0
She started out as a lowly Spade8, which in itself wasn't a bad position, among the townspeople. But as her childhood progressed, her family noticed she had strange abilities not common to Cards; she could pull things to her from the other side of the room, without getting up, she could light fires upon a whim, from her crib, and pull rattles and bottles from her mother's hands. Excited, her mother, a Heart7, requested that she be brought before the current Magician.
For a card, especially one of the lower suits, to gain audience with any of the Arcana was an extraordinary feat. Most Cards lived their lives only see glimpses if the Arcana during parades and special occasions. But the girl, Rae'n, was so special that her mother and her father, also a Heart7, were allowed to bring her before the Magician.
In a small room, the Magician, the High Priestess, and the Hierophant tested her, challenged her, studied her. And in the end, they decided that she was the much anticipated sucessor to the Magician. It was decided, before she was even out of diapers, that she would be taken from her family at her coming- of- age ceremony, which would happen when she was sixteen.
1
Rae'n licked the sweet treat, cursing it's coldness and goodness. Children were seldom given the traditional treats, except on this very special day. It was a tradition to make it on this day. It was made from frozen milk and cream, taken from the blue cows. Today she would be given the title of woman and be placed in one of the woman's houses, until she was married, Vaugly, she recalled someone tellhing her something else about today, but she didn't remember it well. It had happened when she was little. Aisee, her best friend, was squealing with delight.
"Oh, you're so lucky!" Se said, her eyes bright. She was over at Rae'n's house, and Rae'n's mother had made them both bowls of the pale blue treat. Rae'n smiled nervously. While it was true that her mother was not usually very close to her, today she was acting strange. She unconciously rubbed at the birthmark on her hand, the one that signified her as a Spade. Everyone was born with a mark that signified their suit, even the Arcana. Aisee noticed her discomfort.
"Rae'n, sto-op. Y'know if you keep doing that, it's going to come off!" She giggled at the threat. It was one mother's often used. "Just think, a whole housing complex with just your suit! I wonder if there will be any other 8s?" Rae'n sighed."I'm sure there will be, Aisee. 8 is a common number." Numbers were assigned based on intelligence tests they took as children, the most common numbers being 6 and 7.
Aisee opened her mouth to continue, when Rae'n's mother, Andra, cut in. "Why don't you run along home, Aisee? We have to get going." Aisee sighed and hurriedly finished her bowl. Rae'n saw her off, then slipped into her small room for what would be the last time. 'Well,' she reflected, 'Not the last time. I can still come and visit....' But somehow she didn't see herself visiting her icy mother. Almost all of her belongings had been removed, taken to the housing projects she assumed she would be living at. All that remained was the bed which wasn't hers, it belonged to the household, and an elegant dress, played out on the bed. Cards usually couldn't afford dresses, and they only bought them for two occasions: The coming- of- age ceremony and weddings. Her mother had saved money for years for this dress, and had another stash saved for her wedding dress.
The dress was long, flowing down to Rae'n's ankles, and glimmered with a sparkle magic. The top started at a dark purple, which graduated to ble at the bottom. When she put it on, it made her look like she was wearing the stars. Her long black hair, brushed and combed and softened with oil for hours, glimmered and spilled down her back like an obsidian river. She put the dress on, and admired herself in front of the hallway mirror. Smiling, she walked back out to her mother.
Her mother smiled thinly, then asked softly if she was ready. Nodding, unable to speak, she followed her mother out of the house.
Around her, her neighbors exlaimed at her, congragulating her on her sixteenth birthday. She smiled back at them, too nervous to talk. As they neared the main street, she prepared to turn right, to the neighborhood church. But her mother signaled for her to follow, and turned left. Rae'n was confused. All coming- of- age ceremonies were held at the community churches. "But, Mother!" She said, running awkwardly in the lon dress to catch up to her. "The church is--" "I know where the church is, child. Now, follow me." Confused and a little hurt, Rae'n followed her mother.
After some time, they came to a halt. In front of them, a giant stone door loomed in a towering wall that stretched on in both directions, out of sight. Rae'n gasped. It was the castle, where the Arcana lived! And there, standing on either side of the stone door, were Arcana knights. Their armour glittered in the dull sunlight, and the decorated staffs they held gleamed with the eight symbols of the people of the kingdom: Cup, Sword, Wand, Pentacle, and of the Cards: Spade, Club, Diamond, Heart.
"Mother, you couldn't possibly--" "I said hush, child." Her mother said icily. Rae'n shrank back and stopped talking.
Her mother approached one of the knights, pulling out as she did a crumpled, old piece of parchment. She conffered with the guard for a few tense seconds, then beckoned to Rae'n. Rae'n mutely followed, staring up at the knights in wonder. To be so close to an Arcana! She looked down at one's hand, and noticed in place of where her Spade mark was, he had a short dash. It wasn't until she was inside that she realized that it was the symbol for a wand. She hurried to catch up to her mother, staring at theinterior of the castle.
Large and spacious, the room she was currently in had a huge domed ceiling. The walls were decorated with beautiful pictures; angels soared above forest vistas so realistic it was difficult to believe that one wasn't there. Great carved pillars, with dragons, hexacorns, and phoenixes adornign them, rose to the ceiling in magnificent smooth granite. The highly polished floors of glass contained pictures underneath of underwater creatures, hydras and merfolk and creatures she didn't even know the name of. The overall effect made her feel as though she was walking on an enchanted lake, surrounded by magic creatures and a magic forest.
Her mother impatiently grabbed her hand and pulled her through the room, and through others. She caught glimpses of beautiful rooms decorated like clouds, glittering starlight, and a magic room glowing with a blue light.
Finally, her mother pulled her into a vast room, far more expansive and beautiful that the other. The floor was set with beautiful reflective silver dragon scales, each as big as Rae'n's fist, and polished until they mirrored the roomperfectly. A magnificent fountain of Greenwater, the magical liguid created by watersprites, cascaded down three of the walls, spilling down over the inumerable jewels set into the blue-glass surface, collecting in a small pool. Exotic lilies and other water plants grew in the beautiful water. She could see the tiny watersprites flitting in the water. Pillars rose up to the ceiling, carved out of pure silver and inlaid with sparkling emerald rivers which climed like vines across the face of the sheer silver. The ceiling itself was made of the purest obsidian, laced with deep amethyst jewels and enchanted with a flitter magic similar to the one adorning Rae'n's dress. And on the only wall not covered by cascading water, sat two enourmous thrones, both silver, etched with the same emerald that ran along the pillars. Large pillows cusioned the seats, made from a soft silver fur. Seated uping these magnificent thrones, in this beautiful room, were the Emperor and the Emperess, and it was toward these two people that Rae'n's mother pulled her.
Share This
Email
Facebook
Twitter
Read Request
My Library
Subscribe
Flag Writing