Black Magic

Realizations are hard to swallow. Especially if you are coming to a conclusion that most of the things you know have been a lie. As far as Rianon knows, all towns and cities under Hallor's protection are thriving. In Enre's case, it seemed that it wasn't. It was a place of dirt poor people who thirsts for any riches they can get their hands on.

It made the princess think, what else could have been lies in her life?

That is all what she could think of that Rianon did not sleep. She was staring absently outside, the moon shing brightly still. Even an hour before the sun rose and they were walking towards Goasa, that is all she could think about.

"We need to pay Tonio for your necklace and the bounties we didn't earn. We would probably have to pay for the help we will seek from him too." Andro has been talking to himself for the entire duration of their journey. It was awkawrd at best since no one's really responding to him. Rigor is a quiet man, Rianon's stuck in her head and Indulf's just stewing in irritation. Her current situation was not doing any wonders to her mood. Adding Andro's last statement, the leader of the group snarled harshly and threw her sword to a nearby tree. It was jabbed in the bark erectly. "Ahhh aishta!" The she proceeded to kick the poor innocent tree in rage.

"Mishtra. Calm down." For a beastly stature, Rigor is very soft spoken. He was not loud and does not impose his height, aside from when needed in bounty hunts. It was quite amusing for Rianon that it wasn't the hulking man who was wild, but it was the lady of the group who now wears her face. And her shoes. While Indulf repeatedly kicks the tree. "My shoes!" The princess ran towards Indulf and tried to pry her off the tree. "My shoes! Stop that!"

Indulf shook Andro and Rianon off her and huffed. She's got to manage her anger more.

"What the heck are we going to pay that potsha?!"

"The princess' accessories."

Rianon turned her head towards the big man so fast, she thought her neck snapped."What?! No!"

"Do you want to switch back?"

"Well of course! Of course I do! It's just that, those are all memoirs of my family..."

Rianon remebered her kin. The last one of the Hallor royal family. He father, King Hary gave her the ruby earrings as a sign of her coming of age. Her brother gave her a token bracelet from his conquest. And her mother, who she did not remember the face at all, gave her the red stone necklace. It was with her since she was young. All the adornments she wore are all a part of her family. Now more than ever, those jewels are important to her.

"The shoes. Are they given too?" Indulf asked her. She checked the heels of her white shoes. Still looks good despite a few chips that fell when she abused the tree.

"Ye.. Ah.. No."

"Shoes it is then."

--

Now it was Rianon's turn to stew. She was in a sour mood that her companions felt very shallow of her. How could they expect her to walk and find Prince Ernest without footwear?! That isn't fair. But alas, she would not trade any of her family jewels.

A few more hours of walk, their surroundings started to shift. The air feels heavier, the trees are more dead than alive. It seems that they are very close to Goasa.

When they finally stepped foot in the black town, it was actually black. The moon did not shine as brightly as it did in Enre. The place looked deserted. Houses are empty, no people are walking the streets. It was eerie. The Hounds paid no attention to it though. They walked in the path with confidence of a resident. Indulf in front wore a cloak to conceal her face. Rianon was instructed to do so as well. People of Goasa will surely think something is wrong for Indulf was never soft. Unlike the princess who's holding her body in a very feminine way.

It was mind boggling for Andro and Rigor as well. Whenever they look at Indulf and see her face but still so different. They never thought to see the kid they had raised will be as ladylike as she was now that a princess is inside her.

Both women were walking in front, heads hung low to make sure no one sees their face when they walked in an edifice. It was the only place so far that had light. They walked briskly to avoid any encounters from the residents of the market. Unfortunately, a man stil strode towards them and caught Rianon's shoulder. It was a tight grip and made her flinch. The man felt the slight movement and laughed victoriously.

"Indulf you chiet! Are you scared of me now? Hahahaha!" Rianon tried to free her shoulder but the man's hand was like a vice. She almost whimpered as it was very painful. Andro, sensing the discomfort of the princess, that may give away their state, came to the rescue. "We are in a hurry Gol. We don't have time for you." Rigor, who's bigger than the man called Gol slapped his hand away from the princess.

"Heh. Pussycats."

Gol looked at the back of the group. Never had their group become four. Indulf was not a people person, that he was sure of. He sensed something was off, and ought to find out what.

--

Indulf parted the mustard drapes so hard that it almost fell down. She marched inside the small chamber of wards and junk. Junk that may be magical.

Tonio sat on his thin pillow on the floor like a true King. He was smoking while patting his bulging belly.

The room smelled so much like rotting food, it makes Rianon nauseous and puke.

"Tonio!"

He was not at all surprised to see a different face calling him. It was like he knew who it was the second he laid his on her.

"Indulf, as I expected! Hello! Sit down. Andro, come on in. Rigor stay outside. You cannot fit in here."

The lady hunter did not waste time and strode towards the fat man and grabbed him by the collar. "You did something to me didn't you? You looked like you knew this was gonna happen."

The man chuckled, obviously not threatened with the person holding him by his clothes.

"I did not. You did this to yourself."

"Are you out of your mind?! Why will I do this to myself?!"

Tonio pushed Indulf's hands away slightly. Thankfully she did release him and sat down with Rianon and Andro in a very confined space they were in. The man huffed a smoke and looked directly into her chest. It was where the red stone neckace of the princess comfortably lies.

Instintively, Indulf touched the stone. "This?"

"And that." He then pointed to the peach stone necklace in Rianon's chest.

"I warned you twice about it. And sold it to you in the highest price possible. You did not take the hint."

Stones. It was jogging Andro's memory a little bit. There was this legend in his hometown about powerful stones. "Are these the Addá stones they speak about?" Andro imquired to the more knowledgable one in magic.

"Exactly."

Addá stones or mostly know as the Soul Capturer are stones that well, capture souls. They are very rare and very powerful. In the whole world, it has been said there are only five stones. Tonio had one, now it belonged to Indulf. And the other one was with the princess. According to the old tales of old men, if those stones are to be held together as one, it can grant you your greatest wish.

"What does it have to do with us switching? This isn't our desires. It did not grant us our 'greatest wish' as you have said." Rianon questioned the Tonio. She was scrutinizing him, lest he was lying.

"You don't have all the stones. Upon possessing one stone, it captures your soul. Your soul is trapped inside. And the contact of the two stones possessing a soul made it very confused. Therefore the soul switching happened."

Indulf's frown was getting permanent on the princess' face. She could not understand deeply what the black magic user was trying to say.

"So if we bump our necklaces again, we will go back? Is that what you are saying?"

Tonio cackled like a madman. He was enjoying this which adds fuel to Infulf's fire. "Oh goodness no! They only capture a soul once. They do not recapture it. You may find other stones and jumble it up find the right formula to pass your soul around. Or just gather them all and wish for it."

"Would destroying the stones do?"

"The other dies and you stay in that body, miss."

Everything was quiet for a few minutes as they digest the information they had. The only sound in the room was the black sorcerer's muching away his stale food. Then suddenly, Tonio stood up and rummaged his things (that are mostly garbage).

"Oh! I forgot! I have a reversal spell for that!"

Andro's ears perked up on that. It is reversible, that much is possible.

Tonio was holding a piece of torn paper, a triumphant smile of his face. "Aha! I found it." Rianon and Indulf's faces lighted up as well. They were hoping that their journey was not a waste. And they could have separate lives after. Then Tonio's face fell. "Ah... The ingredients..."

"What about them?"

"They can only be found in Rallia."

--

The sorcerer country is as far as Condor (east), maybe farther and on the opposite side (west). It was the place of magic and all magicians, witches and sorcerers live there until they leave the nest to be hired in different kingdoms. Hallor despite the good standing of its kingdom never entertained the idea of getting magic practioners unlike other neighboring ones. King Hary was not a believer of magic, as well as his children. Now, Rianon found out, magic is real.

The thought of travelling so far from another, Rallia and Condor. It was a terrifying thought. Not because of travelling alone but the fact that there would be so much time wasted between those time. When she comes back, what would have happened to her people?

"Let's go to Rallia. Now." Indulf ordered them all but Rianon stomped her foot to make a point. Even Andro was reluctant to come back home. "I can't."

"Why again?!"

"I have to find my brother immediately!"

"Damn that brother!"

Rianon held the necklace in her hand. "My people are important to me! Fine! I will not find him anymore! Let me make you deal. If you don't comply, I'll break this stone."

"Just like what you said before. Why don't I save my people myself? Well then I will!"

Indulf scoffed. "They will not recognize you." That made Rianon smile. "They won't recognize me, but they will. With you."

"Save my Kingdom. Kill King Jean and his accomplices then after I will go with you to Rallia with all resources we would need. I will provide them all.