Calling Of The First Magic

Chapter 2

A skinny old man dressed a black robe that had on it glowing blue that shimmered and glowed brighter, his skin looked like old leather that had been exposed to the elements fore centuries it stretched over his bones and made him look like death itself his face was obscured by the hood of the robe. As the sun set he stood on an old road looking back at the town that lay a mile down the old switch back road the people of the town coward at the sight of this marvelously evil building, they sead it had been the sight wahre a mad doctor had carried out strange abnormal experiments on the various patients, they called this place an asylum for the mad. Looking at a tall white structure that sat on the pinnacle of a cliff jutting into the sky hundreds of feet striate up made from a seamless stone as if it where a man made mountain. If he could be afraid he would have been scared out of his mind for the building emanated malice and death to those who would dare enter in it, he wonted this evil so badly he could taste its torment, he would not be denied this, it was his birthright to take it for himself. The man that stood behind him had been easily persuaded to drive him up the by only giving him a few gold coins, now the man warned him not to go in if he valued his life.

As he walked towards the structure he brought a small book out of the many folds and pockets of his robes. As he waked through the door he heard a clanging of machinery as a large metal door slid down raising dust. Undaunted he began once again walking forward the slow clicking of his boots as he advanced down the main corridor echoed. He came to a stop at a jail like door stood like it had been blown off its hinges it only hung by one he stepped passed it and noticed an old blood stain that was where a guard might had stood smiling to him self yes indeed I have come to the right place he thought and continued down the corridor. Coming to a large room that looked as though it where a sitting room, finding a high backed chair he sat down to wait fore it. He only had to wait a few hours when he heard mad laughter and chatter coming from the room next to him smiling he stood and turned around to see a large black hoard of souls it was skeletal in structure webbed with blackness bat like wings protruded from its sides in it he could see the faces of tortured souls. He saw one face come forward ware the head should be located its eyes white with death it spoke in a raspy tone

“Join usssssssss”

Laughing he stated in an low monotone voice ”No, no you are mine now”
It made a streaking sound and surged forward with blinding speed only the dead could attain, just as fast he held up his hand and laughed as he used a surge of energy to through it back with so much force that the wall cracked leaving a deafening sound in the air of the place.

It stayed by the wall and faced him than said again as another face came forward "join usssss"

“Struggling will do no good”

Surging forward, once again it was thrown back to the wall cracking it further the old man walked forward and pulled back his hood revealing a face that looked like it belonged to a dead man than spoke“Do you know what I am” answering his own question “of course not, there has not been a necromancer on your world fore hundreds of thousands of years, you could try to steal my soul but I would have to first be alive to do that. You are going to be my new pet and mark my word I can do much worse, now you are going to do my bidding from now on” laughing evilly he could see the thing he called a Noustrum “Deaths Wind” shrink back as though feeling fear for the first time in its existence, conjuring a spell they both disappeared into a vortex of bending light.

* * * *

Walking into the base room of Larissa’s tower was like walking into a massive library the ceilings were hundreds of feet high the walls lined with books and scrolls. Massive bookshelves that lined up in neat rows on either side of a central isle down this ills where tables that you could read these books that came complete with large conferrable chairs few of these tables where being used by some of Larissa’s acolytes, they were dressed in plain white robes. As he walked down the central isle he heard his name mentioned from behind a bookshelf, he leaned close to the edge trying to hear the words more clearly, one had a deep voice, the other was a feminine voice.

“Shush do you wont every one in the whole library to hear this?” the feminine voice cautioned

“Its all right don’t worry, its not like Artanis could do any thing to her” the deep voice sead

“He is our savior, what would happen if he decided to not help us humm”

The deep voice laughed and sead “come one Larissa has been manipulating him since he was a child, every thing that he has done has been after she used magic to influence him and events around him, hell she even helped his enemy to kill all those men he was with. Ha not likely that he could do anything to hurt her, after all she is one of the seven most powerful sorceresses in the world”

” WHAT!”

“You heard me she has been using him to her own means, planting seeds of thought in his mind so over time it will become easier to control him when she needs to, I am the one who helped her with this task she called it.” the deep voice sead with malice

“Fools, There is no cause right enough to mess up someone life for you own selfish needs” the female sead

Stepping back in shock, turning on his heal he quickly walked from the voiced tears running down his cheeks. At the end of isle he came upon the stairs that would take him to the top of Larissa’s tower, and her room.

Artanis walked up the warn stone spiral stairs that spiraled up Larissa’s tower, in his mind he went over what he was going to say to her still trying to make sense of what he had heard. Coming to the top he stopped at her door, his hand hovering inches from the door as he contemplated what to say first. Deciding that he could prolong his entrance much longer he knocked, from inside he heard a loud thump and some cursing, the door opened, Larissa stood dressed in her nightgown wiping sleep from one eye.

Still wiping the stubborn sleep from her eye she asked through a yawn “Yes Artanis what is it?”

He stood looking at her and than growled “I do not like my privacy disturbed stop spying on me!”

Larissa suddenly awake now, she took stunned step back, looked from his fierce eyes, and stuttered, “I…um…well” she stopped and looked at him with equally as fierce eyes and malice in her voice “Hay YOU! You don’t talk to a lady that way”

“I see, only, someone who is spying on me and I wish it to be stopped, NOW!” he shouted back

Stunned at his response, she was used to people cowering when confronted with power, him he matched that power step for step. She stated using some of her powers to make her seem more intimidating “what if I do not stop”

“I shall make you stop if that is what it takes.” Artanis sead his voice dripping with venom and a look that turned her blood cold

She staggered back tripping over the edge of the carpet and fell on her seat. She scurried back under his heated gaze, stepping in he knocked over the table and shouted as tears fell down his face ” You helped the Recq get in front of my men, dam you let those men die, you helped those monsters kill them. Yes I know it was you that helped them I can feel you when you use magic to change events. We would have made it dam it we would have been able to get to the Golden palace of the emperors” falling to his knees he slammed his fist to the ground with such power the floor cracked. Pulling his sward from its scabbard, stabbing the tip into the floor he pulled him self up and walked over to the cowering sorceress. Raising the sward for a strike he yelled “I should kill you for what you have done, dam you!”

Cetta walked in the smile on her face disappeared as she saw Artanis poised to strike down the sorceress, she screamed and hit Artanis full in the back knocking him form his feet. His sward flew off to the other side of the room; Cetta wrestled him around and looked at his grief striking face, and instantly backed off. Looking at him she asked, “What is going on? Why where you going to kill her?”
Larissa sead “you have no need to know”

Artanis looked over to Larissa “If she wishes to know than I shall tell her” Larissa got up and sat on the end of her bed as he began the events that had brought them to this point “ it began with a war a brutally bloody war of witch I am a general on the loosing side, I had just been defeated in the fields of valor loosing most of my army to the enemies berserkers. We retreated to my estate and burned it to the ground before we left to go hookup with the main army at the Golden Palace. We were days ahead of the Req army; we traveled down the emperor’s road there were three hundred of us most had lost their families and friends to the merciless Recq front liners fore they don’t distinguish noncombatants and would slaughter innocent women, children, and elders. This was a war that I was fighting the enemy was committing genocide they were trying to wipe my people form our world.

They were able to get in front of us from Larissa’s help, I lead my men around sharp bend and we were met by a wall of arrows every man in the from six ranks died.”

“Weren’t you leading them? If the first…ranks…died instant…” as realization hit her she covered her mouth with a hand and shocked expression came over her face

Artanis looked at her” my horse and I were his several times, the sudden pain of the arrows made my horse go mad with the desire to escape the situation it ran, had it not been for years of training I would not have been able to hold on, I myself had been hit in vital spots, my life blood was flowing freely from those wounds I fell unconscious, I should be at the next life with my friends and family right now I should be dead, Larissa did something to bring me here and heal my wounds. There aren’t even any scars still i feel the wounds as if they were still there” he sead pain could be heard in his words

“But this cannot be Larissa would not do a thing a wretched as that, she is a kind a good person” Cetta sead pleadingly

Larissa had gotten up and was sitting on the edge of her bed he head hanging she sead quietly” I am sorry to burst what you think of me, I did I did all that he says I have been shifting events and planting thoughts in peoples minds to make certain events happen so I could get him here. Though on my behalf I never thought that the Recq would commit genocide, thing just got out of hand as soon as the war started”

“There is much blood staining your hands sorceress, I will not kill you for Cetta’s people need you, now is not the time for your judgment for that will happen when you move to the next life.” Under his breath he added to low for any one to hear at least he thought so “I to shall be punished in the after life” with that Artanis left the two women.

* * * *

Cetta righted a chair and as she did she noticed a large crack in the floor by Larissa’s desk with the indent of knuckles at the center of it, she wondered just how strong Artanis was, looking by the window she saw his katana and picked the magnificent sward up it was nearly weightless and an edge so fine it would go through a body cleanly. She wrapped the blade in a cloth and took one final look at Larissa who had been the ideal person who would do no wrong now those beliefs shattered by what Artanis had told her of the life he had once lead. She turned and made her way after Artanis leaving Larissa sitting on the end of her bead alone and with no one to console her pain at seeing the shear spite in Artanis’s eyes.

Looking around her now empty room, she didn’t know what else to do so she put on her white dress, wondering how Artanis had been able to get by the many safe guard’s that should have killed him, the disturbing nature of her spells not working on him also plagued her mind. As she walked to her door and tried to close it she noticed that one of the heavy hinges that were supposed to hold it in place were sheared off by the force Artanis had put on them.

Artanis made his way to the ramparts his mind still reeling from the shock of the information he had learned. Looking through a parapet he gazed to the forest it would take the enemy a week to reach them and there was much to do, for refugees will be pouring through the gates in the thousands. The last strong hold of the Demon cats was here; this is ware the last stand against a highly trained killing machine. A finger tapped him on the soldier, turning he saw Cetta’s smiling face; she held his katana in her left hand offering it back to him.

“You forgot this in Larissa’s room”

Artanis looked at Cetta’s kind face and smiled taking the sward wrapped in silk. “Thank you Cetta”

“Tell me how strong are your people?” Cetta asked

“As strong as any other human” he replied

“Well you left a rather large dent in the stone floor”

His eyes widened and he looked at his hand and than back at her “I must have channeled Chikara into the punch” he stated, he didn’t remember channeling any though.

“Chikara?”

“It is the energy of life that flows through you body, you can concentrate it and create clones of yourself and make s single punch have the power to break stone.” he replied while unwrapping his sward

“Magic?” she asked with a look of confusion

“I have never done magic before so I would not know, mostly ninja use it”

“What’s a ninja?”

“They are basically assassins, bodyguards, and are sent to retrieve important things or carry them to a destination” Artanis sead

“So you are a ninja?”

Laughing he patted her head “Yes I was a ninja, now i am but a general” he smiled than asked as he pulled the ornate sward from its scabbard on his back “would you be so kind as to show me to the nearest blacksmith and see if I cant get this sward sharpened”

“Sharpened? Well you don’t need to get it sharpened.” She sead while holding down a laugh

“But it has no edge at all “ he sead and to prove so he gripped the blade and pulled down, an action that would usually leave a cut in his hand.

She laughed out loud, than taking the sward from his hands ”here let me show you how the magic of the sward works “ she than sead “hen” while holding it in her left hand and pressing two fingers on the blade. The edge quickly went from a dull metal to shiny sliver, holding it up to him for inspection with a smile “there now its sharp”

Attentively he reached out and ran his finger down the blade, a small drop of blood fell from his finger.

“Here now you try” she sead while passing the sward back to him, the edge of the blade returned to a uniformed color with the rest of the blade. Gingerly he took it in his right hand and pressed the blade with the first two of his fingers it went from dull to silver again, tossing the blade form hand to hand he found that it went dull ass soon as it left his hand, stepping away from Cetta he began to do a sped up version of his morning routine. She watched in awe as he moved with the ease and grace of a dancer his sward was a blur, every time he switched hands the blade dulled than flashed to life again it made flashed in the sunlight. As he went through his routine soldiers began to gather around him admiring his speed, the whole spectacle lasted only ten minutes, when he stopped he replaced the sward to the scabbard on his back. “ What was that?”

“Oh that, it was only simple blocks and attacks, I do it every morning to stretch out” he replied while wiping a drop of sweat from his forehead

“I have never seen some one so fast” she stated with a wide-eyed expression

“Well usually it is done slowly and precisely, it is quite taxing.” While waving at the people that had come to view him “seems that I have a few people interested I see” he sead as some soldiers came over to him, they where as tall as himself, they walked with great pride the heads held high.

“So you are the new Caragin, humm, well I guess you will do” the one on the right sead in disgust looking and talking as though Artanis was lower than him.

The other turned and kicked him in the shin, he yelped and fell to his knees, and turned just in time to see a fist before it hit him he went flying hitting the ground a foot away unconscious. “Forgive my brother he knows not what he speaks of, though your display has sparked many an interest in me“ the other sead bowing to Artanis “I shall take my brother back to the barracks though his pride might be wounded he will live” whit out even waiting fore an answer he walked over to his brother and picked him up as though he weighed nothing and walked off.

Looking at his back Artanis wondered once again why he was helping these people, turning back to Cetta he laughed at the shocked expression an her face. “Come there are many preparations needed to be made”

“Preparations for who” Cetta asked

“For the thousands that will be arriving within the week, this is the final and only strong hold your people have, is it not?” Artanis responded

“You think that there are survivors?” she asked again

“There are always people that survive, that is how your people have made it this far isn’t it” He sead optimistically clapping his hand on her shoulder

* * * *


Larissa looked over he balcony down at Artanis and Cetta as they strode away to make more preparations for the coming battle that would decide the fate of these people. She sighed wondering if she had done the right thing in altering the events that had made up Artanis’s life, his words still hung in the air, also she had heard what he had muttered under his breath “I to shall be punished”. Aside from that she had made a complete mess of things like she always did “why o why does he still help us, why does he persist, he has no one to go back to or to hold him any more. Did I really need to alter events on his world?” she asked herself, no answer came.

She felt a tear run down her cheek, it had been a long time since she felt so drained and useless she could no longer help anything her power was at its limits. It all rested in the people and their new ruler, whether she had meddled in his life too much for him to be any use was now up to how the events of the next month would unfold and how fast he could train up those that would fight. She had watched the show he had put on, his speed bordered on inhuman, no way should he have been able to weald that sward so fast and accurately, even with her endowment of strength given to her through a rune of power, that gave her ten times the Norman strength of a human, she was barely able to hold her hand steady when she coroneted him. She looked down, there was a small dent in the shape of a fist with small cracks that fanned off it ware Artanis had punched the floor, she crouched and touched it, the mark collapsed and dust flew leaving a small crater the size of a palm one inch deep. She jumped back looking at the small crater in he floor and wondered if she could have stopped him at any time, she came to the conclusion that if he had wonted her dead she would be Cetta’s intervention on her behalf was no intervention, the thought of that much raw power coursing through Artanis was terrifying especially for the enemy that was coming. Artanis could easily become the most powerful man on their small planet and the only thing that stood between him and that was time and a young girls love.

* * * *

The old man clad in a dark cape with the hood pulled up to obscure his face, looked around the dark camp, the soldiers loitered around the burnt out ruins of the demon cats town, he stalked around the corps of one of the towns many defenders cut down in the skirmish that had happened the day before. He made his way to a drab tent whose inhabitant he could not stop thinking about, as he pulled aside the hanging cloth that served as a door he heard a slight scuffle from inside. Quick as a cat he threw a hammering blow with his Cain to the head of a guard that had been keeping an eye on the alchemist; the body fell to the floor with a muffled thud. He made his way silently to the side of her bed and leaned over gently shaking her awake, as she rolled over he clamped his hand over her mouth and motioned her in the low light to be silent as a guard passed on the other side of the canvas wall. She slowly got up and glared at him and sead in a barley audible voice “ What you be wonting old man?”

“I have come to take you and those captured away from here” he replied a kind smile on his face

“ Even if you be a daemon there is no what we could get those poor souls out from behind ten thousand men that be guarding them” she angrily stated

“ That is why I took the liberty of adding one of those powerful sleep agents you gave me to tonight’s soup” letting out a laugh “ All who ate the soup will be asleep till tomorrow morning, we can make our escape tonight”

“ You be daft old man ho far till the general finds out, how far can we make it, after all he does have a spell on you”

“bagh that was simple I have that figured out months ago, just cast a simple counter, I was only biding my time for the opportune moment” the old man sead

“Words mean nothing show me results old man “

“Blast it woman fine” he sead as he grabbed her hand an lead her out of the tent, there were sleeping soldiers all around even most of the knight watch was asleep were about to fall asleep.

They came to a large wall made from logs that had been harvested from the nearby forest to keep the prisoners penned up like animals. The old man walked up to the man guarding the gate, before the man had a chance to say halt the old man struck his temple the man fell with out a sound. He than walked up to the gate and used a simple strength spell to force the bared gate open, as it opened, inside he could see the young women and children that had been taken as prisoners to be sold off as slaves cowering in the far corner, leaving Marci at the entrance he strode up to the people and stated “you are all once again free, come with me and we shall be out of this hellhole, we will make our way to the nearest town and tell them to go to Farnlef, there, you shall make a stand”

The bravest young woman sead “ What good would it do there are to man of them, Farnlef has only a small garrison we will all die there”

Laughing he sead ” haven’t you heard the one of prophecy has arrived fore your people, your salvations is at hand”

They all stared at him blankly, a girl walked up and hugged the old mans leg crying, “ Really, Opai we are safe now”

He ruffled the Childs hair “ yes now all of you come if you wish to have a future” without another word the rest of the daemon cats came, as he approached Marci he smiled she crossed her arms

Standing in front of him she sead in a small voice” well you are good with children” with a sarcastic not she added “Opai!” shaking her head she fell in behind the last woman helping her carry one of her three children a little bow barely one year old. They quietly made there way through the camp stepping quietly over unchonshious soldiers and guards, once at the edge of the camp they began to run, despite his age he could still keep up the cat daemons with the help of a spell he cast on Marci and himself. They made good time by the time the first rays of the sun came through the canopy they were ten miles form the camp, he sat in font of a towing water fall on an outcropping of rock taking in its beauty as the others drank deeply and rested at the waters edge, Marci came up beside him and sat down stroking his stringy white hair she leaned on his shoulder.

She spoke in a warm voice “ thank you for getting me away from there, for daemon your have a kind soul.”

He chuckled “ Taws nothing lass, you should see me on a good day.”

She looked at him and asked, ”won’t you tell me your name old man?”

“It is Neceum Storm Slayer”

They sat in front of the waterfall enjoying each other’s company for a while, forgetting about the bloodshed that happened, the danger they were all in. An hour later Neceum rose helping Marci to her feet he spoke out loud and sead “ All of you know ware Farnlef is, so this is ware we part ways you all go to Farnlef, and tell those there what happened. I now go to the closest town and warn them” than to Marci he sead “ You must go with them to Farnlef my dear”

“ I will do no such thing” she responded

“ Please do this fore I have much to do, as well you skills at healing and herbs will be needed there more than with me, there is much preparation that boy has yet to do.”

“ Vary well” she sead nun to happy about being ordered around.

* * * *

Artanis looked around Cetta’s quaint house, it had little furnishing but had many paintings, and wall rugs adoring the walls, she walked boldly in front of him as they came to her main room. She spun on her heal spreading her arms to the sides he face shone with a radiant smile, “well this is it, this is my house”

“ So tell me why we are here again?” Artanis sead quizzically

“ Because you will be bunking in my place.” She replied still smiling

He stood there for a minute than laughed and looked at her “ you are willing to share your house with me”

“Yes why not?” she asked he smile fading turning into a frown

“ Its not that I… umm… well it’s just that ware I come from it is frowned upon for those that aren’t married to live together” he replied

“ Well you will just have to forgo your customs this is war and though you may out rank me there is just no room any ware else so” she sead as she stuck her tong out and made a face and laughing

He tried keeping a strait face but failed and burst out laughing, something he had not done since he was a child, she brought out a lighter side of himself, making him feel more like he was ware he was supposed to be.” Very well but I wont a cot, and ill sleep in the main room.”

She laughed and than hugged him kissing him on his cheek, he blushed, no one had shown him so much affection in many years, and it felt good. She broke off and hurried off to likely get some linen for his bed, he stood in the main room for only a few minutes. She returned walking into the living room her arms cradling clean folded white linen, nodding at the door she sead “ the cot is in the shed out back”

He walked out the door and around the side of the house and got the cot from her back shed.

* * * *

Cetta watched from a chair looking on his troubled sleeping form as he tossed and turned mumbling out orders, this brought a tear to her eyes she saw that all he had known was war all he dreamed was war. His face a grimace no smile graced his lips at night his soul was in great pain, he hid it well during the day but the truth came out at night when he succumbed to its pain and could not hide it under a calm face. She gently touched his brow seeking to comfort his pain to no avail, stroking his hair gently with love singing a song that he mother had sung when she had nightmares. As she did this he began to calm down and she saw the grimace on his face lighten so only trace of his sadness showed, she held up the covers and slid in beside him this she thought is a night you need me more than you think as she finally pulled the covers over them she looked into his face it was peaceful and calm almost happy, she fell asleep laying beside him.

She woke the next morning alone in his bed she was afraid for a moment, she spotted him sitting at her table eating some bread and eggs. She looked at him he was totally dressed sitting at the table quiet reading a piece of parchment as he ate she noticed a man standing at the door he was bloodied and sported field dressings with dried blood on them, he held myself up by a crutch his leg was bandaged as she took in the man the piece of parchment’s meaning manifested it self to her. He jaw dropped as she looked again at Artanis sitting there reading the not a solemn tone had over taken his aura.

“Has it begun?” she asked in a small voice

“Yes, the refugees began entering the gates early this morning…” he replied than looked over at the man ”you have done well captain please go to one of the hospitals and get those dressings checked”

The man smiled and saluted than turned around and hobbled down the small walkway to a small cart filled with injured. Cetta looked back at Artanis and than back to the cart as it pulled away.

“Who was that?” she asked

“He was one of the town guards that survived the initial assault from you home town” he replied with a small smile

“How did… are my parents…”

“This is a list of the dead and the size of the force that attacked” he held out the parchment to her.

Grabbing it out of his hands her eyes scanned the document for the names of her parents, as she scanned Artanis hoped that her parents weren’t among the two hundred and fifty two dead. It took her several minutes to scan the list when she finished she began to cry but they where not tears of sadness they were those of happiness, she looked at him and through her arms around him “ there not on the list there not there, so they must be alive” she almost shouted, “ware are the survivors being housed?”

Smiling he sead “ hey are in warehouse number fifteen that was emptied of Sterls and converted to temporary housing this morning.”

She let go tears still flowing down her face she grabbed onto his hand “come on you must meet them”

“Okok just let me finish my…” he was cut off as she pulled him out the door and down the street.

They made there way around the winding streets to a small cluster warehouses, they went to one marked fifteen and there they saw the three hundred survivors of Cetta’s town, as soon as one noticed Artanis he fell to his knees and began to recite the pledge soon after he did so many others began to fall to there knees and began reciting their loyalties to him, blushing he told them to get up and asked Cetta’s parent to come forward. An elderly couple walked forward the man was a foot taller than himself burly obviously in trim shape his muscles corded with age his hair slightly gray around the edges his beard as red ass the sun, he sported the gruff hands of a long time smith. The elderly woman was smaller than the old man by three feet Cetta was only slightly taller she looked fragile, completely opposite of her husband, her hair was silver and shoulder length. As soon as the old woman spotted Cetta she ran to her daughter crying and hugging her they both cried together tears of joy, her father came up to Artanis and looked him striate in the eye his eyes gray and hawk like seemingly piercing his soul searching when he found what he wonted the old man held out his massive hand “my names Cullen my lord”

Artanis smiled as he took the man hand in his “I am Artanis just plane old Artanis, I am in need of a blacksmith’s you appear to have been one in the past, I need more weapons if I am to out fit every one in this city”

“You intend to give every one a sward and armor than lad, I have heard tell that these storehouses carry hundreds of tones of Sterls, judging by the size of this one id say it held maybe eighty thousand bars of refined Sterls, more than enough to outfit an army of a thousand with armor and weapons. My god lad that’s a lot of men to be fighting with” the old man Cullen sead

“Yes and we will need to empty all the sores there are thirty storehouses as big as this and twelve larger one all of witch have to be emptied by the end of the month to make weapons and armor, also there is need of smith to make medical equipment and siege weapons” Artanis replied

“Well lad I haven’t made a sward in a long time but I can still do it, but I don’t have my tools with me left them at our old home“ Cullen sead with s frown

“Don’t worry you can make new ones, just pick out a forge on one of the upper levels and ill have two thousand bars of Sterls sent within the hour” Artanis sead as he broke off the hand shake

“Thanks lad, you have the workings of a military mind and it is a well tuned tool but forget not that we only do so much in the time allotted” the old man sead with a smile as Cetta broke off her mother and began to hug him he laughed as she hugged him he ruffled her hair and plucked her up and kissed her cheek smiling and laughing. Than he asked her “now now girl it is nice to see you but ware is that lazy brother of yours”

She laughed and sead “oh he’s probably still asleep at the barracks, since he became a captain he’s been getting lazier”

Her mother came up and looked over Artanis and sead to no one in particular “well I guess heel do” she stuck her small hands on her hips “I’m Tessa Cetta’s mother and a doctor”

“Nice to meet you mam” Artanis sead as he bowed

“Now that is strange a Caragin bowing to his subject” she criticized

Artanis looked confused so Cetta stepped in “mother please behave your self he is our leader and he is here to help us. Plus I intend to marry him” she laughed as they all stood in shock, Artanis looked at Cetta and almost choacke don his toung

“Marry… you…” he could barely get out over the lump that had formed in his thought “well…I ungh…”

She laughed and winked at him “I do so love you”

“I love you to…” he stood there not knowing what to say so he smiled and than kissed her, her father looked to be overjoyed at the prospect her mother on the other hand scowled.

“I don’t like this in fact I forbid you to marry him” he mother stated as slammed her foot down

“I don’t think you have any say in this my dear, our daughter is just as stubborn as you were when you were her age” Cullen sead as he placed a hand on his wife’s shoulder

Her face softened and she smiled “I was never stubborn, it just took me several years to get you to marry me”

“Stubborn lass stubborn” Cullen sead again

Tessa punched him in the arm and he feigned pain by holding it and rubbing it laughing asked at the same time “when is the ceremony”

“I don’t know” Artanis replied breaking off the kiss

Cetta looked at all three of them and sead “as soon as we get everyone settled in here ill go get a priest of the forest well have outside of Larissa’s tower ware the Caragin shall be wed”

* * * *

A crowed gathered at the base of Larissa’s tower, there a two thrones stood atop a raised portion of brilliant white stone, Artanis was now robed in the attire of a Caragin red silk shirt embroidered with gold an silver emblem of office on his left breast, black silk pants held up by a soft leather belt, to his left side was strapped the sward of office, to complete it he war a deep red cape edged with black fur. All of the people had come the injured were given the front row, the crowed was orderly and all standing in silence there were split evenly down the middle leaving a way for the Caragin’s mate to walk down. Tessa stood to hi right and Larissa to his left both wore light blue dresses the priest ware simple green robes and sandals.

The procession of priestesses began they all wore simple forest green dresses the all held a bouquet of simple flowers behind them Cetta walked behind her father who was dressed in a simple with shirt and black pants on the shirt embroidered in silver and black a hammer above an anvil, Cetta wore a white blue dress her hair was in a pony tail and braided it fell down to her mid back, her flips were painted dark red and her eyed shadowed, in her hands she held a small oak sapling. Once the procession reached the raised stone ground her father broke off and stood beside her mother, the priestesses broke off and went to either side. Cetta bowed to Artanis offering the small sapling to him he took it, she was blushing deeply as she came to stand on his right.

The priest began “we all serve the world and in return she serves us, the will of mother earth is our duty, these two now begin a new life together as two separate halves now combined in one, they will serve each other as equals in all aspects of life. Oh mother of all mothers here us now these two will now take vows to protect and serve you as you do them, through the bad and the good you are now and forever bound to the earth as she is to you.”

Cetta and Artanis crouched and pulled away small patch dirt making a hole placing the sapling within the newly made hole.

“You are now apart of earth and she is now art of you this tree now stands as a link between you and mother earth, as it grows so to will the bond between you, she will provide you with the strength to go on in hard time as you will provide your lives to protect her during hard times. You are now twin souls joined to one now and forever” he bowed as they both stood back and kissed, the cheer from the crowed made the ground tremble, Larissa smiled Cetta’s parents cheered with the crowed.

Throughout the night the people celebrated by drinking and dancing in the streets, while Artanis and Cetta had retired to their new home that only a ruler that had taken a mate was allowed to use. Their room was larger than most common rooms in an inn, there was a four post king sized bed at the top of the room, the furniture was well made and decorate. The room was divided buy a large royal purple silk curtain