in pain as flesh tore from her pounding knuckles. Another hit and a fierce kick the battered the rock above her. It was going to give way! She could feel it in her bones, it would collapse any second. The shadow wavered but still stayed uncomfortably close. Out of my way she screamed at it in her mind. Several painful punches later she could feel it groan. Just hovering over her was wasting unaffordable energy. Lets finish this off with a flourish she thought determined. And as tough as leather a small head connected with the shadow above her and delivered it’s harsh agonizing blow.
Its resenting colours that filled her with a hatred for herself so great finally found their match. At last the pounding red that drove her into an insane fury found something it couldn’t easily contest. Glowing cherry red spilled from Marah’s body shooting, spouting, and spilling in all directions, ricocheting off her tightly compacted rocky prison. Radiating around her, brilliance so intense Marah found herself squinting through the propelling cool crimson magic vigorously bashing hard against rock.
The sounds of grinding and screeching filled the air like no tomorrow. The sheer size of the avalanche almost blew the pint-sized girl away. All Marah could do was grit her teeth and power on. Rocks fell like snow, smashing the ground to smithereens. Trying to seek refuge Marah spotted a large boulder. Ducking her head, she made the short sprint from where she stood dazed, to where she could of a sort, be safe. Portions of rock whizzed passed her, deadly shrapnel grasped at her arm and dragged its teeth through brutally. Pain wrenched up her arm in forces that no army could ever withstand. A jagged piece of crumbling rock fell to the floor, hardening Marah’s own descent. There it lay, like a predator smiling after their catch with blood in their teeth. She was out like a light. Rocks and boulders still fell but Marah was no longer awake to see them.
“You’ve got to help me!”
Dark chocolate coloured eyes filled Marah’s foggy vision. She saw the panic and fright that filled them and shook herself into wakefulness.
“Who are you?” Marah asked as she stumbled to her feet
“Dale, my name is Dale,” she answered hurriedly. “Come on! Lets go!” and Dale’s flowing russet coloured hair flicked gracefully around and ran.
Marah glanced around them and all she saw was the debris that she had left when she fainted. Shrugging her shoulders, she winced as she caught sight of the wound a torpedoing piece of rock had made. Removing the socks the she wore she shoved them over the bleeding area and tied them with some difficulty. Standing up a scorching headache caught hold of her and a dull pain in her hands and injured arm shot through her body. Not having any more time to spare Marah took off in pursuit of the girl that was so desperately worried. It was hard to catch up with Dale. She was a fast runner and she wasn’t going to stop, instead Marah took in the sights of where they were headed keeping a close eye on the person she was trailing some way off in the distance of this vast rocky plateau. Their surroundings were just a large cavernous area, the ground they ran on was rock and she couldn’t see very far into the distance. Mist blocked most of her vision, it coalesced around the two running figures, tracing their paths through this clustered mess of brown. All around her, just mud brown dull coloured rocks faced her with no interest in where she was going. Stalagmites and stalactites littered the area, some reaching as high as the roof, which had disappeared even with the presence of day. At that she wondered where in the world sunlight would be coming from in the seemingly enclosed cave. Lost in her thoughts and constant throbbing wrench of pain Marah heard a scream. It lasted longer than Marah could have ever held her breath. Already running and rapidly loosing energy Marah just kept pounding the dirt below her, following the petrified cries of the girl in distress. Each breath rasped though her throat making a startling sound but a strange perseverance prevailed in the struggling girl. Nearing the deafening noise Marah slowed and skipped behind a nearby rock to hide. She could see nothing but she could hear it as clear as glass. An ugly rasping voice pierced the air; it cut through all other sounds. She couldn’t even hear herself breathing.
“You’re a naughty girl Dale.” He taunted in a menacing voice.
“You shouldn’t hide from people, especially your elders. You should know by now, one such as I can find you easily in the blink of an eye. I think I might just punish you. If you live I can punish you again, and again, and again!” An evil cackle rang out and a cold sweat broke over the hiding girl’s face. Marah didn’t have to see to know what the man was doing. Every few excruciating seconds a cry of agony was beat out of the helpless girl. Marah dared a peep over her rock for just a split second. That split second would haunt her forever. The man stood nearby and was visibly pounding his magic down on the hapless shape of a body slowly tattering her clothes. She knew what was coming next. The man’s menacing eyes resembled a vulture swooping in for the kill, hungry to hear the ripping sounds of flesh that would soon fill his stomach. Instead this man was after Dale for her innocence, something Marah knew should never been stolen. She had to do something! Trying hard to combat the fears that swirled around in her stomach like a whirlwind she gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. What happened if this man turned on her? Another glance over the rock and Marah changed her mind. Dale’s eyes were glazed over in fear and searing pangs of relentless pain. Ruthlessly she jumped over her rocky refuge and faced the man that was beating his prisoner. He stopped for a second, just a momentary pause to survey the girl that had just burst into the equation. Marah took the same moment to take in what she was seeing.
Pain bolted through her body like and electrical currant.
Her eyes were grief-stricken and bloodshot yet she didn’t move to save herself. Each new blow pounded her body just a bit more but the girl jolted around exposing herself, just so she could see her saviour. That same moment another blow hit her, right in the stomach. Marah saw her eyes roll up in pain and all her clothing fell away.
“So you’re a boy now!” the man bellowed enraged by Dale’s deceit as Marah tried to avert her eyes and save the boy’s pride. “I’ll just take your friend then shall I?” In an instant Marah could feel a strange and new power build up, it got stronger and stronger. She winced and forced her own magic upwards, toward the threatening waterfall that wanted to thrash her to pieces. And it stopped. The man stopped dead in his tracks and glared at her.
“All right.” He said in a voice dangerously soft. “Lets do this another way. A duel just you and me. Nothing to do with your bratty boy friend.”
“Fine.” Marah replied in a loud and open voice although her stomach was a mess of twirling knots. This was the part of magic she liked best. For hours she practised training her mind to withstand the power of spells that would knock over an average person like Dale. She knew that any force that bowed down on her she could easily block. Now finally after all the disciplinary work she went through with her father, she was ready to use it. She wasn’t going to let him down whoever the challenger was!
The man took his pose ready to start-crouched down on the ground. Marah did this too, her style just a bit different to his, as she had expected. While she stooped low to the ground she hid her bound arm trying to conceal an easy target. He watched for a sign. As the challenged Marah made the first move, he wanted to see her face twitch or her eyes move just to know when the attack would come so he could throw up defence. Only once she made her move would the challenger be allowed to touch his magic. This, she thought with a grim thankfulness put her at an advantage. After that it was every man for themself, a quick goodbye to all who could not defend themselves. With out warning Marah lurched into action, striking with one of the strongest spells she could use. She pictured a beautiful day at the ocean. Waves lapped at the sand longing to climb the steep bank. Fierce turbulence thrashed seaweed around, displaying it’s force. Wave after wave forced itself up the sharp incline but their energy failed them at the last minute. So Marah helped them. The girl had only used this spell on a small scale with her father on sunrays to light an area, but there was all the chance that it would work the way she wanted it to. With a forceful shove she thrust the waves up the shore and into her arms. Opening her eyes, they were still there in her mental eye, shoving hard against her grip. She was standing in front of the evil man whose name she didn’t even know and yet she was trying to kill him. And then without the slightest warning she let loose. Water crashed onto the man drenching him and all of cavernous surroundings with harsh salty water. Marah let in more and more water until she estimated the man would be at least five times over her own head. Now this would make it tricky! she thought as she fought against the pounding waves, diving under one and jumping another. She hoped sincerely that Dale could swim because the blue waves that were finally free from their beach prison weren’t going to give mercy. Finally she ended the spell, sending the remaining water in her grip back to its ocean jail where it would remain until perhaps it would be called upon once again.
Marah scanned the fiercely crashing surf, hoping to see the head of the strange boy. She found to her dismay that she couldn’t see him so she headed for a rock, just merging from the water, she could use it as a vantage point she hoped. She reached the rock red-faced and puffing. She felt around the rocky iceberg for a grip to hoist herself up. Water was beginning to throw her around. With no particular hold she clung to the brown mass with all her might, being careful not to be toss onto it and bashed to pieces. There was an abrupt jolt. Earthquake was the only thought that hit her mind. With a sudden flick Marah dove down, looking for the small cavity that she had hid in before, praying that it would hold her for an earthquake. By the time she had found it, Marah had run out of air, she shuddered and bolted for the surface. She never wanted to be without air again! Just reaching the surface, she was greeted by the crescent of a wave. With a startled cry Marah dove again, charging forward like a bull at a gate. This time her judgment was wrong. Swell and the undercurrent of the wave bought her up. She was sent flinging through the air with the graceful tunnel of water. She felt like she was flying! But all things that go up must come down, and that she did. Smashing onto the large boulder she heard a dull crunch that made her grimace and bite her tongue. A strange, unfamiliar pain pierced up her arm like a lighting bolt and it crept into her shoulder. She could feel the bite of the salt water that lay in the wound she received from the deadly rock shrapnel stinging. Later on she wondered why she did lay there so long. She remembered it was solid and hard; a pointy stalagmite dug into her left side and made her bed even more uncomfortable. While she laid, motionless and unspeaking on the rock, she decided it had become her friend. With each growing minute the harsh point of the stalactite became softer and the rock she lay on began to form the shape of her body. Perhaps it could talk! She wondered. Her mind eventually wondered and she must have fallen asleep for her clothes had dried by the time she woke but she still shivered from the icy cold that wrapped around her. For a while the need for food stole over her. Vaguely remembering an essay she had written as part of her magic education she recalled a spell used to fill your stomach with magic so that hunger would cease. With the little energy she had she hoped she could complete the spell. Settling into her magic she picked up her mental arm and used it to feed her unique hue into her growling stomach. Soon the pulsing snarling stopped and the endless hours and undoubtedly the days she spent toiling without nourishment was taking its toll. For a long time the girl let all her pent up exhaustion wash over her and almost immediately she felt like she had turned into an old lady, crippled by arthritis. Falling in and out of consciousness to the sound of waves strange dreams wafted through her mind. Thinking about it later she could have been having hallucinations. Rarkah and Asim appeared in front of her eyes willing her to go on. Listening to their voices talking about nothing she could understand] they still made her smile and her courage built up. And then she was asleep again. The voices appeared without her noticing. They rumbled around her head making no sense. Had she gone mad? It was a youth’s voice. Trying in vain to understand their musing she filled her mind with thoughts about the rock. Somehow maybe the rock spoke to her. After all she was in her test. After spending an unknown period of time in a tunnel and encountering a hoard of giant spiders anything was possible. She listening for any word she could understand. Shifting a little she waited once more and she did hear a voice! It was a deep musical voice, it whistled every so often but it also talked. Still she made no sense of it but she knew she wasn’t crazy. It was the kind of voice she liked to listen to. She found herself hoping it would sing for her.
Lying in a drifting daze
The world stops still
Weary eyes ponder rest
They cant yet until
Wandering mind has settled
And everything is ordered
Waken from your reverie
Find your perception distorted
Then something big rocketed through her ears. It crashed down on her like waves pounding the sand. That reminded her of where she really was. Lying on a cold hard rock, in the middle of an ocean of careless waves that have thrashed her and threw her onto her rock. Suddenly she jumped up, almost slipping on the rock, which was becoming mossy from the water. Pangs of agony shot up her arm and she found herself back down again, clinging gingerly with one hand to the slippery surface nursing her other in her lap. Bam! There it was again. Something she couldn’t see was pounding her joyously. Marah growled and thrust her magical guard up again. She had let it down when she was sleeping; there was a reason too. She felt for her magic and a quantity just sufficient enough to build some discipline pictures, the ones that Quarren had taught her, met her finger. “Oh no!” she whispered. She surveyed the myriad of crashing waves hoping to find herself a solution. She needed to find Dale and get out before both of them were killed! “You know that is a good idea!” The voice commented sarcastically. Marah scowled at it and continued sweeping the ocean with her eyes. There! It was Dale, diving in and out of waves like a dolphin, a very tired dolphin. She realised now that it was he calling. With a huge breath Marah jumped into the water again bracing her throbbing arm against her chest. Again Marah’s tired and freezing cold body hit the water ungracefully. For a minute she had to tread water, trying her hardest to warm up and keep afloat at the same time. Slowly and with patience she made her way over to Dale. Still he was battling the waves, his legs kicking crazily ready to collapse at any moment. “Dale!” she called. To her relief she got an answer. He was all right, just tired and cold. She called over to him again telling him to follow her. All she saw was a nod of consent and Marah was dunked by a little to frisky wave. Down she went but she didn’t reach the bottom. Straitening herself out she charged up and was hit by another wave. Dumped again, she was running out of energy. Her arm was hurting terribly and it wasn’t much use just hanging limply by her side. In a last minute effort she launched herself up hoping to reach oxygenated air. And she did. Finally she burst upwards and gulped in air. Right beside her was Dale, fighting hard against waves. With an expertly movement he pulled her over his chest and started his slow progress back to the refuge Marah spoke about. Awake all the time Marah tried hard to help him. She kicked feebly and flapped a few strokes when she could but she knew that without Dale she would have been a sunken ship by now. Finally the water started to calm slightly. Marah opened her eyes and looked up at the boy holding her so firmly and gently. She looked at his faced and smiled, he grinned with exhausted relief. “Can you swim now?” he asked. Marah blushed.
“Yes. Thanks. I thought I was dead before…”
“I was worried you were!” Marah smiled again and she and Dale headed over to the rock. While they made their swim Marah managed to ask some question. The first one on her mind was how he calmed the waves down. It was his turn to blush.
“I asked them.” He said a little embarrassed.
“You asked them?” Marah repeated.
“I found out I can ask things to do stuff and they just, do it”
“So you have magic?” she asked in delight
“No. Not really. My parents were magic but I’m not.” His voice was stiff and tense.
Dale seemed a bit steamy about the topic, Marah let it drop and put all her thoughts and energy into swimming back to their haven. Stroke after stroke Marah bought her tired lead weighted arms up and over the water that seemed to drag her down like quick sand, every moment she spent was gruelling and uncomfortable. She could feel her limbs numbing in the bitterly cold water. She let her mind drift in an out of conscious thoughts. Sometimes she thought of her tired arms and legs pumping hard against the forceful water, she noted that Dale seemed to power on almost tirelessly cutting through the water like a hot knife through butter. Other times she thought about her family and her newly met tutor Quarren. She wondered if they worried, she didn’t know how long that she had been in this test and she had lost sight of the end a long time ago.
Abruptly her thoughts were dislodged and they had reached the target they had set out for. What was once a shrinking rock in the depths of the ocean was now a lighthouse standing out like a sore thumb on a dark, cold winter night. Marah sighed her relief and made her way over to the rock just so she could keep herself buoyant. For a while her and Dale groped at their rest point working out stubborn cramps and relaxing strained muscles. Out of the blue Dale spoke. “Do you want to rest first?” he asked. Marah looked at him puzzled for a moment and then she grew red in the face. She realised that he wasn’t wearing any clothes. All she had to offer were her shirt and pants and she defiantly didn’t want to surrender them. “You go” she replied. “You have been swimming longer than me, I bet you’re tired!” Dale nodded in silent agreement and wadded over to a suitable place to start his ascent. “Don’t look!” He warned. Marah laughed and assured him and she turned her back to look away. All that Marah remembered of that few slowly crawling hours was that she noticed the absence of her shadow. It didn’t hover like it used to, waiting to scoop her up like ice cream and happily suck on her life like a sticky lolly. The shadow also got her thinking about what made it leave. She remembered fighting it but was it because she had become the person she was meant to be, a mage in the magical community with the title of Empress. Was magic her true calling? It seemed a part of her she couldn’t ignore. Did it mean that she was the one to continue the Cotteral line of Emperor? “Yes that’s right!” the voice suddenly echoed into her head. “Your destiny was to become an Empress, the first female ruler of the world. You realise now that you have to become Empress of your people Marah? I hope you do because that would make my job a good deal easier…” the voice trailed away again leaving the exhausted girl to do nothing but think more about her life and what lie ahead. Her daydreams lead to sleep and the dank, dark musty blackness of the ocean depths.
A sucking noise the volume of a roller coaster rocked through her ears and her eyes felt like popping out with an unbelievable pressure. The screaming went on for an age while she sat bewildered and frightened. Suddenly the familiar grind of rock on rock and twisting, crunching continuous groaning lit her ears like a colourful music and the surface she sat on screamed through the roof of the rocky cavern, making its exit and drifting over a massive endless ocean. The beautiful unexplainably blue water surrounded her and the wafting rock for miles on end, like she stood on the moon and the galaxy surrounded her. The beauty shocked her into tears and as they streamed down her face a strangely familiar figure leaped into the little cavity she had sunk to. The figure grinned and said, “I’m glad your crying too, I thought you were dead!” Marah sat up a little and laughed. She had forgotten about Dale but happily she nodded and watched the boy walk around the small area. He seemed to have acquired some clothes and she noticed some things about him she hadn’t seen before. His dried hair was a dark chocolate brown that matched his eyes unbelievably well although it still looked rather strange long. His eyes were red and puffy from crying but they welcomed her observance like you would a gentle breeze on a hot summer day. Looking at him she thanked herself for saving the boy, now it all seemed worth it. “You like him!” the voice commented smugly in her hearing. She scowled at the voice unconsciously and continued to steer her gaze at the boy she was admiring. He seemed very athletic, in his movements he moved purposely and deftly. She would give anything to be graceful and co-ordinated like he was. She liked the way he held himself high and awed at his tanned skin, wincing a little when he turned to face her. She supposed that she liked him. How could she though? She didn’t know anything about him. A sneaky suspicion in the back of her mind suggested love at first sight. Scoffing at the idea she shifted a little and settled herself to sleep again. Quietly in her head did she hear it on not? The voice announced very softly that she did like him ignoring her logical protests and the boy that stood and watched her while she slept. He liked her too.
Just minutes before her eyelids closed to sleep she wondered how she managed to even get home. Dale must have helped her somehow. All she remembered was waking up in the middle of their manicured lawn, shivering as she pulled herself up to the house. In a blur Marah had been whipped off her feet and into bed with hot soup and a blazing fire. Melting into the comfort of a mattress and sheets, one of the comforts she had gone without for she supposed was longer than a week she thanked Dale in her head. She owed him so much, yet so did he. Her last thought as her mind turned off and raised its barriers of thought so she could sleep was: would she ever see him again? Was he safe and happy with a bed and caring parents like she had? Somehow after escaping from the evil man she realised maybe he was on his own. Good Luck! She fared him as sleep took her away to another world where dreams are true and nothing ever has to make sense.
A door opened and the swish of cloth on cloth and footsteps broke her sleeping silence. She opened her eyes slowly, adjusting the light in the room. There sat her mother and father, both with stressing expressions on their faces. Apart from them was Quarren who seemed deeply in thought. In his lap rested the Ever Book. The room was pleasantly warm with a frisky fire over to her left spreading it’s warmth about the room. Suddenly out of the corner of her eye her mother’s eyes lit up and met Marah’s. Her parents both rushed to their feet to greet her back into the world of consciousness. Quarren smiled at her and patted the book as if it were a dog. All she ever remembered of the next few days was the dire need for sleep and the occasional meal. Each time Marah woke from her deep slumber she ate with haste. For the two weeks she spent in the test she lived without any food and little water. It made her wonder how she made it out alive. She supposed she could only thank the voice in her head, her “helper”.
A myriad of dancing rays shone through the gaps in the curtains, greeting her eyes and gently prising them open. Her eyes wandered around the room touching on things lightly searching for nothing in particular. In moments her eyes rested on a single thing sitting proudly beside her facing her in all it’s glory. Like waves the frolicking rays of sunlight they reached up for the glossy embroidered cover and bounced off creating a beautiful rainbow sheen of light she could see out of the corner of her eye. Slowly like a snake unfolding itself in the sun, the covers of her bed neatly folded themselves back and Marah softly padded over to the book sitting as still as a serene lake. With delicate fingers she touched the soft surface of the book, fingering the complicated patterns that wriggled tirelessly under her touch. With a gasp of surprise without her orders her hands moved underneath the book and lifted it off it’s stand to carry it over to the bed. The doona moved itself to sit on her lap, where the book dropped without a noise. Amazement filled the girls eye’s as the pages swept through her grasp. A ghostly figure of a rather small form began to appear. Out of the book it came not rushing the procedure but it finally pulled itself together and there was a distinct pop. It was a fairy, or at least she thought it was. It had no wings and yet it flew, not specific shape but still appealed it’s natural beauty. Colours flashed through it like high voltage, sending sparks of different colours everywhere. Pink, blue, violet, turquoise, the colours mottled the shell of the unknown figure but Marah was not afraid. She was intrigued and curious about the mysterious thing that had just invaded her bedroom, the thing that most confused her was that the being appeared out of a book! While the girl was trying hard to concoct a good storyline about how an alien animal had materialised out of thin air, the creature seemed to have finally reached it’s desired shape. Dumbfounded Marah looked it over cautiously. At first sight one would have proclaimed it to be a parrot, this however was not the case. The bird was about as tall as Marah; splotched around his breast were an array of colours of orange and blue, green and red, each marking deep of the purest hue. His beauty astounded the girl into no end but she carried on, searching every square of this mystifying fellow. Soon her eyes settled on his face. A large beak protruded from his cheeks rather like a toucan. The colours ornamenting his beak like a rainbow, a strangely good match for the blotches on his chest. While his cheeks were a canary yellow hard black beady dots contrasted them, his eyes darted to and fro as if he was checking her over too.
“So Marah, we meet at last.” The bird said in an even voice, not unlike the one in her head. Marah hid the confusion that threatened to spread about her face from where she sat. She continued to survey the bird with a strange air about her. Somehow the voice reminded her distinctly of the voice that guarded her so often in her times of toil.
“What’s your name?” she whispered, her voice was scratchy but she wasn’t afraid. The bird drew itself up a little to it’s full hight and answered as if a herald would vocalise his proclamation. An unearthly tone wrapped around the girl in a supernatural flight and one word rested on her ears. An unexplainable beauty, infallible in all it’s strength astounded her, this one word would deafen her ears for eternity but it stopped in a dead abrupt manner like the last breathe of a fallen man. Dumbfounded her mouth stood wide gaping as a black impassable hole. The bird seemed to grin for a moment.
“You can call me Naira for short,” he said in a bemused tone, still eying her expression struck face.
“Naira,” she breathed. Her thoughts quickly came back to the subject of the bird sitting quite regally on her bed.
“So, who exactly…” Naira cut her short.
“Quiet now, explanations are coming,” and at that the door creaked open to reveal a sunken faced Quarren. His eyes bloodshot and his calm even face gaunt and worried. Seeing Marah sitting up relief washed over him like a wave smoothing rugged sand and a proud smile reached his lips. Following him, two well-known faces, her parents became visible both with the same relieved appearance. Her mother beamed with admiration at her daughter while Asim ran his eyes over her as if to check every part of the girl he had known so well. It all seemed to happen in slow motion as Marah’s beloved parents took seats by the banked hearth.
“You made it” Quarren said in a small voice. Marah swivelled a bit to face his eyes and smile.
“I’ll leave you alone now, good job Empress!”
Marah sighed contently as her parents sat themselves by the bed and embraced her. Yes, she thought, this is what I will be. As her parents settled back into their seats she savoured their warm touch, missing it when she was away. Sitting for a moment bathing in their presence Naira swept down from her perch on the Ever Book’s stand. They studied the bird for a moment, glancing from him to her several times before speaking.
“Quarren said something about an advisor but he never mentioned a bird!” Marah’s mother gasped in exasperation. Her husband’s own face mirrored her mingling feelings of confusion.
“Beautiful isn’t he?” she said proudly, shaking off her parent’s words. Both of them nodded their satisfaction. Asim stood quickly and strode out of the room calling out to them that he would find a more appropriate place for the bird to sleep. The girl grinned, she knew her father didn’t like sudden surprises and this one defiantly would not go down to well.
“Marah” That was her mother’s distant voice
“We have to talk about something.” She averted her attention to her mother’s concerned face.
“You have done your test rather early, you realise that don’t you?” she nodded “You still have so much to learn that you will need.” Marah could see where this was going.
“How long will it take mum? She whined. “I don’t want to be cooped up in here for the next ten years studying!” Marah could feel her heart sinking into a steady thudding ache as she envisioned the next few years of her life: a hapless figure slumped over a desk with a small reading light illuminating page after page of an endless manuscript. She sighed in an unspoken renouncement. Watching her mother’s brain ticking she knew there was something else. Rarkah took a deep breath not knowing how this would go down.
“You could go to a school you know!” she said gently. The girl’s smile broadened at once. Finally a chance to live her childhood as she always dreamed. She would have friends and teachers and a chance to get into some real mischief just like the books she had read so often. Midnight feasts and daring escapades, yes this was the answer she had always dreamed of. Her face said it all and soon the idea of school was no longer an idea, but a reality.
It had all happened so quickly! One message to the headmaster at Argo Navis, the school she would be attending and within a month she was standing at the airport laden down with luggage accompanied by her nerve-racked parents. A week before she was due to go Rarkah had sat her down and treated her to a long hard talk about coming back home whenever she wanted. Marah waved this off with a grin, she was sure she was going to enjoy this experience and even make some real friends, there was no way she was going back to her regular life after this!
A phoney plastic voice sounded through the speakers for the second boarding for the plane to Central Australia. Marah held her breath as the family made their way through the bustling crowd. By this time her stomach had begun to tie knots with a constricting tightness. What was this? She wondered as she did her best to keep a firm grasp of her mother’s hand in the tightly packed crowd. It slowly dawned over her that she was nervous. She was leaving home for the first time in her life to live with utter strangers to learn about things she should already know. This thought had been in the back of her mind since the day Headmaster had offered her a place at the school. Would the people there like her? Would they ridicule her for not understanding her own people’s ways? She would find out in only a couple hours.
“This is it sweet!” Rarkah’s voice proclaimed trembling. Trying hard to keep her face sunny-bright Marah smiled excitedly and wrapped her arms around her mother’s waist.
“Bye Mum” she said, her voice muffled in the folds of her clothes. For a few seconds she inhaled the smell of her mother’s pristine clothes and the aromatic perfume that surrounded her. She knew she would miss this terribly! Turning to her dad she examined his face one last time as he swept her up in his arms to farewell her.
“Love you both!” she said, her voice about to collapse into tears. Brushing away a stray drop of water from her eyes she handed the stewardess her boarding pass. One last wave and they were gone, see you in four months she thought as she pushed her emotions aside and settled down for the long ride.
You gave me life and my first breath of air
I love you for that; I’m your reason to care
That is the reason I don’t want to say good-bye
My eyes are brimming but I won’t cry
I miss your hugs and paranoid worry
I have to leave but then back home I’ll scurry
To hear your loving voices call softly to my ears
I love you so much; your smile calms my fears
My parents you are dear to me and I know you’ll guide me through
But I know nothing could teach me to love, the way you love me too
Just a few hours later and she was standing in a relatively large earthy-red coloured cavern. It was well lit with small lanterns adorning the walls with coloured party lights strung between them. Gazing at them she noticed how much cooler it was underground. When she left the plane to be accompanied to the school the heat was scorching. All over her body she felt the burning rays of the sun lashing at her skin. Now being safely underground it was cooler but the air was parched and still. She was chaperoned from the plane by a business-like looking lady whom didn’t seem to have a name. In the car on the way to the ramshackle little hut nobody talk so Marah kept her mouth closed. Upon arriving at the entrance Marah’s shoulders slumped. All she could see was a derelict building with a tin clad roof that was askew. Still without a word the four others joined her getting out from the car and collecting their baggage. The tight professional woman strode up to the shack and opened the door although it would have been just as easy to make entrance through the dilapidated walls. Waving them in Marah followed a small brown-headed girl in through the squeaking wood. Now standing in the shack with desert wind still whipping around them once again the chaperone took lead. Taking no look back she jumped down through a hole in the floorboards and her strict voice resounded. ‘Follow me!’ Seeing nobody move Marah took her own steps toward the hole expecting to drop onto the foundations of the shed. With her breath held she jumped and found herself in a large cavern-like room. The lady had gone to her dismay. Another small body collapsed from the large shaft that had appeared over-head. One by one four other people made their ungraceful descent from the hole. They stood for a while wondering what they were waiting for. Getting bored Marah shifted her eyes around the room, nothing but dark red clay walls and floors. Along side her stood the four other girls and boys quite a lot younger than her but all dressed in the same crisp, starch filled uniform. Marah laughed inside as she looked at a girl that seemed her mirror image. She stood with a pleasant look on her face but Marah knew inside she would be just as anxious as she was. Her uniform of relaxed denim jeans and a simple white blouse were still a little too big for her mother was sure she would ‘ grow into it.’ Seeing their stricken faces she decided that she should not be afraid but excited so she flashed a smile at the small cluster hoping to strike a conversation. Just as she was about to open her mouth a stern looking man swept into the room like a gust of icy wind. Cloaks and heavy robes engulfed him though he wore them like a light cloth, not even sweating under their weight. The harsh black of the man’s robes hurt the girl’s eyes. He surveyed the group standing there for a moment then reached out and grabbed a small girl’s arm and pointed at the small hallway he had come from. With a gulp the girl lunged at her luggage settled behind her and strode out of the room down the hallway.
“ The rest of you will find your way.” The man said in a gentle lulling voice to the remaining group of them. In a trice he had disappeared on a carpet that appeared to be invisible up a large shaft that Marah could not see the end of. Once he was gone the few children left grabbed any bags they had and set off down the corridor of red earth. Why did they know where they were going? There she was alone, by herself. She didn’t know how much time had passed when a girl older than her swept down on a carpet of her own.
“You look a bit lost” she girl said in a sympathetic voice. Marah smiled politely.
“I am sort of. I’m new and I haven’t been given any directions and I think I’m stuck!” she said all in the one breathe. The older girl gave her a look that confused Marah.
“You will find your way.” She said in the same voice as the cloaked man. Marah shot her a glum look, enhancing it with a shove of magic. “Ok, ok I will give you a lift, where do you want to go?” Silently she smiled at her advantage. Marah pointed up the shaft immediately to the highest point above them. The girl rolled her eyes grinning. “Adventurous aren’t we? Hop on!” and in a zip she was standing on the edge of the tunnel at a dizzying height. Marah gasped her thanks and shook her hand. Turning around with her bag in hand she walked forward towards wherever she was going.
After a long hike up through the restricting, steep climbing red earthy tunnels she had finally reached what she hoped was a destination: Large ebony doors that were carved most exquisitely, showing a large ship with dancing features. Each single detail down to the last screw was carved with the utmost precarious precision. Even the mouse that scurried across an open part of the deck wore a petrified look in his polished ebony eyes. The ships cat followed close behind, her jaws open in visible anticipation and concentration. The waves that danced around the bow of the ship looked almost as real as those she and Dale had fought in her test. Each one possessed a power that made her believe they were real. Surging swell with gaining power was building. Tension creaked in the wooden planks and the rusting nails. Just one more second and the waves would surely crash over the deck swamping the mouse and it’s hunter. In the air were seabirds flying among the ebony coloured clouds. They rode of the swells of the gusting air spying their next meal. Driving her eyes upward she met more carvings. Around the edges of the door were some strange words Marah had never seen before. Like the illustration, each of them was sculpted with a tender love only seen in true craftsmanship. And above them was inscribed ‘Argo Navis: Through storms and high seas she will prevail.’ In awe Marah stood there for a long time, bathing in the door’s radiating serenity. In the distance a door slammed and Marah recoiled with fright.
With bated breath her fingers touched the soft ebony handles. They were cool and soft and as smooth as silk running through her fingers. In a rush of air her arms forced the heavy doors forward, expecting the groan of hinges as they revealed the room. She was wrong. The doors swung round noiselessly so that her eyes could convey their hidden prize: An extravagantly decorated round room. In fact, everything in the room was round. It was a perfection that struck her eerily. Above her stood a dome, like the rest of the room flawlessly round. On closer inspection she discovered an array of studded sparkling diamonds. The diamonds made their own different patterns on the roof, all four of them separated by fine lines of glittering gold in no particular order or pattern. Mesmerised by the room she stood with her eyes glued to the ceiling for a long time, noticing that perhaps the diamonds were constellations. Abruptly the door burst open and Headmaster walked in.
“Congratulations.” The cloaked man said in a deep meaningful voice. Marah started at the sincerity of the man.
“Thank-you” she stuttered, still swept away by her gallant surrounds.
“You have now found your place in Argo Navis. You have made your way to show me your choice to take a place at this school and to honor your magical traits.”
Traits? She wondered.
“Each of these separate constellations above used to be a single constellation that spanned largely along the skies.” Marah admired the striking enormity of artwork, which she supposed was scaled down from the real size. While the girl stood and gaped from where she stood the man continued in his speech “This single constellation is Argo Navis or the Great Ship, hence the name of the school. The parts of Argo Navis are Carina, which is the Keel of the Ship, Pyxis which is the compass, Vela which means the sail and Puppis which means the stern.” Marah could now see the significance of the Great Ship. The four parts of the ship are what render it possible to journey, are the parts of the school. So what part am I? She wondered. Could I be the compass? The one to light the way even in dark times this, she thought sounded appealing. Carina the Keel, cutting the waves of the deep sea, fighting hardships so that Argo Navis would press forward, perhaps she was this but she was not sure. Puppis, the stern she decided was definitely not her. She would not be strung behind watching opportunities drift from her grasp. Vela however seemed neutral. She would force the ship forward into the unknown but did she really want to be responsible for running the school into hidden reefs and shoals? During her ramblings the Headmaster stared deeply into her eyes noting the deep copper red colour that stained them. She too watched his face. His eyes were a peculiar colour that could have been hazel a long time ago but they had faded to a dull grey that made her itch with discomfort. His face was long like the journey she was undertaking to become Empress. Wrinkles ran their paths, many of them were deep crevices and clefts forged by hard thinking and times of toil. Most of all that had intrigued her was a mysterious scar that hooked his nose. Noticing a tingling in her mind she reached out with her magic to probe it.
“You’re doing that trick!” She exclaimed indignantly.
“I am indeed.” The man smiled showing his yellowing teeth amongst the amused look on his wrinkled face.
“You should ask people before…” she began in an angry voice. He cut her off. “Yes,” he replied in an annoyingly serene calmness “I usually do, except this one instant. You shouldn’t be able to feel my prodding about in your mind but you have a great discipline built up. What is floating around in your sub-conscious thoughts should tell me where you belong in the school, what part of Argo Navis you would harmonize with.” This baffled Marah but she held her silence while the man explored her mind with an unspoken trust he wouldn’t go prying into anything that wasn’t meant for his eyes. After a while Marah’s legs became tingly from standing and her calves ached from her long hike to the round room. Her discomfort became apparent in her thoughts. Responding to them, the Headmaster absentmindedly flicked his hands and a chair thumped behind her. Settling in to the velvety cushions she kept her gaze focused on the headmaster’s eyes. They flickered every so often, sometimes with tension, other times with a gentle reverence. Finally he drew himself up to his full height and a voice, not unlike Quarren’s intoned softly to her ear that she belonged to…Vela the Sail of Argo Navis.
There was a soft knock on the door and the girl that had offered Marah a lift up the steep climbing ravine entered the circular room. The blonde girl struck her as rather pretty. Her flowing curls accented her beautiful long eyelashes and glittering lips. A perfect smile, she thought as her heart melted to see such a perfect person. Her steps flowed, one after the other like she was floating until she abruptly stopped at Marah’s seat.
“ We’ve already met.” The girl said through her flawless smile in an accent Marah hadn’t noticed before. Marah smiled back at the girl and stood courteously to offer her the seat she had sat in. Once again the girl wielded that incredible smile as thanks for the seat and the two swiveled to face Headmaster.
“I believe Marah is of your constellation Keely.” Keely bowed her head, her eyes deep in thought. He paused a moment and the girl consented his continue with a nod.
“Will you accept her?” Headmaster asked with a gentle voice. Accept me? Marah started. What if Keely didn’t accept her into Vela? What constellation would she be of then?
“I do.” Her lilting voice pronounced. And a wave of subtle relief washed over, one she hoped was not visible on her face. Keely flicked her hands with a deft precision and instantly a large weighty roll of material fell noiselessly to the plush sky blue floor.
Without even twitching Keely pointed at the material so that it’s pure white surface completely showed sprawled out on the ground. Without warning blackness shrouded her mind and Marah was no longer standing in the Headmaster’s round room. Now her mind was a dark endless hole, except for the large white rectangle still settled on the dim, murky ground.
“What are you Marah?” Keely asked in a passive voice. “Spill your secrets and you will be rewarded” The lulling voice echoed around her mind pressing at each of her blocked secrets. “These secrets are your life Marah! Do not be afraid to tell your story. Everything in the past may not be changed, remember that it is your future you have the power to change and past doesn’t matter. Marah you are a person of obvious nature. You have a hidden secret, one you never want to unleash. Let it go for one time and I promise it will never run free again. Marah shot her a furtive look then gave in and her body pounded itself in the stomach. Why was she doing this?
“Ok!” she called. And her voice followed her back in an echo. Sighing she gathered herself up in a bundle getting herself ready to let her secret thoughts and dreams drift out in the open for the girl she wanted to understand, though her mind was a cryptic mess that did not make sense. Spontaneously, without her minds real consent Marah’s guards let loose. Even things the girl kept shrouded in uncertainty and mystery were suddenly let go from her impregnable grasp in what might have been considered a citadel where she would hide worries that not even she could stand to face. Her whole life had escaped from the way she had orderly placed it in her mind. Now it ran free, skipping and jumping in rapturous pleasure. Multitudes of emotions flooded around the small girl showing brilliant lights and sparkling luminescent illuminations. Suddenly she was flashed back to her childhood. Cuddled in her mother’s arms she watched the flames lick the sides of the house in startling ferocity. Sparks flew and the crackling of burning wood filled the air. She listened to Rarkah’s sobs through the strident voice of fire. The putrid smell of burning rubber brushed her nose. Her tyre swing lay in a melted mess on the ground. There would be no more happy memories in that house, now: a burnt soot encrusted shell.
Just a few weeks later she was in her new house. She stood in her new room with new toys and new clothes. Most importantly of all: this was her new life. At only four this confused the young girl somewhat. Reflecting back Marah only seemed to know her old life in a dream or a fantasy that lived in a far, far away place. She wondered what life would have held for her should she have stayed in whatever magical community the Cotterals were apart of. She would never know how life could have turned out, for that one had gone forever.
Marah studied their strained faces with observant copper-red eyes. They had aged since the night of the fire when her mother had held her so close. Deep lines had formed in places they weren’t before. Black shadows under their eyes made her feel uneasy. Even the pair’s pool of magic had grown dim. Only still young she knew that their masked existence would not last forever.
A roaring fire warmed their feet as they reflected on the day. Today Marah had mastered the art of discipline with her father. In a bare room Marah had stood for hours on end for the past few months working her magic as hard as she could. Today was the day that she knew she was completely ready. Again and again she replayed her fathers inert face in her mind. She watched for a sign, any sign that would indicate the torrential downpour of magic. Just as expected she saw his fingers twitch slightly as he prepared his magic to fly up and gain momentum. Then she could feel it. The rushing extremity that she would only ever experience once forced down on her. And it was gone.
It was Christmas. The house was illuminated in fairy lights scattered throughout the pristine garden. Late at night the air was still humid and unforgettably hot. Downstairs the girl could hear the soft tinkle of cheery Christmas music as Rarkah was undoubtedly cleaning just so everything was perfect for Christmas. It was just two days until Christmas and the atmosphere of the holidays had set in firmly. Even the cicadas outside were buzzing with anticipation of Christmas day. Marah was reading out on the balcony absorbing each critical word in the world of books. The writing enthralled her, she felt the storyline twisting and turning. Each new progression in the words wrapped her tighter and tighter up in a bundle of literature that was desperately hard to escape. A weak southerly wind blew slightly through her hair. She felt it playing and darting through the strands of hair as they blew across her face. It was only when she was reading that the girl was truly content with herself because she spent her reading entranced in another story plot. For those few hours of rapture there was no real word for it. The small girl had found her bliss. Her mind drifted off again becoming immersed in her book shrouded in mystery until she reaches the end.
Blackness crept after her in an unsightly formation. Death lingered on her skin making her squirm in discomfort. When she died where would she go? Would she remain a dead empty cavity or did every person have a soul that went to heaven as the bible says. What if she went to hell and was made to stay there forever? That thought had plagued her dreams for months and it still emerged from her mind triggered by an unknown source. It was death that she was afraid of most. Death made her feel insecure and yet it was inevitable. Why was it such an ambiguous scary thing? The black of death would grow on us all but Marah would avoid it for the entire world. The unknown gave her goose bumps but death is even more than unknown. Death to her was the end. Death was the end of a very long battle. In death you have either lost. Or you have won. In death there is no in between.
Just three notes filled the air in sincerity. Her voice surrounded her and the sounds of crashing waves were her accompanist. Riding along the beach with her legs pumping and her ears filled with the incredible over powering sound of the ocean. All she wanted to do was sing and hear her own voice in harmony with sea. Over and over the pedals went to the beat of her song, something that filled her with a happiness nobody could sever. She loved her voice. She heard the strong soprano tune split through the air with waves rushing up and down with it. They joined her in harmony. This was bliss. Singing was one thing that could fill her heart and express emotion like nothing else. Tears pricked her eyes as she stopped her bike on the crusty sand. Wind rippled over her, and her voice. Her beautiful voice, the one thing that she truly did love about herself
Through highs and lows you will follow me
Voicing softly, my bitter melancholy
When my heart is racing and sadness appears
You are there combating those fears
But when I am happy you are stronger than ever
Making things seem all the more better
You are my voice, I couldn’t live without you
Something indescribable guides me through
Your familiar sound singing softly, is one I can’t forget
What would I do with sadness if we had not met?
Your sound will play when my heart feels down
Make me happy and lighten my frown
So through highs and lows you will follow me
You make me happy. When I’m happy I am free-
When I am happy I can truly be me
Snapping back into realization the girl was slumped on the ground with her hair coiled around her face like a serpent. For a moment she studied the floor feeling softness like feathers. It was a striking shade of purple. Gathering her bearings she stood, working stubborn cramps out of sore muscles. Abruptly it hit her. Where was she? Why did that impeccably round room disappear?
Turning slowly she took in the artwork on the walls. A visible wind blew across the sea and Vela; the sail captured it in her billowing folds of cloth. Fibres of threads entwined together made long stretches of cord. These cords where woven together to capture the wind and propel the ship forward. She was one of these fibres and part of a cord. Each single member would further of the greatest ship of them all: Argo Navis.
Suddenly the door burst open, hidden amongst the carvings. Naira marched in, or as well as a bird could march. Marah’s glee escaped her lips as she gasped her welcome to Naira.
“Come Marah! Now that you have acquainted yourself with your constellation we must go.” Marah turned to follow the intruder but her passage out of the small room was blocked.
“Marah you may want to take your carpet!” The bird said in a matter of a fact way.
“Huh? I don’t have a carpet!” The girls face was organized in a confused manner. The bird gestured with a wing to the large carpet that covered the entire room. The colours of the carpet were mingled and somewhat disorganized. For the center the lay a large circle that reminded her of the colour of red hot metal like her magic. A band around the circle showed the official colour of royalty: purple. Around it was emerald green and azure blue that was tangled and thrown about in a sea of black. Finally around this was a happy colour of yellow with an intricate lacey pattern curling around the edges with mingled colours that changed and slithered through the design. Her eyes widened until they almost popped out of her head.
“Mine!” she squealed in excitement. The bird nodded. Gabbling her thanks at the bird he held up a wing.
“It is not I to thank Marah. Keely, the girl you would have met earlier has woven this carpet for you.” Touching the heavy material she found that is was actually light and velvety. How did Keely weave this? Marah knew nothing of weaving or any kind of needlework for that matter but this once she wished she had sat with her mother and watched her fine embroidery stitches. She marveled at the design. Somehow it just seemed perfect, like it was made from a template just for her.
“We must go now. Dinner is waiting for you and so is a warm bed, you must be tired from your travel.” Marah nodded and followed the high walking bird out.
A long walk later with her carpet under the crook of her arm and a bag in the other she had finally reached her room. On the oak door her name was inscribed next to four others. Underneath their names was which constellation they were of. Marah pressed her fingertips to the carving and for no reason, filled the smooth cool wood with her magic. The door clicked and swung open. Inside a swirl of colours struck her eyes with force. Marah saw her own pinky red copper mingling with three other colours. A sweet apple green, a purple that seemed to have a deep meaning as it turned about with a sunny bright yellow that smiled at the pair.
“It seems perfect.” She murmured as she surveyed the room with large paned windows that were swung out as far as their hinges would reach. They showed a mirage that was pleasing to the eye and made it easy to forget they were underground. At the moment the windswept desert was floating in the wind. Around the swirling dusty formation you could see a small tree in the distance. It a lone tree that stood tall and proud to show that its fight against the harsh desert was won. Moving her eyes she looked around feeling Naira’s warmth at her side. To her left there was a door leading off to a bathroom and a small laundry. Shuddering at the thought of doing all her washing she moved the other way where she found her sleeping arrangements. Each single bed had a spotless white crisp doona to match with the curtains. Beside, were masterfully crafted bedside tables and a dresser. Further away from the beds with a dividing curtain was a common area with four desks, each facing one of the four walls in the room creating a small square. Each working space was equipped with several pieces of stationary and a light. Around a small television were several lounges arranged neatly once again in a striking white. Finally she came across a fire that was tucked away in the corner. It must get chilly down here in winter she thought! Besides a fire would add to the atmosphere of being at school!
This is home now! She thought in contentment. Seeing three of the dressers with posters and things hanging off them she went over to the fourth to find her bed. The last one was by the door Sprawling herself across the bed like they do in the movies she squirmed a bit to get comfortable. The mattress and the pillow were nothing like the ones she had at home. This one was lumpy and way too soft. Was there any possibility she could get it changed for another? Probably not. She supposed she would just have to get used to it. Right now home seemed far, far away from here. Tears pricked her eyes as the thought of home filled her mind. Already her heart was mourning for the loss of her parents. They had only been apart for little more than six hours. Right now she should have been curled up in front of the television talking to Mum about her day. But she wasn’t. A hard gut wrenching feeling hacked at her stomach and she felt her tears buckle and slide down her face. Marah! She scolded herself sternly. You were the one that wanted to come here, don’t go back on your word. You promised yourself so much here and crying like a baby was never part of it. Wiping the tears away she fixed a barrier to this terrible sadness so that it would not protrude again. There! She told herself. Now you feel better. With a steely determination she rose and changed into a sleeveless top so that she was cooler. After rummaging through her bag and locating her brush she let her hair down around her shoulders, the way she knew her father Asim liked it best. Finally ready she set off out the door, not realizing Naira wasn’t with her.
Wandering the twisting red dirt passages she followed her nose, searching for a meal. Gradually the noise of masses of people got louder and she knew she was heading in the right direction. Abruptly the high roofed corridor she was walking along threw its red walls out into a gigantic cavern, higher than any skyscraper she had ever seen on television. The smell of food was strong in the air but she couldn’t see a kitchen or a servery. Instead she directed her eyes upward. There was her answer. Dashing and looping around the basin were, she supposed some senior students. Their defying stunts shocked her as she watched them flying upside-down and narrowly missing walls. Others were leisurely floating around with one or more people on their carpet with a bowl or plate in their laps. How do I get up there? She wondered. I don’t know how to use a carpet.
Hearing a soft crow in her ear, Naira appeared at her side.
“Naria can I go up there?” she asked, her voice trembling in excitement. The bird shook its head and the girl’s aroused high spirit soon plummeted to rock bottom. “W-why not?” Her face now wore a sad clown mask. Naira saw the girl’s disappointment and quietly told her that she didn’t know how to fly, therefore she couldn’t. Dejectedly she stood there for a moment wishing she could go and join all the girls and boys up there having such a fabulous time. Everyone was too far up for her to flag someone down. Naira cooed to her and swept out her wings as she knelt before the girl. A smile soon grew back on her face as she settled herself on Naira’s silky feathers.
“Are you ready? Don’t fall off, I don’t want to explain that to the Leader!” Marah grinned at the bird.
“I won’t. Thank-you so much Naira….” Her gratitude was drowned out as the bird’s over-sized wings took hold of her and drove her up to join all the mages of her community. Her colleges, peers, classmates, and the one thing that made her whole body smile. Her new friends were waiting.
Later that night she lay in bed remembering the astonished faces on Sharn and Keeda. They weren’t the only ones that had gasped in astonishment as Marah flew gracefully into the air astride a giant multi-tonal coloured bird. Watching masses of faces float past her as Naira’s wings beat against the air, one struck her as different and unusual.
Sharn and Keeda sat on a carpet of their own floating gently with plates of delicious Mexican tacos steaming in their laps. They talked of the day’s happenings and of their new roommate suspected to arrive that evening. They discussed what they thought she would be like. Would she fit in with them or would she find other friends? Would she hold up her end of the chores and practices around the school? And the question that made their lips chatter in anticipation. Why had she come to the school so late? Most mages entered the school at the age of seven to learn simple practices of magic. At the age of ten the real studies began. There was no limit to how long it took to complete magical studies although most people finished the required schooling by the age of eighteen. The conversation trailed off into other mindless things but it was Keeda that first saw their new roommate.
Marah caught the intriguing girl’s eye and whispered to Naira her destination. The girls looked around her age and one of them looked vaguely interested in her. Marah kept eye contact with the two of them, searching their faces for a hint of emotion. Just blank smiling, happy masks met her eyes, but the girl with the dark skin seemed so much more.
Her skin was almost almond brown, a strange colour Marah hadn’t really seen before. She had dark brown eyes to match her skin that sparkled underneath her deeply accented eyelashes. She raised her eyebrows to see that this girl had small braids all the way through her hair like her favorite singer. Overall she was very pretty. Marah like the way she had a glow about her in her smile and especially in her eyes.
Finally Naira had reached the carpet. For an odd moment silence was strung between the three until Marah held her hand out to the pair. A dark hand clasped it and a confident deep lilting voice pronounced that she was Keeda. Marah returned the introduction softly and then offered her hand to the other girl. Reluctantly she took it, rather stiffly and uncomfortably.
“I’m Sharn. You must be our new roommate. I recognize your name.” Marah smiled and replied.
For the rest of the night Marah sat on the girl’s carpet talking about school-life and what to expect with her classes. The conversation was polite and Sharn didn’t say much. She was quiet and let Keeda do the talking for the both of them. It was at one time when Marah mentioned that she enjoyed singing that Sharn spoke up for herself. Her eyes lit up as she began on an in-depth explanation about how a choir works and all the different parts and how much better a group of people sound when they sing together. Marah wasn’t sure of Sharn’s opinion but when she extended an invitation for her to come to the next choir practice she accepted graciously. It was finally a chance to use her talent and feel at home among her peers. After a while the conversation ran out and she was glad when Keeda said that she could ride back to their room on her carpet. It was a thrilling experience for her, she urged the girls to go faster and faster until the wind was rushing against their faces with ferocity. When they reached the room all three girls showered and went to bed without even stopping to watch TV. As Marah had heard the day had been long for all three of them and they definitely needed sleep.
Lying on the lumpy mattress, her first night at school once again her thoughts drifted back home to settle with her parents and what she missed so dearly. Like a movie she watched various memories in her head wishing she were back with them. The wish became a throbbing pain in her heart. She really did miss her parents terribly! Her house and her warm comfy bed were without her and they wanted her home. And so did she. A sick feeling told her that if she didn’t leave now she would never make it back to see everything that she knew and called her’s. Tears welled in her eyes again and slipped softly down her cheeks. Once again the gold chain that rested almost weightlessly around her neck became a comfort. The scroll that she could feel told her that all the love in the world would be there for her. If it was there why wasn’t it comforting her? This stinging grievance pierced her belief in love and made her cry all the more. Later she felt Keeda creep over to her bed and wrap her arms around her sagging shoulders.
“Keep strong Marah.” Her accented voice whispered. “The sun will still rise tomorrow, even though it doesn’t feel like it now.” And she padded softly back to bed.
Marah still lay there with her eyes still dripping, but that one thing made sense.
The sun will rise tomorrow and chase away the pain
That stabbing feeling in your heart and tears that fall like rain
Will all be gone when the sun comes up and reaches for the sky
But sadness makes it’s back when the last rays of light must die
Hiding in my heart is love for you that is deep and strong
When I’m in your arms I know I am where I can belong
Love is truly a special thing in your heart to treasure
But it’s hell to bear and bitterly sore when we aren’t together
Sharn’s blonde, freckled head appeared in her bleary vision.
“Time to get up.” She said in a toneless, shy voice. Grunting Marah turned over and faced Keeda’s bed to see her sitting there patiently braiding her hair. With delicate fingers she caressed her hair into exactly the right spot, as if she had done this one million times before. Soon she became aware of Marah’s wandering eyes.
“Get up sleepy-head!” Keeda grinned at Marah’s half closed eyes and disgruntled expression. “You know there’s about ten minutes until breakfast is due?” the girl smirked. Marah’s somewhat vacant face suddenly became alive as she leaped out of bed. Checking her watch she realized that she had no time for a shower so she headed into the bathroom to change into one of the creased uniforms that sat in her bags. Hurriedly she dragged a brush through her hair and left it out, flowing over her shoulders. Sharn and Keeda both made their way over to the desks on the other side of the room. Sitting there Keeda continued to braid her hair and Sharn produced a nail file. “What are we waiting for?” Marah asked. Curiosity had begun the take hold. She saw the pair grin as a mischievous look flitted across their faces. Then a surprising little pop was heard and the girls headed over to the fireplace. “Breakfast is served!” Keeda proclaimed. From the grill resting about the logs in the fireplace she removed three plates and placed one in Marah’s lap. To Marah’s delight she found her breakfast to be pancakes smothered in treacle. Her day was starting very well indeed.
Keeda called to her as she was lugging a carpet out from her wardrobe, telling her that she would plait Marah’s hair tonight if she would like. She nodded her consent and went over to sit with Sharn as Keeda made a spell to move the carpet.
Her lips were moving but no sound came out. Sharn whispered to her in a low voice that a spell could be used to connect the carpet to the person’s magic and their mind. Once this is done it creates a link that moves the carpet how the person thinks without the need for instruction. Marah watched with her heart beginning to beat faster and faster. A bubble rose in her chest and screamed up to her head. This is your first lesson Marah. She told herself in an uncontrollably excited voice. Soon she realized she would be a normal mage, just like everyone else. Suddenly once again Sharn’s quiet mouse-like voice called to her to settle herself on the carpet.
Marah had no idea where she was going but in a flurry of dust and wind she was back in that gigantic cavernous hall streaming with rainbows of coloured magic-carpets. In the hustling crowd her wide eyes surveyed everything she could endure. Everything that flew before her eyes was full of so many colours they displayed themselves as stars on a night sky that were impossible to count. Slowly, groups began to form. Older teachers wearing coloured robes were flying higher than everyone else. They levitated to the point that their heads may have touched the roof if they had stood. The elders formed a circle high in the air and in unison they all clapped their hands. Numbers streamed from the circle above then. They danced around and frolicked among the crowd until they rested above small groups of people. It was becoming clear the Marah that the numbers represented age-groups but as the numbers of conjured light assembled themselves she was astounded to find numbers ranging from as young as three years old to ninety-seven!
‘Come on!’ Keeda called above the ruckus. ‘We’re over here.’ They joined the group of milling thirteen year-olds and waited for a few moments. Suddenly carpets started zooming off in all directions. Marah didn’t even see what they were following as they whirled around the corner and were flung gracefully around the corner.
In a flash of red tunnels they had reached their destination. Marah was unsure of how they got there, she lost count of how may turns they made in the tunnels buts she was glad that she could finally sit down on solid ground.
The carpet had led the trio to a large globe shaped room with inlets in the walls housing fiercely glowing candles. There were no desks around the room or even any chairs but all the same the three dismounted the carpet and settled themselves in the red dust. Soon other people started to arrive and do the same. When their carpet stopped they rolled it up and sat patiently waiting on the ground. They all seemed around the same age as Marah although among the group of twenty there were some scattered older and younger faces. As the group chattered in small groups of friends four older teens flew in to join them along with a rather ruffled looking man whom she figured must be the teacher. As he dismounted his carpet he managed to trip and a small snicker ran through the crowd. He straightened himself with a huff and proceeded to collect his book bag. The four teens walked over to him to assist his handing out of the books to each of his students and then he took his carpet to a door that she had managed to over-look at the start of the class and just before he disappeared into the small room he called out to the four standing side by side “Don’t forget appendix 304a it’s important if you intend to continuing your studies to magical transparency differentiation!” And at that he was gone with a small bang from the door. A few of the younger ones were whispering excitedly that their teacher had walked out of the classroom but the rest were sitting patiently still waiting for the lesson to start. Sharn moved closer to Marah and murmured in her ear that the four people standing in front of her were of Argo Navis, qualified to teach their learning to the school. Marah replied to Sharn with surprise that people that were so young could teach them. Sharn’s reply was cut off. One boy was stalking around them asking them to take out their books. When he got to Sharn and Marah he grabbed a book and thrust it at their hands.
“If you wish to learn,” he sneered, “Do what I ask and we will get along fine.” Hushed voices ran around the room again and one of the other teachers shot a reproachful look at him.
“Ohhh and by the way I am Nathan.” Nathan shot a glare at the tutor that disapproved of him. “This is Deanne, her friend is Phoebe the other guy is Rory. Now lets start.”
Clearing his throat he announced the topic of today would be illusions. Suddenly a rustling filled the air as their books began rifling through to open at a beautifully illustrated page with the heading “Creating Illusions” Marah gasped at the book, Deanne passed behind her and pointed out that they were quite extraordinary books. She faced her and agreed, telling her that she had her own book like this: an Ever Book. Marah’s comment not only intrigued Deanne’s interest but of others around her. The room slowly silenced and left Marah’s face reddening with the eyes that touched her skin. Even Sharn and Keeda turned to stare at her intently.
“M-m-my Dad’s friend gave it to me so I could learn without his aid when I was home schooled.” She managed to stutter. She didn’t realize that is was such a great deal, that she had her own book. Even so she didn’t want to attract any more attention, now there were questions being shot at her from all angles of the room at an extraordinary pace. Then she remembered her father’s introduction when she had received the book. “…It is something that all Emperors get for their study. In this book you will find all the things that you will need to know as Empress.” He had said to Marah’s growing eyes. Now she knew that her book was special and she quickly covered her tracks. Ignoring most of the queries that were hurtling towards her she turned to look at Nathan intently waiting for the lesson to begin. In her heart she felt a dreadful tug. There people were part of the gangs that could have tried to assassinate her. They would not look kindly to their newly found authority. When everyone had acquired a book the four clapped their hands in unison and silently the hard dust covered ground had moved so that they were seated in desks. The movement in the ground caught the girl by surprised and she gasped when the spot she was seated at, began to move. Once again Keeda shot her a mischievous grin. She laughed, poking her tongue out.
The lecture has started suddenly. To Marah it seemed as if she should still be asleep. When Nathan had finished his prepared lesson he asked for questions. Marah could feel them milling around her mind, begging to ask how the many complications were supposed to make sense. Timidly she raised her hand and asked for some help. To her horror Nathan strode over to help her. Tersely he stopped by her to look at some of her workings. In a gruff voice he pronounced in her ear that she was doing it all wrong. Reddening a little, Nathan bent over her work for the remainder of the lesson fixing the errors she had made.
It seemed that lesson had dragged on as if it were eternity. She found herself checking her watch every five minutes, wishing for the lesson to end. Although Nathan tried to help her fix her mistakes in she didn’t seem to be able to grasp some concepts of illusion making. Admittedly it did seem easy at the start, as they dug deeper and deeper into the topic it seemed that she had found herself buried in formulae and complicated processes. Should I keep asking? She questioned herself. Probably not, these kids knew a lot more than she did about magic. If she asked for even more explanation she would look worse than stupid! Every question that one of the tutors asked other people, they found the right answer. And Marah couldn’t. The day flowed on in a dream state. History was her next lesson with the same tutors she had for Theory. To her dismay she found that Nathan would take most of her classes except for specialist classes like music. As Nathan’s voice protruded through her mind, explaining more about illusions, she began to find herself wandering about in her worries. One word stained her eyes as she meandered her own life in someone else’s shoes. Empress, it said. This question had haunted her often; it stung her eyes as she thought of everything she would put to the side just to cope. She wouldn’t have a childhood anymore, just “Empress-hood”. Her friends wouldn’t see her on weekends because she was busy dealing with criminals and her homework would be at the mercy of magic. How was this fair? How could someone so young deal with so much? All she could do was wait, wait for the day that they force her to stand and accept the title. She wasn’t sure she’d ever make it to that day; secretly she was wishing she wouldn’t but something said that it was in her blood. Her blood was the soul reason for her life. Her blood was her fate and her fate would become her life. Yes, she thought in a dismal tone to herself, I will be Empress. It is a part of me that I can’t deny despite my misgivings. She was now part of “fate” and its fooling with minds, forcing it’s puppets down long roads to benefit itself. Empress.
A mystery: intriguing
Cloaked softly in dark black
Strikes when questions form
Waits softly to attack
A mystery: commanding
Your mind cannot escape
Wrapped in folds of suspect
Dropped over your eyes a drape
A mystery: rewarding
The sweet smell of success
Adrenaline pumping through you
Now that you’ve come out best
A mystery: confusing
Did you want to or did you not
Choice is gone you are too late
You just took a trip with fate
Finally the class had ended. Their class stayed in the same room for history. The first part of the lesson Marah found she was almost enjoying. Nathan described the development of the maze school.
According to ancient history books people who roamed the earth were all magic. Slowly over thousands of millions of years there were several “mutant” babies born without magic. Soon it was more common to have a non-magical baby than it was to have a gifted one. Gradually people with the gift of magic were seen as evil. It was said that their degrading powers were a sign from the magic god Un-Lam to prevent magic all together. Driven away from society, magical people from all over the world were seeking refuge in hidden catalysts underground. The costs of building the great winding seclusions were many man’s lives. Every day many were killed by falling debris as they used their magic to shape the tunnels of refuge. One man by the name of Quentin Cotteral developed a new spell to create their hiding places without the needless cost of life. His idea was to model the tunnels at one twentieth of the human size. Once the model was complete he implanted the sculpture into the ground and devised a portal over it. Once a person would pass through the portal they would shrink to tiny proportions so they would quite easily fit in the now giant maze of rock. Using this revolutionary piece of magic it was Cotteral that had saved the magic community’s population and was rewarded with the title of Emperor of Magic… In her mind Marah wondered if she would ever have to live up to the great standards of magic expected from the Cotteral bloodline. She was thankful that nobody knew her last name, it saved any more embarrassing questions. Another hour seemed ceaseless as the teachers stalked between the rows of seats checking work. Once or twice a low growl jolted her when Nathan reprimanded her, Sharn and Keeda for talking. Slowly the lesson drifted on and she finally completed her work. Marah found her mind wandering again, riding through a fantasyland. Dale was there again, smiling at her. She missed him somehow. They barely knew each other and yet they had shared a lifetime experience. Would she ever see him again? Perhaps she would, but in her heart she doubted her hopes.
A cool wind of relief blew over Marah’s face as she knew she was headed for music. All of Nathan’s lectures were over for the day and she could relax and enjoy herself in the remaining lessons. As the three girls sped through the abyss of red hallways and corridors they chatted about the day. When Keeda mentioned homework for their theory lesson, Marah’s heart dropped. She found herself begrudgingly telling the two that she had not understood the lesson. Immediately Sharn began to nod her head vigorously and vowed that she would help her. Keeda shot her a look to say that she needed the help too. Once again she had found herself settling into school life. It was normal not to understand some things. After all, with Sharn helping her she couldn’t have asked for better assistance.
As they arrived in the music room Marah found it completely different to any other room she had been into at Argo Navis. The room was largely filled with a variety of instruments. As her eyes wandered the room she found herself spotting many instruments that yearned for her touch. In the far corner of the room sat a grand piano. It’s lid was open and not a speck of dust lie on its surface. Each note gleamed at her on her inspection of the inside she found a delight of mechanical workings that boggled her mind. ‘Awesome’. She whispered under her breath.
’Yeah it’s pretty cool huh?’ Keeda smiled. ‘You can get lessons if you like, you have to ask the teacher though.’ Sharn grinned at the thought
“If the teacher is anything like what Nathan was I don’t think you’d like to learn would you?” All three of them let out a laugh that echoed around the beautiful room. Marah replied softly. Somehow, she thought that any price was a good one to learn one of these instruments, any at all. Hayden swept into the room in a flurry of papers and crimson dust. It seemed to cover everything! This teacher, Marah thought she would like. The stocky lady pronounced her name to be Hayden. Her eyes began to wander around the class. They were blue. Not a very interesting blue, just like the average dulling pigments that you would find in anybody’s eyes. But they were alive with music.
“In this class no doubt you will be studying music…” A laugh rippled around the group. “You may chose an instrument to play in your spare time but it is expected that you will continue to practice and obtain a continuously increasing standard.” At that moment, Sharn watched Marah’s eyes snap open with great interest.
“Pretty keen aren’t you?” Sharn smiled. The girl replied with great enthusiasm. Music had always been a great mystery to her. Neither he mother or father was talented in music but she had always had her voice. Now was her chance to learn an instrument and make the music that she loved to listen to.
The time in music had run away fast. Marah found herself listening to each and every word that Hayden spoke, finding that this musical theory actually made logical sense. Listening to her explanation of scales and major and minor keys everything seemed to fit into place. Every new concept that Hayden produced just slipped into place and made a perfectly complete, understandable puzzle. As they left the lesson later she felt content knowing that all her work was completed to her own satisfaction. It was then that Sharn made a deal with her.
“I’ll teach you theory if you help me with music ok?” Marah beamed happily. “Yes! Of course!”
In her practical lesson Marah had finally found she was ahead of her classmates. Her and Asim had spent many hours learning practical discipline with her magic and now she could relax in this class. Deanne ran this class rather than Nathan. As a group they sat in a large circle with their eyes closed. Deanne stood in the center and without warning she would thrust her magic upon someone calling for his or her defense. The person would either block the magic or receive a mental blow.
“Each time you receive a blow from my magic you should learn to react quicker and use your senses to stop the flow.” She explained to some of the younger ones. Both Sharn and Keeda could block the magic almost as easily as Marah. There were two others in their class that were singled out to go practice some more advanced practical with Phoebe in a different classroom. Finally she was fitting into her lessons and finding her way around the difficulties that magic seemed to present. For the rest of the day she knew the smile on her face would not disappear.
Phoebe was a graceful girl. Her brunette hair flocked over her shoulders curling into an organized mess. Her blue eyes watched everything and behind their firm exterior there was a warm fondness inside. Looking at her, Marah knew that her slim body was made to dance the delicate precise movements of ballet. Wishfully she stared into the distance. Ballet seemed like an art unto itself and Phoebe fitted perfectly into the mould.
Leaving her reverie Marah faced her two newly found friends. Both of them wore a look of pride. Wondering why she questioned the pair. Apparently they had found places in advanced classes, which, the girls ensured her was a great deal. Anything that the five of them would learn this year would be at least a year ahead of their regular classes and may qualify them for master classes. Master classes were specialized lessons that only the elder teachers of Argo Navis taught. At the completion of the course they would be qualified to become tutors in the respective area and start earning an income. To Marah it really didn’t seem like such a great deal but she smiled and crowed a quiet congratulation to her elated friends. Once again they mounted their carpets off in search of an empty classroom where they may begin their lessons.
The classroom seemed particularly empty with only six people standing in the spacious area. The two boys that Marah didn’t know huddled together talking quietly. Gazing at them for a moment she realized that they might be related. They both sported bronzed tans of dark brown. It was obvious that the two were of the natives in Australia. The pair owned a very mischievous set of eyes. Even their smiles presented an air of impish nature. She started to think of the great fun she would have with these two. Clapping her hands Phoebe spread her fingers and suddenly shot bolts of invisible magic at them. Instinctively Marah joined them in finding their magic and forcing a barrier of flaming power towards the threatening overflow. Grinning Phoebe praised them all for their quick defense. She announced that their practical prowess with magic was what made the eligible for this advanced class and that she had great expectations for each and every person in the class.
“Even if we’re black?” One of the boys uttered under his breathe. Phoebe rounded on the pair and seemed to pull a stern and formidable nature out of her mouse-like physique. In a low voice that was clearly audible she made her feelings clear.
“I do not care what colour your skin may be. If I say that you have capabilities I mean it and I know that you can do this otherwise you would not have been chosen for the class. Even in that small display of magic you easily showed you are more than capable of handling this type of lesson. I find racism the lowest form of insult. Every human being put on this planet to live deserves to be here… Do you understand?” The boy gulped and looked genuinely sorry that he had voiced his opinion. ‘Yes mam’.” He said quietly, still with a grace of defiance. A still silence fluttered over them and Sharn crept a little closer to Keeda and Marah. Slicing through the absence of sound Phoebe’s light-hearted laugh filled the air as she had realized the boy had called her “mam”. ‘I’m no mam!’ She exclaimed. ‘You make me sound so old! Anyway we need to begin our work we’ve already wasted too much time.’
Gathering in a circle they were instructed to close their eyes and find their magic. Easily Marah sunk into her magic, letting it ripple over her. ‘Now,’ Phoebe said in a lulling, quiet voice. “Keeda, I’m asking you to find your magic and let it roll across the room. Let it fly in the air so that we are all breathing it.’ Softly they could all hear a quiet murmur as Phoebe softly explained to Keeda that she would use a spell of her own to make the magic she wielded visible. A moment later Phoebe called to open their eyes. The scene took her back somewhat. It was truly extraordinary. All that Marah could see was an apple green that filled the room. It moved and flickered everywhere with a steady pulse that reverberated through the streaming hue like a heartbeat. Keeda sat with her eyes wide and a mouth that gaped a black hole. The green had swamped her. It radiated around her and moved with her heartbeat. Even her skin had turned a cool marshy green. Swapping glances with Sharn and the boys they stared in bewilderment at their transformed surroundings. ‘Don’t talk too loud’ the tutor intoned. ‘We don’t want to distract Keeda too much. What you see is Keeda’s aura. When you find your magic it comes from your heart but in essence magic is everywhere, you just have to release it. Your magic lives in you and only lives as a part of you; hence the heartbeat that is moving through the magic is Keeda’s. Now that you can see where magic comes from I want you to feel her magic with your own being careful to keep the two magics separate. Keeda, you can bring in your aura now.’ Once again the group closed their eyes. Marah grasped some of her magic in her mind. Carefully she let it brush against Keeda’s green watching that boundaries between their magic. Instantly she was connected to Keeda’s mind. Finding Sharn’s own yellow gold presence she realized the other colours she could see in her mind’s eye were all connected to Keeda. Then Phoebe spoke. ‘We are now in Keeda’s mind, using it as a passage to talk. You will see other colours; this is other people’s magic. I don’t know anybody’s signature colour so when I say the colour of your magic I want you to tell everyone who it is. Yellow?’ Sharn’s delicate voice sounded through everybody’s minds. ‘Orange?’ One of the boys named themselves as Raton. ‘Dark blue?’ The boy that defied Phoebe identified himself as Tom. ‘I am turquoise. That leaves Marah. I left you for last because you are the closest magic I have ever seen to the colour red. In magic red is seen as pure. We all have our own colour of magic but when we take our magic to work with we are separating it from our bodies. This way it may take on another colour. When you create certain spells with magic that you have separated it turns red, which is the strongest magic that humans can produce. When you use your magic to perform a task it must change from its original state to the colour that applies to the task. Since Marah’s magic is a red-pink colour there is very little transformation needed for her to perform great feats of magic therefore she has massive amounts of magic that she could potentially use.’ Suddenly Keeda’s concentration broke and their mind-bond dissipated.
‘Sorry’ She said quickly. ‘You spoke a lot and I had trouble holding it after a while.’ Phoebe smiled.
‘You did very well to hold it for so long. I’d do well to remember that you are all still learning these concepts and I tend to carry on.’ A pitching siren sounded through the deserted halls of the school and everyone stood to leave. Phoebe called out to the as they gathered their carpets to practice mind-bonding and communicating for the next lesson.
‘Oh we will.’ Sharn grinned. ‘This has to be the best thing that magic has ever taught us!
The last lesson of the day was for study. As they made their way flying through the rough weaving tunnels of the school to the library they complained about the work they’d received. Already there was a research task to do for Theory, an essay on illusions and scales and sight-reading to do for music.
It was late that night before she went to sleep. Finally she finished all her homework and the girls stayed up late into the night talking. There was another roommate that she hadn’t met. Her name was M’Kale.
‘A force not to be reckoned with,’ Sharn gravely advised. Keeda nodded her head in vigorous agreement. At the moment she had been in the ward, being treated for a nasty virus but she would be back soon. She kept to herself most of the time but it was not a good idea to cross paths with this unevenly tempered girl. In respect for the unknown character Marah decided she would reserve her judgment for a later date but somehow she seemed to think that this girl was going to stir things up. They all started to stand and stretch their limbs as the new day broke and their eyelids were drooping with deep fatigue. Curled up in bed Marah had started to relax and realize she wasn’t going to miss her family as much as she thought she would.
Keeda’s alarm went off the next morning and everybody groaned in discomfort. Rolling over to face her friend she realized the one-empty bed separating Keeda and Sharn’s was suddenly filled. Sitting up slowly, still ridden with the remnants of sleep she surveyed the girl curled in a ball on the made bed. Her hair tangled ferociously around her face and around her arms and fingers. It seemed like some sort of a long red mane that reached past the small of her back. There were deep bags under her still closed eyes and some residue of black eyeliner. This made her ponder what the girl was like. She had not worn make-up before except for her experiments with her mother. Donned up in the white sheets Marah couldn’t tell that M’Kale’s arms and legs would be badly bruised. She also didn’t know that the long sleeves she wore all through the summer were to cover them.
The day started off again much as it had the day before with a few exceptions. Marah’s favourite breakfast was not on the menu and M’Kale’s presence was made felt among the three girls rather unpleasantly. As Keeda roamed over to awake M’Kale after breakfast had arrived, she found her words being cut short with a snap.
‘Leave me alone. It’s my fault if I’m late, go away you control freak!’ Keeda shrunk back feeling hurt then flicked her braids around and headed back to where Marah and Sharn sat eating.
‘Someone’s in a grumpy mood today,’ Keeda whispered still feeling the wrath of M’Kale’s harsh words.
‘I’ll say!’ Marah and Sharn exclaimed in unison. ‘We told you she was…hard to comprehend, didn’t we?’ Sharn pointed out. ‘She’s a bit like that, you just have to live with it. We aren’t allowed to swap our dorms around once they are allocated unfortunately.’ She shot a sour look at the lump still curled up in bed. ‘Not much we can do about it then,’ Marah tried to smile.
‘Maybe she just misses her family…?’
As the left on Keeda’s carpet, Marah noticed that they’d left M’Kale behind but didn’t say a word.
Today Marah had to chose the elective subjects she would study at school. As a selection there were a wide rang of typical “human” studies that could be applied to magic such as, sewing, cooking, sports, agriculture, wood work or child studies but there were also possible courses that were elected for lead-up lessons to master classes. Marah stared in wonderment at this list: Levitation, Weather Foretelling, Animal communication, Time travel, Simulation Classes, Healing, Long distance communication, Empathy classes and Morphing classes were all choices for thirteen year olds.
‘This is incredible! I don’t know what to pick. I have three choices don’t I? But I can do more if I’m ready for the workload right?’ Sharn nodded. ‘What are you two doing?’ Marah asked hoping this would help her chose. Sharn was doing sewing, child studies and healing. It shocked Marah knowing that she had the opportunity to do such more exciting things than regular human craft. When Marah challenged her Sharn simply shrugged.
‘I’m more interested in these things and some of those topics are very intensive. I’m only doing one magic course for now because I need to balance the work load.’ Keeda nodded in agreement, adding her electives to the list, being wood work, sport and weather foretelling.
‘Mum made me chose a magic course that would be helpful if I ever needed to fall back on something.’ She shuddered. Don’t try weather foretelling, it’s so boring! Chose things that you’re interested in making a part of your life. Later on we wont have to do music and art any more as subjects and they become part of the electives list too.’
‘I think I’ll leave it to think about through the day today,’ she decided. The letter that had come with breakfast that contained the list stated that the due date for her elective subjects was due tomorrow with all her choices. This meant today while Keeda and Sharn had two of their elective classes scheduled, Marah would have to go to the library.
The three floated aimlessly waiting for the first bell to ring. Not once did they find a glimpse of M’Kale.
‘Bet she’s still in bed.’ Keeda growled begrudgingly. Sharn snickered.
A blasting siren rang out and once again the eldest of the teachers gathered close to the top of the cavern to collect their groups of people. Today Nathan appeared with his group of tutors behind him to collect his class. Quickly he pronounced the classes they would have today: A double of theory, practical and the first two of your chosen electives. Then he sped off, reeling his carpet around as if on a chase for something conveniently located in the classroom. Today the girls had trouble trailing Nathan to their classes. His carpet had darted off without them, leaving their group and various other people floating, confused and wondering. A late arriver, looking as if he’d dressed hurriedly and forgotten to brush his hair let his face fall as he realized he’d been left behind. Marah knew that there weren’t many people that liked Nathan. His rash temper and obvious discontentment with his class caused his peers to give him a wide berth at the best of times but she knew that he must be very smart. He was young for his age but also very ahead in his studies. At the most he was seventeen and while most of his peers were still studying for their license Nathan was already out working. Maybe that’s why he’s so anti-social? She wondered. Sighing, she felt dejected. Surely he should take more pride and better care of his class… maybe he just didn’t care.
After Deanne had come back to collect the stragglers and the lost, their theory classes resumed. Nathan wasn’t present in the room as the twelve or so people walked in and hurriedly settled themselves in the dust. Abruptly he made his appearance into the room. His face was red, fuming with anger. Gritting his teeth he swallowed loudly.
‘To those that this concerns, I am sorry for my actions this morning when I left some pupils behind.’ His voice trailed off sounding strained.
Sitting on her bed she sat playing with the braid in her hair. She felt every twist and turn in the strands and followed them with the soft delicate touch of her fingers. Her hair churned, very much like the sea that Argo Navis sailed on, just like her life. At the start her portions of hair were small but as they were plated together they became bigger and bigger. What did that mean? If the braid in her hair was like her own life it definitely meant that her life was getting bigger and bigger, evolving into a beautiful form until all things stop. Dead. Why was she thinking like this? Why did she analyze everything until it was a problem or an obstacle to overcome? Some many questions and she wanted answers. She wanted to know why she couldn’t see Dale, why M’Kale was so exclusive and irritable, where everything seemed to have gone lately and why nothing wanted to like her. A sneaking thought crept back to her. Dale liked her. She saw his unvarnished wooden eyes completely brighten to a glossy, shining brown when Quarren told him that Marah wanted to talk. It was little that he knew that they talked late into the night even into the early morning. It seemed as if the hours flowed like a continuous merry-go-round and suddenly end when her eyes were drooping and she was ready to sleep. Some days she just wanted to tell Dale how much she admired him and thought about him. She knew he would never think of her in that way. They were too like brother and sister to be a couple. Her heart dropped at that pulling more thoughts with her.
It was once that Dale suggested seeing her. She wasn’t sure how they would do that. Maybe M’Kale had an answer; after all she was very bright although she didn’t act it sometimes. It was just that only seeing each other through connective messaging was boxed in. She couldn’t put her hand on his shoulder when he was feeling down and she hadn’t actually seen his face for real in a long, long time.
The door burst open and Keeda strolled in with several girls in tow. Naita was there following Keeda’s lead into the room. Keeda looked stricken for a moment but continued to saunter across the room with Yass and Inda-Lei. Naita slowed for a moment and watched Keeda and the other two go off to study on Keeda’s desk. The pair locked eyes in a fierce duel but nothing happened and Naita didn’t open her mouth. Marah slunk away to immerse herself in reading and leave the girls cheery chatter over schoolwork and events. Some days even books were not enough to smother her despair over all her problems but maybe today she would be transported into another land. A new land where girls didn’t hate each other for temperamental reasons and boys knew when a girl had their eye on them. One day the world would be simple she hoped but not yet. She had to learn and suffer first.
The shrill voices of soprano worked their way up yet another arpeggio. It felt like her voice was almost flying high above the clouds. The altos and most of the middles had dropped out long ago as they watched in awe of the soaring sopranos. Keeping her eye on Hayden’s hands rising and falling with the beat she saw her flowing hands come to a brisk stop.
“Girls listen!” She cried above the voices as she struck a note on the piano. “You’re flat! Lift your voices, you’re singing the wrong note.” Marah heard the note resounding in her head. She was singing it wrong. There was no earthly resemblance between her pitch and the piano. Where had her tune gone? Glancing at Sharn signaling that she would drop out she smiled in encouragement. There was one more arpeggio until everyone had found their limits but Marah had not heard it. In her head she was ferociously examining her posture and technique. Where was the flaw? Sharn had spent hours with her teaching her singing technique in exchange for musical knowledge and it had gone. Was it her that had ruined the tone of the entire group? In her head she heard herself saying that there was no way she could have… In her gut there was something else. A shadow flew over her and covered her in a wispy ice blanket. It was me she thought. Her whole world came crashing down. Maybe my voice isn’t what I think it is like. A chill ran down her spine and for the rest of the practice she kept her head low. Even some of her favourite songs were not enough to convince her to sing out.
A trilling bell called throughout the school to signal the end of the day’s work. Finally after an hour of singing quietly to herself in case her voice would taint others, she could go and talk to her friends. On her way out Hayden called out to her. Here we go! She thought. She’s going to stop me from coming to choir all because of a few wrong notes.
The teacher greeted her with a worried smile. In a pleasant voice she asked her about school and the usual ramblings about life in general. Marah nodded and agreed to all that she said. Why was she stalling? Couldn’t she get this over and done with?
“…Your singing hasn’t been of it’s best lately.” Marah’s face was growing hot and the shadow was starting to wrap around her closer and tighter, spreading its’ cold around her. With her breath held she waited for those fatal words. The words were coming; they would smother her blazing talent into a useless ash on the ground. “…I was wondering if you were feeling alright? Are you having trouble with work or is there anything I can help with? It’s just that your voice is an asset to the choir and lately all the expression is gone. Is there any way I can help get it back?” Marah’s slumped shoulders instantly lifted in an unvoiced sigh. The shadow disappeared and her happy feeling was back again. So her voice wasn’t bad after all!
She smiled warmly with her newfound radiance and thanked the teacher for her concern as she skipped out the door after Sharn, hoping that she’d waited.
As the pair walked back into their room they found M’Kale sitting on her bed with her face buried in her pillow. Sharn took one look and scurried across to the carpet cupboard noiselessly and stowed her rug. Marah too, tip toed into the room but she moved closer toward the shuddering girl. Watching her own hand raise up to M’Kale’s shoulder she held it in the air for a moment before resting it there. Slowly her fingers collapsed onto her shoulder and her arm was draped over the girl’s back.
Sharn met Marah’s vision and pointed to the door indicating that she would leave. Before her golden locks disappeared behind the door she mouthed “good luck”!
Marah drew a breath from the still air around her. What now? She wondered. The girl just cried. On and on a flood of warm salty water flowed from her eyes like a fountain. Letting her magic drift M’Kale she used a tricky little piece of magic. Delving into her room mate’s aura she found the purple colour of her magic as she expected. Closing her eyes she wandered through the floating magic and felt around for emotion that may have escaped.
Something almost bowled her over. Sadness that crashed like a wave ferociously pushed her down in her magic and forced the nasty taste of misery into her mouth. Soon her breathing became restricted and pulled at her throat as she rasped for her next breath. Reeling herself back into her own magic she settled herself, thanking everything she knew that no such terrible blinding heartbreak would ever thrust itself into her life. Now she became aware of M’Kale still bundled into her arms with her life in pieces and her own mind in chaos. Stroking her long entangled hair she felt her sadness radiating from her. What could she do to make her happy? Why could she possibly be so sad? Something told her she didn’t want to know. As pain and agony created a blanket around the pair Marah reached out her hand and touched her shoulder.
Now tears flowed from her eyes as well so she let her feelings become part of the stinging reality of life. The world had stopped still and only the two of them were left. Sadness enveloped them, emanating from M’Kale’s own pent up sorrow.
“ Stop is Marah! I’m not a charity case and I don’t need you to make things worse. You have no idea what I’m going through.” Marah shrunk back, discouraged by the ferocity in M’Kale’s voice.
“What don’t I understand?” she whispered in a low voice ready to shield the attack. But instead a sigh washed over her. She raised her face to see into Marah’s eyes and cleared her throat to talk. Something failed her and she couldn’t speak. Marah watched the wrenching of her heart pulling her lower and lower.
“If you don’t want to talk its fine.” Marah said trying to be cheery. “But I’m always here to lend a hand if you need it ok?” M’Kale nodded and forced a smile to her lips for a fleeting moment. At that she coaxed her muscles to stand and leave the girl sitting on her bed in a world of her own misery. “Wait!” she called as Marah almost had walked out of the door. “You won’t understand but I need somebody to listen, just hear me don’t say a word. She nodded her consent as she settled herself back on the warmed, creased doona. Marah watched M’Kale’s eyes divert from her gaze to stare out into her own little world where something dismal was holding her heart in cold hands. Marah watched her tired face expectantly, waiting for M’Kale to talk. No words came. They seemed to be stuck in her throat, as in a desert, things just seemed to dry and hard to continue on. Marah’s face softened in compassion that filled her heart. She herself became lost in her thoughts as she wandered the passages of her mind speculating about life. It was M’Kale who broke the stillness that seemed to permeate the air.
“My parents have divorced.” She stuttered in her failing confidence. Shivering broke over her body thrusting the movement upon her arresting her voice. Staring into Marah’s eyes that were ablaze in red spreading understanding that would touch M’Kale in a soft blanket of hope. Marah searched her face for a sign; really she could not see how her pain was so great all for her parents.
“They still love you.” She whispered softly. “You are of their own blood, it was their union that granted you magic.” Marah could see her words wafting in air in through the gap between their faces. Her insistence made M’Kale shake her head. Her shoulders drooped and tears flowed from her eyes again. “They don’t,” She whispered back, her voice cracking under the strain that symbolized such power in her statement. “I broke them up, Mum left him for me and now…” Her voice disappeared back into her woe and hid in the depths of her heart. “People like you will never understand what I’m saying but I do thank you for listening.” M’Kale’s eyes were clouded over like she was buried under all her torment in seclusion. When Marah listened it seemed that she moved apart the fog for just a while. That time would be precious to the girl. It meant that she could trust someone and know that they would hold her secrets close no matter how trivial they seemed. Everyone has issues, she thought. They hide inside the person, clawing at them and tearing their heart in half. Somehow talking seemed a very good option right now. She was glad that even if it was Marah that she would share her inner tributes with, she still had a friend to tell her what she did was right. Then a small voice in the back of M’Kale’s head answered back in a snarling retaliation full of spite. What she had done was not right and she was the cause of the cataclysmic damage she had done to her own family. It was her fault that was once a loving caring family had become a wreck of fights and fury.
The torture had started again.
Author notes
I know this is incredibly long and there are bits and pieces missing but I started this when I was 13 and have the intention to publish it one day maybe. I'm trying to get motivated again. Any kind of feedback would be very much appreciated. If you don't get all the way through, just some feedback from what you've read would be brilliant. Thanks so much!
Please tell me what you think
Comments
1 - 7 of 7
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very good, awesome beginning.
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I am doing the "Quick Commen" thing, so I am commenting as I read
Hmmm... So far so good, I am still reading. Pretty cool that Marah's power is bossing people around
Its fabulous having magic she thought to herself as the doona peeled itself back
This sentence stuck out to me because there are a couple of things that need fixing. "Its" should be "It's". The sentence here doesn't flow well because you sort of ran it together. Maybe you could try;
"It's fabulous having magic..." She thought. The doona peeled itself back and her belongings aimlessly tossed themselves across the room. The bed made itself. etc... It gives us more of a picture as to what is going on.
The details about her father are pretty good. I can get a pretty good picture of what he looks like and what is going on in this story so far.
Quick note; Love the Austrailian!!! The pancakes are making me hungry! *yum*
She scoffed as her self in humour.
I think you might need to combine "her" and "self".
Hmmm... I like the description of the "cherry colour"... Also makes me hungry lol But, I get a good idea of what is happening here. They have to move, which should be exciting and sorrowful at the same time. I get it
Her eyes wandered a little further finding him dressed elaborately with a striking red, robe type thing
Great description, but take out "type thing". It sounds unprofessional...
Wow! I like the details of how strong the inogmymetre was and it is amazing that she got it around the room seven times! This is completely off subject, but my family is watching Harry Potter on the Telly and the music is matching exactly to your story! Weird huh? I thought so. Great!
Being in charge of all people's magic is a HUGE responsibility for a 13-year-old girl... You have a great sense of creativity...
Just a suggestion; When she gets back to the real world, her parents should just ask what happened, not mention the part about her becoming the new empress... It takes the reality from the story away.
Hmmm... Though the comment to Don was quite smart, it also makes her seem snobby, and a reader who can't relate to the character will not understand your story. That's just a thought..
The party sounds fun, maybe a bit more detail though... Alright, I will be back to read this, but for now I must get off so I can give my sibilings a fighting chance for the computer lol.
Glad I got to read some of this
<3
An
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hummmm....
interesting....you start off with a poem that i liked. it had flowed pretty well, i write poems too...okay...the story is good, its toooooo long for me. i like to cut it up so that some people read it and like "WTF...When is the next part coming?" i love when people say that, it makes it more fun to keep them hanging....hahhahahahaha. it took me a while to read it but its great. wow...you started when you where 13? wow, i started writing in high school, well 13 hummm...thats about right...my first story was my secret! its long also but i cutted it up in chapters so if a person is reading it and wanted to do someother shit, but still want to continue reading, they can finish a chapter and read the other one later! well...i love this story. this is my last comment for you today. i have read four already! see ya next time!
beginning: 5, language: 5, plot: 5, ending: 5, dialog: 5, characters: 5.
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This awesome, good beginning.
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WOW! Awesome! love the beginnig. dayum
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Woah..this is incredible. I loved how you started off. I really enjoyed reading it.
Kari -
Wow, that was great. I love to find a story that I must finish in one reading because it holds my attention as this one did. You sure do have a very wide imagination! That's a really good thing though! Keep writing because I would definitely love to read more. Let me know when you finish your next story. Again, nice job!
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