Uncovered Projects: False Prophets: Part Three

I had inetdned False Prophects to be a trilogy (because at the time I was writing this trilogies were all the rage". The stories would have detailed the three siblings adolescence, adulthood, and then healing from their trauma.

Alchera, as the basis for all magic, has many branches. There are countless forms of conjuring it and controlling it. Each way has it’s own practice and foundation. The easiest form of alchera is through spoken enchantments. Other forms include War Paints in which a user coats their face and body with paints made from the earth to channel the magic. There’s music in which special instruments can bring forth the magic of alchera through notes and songs. The hardest form to master is sign language. Unlike spoken alchera sign language is like an entire movement of the body. Certain signs require the use of difficult poses and using special charms. Those who master sign language alchera are called the true masters of the alchera arts. But there are also forms of alchera that are no longer practiced and are even outlawed. These forms of alchera are called Archaic Alchera, or, Hindered Alchera. But above all they are forbidden and punishable by death.

Gerard

May 8th, 1897

The dining car is nearly empty as we take our seat at the table and look over the laminated menus. Most of the foods were deli type things, sandwiches served with chips and glass bottles of pop.

“The onion chicken looks good,” Roz murmured, pointing it out for me on my menu. “Oh wait,” she moved her finger down. “They have pulled pork, your favorite.”

“Thanks,” I chuckled. “But I can read.”

She retracted her hand and sniffed, “just being nice.” Her eyes glide back down her menu. I knew she was going to pick out the turkey on rye. She loved good rye bread.

“I think I’ll try that onion chicken,” Jules said from the other side of the table and he placed the little sheet of cardstock back in the napkin holder.

Roz laid her menu down and sighed.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

She looked up at me with suspicion then shrugged, her mouth crooking upward at and odd angle. “I wish we could of stayed long enough to see if Major Lady was going to be alright.”

I snickered. “That’s what you’re worried about?”

Roz frowned. “I’m surprised you’re not worried about him considering he‘s your drinking buddy.”

“I am worried, but I just figured that he would be the last thing on your mind.” I said putting my arm around her shoulder.

“So what if that woman is still alive?” Roz growled lowly. “What else could possibly change for me?” She shook her head then and rubbed at her eyes. “I don’t want to think about it. Alright? If worrying about Major Lady is keeping it out of my head then so be it. He saved my life. If he hadn’t of risked his own, Albert would have had me.”

“It’s fine. I’ll stop pestering you about it.” I replied. “Trust me, the Greenways are the last thing any of us want to think about.” Easier said than done. All I could think about was Lilith my mother’s older sister and a certified psychopath. Some say Greenway was a brilliant surgeon and healing alcherist before he met Lilith. Even Mom avoided her. Now I’m thinking about my own mother, Angeline, which is just as bothersome. She abandoned us not long after Jules was born. And no word or appearance when her husband died either. All I owe her is the thanks for giving me the blood of an Alcherist.

But my anger at my mother is nothing  compared to what Roz must be feeling for her own. What was Roz even feeling now? As I looked at her sitting beside me she looks as cool and collected as always. I wish I could of seen her fly off the handle at Leopold, but that in itself is a reason to worry. Roz has never once raised her voice to Leopold. I know Roz is a tempest. Three years ago, after an attack on North Base, she completely lost her cool and entered into a state I could only compare to a wild animal.

“Gerard?” Roz asked and I snapped back into reality. She was watching me watch her. She crooked her eyebrow and I had to laugh.

I reached out and pushed her hair behind her ear. “Something in your hair.” I said and grinned a little wickedly. “It was a bug.”

Roz sneered at me in a sarcastic way then folded the menu and shut it on the table. She took a deep breath and sighed. “The air is so fresh here.”

It was true. We could already smell the crispness of the south. South base was nestled high in the mountains with the snow and ice and was a closely guarded military secret. Only higher ups like Leopold and Queen Haydee knew exactly where it was. South base was where all the secret weapons were developed and made as well as special testing of the biological variety. It was also a maximum security prison for war criminals, the country’s most wanted, and other dangerous psychopaths. Only the toughest of the tough got stationed at South base. There was a second South base that was the equivalent of a hotel lounge in terms of it’s use. It was for the public, not many people knew about the secret base.

After we ate we went back to our cabin. I stretched out and got comfy as I digested. I laid my legs across Roz’s lap while she wrote in the log we had to keep for our trip. Jules took out his guitar and began playing.

“Who is head of South Base now?” Roz asked.

I opened my eyes and looked at her looking at me. “Oh…isn’t it Trudence?”

“That fellow with the nose?” Roz said, sticking out her thumb and forefinger and sticking them to her face to simulate a huge nose.

“No,” Jules said. “I mean, yes he was the one with the nose but he isn’t over South Base anymore. I think he was caught using government funds for…” he flicked the side of his nose with his index finger.

“A nose job?” Roz chuckled and we all laughed.

“Not exactly.” Jules strained. “I thought it was Wolfgang.”

“Alonzo?” Roz gasped. “Oh wait! You’re right!”

I sat up and swung my feet back down onto the floor. “I remember. Leopold placed him down there until they found a decent replacement. Besides, considering he’s a legal necromancer his knowledge is very valuable.”

“I’m excited now.” Roz replied. “I haven’t seen Alonzo in so long.”

Colonel Alonzo Wolfgang and Captain Scout Jean-Lewis were among Leopold’s Chosen Ones. They had also always been the head of Leopold’s magic research team so it was no surprise they’d be at South base. Wolfgang was famous in many ways. He was one of the few legal necromancers selected by Queen Haydee. As well as a special agent within the Black Ops. We had had the luck of working with Wolfgang a couple of years ago but it had been ages since we had seen more than brief flashes of him. 

Roz laid down her journal and began rubbing my legs. “You look tired Gerard, go to sleep alright?”

“I won’t fight you.” I yawned, pulling my coat up over me. 

July 26th, 1887

I can remember it clearly now. It was during July right as the Summer Carnival  was getting into full swing. I was using alchera sign language to conjure up water. I’d then make it dance and slither into shapes using the feather of a swan as a wand . It was then Roz would take ice, eat it and using paint made from mint and lemons, painted symbols on her face and summon the cold in her belly. Blowing like the wind she would freeze the water into the shapes I commanded it. Jules would then use Roz’s paints to write runes on his hands so that when he touched the ice it melted as if near fire. He would then mold the ice into something like an angel or rabbit, whatever the crowd asked.

We had noticed two men watching us throughout all our acts. They were dressed in military blues. One was older, tall and scruffy. The other was young and pure looking but had the most sour look on his face. When our show was over the two soldiers approached us. The older one we knew, he was Arthur Logan and it had been him who had brought us Roz. His companion was an angel haired, handsome faced, Romanesque youngling who rubbed me the wrong way no matter what he did or said. This of course was Leopold. 

“You kids are amazing!” Arthur bragged loudly. “And you’re only eight?”

“Actually, sir,” I said sternly. “Roz and I are eleven and Jules is ten.” I was trying to sound much older than myself.

Arthur chuckled. “Well you kids look great for your age.” He rubbed his chin, inspecting us each briefly. “Say, what else can you do?” He patted me on the head playfully, at which I scowled.

“Who wants to know?” Aunt Imogene suddenly appeared behind him with Gabriel in tow. “What does the military want with these children?”

“Oh!” Arthur seemed absolutely terrified. “You must be their mother.”

Aunt Imogene was an intimidating woman, especially right then in full mother bear mode. Her dark hair pulled back and away from her face, tied tightly into a twisting braid of black-brown and red, made her look like a scorpion ready to strike.

“Like hell I gave birth to these things.” Imogene scoffed indignantly at him. “I’m just their neighbor who happens to worry about their well being.” She pulled Gabriel forward. “He’s their father.”

“Ah! Wonderful!” Arthur elbowed Leopold in the ribcage. “Give him the papers, kid.”

Leopold took the folder and papers held under his arm and handed them over to Dad. “The military is looking for people capable of using powerful magic. Especially alcherists. The Queen is starting an enactment to bring back alcheringa.”

Imogene grumbled, black eyes flashing. “They’re only babies!” Showing her fangs. “And you already want to bring them to use as your personal human weapons?”

Dad gave her a soft smile. “Calm down, Ima. Lets hear them out before we chew them out.”

Imogene stiffened, adjusting the color of her coat around her neck. Her dark skin flecked with sweat, breathing heavily, she had run here I figured out. Someone must have mentioned the military vehicle, and she put two and two together, grabbing Dad and racing here.

“Not to worry. I’m an alcherist myself.” Leopold said in a self assured voice, showing off his Licensed Alcherist badge. “I’m a full time soldier by choice. And I can tell you that these three have more potential than most professional magicians do.”

“I see then.” Dad handed the folder back unopened. “I’m sorry, but I don’t want my children to go into the military. They can if they want to in the future.” He put his hand on my shoulder. “But for now it is my decision and I firmly say no.” Gabriel pulled us into his arms. “If you’ll excuse us.”

Aunt Imogene snapped them looks as we walked away, commanding them silently not to follow.

It wouldn’t be another four years until we saw them again.

I can remember us three talking about it later after Aunt Imogene had left and Dad dragged himself off to bed. Roz had snuck into our bedroom, curling up beside Jules.

“What do you guys think? Military alcherists?” Jules asked.

Roz shrugged. “Why now? We aren’t even teenagers yet.” She sighed, disappointed in a way. “I didn’t think you could even sign up for the military until you were seventeen. And to get licensed you have to be sixteen.”

“But you heard them.” I said eagerly. “We’d probably have more of a chance in the military. And the Queen wants to bring alchera back!” I was grinning. “Imagine if we could teach people how to use it. Wouldn’t that be weird? Kids like us?”

The two soldiers who had come to see us had sparked my interest. If we were of interest to them now just think how talented we’d be a few more years time. I begged Dad constantly for more books. I even went so far as to ask Roz and Jules to save up their allowances so we could buy the books ourselves. I also took up a couple of odd jobs in town to earn more money.

One day while delivering papers I crashed by bike, rolling down a ravine, and broke my leg. I was lucky Dad was a doctor but he gave me explicit instructions to stay off my leg for a month. After that I’d have to wear a cast for another month. I took the opportunity to study my trade. For weeks I studied and studied. Sometimes I’d study straight through the day and night. 

One night, Roz came into my room and sat beside me.  She looked over at Jules’ sleeping soundly. “Get some sleep, Gerard.”

“I’ve almost finished this chapter.” I mumbled.

She put her hand on the book and pushed it down. “You work so hard.” Roz whispered. “Is it because of those two soldiers? Are you trying to impress them?” She locked eyes with me, challenging. “They aren’t important.”

I looked up from my book at Roz’s face. She reminded me of a disappointed mother. Then again, I was just guessing. My mother was actually the real disappointment.  So I could only guess that’s what Roz looked like then, but only because it hurt me to see her looking so sad. 

My stiffened my jaw. “So what if I am?”

“Dad doesn’t want us going into the military, Gerard!” Roz clamped her hand around my elbow, a practice she does religiously to this day. “It killed him just knowing that they wanted us to begin with.” She gave me a shake. “So please Gerard, just stop it. Put those thoughts behind you. I don’t want to worry Dad anymore than we already are.”

I stared at her. “He doesn’t worry about us. What are you talking about?”

“He’s not an alcherist!” She exclaimed softly. “It was your mother’s side, my mother’s side, of the family. Alchera isn’t a well known trade anymore. It is romanticized and given so much mythology. He worries about us getting in over our heads.”

I tried to pull my elbow away but Roz was stronger than she looked. “I have no plans of going into the military, Roz. I just want to make those army bastards a little jealous of me. That’s all.”

Roz let go of my elbow and shook her head. “Dad was right.”

I furrowed my brow at her. “What do you mean by that?”

“You may work like an adult but you still have the mindset of a child.” She got to her feet. “Goodnight, Gerard.” She turned her head back to Jules’ bed. “You too Jules.” She said as the door closed.

Jules suddenly twitched under his comforter. Roz left the room quietly but I could still hear her feet trudging up the stairs to her room. Had it not been in the middle of the night she probably would have slammed her door shut. 

I clinched my fists tight on my blanket. A child! She called me a child! I was practically grown. How’d she get off telling me I was still a kid? I lifted up my book again. 

Jules sat up in his bed and looked over at me. “Don’t get angry with Rur-Roz.”

“I’m not.” I snarled over gnashed teeth.

“Is tuh-that really your reason fa-for working so hard on your alche-ra-ringa now? Juh-just to make them jealous?” He sounded frightened.

I slammed my book down. “And what if it is?” 

Jules’ brow furrowed and he laid back down in bed. “Ga-go to s-s-s-sleep, Gerard.” Nowadays I sometimes miss his stutter.

He thought that of me too! Jules thought I was acting childish too. He’s my younger brother. He’s supposed to look up to me! He’s the child! And then that’s when it hit me. As I sat there blaming everybody else and putting them down I saw myself. 

I was acting stupid and childish. 

Alchera was as old as the earth, it was part of The Creation. It started with the animals, for it was nature that truly held the magic. The animals passed it to the humans and the humans passed it on through charity and kindness. Alchera was the Dream and the Destiny. Now it was dying. The queen herself was wanting to revitalize it I would be stupid not to take the chance to become a teacher in Alchera.

I had to take my Alchera to the next level. And in order to do that I’d have to have my Dream. The moment when I came face to face with the true form of my magic and allow it to take shape within me as my guardian spirit and animal. But I was scared then and I didn’t want to do it alone. I needed Roz and Jules with me when the Dream happened.