Chapter 15: The Colours of Magic

A Chapter by Daisygirl

Chapter 15

Seraphina and Oliver stood together at the end of the gradual hill that was the battle field, a little ways from the fort. They’d watched while Rhea’s russet lights danced through the black and red sky, and brightened, and brightened. They’d watched while the red light had bled into the black, lighting the whole sky red, and then while all the lights had disappeared and the ground stopped shaking.

The small tremors had begun again but the sky remained blue fading to grey as the sun set.

Now they stood hand in hand waiting and wondering what had happened and what the lights had signified. As they waited the sun finished setting and the last traces of light left the sky. One by one the stars popped into the night sky, followed by the slowly rising moon.

Oliver was the first to spot them.

“Sera, look! Is that them?” he asked and pointed to two figures slowly moving closer.

“Yes! Oliver get a wagon, I don’t know if they’ll be able to ride,” Seraphina said. She put her pinkies to her lips and and whistled for her horse. The sand coloured mare galloped over from the fort stables, without a saddle or tack. Seraphina wove her fingers into the mare’s mane and pulled herself onto the horse's back. “Come on, Dancer,” she said and nudged her horse forwards.

They raced towards the two figures, and as they rode closer worry began to settle in Seraphina’s mind. From farther away she hadn’t noticed the strange and worrisome way they were moving; someone was hurt.

Seraphina urged Dancer to go faster. The closer she got the more she worried. Soon she could see that Rhea was pulling Duana along. As soon as Seraphina reached them she tumbled off her horse and asked; “Rhea, what happened? The lights in the sky, and the shakes!”

“Later, we have to keep going, the ground’s not safe and I don’t think I have the strength to explain right now,” Rhea half whispered in a tired voice.

Rhea’s tone caused Seraphina to look at her more carefully. She looked like she was ready to keel over at any given moment.

“Oliver’s bringing a wagon.” Seraphina said distractedly, her focus had moved from Rhea to Duana. For all of the time Seraphina had known Duana she’d admired her strength, thought she was the strongest, most powerful person ever to live. And after seeing the sky light up black and red and feeling the earth shake with Duana’s magic, her opinion hadn’t changed. Seraphina had never imagined a that there’d be a time that Duana wasn’t strong, even after two months of being hunted by the Crown Guard, she’d been strong. But now, she looked worn to the bone. Her breathing was laboured, her eyes closed, her face pale and marked by lines, and she leant on Rhea for support, like she couldn’t stand on her own. For the first time Seraphina had ever known, Duana didn’t look strong.

A voice cut sharply through Seraphina’s stupor; “if you’re going to kill me, I suggest you do it now while there’s nothing I can do to stop you,” Duana rasped without opening her eyes.

“I’m not going to kill you.” Seraphina replied, startled.

Duana gave no sign that she’d heard Seraphina but Rhea smiled gratefully.

“Have you seen-do you know if Jason’s ok?” Rhea asked worriedly.

“I’m not sure, no one’s seen him, but we were informed that his horse is missing, and someone was seen riding in the direction of the castle,” Seraphina said.

Rhea bit her lip and nodded grimly.

“Here comes Oliver now,” Seraphina said, and sure enough riding towards them was Oliver, his horse hitched to a wagon.

When he arrived Rhea helped Duana into the wagon and sat next to her.

“Wake me up when we get to the castle, please,” Rhea said and closed her eyes.

Seraphina mounted Dancer and rode alongside Oliver.

“What happened?” He asked quietly.

“I don’t really know,” Seraphina replied. “Rhea said she’d explain later. But whatever it was…”

“It must’ve been big,” Oliver finished.

“Yeah,” Seraphina said softly.

Oliver paused, “and Duana?” he asked.

“Oh Oliver, I don’t know, I don’t know,” Seraphina said sadly.

“Then don’t worry about it, love, we’ll figure something out,” Oliver assured her.