Prologue
I wake up in chains, binding my bruised wrists together and one of my feet to the wall. I try to sit up, the chains clinking in protest, and lean against the wall. My head hurts; well actually, my whole body hurts.
I look around, it is dark. I let my eyes adjust for a few seconds and saw that I am in a huge empty dome. I couldn’t see any doors or windows, maybe they imprisoned me inside a vayma, dungeons that are supposedly invulnerable and are made especially for notorious criminals. But it won’t hold me for long. I smiled. Well, they made the wrong decision to imprison me inside earth, I use earth.
The temperature is hot but the walls were cold. After a few minutes, I began sweating. I tried to recollect my memories of what happened. But the only images I’ve got are me and my family, dining peacefully and then suddenly, all was black.
It’s getting hotter and hotter every minute and at this rate, I won’t be able to use magic rightly. I have to be quick about this.
I let my hands absorb the heat from the air until it’s so hot that the chains start to melt. I smiled. A few degrees more and I’ll be free. After that, I’ll move on to my legs, stand up and break the wall. Easy jail break.
Almost there, almost….grrrrrrrrr….. I hear a low grumbling behind the wall. This is not good. I try to absorb heat faster but it isn’t fast enough. The wall is shaking now and I’m hearing footsteps, getting louder every second. Finally, a large portion of the wall opposite me starts to lift up and a strip of light peers below it. Then, a long shadow is formed, getting longer and longer until it reaches my feet. I hide my hands behind my back and try to see who is by the door.
She walks in short and sure strides, her leather shoes tapping lightly on the floor, a familiar beet.
“Greetings, brother” she said. I’m disappointed but not surprised. I was half suspecting that she will do something like this.
“And to you, my sweet sister” I replied smoothly. Nurumi is the type who will gain confidence in her enemy’s fears, and right now, I’m her enemy. “Pray tell me, where am I located that I may go back to the kingdom?”
She lets out a high pitched laugh, like what she does when she is amused. “You will not go back to the kingdom brother.” She paused. “Not when you’re sealed.”
I break free of off my chains, grab a large chunk of stone from the wall and wait for it to take the shape of my palm as it melted then I threw the stone to Nurumi. It hits her in the ankle and I had the satisfaction to see her eyes widen as she realize what I intend to do. My hands are still hot and I quickly melted the chains that bound my feet and ran to the opening through which Nurumi came in.
“Not so fast, brother” I hear Nurumi say behind me. I ignore her and continue to run to the door when I heard a soft three-note tune. Immediately, I fell down on my knees and feel them weaken. I look back and saw her holding a flute to her lips.
“Now, that’s an interesting piece of instrument” I say, trying to stall her as I wait for the feeling to get back to my legs. “Where did you get that?”
She didn’t answer but I hear loud steps of soldiers running through the corridor, maybe five or six of them. She waited as the shadows of them show with the dim yellow light and after a few seconds, they arrived.
I was wrong, they are not soldiers. “Priests” I whispered under my breath as I suddenly realize that I’m not in a vayma. My sister is no fool and she confirmed my fear when she snapped her finger and symbols around the walls began to show themselves through a faint, bluish glow. I’m surrounded by spells.
“You can’t do this.” I pleaded as the priests drag me inside the circle in the middle of the room. I still can’t feel my legs and I sit there, helpless, thinking of my family, my kingdom. “The empire needs an emperor.” I said, helpless, knowing that by the look in her eyes, there will be no changing of her mind.
“And they will get one, only I’ll be an empress and a much better ruler that you.”
The priests, wearing white robes, the right clothing for sealing, position themselves in the points of the stars drawn outside my circle, surrounding me and they began chanting. As they continue to whisper spells, the images around the room began to move. Nurumi closed the only opening and she stayed inside.
I know any kind of pleading won’t work, so I have to find another way out. Think, think, think.
The outermost circle at the very top of the dome glows and stops, the first seal, to keep anyone or anything from entering the earth cage, suddenly, I remember something, something that he gave me.
The second seal is finished; I have to hurry because the third seal will keep me from using my powers. I drew out a circular crystal ball, Esteria. I mutter a quick messenger spell and the ball floated from my palm. Nurumi’s eyes widen, she tries to stop me but it’s too late. The crystal ball glowed and it’s gone.
My sister shouts in frustration, lifts the wall and storms out of the room. To my dismay, the priests aren’t distracted. I laughed. I hope that whoever got the Esteria, will have knowledge enough to use it, or the kingdom is doomed.
I close my eyes as the final seal is made, my circle, to keep my heart beating for as long as I stay in this earth prison. I let the whispers of the priest become my lullaby until the circle of runes stopped and glowed brighter, and I was no more.
