Criminal

After our lovely picnic and a few rounds of tag my mother decided it was high time we started training and it seemed we never stopped. Neither did the constant stream of gifts that we suddenly began acquiring. It was as if a switch had been flipped and I wasn't sure I liked it.

We still don't trust my mother. It's not as sever now that we've learned about her gift, but I can't find it in me to trust her. She's hidden so much from me and it seems as though every other sentence that falls from her mouth is a lie. She is not the mother I once wanted to impress, she's different... Off; not her normal self. Especially with how our power has suddenly increased so quickly. It makes no sense. Idril and I have been together for over a year... Why is all of this happening now? Does my mother have something to do with it?

Everything is happening so fast. We're constantly on the move. The only time we ever paused was so my mother could shove food down our throats, and then there was the occasional bickering. I wanted more time with Idril, especially if we were to die. My mother kept us apart, and on separate training schedules since we had different skills, and therefore needed to be taught differently. But we couldn't be too far apart because then our magik ran out faster and the newest gifts disappeared. So my mother had constructed a thin wall to keep us from one another, yet close enough to for our magik to thrive.

My favorite training sessions were when we had to strengthen the defenses of our mind, and only allow each other in. Which really just meant create a complicated set of imaginary puzzles to get into our heads, while using our telepathic connection to speak to one another. But those we're fleeting moments anymore, apparently we had nearly mastered the skill and we needed no more practice. Besides it wasn't as good as seeing her.

However, I did get to see her... but it was during the six hours we were allotted for sleep. Six measly hours for us to talk, to sleep, to relax, and to calm our restless minds. For there was a great chance we would not survive this battle, or even the ride in. There's a chance I could lose her in the next hour. The gift of future sight hadn't been granted to either of us yet and it worried me. Nothing seemed stable anymore, it was as if my world had been put on old, rickety stilts. Everything could come crashing down in seconds and I had no way of knowing how to keep us safe, or what would happen.

"Who do you think will be able to see the future?" Idril asked one night. So far everything had been an even split. She had water and fire powers, I had earth and air. She could communicate with creatures I could summon them. But we both had telepathy and telekinesis as well as many other small gifts.

"I don't know." I mused. "But what do you think the other gift that goes with it is?"

"Shape shifting?" She offered with a giggle.

"No, we already have that one." I teased and playfully poked at her sides, and she laughed and tried to slap my hands away.

"Maybe one of us sees the future and the other one gets to change it." She offered once we had settled down. "Like slow down time or rewind it."

"That would make sense." I nodded slowly. That was when I was done with talking. Only six hours with her. And after these sic hours we had a mere day left before we left for battle. One day until the biggest day of our lives. How were we to survive if we couldn't watch the future and protect ourselves from it? I let out a long sigh, then suddenly Idril's lips were on mine in a quick peck.

"We'll be fine, you need not worry so intensely." She smiled at me, then laid her head upon my chest. "We'll get our happily ever after, I'm sure of it."

"I'm beginning to think those don't exist." I sighed in response. "Especially in our case."

"It will for us. We deserve it. We deserve a chance for normalcy and not this insanity." She gestured wildly trying to encompass everything that's happened to us.

I placed a kiss on her forehead and sighed yet again. "We do, but last time I checked the world isn't fair, nor does it give people what they deserve..."

"I have faith, not in the world, but in us. We will make it happen." She murmured and yawned and I watched as she slowly dosed off on my chest. I couldn't quiet my mind long enough for me to follow suit. I couldn't help but worry for us. For Tathar and Lessie. For Corinth. Especially Corinth, she was still recovering, if it could be called that. Her magik was still at dangerously low levels and she was hardly ever able to leave her room. She slept nearly all hours of the day waking up only for the occasional nibble of food, her appetite had decreased so much it was basically nonexistent, and restroom breaks. She hadn't made an inch of progress since she woke up the second day. Idril may have to feed her magik again if she hopes to join the battle. I know she'll try to come with us no matter what condition she's in, so we need to get her healthy again.

A breeze and the smell of lavender broke my train of thought. Confusion set in, until I realized I had someone entered Idril's mind and was in her dream. Maybe this would help me relax.

She was in the frozen field out side the inn where she was given her ring, except it wasn't frozen. She looked over at me and smiled.

"Come sit down, I've packed a picnic. I figured it was my turn, since you treated me to one the last time we were here." She beckoned me with her hand to sit next to her. I couldn't help but smile and take my place beside her.

"Are you ready for the special day?" She asked.

"Special day?" I retorted, with no clue as to what she was talking about.

"We're getting married today! The whole kingdom is already there, waiting for us to walk in." That's when I noticed she was in a gorgeous white dress, covered in the same patterned lace that made up the sleeves, and I was in the ceremonial royal attire for a wedding in my family, complete with black pants, a red jacket with gold buttons, and gold shoulder pads.

"Why are we in this meadow then?" I was even more confused than before.

"This is our honeymoon meadow. Where our first heir will be conceived. " She said smiling and rubbing her suddenly distended tummy.

"What? I don't understand we aren't married yet! How can we have an heir on our honeymoon if you father is still king and everyone still thinks we're dead." My voice had risen to a yell. I was beginning to think this wasn't Idril's dream.

"Because you live through the battle and we take the throne." She answered and suddenly we were sitting int the throne room. "Or we will as long as you follow some instructions."

"Instructions?" My eyebrows knit together.

"This is what you wanted isn't it?" She asked tilting her head to the side, she didn't sound like my Idril at all. "To know the future and how to survive to live your happily ever after?"

"Wait, you mean this is what seeing the future feels like?" I gasped. I thought I'd see glimpses at what would happen and how to avoid it.

"It's different for everyone. But especially you and me. You get to know how to achieve the future you want, and I get to be your mentor. Real Idril will see future events, glimpses of what will happen."

"Real Idril? You're not her?"

"I'm just your unconsciousness self, sort of. Well not really. I'm your magik, I know everything that will happen to you with every choice you make and I know how to get exactly what you want. I've taken the form of Idril because, I get more powerful from her and her magik, and you're emotionally attached to her." She shrugged. "You two have the purest kind of love any magik has seen and I'm grateful I get to be your magik and experience it. I know what your going to ask so hold on a minute and I'll explain it." She paused, as if trying to figure out how to explain something. "You think of magik as something you can control, something you feed and allow to grow so you can use it. But we're actually living... Kind of. Magik is in everything, it's a network of a universal life force. It has personality, you've experienced that first hand. I've warned you when there's danger near, I've told you I wanted more of Idril's magik and skin..."

"Are you a living thing or just a currency of exchange that's been with us elves for so long it's taken on emotions like ours?" I asked, trying to help her explain.

"Yes." She laughed nervously. "We're like water... In the sense that we're everywhere... The ground, the trees, fruit. Everything as magik in it now, but at first it was only in plants, soil... You know, nature, not living beings. Until elves learned to manipulate us, to make us stronger, yet bend us to their will. But we didn't, and still do not mind, having a purpose is quite nice. So magik started leaving the... um... well we were all together in one hub, sort of. Magik was one giant force, then small fractions of it broke away, started joining with elves. The elves welcomed magik since it gave them the ability to do so many new things. And the pieces of magik that broke away became more... Human, if that makes sense. They didn't have contact with the rest of the magik for quite a long time and took on emotions, just as you said."

"And when those elves with magik died and were buried you were returned to the soil, and able to tell the rest of the magik what you experienced, and then... Enough broke away to give all elves magik, while still leaving enough magik in the... Hub to keep nature balanced, but it didn't thrive as it had before?" I offered.

"Yes that's basically it. But I can also explain magik gifts. They come from the personality that the magik took on. So say an elf that had the power of future sight died. Their magik, which had it's one feelings and emotions from being with them for so long, would return to the soil and when a new elf was born there's a chance it will get that same magik and gift." She paused to breathe. "If the gift is weak that means it was one of the first to break away. It didn't stay in with the rest of us, and when it left we had to grow to take it's place. So, when the more rare and powerful gifts leave nature it can be devastating."

"Like droughts and dead crops?" I asked, there had been a surplus of those for much of my life. But the kingdom had somehow managed to survive. Then something ht me. "Wait, what does that make you? Since I am to acquire all of the gifts? How old are you?"

"I am the magik in you and Idril, I am so old I need two people to contain me. I was the last of the magik to experience the evlish world... In fact his is my first time." She smiled nervously at me.

"How is our land okay then?" I asked.

"I mentored one of the smaller pieces of magik until you two were born, so that it could take my place while I left. It hasn't done a perfect job, but I couldn't ask for anymore, I know it is working hard."

"Is that the only reason Idril and I love each other... Because you needed two people to contain you?" I asked suddenly.

"No, you two were destined to be with each other, I only sped up the process." She winked at me. "Anyway we don't have much time. I can tell you how to live through this battle and have the life you want."

"We did get a little off track." I laughed. "But I would like to know, so speak... Please."

"Once the battle starts do not follow your mother. She has trained you well, but she's striking a deal with the king as we speak, and is going to lead you to a trap. Trust Idril's gift, and keep Corinth, Tathar, and Lessie close. The five of you will make a strong team and no army will stand a chance when you are together. Lastly, don't go to the throne room, it's another trap. The king will be in Idri'ls tower. Ironic, I know but he thought you would never look there." I nodded, signaling I understood.

I had one more question, an I could feel myself slipping from this dreamlike state,so I knew I had to hurry. "Why did you wait so long to explain this to me?"

"You weren't ready to listen to me and believe what I said. No one ever believes that magik is a living thing; a collection of living things. But I had faith you would, especially when I have the answers to all your questions." She smiled and began fading. "Good luck, and don't think of me any different. I am a tool to help you and help Peltumbe from this dangerous king!"

I woke with a start, a light sweat covered my body and Idril was standing over top of me with her hands on my shoulders.

"You're awake I was so worried!" She cried and pulled me into a hug. "We didn't know if you were going to wake up."

"How long was I out?" I asked in confusion, it hadn't felt that long.

"Well I went and gave Corinth some of my magik so she wouldn't die, and hopefully she'll feel better... That was two hours before we had to wake up... Um... It'll be easier if I just tell you what time it is..." She laughed nervously and ran her hand through her hair. "It's sunrise, of the day we are to leave for the battle." I gasped. How had it been that long?

"But you mom gave us yesterday off anyway, and I wasn't going to tell her about you... Since I still don't trust her. So only Tathar, Lessie, and Corinth know." I sighed in relief. "Oh and I can see the future now. It's like a moving picture of what will happen in my head. So I knew you were going to wake up... But I didn't know when." She murmured. It was just as my magik in the dream had said.

"I know how to live through this battle." I told her while staring out the window, blankly.

Right before Idril could as how my mother burst in the door covered head to toe in armor. "It's time to suit up and ready for battle."