Chapter 1

    The process to bind your life force with that of a great elm, wasn't discovered till after my grandmother gave birth to my mother. By that time her parents were already gone. Today was the day that I was going to learn how to tie my own life force to one of the great elms. I mean I knew that it had something to do with the crystals mined deep under the castle, but I didn't know how it was done.

    With my sister in hand we proceeded down the well known path to the classroom where we would be taught magic. For a year we would learn to tie our lives to that of our trees, extending our own life as long as that of the long lived elms. As long as they would live so would we. 

     Today was supposed to be just for me, although I didn't mind having my sister with me. She was three years my junior. She was born without sight. Which is not exactly true, the light of day hurt her eyes too much for her to see. 

     The doctors tried everything in their power to help my sister see, In the end they told our parents that when she was able to form her own magic that she might be able to see within her own sphere. That is why she was with me today, to find out if they were right. While she wasn't supposed to be learning magic until she turned thirteen, our parents owned the class, the mine and the castle above, so an exception was made.

     Alana wore her crown, which was a circlet of gold with a small black agate set upon the front. The gem was infused with magic to help shield her eyes from the bright light of day. This made her eyes glow of an inner light and covered her irises completely. I tried it on once when we were younger, and it made me almost completely blind. 

     While the way to the class was well known, the inside of the class was not. Even though our parents owned the school, we were not allowed in the classroom before now, as magic required concentration.     

    There were already a few other students in the class when we arrived, none as young as my sister thou. The classroom was brightly lit from the ceiling to the floor through windows, and smelled of tilled earth. There were six tables in the room facing another. They each had two stools, besides the teacher's which had a chair.

     The teacher was an older elf, who looked like he could have been any age from twenty to one hundred. He was a kindly man who had been teaching magic since my grandmother was a child. He stood tall, over six feet, with long silvery hair.

     He greeted us when we entered.  "Hello Krista, Hello Alana. Why don't you sit here as we wait for the other students to arrive?" He pointed to a table in the front.

  Twelve students in total filed into the classroom. The teacher greeted them each by name. Once all the students were seated the teacher began. Sounded like a speech he perfected over the years.

 "The pursuit of magic has been sought after since before the first witches and wizards pulled magic from the ground through the force of their wills alone. With the discovery of the Crystals that give us our power, it has become necessary to have someone to teach you magic. There are many combinations of power, some of which you will learn here, others you will have to discover on your own. Each of your families have paid the incredibly high cost to have you here. Today we will find out if you have the aptitude to use magic. Weaving magic requires skill, as well as a bit of luck."

     "These crystal are the source of our magic." He stated showing us a clear hexagonal crystal, about six inches long.

     "They represent the infinite of magical possibilities. If you lose focus you could risk harming those around you. As well as waste the crystal that was painstakingly mined from beneath our homes. The crystals are what gives us the power to change fantasy into reality." He paused to see that we were all paying attention. 

     I knew most of this before. Growing up in the palace magic was part of my everyday life. From the stoves that needed no fire wood, and the never ending supply of water for drinking, to the scissors that couldn't cut us, but were extremely sharp, that could cut through almost anything. 

     I looked around the room at the other kids learning magic for the first time. I saw other kids my own age from around the castle and surrounding town. A few I didn't know from farther away. 

     One kid, a boy stood out from the others, he was wearing worn clothes a few sizes too big for him. I caught his name as Kit. Kit was paying rapt attention, as were the other kids. All wanting to know the secret of our magic.

     He took the crystal and slammed it down on the desk. It bounced off as expected. I had been allowed to pay with the expensive crystals as a kid and knew how durable they were.  

     He then took a smaller crystal and held up before the class to view, this one had a slight blue tint to it. 

     "This one, has been properly prepared." He explained. 

     He slammed the smaller crystal down on the desk and it crumbled to dust under the force of the hit. He gathered the dust and shifted it through is fingers in ark above his head. A rainbow of colors cascade down upon him. A look of sheer joy crossed his face.

     "This is the secret to our magic. With the power of the crystals you can tie their magic into your own, and through them tie places of power into yours as well."

     He held his hands before him palms up, and fire appeared in his right hand. In his left a ball of water appeared.

     "Weather fire from Mount fjallkaan, or waters from the springs of life, they could be yours to command."

     He threw them both from him between the rows of tables. The fire flew across the room leaving a fiery trail in its wake. The water flew forth trailing behind a long stream of water. The fire and water both dissolved into nothingness barely twenty feet from him.

     "Be wary for there are limits to your powers. You must know your limits of what you can and cannot do. You will have no power over anything outside your sphere of influence."

     I had heard this term before when the doctors talked about Alana. A sphere of influence was an area around a caster where they could cast magic. Anything outside that sphere would remain unaffected by them.

    "Build your powers wisely and you may one day have complete control over everything inside your sphere, but be warned as you may have complete control over everything inside your own sphere so may every other caster inside of theirs. When you enter someone's sphere you may subject yourself to their whims."

    "I am Thalos and I will be your teacher. For the next year we will be binding your life forces to that of your trees."

     "Now to the back of the classroom with each you. It's time to pick out your trees."

     As the other kids rushed forward, I helped my sister to the back of the class. 

     "Come on, let's go pick out our trees." I told my sister.

     With my hand in hers she exclaimed "Lead the way!"

     There were dozens of trees in the back of the class all of which were in clay pots. There looked to be about three per student. By the time we got back there several of the other students were already headed back to their seats with their trees.  

     I stopped with my sister a few feet in front of the trees. 

     "Tell me about them Crysta." Alana requested.

     So I told her what I saw. "There are four trees in clay pots in front of us more to either side. They each stand between two and three feet tall. The leaves are dark green. They all look about the same."

     Alana reached out a hand and searched for the trees. Finding one she felt the leaf between her fingers. She slid her hand down the branch, following it to the trunk of the tree, feeling for something only she knew.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

     "Show me the others." Alana directed me.

     I lead her to each tree in turn, starting with the other three in front of us. Alana repeated the process of feeling each tree, starting with the leaves and working her way to the trunk.

     While she searched for her tree I selected one for myself, one she had already turned down. Since they all looked about the same to me, I choose the tallest of what was left. 

     As I reached for my tree to carry it back to my desk. Kit stopped me.

     "Let me get that for you, your highness." Kit said reaching out for my tree.

     "Crysta is fine Kit. Thank you." While I was a princess, here in this class I was just another student. Magic was work, my parents had said, and I did not need the distractions of my office. 

     Kit smiled as I said his name. I watched Kit take my tree back to my table. Alana got my attention once again. "Take me back to the first tree, Crysta." She stuck her hand out, and I took it in mine. 

    I lead her back to the first tree that she had laid her hands upon. She reached out and touched it. 

     "I want this one."

    As I reached down to pick her tree up, Kit stopped me once again. He had just gotten back from carrying my tree to my table.

     "Let me take that for you, while you look after Alana." Kit offered again.

     I led Alana back to our desk behind Kit as he carried her tree as he did mine.  

      "Thank you Kit." I told him as he set Alana's tree down.

     I watched as he returned to his desk, wondering what he wanted from me. My mother told me that being a princess means people would try to gain from me. While I was simply Crysta here in this classroom,  I wouldn't be forever. This year would be a short one.

     We were the last to return to our table, not counting Kit as he was one of the first to get his tree, being at the back of the class. 

     Once everyone had their trees and got back to their  tables and were seated with their trees before them, Thalos went around to each of us and gave us one of the smaller blue crystals.

     I picked mine up and handed Alana hers. The crystal felt a little warm and fit in the palm of my hand.

     One of the kids behind me exclaimed "Ohhhh." as the crystal shattered in his hand. A look of pure joy crossed his face. Then it turned to complete panic as he realised what he had done.

     "Do not touch them until I tell you what to do with them, and be careful  putting them down they are very fragile in this state." Thalos said as he gave the kid another crystal.

     When he was done passing out the crystals, Thalos returned to the front of the class.

     "You need to feel the magic when you cast. You should never cast when you are angry, or bad things could happen. It could warp the magic, and make it do unexpected things, like fly off target. You need a clear head to cast magic." Thalos went on.

     "When I say I want you to take your crystals before your tree, break them in your hand then try to touch as much of the tree as possible, before you run out of crystal powder."

     I handed Alana back her crystal, and I took up mine. We held them before our trees. I looked around when everybody else had their crystals before them in front of their trees, Thalos shouted "Now."

     I smashed my crystal in my hand, and my world changed forever. I felt like I was at the first day of the spring festival. With all the people the jugglers, and musicians everywhere.  I felt like I was walking in the great garden with my mother, checking on their trees. It felt like every happy moment of my life happening all at the same time. 

     I couldn't remember what I was supposed to be doing. Whatever it was couldn't possibly be more important than what I was currently feeling.

    When I came back to my senses I looked down at my fingers as the last of the crystal powder fell away. It disappeared a few inches from my fingers. I reached quickly for the tree before me, but I knew it was too late. 

     I looked over at Alana her hands were outstretched before her the crystal powder long since gone, tears in her eyes and the biggest smile on her face, bigger than I had ever seen before. I knew she must have been feeling the same as I. 

     I briefly wondered if that is what I had looked like.

     Thalos spoke breaking me out of my daze. With a slight smile on his face he asked. "Did any of you manage to get the crystal powder to your tree?"

     I looked around the class wondering the same myself. If I was to rule someday then I must be the best, if not then I need to understand more. Only one student raised his hand. It was the same student who broke the first crystal by accident. 

     “That is understandable having already felt what the crystals provide, you knew what to expect.” 

     He pointed to a student in the front table on the other side. “Ashley, come pass out crystals to the rest of the class.”

     Ashley, got up and passed out crystals to the class. 

     When Ashley returned to her seat, Thalos instructed us again. “Now that you know what to expect we should have better results. Ok, begin.”

     I smashed the crystal in my hand. This time I was walking barefoot in the warm sand on a sunny day at the beach by the oceans far, far away. Swimming in the river with my sister, while the guards watched over us. Again I felt the overwhelming joy that the crystals provide. 

     I came to my senses faster this time, but still most of the crystal powder was gone. I reached out to the tree before me. When I touched the tree before me, this time I felt tingles in my fingers. When I pulled my hand away from the tree I could see a faint glowing hand print, that disappeared almost as fast as I pulled my hand away. 

     I looked over to Alana, she was touching her tree. A faint smile was on her face. I smiled too feeling like I had accomplished something this time.

     “Much better, nearly all of you made contact with your trees before running out of crystal.” Thalos stated.

     “Dante, why don't you pass out the crystals to everybody this time. Give everybody two each.” Thalos said to the boy that sat besides Ashley.

     Dante got up and passed the crystals to each of us. When he returned to his seat Thalos instructed us to begin again.

     I smashed the crystal in my hand. I was gone again. This time it was winter solstice, my family and I were in the middle of our winter feast. The great fire place was lit, musicians were playing a lively tune. The food was piled higher than anything we could ever eat. Sweets of every type imaginable, custards, pies, cakes, and cookies to name a few.

     Again I came to my senses just a little bit faster, again most of the crystal was gone. When I reached out to touch the tree before me I felt my fingers tingle. I reached a little higher this time. When I pulled my hand away I saw the familiar glowing hand print. This time I saw the old print as well as the new one before they disappeared. The first print didn't glow as brightly as the new print.

     I looked over at Alana's tree as she was removing her hand. Hers seemed to be glowing in a bigger spot then mine. I can only guess that she had managed to get more of the crystal powder to her tree.

     We started again. This time I was playing in the snow with my sister. We built a snow fort, and a snowman. We went sledding the rest of the day.

     I came back to my senses again just a little faster. Just a bit more of the crystal powder, most of it was still gone, but I could tell I was getting better at it. I reached for the tree in front of me. As I touched the tree, I looked over at my sister. She had more of her tree glowing then I did again.

     Over the next hour and a half Thalos called the students each by name to pass out the crystals, only passing over Alana.  Andy, and Aidan were the next two called. Luka and Kit were after them.

     The tree before me slowly started to glow more and more, but never fully, and never for long.

    During that time I relived every joyous moment of my life, some that I had forgotten about. Making cookies with my mother in the kitchen.  When my father read me a story in the library, while I was resting with my head upon him. The moment I was told I had a sister.

     We broke for lunch around midday. I walked with my sister to the courtyard behind the castle. We ate a simple lunch that the kitchen staff made for us. While we sat in the garden, we talked about what we experienced when we used the crystals. 

    I couldn't wait to get back to the crystals, and didn't understand why I wasn't shown this earlier. This was the best feeling of my life. 

     I barely paid attention as my sister excited told me about her memories when using the crystals.  They were mostly the same as mine. I did some things that never happened that snapped me out of my thoughts of the crystals.

     Alana "I remember standing in the middle of a field surrounded by wildflowers as far as I could see, on a bright sun lit day."

     It struck me as odd, because Alana couldn't see for more than a foot or two in front of her if that, and she hated the brightness of the sun, it hurt her eyes.

     I wanted more then anything for this lunch to end and get back to using the crystals. 

     I was only been picking at my food. I only ate half my lunch when it was time to head back to class. With the single mindedness of a woman possessed, I rushed back to class nearly forgetting my sister so anxious was I.   

     "Thalos, I can pass out the crystals this time if you want." I said as I reached for the crystals.

     "Thank you Crysta, but that won't be necessary. We are finished with the crystals for the day." Thalos respond.

      I looked down at the crystals wanting to get another look at them before I went back to my seat. I was surprised to see that the crystals were gone.

     "In this class you will learn not only the magic needs of your trees, but the more mundane needs as well." Thalos said.

     "You will learn all aspects of your trees needs, so you can truly become one with your tree.' Thalos continued. 

   Hearing this I was very disappointed. Hearing a loud groan from the class, I could tell that they agreed as well. I just had to get back to the crystals. It felt like there would never be another happy moment in my life.