Priestess of Heilari

Kalina sat at the desk waiting for her master to come. She stared out the tower window at the blue sky; I wonder what it would be like to fly like the birds. She was so lost in her thoughts when the door slammed shut she jumped out of her seat. “I was just taking a short break from my studies Master Orin.” But when she turned to face her master, the man standing before her was not Master Orin. Where Master Orin’s hair was the typical long blonde locks of their elven race, this man had hair as dark as a raven and skin the color of ash. Kalina gasped at this presence of the intruder, who was he and what did he want?

He stormed over to the desk and grabbed the young woman by her bound hair; “The orb, girl where is it!”

“I have no idea what you are talking about, I am just an apprentice.”

The stranger let out a monstrous roar that could cause the mountains themselves to tremble. He flung her aside and began destroying the room, mumbling to himself. Kalina cowered in the corner unsure of how to stop this stranger. She had only just begun her studies with Master Orin and has yet to even manage to conjure the smallest of energy balls. She closed her eyes to focus on her lessons when a loud thunderclap resounded through the room. Did I cause that? Her eyes flew open in time to see a figure standing in the doorway.

“The orb is not here Arien. You will never gain its power.”

The stranger said nothing as he dissolved into a red cloud of smoke. Master Orin turned towards Kalina cowering in the corner. He reaches his hand out to help her to her feet. She takes in the scene around her, in a short time the stranger was able to scatter the relics and books around the room. She barely registered Master Orin speaking to her.

“You are safe from the likes of Arien, there is nothing to fear now.”

“What was it that he was looking for Orin? He mentioned an orb.”

”That is of no concern for you. Given the circumstances, we will forgo the lessons today, we can pick up tomorrow.” He ushered her out the door, so quickly that Kalina wondered if he was hiding something more. Once back at her quarters, she exchanged her apprentice robes for a lovely green dress. She spent most of her time studying and practicing the art, she didn’t know how to spend her time. As the horses in the stables below whinnied, she decided a long ride would help clear her mind of the events of the day.

* * * *

Orin waited a few moments to ensure the young woman had truly gone. He looked around the study and with a wave of his hand everything was returned to its rightful place. He knew Arien would come looking for the orb, but he didn’t expect him to come so soon, nor come this far into the castle. It has been centuries since Arien has made an attempt at the orb.