Elementak Kings Ch. 1

Chapter One
Beginning

         It has been winter now for close to two months. So far the weather has been a colder than had ever been on record. On the continent of Gorranth, there is a region called Athlong, which is mostly surrounded by the Cathian Sea. The region is governed by King Randall and his wife Queen Cicely in the city of Birchwood. They live in the Castle of White, which is due to all the birch trees that surround the area.          
Most of the families in Birchwood work in the castle, for the King and Queen; they are the upper class of the working people. With the King and Queen missing from a military coup and the new king in power for several weeks, the people tried to stage a rebellion. The King had his men threaten the citizens of Birchwood with imprisonment and death.
It was late in the day, the sun was going down and golds and oranges were painting the sky. When a young boy was seen running through the district of Castleton within the city of Birchwood, The houses along the road were spouting smoke from chimneys; with the smell of family dinners being cooked. As the young boy was running past all the houses, he wasn’t paying attention to anything but getting where he was going. Heading straight for a house, he leaped over the waist high fence and ran in to the door, slamming it open. 
“MOM, MOM.” The boy yelled, breathing hard.
His mom came running into the front room, with a knife in her hand.
“What is the matter Travid” She yells excitingly.
“I stood up for the old King, and used magic to freeze the new king’s son and three others.” He said breathing hard.
“Shut the door and hurry to the back door, NOW.” She said thinking and acting fast.
Travid's mom went through the house and hid everything that could expose their family, in the magical basement. When she was done, she went to the back door with her son.
“Travid, can you put up the spell of hiding and keep it going?” She asked looking at him.
“Yes mom should be no problem.” He said positively.
“Do it quick.” She said.
“Hide me now, hide me now.” He said concentrating.
With the words fading, so did they.
“Let’s go into the woods, but not far. I want to hear what they say when they get here.” She said walking out the back door.
“Keep close mom, don't know how far the radius is for the hiding shield.” He said walking fast, along with his mom, towards the woods.
“I'm glad the snow melted last week, or they could follow our foot prints” She said looking around.
It took them a minute or two to get to the woods. As they entered the trees, the sound of trotting horses could be heard. The two of them found a spot to watch and listen, they settled down and the horses came into view.
“Listen good listen sharp.” She said concentrating. “There we go now I can hear them.” She added smiling.
“It's freezing out here!” He said, teeth chattering.
“Be quite!” She said, eying him.
“They can't hear us from here.” He said.
“No, but some of the coyotes can, and they are hungry at the moment.” She said.
“Oh yeah” He said, remembering that winter has been really cold for two months.
“I don't know what came into your mind” She said, wondering what he was thinking, using magic.
“It just happened so fast, wasn't even thinking.” He said chattering, from the cold air.
“What, do you mean, happened fast, wasn't thinking?” She said, listening to his every word.
“Can't find them sir, must have gone off in the woods” A male voice said, breaking her conversation with Travid.
“As I would've guessed, Sargent” Said a calm voice.
“You want us to go in the woods and find them, Major?” The Sargent asked willingly.
“No Sargent, I figure they are watching us right now.” The Major said peering into the woods.
“You think they are watching us sir?” The Sargent asked with a dumb look.
“Oh I bet they are close enough to hear our words.” The Major said, turning his horse to face the woods. “I would bet your life Sargent, they are using magic right now.”
“They are using magic! Which one is using magic?” The Sargent said, looking wide eyed and nervous.          
“The mother, use your head for once Sargent, the boy is too young.” The Major said scornfully and added. “Get your men together Sargent, head them back to the barracks, but leave two men here to keep watch and have them search the house.”
“Yes sir right away.” The Sargent said turning to his men.
“I wonder if they need to come back to their house. What information have they gotten, need to find out where the mother worked” He said to himself aloud.
The Major and his troops headed back towards to where they came. With the two men going into the house search it.
         “The two men shouldn't give us any problems getting back onto the house.” The boy said with ease in his voice.
“Well, why don't you just go up to the house and get the crystals then?” His mother said with a big sarcastic smile.
“Mom, you know what I meant.” He said rolling his eyes.
“Don't roll those things at me, or I'll poke them out for a couple of days.” She said looking into his eyes.
“You are getting careless Travid, if we hadn't received the information we needed. We would be taking another step back in our efforts to find and save the King and Queen.” She said engraving the severity of the situation into his brain.
“And we still don't know where the King sent his daughter.” She said, looking at him.
“Yes mom.” he said feeling a bit sheepish.
“So, what happened back at the training grounds?” She asked looking at him wanting the whole truth.
“That idiot Fredrick” Travid said, starting to explain.
“He is not an idiot Travid.” She said correcting him.
“Well, he was talking about killing the King and Queen.” He said, shuffling his feet.
“Oh.” She said shaking her head. “I guess you are right, he is an idiot.”
“Keep telling me what happened then.” she said.
“He said some things, about what he was going to do to with Emma.” He said with fire in his eyes.
“Travid, we will find Emma before anybody else does.” She said comforting him.
Looking at her son, she could understand how something can happen so fast and without thinking.
“That’s another thing that really makes me Mad.” He said. “We are getting married, and the
King and Queen didn't leave anything to tell us where she was sent to.”
“The King couldn't trust anybody; you know his whole court was found in the woods, dead.” She said, pointing a finger right in his face. “The King sent her off with the only person he could trust and we don't know who that could have been.” She added, taking her finger back.
“You two will be married in four years, no sooner. So if you want to see your bride-to-be, alive, you best be using your brain”
         With that, she turned to look at the house. It was the house she called home for twenty years. She knew the house couldn't protect her family ever again. The castle walls were not protecting her house, it was protected with spells from her late dad and mom, and both were magic throwers, as they are called now, can’t call them what they used to be called. Say the old saying nowadays “Enlightened Ones” and wham in the dungeon you go. The house was  two stories, three bedrooms upstairs, small kitchen and living room downstairs. With a magic basement, added when dad bought the place, forty years ago. Brrr, the cold air was finally getting to her to. Her mind was wandering to childhood memories and of days gone, but never forgotten. With a shiver, she snapped back to the present situation.
“I think they have gone into the house” He said with piercing eyes.
“We will give them some time to stand and get tired” she said looking at the house. “I wouldn't doubt if they put more men out, to watch these.”
“The Major is no idiot” She said sourly. “But what an ego” She added with a laugh.
“Well, let’s go on over to Nannette's house and get warm” She said turning to look at Travid.
“You think you can keep the spell of hiding up, as we walk through the streets” She asked with a smile
“Yes mom, just stay close to me” He said with a wink
“For being fourteen, you’re a lot better than average” She said proudly “Your grandparents will be proud.
“Have you heard from them?” He asked
“No, not in four months now” She said sadly “Now keep quiet while we walk to Nannette's.”
         Nannette's house was in closer to the walls of the castle, but back towards the inner wall shield. She didn't like the idea of being inside of the walls, too confining she would say.
“How could you get around, with the walls blocking you and the guards spying into every house? You know they do that, don't you?” She would say, matter a fact. “I like being able to sneak out of the house in any direction.”
Nannette's house is just off a main road, with a small alley behind, just big enough for a horse and its rider. With most of the homes all looking the same, nothing stands out. Not drab by any means, just everybody keeps up their property.
         Inside the house was warm with the glow of a fire. A tea kettle was steaming, hanging over the flames. Two women were sitting at a table. Oil lamps hung from the ceiling and were giving off enough light, to make it appear like the sun was in the room. Books were laid open all over the table; you couldn't see a title on any of them. A woman’s voice was talking.
“See here Breena, with the right type of magic and the proper crystal, one can make a man sleep for days, give or take for size of the man, women on the other hand have no effect. That is a medicinal spell too. ” She said laying the book down.
“Why can a woman touch it and nothing happen?” The second woman asked.
“It has to do with the chemical makeup of a woman.” She said, picking up another book.
“Was this the first time a Crystal Spell was used Nan?” She said eyes wide.
“Yes it was I'm glad to see you’re learning and listening all that you can, it is elemental earth magic. Everything that is made of the earth has magic; just some stuff has so little magic. We will get to those later on, too advanced at the moment.” She said with a smile.
“Looks like the tea kettle is” Knock knock knock...........knock!  “ready.” Nan said listening carefully.
Knock! Knock!
With a wave of her hand the oil lamps hanging over the table went out, all you could see with was the fire light.
“Breena, go into the bedroom, close the door, and lock it” Nan said, in a do it now voice, walking towards the door.
She opens the door, picks up an oil lamp hanging on the wall by the door, walks out into the front lawn, goes to the lamp by the front gate and exchanges the lamp already hanging there. Lights the new one and blows out the old one. Turns and walks back to the house, wipes her feet, walks into house and shuts the door.
“Nanette, we have been discovered” Said Natalie, as she emerges from the spell of hiding.
Nannette walks over to the kettle in the fireplace, looks back to the new arrivals and says “Would you like tea or hot chocolate”
“Hot chocolate please” Said Travid, wringing his hands.
With that Nannette opens a tin and scoops some powder into the tea kettle.
“So......what do you think they have discovered Nat.?” Nannette asked.
“They know that Travid can do magic” She said looking at Travid.
“Oh, I guess you wouldn't of done nothing, with what they said, if it were dad and you were my age.” he said defending himself “And he deserved it” he added
“Just what did he deserve?” asked Nan, stirring the kettle.
“Before you answer that, go get your sister from the bedroom”
“Nat dear, will you move some of those books, so we can sit and talk” Nan said, picking up the kettle.
She set the kettle down on the table, and went to the kitchen to get some cups, for the hot chocolate. 
         Travid came walking back into the room with Breena following. She hastily walked over to her mom and gave her a hug.
“What happened mom?” She said in a nervous tone.
“They have discovered that Travid can do magic” Mom said.
“How did that happen” Breena said, looking at Travid.
“Fredrick was talking about how was going to marry Emma, and then kill the King and Queen.” He said, incensed.
“So what did you do to him” Nan asked, walking back into the room with four cups.
“Well, I was standing there, leaning on my sword. He was spewing all kinds of crap about her family and when he started on her, I was getting madder by the second. Before he was done, I yelled shut up.” He said flatly.
“Then what did you do to him?” Asked Nan, eager to hear what was next.
“Well, he looked at me, started to walk towards me, saying loudly. We have a sympathetic bastard in our midst. Let’s see how likes the flat side of the blade up against his head!” He said, as Nan poured some hot chocolate into his mug, took a sip and carried on with the story.
“There were three of them, and they were with him, more afraid of him than anything. Well, I waved my hand and said, frozen ground, hold them solid. I'm very grateful for Zane teaching me that one.” He said with big smile.
“Then I took the butt of the sword and broke his nose, pretty damn good too!” He said with a chuckle.
“Then I ran fast as I could to get out of there, got home, told mom and ran for the woods, put up the spell of hiding and waited. Took them about five minutes or so to get to the house, and here we are.”
He said with a broad smile.
“Mom, you said that you have some information. What is it?” He asked.
“What did you get mom?” Breena asked staring at her mom.
“Sorry kids, not for your ears, you understand.” She said, ending that topic.
“Now, let’s see what we can do about getting some beds made up for you all.”  Nan said tiredly.
“The morning is going to be a new life for all of us.” She added.