Agartha

Chapter nineteen

Ragnar´s POV

Galia and I tried to avoid lonely encounters as much as possible. Not an easy task. Seems like magic pushes us together. Soon, we discovered we could encounter in our dreams. The place was much like our gazebo but placed in a snowy forest clear at the elves´ land. There, we were able to talk, take walks, even swim. Odd, because witches don´t swim. In our shared dreams, she told me she learned how to swim as a child, humans do that.

We even got too close more than once. Letting passion take us to kiss, to touch bare skin… the first two times it made us wake up, unable to go back to the shared dream. The third time, we woke up with physical changes. Her hair got darker and mine was a bit lighter. She could hide it with a simple spell, but my changes were becoming evident. After that, in a fast conversation during working hours at the library, we decided not to get carried away during the dreams.

The queen is quite sharp when it comes to observing. In a regular meeting at the library she asked me, “General? Are you looking different?”

Galia froze and almost lost her appearance changing spell, had to concentrate very hard to relax a little. I cleared my throat and answered, “What do you mean, my queen?”

“I am not sure, but you look a bit different… like fresher… I don´t know…”

“Maybe the long time staying in this foreign land is affecting me..?”

“Are you asking me or telling me, General?”

I smiled nervously “Just making a hypothesis on your observation, your highness”

“Mother, please, stop wasting the General´s time on meaningless questions. You know elves pay much attention to their appearance. Let´s finish this. I'm sure Ragnar has other responsibilities to attend” Prince Den saved the day…

Preparations were all set. Again, we would be having guests from everywhere. Students at the center, their parents, sovereigns from almost all lands, elders and historians.

Classes with the satyr… Angel… began in Galia´s schedule. I didn´t appreciate having an intruder in our alone time, but soon I realized he needed a schedule of his own, until next year when I would put him in a group class with elves. The kid was quite skilled, I had a first test when I entered his room and he kicked me.

I talked to Antinoo about it, he thought I would have a complaint like I did with Galia when I changed her classes but was pleasantly surprised after hearing about his grandson´s abilities. He is very undisciplined, though, that is going to take time and effort.

After the last battle, my legion´s trainings got twice harder. I pushed my warriors to their limit and beyond. Holger seemed very satisfied with the new training routines, even sent home some soldiers proven not fit for the task and asked some others to be brought.

Angel turned out to be an excellent exercise for my soldiers. He flies and has a particular fighting style, I could bring him to the trainings so he would learn about discipline and my soldiers could face a different challenge.

The king was worried I would pay too much attention to Angel and neglect Galia´s training, so he scolded her for not trying hard enough. I feel terrible… how am I going to tell them I have claimed their child for myself? They have given me their trust, opened their house for me… and I betrayed them. Specially Antinoo, my friend.

Well, I had a lot of work to do. A week before the party, I had my trackers bringing some disturbing news. I had some suspicious about a student of the center, a witch, lady Dahna, related to the throne of the brown lands and had special watching over her. Turns out, Galia disciplined her for being disrespectful and she told her friends she would cast a dark spell on Galia and the twins. I have spies and ears everywhere, so they informed me, and I asked the king and queen to summon the brown lands king for an interrogation. It seems a little overreacted to trial a girl for saying something stupid in a rage fit, but I had some other dangerous suspicions about her.

Some elders, the king and queen, Antinoo and Asaf, prince Den and his wife, Eric, the twins, Galia, Holger and I were sitting in a mid-circle. In front of us sat lady Dahna and her two friends. Their wands were in Antinoo´s custody.

The king spoke. “Lady Dahna, you are accused by Ragnar, General of the elves legion, of threatening to cast a spell against three princess, your sovereigns. You are also accused of threatening to cast a dark spell which is forbidden. You are over eighty years old, therefore you are no longer trialed as a kid, you take full responsibility for your actions”.

She looked terrified. Her friends, ladies from the red lands were asked first. They were very scared and their king, queen and future king, prince Etan, astral projected to stand next to them.

The king asked them about Dahna´s words and they confirmed my information. The king thanked them, asked them to exit the library and informed disciplinary measures would be taken for covering Dahna. Before they left, prince Etan asked to say something.

“Girls, I believe you know more than you are letting us know. The lives of our sovereigns were threatened, make sure you tell us all relevant details you know, otherwise, there will be consequences as soon as you return home” He winked at Galia… I should thank him for helping to protect my love, but I know his true intentions and I can´t take it.

They admitted knowing Dahna had casted dark spells before, small ones, to make classmates fail so she could get ahead in some classes. The red landers looked sad and ashamed and Dahna had her eyes locked in Etan with a mixture of plead and rage. They assured knowing nothing about it and reassured their loyalty to the golden and green crown. The girls were commanded to return home immediately. The king dismissed them warning about consequences and investigations.

Toren, the brown lands king, astral projected to the library from the beginning of the trial. He was summoned as a witness to be interrogated. And now it was his turn to speak.

“My king, I believe we have withheld important information from you. Our intentions were good. Dahna was found about thirty years before the great war running from the dark lands”

“Great uncle that information is not relevant!” She cried with tears rolling down her cheeks.

“SILENCE! You have caused us problems and shame, you have lied to us! Your highnesses, she was alone, badly hurt and her head looked like it was hit by a rock. She was healed and had no memories of who she was or what had happened to her. My great nephew adopted her, and she was educated as one of our own. She was wearing black when we found her, but we thought she was a running away prisoner, not a dark witch. She was so sweet…”

“Enough!”, said the elder that represented the brown lands. “She needs to be interrogated and examined by us according to her statement”

The queen asked her “lady Dahna, what do you have to say about all this accusations?”

“I have nothing to say, I did the dark spells but just small ones. I don´t know how I'm able to perform those spells, I have no memories of my past and who I was before I was adopted”

“Lier!” said the elder. They all walked towards her and she looked nervous. Each one of them had a crystal in one hand and lifted them pointing at Dahna. Suddenly, she arched her back violently and a string that looked like white smoke came out of her chest.

“What are you doing to me?” she managed to whisper.

“We are revealing the true color of your bloodline”. Only a group of elders can cast this spell. She tried to escape but was too weak and felt on the floor. King Toren closed his eyes and lowered his head ashamed.

The smoke floated above her head and turned dark. Black. Immediately, Holger and I took our bows and pointed our arrows to her. The twins and Erik pointed with their wands holding her with blue light ropes. Marilin and Den stepped in front of the elders to protect them pointing their wands at her and walking the elders outside.

The king was furious. “Dahna, from now on you no longer belong to the brown lands and hold no noble title, you will be kept imprisoned until further information about you comes to our knowledge. King Toren, your whole family is under investigation, but you and your wife are expected next week to our party”.

“I appreciate your kindness, your highness. My deepest apologies”.

“General, please help my grand children take Dahna to the dungeons”

“Of course”

“General?”

“Yes, king Antioco?”

“We owe you a lot, probably the lives of my children. Excellent work. From now on, you are given the honorary citizenship of the green lands”

“You honor me, your highness”

“Thank you, Ragnar”

We took Dahna to her prison in the middle of screams and threats. This was a very long day and this situation only means more work, although, my new citizenship takes me one step closer to be able to be with Galia…