Duty Calls

BEGINNING of Chapter Three: Losankra

Vanion had been the one who led the attempted invasion over two hundred years ago. He had possessed the nation’s king into ordering Imosieb into a war under made-up pretenses. He had then used this power to start a conflict that would have torn both nations apart, were it not for the fast reaction of the Alothiace. The plan had failed once the king had control over his body again and ordered his troops back after only a few battles. Vanion was then banished to the mountains in the north, with his very own border patrol that had confined him there for the past two centuries. Magicians often live to be over two thousand years old, and this one was no exception.

His plan had been an ornate one, and the first part was carried out successfully. He had complete control of the king and was commanding that Imosieb go to war by pulling off an elaborate hoax that killed the crown prince. Vanion had then produced false evidence that had framed Amosela. Fortunately, some inside source had rapidly tipped off the Alothiace, who had then given Imosieb’s king control of his own mind and a summary of events. Right before Vanion was literally kicked back to his hideaway in the mountains, he told of a prediction he had made several weeks before.

Now, wizard’s predictions were not an uncommon thing. They showed views of a future that could possibly pass depending on a choice that was usually being made the moment the mage had their vision. Since there could be numerous outcomes from any one decision made, what was seen often did not come to pass. Some mages, however, were often more accurate than others. Vanion had been the sole mage to never be incorrect when it came to predictions. Unfortunately, he had always had something against Amosela, but that had yet to be figured out.

So, as Vanion was being dragged away, he screamed out his prediction to the assembled nobles from both Amosela and Imosieb:
“It is not I who will bring the destruction of your kingdoms, but one of your own. There will someday be born a lady of high nobility with magical talent. It will be her actions that bring the fall of your kingdoms. The only reason I made my move now was because she could have taken it before me. “
Seriana now realized that she could easily be the child spoken of in the prophecy. Suddenly feeling out of breath, she sagged against a boulder. She dropped the mirror, and it fell to the mossy ground with a soft thud. Lasarea quickly bent over to retrieve it. When she arose, Seriana was still staring into space with her mouth hanging open.

Lasarea waited for about a minute more, swaying from one foot to the other and looking around. After several minutes of watching Seriana’s startled expression, Lasarea accidentally let out a laugh which was hurriedly disguised as a cough. This broke Seriana’s daze, and she looked up to see Lasarea nearly doubled over in silent mirth.
After she noticed Seriana staring at her, Lasarea choked out “I’m (giggling) so sorry! (more giggling) But you (snort) just looked so (loud laughing) funny!”
She continued, in a slightly more subdued fashion “I really don’t know why no one ever told you that you had magical ability. Do you?”

Seriana had already decided that it would be better that nobody knew her status as princess, or as a possible cause of mass chaos, and replied that she hadn’t the faintest idea. If she really was the person who could end up destroying two entire kingdoms, it would be likely that many people would want her dead. Though she loved her country, she wasn’t ready to have herself killed when there was still a chance for things to be changed.

Lasarea then took Seriana to one of the huge trees around them. There was a strange rune on one of the knotholes, and as Lasarea passed her hand over it, the mark briefly flashed. There was suddenly an opening in the tree, and inside it there was a set of stairs. Lasarea stepped onto them, and Seriana followed. Suddenly, the stairs began to rotate, rising as they did so. Seriana quickly looked for a railing to hold onto, and, finding none, grasped Lasarea’s arm. Lasarea endured this till the stairs stopped turning, and then shook Seriana off. What the incognito princess saw when she stepped off of the stairs only increased her nausea. They were so far off of the ground! The boulder she had used for support could barely be distinguished from the grass around it.