Translated From Sarconian Annals - Draft Volume II
Daria Firestone reined in her horse next to her husband, Coyle."There it is," said Coyle, pointing. "Sarconia City, capitol of Sarconia and now home of King Argon Breaker. I visited here a few times as a boy, back when King Arkyn ConRay of Strianel ruled. My father, Brent Firestone, was an assistant to the Elvish ambassador for a time."
"You met King Arkyn, then?" asked Daria.
"No, he was in Stragillia at the time. I only met his wife, Queen Tora. They were both assassinated a few years back."
"By the some of the Breakers?"
"No. The VenTals. The Breakers have always been loyal to the ConRay family."
"Should we set up camp outside of the city and arrive in the morning?" Daria asked.
"No. The message Walker sent us was urgent. If Crystal is really going mad, we must got to her as soon as possible."
They urged their horses forward, followed by their Elfin guard.
Crystal sailed over the valley and saw a small group of riders approach the pickets outside of the city. She landed and morphed back into human form, then walked over to the person in charge of the picket. He turned as she approached, the moonlight fell on his face, and she recognized him as Cadwallyder.
"My lady," he said softly, bowing. "Are you feeling better?"
"Very much so, Cadwal," she replied. "Who are these people?" she asked, gesturing to the swiftly approaching group of riders.
"Three humans with an escort of five Elves. We don't know who they are."
A guard challenged the riders. "Who goes?!"
"Coyle and Daria Firestone," came the response. "We were told by Prince Walker that we would be expected."
"You know Prince Walker?" the guard asked cautiously.
"We're his parents, of course we know him."
"Daddy!!" cried Crystal. Flinging princessly decorum aside, she raced through the picket line toward the seven riders.
"Crystal!" Coyle and Daria dismounted and embraced their half-laughing, half-weeping daughter.
"But who is this?" asked Crystal when they finally pulled themselves from each other. A small, boy sat behind her father's saddle, looking very asleep.
Coyle smiled. "This is Jace, your step-brother. Good heavens, Crystal, you've grown several inches!"
Crystal laughed. "I had a growth spurt recently."
Jace was roused by the activity. He gazed about himself, looking rather bewildered.
"Jace?" asked Crystal, reaching a hand up to him. "I'm your step-sister, Crystal."
Jace permitted her to lift him from the saddle. Daria said nothing, but she was quite astonished by her daughter's strength; she lifted Jace with exceptional ease. "You're really pretty," Jace sleepily told Crystal. "Like an Elf." He nodded off against her shoulder.
"You are, Crystal," said Daria. "Lord Tarian told us that you and Walker were captured by an enchantress, but he didn't tell us the details. Can you?"
Crystal nodded. "Yes. In fact, it's best that you know, especially before you see Walker."
"Did something happen to him?" Daria asked, alarmed.
"Yes. The enchantress altered his appearance."
Coyle and Daria's eyes widened.
"So," Crystal continued, "the Walker you will meet is tall with black hair and blue eyes. He's the same Walker that he always was, though, you needn't worry about that.
"After the enchantress altered Walker, she tested a beauty potion on me. Around a week after that, she cast a spell on me that turned me into a were-pegasus...so now I can morph into a pegasus. We went to Elfarven after that, and learned that we were two of the Prophesied Four."
"Ah yes," said Coyle, "the prophecy. You have heard it then?"
"Only in part," Crystal replied.
"A cruel king shall rise in the west,
A beast, a tyrant, bringing civil war.
Six shall be four, four shall be two.
Of the six, two shall turn away to evil.
Of the four, two shall fall against good will.
The two left shall flee before the sun rises.
The one of the two in the north shall find joy.
Two children she’ll have, a boy, then a girl.
The evil that was done, they shall undo.
Fair of voice, fair of face the girl shall be.
Like her mother’s father, with mahogany hair.
Like her mother’s father, though with good renewed.
Wise in council, bold in words the lad shall be.
Tall in frame, loyal of heart, not quickly tainted.
He will be a friend of kings.
One of the two in the south shall hide
Deprived of a throne rightfully his.
He will spend many years in exile.
One other there is, of Amara's kin.
He will bear her appearance and sword.
Power will come to him suddenly and unexpected."
Coyle nodded. "Good. There are fifteen verses altogether. Three verses for each of the Four and three for background. Apparently Tarian gave you all the background verses and one verse of the three that are devoted to each of the Four. When we get to the palace and are with Walker, I will give you another verse from each group of three."
"Alright," said Crystal, trying to press down her excitement. "You should also know that Walker's a were-dragon now."
"He can morph into a dragon?" asked Daria.
Crystal nodded. "A big, scary green one. Don't worry, it's not that bad once you get used to it."
Cadwallyder loaned Crystal his horse, and she rode back into the city with her parents.
"We're only just stopping here on our way to Corvan," said Daria. "My brother contacted us soon after he became king and wants us to live at the castle with him. I also hear that Walker is now the Crown Prince of Corvan?"
Crystal nodded. "Yes. Leonardo threw a fit over it. Walker had to duel him before the matter was settled."
"Duel?"
"Oh, yes. We've both received training in swordplay; Walker got his from Argon, and I spent a few months at the Left-handed Warrior's Academy."
They trotted into the lamp-lit courtyard of the palace. Grooms took their horses, and the Elfin guards vanished along with them. Argon and Walker were waiting for them on the steps of the palace. Argon greeted them in a cordial, kingly manner, then retired, leaving the family alone. They found a sitting room near their chambers, and, after putting Jace to bed, sat down for a long talk.
"You said you would give us more of the prophecy?" Crystal asked her father.
"Yes." He recited four more of the fifteen verses to them. "The last four must not be told until all, or most, of this is over."
The prophecy now ran like this:
"A cruel king shall rise in the west,
A beast, a tyrant, bringing civil war.
Six shall be four, four shall be two.
Of the six, two shall turn away to evil.
Of the four, two shall fall against good will.
The two left shall flee before the sun rises.
The one of the two in the north shall find joy.
Two children she’ll have, a boy, then a girl.
The evil that was done, they shall undo.
Fair of voice, fair of face the girl shall be.
Like her mother’s father, with mahogany hair.
Like her mother’s father, though with good renewed.
A power she'll have like none before
Though it will not stay with her forever.
In her power of old will rise anew.
Wise in council, bold in words the lad shall be.
Tall in frame, loyal of heart, not quickly tainted.
He will be a friend of kings.
Power too, he'll possess, though not like his sister
The power will be his forever and always.
He will do great good, though at cost to himself.
One of the two in the south shall hide
Deprived of a throne rightfully his.
He will spend many years in exile.
His sister's children shall find him,
He shall at last return to his own.
His throne shall be established in peace.
One other there is, of Amara's kin.
He will bear her appearance and sword.
Power will come to him suddenly and unexpected.
He will not turn from his task until it is done,
His throne will come, though with bloodshed.
The old will be new and sadness vanish."
During this time, Daria had had the chance to study her son. She was glad for Crystal's warning about his appearence, or she never would have known him. Walker's appearence wasn't the only thing changed about him. He was quiet, serious, and possessed a confident, regal bearing. His step was firmer than she remembered, and he moved with the grace of a swordsman. Walker's voice was different too. It was deeper and more commanding. He was less of the shy, slightly clumsy boy she had known, and more of a confident young man who had gotten over the shock of what had happened to him and stepped up to his place as a prince and a leader. Daria was pleased with the change; Walker was everything she had hoped that he would be and more.
Crystal had changed as well, Daria noticed. She had gone from a girl to a regal young woman. Her bearing commanded respect from those around her. Her neat posture and graceful step were befitting of a princess, but there was strength about her too. Crystal seemed quite content, but Daria noticed that she carried an aura of sadness about her, and her eyes were often downcast when she thought no one was looking. This concerned Daria, for the message from Walker had said that Crystal was not herself, and Walker feared that she was going mad.
When Coyle finished reciting the prophecy, Daira said, "Walker, you sent us a message concerning Crystal's mental health?"
Walker nodded. "The grief is still near to her heart, so I will explain.
"When Crystal was at the Left-handed Warrior's Academy, she made two very close friends: Thera, her roommate there at the Acadamy, and Alec, her instructor. When the Left-handed Warriors came to join us, Alec and Thera came with them, and Crystal learned that Alec and Thera were engaged."
"And she was jelous?" asked Daria.
"No," said Crystal. She looked at Walker, siganling him to continue.
"Alec and Thera died together on a patrol. They were killed by a Strianelian patrol before our forces could give them any assistance." Walker looked sad, and Crystal sniffled. She reached swiftly for a handkerchief.
"How horrible," said Coyle. "And this event placed Crystal in a precarious mental state?"
Nearly hidden behind a tapestry, Squire Toran nodded vigourously. Walker added his affirmitive. "She was grief-stricken, but tried to hide it. This played on her temperment and made her behave in a very unusual manner. I will assure you, however, that we have worked things out, and she is feeling better."
Crystal mopped her face with a handkerchief and nodded. "I don't want to talk about it. On a different note, where'd you find Jace?"
"In the potato patch, actually," said Coyle. "He was knawing on a potato, I told him they were better cooked, and he concented to come inside with me to get something to eat. Do you remember the Esanian Traders?"
"From whom you could buy anything, or so they said?" asked Walker. "Yeah. They nearly got me once, but I ran into Old Solarin."
"The ruins?" asked Daria.
Walker nodded. "The Traders think they're haunted, and they don't go there. I thought they were haunted too, until I found the windchimes."
"Windchimes?" asked Crystal.
"Yes." said Walker. "They're everywhere and many of them are huge. But they no longer have anything to strike against them, so they're just these immense hanging pipes. The wind moans through them in a most terrifying way. I'd like to hear them someday when they're chimes again. But back to how you came upon Jace. You suspect that the Esanian Traders had him?"
"Yes. But it's very doubtful he escaped from them. He is rather...emaciated."
"I noticed when I lifted him from the saddle," said Crystal. "He bearly weighed a thing!"
"We suspect that the Traders thought him worthless and let him go," said Daria.
"And you took him in?" Crystal asked.
"You and Walker were gone," said Daria, "And we were lonely. Jace needed a family and love, and we could give it to him. It worked out for us all. He doesn't know where he comes from, and neither do we, so there was no hope of returning him to his family."
"And so you adopted him?" asked Crystal.
Daria nodded. "We did. So now he's Jace Firestone, your little brother." They all laughed happily.
"How old is he?" asked Crystal.
"Six or seven, by our guess," said Coyle.
Walker had to ask the question that had troubled him for so long. "Why didn't you ever tell us that we were part Elf?"
Coyle sighed. "I don't know. Maybe I should have, but I really wanted a quiet life for my family and didn't want you going off east on some crazy expedition. I got a message from Elwin about the prophecy about a week before you were captured. He said that the first three verses of the prophecy seemed to match up with your mother's fate. That made you, Walker and Crystal, two of the Prophiced Four. I guess it startled me. By the time I decided to tell you, you were gone. It seems you found it out on your own just as well."
"It's probably better that way," said Crystal. "If the enchantress had known that we were two of the Four, things would have been worse for us."
Walker nodded. "We would probably be dead by now."
Daria shook her head. "No, it is the Lord's will that the prophecy be fulfiled, at least as far as I can tell. You would have escaped, somehow, though you most likely spared yourselves a great deal of pain by being ignorant."
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