Sahara Ashdell: Rebirth of Patreek (Book 3)
Chapter 9: Depleted Powers

Sahara makes her way to the top floor in the banquet hall. She doesn’t like that it is so far away from where the Saitars sit and she replaces it frustrating. As she looks for a good place to sit, she remembers that this time last year she was sitting with Slagwart. The thought makes her feel somewhat sad. She had just seen him last week and when she was with him she didn’t even think about him being dead. “Why would I not remember that?” She jumps as she hears an elf reply to her question.

“Remember what?” She turns to see the elf that spoke is an elleth with similar hair color to her own.

“You new?” Sahara asked curiously.

“Yes. My name is Savanah.” She smiles happily toward Sahara.

Sahara squints feeling a bit uncomfortable at the similarity between their names as well as their looks. “Nice to meet you.” She tries to respond politely. “I am Sahara.”

“The Sahara?” The elleth looks overly excited. “As in Aranel Sahara Ashdell?”

“Yes.” Sahara answers nervously. The elleth suddenly curtsies dramatically toward Sahara. “That isn’t necessary here. Please don’t do that?” Sahara looks around the room at all the elves watching them. Sahara feels as though she is suddenly looking in a mirror as the elleth stands back up. “What is your last name?” Sahara asks wondering if perhaps they are related.

“Athrei.” The elleth replied with a large smile. Sahara had never heard the last name before so she didn’t think they would be related. She shrugs off her unsettling thoughts as she glances down seeing Saitar Regald enter the banquet hall.

“I must be going.” Sahara says quickly moving toward an open seat that has a clear view of Saitar Regald. Sahara feels unsure of what is happening as she notices Savanah sitting next to her. “Oh. That seat is actually for the Cundu.” Sahara doesn’t really want to sit with Brystol but she knows they need to keep up their appearances.

“Oh. Should I sit on the other side of you then?” Savanah asks and Sahara doesn’t wish to be rude, so she motions to the seat on the other side of Brystol’s.

“How about you sit there?”

“Wherever you like.” Savanah says as if she is following orders.

Sahara tries to hide her confusion and actually feels relief as she sees Brystol enter. She turns back to look down at Saitar Regald and begins to wonder what she would need to do to prove his guilt. “Hey.” She hears Brystol’s confusion as he sits down next to her. “Uh…” Sahara looks toward him and notices he is looking back and forth between her and Savanah. “Why are there two of you?”

“This is Brystol.” Sahara says motioning toward Brystol.

“My name is Savanah!” Savanah stands and curtsies toward Brystol excitedly. “I have never met a Cundu before. You are handsome.” Sahara rolls her eyes at Savanah’s reaction to Brystol and turns her attention back toward the bottom floor.

“Hi Savanah.” Brystol replies sounding intrigued by the new elleth. “Welcome to Malorsty.”

“Thank you.” She says bubbly as she sits back down next to Brystol.

“Sahara,” He turns toward Sahara and lowers his voice. “Maybe we can walk out to the Plorksol field after the banquet?”

“No thanks.” Sahara says keeping her eyes on Saitar Regald.

“I would love to see the Plorksol field!” Savanah says excitedly toward Brystol.

“Uh…” Brystol seems uncomfortable as he looks back and forth between Sahara and Savanah.

“Yes.” Sahara says excitedly at the thought, “You should show her around Brystol. She is new.”

“Uh.. I was hoping we could talk Sahara.” Brystol whispers again toward Sahara.

“I am busy.” She says feeling annoyed and looks around Brystol toward Savanah. “He would love to take you.”

“Oh good!” Savanah says with a large smile.

“Oh good.” Sahara says with a fake smile toward Brystol, who looks brokenhearted still.

The remainder of the banquet Savanah talks nonstop to them as Sahara stays focused on Saitar Regald and Brystol looks distracted by his thoughts.

“You two have fun.” Sahara says as she quickly rises from the table wanting to follow Saitar Regald, who is leaving the banquet hall.

“Sahara?” Brystol says trying to stop her, but Sahara ignores him as she runs toward the exit. She hides in the hallway as she watches Saitar Regald move up the stairs toward her. She wants him to pass her so that she can follow him. She jumps back into a darkened corner as she hears Brystol and Savanah talking and moving out of the banquet hall and down the stairs. She feels some sorrow for Brystol as she notices his uncomfortable reaction to Savanah linking her arm with him.

Moments later she gasps as she jumps back into the darkness when she sees Saitar Regald moving up the stairs past her. She quietly follows him hiding as she goes along and avoids speaking too loudly as other elves say hi to her. She watches Saitar Regald enter his classroom on the fourth floor as he mumbles something that sounds angry about students, but she can’t make out what he says. She wonders if she could get inside undetected after he enters and closes the door behind him. She moves over toward the door and places her ear up against it as she hears him talking again. “I will kill them all soon. You promised me I could Master. You promised.” Sahara hears another door close as his voice fades and all she can hear is his mumbles. She quietly tries to open the door, but it is locked. She attempts an unlocking spell but when she jiggles the doorknob it is still locked. She wonders why such a simple spell would not work and she is about to try again but a voice behind her startsles her. “What are you doing?” Bularia looks blankly at Sahara.

“Bularia!” Sahara says alarmed as she jumps around to face her. “How are you?”

“I am well.” Bularia says looking toward Saitar Regald’s door. “Are you trying to break into Saitar Regald’s classroom?”

“No.” Sahara felt nervous about being so close to Bularia. She wasn’t sure if it was Bularia she was speaking with or Heltus. “No.”

“Then what are you doing?” Bularia looks around the empty hall in confusion.

“I.. Right.” Sahara says stepping away from Saitar Regald’s door. “I mean yes. Or...I was looking for him. Not breaking into his room. Just looking to ask him a question about a new beast I encountered.” Sahara shrugs her shoulders with a smile. “That’s it!” She realizes she said the last two words a bit too excitedly and hopes Bularia buys her lie.

“Alright.” Bularia says holding out her closed fist toward Sahara. “I brought you something I thought you would like. I found it on my travels over the summer and it made me think of you.”

Sahara holds out her hand towards Bularia’s hand and Bularia releases her grasp so that a small, rounded hair clip falls into Sahara’s hand. It is a green sparkling stone set in a grey-looking material. Sahara recognizes the material. It is the same material that the Aran made her cell out of. She feels a sudden alarm inside her as she jumps back from Bularia dropping the hair clip.

“Are you alright?” Bularia asks and Sahara searches Bularia’s eyes to see if it is really her or not. Bularia bends over to pick up the clip and tries to hand it back to Sahara but Sahara refuses to take the clip back. “Do you not like it?” Bularia sounds wounded.

“No. I just. I do.” Sahara says feeling bad about how she is acting. “I love it. Thank you.” Sahara says taking the clip back.

“Should we go up to our room?” Bularia asks with a smile.

“Of course.” Sahara says waving her hand toward Saitar Regald’s door. “I can ask my question later.” Sahara tries to make small talk as they proceed up the stairs to their room. She doesn’t really hear much of what Bularia says though as she thinks back to what Saitar Regald was saying. “Master?” She asks remembering his words.

“Master?” Bularia asked stopping them from moving. “Did you just say Master?” She laughed the question out.

“I said masterful.” Sahara says. “The things you did over the summer sound masterful.” To her relief Bularia continues to walk not questioning her any further. As they arrive at their dorm, Sahara notices a change. “Why is there a fifth bed?” The room is more crowded with an extra bed in it.

“I assume we will have a new bed mate.” Bularia says looking unpleased with the idea.

“Why is there another bed in here?” Marol asks as she and Carol enter the room.

“I have no idea.” Sahara says moving over and putting the clip Bularia just gave her in a small box next to her bed. “We must have a new…” She remembers the new elf, Savanah. “No.” She says shaking her head, “It couldn’t be.”

“Couldn’t be what?” Carol asks.

“There is a new student that looks like me.” Sahara says thoughtfully.

“I saw her.” Bularia says looking annoyed. “I thought she was you when she first arrived.”

“You think she is bunking with us?” Marol asked excitedly.

“I am sure we will know soon.” Sahara says lying down on her bed.

“Catch!” Bularia says quickly throwing something toward Sahara. She jumps and tries to stop the item from hitting her in the face with magic, but instead of her magic stopping the item it hits her in the face.

“Ouch.” Sahara says rubbing her nose. “What was that?”

“Sorry, I thought you would catch it or deflect it at the least.” Bularia says sounding surprised by Sahara’s lack of abilities.

“Yes well. I didn’t want to hurt anyone.” Sahara lies as she picks up the item Bularia threw and notices it is some candy. “Thank you for the candy. I will eat it later.” She says placing it by the box she just placed the clip in. She doesn’t trust Bularia but she would never tell her roommates because if Bularia has been vessel swapped, she needs to make sure no one knows that she knows.

They all turn toward the door as it opens and sure enough, just as Sahara had expected, Savanah stands in the doorway. “Hi roomies!” Savanah says in a bubbly tone moving into the room toward the empty new bed. “I am Savannah. Hi Aranal! Brystol is dreamy. Thanks for sharing him with me.”

“Sharing him?” Marol asks in confusion as she, Carol, and Bularia all turn toward her looking full of questions.

“I wouldn’t call it sharing. It was just a walk down to the Plorksol field. Besides he and I are not….well it doesn’t matter.” Sahara says smiling toward everyone. “We are excited to have a new roommate. Yes?” The remainder of the evening they spend talking to and getting to know Savanah more, but Sahara only feels annoyed by her resemblance to herself.

The following morning Sahara is putting her plorksol bands on when she notices Brystol approaching her. She turns away from him hoping he will leave her alone but just moments later she hears him speak. “Is this to be how we are now?” He asks sadly. “You avoiding me.”

“I just cannot give you what you want Brystol.” She tightens her bands avoiding eye contact with him. “I no longer reciprocate your feelings.”

“I can’t just be done so abruptly Sahara!” His words sound angry. “I love you and you love me.”

“I may have loved you before but I am sorry. I don’t have those feelings any longer. We have seven months until I am forced to marry you. Until that time, I think it would be best if we stayed away from each other. You know.” She says picking up her plorboard. She hears sudden screaming as she turns noticing Phylan falling from the sky on his plorboard. She quickly tries to catch him, throwing out her hand to cast a spell but nothing happens. She tries again but nothing happens. She notices Brystol’s hand reaching out and he says something that causes Phylan to slow down falling from the sky and he lands peacefully on the ground. She feels anger building in her as she realizes her magic isn’t working right. She screams in anger and feels confused as she looks down at her hands. “What is happening to me?” She asks herself but obviously Brystol hears.

“Why is your magic not working?” He sounds overly concerned.

“Just leave me alone.” Sahara roars at him as she pushes him away from her. She needs time to think. She rips the necklace off from around her neck as she walks toward the locker room. She wonders if it is the necklace causing her powers to weaken.