A Realm of Seers and Shifters

CHAPTER ONE

Dark Visions

Maelona had been having more dreams than usual lately.

Not your usual kind of dreams, though. No, these were dream-visions that showed the future. That was not unusual since she was only one of an entire race of seers that regularly had dream-visions.

What was unusual was the subject—dark, violent images that tripped and looped through her mind, getting clearer each time—and the feelings of dread they left behind.

Tonight, the sounds of people screaming and the acrid stench of smoke and fire stayed with her even after she awakened.

These visions left her with the certainty that the prophecy given years ago by Sorceress Dimia was about to come to pass, no matter how much she wished to avoid it.

Keeping her eyes shut as she continued to lie on her bed, Maelona brought her hand to her sweaty brow and tried to slow her breathing and her heart rate. She could almost believe she’d been there experiencing everything herself. When she opened her eyes, however, she was greeted with the familiar sight of the small opening in the roof and just a glimpse of the stars peeking through the foliage above her hut.

“Ah, bane of my blight,” she muttered to herself. “The middle of the night again.” Sighing, she sat up and slung her legs over the side of her bed.

Then she froze.

All around her in the room, every small item—her wooden bowl and spoon, the knife she’d been using earlier, pieces of trimmed leather, her pants and boots; just about everything aside from the larger pieces of wooden furniture—was floating in the air.

Her eyes widened and her breaths sped up. She’d hardly had time to catch her breath from her dream, and she was already on the verge of panic again.

“Okay, calm down, calm down,” she whispered to herself. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, holding the breath for a few beats before slowly blowing it out through her mouth. She repeated this pattern while trying to clear her mind of anything aside from the sound of her breaths and the feeling of her chest rising and falling.

When she felt calm and under control again, she opened her eyes slowly, afraid of what she’d find. Her shoulders slumped with relief when she saw everything was back where it belonged.

“Cursed magic,” she swore under her breath. The stuff had ruined her life. She wished she didn’t have to deal with it ever again. Yet she knew from tonight’s dream-vision that her wish was pointless. She needed to come to terms with its existence in her life somehow.

Experience taught her she would not sleep again after such a vision, so she got up to prepare for the day. Staying busy would keep her mind off everything she’d just experienced, within the dream and without.

It was too early to go into the village, so she lit a candle and worked on the new outfit she was making. With her enhanced seer senses, she didn’t need the extra light from the candle, but it helped her clearly distinguish the finer, more subtle details. She’d already had the valley’s cobbler make her new boots in exchange for some of the leather she had collected and tanned from her hunts. Now, she spent the time until she could head to the village working on the rest of the clothing.

Seer guardians were expected to be capable of doing a lot of things independently, such as hunting, tanning, and making clothing, since they often went on long journeys. For Maelona, though, it was also a calming activity. When she was feeling stressed or upset, working with her hands gave her something to focus on so she could clear her mind.

She finished the pants just as the sun rose, and the vest about an hour later. Maelona tried them on, running her hand down over her stomach as she checked the fit of the new vest.

“Perfect. Well, I think I’m ready,” she said.

Her old outfit was still usable, but she wanted to be prepared for the journey that was undoubtedly coming. Many of the villagers had recently had similar dream-visions to hers. However, she, her fellow seer champions, and their Elder always received more intense and clearer visions, because they meditated and trained their minds daily to leave themselves open to them. Not only that, but the astronomers had been watching the sky and the time of the Great Alignment was almost upon them. She needed to be prepared to leave at a moment’s notice.

Maelona was happy with the fit of her new clothing; the thick leather laces up the center of her chest and along the sides of her pants currently left a small gap, which was perfect. She and the other guardians often traveled between their assigned gate towns and the seer village of Clearview in the Valley of Sight. So, they preferred to wear tough clothing that they could loosen in times of plenty and tighten in times of scarcity.

Maelona figured she would be away for longer than usual for the coming journey, so she needed two outfits that she could switch out when they needed to be cleaned. She had already packed her older clothing in her backpack, along with some other provisions, ready to go at a moment’s notice. For now, she left her pack and weapons in her small wooden hut.

Like most other seers, she had built her hut around the trunk of a large tree, hidden from above by dense foliage. Unlike most of the others, however, her home was outside the village, outside the valley even, about an hour’s casual walk away.

Today, she planned to visit the observatory to check in with Huet, the lead astronomer. The fastest way to get there was to descend into the valley, go through the village, cross the bridge over the river, then ascend the other side. It would allow her to check in with some people along the way.

Inside the Sacred Forest, it was sunny and warm even in the early morning, and Maelona wished it was enough to burn away the cold, foreboding feeling left behind by her dream-vision. But it clung to her, continuing to occupy a part of her mind even as she headed out.

The forest was alive as Maelona jogged along paths and through the underbrush. The canopy of the ancient trees high above shaded most of the forest floor, but there were several areas where slight breaks in the foliage allowed the sunlight to burst through. In these areas in particular, the light-loving flowers, plants, and ferns grew wild, painting the forest floor with spots of vibrant color.

The Sacred Forest was a beautiful, magically protected place where the weather was always pleasant. The trees here were ancient, tall, and strong, and life was lively and abundant. Birdsong and the buzzing of insects filled the air around her as she traveled.

The surrounding beauty and serenity stood in sharp juxtaposition to the mental images that lingered from her visions, reminding her of what the people stood to lose should she and the other three guardians fail in their missions. Not only did her people stand to lose much, but so did everyone in Sterrenvar—the humans and the magical races as well.

The trees and brush thinned only when she reached the edge of the valley and the slope became too steep to allow purchase for the larger plants. She avoided the narrow stairway that zig-zagged down the slope and made her way straight down instead, running for part of the way and sliding on the steepest parts. She had barely entered the seer village of Clearview when a small, pre-adolescent girl bound up to her, calling her name.

“Maelona! I was just coming to find you. Elder Berinon directed me to give you this.”

Maelona smiled at the girl and placed a hand on her head, smoothing her light-brown hair that was a little wild from running.

“Thank you, Emm.” She took the offered note from the young girl.

Emm pouted. “I really want to stay and catch up with you, but Elder Berinon warned me to go straight back to him for another errand.”

When Maelona came into the village, Emm followed her around as much as possible. Even though Maelona liked her privacy, she didn’t get annoyed by it. Emm was a cute, happy child, all smiles and lightness.

Maelona laughed quietly. “Well, you had best get going then. You can try to find me later when you’re free.”

Emm nodded, then took off at a jog. Maelona opened the note and read it. Elder Berinon Sagespirit wanted the four seer champions to meet with him at twilight. Maelona sighed and put the note in her pocket. Her journey would start even sooner than she’d feared, it seemed, and she had some things she wanted to do before she left.

She headed for the center of the village later in the day and made her way to the smithy. As she approached, a familiar face came into view and she smiled fondly.

“Aleyn,” she greeted him.

One of the first people she met in the village was Aleyn Whitesteel. It was during one of her childhood visits with her father. After she came to live here a little over forty years ago, they became close. There was a time when Aleyn showed interest in exploring whether there could be more between them, but Maelona hadn’t been ready to consider that kind of relationship. She probably would never be. . . with anyone.

She had to admit, though, that Aleyn impressed her. His time spent mining and forging the raw materials he collected, painstakingly hammering metal into weapons and tools, left the tall, dark-haired man heavily muscled. Yet, he never seemed to make anyone feel uneasy or physically intimidated. His friendly smile and cheerful voice helped in that regard.

“Maelona!” he said, smiling. “I am so glad you came to see me before you leave.”

“So you know then?” she questioned as she moved in for a quick embrace.

He sighed as he pulled back. “There’s been no announcement yet, but I’ve been having strange dream-visions. And if I have been having them, then surely you and the other champions have had even more.”

Maelona nodded solemnly. “You are not wrong. Emm delivered a note from Elder Berinon just as I was entering the village. We will meet with him this evening, and I have no doubt we will receive our traveling orders.”

“Well, I guess it’s good that I decided to give you these today, then.” Aleyn’s voice cracked, but he quickly cleared his throat and pasted his smile back on.

Maelona looked at her good friend and noticed the strain of emotion hiding behind his gaze. He turned and retrieved a large, long, cloth-wrapped parcel from a back table.

“I made these for your day of birth celebration, but as you won’t be here, I thought it fitting to give them to you now. You will have eighty-four years behind you, right?” he asked as he turned back toward her, and she nodded in response. “Only sixteen more until you reach the century mark.”

Maelona was surprised that Aleyn remembered. She was younger than most of her friends, but seers lived so long that the day of her birth usually passed without notice. It probably would have again this year if not for the dark times looming on the horizon. An uncertain future caused people to take less for granted.

Maelona carefully accepted the package and placed it on the bench before pulling back the thick fabric wrapped around it. There were a set of daggers, six throwing knives, and a short sword the likes of which she had never seen before.

Finally, there was her favorite weapon, rendered from a dark-gray metal she was not familiar with. It was a two-foot-long cylinder with a subtle oval shape about the size of the tip of her thumb at the center. This button was flush with the surrounding area, making it difficult to activate unintentionally.

She pushed her thumb in and another one-foot section extended on each side, turning it into a four-foot-long short staff. She pressed the button a second time, and another section shot out on each side, transforming it into a six-foot long staff. Now that it was at its full length, she rotated it slowly, taking in the ornate designs carved along its length.

“This is beautiful, Aleyn. You should not have gone through the trouble.”

He shrugged. “It is a fitting gift from one soul friend to another. Not only is your day of birth coming up, but you are leaving on a long journey. Scholars will assuredly write the coming battles into formal accounts of Sterrenvar’s history, so I thought you should have weapons fit for the occasion.”

Finally, she pressed and held the button, placed the tip to the ground and put her free hand to the other end. Pushing down, she returned it to the original two-foot cylinder.

She smiled and looked at Aleyn. “You know me so well.”

“Of course I do. I know the retractable staff is your favorite, and I know exactly how you like to use it. But Maelona,” he said, pointing at the other weapons, “you are going into battle. Use the sharp pointy ones as well. Some enemies deserve no mercy.”

Maelona nodded noncommittally. Seer history taught her he was right, but she was still not comfortable with that idea.

She placed the retractable staff back on the bench and lifted the daggers. She turned them in her hands, feeling the weight and balance of them as they glinted in the early morning light. Aleyn had intricately carved patterns into their hilts—symbols that were important to the seer people, including one that had three spiraling arms reaching out before curling back in towards the center. It was the symbol of the three-in-one—the Ternias.

Maelona quickly glanced up at her friend—all seers knew of the prophecy and the importance of the Ternias to the future of Sterrenvar, but she suddenly wondered if his including it on the daggers meant he knew its particular connection to her. She didn’t see the extra signs of worry in his expression that she knew would be there if he did, however, and she let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.

She cleared her throat. “These are exquisite, Aleyn. They must have taken a long time to forge.”

“I have been working on them since my return from the Dragonburn Mountains. I found the metal I used there. The nomadic tribes that sometimes stay on the eastern part of the mountain range call it galanite. It isn’t as flashy as gold or silver, but it’s stronger and lighter than any other metal I have worked with. I thought it would be perfect for your new weapons. I completed them last week, and it would seem the timing is just about perfect, since you now have need of them sooner than expected.”

“Speaking of the Dragonburn Mountains, did you find any signs of the dragon-folk rumored to live there?”

“There are recent signs if you know what to look for. But they are just as reclusive as always. I’ve never seen one in the flesh—not in recent years, anyway.”

Maelona shook her head, but otherwise didn’t comment. She looked at the weapons again.

“Hey,” Aleyn said. “What’s wrong?”

She shook her head. “Nothing. I’m thinking about what I need to do to before I leave.”

“Tell that to someone who doesn’t know you,” Aleyn said. She looked up and gave him a small smile, and he reached out and squeezed her shoulder. “I will miss you as well,” he said.

Maelona pursed her lips together to hold back her emotion and focused on the gifts Aleyn had so painstakingly created for her. “These are all magnificent, my friend, but I did not wear my straps or belt today.”

Aleyn gave her a big, warm smile. “Not to worry.” He reached beneath the counter. “With new weapons, one should always have good, fitted holders.” He plopped down a few thick strips of sturdy leather on the countertop. They were long, notched, and had decorative patterns matching those on the weapons branded into the leather and etched into the metal clasps. Maelona smiled and let out an amused huff.

“You have thought of everything, haven’t you?”

Not only was Aleyn the village blacksmith, but he was recognized as the best metallurgist the people had known since the ancient forgers millennia ago. Maelona looked over each of the weapons, getting a feel for them and admiring the workmanship. She knew she would not find such high quality, reliable weapons anywhere else.

Tears burned at the back of her eyes, threatening to fall. Carrying these weapons would be like carrying a piece of her heart with her through the coming journey and struggles.

Maelona donned the straps and belt and put her new weapons in their places. Then she turned to her friend and said, “I shall carry them with me always, Aleyn, and care for them as if they were part of myself.”

“I know you will,” he said. Then he went quiet and looked down. “Are you going to the observatory today?”

“I am. I will go there straight from here.”

“Listen, if you find out anything new. . .”

She placed a hand on his forearm. “Even if I find out nothing, I will still let you know.” She gave her friend a last nod, turned, and continued on through the village.