A Banner Torn (Book 1 Complete)

Kaelid:

The morning sun had barely crested the eastern hills when he was awakened by urgent knocking. He stumbled from bed, still groggy, to find his mother at the door, her face pale with worry.

"Inquisitor Valerius has called for a village assembly," she said, her voice tight. "Everyone is to gather in the square immediately."

Cold dread settled in his stomach. After yesterday's training session and the Inquisitor's pointed comments about his "unusual awareness," he had feared this moment would come. Still, he had hoped for more time.

"Is Rannek, "…

"Already there with his mother," his mother interrupted him. "Hurry now."

The village square was crowded when they arrived, villagers huddled in small groups, their voices a nervous murmur beneath the clear morning sky. He spotted Rannek standing with his parents near the well, his friend's face as anxious as his own heart felt. Nearby stood Brannic and Kerethin, their expressions grim but composed.

Inquisitor Valerius stood on the inn's porch, elevated above the gathering. His blue uniform gleamed in the morning light, the silver embroidery catching the sun. At his side stood two men he hadn't seen before, wearing similar but simpler uniforms. Guards, he realized with a sinking feeling.

"People of Aldermere," Valerius began, his voice carrying across the suddenly silent square. "My investigation has reached its conclusion."

He felt his mother's hand tighten on his shoulder. Across the square, he caught Elder Myra's eye. The old woman stood apart from the crowd, leaning on her walking stick, her weathered face unreadable.

"As an Inquisitor of the Caelum Arcanum Praxis, acting under the authority of Duke Alaric, I hereby announce the detention of Kaelid, son of Daelin… deceased. Rannek, son of Josten… also deceased. On suspicion of unregistered arcane abilities."

A collective gasp rose from the villagers. his mother pulled him closer, her arm wrapping protectively around his shoulders.

"These boys will be transported to the capital for formal assessment and, if confirmed, proper registration and training," Valerius continued, his cold eyes finding him in the crowd. "This is not a punishment, but a necessary measure for the safety of all. Unregistered magic poses dangers not just to its wielders but to everyone around them."

"No one has accused them of crimes," Valerius replied smoothly. "But the law is clear: all arcane abilities must be registered and properly channeled. The Duke's decree allows no exceptions, not even for children."

Brannic moved to stand beside Rannek. "What evidence do you have of these supposed abilities?" he demanded, his scaled form imposing even from a distance.

"My observations are sufficient," Valerius said dismissively. "The Praxis does not require proof beyond an Inquisitor's determination to initiate assessment."

The square erupted in protests. Villagers who had known him and Rannek their entire lives shouted objections, their voices blending into a cacophony of outrage. He felt simultaneously touched by their defense and terrified by the growing tension. If violence erupted, people could be hurt.

"When will you take them?" It was Doran who asked, his voice cutting through the noise. Kaelid's uncle stood with arms crossed, his expression hard but controlled.

"Preparations are being made now," Valerius replied. "We depart at midday. The boys will be allowed one small bag of personal belongings. No weapons, no tools that could be used for escape."

Escape. The word hung in the air, transforming what Valerius had called "assessment" into something that sounded much more like imprisonment.

"May we speak with them before they go?" Kerethin asked, her teacher's voice carrying the authority that had silenced rowdy classrooms for years.

Valerius hesitated, then nodded curtly.

With that, he turned and reentered the inn, his guards following close behind. The moment the door closed, the square exploded into frantic conversation. Parents pulled their children closer, as if fearing the Inquisitor might return for them next. Others approached his mother and Rannek's parents, offering support or asking questions neither family could answer.

Brannic made his way through the crowd to where he stood with his mother. "Come," he said quietly. "Elder Myra wishes to speak with all of us."

They followed Brannic to the edge of the square where Elder Myra waited, her expression now one of calm determination. With a slight nod, she led them away from the crowd, toward her cottage at the village's edge. Rannek and his parents joined them, along with Kerethin and, to his surprise, Marta and her father.

Elder Myra's cottage was small but welcoming, herbs hanging from the rafters filling the air with soothing scents. Once everyone was inside, she closed the door firmly and turned to face them.

"We have little time," she said without preamble. "The Inquisitor believes he has found what he came for, but he does not understand what he's truly dealing with."

"What can we do?" Rannek's mother asked, her voice breaking. "He has the Duke's authority."

"Authority is not the same as understanding," Elder Myra replied. "Valerius sees only what his training allows him to see: potential magic users to be controlled. He cannot comprehend what the boys truly are, what they're becoming."

"And what is that, exactly?" Doran asked, his gaze sharp as he looked between Elder Myra and the boys.

Elder Myra sighed. "Something new. Something between worlds. The core shards they carry are not magical artifacts as the Praxis would define them. They're fragments of a different kind of consciousness, merging with human awareness in ways I'm still coming to understand myself."

"Will the Praxis discover this?" Kaelid's mother asked, fear evident in her voice.

"Perhaps, in time," Elder Myra admitted. "But I believe I can... redirect their attention."

"How?" Brannic asked, his voice rumbling with skepticism.

Elder Myra's lips curved in a slight smile that transformed her weathered face. For a moment, he glimpsed something ancient and powerful beneath her familiar exterior.

"I will speak with the Inquisitor," she said simply. "Alone."

"He won't listen to reason," Kerethin objected. "We've all seen how dismissive he is of village concerns."

"I don't intend to reason with him." Elder Myra replied, her smile deepening further than it should.

The adults exchanged uncertain glances, but he felt a flutter of hope. Throughout his life, Elder Myra had been a source of wisdom and gentle guidance. But occasionally, in unguarded moments, he had sensed something more beneath her grandmotherly exterior.

"What about us?" Rannek asked, speaking for the first time since the announcement. "If we're taken to the capital..."

"You will go," Elder Myra said firmly.

Elder Myra:

As the others dispersed to prepare for midday, Elder Myra made her way to the inn. Her walking stick tapped a measured rhythm against the cobblestones. Decades of practice had taught her to control her breathing, her pulse, her outward appearance of frailty. It was a useful perception, one that had served her well in her long life.

The innkeeper's wife saw her approaching and quickly opened the door. "He's upstairs," she whispered, her expression a mixture of fear and hope. "First door on the right. His guards are in the common room."

Elder Myra nodded her thanks and began the climb to the upper floor. Each step was deliberate, her body moving with the careful precision of age while her mind sharpened with purpose.

At the top of the stairs, she paused, gathering herself. Then, without knocking, she opened the door to Valerius's temporary quarters.

The Inquisitor looked up from the papers spread across the small desk, his expression shifting from surprise to annoyance. "This is a private room," he said coldly. "I did not authorize visitors."

"And yet, here I am," Elder Myra replied, stepping inside.

Valerius rose, his hand moving to the silver rod at his belt. "I have no time for village complaints or pleas, old woman. The boys will be assessed in the capital, as is proper."

"I haven't come to plead," Elder Myra said, her voice taking on a resonance that seemed to fill the small room. "I've come to… adjust your… perspective."

Before Valerius could respond, Elder Myra lifted her walking stick and brought it down sharply against the wooden floor. The sound it made was not the expected crack of wood on wood, but a deep, reverberating tone that seemed to pass through the walls, the furniture, through Valerius himself. The door flew closed of its own accord like it was going to slam, but there was only a soft *click* of the latch closing.

Outside the inn, throughout the village, Kaelid and Rannek felt a massive surge in the energy they had learned to perceive, a pulse so powerful it knocked them off their feet, leaving them gasping.

The door swung back open by itself, the light returned to normal and sounds from outside began to filter back into the room. Valerius whispered, his face sheened with sweat. "Yes, I understand."

"Good." Elder Myra smiled as she turned back towards the door once again just an elderly village healer leaning on her walking stick. "Then our business is concluded."

Before she left, she looked back at Valerius, still kneeling on the floor, trembling. "One more thing," she said, her voice now conversational. "The heartstone necklaces the boys wear. You will take those, believing them to be the source of whatever power you think you've detected. This will satisfy your superiors need to confiscate something. They will be returned to them after your 'testing'" the word was said like it was toxic.

Valerius nodded weakly, barely able to form words. "Y- Yes... Mam".

With that, she left. Her steps measured and unhurried, a small smirk played across her lips.

Kaelid:

He and Rannek sat on the low stone wall outside his home, their small travel bags at their feet. Neither had spoken much since the surge of energy had knocked them down an hour earlier. Whatever Elder Myra had done, it had been powerful enough to register even at a distance.

"Do you think it worked?" Rannek finally asked, his voice low.

Before he could answer, movement at the inn caught his attention. Inquisitor Valerius had emerged, but something about him had changed. His posture, once rigid with authority, seemed diminished somehow. His face was pale, his movements less assured. Behind him came his two guards, looking confused by their superior's altered demeanor.

"Something happened, look at him."

Valerius made his way across the square, his eyes darting nervously around as if expecting another surge of power at any moment. When he reached the boys, he cleared his throat, visibly struggling to regain his composure.

"Kaelid and Rannek," he began, his voice lacking its usual imperious tone. "There has been a... reassessment of your situation."

The boys exchanged glances but remained silent.

"You will still travel to the capital for evaluation, as required by ducal decree," Valerius continued. "However, your status has been adjusted. You are now considered persons of interest requiring gentle evaluation, not detainees."

Relief washed through him, so powerful he felt lightheaded. Whatever Elder Myra had done, it had worked.

"Furthermore," Valerius added, his gaze now fixed on the heartstone necklaces both boys wore, "I will need to confiscate those pendants. They appear to be the source of the anomalous energies detected during my investigation."

Again, the boys exchanged glances. The heartstones were just crystals they had received from the petrakahrn months ago. Yes they relayed the pulse from under the earth, but other than that they were beautiful but ordinary.

Wordlessly, they removed the necklaces and handed them over. Valerius took them gingerly, as if afraid they might burn him, and quickly placed them in a small silver box which he then sealed with what looked like wax but glowed faintly blue.

"Your advocates will be permitted to accompany you," Valerius said, not meeting their eyes. "The teacher, Kerethin, and your junior militia overseer, Marta, have been approved in this capacity. They will ensure your proper treatment during the journey and evaluation."

This was unexpected but welcome news. Kaelid felt another wave of relief knowing they wouldn't face the capital alone.

"The carriage will arrive within the hour," Valerius concluded. "Be ready to depart immediately upon its arrival."

With that, he turned and walked quickly away, his earlier confidence nowhere to be seen. His guards followed, exchanging confused glances.

"What did she do to him?" Rannek whispered once they were out of earshot.

"I don't know, but whatever it was, it terrified him."

They sat in silence for a moment, contemplating this turn of events. Then Rannek spoke again, his voice thoughtful. "Do you think Elder Myra has a core shard too? Something like ours?"

He considered this. "I doubt it, but you felt that. It was something different. Something… I don't know… umm older?"

Before they could discuss it further, they spotted Elder Myra herself approaching, her cane tapping out a steady rhythm with each step. Her expression serene but with a hint of satisfaction in her eyes.

"I see the Inquisitor has delivered my message," she said as she reached them.

"What did you do?" he asked, unable to contain his curiosity.

Elder Myra's smile deepened. "We has a lovely discussion, and he agreed that you were to be treated more kindly than suspected criminals."

"He's taking our heartstone necklaces," Rannek said. "He thinks they're the source of our abilities."

"Let him believe that," Elder Myra advised. "His superiors will want proof of something taken to contain your powers. Mages commonly have a focus that they use in magic."

She sat beside them on the wall, suddenly looking every year of her considerable age. Whatever she had done had clearly cost her energy.

"Listen carefully," she said, her voice low. "Your journey will not be easy, even with this change in status. The Praxis is not accustomed to uncertainty, and you represent something they cannot easily categorize. Be truthful where you can, evasive where you must, but never reveal the full extent of what you're becoming."

"What about Curio?" he asked. "And the journal?"

"Speak of neither," Elder Myra said firmly. "The journal you may use in private, but never where others might see its true nature. As for Curio... that secret must remain here, in Aldermere."

In the distance, the sound of wheels on the road announced the approach of a carriage. Elder Myra stood, her moment of weariness apparently passed.

"It is time," she said. "Remember what I've taught you. Control yourselves, your… 'selves'. Observe more than you reveal. And know that whatever happens in the capital, we will be waiting for your return."

As the carriage came into view, an imposing vehicle of dark wood and gleaming metal, Kaelid felt a strange mixture of fear and anticipation. The world beyond home had always called to him, even before the core shard had awakened new senses. Now that world was coming to claim him, for better or worse.

He glanced at Rannek and saw the same complex emotions reflected in his friend's eyes. Whatever awaited them in the capital, they would face it together, carrying within them the fragments of something ancient and new, something that even the mighty Praxis did not fully understand.

The carriage rolled to a stop before them, its black lacquered surface reflecting the midday sun. The door opened, revealing a dimly lit interior that seemed to him both an ending and a beginning.

With a deep breath, he picked up his bag and stepped forward, ready to face whatever came next.