Chapter 3 Princess Rhiannon Elan
That was several monthes ago now. It was the end of May, school was out for the summer, and there were now 7 mages: Raye, Rae, Damson, Tendai, Amberle, Yasmin, Noelle; Mage of Moon, and Katronia; specializing in animals.
The mages were all huddled around a table top, on which Yasmin was sending tiny lightening bolts at little clay figures Tendai had conjured up.
Raye smiled as she looked at each of them. Rae was sitting closest to her.
Rae was Raye's best friend even though they were complete opposites. Rae was tall, thin, and blonde, while Raye was short, wider, with broad shoulders, wide hips, and black, wavy hair. And looks weren't the only thing different. Rae was popular, peppy, and a cheerleader. Raye was a loner, moody, and often depressed.
Tendai was next in the circle. Raye had been his friend before she even met Rae. In fact, she hooked them up, at a dance, the day after Damson first dumped her.
Damson was a close friend. Sometimes Raye wished he was more, but he would never think of her that way. Ever.
And then Amberle.Amberle was once Raye's best friend, but then she met Darrell. Consciously or not, Amberle chose Darrell over Raye. She pushed her once blonde, now auburn hair back as Raye watched.
And now Yasmin, Noelle, and Kat joined the group of mages.
Noelle was short and hard to hate. Kat was tall for a sixteen- year-old, with jet-black hair falling to her waist, and glittering green eyes. She was standoffish at first, and even now was aloof.
Yasmin always wore wildly clashing outfits, and looked great in them. No one else Raye knew could pull it off.
Raye's thoughts drifted. Seven mages, and she had trained them all. She had always been a Mage, while the others were Mageborn, and she had, by far, the most experience. Her friends all knew this, but what they didn't know was her past, why she lived in the woods at the age of 15. Not even Rae, her best friend, knew these secrets. Headquarters was her home. It had been for many years, even since. But that was the past. She was happy, surrounded by her friends, and students. Raye looked around the enchanted building. It looked tiny from the outside, but it was really a three-story building, with bedrooms, computers, a living room, and a home theatre system. Everything was clean, because Raye had more than enough time to clean the normal way. The room was bright and welcoming, and there were fresh flowers on the table. Raye and Rae's cats, Flicker and Breeze, were out on the balcony. Then, she glanced at the clock.
"Oh, no! It's two in the morning! You better get home, even if it is summer," she chided. They all looked up; surprised that time had gone by so quickly.
"I'll see you guys tomorrow. We have another mage to introduce in, Jonathan. I think he might be the Mage of Plants, but we'll need to test him." There were nods of acknowledgment. "See you tomorrow. Alliah!" Amberle disappeared. "Yeah, bye. Alliah!" Yasmin was gone. "Alliah!" Cat left. "Alliah!" Noelle yawned as she too transported home. Tendai walked over to the trap door and held it open as Rae climbed down. Only Raye and Damson remained. Please leave, she pleaded silently. Instead, he stretched and yawned as Raye wiped off the table and pushed all the chairs in.
"They are all getting pretty good," he commented. Damson had been a mage longer than everyone but Raye herself.
"Yes, they have," she felt him standing as she finished cleaning up. "So, I guess you heard, huh?" he asked slowly. Raye knew what he was talking about, but felt uncomfortable on the subject.
"Heard about what?" she asked innocently as she looked him straight in the eye. He shifted uncomfortably, and looked at the ground.
"Well, um. Lauri dumped me for Loki."
"Oh?" Raye studied him. "I'm sorry."
"I'm not," Damson said clearly as he looked up. Raye held his gaze, though she was surprised, but her eyes remained cold.
"I thought you 'loved her'," her voice was scornful. Damson winced, and opened his mouth to speak. Raye stopped him. "I'm sorry, it's just, well, when you get the line 'I like you, but I like her better', you tend to get bitter."
"I'm sorry," Damson's eyes showed concern as he tried to justify himself, "I didn't mean to-"
"I know," Raye sighed as she moved to open a window. "You've told me before."
"Yeah, but-"
"It's late. You should go home. Chavin will be home soon." Chavin was Raye's pet phoenix, also her familiar. This meant she could join with Chavin to become more powerful, but she had never done it. For the most part, the years had been peaceful, at least here. Chavin told her of troubles in Clarabelle; the magical world. While these reports worried her, they were not her problem.
"But Raye-" Damson protested.
"Go home," she whirled on him. She knew what was coming. Part of her wanted him to finish his sentence, but no, she had been hurt twice already. He moved slowly to the door in the floor.
"Uh, Damson?" Raye asked slowly, part of her fighting what she was about to do. "How 'bout I walk you home?"
Damson's eyes lit up with hope. "Okay." As she climbed down the latter, part of her was screaming at her stupidity. But the other part was caught up in hope, not remembering the past. As Damson helped her down, she began to think aloud.
"You know, your dating tastes are out of whack. Every girl you've dated this year has been an idiot. Including me," she added as he started to protest. "But they all had their motives for dating you." Damson looked at her as if he didn't quite understand.
"I mean, we all know what Allana wanted," Allana was the girl that went out with Damson after he broke up with Raye the first time, "and she didn't get it." Which meant that Damson, like Raye, was still a virgin.
"And Lauri, she got what she wanted: us to break up. And me? I'm right in the middle. I got half of what I wanted. I don't know if I got all of my wish."
"What do you mean?" Damson asked. Raye sighed.
"I don't know if you really do care, or if I'm just a steady stand- by. I mean, we are good friends, and I can tell you anything without fear of judgment. But how do I know that you are being truthful to me?" Raye took a breath, then hurried on. "I can never tell, it's just like you are hiding something from me, and I can't help but wonder. What, did I do or say something? Did you ever really care, because you never said you did and- " Raye was cut off as Damson kissed her. The moon shone down on them as they stood, surrounded by full, leafy trees, alone.
"I do care about you Raye," Damson murmured into her ear. Suddenly, it was as if something snapped in Raye. She backed away, a shameful fear in her eyes.
"You don't know, you wouldn't understand!" she burst into tears, but when Damson moved forward to comfort her, she ran. She ran, tear blinded, and barely swerved in time to stop from colliding with Tendai and Rae, who heard her yell while they too were enjoying a kiss under the stars. They stared, bewildered, as she disappeared. Damson was close behind. He ran to them, panting. "Rae, hurry. I. great!" he groaned as Rae ran after Raye. "How in the. heck. does she run. so fast?" Damson asked a confused Tendai. All he could do was shrug bewilderedly. Who knows how females manage all that they do... he thought to himself.
??
When Rae reached Headquarters, she climbed the stairs to the second floor and tried to open Raye's door.
"Go away!" Rae sighed, then performed an unlocking spell. Raye must be really upset if she forgot to put a spell on the lock. She opened the door and found Raye sobbing into her pillow.
"Raye?" she asked softly as she sat on the bed. "Rhiannon. My name is Rhiannon." She said as she sat up. "Princess Rhiannon."
??
That was several monthes ago now. It was the end of May, school was out for the summer, and there were now 7 mages: Raye, Rae, Damson, Tendai, Amberle, Yasmin, Noelle; Mage of Moon, and Katronia; specializing in animals.
The mages were all huddled around a table top, on which Yasmin was sending tiny lightening bolts at little clay figures Tendai had conjured up.
Raye smiled as she looked at each of them. Rae was sitting closest to her.
Rae was Raye's best friend even though they were complete opposites. Rae was tall, thin, and blonde, while Raye was short, wider, with broad shoulders, wide hips, and black, wavy hair. And looks weren't the only thing different. Rae was popular, peppy, and a cheerleader. Raye was a loner, moody, and often depressed.
Tendai was next in the circle. Raye had been his friend before she even met Rae. In fact, she hooked them up, at a dance, the day after Damson first dumped her.
Damson was a close friend. Sometimes Raye wished he was more, but he would never think of her that way. Ever.
And then Amberle.Amberle was once Raye's best friend, but then she met Darrell. Consciously or not, Amberle chose Darrell over Raye. She pushed her once blonde, now auburn hair back as Raye watched.
And now Yasmin, Noelle, and Kat joined the group of mages.
Noelle was short and hard to hate. Kat was tall for a sixteen- year-old, with jet-black hair falling to her waist, and glittering green eyes. She was standoffish at first, and even now was aloof.
Yasmin always wore wildly clashing outfits, and looked great in them. No one else Raye knew could pull it off.
Raye's thoughts drifted. Seven mages, and she had trained them all. She had always been a Mage, while the others were Mageborn, and she had, by far, the most experience. Her friends all knew this, but what they didn't know was her past, why she lived in the woods at the age of 15. Not even Rae, her best friend, knew these secrets. Headquarters was her home. It had been for many years, even since. But that was the past. She was happy, surrounded by her friends, and students. Raye looked around the enchanted building. It looked tiny from the outside, but it was really a three-story building, with bedrooms, computers, a living room, and a home theatre system. Everything was clean, because Raye had more than enough time to clean the normal way. The room was bright and welcoming, and there were fresh flowers on the table. Raye and Rae's cats, Flicker and Breeze, were out on the balcony. Then, she glanced at the clock.
"Oh, no! It's two in the morning! You better get home, even if it is summer," she chided. They all looked up; surprised that time had gone by so quickly.
"I'll see you guys tomorrow. We have another mage to introduce in, Jonathan. I think he might be the Mage of Plants, but we'll need to test him." There were nods of acknowledgment. "See you tomorrow. Alliah!" Amberle disappeared. "Yeah, bye. Alliah!" Yasmin was gone. "Alliah!" Cat left. "Alliah!" Noelle yawned as she too transported home. Tendai walked over to the trap door and held it open as Rae climbed down. Only Raye and Damson remained. Please leave, she pleaded silently. Instead, he stretched and yawned as Raye wiped off the table and pushed all the chairs in.
"They are all getting pretty good," he commented. Damson had been a mage longer than everyone but Raye herself.
"Yes, they have," she felt him standing as she finished cleaning up. "So, I guess you heard, huh?" he asked slowly. Raye knew what he was talking about, but felt uncomfortable on the subject.
"Heard about what?" she asked innocently as she looked him straight in the eye. He shifted uncomfortably, and looked at the ground.
"Well, um. Lauri dumped me for Loki."
"Oh?" Raye studied him. "I'm sorry."
"I'm not," Damson said clearly as he looked up. Raye held his gaze, though she was surprised, but her eyes remained cold.
"I thought you 'loved her'," her voice was scornful. Damson winced, and opened his mouth to speak. Raye stopped him. "I'm sorry, it's just, well, when you get the line 'I like you, but I like her better', you tend to get bitter."
"I'm sorry," Damson's eyes showed concern as he tried to justify himself, "I didn't mean to-"
"I know," Raye sighed as she moved to open a window. "You've told me before."
"Yeah, but-"
"It's late. You should go home. Chavin will be home soon." Chavin was Raye's pet phoenix, also her familiar. This meant she could join with Chavin to become more powerful, but she had never done it. For the most part, the years had been peaceful, at least here. Chavin told her of troubles in Clarabelle; the magical world. While these reports worried her, they were not her problem.
"But Raye-" Damson protested.
"Go home," she whirled on him. She knew what was coming. Part of her wanted him to finish his sentence, but no, she had been hurt twice already. He moved slowly to the door in the floor.
"Uh, Damson?" Raye asked slowly, part of her fighting what she was about to do. "How 'bout I walk you home?"
Damson's eyes lit up with hope. "Okay." As she climbed down the latter, part of her was screaming at her stupidity. But the other part was caught up in hope, not remembering the past. As Damson helped her down, she began to think aloud.
"You know, your dating tastes are out of whack. Every girl you've dated this year has been an idiot. Including me," she added as he started to protest. "But they all had their motives for dating you." Damson looked at her as if he didn't quite understand.
"I mean, we all know what Allana wanted," Allana was the girl that went out with Damson after he broke up with Raye the first time, "and she didn't get it." Which meant that Damson, like Raye, was still a virgin.
"And Lauri, she got what she wanted: us to break up. And me? I'm right in the middle. I got half of what I wanted. I don't know if I got all of my wish."
"What do you mean?" Damson asked. Raye sighed.
"I don't know if you really do care, or if I'm just a steady stand- by. I mean, we are good friends, and I can tell you anything without fear of judgment. But how do I know that you are being truthful to me?" Raye took a breath, then hurried on. "I can never tell, it's just like you are hiding something from me, and I can't help but wonder. What, did I do or say something? Did you ever really care, because you never said you did and- " Raye was cut off as Damson kissed her. The moon shone down on them as they stood, surrounded by full, leafy trees, alone.
"I do care about you Raye," Damson murmured into her ear. Suddenly, it was as if something snapped in Raye. She backed away, a shameful fear in her eyes.
"You don't know, you wouldn't understand!" she burst into tears, but when Damson moved forward to comfort her, she ran. She ran, tear blinded, and barely swerved in time to stop from colliding with Tendai and Rae, who heard her yell while they too were enjoying a kiss under the stars. They stared, bewildered, as she disappeared. Damson was close behind. He ran to them, panting. "Rae, hurry. I. great!" he groaned as Rae ran after Raye. "How in the. heck. does she run. so fast?" Damson asked a confused Tendai. All he could do was shrug bewilderedly. Who knows how females manage all that they do... he thought to himself.
??
When Rae reached Headquarters, she climbed the stairs to the second floor and tried to open Raye's door.
"Go away!" Rae sighed, then performed an unlocking spell. Raye must be really upset if she forgot to put a spell on the lock. She opened the door and found Raye sobbing into her pillow.
"Raye?" she asked softly as she sat on the bed. "Rhiannon. My name is Rhiannon." She said as she sat up. "Princess Rhiannon."
??