Awakenings

AuthorHouse

Chapter One

Ash fell from the sky like black snow. Sooty flakes floated carelessly on the wind, keeping the sky dark and overcast while coating everything on the ground in seemingly endless waves of gloomy crumbling powder. It had only been fifteen years since Velthanjantle's resurrection and the town of Orielle, which Bargiss had helped found, was accustomed to such wintry days during the peak of their summer months. Directly to the northeast loomed the monstrous peak of Mount Cambalis, a living volcano. The ground would quiver on occasion followed shortly by a spray of fumes into the air, which would sometimes create a smattering of fresh flowing lava down its side.

The mountain was close enough that Meliahn could see the tiny specs flying around its summit, but not so close that lava would get near her home. She had been taught that Fire Drakes lived up in the craggy steppes near the volcano's leaking peak and even deeper within. Fire Drakes were winged humanoids that resembled dragons in their appearance, with thick scales, horned heads and sharp fangs. These drakes stood like men and were generally a few hand-spans taller, most of whom lived long, reckless lives. Her instructor was an exception to the reckless theory. As a Fire Drake himself, Deris'Myl had taught Meliahn that the fumes of a volcano were to them a drug of sorts. A drug that supposedly made their flame breath more potent, their wings stronger and their scales able to endure more heat, which in turn allowed them to go deeper into the volcano. Deris'Myl did not sound so convinced this was the case, as he had immediately contradicted himself, and said he had only ever received headaches and a heavy weariness after inhaling the fumes.

Meliahn approached her schoolhouse and entered the long stone structure, shook the thick coat of ash out of her hair and dusted her clothes off as best she could. It was hard to tell where the soot ended and her thick black hair began. She popped her tongue in irritation, took a brush from her backpack and stole a few moments to run it through. After a thorough brushing, she pulled a small towel from her backpack and wiped her face off before wrapping the brush in the towel and continuing on into the building. Smear-stains aside, Meliahn was an attractive human female. Full lips, high cheekbones and heavy-lidded, smoky black eyes that matched her hair color were only a few qualities she counted. However, when men approached her, it was difficult for them to see those features. Most men seemed more interested in her trim figure, curvy hips and of course, her firm breasts.

There were two large rooms on each side of the hallway where classes took place, and the giant room at the far end of the building was where the Headmaster lived. He was humble, despite his power in the town, and Meliahn had decided long ago that she not only trusted him, but also loved him as a daughter would love her father. Meliahn had lived twenty-two years, and had known her father although she no longer recognized him as such. To her, Bargiss was a much better role model for the direction she wanted her life to progress.

The hallway was empty today, unlike the standard daily beehive of activity, and she knew the Headmaster was away with the students so she had time to prepare. Playing sick was the easy part. Setting up a surprise was not. Headmaster Bargiss was not easily surprised; he somehow knew everything that was going on around him.

Meliahn paused a moment and let her vision refocus. She relaxed her shoulders and concentrated for a short while before her awareness locked and the air around her began to shimmer. Colorful bands flowed through the air in different patterns that depended on which color she looked at. Blue corkscrewed through the air bouncing off barriers that she could not see and would occasionally become redirected. Red was jagged and sharp in appearance, while both the Orange and Violet were lazy and slow. Violet seemed soft and made of satin as it waved languidly through the air around her, but the Orange seemed strong and heavy, made of sturdier stuff. Every color of the Rainbow Braid funneled through the building and passed through walls and doors as if they were just floating through water, yet they reflected off of other, unseen obstacles. She looked at the door and studied it for a little while before she found a tight bundle of the Red near the handle. Beginning at the doorknob, jagged lines stretched horizontally all the way to the hinges of the door and then again to the top like a giant ribbon gift-wrapping it. Only this ribbon was sharp and could cut like any sword. A few more moments of inspection proved another, much smaller bundle of the Orange Braid sitting idly midair near the top left corner of the door. It was about the same size as a coin but spherical and resembled a horribly bloodshot eyeball.

Smiling, Meliahn reached out with her fingers and wrapped them gently in a twine of the Indigo Braid. Slowly and carefully she tied it into a loop, for Indigo was energetic and as difficult to tie as a satin sash. She allowed the Indigo loop to stretch out of her hand and reach toward the Red ribbon, where it slipped through unnoticed by the eye. Pulling ever so gingerly, the loop tightened around the jagged Red and softly broke its sharp grip on the door. The Red, free again fell away from the door and rejoined the streams of Braid sifting through the air.

Letting the Indigo loop follow the Red away, Meliahn concentrated on a fresh Indigo Braid. She rolled it up tight with both hands and fashioned it into an energized silk arrow then guided it up towards the hovering Orange eyeball. Meliahn smiled wide, leaned her head to one side, and gave the odd little eyeball a wink and a wave before she discreetly popped it with her Indigo arrow. The Orange Braid that had been used to create the eye faded away, back into the ambient flow of magic. So much for surprising Bargiss, she thought.

Contented and pleased with herself, Meliahn smiled and slipped off her backpack and began rummaging through it. She looked past the small wrapped boxes in her bag and found a small padded pry bar and a lock pick. She slid the pry bar under the door and put her knee on it to lift the door slightly. Then she slipped the pick into the lock and listened. After a few moments, Meliahn stopped, pulled the pick out and peeked into the hole. She chuckled before replacing her tools into her backpack and jiggled the handle. The door swung open noiselessly. She shook her head and tried to decide whether it was absent-mindedness or arrogance for a man to go through so much trouble to magically seal a door and not lock it with a key.

The room opened up but seemed much smaller than she had imagined, students were rarely allowed in the Headmaster's chambers. Light shone in from large windows on the left and right walls but the falling soot outside tempered it. The floor was flat white stone and a small, tidy wooden desk sat to the left in front of several standing bookshelves. More bookshelves lined the walls all around the room and a small laboratory was set up in the center, unused but not dusty. Vials, flasks and beakers were set up in neat rows along the sides and center of the lab and even a mortar and pestle were placed almost strategically on the tabletop. Off to the side of the lab nestled a small cabinet with five thick books propped up inside, heavy oak blocks kept them standing erect.

Meliahn giggled and went to work. She placed a small wrapped box in the center of the desk, and another on the edge of the lab just between the alchemical alembic and retort under a long glass tube connecting the two. She chuckled at her lack of alchemy skills; to her it was just a side chore anyway. She pulled more strands of the Violet Braid out of the air and began to stretch them out. After elongating them she held one end of each together in her right hand and squeezed, slowly mashing the tips together. She allowed the loose ends to float up toward the ceiling before tying them with tiny slivers of the Red. She laid the ball of mashed Indigo down in the doorway and guided the slim, stretched out strands even higher towards the ceiling before nodding to herself in admiration of her own handiwork. She walked over to the small standing bookshelf near the lab and lay down the final gift. A large heavy book covered with thick, furry panther-hide and adorned with elaborate silver scrollwork that read: Archon.

Something thumped near the bookshelf. She heard a rustling, seemingly behind the books. Meliahn looked up from her work at the doorway and raised a dark eyebrow. Her red ash-smeared lips pursed momentarily confused as to whether she should continue or inspect the noise. Curiosity overcame her need to be done with her little project and vacate before the Headmaster returned so she slowly, cautiously wandered past the alchemy lab towards the back wall of books. There was no indication that the Braid was being funneled in that direction, she could plainly see the weaving colors passing through the walls, ceiling and floor around her. Nothing seemed amiss so she reached out and touched a few of the books while trying to look everywhere at once. Suddenly, a ferret sprung towards her from behind the books. She shrieked and threw her hands in the air; an innocent book went tumbling across the room as a result. The ferret replied in kind with a squeal in her general direction before it disappeared beneath another bookshelf a moment later.

Meliahn replaced the book she had thrown in panic, back on the shelf of its origin and shivered as she stepped back to better inspected the tiny, humble working area. Returning to her task, she reached back into her backpack and this time produced three tiny vials, each with miniscule slivers of different colored paper inside. She slowly wrapped them in a tiny thread of the Indigo Braid before allowing the Braid to pull each vial in three different directions around the room. Slowly she released the Braid and watched as each vial remained hanging in the air.

Meliahn's smile broadened and she rubbed her hands together. Emptying the sack yielded a large roll of parchment, which was slightly crumpled and dusted in soot. She unrolled it into a large sheet of dried papyrus, with writing scrolled neatly on it. Using the Indigo, she once again began stretching out thin strands of the Braid to hang the poster midair.

* * *

Somewhere in the foothills of Mount Cambalis just north of Orielle's ash covered roads and houses, Bargiss crouched on a small mound of dirt leaning on a thick oaken staff. He rubbed together grains of the dirt between thumb and forefinger. The other four instructors stood nearby, but did not speak to him; they were keeping a close eye towards the volcano, and the several dozen students wandering around the hillside collecting small blackened plants, soot soil and vapor grass.

It was difficult to see the half-smile that showed on his face through the thick black beard that began slightly below his eyes and ran deep into his thin robe. He felt along his left side for the vials hanging in his hemp belt that had been slipped between the rope windings and finally removed one from its nestling. Bargiss looked to make sure it was the correct empty one before he popped the cork stopper and scooped up some of the soil he had been rubbing together.

"The world truly is an amazing place when left alone," said one of the instructors who had walked over to where Bargiss crouched. Deris'Myl had bright red scales with small golden freckles near his shoulders and along his neck. A single horn swirled up from his skull, and his eyes were dark blue and slanted deeply. The thick webbing along the side of his face that marked his ears was more golden than red.

Bargiss held up the vial and stuffed the cork back into it. When looked at properly, the contents were multicolored; a mixed assortment of blue, red, yellow and brown dirt filled the vial. Bargiss looked up to make quick eye contact and share a half-smile with Deris'Myl. Bargiss held the vial up before him to better inspect it then he shook it for a few moments and stopped, having never lost eye contact. Deris'Myl returned Bargiss' smirk, only with fangs, and broke eye contact. Both of them looked at the vial at the same time in the same unfocused vision that allowed them to see the Rainbow Braid. The brown dirt was on top with the red dirt just below, then the yellow and finally the blue layered the bottom.

"Hmm, my favorite subject." said Deris'Myl under his breath.

"It is definitely one of the more interesting ones. I believe your class is ready for this lesson, what do you think?" His brown eyes met again with Deris'Myl and he could see the excitement touch the drake's face, a subtle movement of the thin scales around his chin.

"I agree with you Headmaster," the thicker scales above Deris'Myl's left eye raised. "I'm sure the students will be pleased to hear of this. It breaks my heart that it is time already. However, I knew this day would come soon. I'll send someone back to town, Meliahn should come up, I'm sure she will be ecstatic to hear the news. I'm certain she will get out of her sick bed for this."

"Your class is by far the most advanced in their studies," said Bargiss. "It only goes to show that you are the most advanced of the teachers. I would be remiss if I did not see that, and let you proceed to the final lessons before graduation." Bargiss slipped the vial into the folds of his robe and back into its place on his belt. "Ah, and Meliahn isn't sick. I can no longer see through Dakeem's Eye but the last I did see was her removing the wards I placed on my study."

"Why would she ..."

"She is innocent of foul play I believe. I do not fear her finding anything she is not ready for. I'll wait and see how her deception plays out." Bargiss smiled again and winked at his friend. "I will show her this lesson another time," he continued as he gently patted the vial of dirt in his belt.

"Well, I shall go gather my students then, and give them the news" Deris'Myl spread his dark red wings and let them fill with air. He leapt up and flew away towards the volcano. Bargiss watched as small strands of the Green leaped out of the drake's finger tips towards specific students; Whispers on the Wind.

Shortly after, Deris'Myl and Bargiss stood in the center of a circle of ten students, each one a different race, each one from a different part of the world with varied histories. Each one of the ten had come from some place in their lives, some belief, or following that nearly destroyed them. Each one of them had different life experiences that were pivotal in the choices they were about to make. They all stood around the mound that Bargiss had retrieved the multicolored dirt from, watching intently as their instructor and Bargiss waited for the last to arrive. Without looking through the Braid at the mound, the dirt looked as if it were ordinary.

When all were present, Deris'Myl made eye contact with each of them. "There will be a time with practice and patience when you will know the Braid so well that concentration will not be required to see it." He made a wide arc with his scaled hands. "A time when you'll know that the Braid is being used nearby, or when it is infused into something, just as you'll know when the Great Lady favors you." The drake looked to Bargiss who nodded his approval before continuing.

"Observe. The soil of this mound appears as ordinary brown dirt. Dirt surrounded by vapor grass and soot soil. With soot soil so close why then, would there be normal dirt here?" Deris'Myl looked around to each student again.

Armor Clearwater slowly raised his hand. Thin, fish-like scales covered his body, his fingers webbed to the second knuckle. Armor's brown eyes were large and watery, and belied intelligence greater than many of his peers standing near him. He wore only a thin leather wrap around his genital area for clothing. His thin scales naturally reflected his surroundings in a distorted fashion, which made him nearly blend in with whatever was around him.

"Armor?" Deris'Myl nodded to the Fresh-water Merloch and waited.

A wry smile played out on the merloch's face before he mumbled, "Because it's not normal soil?"

"Hmm? Speak up for all to hear you," Deris'Myl had heard and was already smiling when Armor repeated himself.

(Continues...)

Excerpted from Awakeningsby A.J. O'Connell Copyright © 2009 by A.J. O'Connell. Excerpted by permission.
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