Destiny Undone

A precocious girl realizes her magical potential.

Future Thief: Episode Number 72

Dear Reader: It’s a weekend surprise! The story you’re about to read is one of five that were previously only available to read in my published book of short stories. I have released them all here, for one week, free to read, after which they will go behind the paywall. Read, like, comment and enjoy as thanks for your continued support. The others can be accessed via the Future Thief home page.

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While not a proper hangman’s noose, the improvised knot tied by Priya fit the purpose. It took an hour to lengthen and fashion the rope around a thick branch on the stout tree and position the wood stool accordingly. The ancient book of magic gifted to her by her uncle lay at the foot of the stool on which she stood, open to the page on levitation. With cautious expectation, the young girl slipped the noose around her neck and started her breathing exercises.

The rope did not hang perpendicular to the stool, giving her enough angle to float off the seat and then back again to safety. Priya let some slack dangle in case she required leeway in either direction. During his singular instruction, her uncle taught that duress was a major element of a spell’s effectiveness. It could be the stress of battle, or a loved one in a troubling predicament, and in any case, this was why she could only levitate in fits and starts, but not to any height or distance of consequence. The simulated hanging was meant to provoke a more satisfying result.

Reciting the foreign words did not pose an issue as she committed the levitation spell to memory. Opening the book to the proper page and laying it on the grass beneath her was simply a precautionary measure. Calmed and at the ready, she closed her eyes and spoke the incantation, floating up slightly off the stool. Priya thought of the direction to travel, and her body propelled forward, pushed by an invisible force until she stopped, waist high off the ground. She opened her eyes and looked down at her leather ankle boots, dangling freely.

Off in the distance, she spotted the family dog, Maggs, running excitedly at full speed in her direction. Priya left in secret, making sure not to disturb the mutt so she could attempt the feat without distraction. Sniffing her out from such a great distance was something to be admired, but at the moment the animal caused her to lose concentration. She started to float downward and back toward the stool, preoccupied by the dogs ridiculously long tongue flopping about. She misjudged the gap and upon reaching her leg back, inadvertently toppled the stool with her foot. By this time, Maggs nipped at her toes, barking with glee, as if it were a new game to play. Priya did not share in her pet’s enthusiasm, frantically kicking, hoping by some miracle she could swim on air.

Priya floated lower, until finally all the slack went out from the rope, her hands reaching up and pulling at the noose that had tightened, pinching at her skin. The spell broke and her neck supported the full weight of her body.

“Oh no, oh Maggs, go get help,” Priya strained to say. She croaked out the words, “Now, Maggs, go,” before speaking became impossible.

Peering out over the grassy knoll, beyond the forest trees on the horizon, she thought only of her family finding her lifeless body. She could not sense if the dog understood her commands, or if its barking had ceased. Birds and crickets that softly sang their melodies had been drowned out, the pooling of blood in her head muffling all sounds. At first the picturesque scene was blurred by her watering eyes, then spots danced along her pupils and finally a fading blackness enveloped her.

Priya laid still in the grass, Maggs nuzzled up next to her, the dog’s head on the girl’s stomach. Regaining consciousness, she became aware of a pain that would arrive in flutters around her cheeks and then disappear. When her eyes opened, and the light poured in at last, she realized it was the repetitive slaps from her older brother, Taowin. He offered her a drink from his flask, but swallowing resulted in a vicious sting inside her throat. The water was cold and refreshing even as she coughed it up and out over her face.

“Your stupidity knows no bounds, Priya,” Taowin said. “Sit up and take another drink. In due time the pain will subside.”

Priya did as told, and saw that the rope had been cut by Taowin’s sword. Its frayed remains lay around the stool, the book of magic closed, but undamaged.

“Maggs, she managed to find you,” Priya said, discovering her voice again.

“That witless hound? Not a chance. I was out hunting rabbit and as luck would have it, I noticed my dear sister hanging from afar. When I saw the book, I knew immediately that some foolishness had overcome you.”

“Taowin, always the hero. I’ll have you know that the spell actually worked.”

“Worked! You call this working? You don’t have the gift, Priya. I wish uncle had never filled your head with that nonsense. Before it’s the death of you, I suggest you tear out its pages and feed them to the hogs.”

“You sound just like Papa.”

“I wish I were Papa. I would tan your hide and force you to clean the stables for a month. You’re too old to be consumed by illusions and tavern tricks.”

“They’re not tricks, Taowin, and you know it. Uncle was an accomplished wizard, fighting among…”

“Yes, fighting among King Edward’s mightiest men in feats of magic and majesty. If you believe uncle. It’s a good thing he’s dead, Priya, so he can’t take you with him on some ridiculous adventure.”

Priya’s face fell and she rose up in frustration, grabbing the book, attempting to gather into her arms the remains of the rope and then the stool. She fumbled with all three, dragging the stool haphazardly behind her while the rope dangled in a long straight line.

“So, this is how you’re going to handle confrontation once again, is to run away? Your impish arms won’t be able to carry all of that back.” Taowin taunted.

“Priya, wait!” Taowin yelled, running after her.

Her brother caught up, standing directly in her path, his sword sheathed and a bow and quiver on his back — a true warrior in the making, twenty years old, six years her senior. She maintained the innocence of a young girl, while he leaped into manhood, a stalwart protector and confidant. There was no greater love than what she had for her brother, and it’s what hurt so dearly when he made fun of her deepest desires, to be more than a bride or housemaid — to be of some significance and value outside the purview of her parents.

“I don’t want this to be our last conversation,” Taowin said.

“What do you mean? You think between here and home we’ll fall prey to a witch or a pack of wolves?”

“I’m leaving, Priya. Tomorrow morning.”

He was serious. Worse than his taunting, those words weighed heavy on her heart. Taowin would not take a wife or start a family, not for many years. Deep within he felt drawn from their village, eyes always on the moon at night and the rising sun in the morning. Mama would say the world outside our own was calling and if Taowin didn’t answer it would be worse than death. Priya swallowed, a different pain in her throat, a lump getting bigger that she resolved to stuff down into her stomach.

“Why now? What’s so important that you must leave me now?” Priya asked.

“Last night, two demon jackals attacked a family on the village outskirts. It took four men to slay the beasts, but by then it was too late. They bore the mark of the Black Guild. More will come unless we take an offensive. Rumor is that the guild lay up in caves at the base of the eastern cliffs. We must go. I must go.”

“Taowin, you will surely die, and I will be left here all alone. I would rather die by your side than wonder for all seasons if you’re still alive. Please, you can take me with you. I can help you with my magic.”

“Dear little sister. I wish that I could. Your death under my care would simply be too much for me to bear. Nothing you could conjure up would change that.”

Priya dropped the stool and rope, hugging the book close to her chest with both arms, her only remaining comfort. She would not allow the sadness to overtake her. Instead, she would accept that her brother was to become a stranger. She wanted to reach out and embrace him, but rejected the final act of sentiment, wanting him to understand that she had grown past emotional frivolity. Maybe then he would plead for her companionship on his journey.

“If you must,” Priya said sternly. “I will say my last goodbye now.”

She turned and walked swiftly back to their cottage, not wanting Taowin to witness a deepening despair bubble over into a flood of tears. He did not call after her as she hoped.

Maggs trod solemnly by her side.

Priya sat in her bedroom that evening, watching out the window at the same clear, moon and starlit night sky as Taowin. He stood off in the distance, barely perceptible except for the occasional gleam from the metal hilt of his sword. For both of them the next day would result in a shift of realities, of responsibilities and of dangers.

Supper had been a quiet affair, the four of them eating without the usual familiar banter, acutely aware of Taowin’s departure. Priya wanted to skip it, but Mama would never let her go without a meal, forcing her to attend and remain silent if she chose. So, she ate quickly, not saying a word, as Papa and Taowin discussed the best route to the eastern cliffs, how to avoid wary travelers and unfamiliar threats. It became their way of expressing love, conversing about menial details, the weather, food supplies and roads to take, instead of saying anything of significance.

For a moment, Priya considered going out to Taowin, even if not to talk, but to be in his presence for possibly the last time. It would only make it harder. She decided to sit together with him at a comfortable distance, speaking with him only in her imagination about how she already missed his gentle teasing. As she was about to lay down and let a restless sleep overtake her, she spotted four glowing red embers dancing in the night.

Priya thought her eyes were playing tricks for staring too long at the stars. These lights did not fade or move with her vision, choosing instead to steady themselves, creeping low to the ground, stalking Taowin. That’s exactly what they were doing. Those four embers were a set of two, ablaze under the direct command of the Black Guild, belonging to demon jackals. Papa recognized the threat before Priya could scream, running out, long sword gripped in both hands.

“Taowin, draw your sword!” Papa yelled.

Taowin immediately drew his sword and turned to face whatever looming threat lurked in the darkness. The eyes, casting light around the demon jackal’s head, giving away its position, was enough to ensure he was not at a complete disadvantage. The closest beast prepared to attack, and the other became distracted by the fury of the man approaching swiftly. It changed to a defensive stance and then started charging at him.

Both of the beasts were nearly chest high on Taowin, strong front quarters, and jaws powerful enough to tear a limb off effortlessly. Lunging at the throat was more likely, making quick work of anyone unarmed. Barely visible in the dark, their fur appeared the color of rust, accented by dark red stripes wrapping around their hefty rib cages. Never having seen one, Priya recognized why they had earned their name.

Not wanting to watch the horror unfold from a distance, she grabbed the magic book and started to run out to her father and brother. Her mother left to retrieve more men from a neighboring farm, so no one could stop Priya from joining the battle. A frightful anxiety overwhelmed her senses, which left her unable to help, frozen in one spot. Had her uncle been alive, he would have known how to destroy the creatures, but in her desperation her mind went blank.

The demon jackal charging her father feigned a leap, at the last moment leaning low as her father’s sword thrust above its head, demonstrating an intelligence well beyond any beast of burden. The massive weight sacked her father, blowing him back onto the grass. Recognizing he was not fully incapacitated, the demon jackal circled, growling low, lips curled and blood-soaked teeth visible.

Priya dropped the magic book, knelt, and flipped through pages furiously, trying to find a spell she could recognize, many of the words still unfamiliar and unpronounceable. At long last one of the pages came alive, unwrapping the true potential of her gift. The words shifted and changed form, morphing into an ancient tongue that she could now verbalize.

Taowin and the other demon jackal circled one another, both resolved to come out victorious. Unwilling to wait in defense, Taowin began to swirl his sword in patterns, switching between hands, twirling it around his waist and back, hypnotizing the creature with the pattern of movement. The demon jackal followed the sweeping course of the blade, unaware that with every motion, Taowin took a step closer. Before the beast realized what was happening, Taowin had swung the sword over and around his head and in a cross-cutting action down the animal’s throat. It flinched back, by then too late, and fell back dead.

The second demon jackal wasn’t close enough for Taowin to strike. Priya’s father lay helpless, gasping for breath. The beast decided its prey could not attack or defend, and leapt for the man’s throat. At that moment Priya stood, bound by mystical forces, entranced, and a fiery blue arc emitting from her hands connected with the demon jackal. A bright blue flame encircled the animal and picked it up off the ground. It tried to run, kicking the air, rising at least the height of three full grown men. The blue flame turned white hot, causing the beast’s fur and skin to char and then burn down through flesh and muscle. At last, there was nothing left except bone, falling wistfully like snow to the ground.

Priya’s father and Taowin observed the girl in quiet contemplation, only the sounds of mating toads breaking the silence. She ran to her brother and hugged him with all the intensity she could summon.

Morning arrived, the sun not quite above the horizon. Taowin gathered supplies and saddled his horse, motivated by the previous night’s excitement. His mother and father stood by the horse, waiting to say goodbye – not just to Taowin, but also to Priya. She exited the stable riding her mother’s speckled brown and white mare, saddled with her own supplies and a very special book tucked away in a satchel.

Her father stepped over, rubbed the horse’s head gently and pat it softly at the neck.

“She’s a good horse, your mother’s. Take care of her and she’ll take care of you. Don’t forget to stop for water, keep close to your brother and mind him,” Papa said.

Just like with Taowin, he could not let tender affections come from his mouth. She understood all too well his meaning. Priya bent down and kissed her father and mother, saying another round of extended goodbyes.

Sister and brother matched pace as they rode away from home, toward the rising sun, ready to face the Black Guild.