The black-robed wizard slipped through the doorway leading to the Queen's chamber. He paused and studied the wan woman propped against the black silk pillows. As he approached the bed, his robes rustled.
The
Queen grasped the Black Jewel, symbol of her reign. "Be gone, I say. I
have no need of you."
"Your
time has passed. 'Tis time to cede the Jewel to your successor."
"Not
yet." She raised the Black Jewel. Dark rays pulsed in its heart. "Be
gone and let me be."
He
evaded the dark beams. "What of the White?"
She
laughed. "Do you think I fear that thing? My sister failed to find the
gem. For generations, there has been no sign of its existence. There have been
but myths and rumors."
He
smiled. "The White stirs. I sought and I found."
"Where?"
Her eyes narrowed.
"'Tis
where it has always been, waiting for the one who can hold the jewel. But fear
not. 'Tis not your battle. Soon you will be gone, and I will have the training
of the one who is to follow you. This time there will be no mistakes. As Holder
and
"Be
gone, dark wizard." The Queen raised the Black and poured her anger into
the gem. Thunder roiled the silent night and a great display of colored
lightning brightened the sky above the palace.
Chapter One
From The Lore of the Jewels
In
days long past, just after the world was formed and the people rose from the
dust, Mother Sun and the Sister Moons beheld what had been wrought and were
troubled by what they saw. For as people moved across the lands, chaos rather
than harmony ruled.
"We must bring
peace and order." Mother Sun spoke to the pale reflections of herself.
From her depths, she
drew molten elements and fashioned them into Jewels. The icy breath of the
Sister Moons cooled the gems. To Earda, they were sent and for each Jewel,
there was a purpose.
And from the hearts
of the six Jewels, light radiated and coalesced to become the White.
Liara
closed the Lore of the Jewels. Everyone knew the ruling Jewel was black. And
the tale of how the gems were formed was naught but an interesting fable. Her
foster mother had given her the book on her last name day. Tana's insistence
that she learn the legends puzzled Liara. What use were these mystical tales to
one who might never hold a Jewel?
She
heard a disturbance in the courtyard and peered through the open window.
Several men dismounted. Their steeds were magnificent beasts with burnished
horns. Who were these visitors? They looked to be men of importance.
Tana's
maid appeared in the doorway. "Milady Holder bids you remain in hiding
until her guests leave."
Liara
sighed. Twice this lunar, visitors had arrived to see the Yellow Holder. Both
times, she had been bidden to keep her presence a secret. Not that she minded
missing lessons, of course. The complicated exercises in visualizing had no
practical purpose she could see. What bothered her was not being allowed to sit
in company and hear about events beyond the keep and the village.
Curiosity
gnawed at her thoughts. In hopes of learning more about these unexpected
visitors to the High Sanctuary, she hurried down the back stairs and lingered
in the shadows near the postern gate. But the men had gone inside before she
could hear what they said.
Excitement
fluttered like the jeweled wings of a flitter. She was free, at least for the
afternoon. She slipped outside and climbed the path beyond the walls of the
massive stone tower. Then she broke into a run, deftly avoiding the roots of
the gnarled, wind-shaped balsa trees.
A
branch caught her kerchief and her hair tumbled free. Inky black strands
whipped around her face. Clutching the scarf in her hand, she reached the end
of the path. Clusters of multi-hued silk-sheep browsed among the grass and
wildflowers.
After
breathing deeply of the scented air, she ran across the meadow to the tumble of
rocks at the edge of the cliff. She stared at the distant gray tower and peered
at the village where the houses resembled pieces from a child's toy. She turned
and gazed at the sea and watched white froths of foam roll across the dark blue
expanse to dash against the rocky slope.
Settling
on the grass, she using a rock for a backrest. As she soaked in the sun, she
braided a necklace of yellow fiolas, Tana's favorite. To the chain, she added
blue hearts and red chyrsmas. For health, she thought.
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