It was a time of celebration for the kingdom of Tevious. 

Her Royal Highness, Princess Thera, and His Highness, Prince Consort Ranolavatis, had announced the birth of their second child – a healthy baby girl.  The child was to be called Elesia, and tonight, the country would celebrate her Naming Day. 

The capital city of Lompaer was bustling as citizens prepared for the various festivities around town.  Strings of lanterns and banners criss-crossed the Royal Square.  The courtiers hoped that the Spell Keeper would share her renowned gift of sorcery in order to light the lanterns without use of tallow or oil.  Within the Royal Palace, the kitchen staff prepared a feast, and confectioners worked nonstop on the sugary creations that would grace the tables of the King’s honored guests. 

Outside the palace walls, bakers were generous with their bread prices and butchers readied extra meat for those looking to treat themselves on this special occasion.  It would be difficult to top the celebration of Elesia’s older brother, Royal Duke Iean, but the Lompaer citizens were determined to try.  Even coronations did not see such enthusiasm as royal births. 

Despite all the excitement around them, the morning of the celebration was thus far quiet for the baby and her parents.  They were relaxing in their bedchambers, waiting for Kyna the Royal Soothsayer to finish her preparations for the baby’s reading.  It was traditional for all royal children to receive a private reading from a seer on the morning of their Naming Day.  The techniques varied, but the principle remained the same – hope of some kind of foresight into the child’s future success.  Kyna’s reading of Elesia’s brother had yielded little result two years ago – only murky, half-formed words, clouded in the shadows of the Soothsayer’s smoke.  The Prince and Princess hoped for better results with their daughter.

Kyna was standing on tiptoe at the Princess’s writing table, which was more like a tall counter for her.  She muttered to herself while she prepared, ignoring the others in the room.  Thera was resting in bed while the baby dozed in her bassinet.  Ranolavatis stood over the child, as if in a trance.  He could not keep his eyes off his newborn daughter. 

Beside him, Cassandra the Spell Keeper was quiet.  A steady stream of courtiers had been visiting the Royal Family since the birth, and this was the first time that she had been able to really examine her niece. She could not help but think, this poor kid is only a few months old, and she’s already had more visitors than Jesus.

The Prince broke their silence. “So, Auntie Cassie, what do you think?” 

She peered at the squirming pink bundle with solemn concentration before declaring, “She’s well constructed, Ranly.  You two made a good baby.”  Her eyes wandered over to the amber-haired boy playing with wooden boats on the carpet beside his mother’s bed.  At two years old, Iean was toddling around like a pro.  “Now you have a matching set.”   Breaking into a grin, Cassie nudged the Prince playfully and dropped out of Tevian with a twang. “Nice shootin’, big guy.” 

Still confounded by Cassie’s occasional smattering of phrases from her home world, Ranly just smiled hesitantly.   More familiar with her adopted sister’s language and colloquialisms, Thera stifled a delicate laugh from the bed.  “Oh, Cassie.  Do not tease him so.”
Cassie shrugged.  “Honestly, I’m not really getting anything from the baby.  You may get a repeat of Iean’s reading.”

Without turning from her work, Kyna snorted.  “That tinder did not please the spirits.  This blend will work.”

As well as being a seer, Kyna was also a Fuocateur – an elemental sorcerer whose talents primarily manifested in the form of light, fire, and smoke.  As with her last reading, she was using special herbs and oils to create a fluid smoke that would hopefully compel the Tevian ancestral spirits to make words with it.  Not a particularly religious person herself, Cassie wondered if the previous reading’s failure had more to do with Kyna’s age and declining health. She had offered to perform the ritual this time, but the wizened Draeling had insisted that she was strong enough to perform the magic.  For such a delicate race of people, Draelings had an impressive life span, but Kyna was pushing the century mark and it was starting to show on her pale, withered face.

“I’m just here to schlep things, anyway.” Cassie went over to help Kyna. “I’ll let the more experienced professional take care of the predictions.”  She picked up the small copper brazier on its tripod and carried it over to the bassinet. 

After finishing her mix of tinder, Kyna came over and poured it into the brazier’s bowl.  Then she pulled a small braid of sage grass from her pouch.  She narrowed her silvery eyes in concentration while the others waited.  After a few moments, she let out a breath. 
Cassie winced to see her mentor struggle with a simple ignition spell.  Without hesitation, she willed a small spark of energy into the grass and the braid began to burn. 
The older woman glanced at Cassie accusingly but did not comment.  Instead, she began to chant, beseeching the wisest spirits of the country’s ancestors to come and share their knowledge of the future.  With the final words of the prayer, she brought the burning sage grass down onto the oil-soaked tinder in the bowl.  The tinder immediately sparked and caught fire. After letting it burn for a while, Kyna cast sand into the flames, bringing them down to embers.  Deep umber smoke rose up and hung in the air, separating into fluid strokes as if a brush was guiding ink on an invisible parchment.

All eyes were on the smoke – except for little Iean’s.  He had toddled over to the brazier, and his wide blue eyes were fixed on the glow of the orange coals inside the bowl.
 “Pretty…” He murmured, reaching towards the embers with chubby outstretched fingers.  Before anyone realized what was happening, he came into contact with the heat.
“Ranly!”  Thera barked to her husband and sprang from the bed. 

Iean jerked his hand back in pain.  He teetered and fell backwards, kicking the brazier as he tumbled into his sister’s bassinet.  In a flash, Princess Thera scooped the errant child into her arms while Ranly swept the baby out of the toppling crib.  Cassie caught the edge of the brazier’s bowl, keeping it upright while Kyna rushed to steady the legs.  It took only seconds, but that was enough for the metal to burn Cassie with its searing heat.  Once the brazier was righted, Cassie released the bowl with a gasp of pain.

They all froze – then let out a collective breath.  Aside from angry red welts on Iean and Cassie’s fingertips, everyone was intact, and no embers had escaped from the bowl.
Shaken, the parents fussed over their children.  Ranly gently rocked Elesia, who was expressing her distaste for the sudden action at a high volume.  Thera had sat down on the side of the bed with Iean. Instead of crying, he simply presented his injury to the Princess as if he was showing her a scientific curiosity.

“Ouch fingie, mama.”

Cassie examined her own burn.  The glossy pink patches of skin were starting to throb, but she would have to wait for assistance.  Healing one’s own body with sorcery was almost impossible, since the healing process was hampered by the energy expended to perform the magic. 

However, she could help Iean.  Smiling reassuringly, she wrapped her hands around his little digits and murmured a healing spell, sending cooling energy into the brave little boy.  To her surprise, the energy was reciprocated.

“Auntie Cassie, ouch too.”  Iean gazed up at her sweetly.

The energy currents flowed back into her hands, healing her burns before fading out.  Cassie released his fingers and examined her own.  The skin showed no sign of injury. 
Amazed, she showed her hand to the others.  “Well, it looks like Iean takes after his grandpa.” 

Ranly and Thera beamed.  King Peterious was well known for his healing magic.  Sorcerers’ talents were sometimes passed from one generation to the next within a family, but it was rare for a talent to come out in a sorcerer so young.  Little Iean grinned with pride while his parents heaped on praise.  He did not seem to understand the reason for their enthusiasm, but was happy to share it.

Then Kyna interrupted them.  “Cassie, come have a look at this.”

They all turned their attention back to the brazier and realized that the smoke had not dissipated.  Words had taken form.  They were wavy and a little blurry – but they were there, and they were in the sorcerer’s tongue.

Kyna peered at the writing.  “I am having trouble seeing it.  What does it say, Cassie?”
“What, forget your reading glasses?”

“Fie on your insolence girl!  This is a reverent, blessed occasion; just read the damn words!”
Cassie chuckled, but her amusement quickly faded once she looked over what had formed in the smoke.  Still clutching their children, Ranly and Thera sat together on the bed with expectant expressions on their faces.  Reluctantly, Cassie read what had taken shape from the shadows.

“Through veil of whispers, the past awaken.
“In rising torrent, a child is taken.
“Though fire shall cleanse the blackened core,
“The child, alas, shall be no more.”