Alanna's MiniSeries

Jaelawyn
Author
http://FantasyShadows.fly.to

jaelawyn@yahoo.com

http://FantasyShadows.fly.to
jaelawyn@yahoo.com

THE ALANNA MINISERIES [Alanna MS]

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This is the complete Version. Parts 1 through 10.

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DISCLAIMER: This is the work of a fan fiction. This in no way infringes of the copyright laws for Tamora Pierce's Song of the Lioness series, The Immortals series, and The Protector of the Small series. All the characters used in these stories, except for Daemos, Sapphire, Lael, Loki, the evil man in Part Two, and various other characters {which are MY characters} belong to Tamora Pierce. Also, Tortall, the mortal realms, the Divine Realms and any other place I mention is copyrighted to her Pierceness. Also, I just gave names to the gods. I mean, what am I supposed to do? "Yes, I rarely ask for things, Great Mother?" NO! So, I made names for them. Those are my names, but Tammy's characters.
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Alanna fought fervently. Gary wasn't going to win this time! "C'mon Alanna!" he yelped. "Lighten up!" "Give me a reason to!" she shot back. Gary sighed as she hooked his sword out of his hands. "You win," he muttered.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alanna grinned, then yelped. She put a hand to her neck, feeling the warm trickle of blood through her fingers. "Odd," she muttered. She quickly Healed the skin, but never thought to see if the thing that had nicked her skin was poison…. "Well," Alanna said, leaning against the wall. "It wasn't all due to the Copper Isles. Princess Josiane played the part of a pawn. A pawn who was a madwoman!" Neal grinned, "Why do you consider her a 'madwoman'?" "Mostly because every generation the Copper Islanders breed a mad one. Josiane's uncle is locked up in a tower somewhere, claiming that he can fly and that demons have over run the surface of the world," Raoul said without humor. "The craziness comes from being an island kingdom. Too much inbreeding." "Then who's fault was it for the coronation?" Joren asked. "The King's Champion's?" Alanna bit her lip. "Not really. It was actually my brother's fault. And Lady Delia of Eldorne's fault. I wasn't here, so I wouldn't know how Delia got my brother to raise Duke Roger, except for playing off his pride. There's a saying that's in my family. 'The Trebond pride is the Trebond curse.' Sometimes the pride is replaced with temper. Both which Delia played off of." Alanna, Gary, Raoul, Thayet, and Buri were in Myles' classroom, explaining to the pages the causes and effects of the Coronation Battle. They were only in the causes at the moment, and Alanna had to admit that the pages were good at thinking up questions. Keladry of Mindelan had the best questions. It was half a day later than when she and Gary had had their fencing bout. "Everyone thought that Duke Roger had come back a magicless sorcerer, how did he get his magic?" Kel asked. Alanna shrugged. "Who knows. He might not have had it to begin with, but only had it later on. Or in some possible way, kept it from those with the Sight or with aid in seeing magical auras. I'm not the one to ask on that. Talk to Numair!" A chuckle swept through the room. Everyone knew that if you asked Master Numair a question that he wouldn't be satisfied until he had covered all corners of the subject. Alanna winced, and crossed her arms, tightly hugging herself. Why did she suddenly feel faint? "Exactly how were the archers stopped?" Cleon asked. "Thread magic, and by the ladies in the room," Thayet said simply. "Women can, when they want to, even the odds. There were many commoners in the Hall of Crowns who knew how to fight, and had weapons with them. The women with magic took thread off their clothes and concentrated on tying archers up with it. Not to mention swordsmen." "Who were Duke Roger's allies?" Merric asked. "Delia of Eldorne, Alex of Tirragen, Ralon of Malven, and Princess Josiane of the Copper Isles," Gary said. He looked at Alanna, who had her eyes closed, and frowned. "Right," Alanna said, opening her eyes. "Ralon was calling himself 'Claw', because at the time he was fighting the King of the Rogue for the throne. Unfortunate for him, many had figured his game when he tried to assassinate King Jonathan." Raoul nodded. "He escaped many times, and no one exactly caught him. In the end, the King of the Rogue killed him. No tears were spilled, believe me. No one missed him." "Why did no one miss him?" Kel asked. Raoul and Gary laughed as Alanna blushed. "No one missed him because," Alanna said, drawing a deep breath. Why did her chest feel so tight? "Because when he was training in the palace, he took the 'earning your way' custom a bit too far." "A bit!" Raoul exclaimed. "Alanna, he practically killed you!" "Point was taken," Alanna snapped. "In the end, it came to a fight, not a fair one, but a fight anyway. He left court in shame." "Also," Myles put in. "He was disinherited after a few fiascoes in a village. That was how he lost an eyes and had the purple scars. Acid was thrown on his face." Alanna put two fingers to her left temple and closed her eyes. She tried to swallow and found she couldn't. The last thing she remember before dark descending on her was her legs collapsing out from beneath her and someone shouting for a healer. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alanna looked around the dark, empty room. It was so dark…. She drew a deep breath, even though her chest was so tight and her throat so dry. Suddenly she wasn't alone anymore. Alanna recognized her father and brother. The woman with them was totally alien. "Thom?" she faltered. "Father?" Thom's eyes narrowed. "You never avenged me. You never killed Roger." "I killed him! If I hadn't, no one would be alive! The earth would have convulsed, killing us all!" Alanna protested. What was going on? Where was she? "And I would never had brought a child into the world just so she could kill, kill, kill. It's not woman's work. You should be home, let your husband do this work! You're only upsetting the balance!" the woman snapped. "Who are you?" Alanna snapped. "Don't take that tone of voice with me, daughter! I'm your mother, and you will show the proper respect!" the woman, Marinie of Trebond and Tasride, snapped at her daughter. Alanna gulped and took a step back. "Mother?" her voice faltered. "You lied," Lord Alan snapped at Alanna. He was furious. "You were meant for the convents! Not for the work of a knight! Your magic! You should never have used it! You deliberately disobeyed me!" Alanna bit her lip. "Take it out on Maude!" she cried. "She was the one who forced me in the beginning! I never wanted to learn! I still don't! But if I don't train it, it could be used against me and those I care about!" "Those you care about?" Marinie asked harshly. "If you truly cared about them, then you wouldn't risk yourself needlessly daily! You mustn't fool yourself, Alanna. You don't care for this work. You're afraid. You hate this life!" "Don't try and use reverse-psychology on me!" Alanna yelled. "It's never worked before, so why should it work now?" Lord Alan smacked her. Alanna stood her ground. Thom glared at her. Marinie was the one who spoke. "Do you know what your name means? Why I picked it above all others?" "No," Alanna said. "And I don't care." "I picked the name 'Alanna' because it means fair and beautiful. But your problem is that you don't care. You disgrace the name Trebond! You disgrace us!" Alanna flinched, and turned away. Tears ran down her face, but she didn't dare let them see. They did, and they taunted her. Alanna crumpled and fell to her knees, crying. She hadn't cried that way since she was a little girl in Trebond. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "What's wrong with her?" King Jonathan snapped. "Why the hell is she crying? She's not even awake!" Duke Baird shrugged. "I'm sorry, Jonathan. I don't know. There's no hope. That poison is pure black magic. There's no way to counter it." "Impossible!" Raoul growled. "There is always hope. We just haven't looked in the right places!" "Try calling her. Memories, magic, anything you want. Maybe it'll work," Duke Baird said. Neal watched the Lioness, sadly. No hope? That was bad for both Lady Alanna and Kel. Kel would never meet her hero if Lady Alanna died. Neal sighed, and went to go tell Kel the news. "Well?" Kel asked. "What's wrong with her?" "Poison. Father says there's no hope." "What?" Roald yelped. "That can't be!" "It can be," Neal said glumly. "Pure black magic." "Black magic?" Roald whispered. Neal nodded. "There is no hope, then." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alanna took deep breaths, her chest was so tight! Her family had stopped their yelling at her, their accusations, their torments, but they didn't stop shooting glares at her. Alanna had a feeling they weren't done. She was right. "What about your family?" Marinie snapped. "What about them?" Alanna asked, bristling at her mother's tone. "Don't you think about them? What about your vow to your husband? To your family? You know every time you leave, there's a high chance you won't come back! How can you put that on them!" "They understand!" Alanna wailed. "George doesn't force me to do anything! He understands! He knows that I can't stand the life of a stupid noble lady! What I do is useful!" To her shame, she started to weep again. "Thom and Alan and Alianne, they all understand. They understand, but they don't like it. If it was me who was home, and George who left, they wouldn't like it that way!" "But you know how hard it is to grow up without a mother!" Lord Alan protested harshly. "I also know how it is to grow up without a father," Alanna snapped. Alan glared at his daughter. "At least Myles is kind. He doesn't act like I don't exist! He helps me when I need to do something I think is impossible. He taught me that nothing I do is too small. He was the one who taught me that if you think something you've done is your best, then stick by it. At least he acts more like my father than you ever did!" Suddenly, memories flashed in the room. Alanna recognized them all. Memories about her and Jon. She knew from her family's blank faces they were witnessing them as well. Memories of the Tusaine War flooded the room. The battle that separated Jon's camp from the others. Jon coming for her when she was in the Healers, wearing herself thin. When she threw up after she had healed some many men. The first time she had worn a dress and he had seen. When they had first met. Her seventeenth birthday. Even their fight in the Bazhir tents. Alanna gasped, tears working themselves onto her face. She put a hand to her mouth, hiding a smile. She laughed when the memories of the pranks they had done to each other. Suddenly they switched. They were memories from Gary. His nasty jokes about the deportment teacher. His making fun of her during the winter seasons. His finding out who she was. The night of her Ordeal. The many times he had gotten them both in trouble with his pranks and eavesdropping. They switched again: Raoul's this time. The time when she almost drowned when she was seventeen. When he had first seen Faithful. Times he had spent with her, Jon, Gary, and George. Memories of when she and Gary had pulled pranks on him and Jon. The memory of when she and Coram went riding off for the Great Southern desert. When he found her in Port Udayapur. During the coronation. When she whipped his ass in fencing. Then the memories stopped. "What were those?" Thom snapped the question out so fast Alanna winced. "Memories. From Jon, Gary, and Raoul. Memories of when I was training as a page and squire. Times I didn't have to worry about anything but people finding out who I really was." "And I was the one who revealed your identity, isn't that so?" Roger said. He and Alex had appeared. Alex, Ralon, Delia, and countless others from the Coronation Battle. Innocents she couldn't save, allies that had died, men from the Tusaine War, boys who had died from the Sweating Sickness: Francis of Nond. "Alan?" he whispered. Alanna gasped for breath. "This can't be happening," Alanna gasped. "This can't be real." She saw memories of the suffering she'd seen. The people she'd seen die. People who had died at her hand. Wars on where she had killed countless men. The Immortals War when she had killed immortal after immortal. Faces, faces of her friends and of her enemies, accused her. Liam appeared. "You never did have promise," he said. "You never did have much more sense than a kitten. Always getting into trouble when someone wasn't watching." Alanna cried out, falling to the floor. She screamed in pain and anguish as voices accused her. As scenes played out before her eyes. As pale eyes, and hypnotic ones and violet and blue and green eyes accused her. Alanna screamed, crying, and continued to scream. Her scream went on forever…. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jon watched with horror as screams of pain and anguish ripped from Alanna's throat. Tears streamed down her face, which was contorted in pain and grief. Whatever came out of her mouth was incoherent. Jon was scared for her. Gary patted his shoulder, as Raoul looked on with pain. "How do you use magic to help someone?" he asked Numair, who was also in the room. Numair watched Alanna, pain on his face. He wanted to help her, but her didn't know how to. "To what? Put yourself in her mind?" "Yes," Jon said calmly. "Jon," Gary protested. "I don't think that's a good idea." "I'm not going to just sit here while she looks like that! Whatever is going on in her mind has got to be bad, if it's making her scream and cry! Numair, how!" the king bellowed. He wasn't Jon anymore, he was King Jonathan of Contè, and he had issued a question that demanded to be answered. "Just imagine yourself in her mind," Numair said softly. Jon, no longer king, sat and took Alanna's hand, and did just that…. * ~ * ~ * ~ * Jon looked around. This was Alanna's mind? This room? Suddenly people were there, along with Alanna. She was backed up against the wall, trembling, screaming, crying. "Alanna!" he yelled. Then he heard a voice that was very familiar: Thom's. Her brother. "You never should have made the switch, Alanna. Never come up with the idea. It was selfish. You got what you wanted, but did you ever think of Father? Or me? No. You always thought of yourself! You always do!" Thom hissed. Alanna shook her head, her face was tear stained. "No, Thom! It's not like that! Didn't you get what you wanted? Didn't you get to be that famous sorcerer that you wanted to be?" "Yes, and who put that idea there? YOU!" Thom yelled in her face. "You're doing men's work! Leave it for the men! You're place is at your home, with your children!" a woman hissed at her. The woman had the same build Alanna did, and her eyes were violet-gray. Jon guessed it was Alanna's mother. She was very beautiful, Alanna certainly took after her. "Let your husband fight, he's naturally built for it!" Alanna's mother grabbed Alanna's arm, pushing the sleeve up. "Look at these scars! Women should never have scars! But no! You refuse to be what the world and gods demand of you!" "The Goddess herself approved!" Alanna yelled, crying. "Did she? Or was it just Chaos tricking you? Was it so she could get enough power to kill the gods? Did you aid in the gods' near destruction during the Immortals War?" Marinie snapped. Alanna pulled out of her mother's hold and slumped to the floor, shaking and crying. "Alanna!" Jon cried. He ran through the crowd to her. She looked at him, and cried harder. "Jon!" she cried, throwing herself into his arms. She was shaking so bad. Voices rose, and hands started pulling them apart. People started yelling at Alanna, scorning her, slapping her, mocking her. She lay there, hair falling into her face, weak, pathetic, and beaten. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jon pulled out of her mind at that moment, gasping. Numair looked at him. "What's wrong with her?" "That poison, do you know what it is?" Jon asked. "It has some kind of illusion spell in it. Along with a truth spell. Or something along those lines." "Is there a spell for waking the sleeping? A counterspell to the sleep spell?" "I think so." "Do it. Now." Numair nodded, and put his hands on Alanna's temples. Suddenly, Alanna was awake. She was gasping, her eyes afraid. Her face looked as if many people had slapped her, and her eyes were wild. She was shaking badly, so badly. Numair was afraid to go near her, she looked like she was able to kill someone. When she saw Jon, she yelped, and slid as far back into the bed as she could. "Get away from me!" she yelled. "Get away from me!" Jon took a step back. "Alanna, it's me, Jon." "A likely story Roger!" she scoffed. "You want to kill Jon, not be him! You want the throne, that's all you've ever cared about! And I swear that I'd die before letting you even get near the throne!" "She thinks your Roger?" Gary breathed in shock. "Thinks?" Alanna's voice cracked it was so high. "I know he is! It's an illusion! Anyone could see it!" Her eyes were wild, they could all tell that she had left sanity behind a long time ago. She spotted her dagger and sword. She got out of the bed and tried to get them. "Grab her!" Raoul yelled. Gary did just that, and held onto her waist tightly. "Alanna, stop it!" he yelled at her. "Calm down!" "No!" She cried. "Let me go! I need to kill him! He'll kill Jon! He killed my brother!" She stopped fighting and slumped in Gary's arms, clinging to him and crying hard. Gary soothed her, holding her, and trying to understand what she was babbling. "Numair?" Jon asked. Numair nodded and quietly left. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Neal," Numair hissed. Neal, Kel, and Roald looked up. "What's up?" Neal asked. "Have you ever heard of a spell mixed with illusion, truth, and fever?" Numair asked. "Um," Neal said. "It might be a version of the Sweating Sickness. Why?" "Well," Numair said, sighing. "We got Alanna back. Except, she thinks Jon is Duke Roger, and she left sanity behind a long time ago." Neal stared; Roald gulped; Kel bit her lip. "So," Neal asked. "That means what?" "It means that we need to find some way to get Alanna back to herself." Yelling burst out from the room Alanna was in, Gary and Raoul telling Jon to get out before she killed him. The door quickly opened and Jon escaped. "Any change?" Numair asked with hope. Jon shook his head. "No. I'm very glad she was shaking too bad to have a descent throwing arm. If her hands were steady, she might have killed me. She got her hands on Gary's dagger." "Gods, this isn't going to be easy." Jon sighed, then noticed the three pages. "She'll be fine. Roald, don't talk to Thom about this. I don't want this getting out." "All right Papa," Roald said, softly. "Might it be a version of the Sweating Sickness?" Neal asked. Jon shook his head. "No. When she was unconscious, I saw what was going on in her mind. Her mother, father, and brother accusing her for things she couldn't help, yelling at her for doing men's work, and the such. Her enemies there, people she killed, anyone she's every met that's dead, accusing her, mocking her. Basically, it's guilt. But I know Alanna's made her peace with what she's done, and she did that a long time ago. I'd give my right arm to know who sent this, my leg to know the counterspell, and my other arm to have the person who did this." "Why?" Neal asked. "I'd kill that person, three times over," Jon said, eyes hard. "No one does this to my friend and gets away with it." Kel gulped at the hardness in the King's eyes. Lady Alanna meant a lot to him, she guessed. "Numair, go see if you can get her back to sleep. I need to think on who her enemies are, those who are sorcerers at least." "All right, Jon. I'll let you know if--" Jon shook his head. "Don't. We're going to find a cure for this if I have to tear apart every library from here to the Roof of the World." With that, he left. "I'm starting to feel sorry for the person who sent this," Numair said. "Why?" Kel asked. "Because if you've got King Jonathan as your enemy, you're as good as dead. And if you're his enemy and you do something to Alanna, you are more than dead. King Jonathan is formidable, but if you mess with any of his friends or family... May the gods bless you, you won't survive more than two minutes once he's got his hands on you," Numair said. "Alanna and Jon are like siblings. They flirt with each other, but it's only fun. They can yell, argue, and beat each other sensless, but they always forgive each other. They're very close. And if you get between them, may the gods help you." Crying and pleading came out from the room Alanna was in. The plea was very clear: Get out of my head. "Maybe it's a nervous breakdown," Neal suggested quietly. Numair shook his head. "No, Alanna's had those before. She's pulled out of them in three hours. This can't be a breakdown, not unless she's been under so much stress and been so depressed that she snapped so quickly." "It was only a thought," Neal said. "I know," Numair said. "And right now, I wish it was a nervous breakdown and that she was diagnosed as a manic-depressive. Then, at least, we would know what to do. Instead, it's black magic." Numair left after that, and entered Alanna's room. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alanna suddenly wished she was awake again. She wasn't trapped there, not like she was here. Here, she was trapped. Suddenly, there was someone else in the room with her: Jon. "J-Jon?" she stammered. "I'm here. I'll help, don't worry. I won't let you take the guilt in your own mind. What is this stuff anyway?" he asked, pointing to the walls that had gray fog all over the place. It had the reek of death. "I don't know," Alanna said. Suddenly, the room was furnished. Two chairs, a table with two steaming mugs of tea, and--Alanna blushed--a bed. "I guess we're suppose to make ourselves at home, as the saying goes," Jon said dryly, seeing the bed. "I'm too wound up to sleep," Alanna muttered. She picked up a mug, eyeing the contents. It was black tea, with a sent of rosehips in it. Alanna dipped her finger in quickly, it was very hot, and put her finger to her lips. Honey and a pinch of sugar had been added. "Strange," she muttered. She took a sip. Then Thom appeared. "You know, I figured he would come here." Alanna sighed. She was too tired for confrontation with a "demon of the mind", and she didn't want them. She just wanted to sit with Jon and find away to get rid of this poison. She took another sip of tea. "What do you mean?" Jon snapped. "You always did have a soft spot with Alanna. You still do," Thom taunted. Alanna's eyes slitted. "What's going on? I thought your were my demon of the mind." "I am. But I'm also his," Thom said, grinning the grin of the wicked. "As you are one of his." "Hunh?" Jon said. "What are you talking about?" "This," Thom said, putting a finger on Jon's temple. Suddenly, Jon was in his own mind, and no longer in Alanna's. But he still saw Alanna. She was...different. Her hair was longer, waist length, and her eyes looked like purple embers, because they started to glow intently. She wore a dress, but the kind commoners did in the country. She actually looked her age, the lines that the battles had made her carry in her face were gone. Scars were gone. She looked...sweet and innocent and remarkably beautiful. "Alanna?" he ventured. She walked over to him, and he saw she was barefooted. He also saw a lone violet in her hair, and it was in full bloom. Two strand of hair by her temples had been pulled back and twisted together, where the strands met was the violet. "Hello, Jon," she said. Her voice was different. It was soft, musical, and not one tone was boyish. He raised an eyebrow, shocked and not exactly liking this. He suddenly realized why she looked like this. This was how he wished she looked and acted. He had wished many times, as he knew George had, that she could stop going off to battle and just be herself. "You're not real," he said. "This is all a figment of my mind. You're a figment of my mind, coming back to haunt me because I wish Alanna looked like you." "I am Alanna," she said. "At least, Alanna of Trebond, the real one. How I used to act like before I came to the palace to train." "Thom has some hand in this," Jon said. Alanna moved closer to him, and he froze, wary. She stopped when he put his hand on her shoulder to stop her from moving any closer. "What are you doing?" "What you want me to," Alanna answered, putting her hand to cover his. He quickly pulled away. "This isn't happening," he said, horrified. "It isn't?" Alanna asked. "Of course not!" Jon scoffed. "The poison in Alanna's mind must've gotten to mine, so now I'm facing my own demons. Which you're one of them." "Why am I a demon for you?" Alanna asked, sounding very hurt. Jon shuddered. "No, I'm not saying anything." Alanna moved closer to him. Unbelievingly--and almost against his will--Jon put his arms around her. She tilted her face up, and Jon kissed her. Suddenly memories flew into his mind: The Tusaine War, when he had tried to get Alanna to stay out of it, the fear he felt for her; the night he had met George's mother, and seen Alanna in a dress for the first time; Alanna's seventeenth birthday, and the night they had spent together; when Alanna had almost drowned, and the feeling of fear that she would die. Jon quickly pulled away from Alanna's hold and kiss. He back away in horror. What was he doing? He was married! Happily married, at that. He had five children, and loved them all. But at that moment, he couldn't remember what Thayet looked like or even her name. "What's wrong?" Alanna asked. Her violet eyes glowed like a cat's in the dark. "You don't want me? Or do you want one of them instead?" Suddenly, Delia appeared. Then Josiane, then Thayet. "You want me," Delia cooed. "I'll save you. Roger won't kill you if you stay with me. Why would you want that she-man? Or that crazy princess, who'd kill you the minute she had a chance? Or that two bit little princess who thinks her classic beauty will earn you heart?" Jon backed away hastily. Alanna put a hand on his arm, and laid her head next her hand. "Don't listen to Delia. She's only using you to get points with Roger." Jon pushed Alanna off. Thayet watched this, and a slow smile spread on her face. He felt his heart do a double take, then her features blurred, and her eyes became violet, and her long hair copper. "What's going on?" he demanded. "You're seeing your One True Love," Thom sneered. "Lovely, isn't she?" He looked at his twin with humor, then back at Jon. "She loves you. In her own mind, she'd admit it, but not to anyone else. She'd kill herself for you." "Loyalty to a monarch, that's all," Jon croaked, having the sinking feeling Thom was right. "Oh, sure it is," Thom said. He stood and suddenly, he was Roger. "She is quite pretty, isn't she?" Roger pulled Alanna into his arms and kissed her brutally. "Get away from her!" Jon yelled at his cousin, who was suppose to be dead. Roger grinned. "You betray your heart, cousin." Suddenly, they all vanished, except for Alanna. He wasn't sure if he wanted her to go or not. Alanna moved up to him, and kissed him. Suddenly, he realized he'd been living a lie: he loved her. Then Alanna's clothes disappeared, as well as his. * ~ * ~ * ~ * Alanna looked around, Jon had vanished. Where was he? Suddenly, Roger appeared. "My cousin thinks highly of you, still." "Why?" Alanna stammered. "Because he loves you," Roger said. "In his mind he's being tormented by your very image." "What?" Alanna gasped. Suddenly, Roger turned to Jon. Alanna yelped, and fell into one of the chairs. "Okay!" she screamed. "Let me out of my mind! Get out of my mind!" She sobbed, and unknowingly, fell into Jon's arms. Then she remembered this was her mind, that no one can make her do anything. Jon turned to George, then to Liam, and kept changing. Alanna saw faces of her friends, of her family, until it settled to one person: Roger. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Numair watched Alanna, and when Jon slumped in his chair he knew something had gone wrong. The spell was only meant for Alanna's mind, not Jon's! It could destroy Jon's completely. Damn, this was a serious mess, Numair thought crossly. He left the room, leaving Alanna and Jon up to Duke Baird and went into his room. Daine was there. "Any change?" she asked. She loved Alanna, like a sister or a mother Numair didn't know, and this wasn't easy on her. "Jon has the same now. Transmitted from the mind maybe," Numair said, going over to a bookcase. He searched the titles and pulled out a book. Then the ground shuddered. "What was that?" Daine yelped. "Not an earthquake," Numair said, grabbing a chair to keep from falling. "Not possibly an earthquake." The earth shuddered again. Numair and Daine ran out into the hall, and saw Raoul. "What's going on?" they both demanded at once. "Roger," Raoul gasped. "It has to be him. There's no one else with the amount of power it takes to do that. Unless you're doing this Numair." "I wouldn't dare mess with the forces of Nature," Numair said. "Roger of Contè or... Thom?" Raoul said, as the ground heaved again. "Not Alanna's son! He's barely trained!" Numair argued. "He means Alanna's twin brother!" Buri snapped, running over to them. She had a sword in her hand. "Look familiar" she asked. Raoul blanched, it was Lightning. "Wh-where'd you get that?" "It was in Alanna's hand. No one knows how it got there, but I was just there. Not to mention there are thousands of spells protecting that gate. There is no way in the nine hells this sword could have come out, unless it came out with Roger." "Who's Roger?" Numair interrupted. "Jon's cousin. Wanted the throne. Alanna found him out when she was knighted, killed him in proper combat. Thom of Trebond, Alanna's twin brother, raised him from the dead. On Jon's coronation, chaos broke loose. Everything was destroyed. The palace had to be rebuilt," Raoul said. While they had talked, Raoul and Buri, Numair and Daine had gone down to the catacombs. Raoul saluted the men posted at the doors, and entered. Numair was amazed when he saw the blackened Gate of Idramm. On the spot, a man was standing. "Roger," Raoul hissed, he drew his sword. The man saw them, and grinned the grin of the wicked. "How lovely to see you again, Sir Raoul. How are you? How is your darling Lioness? Dead yet?" Raoul growled, "No. And your spells will never kill her." "Really?" Roger asked, cocking his head. "Then how come I have a tie to her inner self? And a tie to my kingly cousin? Even to Duke Baird, so he can cure neither." Out came Buri's sword. "You are a dog, Roger. And you shall die like one," she snarled. "Isn't that what dear Squire Alan said once? Ah, I believe I quote: 'You have brought an ugly death on Traitor's Hill, Roger. When this is over, I will personally scatter your ashes on the winds.' What a pity she killed me before I could destroy us all. But, no matter. I will take the Lioness and my cousin with me. Even their heirs." "Let Neal and Thom and Roald go!" Raoul yelled, understanding what Roger's ties were. "Very good, Sir Raoul. Very good," Roger said. Not three, but four forms were tied, gagged, and unconscious. "I suppose having the Mindelan girl will start a war. But, alas, it won't work if there is no one to make war with. My pressure spell will destroy us all, the world as well. Not even the gods can stop it." Numair shuddered. "But pressure spells can be countered." "Not if set directly at the core," Roger sneered. "That's true," Numair grumbled. "Now," Roger said, picking up a sword, a bloodstained sword. "I ask you, how long do you think Jonathan or Alanna can last, when their very life force is being drained from their bodies, along with that of all their children?" "That's impossible, even with a tie," Numair said. "Your bluffing." "Truly?" Roger asked. "Then let me demonstrate." He selected Alanna's son, Thom. He was slowly coming around, even though Roald, Kel, and Neal were already awake. Pulling Thom into the Gate, Roger grinned. "Let me make an example of the Lioness. She'll not last long, for her life force was weak to begin with. Not enough food and sleep will do that, you know," Roger said, grinning. Thom was awake now, and squirming. His Gift flared up, matched with a silver film, then a gold and blue film. He squirmed violently, and the silver film grew. Roger watched Thom, his brow creased. "The gods' protection? How...? Ah, Alanna." Thom glared, enraged. He worked the gag out of his mouth. "Don't you dare touch my Ma!" Roger showed amusement. "Just like your mother. A pity you won't live to be older than ten." Roger reached with his Gift into Thom's mind. He pulled back suddenly, then tried again. This time, he saw a small violet thread, twined with the color of blood, in a small well inside Thom. Probing this well, Roger felt Thom fall to his knees. Raoul watched in horror as Thom became paler and paler. His skin looked almost transparent at the moment. The gold and blue film grew, expanded, and contracted as the silver film grew to be a wall. Roger pulled out of Thom's mind as Thom fainted right off. Thom sank to the ground, his small body even smaller and thinner. Kel, Neal, and Roald stared in horror. "At least she won't live an extra day," Roger said, laughing. "Mourn for your Lioness, you won't have the breath to do it later!" Raoul glared. "Don't bet on it!" He walked forward, as Buri and Daine darted to the side to get the children untied and out of there. "I will bet on it," Roger said. "You're not Alanna. You don't have her skill, and you have no reason to do anything to me." Numair gathered his Gift in his hands. "Yeah, well neither do I, except you hurt Thom, Jonathan, and Alanna. No one hurts my friends and gets away with it!" "I have many a quarrel with you Roger!" Raoul snapped. "You killed the queen with that doll of yours. You killed Alanna's brother, and the other people in the coronation. Thom was only twenty, and sure he was full of himself, but he deserved better!" "And I have all the quarrel in the world with you Roger," said a voice from behind Raoul and Numair. Both turned to see Alanna, holding Lightning, and glowing silver. "How could you resist the spell?" Roger inquired. "The Goddess lifted it, for a time," Alanna said. "Well," Roger said, with a gleam in his eye. "Looks like you took care for everything. Except for my tie to you!" He yanked Thom into a standing position, though his head lolled on his chest. Alanna looked like she was capable of murder, which she was, actually. She stepped forward and threw her sword at Roger's feet. "I yield. Let him go," she said. "Why should I?" Roger asked. He once again grasped Thom's life force. A shot of pain wormed its way through Alanna. She closed her eyes and did something she never thought she would. Part of her was very aware of Raoul, Buri, Numair, Daine, Neal, Roald, and Keladry watching her. Alanna drew a very deep breath and muttered a spell in the language of the Old Ones. Yellow tendrils rose from the ground. They started to twine around each other, then headed strait from Roger. The yellow quickly turned violet, gold, blue, and silver. Alanna threw her Gift and some of her life force into it. "No! You can't do this to me! I'm the Duke of Contè! The greatest sorcerer in the Eastern Lands!" Roger screamed as the tendrils circled him. Alanna's life force touched Thom, and only him. It separated from the magic, and protected him from the blast of Alanna's Gift. Roger screamed long and loudly, then he was gone. As soon as Roger was gone, Alanna collapsed. She swayed slightly, then her legs folded. Her eyes rolled up into her head, and she collapsed. Thom was already down, but he was blinking, sleepily. "C'mon," Raoul said, picking Alanna up. "Let's get these two to the Healers." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Five weeks later, Jon was on his feet and getting better. "Roger?" he asked, when Raoul told him. "That's the truth, Jon," Raoul said. Jon shook his head. "It wasn't Roger who poisoned Alanna, or me." "Then who?" Numair asked. "I suppose we'll never know," Alanna said. She walked into the room and sat down in a chair. Her face was still pale and shallow skinned, but she looked better. "But it wasn't Roger. He only took advantage of it." "Then, your right. We'll never know who sent the spell," Jon said. Little did they know that outside the window, a cloaked man growled. "The spell didn't work!" he hissed. "We'll, I must find another way to keep my precious Lioness mine! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Part Two: The Abduction ©2000 Alanna sighed, looking out over the practice courts. They were empty, but it was winter, and anyone sane enough would practice inside. Alanna was still not completely sane. She had only just recovered two weeks ago, even though the confrontation with Roger and that poison had been over four months ago. She sighed, pulling her cloak tighter and walking into the gardens. She looked around and felt comforted by the desolation of the gardens. It was only two weeks till Midwinter. She sighed again, and sat down on one of the marble benches. Life was getting complicated. Too complicated. Half the things that her dream family had said were true. She did jeopardize herself, and she knew it. She admitted that she liked that live on the edge kind of life. But it wasn't fair to her family. Alanna knew that. George had accepted it, and had never tried to hold her back, no matter how much he wanted to. Her children, they didn't really understand why their mother had to keep disappearing on them, then reappearing. Thom was just beginning to understand, but he still didn't like it. That was one thing she had always regretted. Not being apart of her children's lives. With Thom, she had been in and out so often, he valued each minute he was with her. She knew from Buri, Daine, Thayet, and Maude that he often got bad dreams about her not coming back. Now, Alan and Alianne had started to join their older brother in those dreams. Alanna hated it, but couldn't help it. Someone walked up and sat next to her. "Silver for your thoughts," Jon said. "So much?" Alanna inquired. "My thoughts aren't worth a silver." "Allow me to judge. I'm the one who inquired, remember?" Jon said. He slipped an arm around her waist and rubbed her shoulder with his other hand. Alanna sighed. "I'm thinking about that nightmare the poison caused. Thinking about how that dream apparitions seemed so real with such real accusations. I'm actually thinking about how right they are when it comes to my family." Jon winced. "Pretty dry thinking, but important." Silence closed in, until he interrupted it. "Alanna, you can't help not being home. You chose a long time ago that being a knight was the kind of thing you wanted to do. You chose it." Alanna looked very sad. "I know. But, then, I didn't want children, or a husband. Then, I only wanted to be a warrior. Looking back on the twenty-four years that I've been training and fighting, it seems worth it. Then I turn my thoughts to the impact it has on my family, and it seems worthless." She was silent for a minute. "Buri, Daine, Thayet, and Maude all tell me that when I'm gone, Thom, Alan, and Alianne have these horrible nightmares in which I don't come back. In which I die so horribly, that they scream in the middle of the night." She sighed. "Jon, I don't know what to do. I want to be fair to my family, and spend as much time as I can with them. "Then again, I want to be in the thick of a battle, fighting for my life. I want to be doing things, being in council, fighting, anything. But, I can't help think of what would happen if I actually did die. Or, what would happen if the children hurt themselves while I'm not there. Jon, I'm so confused!" She buried her face in his chest, and her shoulders shook with silent sobs. Jon couldn't believe she felt this way. She had always put on a brave front, and Jon had always assumed that that was Alanna. That Alanna was always brave, was always fearless. Now he knew better. She was afraid, deeply afraid. Not for herself, but for her family. "It's okay," he muttered into her hair, stroking it with hands that shook. "Hey, it's okay. Go on and cry. You need to let it all out sometime or other. Now's the best time, while you have someone willing to let you cry on their shoulder." Alanna took his advice and cried long and hard. Jon noticed someone in the shadows, but chose not to do anything. Instead, he held his friend and tried his damned best to dry her tears. "Hey, it's okay. C'mon, Alanna," Jon said soothingly. She straightened and sniffed. Her eyes were a bit bloodshot from all the crying, but he didn't care. She still made his heart wrench with love. "Oh gods," she said. She whipped her eyes, and sniffed again. "I must look like a hag," she said, with a faint smile. "You'll never look like a hag to me. You'll always be beautiful," Jon said. He held her again, trying to block out the memory of what had happened in that dream the poison had caused. He tried blocking out the part where he and Alanna had made love, because it felt so solid it made him scared. What scared him even more was how much he had wanted to. "Let's go inside," Alanna said. "We're about to freeze out here. At least, I am." "A very good idea," Jon said. "I forgot to bring a cloak out with me." They got up and left, but Jon felt that person watching them. He got a very uncomfortable feeling. He put a protective arm around Alanna and led her inside. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As soon as Alanna had gotten into her room, she had stripped off all her clothes, except for her under garments, and gotten into bed with a mug of strong tea. Taking a long sip of it, she set it down on the nightstand and picked up the book lying there. Settling into the covers, she opened it, and fell into the book, forgetting everything except for the words on the page. She stopped only when her jaw started to crack from the yawns. Sighing, she put the book down. She finished off her tea, and extinguished the candles and the fire with a thought, and let sleep claim her at last. Alanna awoke suddenly. Something, she wasn't quite sure what, had aroused her. She sat up, yawning slightly, and lit the branch of candles on her nightstand. Only then did she see a cloaked figure standing next to her bed. She gasped, and backed into the headboard of the bed. She felt something wet on her forehead, where her head had collided with the headboard. Her vision wavered in and out. She was quickly loosing her grip on reality. "Who are you?" she murmured. "What do you want?" She barely heard his answer, but what she did hear scared her: "I want you." * * * * "Gods!" Jon cursed. "Who the hell would take her?" Raoul shrugged. "The same one who sent the poison. Maybe some obsessed lad who wants her for himself." Jon sighed. "She isn't beautiful compared to Thayet. And Thayet was alone all evening. If he wanted some toy to have fun with, I would think he'd go after Thayet, not Alanna." "Maybe to us," Numair said. "But maybe to him. It might also be a her. Though, I tend to agree with you Jon. Alanna is not beautiful. The best she could hope for is comely." Jon sighed. "Numair, Alanna is beautiful, in her own way. I should know!" He grinned slightly. Numair looked at his friend with some curiosity. "But I doubt it's a her." Jon pointed to Alanna's clothes and the fact that the bed was very rumpled. "It was a male. Why would a woman abduct another woman who is wearing nothing at all?" "Nothing at all?" Numair asked suspiciously, and a little curious. "She doesn't wear anything to bed. Gods know why!" Jon muttered. He went over to the pillows and lifted the left one, revealing a dagger. "Hmm. Bad sign. Alanna's habits are easy to figure out." "Especially to one of her old lovers," Raoul retorted. Numair's eyebrows raised into his hairline and stayed there. "Shut up," Jon snapped. "Alanna always has a hand near a weapon. This person must have caught her off guard, perhaps when she just woke up." Jon saw drops of blood on the pillow and the headboard. Alanna's? He went over by them and extended his hand, palm down. The drops glowed violet: it was Alanna's. "He's armed, or she hurt herself," Jon muttered. "I'll go alert the guards," Raoul muttered. "I'll try and look for her with magic," Numair said. Jon sighed. "I'll tell Thom, and send a letter to George." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "What?" Thom asked, sitting down hard. "How?" "We don't know," Jon said, watching Thom's face. "Looks like he came in through the window." "He!" Thom yelped. Jon winced at his mistake. Neal, Roald, and Keladry of Mindelan had been eavesdropping by the door, and now fell into the room on to the floor. "You three didn't have to stand by the door," Jon said sourly. He noticed Thom's face was completely white. "Would this be the same 'he' that sent the poison to Ma?" "It might be, and most likely is," Jon said. Thom gulped audibly, and bit his lip. He was so much like Alanna, and didn't even know it. He couldn't even notice it, since she was away all the time. Jon suddenly realized what Alanna had been talking about. "Will she be okay?" "Of course she will be. I've seen your mother get out of worse," Jon said. He excused the lie mentally, saying that Thom needed the reassurance. Thom nodded. Neal sighed. "This isn't good, is it?" he asked bluntly. Jon winced. "No. It's not. It's not good at all." Roald looked at his father. "Is this some obsessed lunatic?" Jon drew a deep breath and let it out. "We think so. I hope not. Because, if it is, the chances of him stopping are very slim." Thom gave an incoherent yelp and then broke down crying onto Roald's shoulder. Jon closed his eyes, trying to keep back tears of his own, and left. He tried to ignore the fact that Keladry of Mindelan was watching his retreating back, but couldn't. He didn't even get out of her line of sight when he pushed himself up against a wall and started to cry himself. There was going to be a very small chance of getting Alanna back alive, if they even got her back. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alanna looked around, clearly petrified. She was very glad she had decided to wear her breastband and loincloth to bed instead of sleeping bare as she usually did. Obviously her captor wasn't happy about that. Well, Alanna thought. One point for me, not that it's much of a point. You can easily get me undressed. Alanna felt sick at the thought. Oh gods! How am I going to get out of this one? Then her captor came over to her. He reached out a hand and stroked her thigh. Alanna glared and kicked him. If he hadn't jumped away, she would haven't made him hurt real bad. "Now, now," he said. He took off the cloak. "Let's not fight and make it hard on yourself." Alanna glared. "Lay one finger on me, and I swear, you will be in for a world of disappointment." "Why? What will you do?" he asked, fondling one of her breasts. Alanna kicked, and scored. He clutched his lower belly in pain. "Hands off!" she snarled. He recovered quicker than she thought. He backhanded her. "Enough, wench!" He grabbed her shoulders and threw her to the ground. She hit her head on the floor, and was knocked out. But not before she saw him advancing on her and not before she felt him rip off what little she had on. When Alanna next woke, her loins hurt terribly. She could barely close her legs, without screaming in pain. She suddenly felt as weak as a day old kitten. She was on a bed, and she felt violated to the fullest. She tugged her protesting body into a sitting position, pulling the sheets around her body. There, lounging on a couch was her captor, and the one who had raped her to the fullest. "Morning, love," he said, getting up. Alanna glared, and remembered her Gift. She sent a full blast at him, which he countered and turned on her. It vanished before it got five inches away from him. "Why the hell are you keeping me here?" she asked, very unnerved and trying not to show it. "Why am I keeping you here?" he echoed. "Because you are mine. You have been promised to me by your father. Long before you can remember. When you were three, I was six. And you were promised to me. You are mine by right. That marriage to the so called baron is a null. Those children, bastards. You, sweet, are mine." "What!" Alanna snapped. "You really are insane!" "Thank you," he said, bowing. "I doubt--" Sounds came from the door in the room. Alanna prayed to the Mother that it was help. And her hopes fell as a servant came rushing into the room. "My lord," the servant said hurriedly. "There is a squad of the King's Own coming this way. I believe they may have search warrents. The Knight Commander is in the lead." "Thank the gods!" Alanna breathed. "I knew they wouldn't let me stay kidnapped for long." "KIDNAPPED!" he roared. "How dare you!" The servant ran from the room. Okay Alanna, how will you get out of this one? Just makes lots of noise. Some firebolts can't hurt. Anything to get Raoul over here. Alanna called up fireballs and hurled them at him. All which hit the ground, which was what she wanted. The place would light up in the color of her Gift, and it would be a becon, she hoped. Then again, Alanna thought, wincing as he struck her head with his elbow. Maybe that won't happen. . . . Then darkness closed in. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "There!" Raoul said, pointing to a manor in the woods. It was lighting up to be a steady purple. And then it started shaking, badly. Then, just as suddenly as it had begun, it stopped. "Numair?" Raoul asked with hope. "She's in there. That's the place I got a hold on before," he replied. "Good," Gary muttered. "I want this over as quickly as possible and with as little harm done to her as possible." "C'mon," Raoul said, dismounting. "It would be better on foot. They won't see us that easily. Numair, can you shield us?" "I am," Numair replied. "Good. Let's move." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alanna looked up and around. Her captor was gone. So was the manor she was in. Instead, she was in the woods, and moving. Someone had a hand around her waist, and was keeping her on the horse. She moaned slighty, and heard Gary's voice. "It's okay. We've got you," he whispered in her ear. She looked over her shoulder and was relieved to find that it was Gary. She grinned and heaved a sigh of relief. She swallowed, trying to wet her throat, and gave up on that. Gary dismounted, and helped her down, and wrapped her in an enveloping hug that hurt. "Oh, gods I'm glad your all right." Alanna nodded, coming imperiously close to tears."Thank you for coming after me," she whispered. Gary smiled warmly at her. "Numair used magic to find you, we went for you. Everyone was worried sick." He didn't say anything about her appearance, and for that, Alanna was grateful. He grinned and stepped out of the way as Jon hugged her tightly. "Gods!" he said into her shoulder. "Don't you know well enough to stay out of the way of kidnappers?" Alanna laughed. "I thought I did." She sighed, and looked him, then asked softly. "Mind if I go get changed before I freeze?" He laughed and came along with her. "I'm going to stay right here because we need to talk. Okay?" "Sure. After I get some clothes on," Alanna said. He came into the main room and sat down while she went to find some clothes. She came back five minutes later wearing a white shirt and breeches. She was just putting an arm sheeth on, as she saw the look on his face. "What?" He sighed. "Nothing. Just glad that you're okay. Mithros, I thought we'd lost you! Do you know who that man was?" "No," Alanna said frankly. "Never seen him before in my life. Though, he said we had met when I was three or something. Um," Alanna closed her eyes and remebered what he said. "He said that my father promised me to him. That my marriage with George was null and the children were bastards. Felt like killing him on the spot." "He got away. Raoul said they searched the manor, but found only you," Jon brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes. She grinned. "He said that you were in horrible condition. What happened?" Alanna winced as she sat down. "He raped me," she said softly. She shuddered. "At least now I know how it feels." She closed her eyes in pain. "Jon, I never want to feel like that again. Never." Jon nodded, and held her tightly. "It's okay. It's over. There's no way we're going to let him take you again. All right?" Alanna nodded, and someone burst into the room and flung themself onto Alanna. "MA!" it cried, and fell into her arms crying. "Thom," Alanna sighed. "Oh, Thom!" she hugged her son tightly and Jon took that time to vanish into the hallway. "Hello Papa," Roald said. Jon grinned. "Good that you told Thom that Alanna was back. I doubt you could get those two apart with out a prybar." Roald grinned. "True." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alanna held her son as he cried. "Ma, I thought I'd lost you." "You'll never lose me. You're stuck with me, for good," Alanan said, rocking back and forth with Thom on her lap. "Good," Thom said, drying his eyes. "Can we keep it that way?" Alanna grinned. "Try and make me change my mind. You, Alan, Alianne, the twins, and your father are stuck with me for good. And I'm not going to change my mind. Not ever." "Good." Thom's cries stopped and he sniffed. "Da's here." "He is?" Alanna asked. "When did he get here?" "Last night. He's going to be looking for you," Thom said. "I know. But you're staying here, right?" Alanna asked. "Right," Thom said. "Wrong," George said from the doorway. Alanna grinned. "Why wrong?" "He's got lessons as a page, remember?" George said. "Unless you want punishments from Lord Wyldon." "Nope. I don't want any punishments from the Stump," Thom said. He jumped up, kissed Alanna, and ran out of the room. George grinned, and went to Alanna, holding her tightly. "Never, ever, get kidnapped again." "I won't," Alanna said. "Not unless it's by you." George grinned. "Very funny." "I thought it was," Alanna said, trying to look hurt. Georeg chuckled and put her at arms length, and back over to the bed, holding her hand. Alanna grinned, and held onto him tightly as they fell onto the bed together. "I think you're far more ambitious than I am," Alanna said, between kisses. George grinned, but didn't reply. In a few moments, Alanna didn't want one. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alanna sighed, looking around the Hall of Crowns. Why she was here, she didn't know. She could help but get the feeling that something was definatly wrong. She toyed with her emberstone, wishing she could feel at ease. Suddenly, Alanna sneezed four times in a row. When her eyes cleared, the Goddess stood in front of her. "Goddess," Alanna breathed, falling to her knees. The Goddess smiled. "So, we meet again," She said. "You have lived up to your destiny." Alanna looked up into Her eyes. "I have?" she asked, not knowing what She had meant. Alanna had spent her entire life fighting the normal "destiny" of nobleladies. "You have," the Goddess confirmed. "Yet, this next year will be the hardest for you yet. That man was only one of several challenges to come your way. And with each of those challenges, Tortall will be in greater trouble." Kel, Neal, Roald, Thom, and Daine had dropped by the Hall to see what it looked like. Seeing Alanna talking with the Great Mother Goddess had shocked them all into silence. "Trouble?" Alanna asked, quickly. "So, there is something wrong?" The Goddess smiled. "You should learn to trust your insticts, my daughter." Alanna smiled. "I should, but my common sense argued that nothing was wrong." Alanna shook her head. "I still have a lot to learn, don't I?" "Yes, but your learning," the Goddess teased gently. Alanna sighed, something nagging at the back of her mind. "That poison," she began. "What was it? I mean, I've looked through all the books of sorcery ever written, and I cannot find a spell like that." The Goddess sighed. "Of course it isn't in a book. The spell came from a god. A war is raging, and it seems the Chosen are the ones being effected. The man who actually sent the poison, he was a Chosen of that god." "What he said, is it true?" Alanna asked. "Is it true about what he said about my father?" "No," the Goddess said. Alanna breathed a sigh of relief. "How can I thank you for your favor?" The Goddess smiled. "Your life is my thanks. You are a Chosen to make any goddess proud." Then She vanished, and something crashed. Alanna spun, a dagger in her hand, facing the door. Daine, Thom, Roald, Neal, and a girl she didn't know were by the door. All wore the same awe-struck faces. Rolling her eyes, she sheethed her dagger, and walked over to them. "What?" Alanna asked. "You… Your on speaking terms with the Goddess?" Daine asked, a little surprised. Alanna was aware that her old reckless grin was on her face. "Of course. I told you I didn't get to my position by ignoring the gods' will. But, of course, when someone is fifteen and very headstrong, the thought can cross your mind." Daine thought of something fast. "Ever been to the Sea of Sands?" Neal, Roald, Thom, and Kel stared at her. They all knew the legends of how the gods took mortal heros there to test their strength and courage. Alanna laughed shortly. "Yes. Hated it there." Then a thought crossed her mind. "When you were up in the Realms, did you happen to see a black cat with violet eyes?" Daine blanched. "Y-yes. Why?" "Hm. I knew it. That cat was too impudent not to be a god!" Alanna muttered. "What?" Daine croaked. "Aw, nothing. I'll explain later." Alanna grinnined. "Faithful. A god! Hah! Serves that cat right." Then Alanna turned the corner and vanished. "She has hidden depths," Neal muttered darkly. "Who doesn't?" Kel asked. Daine sighed. "How did she know about that cat?" "Faithful?" Thom and Roald asked together. "You haven't heard about him? Hunh, I thought everyone knew," Thom said. "Well, I haven't. I doubt Faithful is his real name anyway," Daine said. "It's the name Ma came up with," Thom muttered. "He wandered into her camp site when she was fifteen. From then on, that cat interjected many comments and lots of backtalk to Ma." "Yeah. Papa 'knighted' the cat. Um…. Lady Alanna said that Faithful was like a protector. She would have died at Princess Josiane's hands if Faithful hadn't attacked the princess. Faithful died, I guess, protecting Lady Alanna," Roald said. Daine, Neal, and Kel stared. "Did you know that she went to the Sea of Sands?" Daine asked. "No," Thom said. "But maybe I can get it out of her." "Or maybe she'll give you the same answer she gave you when you asked about her Ordeal!" Roald said, grinning. "'None of your business!'" Thom and Roald contemporaneously. Kel stared at them. "How well do you know the Lioness?" she asked Roald. He laughed. "Let's put it this way: she's my mother in as every way, except for flesh, that my real mother is! Also, she's my Godmother." Thom grinned. "Same here with Queen Thayet." He grinned roguishly. "Actually, sometimes Kally, Liam, Roald, Jasson, Ali, Alan, and I concider ourselves siblings. Ma and King Jonathan act the same way. Ma's the only person I know who can get away with calling the king some pretty nasty things, and vice versa." "Is that why they're talking to each other again?" Kel asked. "I guess," Roald muttered. Then he grinned. "Then again, maybe it's Lady Alanna's way to pull a prank on him." "Like what?" Daine asked. "Pulling the rug out from benth his feet?" "Been there, done that!" Roald and Thom said at once. "To dump wine on him?" Kel asked. "Been there," Thom said. "Put a frog in his bed," Neal hazarded. "Done that," Roald said. "Many times when she was his squire. All ranging from frogs to snakes to spiders." Kel grinned. "Tar, oil, and feathers." Thom and Roald grinned. "She didn't do that to Papa," Roald said carefully. "But she did do that to Sir Raoul." Kel, Neal, and Daine stared. "She's good at pranks," Neal muttered. "Oh yeah!" Thom said. "But then," Roald said. "So is Papa." Daine grinned. "Don't we have something to do?" "Yeah," Roald muttered. "Council…. Yippee." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alanna scowled at her reflection in the mirror. George lounged on the bed, watching her with an amused grin on his face. "What is your problem?" Alanna asked, lying down next to him. He wrapped his arms around her, and kissed her forehead. "Nothing. Just never seen you so obsessed with how you look. I'm beginning to wonder if Gary and Raoul brought back the real Alanna, or some very clever look alike." Alanna glared. "Ask me something only I would know." "Where did I usually stay in Port Cyann?" "House Azik, Dog Lane." "Easy one. Why did you call our wedding off once?" "Because Thayet was planning it all and she wouldn't take no for an answer. So, I just said forget it. Then we planned it the way we wanted it." "Fine. You're Alanna." "Glad you approve," she muttered darkly. George laughed, and kissed her again. Alanna was tempted to resist him, not in the mood right now, but decided that she might as well; she had nothing better to do, and he need her far more than Jon did at this point. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Night found Alanna overlooking Corus on top of Balor's Needle. It might be closed off for pages, squires, and regular people, but not her. The servents and guards knew she had a strange love of heights, and always let her up. It was also a place she knew she wouldn't be disturbed if she wanted quite, and solitude. The gaurds only came up here when ordered. Alanna's mind wandered towards the Goddess' words. "Several challenges?" Alanna muttered, toying with the stem of an apple she had taken with her from her room. "With each challenge, more danger? What danger could be so immense that she felt she had to warn me? Would it be a direct or indirect hit on me, or a direct or an indirect hit on Tortall? Omens, I hate them. There is no way to learn what she meant." Alanna grinned ruefully to herself. "Well, at least she's being as cryptic as the badger was to Daine." Alanna rubbed her head, trying top ease the throbbing. "Things have gotten worse. George is becoming so protective! Sometimes I feel that he's suffocating me. Now, Jon is beginning to get protective. He knows how much I can bear of being cosseted and protected. And that isn't a lot." Alanna groaned. "Maybe that's a challenge! Having to overcome the fact that Jon and George want to wrap me in gauze and stick me somewhere safe!" "They have been getting protective of you, haven't they?" a voice behind her said. Alanna turned, and saw someone she didn't expect. "Thom!" Alanna cried, and threw herself at her brother. He returned the hug every bit as fierce. "I missed you so much," he whispered. "But … How?" Alanna asked, pulling away reluctantly. "The Goddess guessed that you might need someone to watch out for you. I'll be here only to talk to you, and give you support, should you need it. But, do be careful in public. Don't talk to me there! They'd regard you as a crazy person!" "Gee, thanks," Alanna muttered. She turned and looked out over the city again. Thom leaned on the wall as well, watching her. "Don't mention it," he said cheerfully. Then he switched into "older brother" mode. "You've been getting into a lot of close calls, haven't you?" "Yeah, well, that's to be expected in my line of work," Alanna muttered. "You know that." "I might know it," Thom said, "but it doesn't mean I like it anymore. Alanna, you're my little sister. I love you so dearly that everytime I watch you in a battle and you get hurt, it tears at my heart. I wish I never left the mortal realms," he said, turning to look at the city instead of at her. "How could you see me in the Dark God's realm?" Alanna wanted to know. Thom made a sound similar to a laugh. "I'm not in the Dark God's realm," he said. "Then where are you?" Alanna asked. Thom grinned. "Of all iornies, the Divine Realms. Looks like I made a god of myself anyway." Alanna froze, looking at her twin. "What?" she asked, voice soft. A gust of wind blew at them, and Alanna shivered, rubbing her arms. "Maybe you should start back inside. It's getting cold here," Thom said. He kissed her lightly on the forehead, and vanished. Alanna shook her head. He was good at avoiding things. Alanna shivered as the cold wind blasted at her. "All right, you got your way, I'm going inside," she muttered, rubbing her arms. She ran down the stairs and over to the rest of the palace. Someone, definatly a god, appeared in front of her. "It's time," he said, "for you to met your maker." He grabbed her. "ALANNA!" Jon, Gary, and Raoul shouted, seeing this. They ran for her, but the god and Alanna vanished. "No," Jon said. "This can't be posible." "It is," Raoul said. "Looks like even the gods don't want Alanna here." "We're going to get her back," Gary snarled. "And no one is going to stop us!" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Part Three: The Truth ©2000 The god, Loki, watched as the mortal girl shivered on the floor. There was the beginning of a bruise on her right cheekbone and Loki's brother, Daemos, who had taken her out of Tortall, had slashed her clothes. Loki was not a god who liked to harm a mortal. He was tall and dark. He was the god of Destruction, while his brother was the god of the Plagues. Loki was tall, even for a god. His hair and beard were black, and his eyes were an endless field of black. Usually when a mortal gazed into the Eyes of Destruction, they saw the end of their lives, or the end of something they loved above all things. Loki hated being a destroyer, yet it was what he was made to do, so he did his job. Daemos appeared in a flash of sickening green light. "Hm, doesn't she look pretty?" Daemos, on the other hand, had white blonde hair and eyes that were an evil looking blue-green. He was a Plague to the gods; Loki knew that, since Daemos was also his plague. Daemos was the regular height for a god, but was as thin as a twig. That showed the Plague of Anorexia. It was a plague that made people stop eating, wanting themselves to be thinner than they were. Usually they died of it, since they refused all food. "What do you want with her?" Loki asked, kneeling next to the woman. She shrank away from him, letting out an involuntary whimper. "She isn't of any use to you." "Wrong," Daemos said. "She is a Chosen of the Goddess, Selene. Selene has to pay, and all the gods have to pay. This mortal is a pet of the gods; they gift her with visions and various other tools. Striking at them through something they took extra care in making will be most pleasurable. Also, she's Thom's twin sister." "She does look familiar," Loki said softly. He brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes. "She's freezing. What do you want with her now?" Daemos shrugged. "Go ahead and pamper her. She'll be put to work soon enough. She has divine blood in her veins, and it will be nice to see what a mortal with no mortal father looks like from the inside." Loki shook his head sadly. "So? The Great Ones gifted the Lord and Lady of Trebond with children. They knew that when a mortal woman gives birth to the gods' creations that she seldom survives." "Yes, yes, yes. Of course they knew," Daemos said harshly. Though he smiled nastily. They hadn't known. They had prayed for a child more than once, but it hadn't happened. When Daemos appeared to them, they took it for a sign that they would have a child, or more than one. Then, Daemos had urged the Great Ones into creating a warrior and a mage. Ones who would work as the gods' instruments. Obviously the boy was a disappointment, but the girl…. The girl was a different story. She fought her destiny. She only wanted to be a warrior, but she had finally excepted the fact that she was a sorceress and a warrior. Then she had married and had produced offspring. Daemos couldn't praise himself anymore than he already had. Everything was going according to plan. The only thing he hadn't expected was for the girl's semi-divine blood and powers to be passed down to her children. The girl's oldest son had all of his mother's magickal abilities, and even some of his uncle's abilities. Then there were the twins. The girl of the twins had the ability to tell when someone was lying, and she used it quite often. The boy of the twins…. The boy… Curse the boy! Daemos thought venomously. The boy had all the magick his older brother had, and he had other skills. Skills that the gods had granted to him, ones that Daemos couldn't begin to think of what they meant. And then there were the twins that the girl had given birth to only a year past. So far there was little activity from them. They were hardly Gifted, and they weren't built to be warriors. There was little that Daemos could expect from them. Loki watched his brother. "Do you need the girl now? If her wounds aren't treated, she won't be any use to you." "What wounds?" Daemos asked harshly, pivoting to glare at his brother. "Her internal wounds. One lung was punctured by a broken rib, and is collapsing. Her throat is swollen from lack of air and your beating. She has many broken veins, and the blood loss is amazing. If she doesn't Heal soon, she will die," Loki snapped. Daemos took two steps back; Loki had never spoken to him in that tone before. He was usually calm and peaceful, for all he was the god of Destruction. Daemos quickly recovered his demeanor of iron coldness and aloofness. "Do what you want with the girl. I go to make my threat to the Great Ones, and then to the mortals of Tortall. They will want her back, of course. But once the truth of her background comes out, I wonder how many will feel that way." Loki gave Daemos a shunning look. "Stay away from the mortals. The god of Plagues is ridiculously easy to kill. And those who want the girl back will most assuredly kill you." He picked the girl up and cradled her in his arms. "I'm warning you, Daemos. Stay away from the mortals." He vanished. Daemos smiled evilly. "You're warning me? I think not, Loki. For it is I who will warn you, and the Great Ones, and the girl's precious mortals!" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alanna winced away from the god's touch. He had a wet cloth in his hand, and it had some sort of liquid that cleaned cuts out. He was applying it to her cheekbone, where the bruise had several small nasty looking cuts. "Ah!" Alanna yelped, the antiseptic burning her flesh. "It's all right. It's only a few herbs," the god, Loki as he had introduced himself as, said softly. He was the one who had defended her against the god who had taken her out of Tortall. "Only a few herbs?" Alanna yelped. "Herbs that hurt!" Loki chuckled. "Can you not deal with this pain? Fixing your rib, lung, and throat will be worse in pain." "I'm so looking forward to it," Alanna muttered. Loki smiled as he started to apply a balm to her cheekbone. He put the balm down and placed a hand on Alanna's throat. For thirty horrible seconds, her throat was on fire. She couldn't breathe at all. She started to gasp for air, and Loki took his hand away from her throat. His face was tight. "What exactly did Daemos do to your throat and neck? There are internal cuts that are bleeding quite heavily." Alanna coughed brutally and Loki handed her a goblet of mulled cider. "I don't exactly know. I blacked out the moment we entered this place. Where are we, anyway?" Loki sighed. "You're in the Divine Realms." Alanna's eyes widened. "Then shouldn't I be feeling sick, somehow? Daine--Veralidaine Sarrasri--came up here and she said she was rather sick. Numair seconded her." Loki sighed. "They are more mortal than you. Also, a lesser god brought them. Daemos and I are more elementals than gods, in a sense. If the gods fall, I will still be here, as will Daemos." Alanna looked at him curiously. "Why? And how are they more mortal than me?" Loki hesitated and laid a hand on her throat again. "This may hurt," he said, changing the subject. Alanna braced herself as a wave of pain surrounded her throat. The swollen tissue around her voice box ebbed, while the pain around her tonsils increased. Slowly, the pain stopped. "Try to speak. Is it as forced as it was before?" "My throat is still a little sore," Alanna admitted weakly. She sat up a little straighter, amazed her voice wasn't as harsh as it had been. Her voice was a bit more flowing and feminine, with only the masculine tone or two. "It isn't as forced. What did you do? My voice was--" "Was a bit more like a man's? It wasn't your regular voice. You'd forgotten how to speak in your voice, I just took out the tones that made it harsher," Loki smiled at Alanna. "Don't worry, you can still bellow and make trainees jump a foot from the floor." He chuckled as Alanna blushed furiously. "Now, for your lung and rib." "This is going to hurt worse than my throat, isn't it?" Alanna asked wearily. "Yes. But the broken veins and building back up the blood you've lost will be a little less painful. And that's next. So, try to breathe shallowly, and don't move. Or you're going to wish I had allowed Daemos to kill you, that's how much pain you'll be in." Loki blushed darkly as he put his hand on the bottom of Alanna's rib cage, one of his long fingers slightly brushing her abdomen. Alanna sat up straight and leaned over a bit. The shock of Loki's Healing magick flew into her lung. There was a strong burning sensation, as if he was burning away the blood and liquid in her lung. As he Healed the gash in her lung made by the broken rib, Alanna ground her teeth in agony. It felt like the skin was being burned to form a scab over the wound; like the Healers had done when they amputated a limb: they stuck it in fire to burn shut the severed veins. What was worse was the broken rib. The rib had two nerves wrapped around it, which was why Alanna had lost feeling in two of her fingers and a bit of her neck. As Loki straightened the rib into place, he did so by pulling the nerves. Alanna screamed with the agony of it all. Then it was over. "You all right?" Loki asked, putting a hand on Alanna's shoulder. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just, it hurts like hell," she replied. Loki smiled. "The broken veins aren't going to hurt at all. Neither will replacing the blood you lost." Alanna nodded and Loki blushed slightly. "You.... You have some broken veins on y-y-y-your," he blushed furiously, "….on your inner thigh." Alanna blushed as well and coughed delicately. "Well, this is strictly Healing, isn't it?" Her breath was coming in short gasps, and her heart was racing a little to fast. Oh, piffle! What is wrong with me? George is back in the mortal realms, and is probably worrying to death about me! And here I am, with a handsome man! Gods, what is wrong with me? Nothing. It's perfectly normal to feel this way around someone some incredibly handsome. Especially when he's about to touch you! Oh, he looks so cute when he blushes! Alanna winced, No! Bad thoughts! Very bad thoughts. Go away, you nasty, evil thoughts! Loki nodded, took a deep breath, swallowed and put his hand on her inner thigh. Healing the broken veins took all of ten seconds, which was just as well. Alanna and Loki were blushing rather darkly by the time the veins were healed. Replacing the blood loss was easy, and was done in the space of two eyeblinks. "Well," Loki said. "You're all Healed up." "Thank you," Alanna replied softly. She looked at him. "Now will you answer those two questions?" "Which two?" "Why Daine and Numair are more mortal than me, and why you and Daemos will still be here even if the gods fall." Loki sighed. "Which one do you want first? Your history, or my history?" Alanna bit her lip. "I'll be able to hear both, right?" "Right." "My history." "All right. Let's go into the common room," Loki said. He helped Alanna off the table and led her into a richly furbished room. Alanna sat on an overstuffed black velvet chair with violet velvet cushions. Loki sat in an overstuffed green velvet chair with white silk cushions. He cleared his throat; "The Lord and Lady of Trebond had been married for three years when they started to pray for children. The problem was, the Lady Marinie was incapable of having children. It's not that uncommon, you see. Finally, since they thought the Great Ones weren't paying attention to their prayers, they turned to elementals. Now, Daemos had been watching them for quite a while. When they finally called upon the elementals, he went right in and appeared to them. He promised they would have a child, if not more. "They were very grateful and went away happy. Daemos appealed to the Court of the Great Ones and suggested that they 'gift' your parents with a mage and a warrior. Ones who would work as the Great Ones' instruments in the mortal realms. Mithros liked the idea automatically. Selene, or the Great Mother, was a little more reluctant. Daemos somehow convinced her that it was the right thing to do. That was how you and your twin were created. "There was an ancient prophecy made by the last lady knight. She said that 'she with no mortal father, and she with the blood of the gods running through her veins will be the one to follow in my footsteps.' That was when they burned her at the stake. But there was a slight warning to her prophecy…. I think it was 'but beware, for him who loves her lawfully, for him who loves her secretly, they will be the ones who bring about her destruction and the destruction of their land.'" Loki sighed. "It was only a century ago, and I couldn't see it too well. I got it second hand, and you know how people elaborate on certain things." "Only too well," Alanna said dryly. "And I know who the two people she was talking about are. The one who loves me 'lawfully' is George. I'm guessing on this last one, but the one who loves me 'secretly' is Jon." "Anyway," Loki said. "The Lord and Lady of Trebond forgot that mortal women rarely survive giving birth to a child of the Great Ones, much less two. When you two were born, and the Lady Marinie died, Lord Alan cursed the gods and you two. When you showed signs of powerful Gifts, much more powerful than his Gift or anyones really, he ordered Maude to teach you control and nothing else. When your twin showed more aptitude to magick than to weapons, Daemos threw a fit. Lord Alan, though, didn't notice. He didn't want anything to do with you and your twin. When you shied away from magick and kept running for weapons, Daemos began to understand what the gods had done. "They had made Sir Silvia's prophecy real. The rest of your history is your life. Now you know why you were Chosen by Selene. Faithful, though, is a Guardian…. Or a teacher, if you wish. Selene knew that the trials ahead of you would determine the course of the entire world. If Daemos had gotten a hold on you before Selene, you could easily have destroyed Tortall and any other countries you wanted to with a single thought." Alanna nodded, thoughtfully. "Why did Faithful disapprove of my liaison with Jonathan?" Loki chuckled. "The gods wanted you to stay 'pure,' as they call it. A complete maiden." "But, the Great Mo--Selene said to learn to love," Alanna replied, rather puzzled. "Yes, to learn to love with your heart, but not with your body," Loki replied. "The icing to the cake was you marrying and producing offspring. Offspring which have your semi-divine blood and you magick from the gods." "Oh," Alanna said faintly, blushing. "Unfortunately for Daemos, he didn't plan on you having children and marrying. The Great Ones were a little relieved you fell in love with the Chosen of the Crooked God." Loki held up his hands to stall any protest that Alanna would make. "They made no intervention. George's love for you was, and is, real." He looked at her for a second. "Do you want to get changed? Those shredded clothes can hardly be comfortable." "Yes, please!" Alanna exclaimed. Loki nodded and walked over to a wardrobe in the corner that held clothes for female guests. "Would you mind dresses? We don't exactly have any breeches and such." "I don't mind dresses," came the reply. Loki nodded and took out three dresses. All three were simple dresses, not the fancy kind you saw at Court. One was a simple robin's egg blue embroidered with emerald green threads and actual emeralds in a floral design. The second one was a violet silk dress. It had a sleeveless gold surcoat and had silver moons and stars embroidered onto the bodice and the hem. The third was a common dress that commoners wore in the regular blue-gray color. He showed them to Alanna, and was rewarded by a soft, shy smile on her face. Gods, Loki thought. Twenty-five thousand eons, and more women than that, and who do I fall in love with? A mortal who isn't a mortal, one who is already married and a mother. . . . And. . . . Oh, Great Powers above and below! Damn every one of those reasons to hell! She is so beautiful! Will she come here when she dies? Or will she end up going to the mortal realms of the dead? Her beauty would be wasted there. She belongs here, or in paradice. Alanna selected the violet and gold dress. "Do you have a place where I could get changed?" she asked softly. Loki, startled out of his thoughts, forgot to mask the emotion in his eyes. Alanna met the depthless black of his eyes without fear, and saw the emotion in them. She trembled slightly as Loki walked over to her. Taking her in his arms, he kissed her as passionately as he dared. He was startled when Alanna kissed him back every bit as passionately. He pulled away, needing air. He looked at her, blushing, and saw something he didn't expect to see: he saw a fire in her that he had only seen in goddesses. "No," Alanna said, softly. She pulled his face back down to hers. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "How are we going to get her back?" George asked Jon. His face was tight with tension. He had a feeling that something was not right with Alanna, or this situation. "I don't know," Jon said, wearily. He, George, Daine, Numair, Gary, and Raoul were all trying to figure out how to get Alanna back to Tortall safely. Raoul growled, "Why would the gods want Alanna?" "Maybe because it isn't the Great Ones who want her, it's the god of Destruction," said a man, floating in the air. "You!" Raoul, Gary, and Jon shouted. "You're the one who took Alanna!" Gary snarled. "Yes, and he's the one who basically created us," Thom of Trebond said, appearing in the room with his arms crossed. "Ah, you've gotten your history, have you?" Daemos said. Thom's eyes became slits. "If you mean getting chapter and verse on how you tricked the Lord and Lady of Trebond and the Great Ones, then yes. If you mean finding out your plans for Alanna and me and your fear of certain nephews and a certain niece of mine, yes. If you mean knowing your setting up Sir Silvia's prophecy, yes," Thom growled. Silver fire crackled around him, and his anger was mounting. Daemos laughed. "Ah, you are cleaver! So, my cleaver son, what is your darling sister doing at this moment?" An evil grin full of malice crossed Daemos' face. Thom's expression grew faint, then redoubled in anger. "You'd set up the destruction of your own brother?" "He can't be destroyed! He is destruction!" Daemos cried out. He threw a ball of light into the middle of the room the same moment one of Thom's lightning bolts hit him. Daemos vanished with a peel of evil laughter. The globe of light showed two people making love. Thom, pale with fury, dispelled the ball of light before the features of the people could be made out. "Who were those people?" George asked, suspicious. "Who was that, and how the hell can you be here and not in the Black God's realm?" Thom sighed, sitting on the top of a high-backed chair. Seriously, he was perched right on the top of the chair's back. "That was Daemos. He's the reason Alanna and I were born. Our mortal mother couldn't have children. They prayed to the gods, then to the elementals. Daemos is the god of the Plagues, and that means he's more an elemental than a god. Anyway, he convinced the Great Ones to 'gift' Mother and Father with Alanna and me. Only, Daemos forgot to tell Mother that mortal women die birthing children of gods. Case and point of how Father acted with us. "I'm a god, and that's why I'm not in the Dark God's realm. That's only for mortals, of which I am not one. And neither is Alanna. Well, we're a little less than half mortal." "Who is your da than?" Daine asked, confused. "Alanna and I don't have one. We don't have a mother either, unless you count the one who gave birth to us." "Now, who were those people?" Jon asked. Thom shook his head. "Loki, Daemos' brother. He's the god of Destruction." "So, Daemos shows us his brother havin' fun? I doubt it. Who was th' woman?" George retorted coldly. Thom was quiet for a while. "I don't have to answer that. You all know who it is." Thom watched as George closed his eyes tightly and swallowed. "Who, and what, is Sir Silvia and her prophecy?" Numair asked. "Sir Silvia was the last lady knight before Alanna. Her prophecy told to coming of a woman who had no mortal father. The basic prophecy was: 'she with no mortal father, and she with the blood of the gods running through her veins will be the one to follow in my footsteps. But beware, for him who loves her lawfully, for him who loves her secretly, they will be the ones who bring about her destruction and the destruction of their land.' I got it twentieth hand, so it may not be exact," Thom said. The door to the study opened and in walked Prince Roald, Thom (Alanna's son), Alan and Alianne, and Prince Jasson. "Papa, do you know where--" Roald began. A sickly green lightning bolt aimed straight for Thom, Alan, and Alianne. The latter shrieked and the formers yelped. A silver shield went up around the three instantly. "Give it up, Daemos!" Thom yelled into the air. An evil cackle was the only warning he had. A lightning bolt aimed for George, to be blocked by a silver shield. All around the room, Thom snapped up silver shields. Daemos appeared as the silver shields disappeared from sight. He laughed harshly. "I'll give it up when my plan is completed. Not a moment sooner! And so far, it's all going according to plan." "Except, you fear three untrained children. Why is that? Is it because they have the same powers as Alanna? The same blood?" "You are challenging me? Don't think you can do that, boy, and get away with it!" Daemos laughed. "You forget! I'm the one who holds your sister's life!" With that, Daemos vanished. Thom slumped into a chair. "And I can't depend on Loki to defend her." George looked at him. "Why not? He's the god of Destruction, isn't he? He can destroy Daemos, right?" "No. Loki, even being the god of Destruction, is a god who hates bloodshed. He's peaceful and calm. I have never seen or heard of Loki doing anyone harm, unless he's doing his destruction in the mortal realms," Thom muttered. "And anyway, Alanna hates men who try to defend her unless she needs it." George looked sick. "We're never going to see her again, are we?" Thom stood up, looking at his nephews and niece, then at his brother-in-law. "You'll see her again. Remember the prophecy, 'for him who loves her lawfully, for him who loves her secretly, they will be the ones who bring about her destruction and the destruction of their land.' Alanna is the one in the prophecy, and I know what the outcome will be. Two people whom she loves and trusts will betray her to Daemos, and then they'll be killed. I don't know how, but it's what the Great Ones believe." Thom looked at his niece and nephews. "Take care of those three, George. If only because they're very precious. Their destinies are already chosen, and they have a great role to play in the future." With that, Thom vanished in a shower of soft silver sparks. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alanna looked at Loki, the fire still in her eyes. "I have to get home to the mortal realms," she said softly. Loki kissed each of her eyelids, her nose, her cheeks and then her lips. "I know," he whispered to her, softly kissing her neck. "You have to go back to your husband and your king." Alanna moaned softly as he kissed the soft skin behind her ear. "I know. George and Jon need me." "I need you," Loki whispered softly. Someone clapped. "Aw, how sweet!" Daemos called out, jumping down to the floor. "Except, you aren't going anywhere." He grabbed Alanna's wrist, and pulled her away from Loki and into his grip. He held a knife dipped in human blood to Alanna's throat. "Don't you dare do her," Loki threatened. The knife danced closer to Alanna's jugular. "So, Loki, you actually fell for a woman. A woman who's married, no less!" Daemos smiled suddenly, letting Alanna go. He threw her into Loki's hold. "And one who is now pregnant with your child." He smiled at their pale faces. "You deserve it, slut. You and your brat children could royally fuck up my plans. Though, it's not going to happen. You have to chose, now and here, where will you stay? Do you stay here, with the love of you life, or do you go to the mortal realms to the one who is the love of your mortal life? After this, you will never be able to change your answer. Ever. So, think quickly. If you don't give an answer in two minutes, I will chose for you." Alanna looked at Loki. His eyes were downcast. Alanna bit her lip. Chose? She asked herself. Chose between George and Loki? Between my children and the child I'm carrying? Chose between complete and total freedom, or the overstressed life I led before I was kidnapped? Between Jon and Thayet, and Thom, who is alive here. Chose between all that I cherish and Loki? "One minute." How can I chose?! She thought panicked. How can I chose between my life and…and my life? "What is your decision?" Daemos demanded. Alanna looked at Loki. He knew her answer. "I chose--" Loki's eyes became slits. "You never told the Great Ones she was here," he interrupted. "She doesn't have to chose anything. She has complete and total freedom. You cannot keep a mortal here against her free will." "I can do what I please," Daemos snapped. "No, you can't," Selene said from behind Daemos. "You were right, my son. He was planning her destruction." Thom appeared behind Alanna, and held her shoulders. "How shall we deal with him? We can't kill him, be we can imprison him." "May I be the one to imprison him, Selene?" Loki asked, quietly. "You ask for little, Brother. What is it that you wish to imprison him with?" "I'll imprison him in the leavings of Destruction, and his plagues. The only way he'll be allowed out of his imprisonment will be if a mortal with the blood of a god calls his name two times," Loki said, his eyes suddenly glowing a bewitching silver. Daemos fought the pull of Loki's magick. "This I swear, Brother!" he called out. "It will be your child that sets me free, and your child that destroys her and her rotten mortal land! I swear it upon everything holy, that child will be your undoing!" And then, Daemos was gone. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alanna kissed Loki softly. "I have to go back. I'll be back, you know I will! And you can always visit me in the mortal realms." Loki sighed. "You're right. You do have to go back. I'll watch over you, sweet one. You know I will." Alanna nodded, tears welling up in her eyes. "I know. We'll decide this child's name when we know what it is." Loki kissed her ever so softly. "My dear sweet love. Don't forget who you are, and don't forget me." He smoothed a hand over her hair. Alanna chuckled softly. "How could I ever forget you?" she put her hand on his cheek as tears fell unbidden from her eyes. "I'll be back, you know. When I die in the mortal world, I'll become a goddess and be with you, my love. As will our child." "I know, I know," Loki said. "Go, before I convince you not to!" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- George sighed, and opened the door to the rooms her and Alanna had shared in Corus. Had shared, George thought with burning hatred toward Loki the God. Steal my wife, please--anything else you want? My childre-- "George?" Alanna asked, coming over to him. George froze. She looked so beautiful. She was wearing a simple dress, but on her it wasn't simple. "Alanna?" he breathed. Alanna laughed. "Oh, don't look so stricken! It's me!" He slowly touched her cheek, and she pulled him over to her. He enveloped her in a hug and grinned. He took her by the waist and spun her around, then kissed her as if she were the last thing on the world, and more precious than life. "George, love me, please," Alanna said. Tears ran down her face. "So, Daemos shows us his brother havin' fun? I doubt it. Who was th' woman?" George retorted coldly. Thom was quiet for a while. "I don't have to answer that. You all know who it is." George closed his eyes tightly and swallowed. George pulled away from Alanna. "Is that how you got that god to love you?" Alanna flinched as if he had hit her and looked away. "Why did you come back?" he asked harshly. "I came back for you," Alanna said softly. "Obviously it was a mistake." She started to walk away. George grabbed her elbow, and turned her towards him. He looked into her eyes and saw heartache, but a want and love for him that he didn't believe. "Why?" he whispered. "I love you," she said softly, as if she was afraid he'd be angry with her. George drew her into his arms and kissed her softly, and she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him as passionately as she could. They kissed for what seemed like an eternity. "The others should know your back," George said, in between kisses. "We can tell them later," Alanna said roughly. She kissed him as long as she could stand without breath. "I want you, please." George looked at her, and led her to the bed…. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Loki looked out over the Court of the Great Ones. He could no longer stay in his realm and pretend that the world didn't exsist. Not when his love had given birth to his daughter only two months before. They had decided to name her Zoycite, a name that was majestic, yet mysterious. He sighed and took a long sip of his mulled cider. "Excuse me," said a majestic young lady. She looked like one of the lesser gods' daughters. Wyerin's maybe. "How can I help you, young my lady?" Loki asked. "I'm Daine--Verlidaine Sarrasri--and I was wondering if you were Loki, the god of Destruction." Loki looked at her, his face as placid as it always was. "That I am. And you are a friend of Alanna's. She's mentioned you before." Daine looked startled. "She has? Oh. Anyway, I wanted to know if that child she gave birth to two months ago was yours. It bears absolutly no resemblance to the baron, and Alanna is avoiding any questions on the child's father." Loki took a sip of his cider. "It might be. Why is it any of your concern?" Daine flushed. "Alanna is a friend of mine. She's like the sister I never had and at times like my mother. I think I have a right to know the truth." "You have no right to know the truth," Loki said harshly. "Do you know who she is? What goes through her mind? What blood is in her veins? I think not!" he glared at her. "How much pain will you inflict on me? Less than a year away from her, and I know what she and that baron have been doing, and still I can't get her out of my mind. After twenty-five thousand eons and I've seen women who would put that Queen Thayet of yours to shame, and the only woman who has made my heart melt has been someone who wouldn't exsist without the interventsion of my cursed brother!" Loki's eyes were the silver they glowed when he talked about touchy subjects. Daine me this gaze fearlessly. Loki looked away. "Go away, Veralidaine." Daine looked hurt, but Loki didn't care. Putting his glass down, he vanished in a shower of black and silver sparks. "Well, I hope you didn't expect to get anything out of him on the subject of Alanna," said someone who looked a lot like her. "You are?" Daine asked. Thom smiled. "Thom of Trebond at your service, my lady. In the mortal realms, I was Alanna's twin. I know her almost as well as Loki." "Is Zoycite his?" she asked bluntly. Thom smiled. "And risk losing my head for telling you? I doubt it!" He sighed. "Swear that you won't tell a soul?" Daine nodded. "I swear by the Great Mother Goddess and the Black God." "Yes, Zoycite is Loki's daughter. And the one that could bring about Alanna's and Loki's destruction. That was Daemos' curse." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Part Four: The Quickening ©2000 Daemos screamed as his hand connected with the bars of his cage. His prison. He snarled at the thought of Loki. "He'll pay," Daemos snarled. "Through that child, he'll pay!" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- George glared down at Zoycite. Loki's daughter, a bastard's daughter. And the daughter of my wife, George thought, looking away from the sleeping child. George glared once more at the child and walked out the door and to his study, locking the door behind him. The last thing he wanted was for Alanna to walk in. He scrubbed his face with his hands and sighed. "Why?" he asked softly. "Why did this have to happen? Why did Daemos have to take her, and her having to fall in love with him." George laughed dryly; getting himself a glass of brandy mixed with vodka and mead. He wanted something strong to take the pain from the betrayal. George took a sip of his drink and winced. Stronger than he had hoped for; he'd most assuredly have a head in the morning. "Why?" he asked mournfully into the liquor. "What did I do wrong? Why did she feel she had to go to someone else, instead of staying with me? What did I do wrong?" "Nothing," Thom said curtly, appearing in a chair. George glared. "What do you want?" Thom smiled, though it had no hint of malice or pity. Just an innocent smile that George had seen on Alanna's face before. "You asked what you did wrong. I'm going to answer your questions so you don't do something dumb." "Like what?" "Drive Alanna into saying Daemos' name twice. That will bring about her destruction. Nasty, evil sort of death. Daemos would be released, and would be a plague upon Tortall." George scowled, and took a long sip of his drink. "Though she betrayed me, I still love her. Dammit! How can she such a hold on me?" Thom looked at him, sympathy in his eyes. "Alanna is incredibly delightful and enticing. She's like an enchantress, and you know it. Jonathan still loves her, in a more than friendly way, though he knows not to give into a temptation. "Liam…. Who knows what he thought of her? But this I can tell you, he loved her. He would have died to protect her. As I know you and Jonathan would both do. But what makes her bewitching is the mystery to her, the alluring sense of her. Yes, I know. I'm her brother, and I'm the last one who should be saying this, but she has incredibly charisma." George sighed. Thom was right. The thing that always kept him loving her was the fact of the mystery, the way she seemed to know exactly what he needed or wanted at the right exact moment, and just…. Her. And she wasn't bad in bed, either. She was very much a temptress; she tempted him every time he saw her. George looked at Thom. "Why? Why did she and Loki…." He looked away bitterly. Thom drew a deep breath. "Do you believe that a mortal's soul goes through more than one cycle of life?" "Yes, but I also believe there is the Black God's realm." Thom nodded. "Once the Dark God's realm gets…. Over-filled, souls are reincarnated. The same happens to gods. Sometimes, a god will be punished, and their soul will be thrown to the very bottom of the Dark God's realm. Not trapped, simply made mortal. That has happened to every god and goddess at least five times. We learn from mortals, to get a better way of understanding our creations. Even gods don't know the outcome of the world, and that is why we try to get to know the mortal world as much as we can. "Alanna's soul, and mine, were old souls. I don't exactly remember everything that happened back then, but it was about twenty-four thousand eons ago. Loki's soul is twenty-seven thousand eons old. Alanna's is twenty-five thousand eons old." "What's your point?" George snapped not really caring how old souls were. Thom sighed. "Want me to give you a bit of a background on those two? Because what happened, and Zoycite, is not just a sexual scandal. Their souls recognize each other, even if Loki and Alanna didn't remember the other exactly." George sat up straight. "What are you getting at?" Thom sighed. "Will you listen to me, or will you interrupt?" "I'll listen. I want to know why this happened!" "All right…." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Divine Realms Twenty-four Thousand Eons ago. . . . Sapphire paced back and forth, her shimmering gold and blue gown accentuating her full breasts and her tiny waist. Her copper hair glistened with the blonde highlights brought out and was held out of her worried violet-silver eyes with moonstone gem clips. It was in a very breathy curl, and had been pinned up with silver, black onyx and moonstone combs on the sides and left to cascade down her back the way it wanted to Her lips were a bright vermilion and her pale face had a slight touch of blush. Her eyelids were colored the darkest shade of blue below black, and her eyes had a slightly odd shape to them, which was done with slender black lines. A dark blue veil was placed over her hair and reached down to her elbows. She looked so very elegant, yet so very worried. Loki appeared, sitting on one of the thrones in the room. He wore a regal outfit of a white silk shirt with gold embroidery and blue breeches. A cape of gold was swung over his shoulders, showing his brawny arms and muscular chest. He was the god of Warriors, and one himself. One of the Angels of Divine Justice, though he was the leader of them. The cork to the champagne bottle popped and began to pour two slender glasses by itself. He got up and took the wineglasses, walking over to Sapphire. He kissed her passionately and gave her a glass of champagne. "To the future Queen of the Gods," he said quietly. Sapphire smiled softly, her eyes half-closed in pleasure. "To the future King of the Gods." They had both taken a sip of their champagne when someone started to clap loudly. Both turned and glared. Daemos, god of Death and Destruction, sat on one of the goldenwood thrones meant for the King and Queen of the Gods, Greater and lesser. "Out of my sight," Sapphire snarled, a bolt of silver fire edged with black moons and stars flashed toward Daemos. He disappeared and reappeared next to Sapphire. "Well, aren't you two lovely! Yet, count on Mithros and Selene to challenge your right to claim the thrones." "And we will see to it that you are demoted," Loki snarled. "You have been nothing but trouble, Daemos! You would do better to beg for forgiveness when we are crowned." Daemos' face became an angry look. "Oh no, Brother. It is you that should beg for forgiveness. Not one god will let you two sit on the thrones. We don't need tyrants on the thrones, we need leaders." Sapphire laughed. "And you think you could do better, Death? I think not!" she scoffed. Her silver-violet eyes were wide with fury, and they became like fire, suddenly. "Not I," Daemos said. "I am but a humble servant. But others will. Trust me, others will…." He disappeared. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Present Time "So, Sapphire's soul is Alanna's soul?" George asked thoughtfully. "Yes," Thom said. He sighed. "She would have become Queen of the Gods, if it hadn't been for Daemos. Actually, Sapphire is paying for a crime she never committed." "What crime?" George asked, curious. "I'm getting to it. I'm getting to it. Now, where was I…?" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Divine Realms Sapphire lay in a circle of Loki's arms. "We have to get rid of Daemos." "Yes, we do, my love. He will destroy us all." Sapphire murmured a sleepy agreement. "This child will be the beginning of our reign," she said happily. Loki squeezed his arms around her waist tighter. He kissed her neck softly, and began to turn it into something more intimate. Then the door swung open. Loki pulled the blankets over both of them, and Sapphire sat up rather abruptly. "Sister, Brother," Lael, Sapphire's twin brother, said bursting into the room. His face was tight with fear and apprehension. "Daemos has claimed you tried to destroy him. He has proof, and looks like he's a hair away from death." "Us?" Loki asked, bewildered. "No, not you Loki. He claims Sapphire tried," Lael gulped. "Sapphire, you have to leave! They'll try you if you don't! Mithros and Selene are damned near dancing for joy, and I'll bet they had a hand in this." Sapphire sat up straight. "I will not run. I am not a coward, and running will make them think that I am most assuredly guilty. I will stay, for I know I tell the truth, and that the Judges of the mortal race can tell lies." Lael shook his head, his hair getting into his eyes. "No, you don't understand! There's proof!" "Proof? What sort of proof?" Sapphire scoffed. "There is no proof! I am innocent!" Lael sighed. "Get dressed at least. They'll be here any moment!" With that, Lael vanished. Sapphire groaned and climbed out of bed, the silk sheets flowing off her body. "There is no way I would touch Daemos, even to hurt him." She pulled on a simple cotton dress that showed more skin than was necessary, and laced it up. Loki sighed and pulled on clothes as well. By the time they were both dressed, Sapphire in the middle of taming her hair, the doors burst open without so much as a "by your leave." "What is the meaning of this?" Sapphire demanded as Adrian, the Crooked God, and Neo, the Dark God, slapped manacles on her wrists. "The goddess Sapphire, ruler of the Night, is accused of trying to do harm to a fellow god. The price for that is trial and then a sentence," Mithros said, his eyes burning holes into Sapphire. "Your claim to the Queen's Throne has been made void, if you are found guilty. Never in your life will you be able to claim it again." "Mithros!" Loki hissed. "What do you think you're doing?" "Carrying out justice. This goddess has been accused of breaking a law set by our parents. The punishment must be carried out," Mithros said. Loki made a move to hit Mithros, and was also put in manacles. "Bring him as well. He's an accomplice." "I would never do such a thing! And neither would Sapphire! Dammit Mithros! You know us!" Loki roared. "We would never do that!" "You have been accused. Whether you did, or did not, is for the court to decide." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Present Time George sat there, looking dumb. "Daemos set Sapphire up?" Thom--Lael--nodded. "I don't know what happens next. My memory hasn't been opened up to full yet. Asa is being as contrary as a cat and isn't helping. Talk to Sapphire. Try and get her to tell what happens next. I know she remembers it. The gods made a mistake by letting Daemos take Sapphire back into the Divine Realms. She's slowly regaining her powers. Did you wonder why Zoycite was born almost seven months into the pregnancy?" "Well…. Yes," George said. "Zoycite is the child Sapphire was carrying when they stripped her immorality from her soul. Zoycite is a full goddess, and slowly, but surely, Sapphire will gain her power back. And when she does, and full memory comes back…. I would not want to be in my siblings' places. When Sapphire comes to full strength, so will Loki. And their memories will return in full, along with their powers," Lael said. "Still, talk with her. She may tell you something." George nodded and Lael vanished. He slowly unlocked the study's door and went to look for Alanna. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alanna sat in a window seat in her magic workroom. Memories flew through her mind, and feelings. She felt magic welling up in her, and gasped as it went into her veins. She pressed herself into the wall as she gasped for breath. Someone rapped on the door. "Alanna?" "C-c-come in," Alanna--Sapphire--stammered, the power pounding her ears. George stepped into the room, and shut the door. He turned and his jaw dropped. "Tho--Lael was right…." "Lael?" Sapphire breathed, her head feeling light. "My brother? George!" she gasped and fell into a faint. George caught her before she fell to the floor. George shook as he carried her down to the Healers, and Maude. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Maude shook as she looked at Alanna. "This isn't Alanna," she said briskly. George looked at her. "It most assuredly is. Go ahead and look at her scars." Maude's hands shook as she picked up the woman's wrist and saw a scar identical to the one Alanna had. "How?" Maude demanded. "How much have you heard of what's been happening two years back?" "Just the gossip. Alanna getting poisoned, then abducted--twice!--by strange men, and something about her being the one that was in a prophecy." George nodded. "All very true. She got a bit of her past as well, I'm guessing." Maude was pale. "Impossible!" she scoffed "Not impossible. Just, unlikely. Zoycite is a full goddess; Alanna has a goddess' soul. Uh, ever heard of the goddess Sapphire?" "Yes. She was said to be the ruler of the Night. She created the Old Ones, was their patron, I believe. You'd do better to ask Sir Myles who she was, but she also had a certain favor toward warriors. All I know is the legend. She was cast of the Divine Realms, her soul turned into the sun's flames, for her hatred for the Great Gods was strong. And that one day, the sun's flames will ebb and the goddess Sapphire will be reborn as a mortal." "When was Alanna born?" George asked. "The May full moon, you should know that!" "When she was born that year, did a solar eclipse happen? Those happen rarely, so you would probably remember it." Maude nodded. "Yes, for the time it took for Thom and Alanna to be born. It lasted longer than usual, if I recall correctly." George nodded. "You said it yourself. 'The sun's flames will ebb and the goddess Sapphire will be reborn as a mortal.' Alanna is Sapphire." George looked thoughtful as Maude stared at Alanna/Sapphire. "Didn't Sapphire have a twin? Lael, I think it was." "Yes. He was the god of Sorcerery, I believe. He had warned Sapphire and Loki of what was to come and fled the Divine Realms. They found him after they had cast out Sapphire, and cast him out as well." "They found him in time for my trial. They wanted him as a witness; at least that's what Daemos said. And there was proof, but I don't understand how there could be when I never committed the crime," Alanna/Sapphire said softly and slowly. Both Maude and George had had their backs turned to the silent figure on the table, now they spun, staring at the woman who had been Alanna. For, she was Alanna no longer. Her eyes were a fierce silver-violet with fire in them. Starfire, most likely. She was the regular height for a goddess, a regular six feet and a few inches. Her face looked as perfect as any goddess' and she looked perfect. Even her clothes had changed, and most suddenly. A gown of dark blue and gold silk clothed her figure. Sheer gold veils led from her wrists to the middle of the back of the dress. The veils formed a circle in back of her, and glowed softly. A gold veil was also covering her face and neck, and went down to her elbows. The dress' neckline was as low as any of the ladies in the Royal Court of Tortall had been, but with a little bit more flamboyance. It certainly accentuated her thin waist and full bosom. Her necklace was like a wide collar inlaid with silver, black onyx, and moonstones. Her earrings were moonstones with fire opals and diamonds. Her eyelids bore the darkest shade of blue below black. Her eyes were accentuated by the way the slender black lines had been drawn around her eyes. Her lips were a dark scarlet, and her lips were full. "Alanna?" George breathed. He shook his head, as much to clear it as to say no. "No. You must be Sapphire." Sapphire nodded, her eyes closed and then reopened, recognition in her gaze. "George…." she said, softly. The half smile on her face full of irony. "Well, now you know why, I guess." "Your not a full goddess, are you?" George asked. Maude left the room, shaking. Sapphire watched Maude leave, and sighed. "No, I'm not. I will be soon, but until then, I am vulnerable." Suddenly her head jerked up, fear in her eyes. "No…. It… It can't be." "What?" George asked. Sapphire's face was a mask of fear, anxiety, and worry. "Loki….He's threatening Mithros and Selene. And Lael…. He's helping." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Loki's head suddenly swam, memories and power suddenly surging in his veins and mind like fire. Lael watched him with worry. They were in the Court of the Great Ones, and suddenly Loki's eyes blazed. "You!" he snarled, pointing an accusing finger at Mithros and Selene. Daine, who had been killed by a spidren two months back, watched Loki with shock. "Ma, what's going on?" she asked her mother softly. Weiryn's face had fear on it. "His memory…. Sapphire is back, and so is Loki." "What?" Sarra asked, confused. "Sapphire and Loki are gods older than Mithros and Selene, older than most of the gods here. They rivaled Mithros and Selene for the thrones of the King and Queen of the gods. Loki's mind was stripped, Sapphire was cast out. I have no idea why, for it happened long before me. Lael was also cast out with his twin sister." Mithros and Selene turned and looked at Loki's face, and saw it was full of anger. "The proof was there. You were found guilty," Mithros said simply. Lael snorted. "You probably planted the proof. You two were so eager to get the thrones. You cast Sapphire out, but you know what she said before you did. She will be back, even if she has to destroy you two, she will be back." Selene shrugged. "She may try. She won't get past the first gate." "Won't I?" said a clear female voice. A tall, beautiful woman strode into the crowd. Most of the gods bowed hurriedly or murmured, "My Lady." "How'd you….?" Mithros questioned, his face pale underneath the tan. Sapphire stopped when she was a foot away from her brother. She topped him by four inches at least. Daine stared at the goddess. It was Alanna! "Da…. That's Alanna the Lioness. She's mortal!" "Her soul wasn't…." the Crooked God snarled. "I knew we should have killed her. Her and Loki and Lael are nothing but trouble." "Why?" Shakith asked, annoyed. "Because she's older than you Adrian?" "Oh, shut up, Shakith. How would you understand. She tried to kill Daemos!" "And Daemos has tried to kill her as a mortal for her entire life. If that isn't proof enough, she's here," Shakith snapped. "Her sentence was, as long as she was found guilty in the eyes of our parents, she would not be allowed back in the Divine Realms. They knew she wasn't guilty in the first place, but she needed to be taught that the world won't bow to her. Loki and Sapphire should be on the throne. The two of them know how to rule, and they both gift mortals with far more than Selene or Mithros does now, or ever did," Asa, goddess of the winds, said. Her eyes slitted. "Be serious Adrian! You used to back them!" Adrian's eyes became two slits. "That child of theirs will destroy us, sister. Or have you forgotten the prophecy?" Asa slapped her brother and turned to watch the conflict between Sapphire, Loki, Lael, Mithros, and Selene. "You were found guilty," Mithros snapped at Sapphire. Sapphire banished the veil that was over her beautiful face. Her smiled was full of dislike and hatred. "Hmm… Shouldn't you be talking to Daemos, then? If I was so guilty, why did he continually try to kill me as a mortal? His mistake was taking me up here as a mortal. That triggered my memory, and frankly, he was the one who had sent Duke Roger after me. He was the one with the followers. If he was so innocent, should he be worried that I might tell the truth? That I may prove my alibi?" Loki glared. "You two are power mad. You wanted the thrones so bad. What's to stop us from declaring that you didn't try to kill us?" Loki pointed an accusing finger at the two. Lael smiled. "You know he can do that. His former position of godhood has been restored, as well as Sapphire's." He looked at his sister, and frowned. "It hasn't happened yet, has it?" "No. I am not a full goddess yet. But I will be soon," Sapphire's eyes glinted. "And I want what is rightfully mine." "By what right?" Mithros snarled. "You were found guilty. That forfeits any claim you ever had to the throne!" "Yes, and who passed that little decree? I doubt all the gods voted on it. All Gods have to vote on a law to pass it," Loki said shortly. "That means, Sapphire, Lael and I should have voted on it to have it been passed. Since we did not, it is a null." He turned to the others. "Tell me, my brothers, my sisters. Did any of you vote on that decree?" Heads began to shake, slowly and reluctantly. But still, not one god had voted on the decree. "The decree is a null," Sapphire said, her clear voice reaching into the very corners of the room. "I still have a claim to the throne, as does Loki! There is no 'queen' or 'king' until all other claimants to the thrones either remove their claims, or is voted out." "But the rulers have to be gods, Sapphire. You are not a god, not any more. And neither is Loki!" the Graveyard Hag, Beryl, snapped. "Tell me, Sister! Am I a god?" Loki shouted, bright silver fire glowing against his hand. He hurled it at a fountain with shattered, and reappeared. The gods were silent. "But Sapphire is not a goddess," Sarra said. Daine stared at her mother. Sapphire nodded. "I am not. I have my godhood, but not the powers. My claim to the throne is a null at the moment, but when I am a full goddess, I will come to claim what is mine." In a burst of black moons, she vanished. The gods stared at Loki and Lael now. They disappeared, Loki in a burst of silver flames. Lael in a shower of sparkling flashes. That was when the silence was the worst. Slowly, one by one, they disappeared. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sapphire looked at Daemos. Loki and Lael appeared. "I thought I'd find you here," Loki said, putting his arms around her. Sapphire's eyes were locked on Daemos. Lael watched his twin. Daemos suddenly screamed in pain. Sapphire's eyes took on an unholy light. They started to burn, and with them burning, Daemos' arm began to burn. "You will pay," Sapphire said softly. The flames in her eyes, and on Daemos' arm, went out. The dark returned to Daemos' realm, and Sapphire turned into Loki's arms. The two vanished and Lael knelt down to Daemos' prison. "You know you'll get out," he told Daemos quietly. "Why fight it? You know the time is soon. The quickening is almost over, you know what must be done, as do we all." Lael vanished. Daemos frowned. Was Lael helping him? No, no. Of course not. He needed a half god to get him out. Since Loki's curse kept him in this cage by a gods word…. A half god…. Would it matter if it was someone with god blood? What harm could it do? A man with a god's blood, one who loved Sapphire…. "Perfect…." Daemos said, evilly. "Absolutely perfect." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Loki kissed Sapphire softly. "Well, my love," he said, looking around. "The last time we were I this room was that fateful night." Sapphire nodded, pulling the thin silk cover over her chest. "I hardly remember the trial. I know it's important, but I can't recall it." Loki sighed. "I have the memory." He put his hand on Sapphire's forehead, and stiffened as she cried out, receiving the memory in one gulp. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lael watched as Jonathan, Gary, Raoul, and Numair began to shout their questions. George was silent, but then again, he'd already heard this part. "I want to know what happened at the trial," Jonathan said. It was a demand, and the others seconded the demand. George was among them. "You don't want to know." "Like hell!" Numair demanded. "Alanna is our friend, and now she's this goddess? And she's in trouble? We want to know what happened!" "It was thousands of eons ago. It doesn't matter." "To us, it does," Gary snarled. "You started to tell us," Raoul replied. "This is the truth. A truth we deserve to know." Lael sighed. "Fine…." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Divine Realms Twenty-four Thousand Eons Ago Sapphire was stripped of her dress and belongings and put in a plain white cotton dress of one layer. Sapphire, who always had white pale skin, was almost transparent in the dress. Loki heart ached for her, the moment they stripped her of her powers. She swayed and her knees collapsed. She fell to the floor, unable to support herself. Loki was next. Put in plain canvas breeches and shirt, his clothes and belongings stripped from his body. Then they took his powers. He moaned in pain as a void feeling existed instead of the magic. Finally, they put Sapphire with Loki. She was crying softly. "We didn't do anything!" "I know," Loki said, holding her. "I want to see this proof that they have. And what crazy tale Daemos came up with." "Why did Daemos do this?" Sapphire asked. Daemos laughed. "Daemos did it because you are nothing but a harlot, Sapphire. And because I'd rather die than see you two put on the throne." "You bastard!" Sapphire snarled, lunging at him with her nails. Daemos jumped out of the way, but not before five wicked looking, blood-oozing scratch marks appeared on his face, right over an eye. Daemos snarled in pain. "You lousy bitch!" he screeched. Mithros appeared. He looked at Daemos, who nursed his wounded face. He looked back at Sapphire, who was glaring at him. She was staying in the dark, a haven to her body since she had no magic to protect herself from the light. He smirked and cast the darkness away. Sapphire's body began to have a silver haze around it. She looked more transparent than anything. Loki stood and smacked Mithros. The light stopped. "You are a child compared to us. You think you can rule over us? You have no concept to our powers. One day, our revenge will come upon you. Not even our parents could stop us from taking our revenge upon you. For we have the right of this! I am surprised our parent's haven't struck you down for this!" Mithros glared, and sneered at Loki. "Yes, but if I have it my way, you, your bitch, and Lael will be out of the Divine Realms for good. Your trail, Loki, will be in the morning. Since the gods refuse to bring Sapphire into the light without her magic, her's will be at night." "You'd just love an excuse to see me parish, wouldn't you," Sapphire snapped. She was in the dark, but still was shaking from her brush with light. Mithros seized her arm, bringing her into the light. She hissed with pain. "I'd love anything that got rid of you. You and your kind. You don't belong in this world. God and elemental…. You don't fit here, and you should be banished." He threw her to the ground and looked at Daemos. "Come. We have much to do." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Present "What?" Jonathan asked, breathlessly. "Mithros doesn't like Sapphire or Loki. Or you?" "No. We are much older than him, our power scares him. Since he was the first of his kind, him and Selene, he thinks they should rule. But we came before him, before his parents. Our parents are the universe, and that which made the universe. Loki, Sapphire, Daemos, and I…. We are the last of our kind. Mithros got rid of Loki's power, but could not banish him. He gathered enough evidence against Sapphire to banish her forever, but that evidence was weak." Lael sighed. "With me…. What other evidence than to gift mortals with magic? The gods were furious with me for eons. Magic was something only the gods should have been able to use. Though they could not do anything to me, they banished me along with Sapphire. Daemos was on their side; he hated Sapphire. She toyed with him too easily." "What is that suppose to mean?" George asked. "Why do you think Daemos called Sapphire a harlot?" Looks of shock registered on everyone's face. "She slept her way around court?" Jon asked, horrified. Lael chuckled. "No! Only with those who were forceful. I really don't understand it, but she's got something for people who are aggressive and forceful." Lael shook his head. "She's the same. Aggressive, and forceful, except, she plays innocent every now and then. She gets what she wants, and the person who comes between what she wants will be quickly eliminated." He sighed. "At least, that was the way it was before she was sent down here." "But, why did the gods not like you?" Numair asked. "We're more powerful," Lael said simply. "How powerful?" Gary asked, suspicious. "Sapphire can get rid of anyone who irritates her. She's been known to be a goddess of revenge a few times. That was when she was incredibly young and threw tantrums for not getting the tiniest thing. Loki is the god of Warriors and the head Angel of Divine Justice. I'm the god of Sorcerery. Daemos…. He was the god of Death and Destruction. He was the one who went around killing everyone, while Neo, the Dark God, held the mortals' souls." Lael sighed. "But we can be killed." "What?" Raoul asked. "How can a god be killed?" "The five of us aren't gods, remember. We're gods and elementals." Lael made a face. "Not actually killed, though. Trapped until 'the birth of one like us' is the saying. This happened when Sapphire and I were cast out and Loki's powers and memories stripped. Our brothers and sisters rebelled the moment Selene and Mithros declared themselves Regents. Asa is the only one left, basically. She's the goddess of the Winds. She and Sapphire are the only two goddess of our kind left." "Asa? Who is she to you?" George asked. "You mentioned her twice, and both times it was softly." Lael looked away. "We were lovers. She's reluctant to talk about anything that happened. She's afraid, and I don't know why. Daemos is afraid now, has been since Sapphire was reborn. Duke Roger was one of Daemos' followers. I don't really understand most of what happened." "So, what happened at Loki's trial?" Numair asked. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Divine Realms Loki was thrown to the floor before the Judges of the Old Ones' souls, or the mortals' souls. Lael was also taken and thrown to the ground, but with less force than Loki was. Lael spat at the man who had thrown him. "Silence!" Agni, the First Judge, snarled at the gods. He got silence. "Let the trial begin. Read the crimes against Loki and Lael." "The god Loki has been accused of helping the goddess Sapphire who intended to kill the god Daemos. The god Lael is a witness, but is also on trial," read Adonia, an Angel of Divine Justice. She scowled suddenly and threw the scroll down, her wings spreading out. "I refuse to participate in the trial. Everyone of you know Loki. Everyone of you know he has more than once listen to your bitching and whining and has sent us to carry out Justice on those you despise. How can you sit here and watch him be put to trial for something he never did?" she roared. Silence. The Angels of Divine Justice stood and flew up into the heavens, refusing to watch or participate. "Abel," Mithros bellowed, naming the god of wisdom. "Act as Magistrate." Abel nodded and picked up the scroll Adonia had thrown down. "The god Lael is on trial for giving magic to the mortals," he said softly. "That trial will be held later. Take him away," Astra, the Second Judge, said. Lael was hauled to his feet rudely and thrown into a small corner which was warded with magic to prevent escape. He growled low in his throat. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Where were you around the tenth hour of the night?" Ali, the Third Judge, asked Loki. "I was with Sapphire," Loki said, wearily. "In my rooms, and what we were doing is absolutely non of your business." "It is our business if we say it is!" Agni snarled. "What were you doing?" Astra asked. Loki sighed. "Making love," he said, looking away from them. "What proof is there?" Ali asked. Loki snorted. "How can you prove love?" He sighed. "She became pregnant that night." Now the gods began to talk with fear. A goddess with a child? One that would release the rest of their kind? It must be killed! "SILENCE!" Agni roared. Everyone became silent. "Bring Sapphire out," he ordered. "NO!" Loki yelled. "The light will kill her! She has no magic to protect herself from the light! She is a goddess of the dark!" Asa and Lael yelled in agreement, as the gods murmured uneasily. "I passed an order. Carry it out," Agni said, softly and coldly. "Dim the lights, or bring her into a shadow." Sapphire was hauled out of her room and brought into the room. She hissed in the light, and was hurried over to the dark of a corner. "Are you with child?" Ali demanded of her. Sapphire met his eyes with hatred. "I am." "When did this happen?" Astra demanded. "The night you shackled us. Maybe before, but it was when I found out," Sapphire said defiantly. The gods were now panicked. "Take her away," Agni shouted. Sapphire looked at Loki, tears in her eyes and they hauled her away roughly. Loki's eyes closed in pain, afraid for her, afraid for himself. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Present Lael sighed. "The gods were scared. If Sapphire's child was born, our brothers and sisters would be freed. Probably cast the gods out, and rule the Divine Realms." "Why were they so afraid of your kind?" Jon asked. "Our magic. Our strength. What weren't they afraid of. They were infidels compared to us. They couldn't hold a candle to what we are, and what we did for mortal kind. Sapphire and a few others created the Old Ones. The gods didn't like the fact that we could create life like that." "What happened at Sapphire's trial?" Numair asked. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Divine Realms "Why do you claim you are innocent? We have proof that you are the one who tried to kill Daemos. How can you argue proof?" Ali asked Sapphire harshly. "I can't." "Then why do you try?" Ali snapped. "I do not try." "Then admit it!" "I did not commit this crime. There is nothing to admit." "LIAR!" Daemos snarled. "You seduced me, then tried to kill me!" "You wish," snorted Sapphire. Asa stood up. "I know for a fact that Sapphire would rather die than touch Daemos." She sat down. "Do we have proof this child is Loki's?" Ali asked. "It could be Daemos', or any gods, for that matter. We all know Sapphire is a mistress to any god who wishes her. No doubt more than one of you have tasted her." Loki, who had been watching this, roared, "How dare you, you bastard!" "Lock him up," Agni said, smiling as the Court of Gods laughed. Sapphire was red with embarrassment. Ali smiled and turned to Sapphire. "Well? What proof do we have?" "Wait until the child is born, and see. Or use magic. The child is Loki's. I haven't touched another man beside Loki for over two thousand years now." "The child is mine," Daemos said impatiently. "Get on with the trial." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Present "I can't believe it. Why would Daemos claim it was his?" George asked. "He hated Sapphire. He wanted her to pay." "What happened next?" Numair asked. "We--" Lael's head suddenly jerked up. His eyes were round and wide. They were all whites, no pupil. "I don't believe it…. I just can't believe it!" "What?" Gary asked, a little impatient. "Somehow….somehow our brothers and sisters were released!" Lael exclaimed. The mortals' eyes bulged and jaws dropped. "What?" they all yelped. Lael nodded, as if someone was talking to him. "I'll bring you up with me. It'll be easier to explain as well." Numair looked a little sick. "How long will we have to recover?" Lael frowned. "You were brought by lesser gods. I am a Greater god than the Great Ones themselves." With that, a silver cloud enveloped them and transported them to the Divine Realms. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sapphire watched, eyes wide as her siblings started to appear. Mithros and the rest of the Great Ones watched in horror and fear and shock. "Oh, this cannot be happening…." Beryl moaned, scared for the first time in a long time. Lael appeared next to his sister, and mortals were with him. "Sapphire, what's going on?" Lael asked. "What happened to free them?" "Zoycite," Sapphire breathed. "Her birth signaled that they were free." "But it's taken so long!" Lael exclaimed. The mortals watched in awe and shock. Sapphire swallowed. "It's taken a while for them to get the signal." Suddenly, two very old and very majestic looking beings appeared in a shower of gold and silver sparks. Slowly, all the ones who had appeared, Asa, Sapphire, Loki, and Lael knelt. The female of the two laughed. "Rise! No use having to kneel to us!" "You are the oldest of us all," Sapphire said. "You deserve to be given great honor." "And this from the one who said there was no limit to her power, no end to the sky of which she could soar?" the male said. He looked at the sky. "The Divine Realms must be crumbling! The sun is turning green! The fish learning how to fly!" He shook his head. The gods who were elementals laughed. Sapphire smiled. "I have changed, Elder. I am no longer the goddess who thought that the very earth and universe would order itself the way I wanted it to." "Such humility from the goddess who claimed that she could rule better than us all? Am I rebuked?" the female quipped. Sapphire smiled and bowed. "I have learned my place. It is not for me to think of my will, but for those of who I rule, mortal and god, not just the mortals." "Ah, so now you understand why we let the punishment be carried out!" the male said, a smile lighting up his weathered face. Suddenly, the mortals disappeared, though no one noticed. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Where the hell are we?" Jonathan demanded. "Psst, over here," said a voice. The mortals turned and looked over to the corner of darkness where the noise had come to. "Who's there?" Jonathan asked, curiosity coming over him like a wave. "Come over here." Jonathan did, as did the others. It was Daemos. He sneered. "What's my name?" "Daemos," Jon said. "What's my name?" "Daemos! I already told you what it was!" Jonathan snapped. Suddenly, the cage began to open. "Yes, yes, yes!" shouted Daemos, joy and anger on his face as the cage vanished. "I'm free." His eyes took on a light that was pure evil. "I'm coming Sapphire. No one will be safe until you are dead. And dead by my hand!" He laughed, his voice rising and falling eerily in the darkness while the mortals watched on in horror. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Part Five: Preparation Of War ©2000 Sapphire smiled at the Elders of the Elemental Gods. Akbar and Kari were the oldest and most powerful of all of them. Akbar was the god of Time, Kari was the goddess of the Earth. She was called Mother Earth and he was called Father Time. It was what mortals had named them long, long before. Suddenly, the realm began to shake. Loki's face was a mask of horror. "Daemos," he said, gulping. "He's out." "But how?" Lael cried. "A mortal with the blood of a god," said Bernfrek, god of water. He grabbed a pillar to keep from falling as the ground shook and rocked. Daemos appeared in a fury of black flames. The mortals also appeared, and looked stunned. Daemos' eyes were wild. "My darling, where are you?" he called out, eyes searching for Sapphire. Sapphire suddenly doubled over in pain. Power flowed throughout her body like liquid fire. She felt like she was on fire, worse than when her memories had returned. And she knew why. She was herself again, a full goddess. She stood up, drawing herself to her full height. "Right here, Daemos," she said, her voice cold, clear and ringing in the pandemonium. The gods disappeared, except for Daine, who worked her way through panicked gods over to the mortals. Daemos turned and stared at her, as did the mortals. His face formed an evil smirk as he surveyed her form, hunger in his eyes. Daine felt her jaw drop. The goddess was more beautiful than the Great Mother Goddess was! Even more perfect. The dress was the exact same blue-gold it had been, and the veil was still a sheer gold one, but a small chain with black and silver moons in the different cycles were on her forehead. The chain became a more elaborate headdress in the back. It was a gold chainmail lattice on the top of her head, then fell down to the back of her neck loosely. It had sapphires and emeralds and moonstones and diamonds all worked in to it, as well as moon and star charms. Along with the collar-like necklace, there was a slim golden chain with a moon eclipsing the sun as a pendant of ivory and black onyx. Sapphire's earrings were a complex work of fire opal, black opals, and plain opals. They had black onyx, diamonds, sapphires, and emeralds all in a complex design. Rings decorated her right hand, but only one ring was on her left hand, and it was an elaborate ring with the sign of an Angel's feather. Two or three braclets decorated her left wrist. Her coppery hair had an elaborate design of the breathy curl she liked and a tiny braid with three pure white Angel feathers and gold, silver, glass, and sapphire beads on three slender strands of black silk clasped into the braid. Sapphire glowed a brillant gold, but as Numair saw, her aura was slwoly becoming a gold-silver aura with black moons and sapphire stars. At that moment, George wished she was still mortal. He had always known that Alanna was a beauty, and in the right clothes, she would outshine Thayet. Jon could not believe that it was the same person he had loved as a youth. Daemos went to her and went down on knee to kiss her hand. She slipped her hand out of his. He stood. "My sweet one. You have not changed an inch!" Sapphire punched him, the impact sending him flying into a pillar across the room. Daemos stood, his face a mask of shock. His lower jaw was just under his right ear. He pulled the jaw into it's proper place as Sapphire stalked over to him and punched him in the stomach. "I learned something in the mortal realms. Never let an enemy close enough to do damage; let it always be you to do the dammage!" she snarled at him, as he doubled over in pain. Raoul, Gary, Jon, George, Numair, and Daine clapped as Sapphire pummled him. She was angry and all the elemental-gods knew it. They were on the floor laughing their heads off. Loki and Lael were laughing loudest of all. When it looked like Sapphire was doing serious damage to Daemos, Loki walked over to her and held her wrist. She gave voice to a little squeal of outrage and dropped her fight when Loki put his arms around her wasit and murmured something. Daemos looked at her, his wounds healing incredibly fast. "I swear to you this day, Sapphire. No one you love is safe! Not your mortals, not your gods, not your family, not anyone! My revenge will be swift and hurtful! No matter what you do, I will not rest until I see your life destroyed!" "Lock him up," Bernfrek yelled. Angels of Divine Justice descended on them. Daemos screamed a word and smoke filled the air. As the smoke left the sky, they saw two Angels dead: Adonia and her brother Ketrick. The gods looked at Sapphire, there was a cut on her wrist, and it was quickly healing. She had the strangest look on her face, one of fear and one of hatred. "He must be stopped," she said softly. "But," said a small girl, who was radiating with silver power, "how can we stop him? He is so powerful." A goddess that was transparent, yet beautiful shook her head. She was The Oracle. "He is but one god," she said in her booming voice. The voice was like canons firing and exploding; like the mist surrounding the forest to the mortals. "But much will be sacrafised to bring him to a halt." Sapphire looked away from The Oracle. "I will pay the price. He must be stopped before he does unfixable damage." The god-elementals yelled their agreement. Though, the Tortallans were shaken considerably. Many began to gather fire in their hands, and many began to take out glowing weapons. "But, wait," Sapphire said. "Daemos is in the mortal realms, most likely Tortall." "We should send the mortals back, then arrange for a little payback on Daemos!" a god snarled. "Daemos needs to pay!" cried a beautiful goddess in wispy white cloth. "Daemos will pay!" Sapphire cried. "But he will pay by my terms, and then by our terms! We can no more kill him than we can kill ourselves." Yells of outrage and anger that met that were loud. "BUT!" Sapphire yelled. "But, we can imprison him, as he did to you, my siblings. Imprison him until the end of time." "First, shouldn't we send the mortals home?" Asa asked, taking Lael's hand. "We should not let them stay. It might be a danger to them." Sapphire looked at the Elders. "What say thee, Elders?" she asked, bowing her head. Kari raised her eyebrow, a smile of amusement on her face. "A goddess who demanded that she be crowned queen is asking what others think? For what they think, and what they opinionate?" Sapphire looked up. "A true queen knows her people feed before she sits to feast. A true queen know her people safe before she takes her rest. Though, a queen may be the head of state, she is the least. She bows to those of her council, to those who request things that are in her power to grant, so long as they hurt none. Power is a heavy burden. A true queen should think once, twice, and thrice before she makes a request of her people. I have tried to learn this, and I believe that I have learned it." Kari nodded her great, silver head. "Then you have learned why you were put in the mortal realms to learn. And as it matters, I believe we should send the mortals home. They have no affair in the affairs of gods." Daine would have made a comment, but the look of these immortals told her they would not heed her protests. She frowned and stepped forward. "May I go with them?" The great immortals turned to look at Daine and the Tortallans. "And who are you?" asked an aged old man, his face weathered and tanned. He was Radwyn, god of the mists. "I am Veralidaine, daughter of the god Weiryn." "And what business do you have with them?" Rhemis, god of the Southern Wind, demanded. "It's all right, Rhemis. She was mortal before. Sarra's daughter," Sapphire said, hands folded at her waist. "The one with all the wild magic?" Akbar queried. "Yes," Loki replied. "She was here before. She stopped Chaos from destroying the realms." "The one in the prophecy," Kari replied, with a nod. She began to walk over towards Daine and the Tortallans. Her silver hair floated behind her, glowing almost. Her green eyes were almost golden with their light. She put a hand on Daine's cheek. "And why do you wish to go to the mortal realms again, my child?" Daine gulped and met the great green eyes. "They are my friends, Great One. I wish to know they are safe. And how may I know it for certain unless I am with them?" Kari raised a delicate eyebrow. "Such knowledge in one so young. So much courage, yet so much fear." She nodded. "You may go with your friends, but only if you choose to become mortal, yet again." Daine looked puzzled. Sapphire smiled. "Daine, the only way a god can go to the mortal realms, to do anything in the mortal realms except talk, is to become mortal. Well, except for Opal," she said, chuckling. "Opal has a sweet deal!" a young god chimed in. "Opal?" Daine asked, slightly puzzled. "Opal is the goddess of revenge, younglin'!" the young god told her with a wink. "One beautiful goddess with gold and dove wings and lovely arrows that will kill any twelve mortals if they are in a straight line. Right on through each of the twelve's skins." "Oh," Daine said faintly. She now had no doubt in mind that she did not want to meet this "Opal." "So, my child," Kari said, dropping her hand from Daine's cheek. She walked over to a fountain and made a tugging motion. Soon, a vile made of ivory floated up out of the water and sailed into Kari's hand. "What is your choice? Guard them as a mortal, or watch and break those silly laws Mithros and Selene set eons ago that forbid gods to intervene with a mortal's life?" Daine frowned. "They can be broken?" "They never existed," Loki said, laughing. "They forgot a small law that the All, parent to us, and parent to the gods' parents, set. All gods must vote on a law, or decree. They forgot that, and now that we are free, we control them. Break all the laws you wish. None exists until all vote on new laws. That means every god in the Divine Realms." "Even Chaos?" Daine asked, shocked. "She is a goddess, is she not?" Kari asked. "She has a quarrel with Mithros and Selene, not with us. Should she dare attack us, we can more than contain her. We have done so in the past, and will do so in the present and future." Daine looked surprised, but shook the mood away. "If I choose to become mortal, how long will it last?" Kari looked at her brother, Akbar, then at the others. Sapphire shrugged. "The last one who used it was Chaos. Should I go and make a query of her, Elders?" she asked. Akbar hesitated. "You are at full power?" Sapphire nodded. "I am." Kari looked at the vile, then at Sapphire. "Then ask. It will be good if we record it in the annals so we don't have to chase after the last one to use the spell like a tell-tale." Sapphire bowed, and vanished, gold mist with black moons and stars enveloped her. "And now," Kari said, "we wait." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Tortallans, gone unnoticed, were more than a little unnerved. Jonathan and George were visibly shaking. How had he gotten out? Numair was have a whispered fight with Daine, and Raoul and Gary were smartly staying out of it. They stayed next to Jon and George. "This thing with Al--Sapphire," Gary said, making a face. "I don't actually believe that she's the same person we knew in Tortall." "She isn't the same person, that's why," Jonathan snapped. George sighed. "She has to be, the same person. I mean, here she's a goddess. In Tortall, she was mortal. There's a huge difference in the way the two act." "Uhm, not really," Daine said. "I'm a goddess, but I haven't changed." "Are you a goddess like them?" George asked tiredly. "Well, no." "And all you've even known was how to act mortal. How to be yourself. Alanna is just another aspect of this 'Sapphire.'" "Not truly," Lael muttered. "Not at all, actually." They turned to look at him and Loki. "What do you mean?" Raoul asked. Loki eyed Lael. "He has a warped way of saying things. 'Alanna' is Sapphire. That's what you all don't understand. Uhm, let's see. Give me a quality Alanna had, and I'll match it to Sapphire." "Joy of a Battle," Jon said automatically. "Joy of seeing fighting, no matter what form it is. I would guess because of her slightly dangerous side," Loki said. "Temper," Gary and Raoul said at once. "The temper of the gods," Lael said. "God turned mortal always have their tempers and pride. And stubbornness. There is nothing in any world that could change that, except for the All." George looked at Loki. "Children," he said. Everyone knew what he meant. Alanna had despised children to begin with, but it had been her that suggested it when the two of them had been married for three years. Loki and Lael laughed. "Oh, she hated children. I have no idea where that came from!" Loki said. He shook his head. "In a way, your right. Alanna is an aspect of Sapphire. But, this Alanna is like…." "Like Alan turning into Alanna," Lael said automatically. "Hah," George said. "The only change in that was clothes." "Yes, and in name. But, truly. Alanna and Sapphire are nearly the same physical type. I'll admit, height and eyes, and facial structure has changed, but other than that, nothing," Loki said. "Nothing?" Sapphire asked, appearing next to Lael. "You will be dealt with later, Warrior. When Daemos is captured and imprisoned for good. And don't try to explain to them! When I explain to them, they'll be all twisted with the inane explanations you have given." The Tortallans tried not to show they were laughing at the look on Loki's face, but it wasn't hid very well. Sapphire gave Loki a nasty look and walked over to Kari. "It lasts until the job is done, is what Chaos said," Sapphire said. "So, possible, once your need is done, you become what you once were." Kari nodded and looked at Daine. "What say ye, sister?" Daine nodded. "I choose to go to the mortal realms with my friends." Sapphire didn't look surprised, in fact, none of the gods looked surprised. Kari walked over to Daine, and gave her the vial. "I suggest you drink this once in the realms. It will not due for you to take it here." Daine nodded. Kari looked at Lael. "You know more about these magics than I ever could, Lael. Will you not?" Lael nodded. "It would be my pleasure, Elder," he said, bowing with his fist over his heart. He raised his hands to the sky and said a few words in a language older than the scrolls Myles had found in the Old Ones' ruins at Barony Olau. Blue lightning crackled and suddenly, Daine and the Tortallans were enclosed in a blue and gold bubble. Of course, they could still breathe, but looking down as it floated down was a very nauseating experience. It floated down to the palace, but to a place that was very old, one that Jonathan had never seen. "What is this place?" he asked, as the bubble released them when it had landed. Raoul shrugged, and Gary was examining a few of the carvings on the three stones shaped like a doorway. In a complete circle, stones stood. They were spaced out normally, and would allow a man to walk next to a wagon comfortably between the doorway shaped stones. For all of the stones that were standing were shaped as doorways. Two stones stood up straight, reaching towards the heavens, and one slab of stone was laid flat across the two standing stones. Looking around, they saw the stones formed a perfect circle, with one of the three stone doorways in the exact center of the circle. Gary noticed that all of the stones had strange markings, and Numair saw that there was a deeply etched circle around the stones. The circle marking was as wide as thirty-five feet and the as tall as thirty-five feet as well. Numair would have laughed at the perfection of the circle, if he didn't feel very old magics stirring. "Numair, come take a look at these markings!" Gary called from the center of the circle. Numair came over and stared at the markings. "These are runes the Old Ones used to write in." "Who created them again?" Gary asked. "Two gods. One was a goddess, the other a god. I'm not sure of their names. They were very powerful," Numair said, looking around him. There were mage energies here all right. And bad ones. "Hm… As I recall, Lael said something about Sapphire and Loki creating them, and a third intervention," Jonathan said, looking at the circle. He stooped down and tried to pick up some of the dirt and sand that had formed the circle. He touched the sand, amazed to find that it was not sand, but sand that had long ago been melted into glass. "George, come take a look at this." Numair looked at the stones. A symbol of a goddess, a symbol of a god; symbol for man, symbol for woman; symbol of victory and of comfort, fertility and love; the symbol of Eternity, or Immortality. "I think this main one is a gate of some kind. One that takes you to a different world or something. Or brings something in," he stated. Daine shook her head, and looked at the stones. "These markings are ones I've seen before," she said, toying with the vial. "In the Realms, there's a place--a doorway, actually--with these same markings." She shrugged. "Shall we continue?" Numair looked around. "Yes, I think we should. I get the feeling that something is here and it does not like us being here." That was when the circle began to glow with a blinding white fire. The heat cast off by the magic was intense. It was so hot that Jon and George could feel their skin begin to crack and peel. They hurriedly stepped away from the circle and over to Numair and the others. "What's going on?" Jon shouted, shielding his eyes from the light with his arm. "I don't know!" Numair shouted back, blocking the light from his eyes with his wrist and hand. "Something isn't right! These magics should have stayed dormant! There is nothing to have awaken them!" "Why don't we all shut up!" Gary bellowed, hiding his eyes with the cloak he was wearing. Then the light, and heat left as suddenly as it had appeared. Standing near the circle were men and women glowing a sickly yellow-green. They were taller than Numair easily, and very beautiful. It hurt to look at them, for the beauty hurt the eyes if looked at too long. Power danced across their bodies, and Jon knew them right away. "Ysandir," he breathed. Ylon stretched his arms widely and to the skys above. "It has been so long," he said, opening his eyes. Ylira looked at them. "Souls," she hissed. "So much life!" "Jon?" Numair asked. "Who are these people?" "The Ysandir," Jon said, looking at them with a slight horror. "The Nameless Ones to the Bazhir. They takes souls and lives. Alanna and I destroyed them a long time ago. I was seventeen at the time." "Well," Daine said, laughing nervously. "You didn't do such a great job!" Ylanda saw Jon and her eyes blazed. "You!" she cried, pointed a red-nailed finger at him. Jon winced. "You! The pathetic mortal! The one who's boy companion was a girl!" Jon sighed. "Point?" Ylon chuckled. "You are not armed with their weapons anymore!" "'Their weapons?' Jon, what is he talking about?" Raoul asked. Suddenly, three gods appeared. Sapphire, Asa, and someone with a wicked looking long bow. "The Old Ones' weapons," the woman said. "And our weapons!" She gave voice to bloodcurdling war cry, much fiercer than Thayet's or Alanna's ever were. Ylon threw magic at Asa's chest as she twirled a battle axe with a wicked blade. It was nicked heavily, and cutting someone with it would be very painful to the person, or demon. Sapphire extended a hand, and a ball of light appeared in her hand. It lengthened until it was the length of a sword. Then it materialized. It was Lightning, but it looked newly minted, not a nick nor a scorch-mark was on the blade. The woman with the bow took three deadly looking arrows out of her quiver and pulled the string back to her ear. She released the arrows and they thudded into their targets. The three Ysandir the arrows hit laughed at the arrows in their chest until the woman gestured and the arrows became fire. The Ysandir screamed as they became living torches. Sapphire twirled the sword, slashing anyone who dared come within her range. Asa's battle axe was quickly reducing the Ysandir to a little more than limbs. Then they vanished. Daemos appeared, floating in mid-air. He did not look happy. "Have you forgotten, Sapphire? Nothing can kill them!" "Fire can," she yelled. "The Old Ones can!" "Yes, but the Old Ones no longer exist!" Daemos said, laughing. "Making them once depleted your energy to nothing, even with Loki's help! Not even Lael could help you!" The woman with the bow rolled her eyes. "Enough talk, Daemos," she said. The arrow that was notched on her bow sought it mark in Daemos' chest. He clutched the shaft, and laughed. He pulled the arrow out and threw it to the ground, blasting it with sheer power. "None of your arrows could kill me, Opal! Not one of your pathetic weapons! And you forget again! You can no more kill siblings than you can kill yourselves!" he said nastily. With a mocking salute and bow, he vanished. "Damn, damn, damn!" Opal snapped, picking up her shattered arrow. Her eyes became pure white, with no iris or pupil. Power pour from her eyes into the shattered arrow. It became a whole arrow, but with blood dripping off the end. "He will pay," Asa said quietly. She looked at Sapphire, who's sword had vanished. "He is right. You cannot remake the Old Ones." Sapphire closed her eyes. "They were never dead," she said. "So I do not have to remake them. Some I will, for the souls are terribly old and can no longer fight." "Why are the Ysandir back?" Jonathan demanded. "We killed them!" Sapphire looked at Jon, her eyes showing no iris, pupil, or white. Only an endless field of stars. "They were destroyed, all right. He has remade them. Only fire and my people can destroy them." Daine began to feel weak, Sapphire looked at her, and the full vial. "Drink the vile, or you'll be pulled back into the Realms." Daine nodded, and took the stopper out. She quickly drank it, and a pain went through her body. She lost the godliness at once. And she was as mortal as she had been when that spideren had killed her. Opal looked at the mortals, her eyes back to a peaceful and sober hazel and silver. "The Ysandir will not come again. Asa can make sure of that with Jesrek." She bowed in Asa's direction. "Of course I can. Jesrek will rain down fire, and I will make sure it touches everything. The Ysandir will never be able to touch Tortall," Asa said. "But of the Old Ones…" "I will handle the dealings of the Old Ones," Sapphire said, her eyes back to their normal silver-violet. She smiled, "They will listen to me on Loki. After all, we did create them." Opal and Asa nodded, and vanished in flashes of lightning. "Sapphire," Gary called out, as she began to gather her magic to vanish. "Hm?" "Are we going to be all right? With Daemos loose… He can raise the dead, can he not?" Sapphire froze. "He can," she said, hand going to her throat. "You will be fine. I will make sure of it." She vanished like the other two, except her lightning was fiercer. "I don't like this," Jon muttered, as they walked into the palace. "I have a strange feeling that things are going to get worse before they get better." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sapphire looked at Loki. "We have to." Loki went over to her, and held her. "No, we don't. This isn't our fight. Let the Ysandir do what they will." Sapphire pulled away from him. She frowned, and looked bewildered. "Then I will do it alone," she said and disappeared out of the room. When she reappeared, it was in her own realm. The Realm of the Night and all things related to the night. She conjured up the "Alanna" part of her, and sat down on a chair. Alanna looked at her quite frankly. "Well, you've certainly made a mess of things, haven't you, Sapphire?" Alanna said mildly, sitting down on a black velvet monstrosity that was as comfortable as it was ugly. The chair was overstuffed, and it was one Alanna always liked. Sapphire looked at her split personality. "Yes. What should I do? I know that wasn't Loki, it had to be Daemos." "The Old Ones were a great idea," Alanna replied emphatically. "But, a certain few Old Ones would be better than the entire populace. I would recommend the five guardians. Wind, Water, Fire, Earth, Spirit. They each have their own powers, and each of the five are more than a match for the Ysandir." Sapphire brightened. "Of course!" she said, snapping her fingers. Sapphire stood and brought her hands together and then flung them apart. Five globes of power appeared before Sapphire. Alanna smiled and sipped her glass of wine. The globes exploded, and it their place, hung five young women. Wind, Water, Fire, Earth, and Spirit. Wind's name was Trista. Her hair was long and white blonde, and some of it was caught up into a bun at the back of her head. Her eyes were the palest amber possible without them being white eyes. She was the tallest of the Guardians at six feet two inches. She wore white leather breeches that laced up the side of her leg, showing off very golden skin. The shirt she wore was of black cotton and tight. The shirt had no sleeves except for thin straps. It tied in the back, showing skin, yet again. She wore white leather boots, that needed only to be tied at the top, by wide white ribbons. She wore a sash made of black silk, and the browband she wore was gold. The gem in the middle was a crystal clear diamond. Water's name was Talisa. Her silver-white hair was cropped short, like a man's. Her eyes were the most captivating sapphire blue as there ever was. She was five feet and ten inches tall. She wore dark blue cotton breeches than clung to her legs, and a light blue version of Wind's shirt. The same cotton shirt that had two slim straps on the shoulders for sleeves and laced up tightly in the back. Her skin was just as gold as Wind's, if not more so. The boots she wore were of jet black leather and were tied at the top with a light blue and a dark blue ribbon, on each boot. Her sash was of blue silk, and her browband was of silver. The gem was that of an ocean sapphire, a deep blue gem that was as rare as it was beautiful. Fire's name was Vesta. Her raven's wing black hair was waist length and loose. Her eyes were a darker violet than Alanna's even were, and were just as captivating as Talisa's. She was six feet tall even. She wore a brown leather hunting skirt that was five inches above the knee. It was a wrap around skirt, and it was laced at the side to prevent harm to the wearer in a battle. Her shirt started under the breasts and was like a sort of vest, only it showed the stomach and laced up in the front, between the breasts. She had gold chainmail on one shoulder and upper arm, and a twining arm-bracelet fashioned as an arrow on the other. Her sash was a brilliant scarlet silk, and her boots were a white leather with the same red silk ribbons as her sash to tie her boots up to her knees. Her browband was of gold, and was a ruby of the deepest red. Earth's name was Ebony. Her flowing light brown hair was bum length and braided into a coronet at the back of her head. Her eyes were a vivid emerald green, and were as deep as the ocean. She was five feet and nine inches tall. Her skin tight leather breeches were dyed green, and laced up the side, like Wind's. Her skin showed to be as golden as the others'. Her shirt was a loose green shirt, laced at the wrist-cuffs, and draped like silk, thought it was of the lightest cottons. Her boots were like any of the others, tied at the top; her ribbons were of green silk. Her sash was of an emerald green silk so dark it could be considered black. Her browband was of silver and the gem was an emerald as dark as the sash. Spirit's name was Harmony. Her hair was silver, her eyes were silver. She was five feet and seven inches. She was no warrior, as the others were. She was only a mage, and a spirit. Though the others were warriors as well as mages, no one could compete with Spirit. Her dress was a cotton summer dress of that a lady of a high imperial court would wear. Fancy, jeweled and regal. It was a silk almost tissue like. Her browband was that of gold thread with gold charms of the moon going through all of it's phases. Her shoes were of white silk with silver silk laces that laced up the ankle and the calf. Her sash was of silver silk and a gold pouch hung at the knot of it. Sapphire was thrilled. "Awake, Guardians. Your Goddess has need of you," Sapphire spoke softly. "Awake, Guardians. Your home is in danger. The Ysandir will destroy everything. Awake, your Goddess has need of you valiant warriors." Slowly, they began to wake. One by one, as they woke, the spell holding them in air broke. Each of them went down on one knee before her, each whispering her allegiance. Sapphire looked at her warriors, the ones she had worked so hard on creating. The ones who had died at the hand of the mortals who now ruled the mortal realms. "Arise, My Warriors." Each rose to her feet. "The Ysandir are once again loose. Daemos is wrecking havoc on the realms that were once yours. The mortals cannot hold him, or his fighters for much longer. As you know, Daemos is the god of Death. He will not be able to touch you, for your hearts will be those of the Immortals," Sapphire said. She motioned and a black onyx bowl that glowed gold faintly floated over. She swirled it with her finger and traced the symbol of immortality upon each of the Guardians brows. They symbol flared, then vanished. "A war is brewing in the mortal realms. Between the undead and the living. Some of the living have allied with the undead, and don't bother to spare these. "I will send you to Tortall, where you will have to explain that you are there on my wishes, and that you have come to fight. They will explain what is to happen." All five Guardians bowed. "Yes, my Goddess," they said as one. "Then go," Sapphire said. "And my you succeed in the task set before you." Globes of magic floated above each of the Guardians. Each one was enveloped in the globe and sent floating down to Tortall. Sapphire sighed, and turned back to Alanna. "Well?" "You are still not at ease?" Alanna asked. "No, I'm not." Alanna looked at Sapphire. "Send me to Tortall." "What?" Sapphire cried. "You can't exist without being within close proximity to me!" Alanna looked down and away. "Use the potion that made Daine mortal," said Alanna. She looked up at Sapphire. "How many lives are disrupted because of what we are? Let me stay in Tortall, until I die as a mortal. Then I will rejoin you, but not as yourself, as myself." "As what? A minor elemental goddess?" "No. Like the Blessed Trinity." Sapphire stared. Then began to smile. "You have something here. And I like it." She stuck out her hand. "All right! A deal!" Alanna took Sapphire's hand and felt the flash of pain, then the scream for air her lungs demanded. Alanna took her first breath and smiled. "Tortall awaits, Sapphire." "As does George," Sapphire said, grinning wickedly. Alanna blushed and nodded. Sapphire looked at Alanna. "I will miss you. You've always given melight where there has been none before." Alanna knelt and kissed Sapphire's hand. "It will not be long!" Alanna swore. She stood, and waited as Sapphire's magic carried her to Tortall. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PART SIX: UNTITLED -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DISCLAIMER: I don’t own any of the Tortallans. HOWEVER, Sapphire, Loki, and their friends I own! Er, don’t sue. All yer gonna get is a hunk of junk computer that got fried by a virus and a junky old lap top that is SLOW!!!! And a few cents….which is all I have to my name! Yeah, and the books….That’s where all my money goes. This is Rated R!!!! Enjoy…. Oh yeah, rather mushy at some parts.... New characters.... I might end it in Part 7, though, now that I've got a pop ending, I might have to make it longer. 8, 9, or 10 parts. Just what I need!!!! ^_^ Hope you all enjoy it. If ye've got ideas for Part 6's title, email me at SkySorceress5000@yahoo.com ^_^ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Tortallans stared as they watched five globes of light floated down from the sky. Jon, Thayet, Raoul and Buri had been inspecting the ruins at the back of the palace when the five globes had appeared. "Jon, what the hell are those?" Thayet asked, clutching her husband's arm tightly. Her face was pale and Buri had her sword out. Jon frowned and probed it with magic, and got no feeling from it. "I don't know," he said, trying to ease her death-grip on his arm. The five balls of light swirled in the wind and separated. Each went to a stone doorway, and exploded. One stayed in the air, and it glowed a blinding silver color. Then, as the other four exploded, it settled down on top of the middle stone doorway, and exploded as well. Jon, Thayet, Buri, and Raoul all stared. Five women had appeared, and four of them looked to be fierce warriors. The fifth one, the one who had landed in the middle looked like a queen, and a beautiful one at that. Thayet gasped as they all jumped down from the top of the stone doorways. The one who looked like a queen floated down. "We seek the one who is called 'king' of this land," she spoke. Her voice was soft, and musical. It was beautiful, and almost terrible to listen to. Jon gathered his courage up around him and said, if shakily, "I am King of Tortall." A woman with long white-blonde hair knelt before him, as did the others, following her lead. The one who looked like a queen curtsied. "We are the Guardians," said the one with white-blonde hair. She stood, and the others did as well. "I am Trista, Guardian of Wind, Unity, and Time." "I am Talisa, Guardian of Water and Truth," said a silver-haired woman who was much younger than the silver in her hair showed. She looked the be about twenty. "I am Vesta, Guardian of Fire and Honor," said a black-haired beauty. Her eyes were such a dark violet, they seemed to be a black. "I am Ebony, Guardian of Earth and Justice," said a woman with light brown hair and emerald green eyes of the darkest shade possible. "And I am Harmony, Guardian of Spirit and of Love," said the one who looked like a queen. "Who sent you?" Thayet asked. Then the middle stone doorway blazed with light, and someone was standing there when the light cleared. "Sapphire sent them," Alanna said, smiling. "But, you're Sapphire!" Jon cried. Alanna held up a hand. "No, I am not. I am something of a split personality of hers. She usually brings me forth when something is needed, or when she needs a good talking down to. I'm her….Confidant, I guess. But I am also my own person, mortal, and in sore need to be with her friends," she said, almost hugging herself. Jon knew that gesture. It said that she was completely unsure of their reaction and of their welcome. Jon and Raoul stumbled over to her and hugged her as tight as they could. Jon most assuredly felt Alanna's heat beating, and saw her chest moving in what looked to be her breathing. Thayet and Buri did the same, only flinging themselves at her instead. Alanna laughed and gasped, "What are you all trying to do? Kill me?" No, that would be too human, said a voice they all knew. "Faithful?" Jon breathed. Alanna made a face at the cat. "What? Sapphire set you on my tail again?" No. I decided to keep you out of trouble, the cat said, teasingly. Alanna moaned, "Just what I need. A know-it-all cat." Faithful gave a cat-snort and leaped up onto her left shoulder. Trista coughed politely, and they turned back to her. "We are here to help you. We are honor-bound by the Oaths we took to be Protectors of Life and Elements. Daemos is filth, as are his creations. We shall destroy him." Alanna looked slightly amused. "I am sure you will." Vesta stood straighter. "You would be wise not to talk back. You may have been Bright Lady's confidant, but you aren't ours! We will not bow to you!" Alanna simply chuckled. "Oh, I doubted you would." She screwed up her face into a mask of pure mischief. "I would love to see how you plan on making sure that you don't listen to me. I rather suspect that Sapphire might make you listen to me!" Jon looked at them. "Don't underestimate her. She knows what she's talking about." Spirit sighed. "We know she does." Then the Ysandir appeared. Ylon smirked. "Back, are you? How can you exist without your cities?" he asked, with the air of someone who knows he's immortal and can never die. Fire began to gather in Vesta's hands. She made sure it had a full fury of eons behind it. "Die, like the scum you are," she hissed at him. Vesta threw the fireball at Ylon, who ducked. It hit the Ysandir behind him. The male burned up to a crisp, screaming in pain the whole time. Jon, Thayet, Raoul, and Buri stared. Alanna looked mildly impressed. Trista looked at the Ysandir who was still burning. A strong gust of wind, scented with and carrying rose petals on the wind. The fire blazed up, with the wind to move it, and the body to feed it. Suddenly, it leaped to another Ysandir, and burned him alive, and then that one bumped into another. Soon, four Ysandir were engulfed in flames, and screaming and wailing. The remaining ones went behind Ylanda and Ylon. "We will meet again, Old Ones. And this time, we will destroy you!" Ylon hissed, and the remaining seven vanished. Talisa looked at the burning Ysandir. With a sigh, a ball of water appeared in her hand and she threw it at the four. To everyone's amazement, it did not put the fires out. If fire hurt them, water hurt them even more. Boils popped out all over their backs and fronts. The fires burned furiously on the boils. Soon, the air was filled with the stench of burning flesh, and a sickening smell of that like dead skunk. Green slime was dripping down the now dead Ysandirs' bodies. "What is going on?" Alanna demanded. The Guardians looked totally confused. Faithful's ears and tail were twitching. They are reproducing. They reproduce asexually. We have just created more Ysandir. Talisa looked sick. "Trista, the Time Wand. It's basically the only thing. I doubt even the Twain could handle something like this!" Trista reached her hand to the sky. Light gathered there, as if all the starlight and moonbeams had gathered right in Trista's hand. A long staff fixed with a shinning silver half-globe appeared in her hand. It began to glow brighter and brighter, until it blazed like a small sun. Trista took a deep breath. She began to chant in her native language, the language of the Old Ones. Time began to slow to an agonizing crawl. The Tortallans, Alanna included, were moaning with pain. The slow of time was giving them an awful headache! Then time froze. The Tortallans looked around, the pain eased in their heads, and vanished. The Ysandir's bodies were riddled with the boils, and were all oozing the green slim. "Vesta, Ebony. Do something about that," Spirit said. Vesta threw fire at the bodies, evolving them in fire. They burned down to a fine ash, though the green ichor was still there. Ebony looked dumbfounded. "I don't know what to do. If Hazeka and Lysander were here, we could handle this more properly." "Who?" Raoul asked. "Hazeka is the Guardian of Weather and Nature. She basically invented wild magic. The nature aspect, the animal aspect…. Everything," Alanna said, stroking Faithful fur. The cat began to purr softly. "Lysander was one of the first mortals ever made. He was a prince, one of the first, actually. He sketched out the Code of Chivalry, though there have been thousands of adjustments. "If I recall correctly, he was the Guardian of Majesty, Loyalty, and Honor. Your basic knight, except relatively un-killable." "No one is un-killable!" Jon said, frowning. True, Alanna had always been interested to death about the past. In a way, she and Myles suited each other. But now, she most likely knew more than Myles did! "We are," Spirit said. Everyone stared at them, except Alanna. "She's right. Sapphire gave them the Gift of Immortality. And you're wrong Jon. I don't know more than Myles on any subject. What I know I either learned from him, or learned in books. I had Sapphire block my memory of those things I saw with her. Unless it was rather resent," Alanna said, scratching Faithful's ears. "I can't go around talking about things that happens over ten eons ago as if they happened yesterday and there were tomes after tomes on it." "Did you read my mind?" Jon asked, a tad afraid. "Nope. Your face said it all. I just guessed you were thinking Myles and not, say… Harailt. You're very predictable after someone has know you for awhile." "Did you know I was going to put Keladry on probation?" Jon countered. Alanna's face stayed bland. "No. I though you'd either let Wyldon say no to the whole subject, take back the declaration, and let me tongue lash you; or that you'd make sure she'd train as a normal boy." "So did everyone else, Jon," Buri said. "Most people were shocked at the compromise." "Sapphire wasn't all that shocked," Alanna said. "Don't ask me why, but somehow she knew." "Eavesdropping on my thoughts, most likely," Jon muttered. Alanna shook her head. "Nope. She doesn't know how to do that. She has the power, just never learned how to use it. Thoughts come out all chaotic. She half way lost her mind the first time she tried to read a mortal's mind. Rather interesting." Thayet and Buri started laughing. Raoul chuckled, and Jon just smiled and shook his head. Vesta looked annoyed. "Excuse me?" she snapped. "But can you please ask Bright Lady to send the two down?" "You're asking the wrong person," Alanna said. She smiled. "I'm as mortal as my friends. I have everything a highly Gifted person has, and nothing else. You ask. I'm not," Alanna said, smiling slowly. Trista smiled. "We can send the plea on the wind. Vesta, calm down. She is right. She wished a normal life, as did we all. She must have done fast talking to get Sapphire to separate from her good sense." Alanna chuckled. "Actually, I told that if she was so sad at the loss of me, to create another confidant who has better good sense than I do. I'm more likely to plunge right into a thing, without looking to see if anyone's there, holding an anchor for me. In battle, I just don't care. I just go out and fight. It's more fun that way." "I thought that was Sapphire!" Raoul exclaimed. "Hah," Alanna muttered. "Not a chance. I'm the Alanna you knew. Sapphire came out when I got pulled up to the Realms. Not my favorite place, let me tell you. I don't like the Realms, and I never did." Jon laughed. "You certainly do sound like our Alanna!" Alanna looked at him through the side of her eyes. "Hunh. Don't test me, Contè. I've had a ruff morning." "Doing what?" Jon quipped. "Aside from becoming mortal? Putting up with you." Raoul, Buri, and Thayet laughed as Jon gave Alanna a look that would be better suited to a convict. Alanna gave him her sweetest smile. Jon shook his head, chuckling. Trista gathered wind in her hands, and continued to. Soon, there was a massive globe of wind. It looked blue, silver, and green all at once, with the way the colors shifted. Rose petals appeared in it, and Trista threw it into the still, frozen air. "The Bright Lady should get it, now," Trista said. "Who is Bright Lady?" Buri asked. "It's Sapphire," Alanna said. "Lael is Bright Lord. The two together are called the Twain, or the Twins. Loki and Lael Gifted the Old Ones with most of their knowledge. While Sapphire Gifted the with many things, including the Guardians. They have been immortal ever since they were created. Well, except for in their time. They were more like the Ysandir than gods. Now, they are as immortal as there can ever be." "I thought you said that your memory was blocked," Jon said. Alanna stared, then frowned. "Sapphire must've thought that I might need these memories. Either they disappear, or I'll make her disappear!" "Bright Lady is immortal. How will you make her disappear?" "Just like each aspect of the Blessed Trinity makes the other two disappear! Pure will and strength," Alanna said. Two swirling balls of light descended from the sky. "About time, Sapphire." The balls exploded, and there in the air hung two people. One male, and one female. The male, Lysander, was dressed in black and silver armor. His hair was white blonde, and his eyes were a riveting amber. From his height and build, he was Trista's brother. Underneath his black cape, he wore a light, black shirt. His breeches were skin tight, and were also black. His sword was unmistakably made by the same sword smith as the one who made Lightning, and the other Guardians' swords. It looked terribly like Trista's and Vesta's swords. The shield that was strapped to his arm was made of well worked silver metal, inlaid with real silver and real black onyx. The design of the shield was a lion rearing with a coronet on the head of the lion. Two boughs of ivy and willow tree lay in the corners. The Prince himself wore a coronet made of silver. Hazeka was a beauty. Her long light brown hair was shinning in the sun. Her hazel eyes were beautiful, riveting, and enchanting. She might be a warrior, but she was also a mage. She was tall, about an inch shorter than Trista. Her skin was golden brown, and lovely. The complexion was fair. She could easily rival Thayet and Gary's wife, Cythera of Naxen and Elden. She might not be as exotic as Alanna, but she could give Alanna competition if either of them actually cared about such things. Hazeka wore a violet colored shirt with no sleeves, except for a thin strap. She wore something like leggings, cut like Vesta's skirt, but only that short, if not much shorter.[**AN: Shorts. I have a hard time describing these things in the Fantasy world. So, I'm calling them VERY short breeches.] They were colored a dark blue and looked to be of sturdy material. [**AN again): Denim. HEY! Can't Tortall have jeans? ] Suddenly, the dropped from the air. Hazeka fell in a controlled tumble and stood up from her crouch. Lysander fell and dropped down into a crouch, his armor and mail making surprisingly little noise. He stood up and pushed his hair out of his eyes. "Trista?" Lysander asked. His voice was a nice baritone, deep, and gentle. Trista saw her brother and flung herself into his arms, speaking in their home dialect. Hazeka raised an eyebrow at Trista and Lysander, but shook her head and said nothing. She sighed and looked at the other Guardians. "It's been a long time," she said. Her voice was quiet and was a high soprano. Talisa bowed to Hazeka. "A very long time," she said, bowing her head. Jon and Raoul looked at Alanna. "Why…?" "Hazeka was the First. She was created by Sapphire alone. Therefore, she is the most powerful, and the most respected. Trista was made next, with Lysander as well," Alanna said. She frowned slightly, "Though….I actually forget what their powers are. How strange…." "Does it really matter?" Thayet asked, softly. "No, not really. Shall we take this greeting inside? I don't like the look of the sky." Jon looked up. The sky was turning a deep, dark gray and purple thunderheads were quickly moving in. Lightning could be seen throughout the storm, and thunder could be heard. Suddenly, the thunder boomed as loudly as eight cannons firing at once. Everyone clapped their hands over their tortured ears. The rain began to pour, and everyone felt the rain burn like acid. The Old Ones moaned with pain, all except Hazeka. She walked to the center of the circle they were standing in. "Blessed Goddess, Bright God. I call for thee to listen!" Hazeka called, standing in the stone doorway. Though it hurt the other six, they went to their stone doorways and said the words. "We call upon you, to send us the twain we miss. Bless upon us the Two of One! The Magick and the Night! We call upon you! We pray unto you! Send us the twain! The Magick and the Night!" the seven yelled into the air. Rain that splashed upon them was slowly turning gold and black. Light began to shoot from one of the clouds above. And the seven continued yelling. The two stone doorways that stayed empty, were now filled with light. One black, one gold. Alanna was staring as openly as any of the others. "Uhm, Alanna…. What is this?" Jon asked, shielding the rain from his face with his arm. Alanna's eyes were wide. "Beats the hell out of me. I don't know what they're talking about. Theoretically, there are nine Guardians. Only seven were created, only seven had been needed. That's what Sapphire had said once. Confused me then, and it still does." The sound of gates opening came from the two doorways. Out of the one glowing black stepped a tall woman. She had pure black hair that went to the floor and continued to fall around her feet. It had to be at least seven feet long, her hair! Her eyes were a pale silver, and the iris of the eye was black. Her dress was a black silk dress that clung to her waist, hips, chest, and then went into a slight skirt. The sleeves were wide, bell-scallop shaped sleeves that fell away from her arms, but covered them. [**AN: I have drawings of these people and their dress. At the end of the miniseries, there will be a gallery of how they look] Out of the one glowing gold stepped a tall, slender, and cat-like woman. Her eyes were gold, her hair was flowing amber-gold, her skin a lustrous gold. Her legs were covered with a golden material unseen in the world for centuries upon centuries. Her shirt was a glowing white material that looked as if it had been made out of the summer clouds. Her boots were made of sturdy brown leather and tied with black silk. She had no sash, but didn't need one. Her left ear was studded three times with gold stud earrings, while her right was studded twice with silver crescent moons. Then the light collapsed, as did the seven Guardians who had done the calling. Alanna, Jon, Raoul, Thayet, and Buri all stared at the two impossibly tall women who had suddenly materialized out of, seemingly, thin air. A bird who looked to be on fire, black fire, landed on Night's hand. Faithful walked over to Magick and bumped her leg. She looked down and spoke softly to the cat, picking him up. And the five Tortallans did the only thing they could do. Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump. All five decided to take a nap. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Magick, for she did not have any other name, looked at the cat with violet eyes. "Protector," she said to the cat, using her native language. "Why have we been summoned?" There is need for you. "Do we get a better explanation than that?" Night asked, coming over with her black fire phoenix. No. "Why not? We deserve an answer," Magick said. It is up to Bright Lady and Warrior Lord to decide what to tell you. Not I. I am only a messenger and a watcher. Who are you watching? the phoenix asked. Faithful jumped out of Magick's hold and went over to Alanna and nudged her. This one. She is an aspect of Bright Lady, though she wished freedom over immortality. When she dies as a mortal, she will return to Bright Lady. Bright Lady has to explain a lot of these things! the bird said crossly, flames flickering along his crest. "I will explain all, if you give me time, Lennox," Sapphire said, appearing next to Loki. "We both will explain," Loki said, holding Sapphire's waist. Lennox flapped his wings and flew over to Sapphire and landed on her arm, digging his talons into her immortal flesh to keep himself balanced. You released your aspect? It is unheard of! "Unheard of, yes. Need, yes. Alanna may be an aspect of mine, but she had a mortal life, until I awoke from within her. Now, she wishes to return to her mortal life. She is already alive." Sapphire walked over to Alanna and knelt beside her, heedless of the dirt that was getting on her gown. She put her hand over Alanna's chest. "She is alive. She breathes." Lennox flapped wildly and hopped onto Alanna's arm, watching her chest fall up and down with the pattern of breath. Why? he asked, annoyed. Why go and create life…AGAIN? You have not learned your lesson? Sapphire rolled her eyes, and picked the bird up, off Alanna and carried him. She had her hands over his wings so he could not fly away. "Now, you listen to me, you two-bit bird!" None of them noticed Jon stirring and coming awake. "Alanna is needed. Her husband is in a state of shock for what has happened. Daemos is loose. He has this warped idea that he will get revenge. He has brought back the Ysandir and is raising the dead! Legions walk among the living, killing them, so that more of the undead can fight against us and Tortall!" Lennox freed himself of Sapphire's hold. Who released Daemos? Who was the one who gained your powers back? This is all happening for a reason! Daemos is meant to do this! But you two, and you, Lael, have been mucking all this up! he screeched at her. He flew over to Night's shoulder. We will not help. You should not have brought the Guardians into this, Sapphire. Faithful leaped onto Lennox and unsheathed his claws. Jon watched in awe and shock. You will help! Faithful hissed. If you do not, you will wish you had died as a hatchling. I will gut you if I have to, but you will help! You cannot make me, Essex, Lennox said. His feathers burst into flames. We will help no one to kill. "Then everything will be lost," Jon said, standing up. Everyone looked at him. Lennox flew over to him, hovering in front of him. You are who? "I am King Jonathan of Tortall. From what I understand everyone is willing to help, but you. Magick and Night, they have their own opinions surely. Should they allow you to make up their minds for them?" Jon was not sure what had come over him. He was lecturing a god. Magick looked at Lennox. "I wish to help. I have known Sapphire, Lael, and Loki for a long time. While we were not the First, we have been given powers the other seven don't have. We have sworn to protect Life, Love, Unity, and everything life stands for. Daemos is a plague. He has always been a plague. He should be brought to a halt." "Daemos is trouble. The Guardians, from what I understand, have sworn their lives to fighting and stopping trouble. Then, why are you stopping them from completing what they vowed?" Jon asked, voice raising. Suddenly, the Dominion Jewel flared up from the pouch on Jonathan's belt. *Listen, Lennox. He speaks the Truth, said a gravely voice. It was aged, but not old. I did not ask your in put, Elder! Lennox screeched at the Jewel. The voice was amused, *I am giving it anyway. Daemos was a mistake. A mistake that now needs to be corrected. Will you stop it from happening again? It was through your mistake that the Old Ones' world ended so quickly. It was because of Daemos that it ended. Will you again make that mistake? Lennox was silent. I will not fight. With that, he burst into light and vanished. The voice was laughing and said, as if bragging, *He never could stand up to me! "Yes, but…. Who are you?" Jon asked, taking the Jewel out of the pouch. *I am Chitral. What your Lioness fought was me, not a real element, as she so thought. I made this Jewel, and I live in it. I am it's power. Your talent with magic is lovely and easy to work with. Unlike some of those who have used me. Jon's jaw dropped. Don't let him get to you, Faithful said, hissing at the Jewel. Chitral always has to be wiser and grumpier than everyone else. Even worse than the Badger god. An arch of dark gray magic sped towards Faithful, or Essex, as his name really was. A shield of black magic surrounded the cat as the magic was rebounded. "They always fight…." Night said, as if it made up for the fact that Essex and Chitral were engaging in a hissing battle. The others were slowly waking up. Alanna, whose body was not used to such things as fainting, softly moaned a protest. Raoul helped her to her feet, a smile on his face. "Not used to having a completely mortal body, Alanna?" he asked, teasingly. Thanks to that teasing, he earned himself a very black look from Alanna. "Hah," she muttered discontentedly. She rubbed the back of her neck, which was rather stiff. Jon chuckled. "Don’t tease her, Raoul. She’s not used to being in a body not completely broken in." Alanna, who was standing next to him, punched him in the shoulder. He cried out in shock and pain. Her punch was harder than it had been when no one had know that Alanna and Sapphire were one. [**AN: I’ve gotten emails where you all have said that I have 100% ignored the little part about Sir Sylvia’s prophecy about a "man who loves her secretly" or whatever the hell I wrote. HAH! Well…. Here begins your enjoyment!] Jon stared at her, and that satisfied smile on her face. Damn her to all the deepest hells, his mind grumbled. Then he looked at her, and saw something he had missed before. She had changed. "Alanna, let me see your hand." She stared at him. "What?" "Let me see you hand," he repeated. He knew that she had some very deep scars on her palms, ones she’d had even since her Ordeal of Knighthood. She, Thayet, Raoul, and Buri all looked at him strangely. Still, she gave him her hand. He turned it toward the sun. As he’d thought, not one single scar or line marring her perfect, long and slender fingered hand. A flash of memory. . . . -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jon watched Alanna run her fingers through her hair, which Alanna was grudgingly allowing to grow longer. She was eighteen, and it was only a few months before her Ordeal. He knew she was worried, but he didn’t really allow her to think too much about it. He sighed, finally tirering of watching her twirl a strand around one of her long, slender fingers. She may have been standing in front of her mirror, but her face held no sense. It was devoid of anything. He walked over to her and kissed her on the mouth, pulling her into his arms. She yelped and tried to pull away, surprised. He released her, a smile playing on the corners of his face. She looked at him, then hit his shoulder, making him laugh. "Don’t do that to me again!" she cried at him. He continued to laugh. "I’m sorry!" He was still laughing, and she obviously didn’t believe his apology, because she hit him again. "Ow!" he cried, trying to stifle more laughter. She humphed and turned her back to him, crossing her arms. He looked at her, a wicked grin playing across his handsome face. He softly crept up behind her, grabbed her waist, and kissed her passionately. She would have pulled away, but thought better of it, and let him do what he wanted. . . . -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- He dropped her hand, and nodded to it. "No scars," he said, looking away from her eyes. Alanna looked at him, and looked at her own hand. She looked so dumbfounded, he almost choked on his laughter. "What the….?" she asked, puzzled. Raoul looked at Jon, then took Alanna’s hand and laughed. "You might owe Sapphire a disclaimer, miss." Alanna snorted. "Not in this life time." [***AN: Sudden thought. HOW THE HELL DID I END UP DOING THIS?!?!?! *growls* MEAN! My stupid imagination, Raven, must’ve gotten loose. So, I will end this miniseries in the next part. I might continue it at a later date, but I’m angry that it’s gone so far from my idea.] "Let’s get back to the palace," Jon said. "I know someone who will most definitely want to see you, Alanna." For some reason, the joy and hope in her eyes seemed like a blow to his heart and soul. How could her simple joy at seeing her husband almost crush him? Jon swallowed and closed his eyes tightly. He knew why; he loved her. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Night and Magick watched them go, and Essex trailing after them. They turned as one to see the seven laying on the ground, moaning, but waking. Magick turned and frowned. She looked at the sky, and saw birds frozen in flight. "UNFREEZE!" she yelled out, and everything unfroze. The day looked as it had a few hours before. Night frowned, crossing her arms. "That’s a waste of magic." "I have enough to waste," Magick said. "I am Magick." "Your too cocky for your won good," Night mumbled, going over to the Guardians and checking on their vital signs. Magick laughed and followed, to help. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- George looked moodily into the fire, mad at the god Loki. He had seen his Alanna transform into this goddess with unlimited powers, with this god in total admiration of her and her body. George snorted angrily and threw his wineglass into the fire. As soon as the wineglass broke, and the wine spilling on the logs, it erupted in a blaze. "Gods, damn it," he cried, falling back down into his chair. He put his head in his hands. He felt so much like crying out his frustration. A hesitant knock on the door sounded. George swore silently, got up, and pulled the door open, a vexed expression on his face. The person at the door shocked him as heavily as being electrocuted by lightning. It was Alanna. He stared at her, shocked. He watched her, and was even more shocked, to see that she breathed. He counted each precious breath she took. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alanna steeled herself, and knocked on the door to the suite she and George had when they were in Corus, either alone or together. It was a soft, hesitant knock, but she heard movement in the room. Then the door flew open. George stood there, vexed and annoyed. But the expression vanished when he saw her. After a few minutes, Alanna began to get edgy. She moved forward, and buried her head in his chest. Hesitantly, he put his arms around her. She tried to stifle a sob as she relaxed in his arms. She had had no idea how nervy she had been about seeing him again. She was half terrified that George would turn her away. Though, she wouldn’t have blamed him if he had. After all, in his eyes, she had betrayed him with Loki. Oh, gods! He had no idea how wrong he was! At times, it was all she could do to be pleasant to the idiot. She hated Loki, and Sapphire wouldn’t hear anything about her feelings. Suddenly, George pulled away from her. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "What’s wrong?" Alanna asked, trying to wipe her eyes of tears. She winced, her skin feeling raw. "Gods, this is going to get verily tiring fast," she muttered. "What?" George asked, puzzled. "Nothing. You didn’t answer me, love." George’s face turned hard and he walked into the room. Alanna followed. "Answer me, please." "Why did you come back? Did you come to taunt me, Sapphire?" George had his back turned to her, but she could hear his hurt and the tears he must be holding back. Alanna cried out and ran to him. "No! No! George, I’m not her! I’m not Sapphire! I’m my own person! I’m not someone’s puppet!" she cried. Tears were slipping down her cheeks, blurring her vision. George yanked out of her hold. "Prove it," he said coldly. Alanna fell to her knees. "Please, George," she cried, tears falling in a flood now. "I’m begging you! Please…." George stared coldly at her. "No goddess would ever beg. For that matter neither would Alanna." Alanna wept. "Tell me," she choked out. "Tell me what I can do to prove to you who I am." "Who is Loki to you?" Alanna could not stop the look of disgust that stayed on her face at the mention of his name. "He is no one," she snarled. "If Sapphire wishes to make a fool of herself for that idiot, that’s her problem. I’d rather not see that sorry excuse for a god!" Alanna yelped, and slapped a hand over her mouth, eyes wide with shock. George was staring at her as well. "What?" he choked out. Alanna gulped, and looked around. She winced as Sapphire’s black and gold magic filled a corner, and she appeared. She did not look pleased. "I’ll thank you to keep your opinions to yourself, Alanna," she hissed. Alanna snorted. "Why the hell should I?" "If you don’t watch it, I’ll snap you right back up to the Silver Realms before you could say ‘kedesh’a!" "Go ahead and try! Would Thom let you? Lael? I truly hate to say this, but, would Loki allow you to?" When Alanna said "Loki" it held a world of disdain and hatred. George looked at them both. He went to stood between the two women, a hand on Alanna’s shoulder. "What is going on?" he asked Sapphire. She looked furious. "She wished to be mortal, so I allowed her to be. She wished to be with you, which I feel is foolish." "At least I don’t make a fool of myself, nor do I act like that I am not," Alanna muttered. Sapphire glared at her and pushed George out of the way. "You had best watch yourself, myself. It could be quiet painful to die as a mortal does. And I could arrange it that you spend the rest of your life in the Silver Realms reliving a very painful death." With that, she vanished. Alanna was quiet. "Alanna?" George whispered. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alanna could not help it. She fell to her knees and cried. She knew not the reason why she cried, she just couldn’t help it. George knelt beside her and gather her unresisting body close to him. She clung to him and cried. Minutes later, she had calmed herself down, but still clung to him. "I’m sorry I doubted you," he murmured into her hair. "It’s just…." Alanna wasn’t interested in talk. She pulled George’s face close to her and said, "Talk bores me," and kissed him. When they pulled away, George chuckled. "You’re an evil bitch, you know that?" he asked, pulling her into his lap and kissing her deeply. Alanna pulled away. "The floor is more comfortable than the bed?" she asked breathlessly. George laughed and stood. He swept her off her feet as he had done so many times since they were married. A blurred thought occurred to Alanna: a new body—never made love—she was in trouble. George dumped her into bed, and pressed against her. Alanna wasn’t thinking quite clearly, and frankly, she didn’t want to think clearly. George and Alanna were both more interested in getting each others’ clothes off. What followed most definitely proved that they still loved each other, no matter what had happened. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jon took a sip of his wine and finished telling their what had happened. "So, she’s mortal?" Gary asked. "Pretty much," Jon said. "So, where is she?" asked Numair, puzzled. Jon and Raoul laughed. "If George lets her out of his sight within the next two weeks, I’ll be very surprised!" Raoul said. Most of the people in the room laughed. Thayet was staying close to Jon, maybe because she had seen Jon watching Alanna earlier. "So, the lovebirds are back together?" Thayet asked, claiming Jon’s right hand. "Looks that way." "Good. Now maybe things can get back to normal," she said, holding Jon’s arm closer to her. Jon laughed. "Thayet, what does the word ‘normal’ define into for you?" asked Jon with a laugh. Everyone joined them in the laugh, until something smashed into the curtain wall and made half the palace shake from the mere impact. Of course, since it also slammed into the palace itself, smashing two or three walls while it was at it. "What the hell!?" Raoul cried. "What now?!" Jon moaned at the same time. "Here we go again!" everyone else cried, laughing shakily and diving for cover. "What is it?" Buri asked, cautiously. Jon, Gary, and Raoul went to the window and froze. Outside lay an army of thousands of thousands of soldiers. All of them dead. Hovering about thirty feet in the air were the Ysandir, multiplied at least twelve times, laughing and goading on the soldiers of the undead. And sitting in a chair wrought of black iron was Daemos, sipping from a glass of blood and wine. He was laughing. He would destroy them, then crush the gods and the Elementals. And then he, Daemos, would rule. Roger stood next to his master, laughing evilly. It was their worst nightmare. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- APOCALYPSE: 2 months, 1 week, 3 days, 8 hours, 48 minutes, and 28 seconds. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Part 7: The War Begins -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This part is very short. I promise that Part 8 will be longer. Now, don't you all rush me because of this very suspenseful cliffhanger. It was 100% necessary to do this major cliffhanger. Email me @ SkySorceress5000@yahoo.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Selene’s eyes slanted. “This was not suppose to happen!” she snapped. “No, of course it wasn’t supposed to!” snapped Neo, the Black God. “None of this was suppose to happen. With the Silver Realms restoring themselves and Daemos bringing back the dead to gather his armies, the Guardians back. Our realms are no longer ours!” “Quiet!” Mithros bellowed. Everyone shut up quickly. “We need to retaliate,” Mithros said quietly. “How?” Weiryn asked. “How can we possibly find allies in the Divine? The dragons, and various other immortals will be siding with the Elements!” Gainel stayed to the back, for his siblings would not listen to him. Nor should they. He was an Element, like Sapphire and Lael. So long as there was imagination, he would exist. “We rebel!” Mithros yelled. Gainel looked at him in shock. “We’ll join with Daemos! He knows how to bring the Silver Realms to a close! Rebel!” “Rebel!” the gods yelled at once, thrusting fists into the air. Lesser and Greater, both wanted rid of the Silver Realms and the Elemental gods. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alanna and George burst into the King’s study, fright on their faces. “What the hell is this?” George asked, shock warring with fear. Alanna went forward, and suddenly, magic started to appear throughout the sky, appearing next to Daemos and his allies. It was both the Lesser and Greater gods, clearly taking Daemos’ side. “It’s the gods,” said Alanna in awe. “They’re taking sides, and they just chose Daemos over the Silver Realms.” “Why?” Jonathan demanded. “We’ll kill Daemos!” “How do you kill a god?” Alanna asked quietly. “You can’t. They cannot be killed,” Numair said, just as quietly. “Wrong. The blood of a dragon, if I remember my lore correctly. It was either dragon, griffin, or horrok. I don’t recall.” “What?” they all asked, turning to her. Alanna shrugged. “Only one problem. Daemos out numbers the Silver Realms almost two to one.” Suddenly angels with white wings in gold and silver armor and angels with black wings and black and silver armor descended from the sky. Fire arrows came in sheets, hitting gods, and trapping them in chains of iron, fire, and dragon blood. “Bright Lord, save us,” Alanna breathed. “What?” Jon asked, looking at her, then back outside. “They… The Elementals are arresting the demi-gods. I just cannot believe Akbar would allow this!” “Why?” “It’s always been forbidden to ever war against siblings.” “But the demi-gods aren’t siblings,” Lael said, appearing behind them. Everyone turned to him and Sapphire and Loki. They were the three most powerful elemental gods—but there was a new one there. “Jesek!” Alanna breathed, relief in her voice. “You survived. I thought Mithros would have killed you long before.” Jesek laughed. “Alanna, dear, that brings everything to Lael.” “We cannot kill them, as they cannot kill us. We are parents to them, and therefore are too weak to do anything to us. Not anymore,” Lael said softly. “But, I believe you may need all the help you can get.” He took out a pouch full of quartz crystals. He pulled out nine of them, and handed them to Sapphire. They flew out of her hands to hang in the air. Lael, before looking at the crystals, whispered three words, and a white wind blew from behind him, and sprawled on the floor, gasping for breath, was Thom—Alanna’s twin. “Thom!” Alanna cried, running to him. Lael nodded. “Your mortal sorcery is poor. You have only Arram to control minor magics. Alanna and Thom was born for this, their bodies can handle more complex magics that mere mortals cannot. “Such magics will once again be born. Wild, yes. Powerful, greatly. The Guardians will have to once more be placed throughout the Realms to control the power flow. But, so be the price of magic.” “What do you mean, minor magics?” Numair asked. “And my name is Numair.” Lael laughed. “Oh ho! A man who hates the name of his birth! Eh, Draper?” Numair couldn’t help but bristle, until Daine laid a hand on her lover’s arm. “My name is not Arram Draper anymore. It hasn’t been for a while.” “Yet why? You changed it to hide from Ozorne. True, he is back as the dead on Daemos’ side, but what is there for you to hide from? Your past? A name cannot change who you are. It never can,” said Lael kindly. Numair flinched and looked aside. “And as to your other question,” Lael said, thinking. “Minor magics are those you black robed mages can handle. The moment the flows of magic are blasted to their full extent, no one who can’t handle it will be able to survive. Simple skill is all that is needed to handle the magics that will begin to flow.” Thom stood, Alanna supporting him, mostly. “The powers I tried to access while alive will be open to those without having to tap others’ Gifts. Hedgewitches and minor wizards will have their Gifts blasted to their complete potential. Pain is something that will wreck most of the Gifted in the Mortal Realms. Nothing can stop it.” Sapphire toyed with her dress. “We could stop it,” she said softly. All the gods looked at her. “I’m serious. Unite all the mortals against Daemos! He has their dead, and he’s using those dead against everyone here! He’ll swarm every realm, killing defenseless innocents, and add them to his army of the Living Dead!” Alanna blinked, then smiled. “See, you don’t need me after all,” she teased. Sapphire colored. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “The day of Power is at hand!” Daemos shouted. Fires began to break out all over the palace. The surrounded the palace as men began to shout, waving weapons. “We will smite those who oppose us!”\ “DEATH!” they cried. It was three months later from the day they had first appeared at Tortall. The demi-gods had over-run the moon, and trashed the Silver Realms. Those gods who were not captured and imprisoned, that is. Mithros, Selene, and the other ringleaders were cooling their heels in the jail cells in the Royal Palace. The Old Ones had been resurrected, those who had been warriors and protectors and Guardians back in their day and age. Their manor of dress was even more outrageous to the Tortallans than the nine main Guardians’ had been. Those crystals Lael had taken out had turned out to be the keys to the power-lines of magic that slept peacefully. When he, Sapphire, Jesek, and Loki had reawakened them, all the mages near the power-lines had screamed in pain. Healers, mages, hedgewitches, wizards, anyone with a twinge of magic—Immortal, Wild, or the Gift—screamed and twitched in pain. Five days later, the pain was gone. Only two in Tortall were spared from the pain—Alanna and Thom. When Daemos had realized that Lael had reopened the channels sealed for so long, he had fled in fear. Now, he was back. He was back, and he had brought with him a forces of millions. He was not one to be toyed with, as he had started to show. Sapphire and the rest were starting to wonder if he would ever stop. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “DEATH!” the scream was loud above the screaming of the people in Corus’ lower city. They were slowly being burned to death by the flames of Daemos’ Hell. Warriors poured out of the Royal Gates that lead to the palace. They started to attack the warriors of death the Daemos had. After a few hundred tries, someone got the hang to kill Daemos’ warriors of death—behead them. “THEIR HEADS!” Hazeka cried loudly. “BEHEAD THEM AND THEY DIE!” Before any of Daemos’ followers knew what was happening, the armies of death began to shrink. The Elements appeared, and started hurling fireballs and arrows of ice and flame. Sapphire began to cast darkness upon the enemies, making it almost impossible for the enemy to see. Loki and his brother Jesek began slaying their way through the dead to get to Daemos and his live followers. Guardians started throwing magic and wielding weapons, trying to kill the Ysandir. The Immortals went after the Ysandir as well. “Don’t use water!” Talisa screamed as immortals began slaying the Ysandir. However, the demons kept coming back, in bigger forces. It was as if they were hydras. Not only able to restore themselves, but able to redouble, and come back as well. Trista began blowing the dead away. She floated in the air, Staff held high as she flung blots of violet light at them all, sending the demons to be blown apart. But while the gods and the Guardians fought, the Tortallans had another problem. But then, so did the demi-gods in the Divine Realms…. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chaos was free, the Three Sorrows with her. She laughed, her body—for once—taking on an actual form of a human. She laughed; she was laughing at her siblings. “Go get them, my pets!” Chaos commanded of the Three Sorrows. They grinned eagerly and flew as quick as lightning after the fleeing gods. Akbar, Bernfrek, and most of the other Elementals laughed. “Time to get to work!” Jesek said, black and yellow lightning magic appearing in his hands. He let out a savage war cry and started hurling it at the demi-gods. Instead of killing the gods, it caged them. The dragons were having loads of fun torching the gods and chasing them around. The Stormwings were killing and re-killing every god they could. The thing was, kill a god enough times, they are left too weak to be rebirth themselves into new bodies, so they lay there, bleeding and suffering. Easy to be captured. Soon, all the gods lay either in cages of lightning, or on the floor, trying desperately to gather enough energy to rebirth themselves. “Good work,” Jesek said to Chaos. She bowed. “Thank you, Jesek. I am mostly a demi-god, but Chaos is everywhere.” “If you mean to ask to be a full Chaos goddess and Guardian, you might have to wait until we’re at full power and strength.” Chaos nodded. “What ever it takes, Akbar.” -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alanna and Thom were being backed into a corner. Daemos was advancing on them while Roger held George; Alex held Thom—Alanna’s son—and Delia and Josiane held Alan and Alianne. “GET AWAY FROM MY MA, YOU BASTARD!” Thom screamed at Daemos. Daemos laughed. “Alex, silence him. By any means possible.” “You can’t kill him,” Roger said dryly, twisting George’s arm back further as he tried to get away to save his son—or his wife. “I’ve had my experiences with the lad. No way can you kill him.” Daemos rolled his eyes. “Please, Roger. You can’t expect me to believe that a fourteen year old boy has more power than you.” Roger shrugged. “Just kill Alanna. We need her on our side.” Daemos turned on Roger. “Just who is giving the orders around here?” he demanded. “You are, my lord,” Roger said, tightening his grip on George. “Good. Remember that.” Daemos reached for Thom, and froze as blood red magic started to glow around him. His Gift, when he had died, had been corrupted. Tied to Roger’s orange Gift, Thom’s had turned to a sickening blood color. Thom’s eyes took on an unholy violet light, and the magic blasted through his body headed for—not only Daemos—but for Roger as well. Alanna yelled a word and George was shielded as Roger was consumed by the blood red of Thom’s deathly magic. Daemos looked at Alanna and Thom and glared. “You won’t get away with that!” he screamed out. He reached a hand out and grabbed Alanna’s throat, raising her off her feet. “ALANNA!” George cried out. “MA!” Thom, Alan, and Alianne cried out at the same time. Daemos hurled magic at George to stop him from coming to Alanna’s rescue. George was thrown into a wall, and slumped to the bottom, unconscious. Alanna tried to cry out, but Daemos squeezed tighter. Thom, unseen by Daemos and his followers, freed his niece and nephews and motioned for them to go to their father. Alex, Delia, and Josiane ended up tied and gagged with Thom’s blood red magic. Daemos threw Alanna at a wall, where she landed, slumped. What made everyone cry out was that when she connected with the wall, there was a sickening crack like the sound of smashed pottery that was still wet, and the distinct snap of something cracking. “NO!” Thom screamed, running to his sister’s side. George, who was still slumped against the wall, groaned. Thom, Alan, and Alianne were torn. “Go to yer ma,” George groaned, trying to stand. The children wasted no time. They ran to their mother as her brother stood, eyes glowing an intense violet as red turned slowly to violet and began to glow as a red-violet haze in the room. The power was enough to make George, Thom, Alan, and Alianne scream. Alanna didn’t stir. “You bastard!” Thom hissed, advancing on Daemos. He laughed. “Poor Thom! Loose someone you care about? All’s fair in love and war, sorcerer!” Daemos laughed, and disappeared as Thom screamed and directed a blast at where Daemos had stood, knocking the stonewall out and reducing it to sand and dust. “No,” he moaned, slumping to his knees, crying. “I just got her back! I cannot loose her! Not again!” He looked up and screamed out a word that left his throat raw. “WHY?!” he screamed, head falling into his hands. “Why…?” George watched his brother-in-law while he cradled Alanna’s head in his lap. He tried to ignore the blood that was pouring from some wound on her skull, but couldn’t. She was dead.... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Part 8: The Pain of Death © 2000 to Sorceress/Muse/Angel -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is a very intense part. I am very sorry that this Part has taken so long! I think Part 8 is complete. If not, i'll combine the start of Part 9 with this if that's what you wish. Well.... Review and be kind. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alanna looked around the place that was surrounded in gray mist. There was nothing here. She felt like she was suspended in air. She tried to move, and felt the air hold her tighter. She screamed with the pain, and the invisible thing dropped her. She plummeted to the bottom of the endless black hole. She finally fell to a ground, but could not stop her uncontrolled toss. She fell to the ground, sprawled. She got up, and sighed. Her body felt like it was on fire. Her ribs ached, as did her head. Her heart began to spasm, and she screamed out, falling to her knees, clutching her chest. Then it stopped. Alanna’s face was contorted in pain as she began to weep. Where was she? She didn’t remember anything! Where was Thom? He was always around. Even when she felt about to pop him in the jaw, he was there. Now she was alone. Completely, utterly alone.... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thom shook his head, crying like a child. “No…” he wept. “Not again…” “Thom, you tried. She was already too far gone,” George said softly, still cradling Alanna’s lifeless body in his arms. The words were blades cutting his heart apart as he said the words that meant Alanna was truly dead. His throat choked up, “What could you have done? What could any of us have done?” Thom shook his head. “I could have saved her, dammit!” he yelled out. Jon, Raoul, and Gary watched on in sadness and in shock. “No, you couldn’t’ve,” said Gary softly. “None of could.” Thom turned on him, eyes glowing through the tears. “I could have killed Daemos! Stopped him from harming her! I could have…” Thom wept, falling to his knees. His head drooped and he rocked back and forth. “Alanna,” he moaned, crying. Jonathan looked at Thom in shock. “She wouldn’t have wanted you to do this to yourself,” he said, trying to comfort. Magic erupted in the back of the room, near the doors. “Stop it this instant, Thom!” Lael hissed. “You have more important things to do that sit here and mourn!” “Can’t you see he’s in pain? That we’re all in pain?” Raoul roared out. Lael looked at him. “She was born to die. You are all born to die. Thom is born to die. If he wants to see Alanna, he has to do this.” “Did you kill her?” Thom whispered. “Did you and Sapphire plan this to keep us apart so that our powers would be heighten by misery?” Lael shook his head. “Thom, we had nothing to do with this. I would have stopped Daemos if I could’ve. The fact is her soul is gone. Its as if she never even existed, or was even created. That is the sort of thing that gods don’t make reality. Things that we can’t do! I don’t even know how it happened… And I’m suppose to be the god of magick!” “It’s all right, Lael,” Dysis said, appearing next to him. The other aspects of the Goddess of War appeared. “It truly is,” Valasca said, smiling. Hateya and Livia nodded. “Alanna is safe, if bewildered. We know where she is, that is all you need to know,” Livia said. Thom threw himself at her. “Send me to her, please!” he begged. Livia shoved him to the floor. “Never. This is what her price is.” The War Goddess vanished in wisps of blood red smoke. Lael sighed and disappeared as well. Thom knelt where he was, crying. George looked at him and began to cry as well. Alanna was dead. There was no way to bring her back. There was a battle to fight. But revenge would be sweet. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alanna moaned, holding her aching body, curled up upon herself. The pain in her body was terrifying. The mental, and emotional, pain wrecked her self-confidence and self-control to bits. There was nothing she could do. Not a thing. She remembered now, she remembered what had happened… -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Daemos grabbed her throat and lifted her off her feet, squeezing. Alanna choked, trying to get breath in her body—her lungs felt as if they were on fire. Her head swam, and her mind screamed for air. Alanna could vaguely hear George and the children crying out. Then the blast of magic near to her, and a collision. Alanna had a good idea who collided with what and tried to scream out, but Daemos only squeezed harder, breaking three bones in her neck. Daemos hefted her body with his hand and threw her violently against the wall. Alanna’s skull connected with the stone, shattering it and sending the bone splinters deep into her brain. Her body twisted, while in the air, to try and stop the collision with the wall, but collided anyway. Alanna would have—if she could have—cried out in terrible pain as her back snapped and shattering every bendable disk in her back. Alanna lay there, shatter skull and back. And as she lay there, she saw the Dream King—Gainel. He reached a hand out to her, eyes pleading. Weakly, though she knew that this was not a physical feat, she gripped his hand. “I cannot save you. I can only keep your spirit alive until your heir is born,” he told her, voice pleading with her to understand. “Let me die,” Alanna moaned, almost letting go of Gainel’s hand. “No!” Gainel gasped, grabbing her hand and wrist. His hands were cold, but not as cold as Alanna’s icy ones. “You mustn’t let go! You need to survive!” “Why?” murmured Alanna as Gainel picked her—no, her spirit—up. “Life is too harsh on mortals.” “But it is not,” Gainel murmured to her, taking her up to the Moon, where the Silver Realms lay in destruction. “You must rest. You must not stir…Daemos’ allies will want you gone either to their side, or completely. Stay here. I will inform Sapphire of your position.” -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alanna stood, and looked around. This was the Silver Realms? The gods had really made short shift of the place in the little time they had. Bodies of gods laid strew around the courtyard where Alanna was. She looked around, frantically, and then finally noticed what she was wearing. She was wearing a common wench’s outfit with a very tight fitting bodice that started under her breasts and went down to her waist. Where the bodice ended, a blue cotton skirt swept out. The shirt was also made of the blue cotton, though it had white embroidery on it and was sleeveless. Alanna’s hair now fell in copper waves down her back to her bust, where the bodice started. She wore a necklace—the emberstone transformed into a gold oval locket wrought with silver on the cover. It had a melded picture of a sword on the front. Alanna picked it up off her neck and opened it. Inside was a ring. Two hands clutching a heart made the band, and the crowned heart made the “centerpiece”. “Friendship, loyalty, and honor,” Alanna murmured, taking the ring out and putting it on with the crown facing her and the point of the heart facing away from her. Alanna knew very well how the magic worked and flowed in the Silver Realms. She only hoped that even being dead, she could work the power flows as a spirit. She closed her eyes and grasped the magic with all her strength. She was well aware of the pain of it on her spiritual hands. She lost herself to the pain. And in that pain, she saw what she wished to see: Tortall. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thom sat in chair, an almost empty bottle of brandy on the table next to him. Jon, Gary, Raoul, and George stared at Thom, whose eyes were glazed over from too much alcohol. “Who knew someone could down that much brandy and still be sober?” Jon asked, whispering. “Because grief sobers me to the cold truth, the cold logic. The coldness of life,” Thom replied mournfully. He took another swig from the bottle while the others stared. “Then why are you trying to get drunk?” Raoul asked. “I cannot get drunk. Never have been able to. Even Alan—” he choked the name off. “Even she couldn’t get drunk,” he said, eyes closed tightly. “Surely you must have noticed that, after all these years.” George closed his eyes in pain, not unlike Thom. “She never drank much anyway.” Thom snorted. “Maybe you just weren’t there,” he said, resuming his ever-winning personality he had died with. He looked up, and was suddenly alert. “Anna?” he asked, looking around. “What?” Jon, Gary, and Raoul asked. George—knowing whom Thom meant—stayed silent. “I feel her. Somehow… She’s here.” “Of course she’s here,” Sapphire said, appearing in a chair. “She’s dead. Her spirit is free from Daemos, which he is cursing about. She’s in the Silver Realms.” “Restore her!” Thom yelled at Sapphire, jumping to his feet. Sapphire stood and glared. “I would if I could! Daemos is the only one of us who can restore life to the dead!” she snapped. “If Gainel hadn’t taken her soul out of her body, she’d be fighting against you as we speak, meaning she would therefore be killing all of you, and Daemos would win! Every move has consequences, every death grants Daemos more power than before. I will not have the Silver Realms involved in something that will totally destroy us! “We are not at full strength! You know that, Thom! You know that! I plead with you to be careful! Daemos may be an asshole, but he is no idiot! He must be aware of how this hurts you. On how much this hurts Lael, on how much this hurts me. I am afraid he planned for this. That he planned to have Alanna die, so that he could use her against us.” “Well, he will loose,” stated Thom flatly. Sapphire blasted Thom against a wall. “You idiot! You dare underestimate his powers?” she yelled. “We underestimated him, and he slaughtered fifty of us! We are loosing, boy!” she yelled at him. “He will not win me! He will not win Alanna! He will loose!” Thom yelled, getting to his feet, eyes streaming tears, mingling with the blood dripping down from a gash in Thom’s forehead. “You fool!” Sapphire hissed scornfully. “You dare think you can take on Daemos and win? Fine. Go ahead and try. I will not pull you out of a bad situation even if you beg.” She disappeared. George, Gary, Jon, and Raoul stared at Thom, who was propped against the wall. He was crying, the tears mixing with his blood. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “SAPPHIRE!” Alanna screamed. No one appeared. “GAINEL!” Slowly, time stopped and Gainel appeared. “What is it?” he asked. “I want you to get Sapphire, now. We have to talk,” Alanna grit out. Her jaw was clamped together so tightly it hurt for her to speak. Gainel bowed and vanished, reappearing a bit later with Sapphire. Alanna was furious. “How could you do that?” Alanna snapped at Sapphire. “Do what? Smack Thom into a wall to make him think?” Sapphire hissed. “We have a war going on! Your death means nothing at the moment – not unless Daemos gets his hands on you. If he does, you are his and we will loose!” “So?” Alanna asked, waspishly. Sapphire only glared and vanished, Gainel with her. Alanna moaned and fell to her knees, crying. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thom was bitter. He was beginning to hate everything and everyone. His magical powers had been growing ever since Lael had opened the channels again to their full extent. Thom knew that Daemos could restore Alanna to a full body, that she could live once more. And at the moment when the idea occurred to him, he remembered everything Alanna had stood for, and how much she’d be hurt if she had to be on the side of the “enemy.” Thom suddenly turned cold. Who truly cared? He wouldn’t have Daemos restore Alanna, he’d hide Alanna further from Daemos. Thom walked outside under the shield of his magic. He walked out to the back, where the Ysandir had made their camp. He noticed bodies all over the place, and that a steady fire was set up to ward the demons off. Thom was beginning to regret his hasty decision. “Daemos!” Thom called out. “Show yourself!” Daemos appeared in a dark blood-red color magic. “What?” he sneered. “I want to help you,” Thom said quietly. Daemos stared at him. “You’re turning traitor to your own kind?” Thom’s eyes were glowing and looked deadly. “The kind that killed my sister. I am no ally to those who hold no regard for life. Sapphire, Lael, Loki… Who knows them better than I? Who used to be part of their court?” Daemos watched Thom with something like a smile on his face—only it was a smile of malice and hatred. “I like the sound of this deal. Tell me, would you play a double agent for me?” Thom’s eyes were glowing a deadly violet, and his face looked pained—pained but eager. “Yes.” Daemos smiled and clapped Thom on the shoulder. “We’ll both be the victors at the end of this. When this ends, I will restore your sister to you. Aye, and eternal life.” “Why not restore her now and add her to your army?” Daemos looked at him, as if Thom had no sense. “Because she’d turn on me the minute she went against any of her friends. Her soul is too pure to be corrupted, and I don’t want her in this war.” “Thank you,” Thom said quietly. Daemos nodded and vanished. Thom went back into the palace, his eyes were dead of any emotions, of any feelings except that of hatred. Thom knew why he suddenly felt so empty—he had sold his soul, his life, his feelings because of his hatred for the Silver Realms and the Elementals. And in some strange way, Thom was glad. He was glad he no longer had to worry about his own conscience. That for once, he could do as he pleased without having to worry about consequences. He was immortal. Immortal because of his hatred. Immortal because of his desire to rid the world of the Silver Realms. To rid the world of the Elements…. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alianne watched her brother. “How can we possibly help? Ma is dead—” “Daemos fears us, for no good reason,” Thom told his sister. “And Ma is dead. We cannot help that, nor can we bring her back. We’re stuck between the Black God and the Goddess with no where to run except in the way that our minds and hearts tell us. And I know I sound very much like a priest, but what else can we do?” Alan sighed. “Ma had semi-divine blood, remember? That was because of Daemos’ intervention. Obviously we have her powers, therefore, that would explain why we weren’t in agony when the magic currents opened.” “So, we try and stop Daemos?” Thom asked, a smile tugging on his lips. “Like Da or anyone else will let us near Daemos to try!” Alianne and Alan sighed. “It was worth a try…” Alan muttered. Thom and Alianne nodded. A try? But not a very good one—Daemos feared them, but wanted them on his side. Never could anyone let Daemos get his hands on the three children, or the world was doomed. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sapphire lounged in the ruins of the Silver Realms. Loki and Lael with her. Most of the other Elementals were there too. Jesek, Bartlebe, Serendipity, Azrael, and Metatron, and most of the others who weren’t cooling their heels in boxes that disabled them to help their brethren at all. “Alanna was pregnant,” Sapphire said bemusedly into the silence. Everyone turned to her—they knew an idea was forming. “Let’s, oh… Take the child out of her dead body and speed up it’s growth. I’d say teenager would do.” “Meaning what?” Loki demanded of his love. “Meaning that we’ll have just as passable fighter as Alanna and George, and just a great a sorceress as her mother. She’ll be granted limited immortality, of course, and will train with the Guardians. We have no choice. We need a secret weapon.” Jesek nodded. “We do.” The War Goddess smirked—all four of them. “That’s because there’s a double agent in the field.” “Who?” everyone demanded. “Can’t tell,” Valasca said with a smirk. “Who’s side are you on?” Asa demanded. “No ones,” Hateya said. “We are the Goddess of War. We are on no one’s side, just like Chaos. She chooses the side who causes the most damage—and that’s Daemos’ side. Therefore, she’s on no one’s side, just like us!” The War Goddess vanished with a laugh. The Blessed Trinity sighed. “We are loosing,” she mourned. “Don’t ever say that!” Sapphire snarled, throwing magic at her. “Our very lives depend on us winning this! We need to exist!” Tears ran down her face—she was desperate. “Our time is up,” The Oracle said. “We have no strength to fight with—how can we survive?” She vanished. “Two down, the rest of you? Are any of you brave enough to fight for our very lives?” Sapphire demanded. “We let the demi-gods walk all over us once before! And look what happened! We ceased to exist! Some of us were thrown into mortality, some of us killed in that eternal sleep. The rest of us are beginning to show fear and cowardice in Daemos’ face because we are too afraid to live! Do we just let them take care of us in this fashion? Should we just let them kill us?” “NO!” they screamed. “Rebel!” Sapphire yelled. “Rebel!” they echoed. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Part 9: The Beginning of the End -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Be nice! I know these are getting very short and rather suspenseful. I cannot help it! My stupid Writer's Block hits at the worst of times! So, please be kind.... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The gods began to wage their war on each other. Down in the mortal realms, their wars raged far hotter than that of even the Smith God’s own forge. Nothing seemed to be able to cool these hot tempers and hotter blades of death, justice, pain, suffering, and of the hottest death anyone had to bring—eternal suffering. When the Elementals had time to spare, they took Alanna’s dead body, and extracted the feeble ball of light that was the soul of her child—a child who was suppose to be dead or not even created. Sapphire exhausted herself giving the child life, and then making her grow to that of the age of eighteen. Her name was Mekala. She was beautiful. Her eyes were a bright violet-hazel. Her copper hair was flowing, long, silk, and beautiful. Her body exceptionally thin, her waist small, her body curved in all the right places. Her face was beautifully carved, as if a master sculptor had worked for several days, hours, and minutes carving just one section of the face that seemed to belong to a goddess. Her lips with full and luscious—some would claim they were the lips of a goddess. Her eyes were almond shaped, but not to big. Her lashes were dark and long, her cheekbones prominent, but fitting. She was tall, but not lanky—never clumsy. She moved as if she had no bones, as if she thought about every carefully placed moved before she carried through the act of moving. She was perfect for what the gods needed her to do. They sent her down to Tortall. To Thom—who was thought to still be loyal. To George—who was in a fit of grief. To Jonathan—who could not help but feel guilty for the death of his friend. To a populous who now hated the gods and wanted nothing more to destroy them. Mekala walked through the street, avoiding the bodies of the dead and wounded. She had no care for these souls who would soon descend to the Realms of the Dead, and then their shells would be burned together in large piles. She had no care for she had never been mortal before now. She didn’t remember her mother, her father, her past at all. She had woken up under a large oak tree, with a cut on her head. A wandering Healer who was fleeing Corus—where the worst of the fighting took place, had treated her. So that was where Mekala was headed—the Royal Palace of King Jonathan the Third of Contè and his wife, Queen Thayet of Sarain. Maybe, she thought, they had some answers. She was clad like that of the night—in black. She wore daggers and a sword, but she couldn’t remember ever learning how to use them. She just knew how. Her wore tight fitting leggings, a tight fitting shirt, and black trapper’s boots. No one could hear her walk. She had on a chain mail belt and she had chain mail on her black kid riding gloves. They had a strange emblem on them, and she had the feeling they had the key to her past. Her hair was bound slightly, it was bound into a bun, and then the rest was left to flow to her buttock. She heard someone moan as she walked by. The reached out and grabbed her black leather boot. Mekala jerked her foot free, violet-hazel eyes wide with terror. “Off of me, you fiend!” she cried. “Help me,” the person moaned. “Please, help me!” “I will help no one!” Mekala cried, scared. The person looked at her. “Alanna?” he asked, as if he couldn’t believe it. “Who are you talking about, Old Man? My name is Mekala. That is all I remember! Who are you?” “Do ye not remember the one who raised ye?” the old man asked. “Coram Smythesson.” “Who?” Mekala asked. “I know of no person.” “Nay, ye aren’t Alanna. Ye only be a girl who looks like her,” Coram sighed. “Can ye get me somethin’ to drink?” “I do not involve myself with those stupid enough to fight,” Mekala spat. A man with copper hair and glowing violet eyes knelt down beside the old man. “Coram, drink this,” the man said, holding out a waterskin. “Thom?” he asked in disbelief. As the man—Thom—nodded, Coram drank deeply from the waterskin. “Thank ye,” he murmured. “I’ll get a priestess down her to get you to a Healer,” Thom said, rising. “And who are you?” he asked, looking at her. “My name is Mekala.” “Anything more?” “I know nothing more.” Thom snorted and grabbed her arm. “Follow me.” Mekala’s eyes flashed and she threw Thom over her hip, he went flying, then hung in the air. The air around him began to pulse and was colored violet. “That,” Thom said, as he looked up, “was stupid.” His entire face was lit by the deadly violet-red glow of his eyes. His face was set in an expression of hatred. Mekala was terrified. She did the only thing she could think of—she shielded herself from the blast of raw energy that Thom threw at her. Thom stared at her, his eyes lost their glow and went to a normal violet, not the red-violet they had been. “Who are you?” he breathed. “Only Alanna could block something like that.” “Who is this Alanna?” Mekala demanded, falling to her knees. “Come with me, Mekala,” Thom said softly, extending his hand as he set foot onto the ground once more. “There are people you need to meet.” Jonathan sighed, and watched as everyone in the room stayed quiet. He wanted some one to speak badly. Why couldn’t they say what was on their mind? Why couldn’t they say what was on everyone’s mind? It was nerve-wracking, staying in this silence! The door opened, and everyone jumped from the sound that echoed through the King’s study. It was Thom. And he had a girl with him. A girl that looked like Alanna. George stared, and he wasn’t the only one. “What’s going on?” he demanded. Thom smiled. “Sapphire seems to have been desperate for help.” “Meaning what?” Raoul demanded. “Meaning that Mekala, this girl, is George and Alanna’s child.” “When did she get pregnant?” George demanded. “She didn’t. Or, she did. She was when she died, and Mekala is the out come of Sapphire speeding aging up so that they would have a powerful ally since they cannot raise Alanna—and won’t raise her,” Thom said, ushering Mekala over to George. Mekala—who still didn’t understand—moved over to her father stiffly. “Da,” she murmured. George stood looking at her in shock. She looked so much like Alanna it was scary. “Do you know how to fight?” Jonathan asked. “Yes,” Mekala said. “Powerful Gift as well,” Thom added in. When he got a glare as his only response, he smiled grimly. “Fine.” He disappeared in a puff of smoke. Alianne’s forehead glimmered with sweat. This workout her brothers were giving her was hard! Thom attacked her in a direct sword pattern, while Alan parried with complex. It was a three-on-two affect that all three sibs were fighting all out on each other, trying to improve skills. Suddenly, there was clapping. Only one set, but there was clapping. The three lowered their swords and turned to see their mother’s bother—their uncle Thom—standing on the sidelines, clapping. “What do you want?” Thom panted, whipping his face with his sleeve. “To talk is all.” “About what?” “Justice,” Uncle Thom said quietly. Silence followed for a few minutes. “What kind of justice—and to whom?” Thom asked his uncle, sword still in hand. “The justice deserved for your mother’s death.” Thom’s hand gripped his sword tightly. Alan dropped his sword and left the room. Alianne stood there and gripped her brother’s arm. “Why do you bring up my Ma?” “Your ma? She’s my sister—my twin should I have to remind you!” their uncle hissed. “When she died, I felt it! You should be bloody well glad you didn’t feel the pain, the surprise, or the guilt. Most of all the pain.” Thom’s face hardened. “And what do you want me to do about all this?” “I want you, and your sibs, to help me. Help me get revenge on the ones who are keeping your mother dead. The ones who refuse to let her live her life. Who refuse to be the mother and wife she yearns to be.” “And who is that?” “Sapphire, Lael, and Loki. The rest of the Elementals,” Uncle Thom said simply. “Are you mad?” Alianne yelled. “No, I am not. Daemos is not against everything. He wants to help. He promised he’d raise Alanna, and I believe him.” “You raised Roger of Contè, why should we trust you?” Thom spat. Thom of Trebond smiled grimly. “You haven’t heard what Sapphire did to your mother’s body?” “What did she do?” Alianne whispered. “She stole it. And your parents had created life before Alanna as killed, and that life almost died within Alanna. Sapphire ripped it out and now it’s here. Alive. At the age of eighteen. Older than you, nephew, I believe.” Thom and Alianne paled. “Why?” was all they could stutter out. “Because they are desperate to drive out freewill and your gods. Mithros, The Great Mother, all of them. Sapphire, Lael, Loki, the rest hate them without fear. They are desperate to win this war so that they may make the mortal realms once again their slaves. “You will have heard of a time called the ‘Dark Age.’ That was when Sapphire and Loki ruled a long time ago. It was horrible. There was death, blood, wars, and famines… Disaster everywhere. You couldn’t go anywhere without running into immortals who were destroying lives, where wars weren’t ripping the lands to pieces, where bandits weren’t killing whole families and burning them alive. Where one was burned alive simply for speaking their mind. “Life was horrible. Nothing could be done right. No one could live. The Ysandir were plague upon the world. True, Daemos created them—but because they were needed. He fed the souls of bandits and the like to them. And then they broke free. And I will remind you that this is the life of the Old Ones. Those Guardians who are here now, Sapphire and Loki and Lael all created. The Old Ones hated and feared their gods. They were almost rejoicing when Mithros and Selene overthrew them. “And life then existed in peace. Until Sapphire was doubled with your mother’s soul, and Lael with mine. That trapped us as them for a long time. They had us for so long in their grasp, and only now have we gotten free will. And I am ever so grateful. You have no idea what it means to be truly free from a rule of one who does nothing but command. “And now, and now, I help Daemos rid the world of the Elemental gods’ rules and chains.” Thom and Alianne stared at their uncle. Thom looked at his sister. She nodded—Thom of Trebond was telling the truth… The complete, utter truth. “I’ll go get Alan,” Alianne muttered and ran off. Thom watched his uncle. “In short, we’ll join you and Daemos. I want my Ma back.” Thom of Trebond nodded. Then Daemos appeared, just as Alan and Alianne came into the room. “So, you have decided to revenge your mother? A wise choice.” Thom looked from his uncle to the god standing before him. “I’m doing this because I want my Ma back. If you win, I will get her back, no?” “Yes, of course. When this is all over.” “Why not now?” Thom demanded. “Nephew, she would only be killed in this war. She would ignore what all says if only to save a life of them that do not hold regard for their lives. Alanna would only be killed again,” Thom said bitterly, turning away from his niece and nephews. Daemos was nodding. “Your uncle has the right of it, child. Now, come here.” All three did. Thom was not going to watch Daemos take the souls of Alanna’s children as he had done to Thom himself. For someone who doesn’t care, Thom thought bitterly, I feel like I am taking away their lives. I have no soul, why should I feel this way? Suddenly, two sharp gasps came, and Daemos staggered back. “I can’t,” he murmured in awe. “Can’t what?” Thom snapped at the god. “I can’t… Someone is protecting them. Something not of this world, never of this world,” Daemos gasped for breath that no god breathed. Thom’s brow furrowed. “What are you talking about? You are a god, what could stop you?” Daemos stood there, black eyes wide as he panted. “I don’t know.” “Love,” echoed a word in the room. The three children looked around, tears in their eyes. “Ma!” Alan yelled out, tears spilling down his face. Thom watched as his sister’s soul tried to manifest. It couldn’t. “Alanna,” Thom moaned, falling to his knees. “No, please,” he cried out. The three children watched him. “NO! Don’t you dare leave!” He was crying now, and didn’t care. Daemos had vanished. Alanna’s soul won. She manifested near her brother and would have touched him, but her hand went right through him. She cried softly. “Thom, don’t do this,” she told him. “Don’t. Daemos won’t keep his promise!” “No!” Thom cried, getting to his feet and looking at the very see-through ghost. “No, he will! He promised! He can’t break it! No god can break their sworn word!” “For your sake, my brother, I hope you are right,” Alanna said, softly. “Ma?” Alan asked, coming over to his mother. She tried to touch her children, but couldn’t. “My dears,” she whispered. She looked up at her brother, “Look after them?” Thom turned away from his sister. “What? Not afraid they turn traitor like me?” “You have your reasons,” Alanna said with exasperation. “Daemos can use them against Sapphire without stealing their souls!” “Was that what he was trying to do?” Alianne asked. “I felt like he was trying to kill me! The pain was so great!” Thom didn’t say anything. Alanna moved—no, floated—over to him. “My sweet,” she whispered to him. No one else heard. “You were so willing. He won you, didn’t he?” Thom’s hazel eyes had tears in them. Tears he could no longer shed. “You will live again. No god can stop me!” he told her defiantly. Alanna nodded, and—for an instant—gained enough power to make herself solid that she could kiss his cheek lightly. Then she vanished. But Thom remembered the words she had whispered before she left, “May all the gods hold and protect you, my sweet. You will need that strength.” Mekala sighed and watched the people in the room. They didn’t seem to need her—nor did they seem to see her. Well, that is of course, except for George. He saw her very well, and was very uneasy with all this sudden commotion. After all, his wife had just been killed months before, and now suddenly his daughter—one who wasn’t even supposed to be alive—is here, and she is alive! And there was someone leaking information out to Daemos and his cronies. That someone had to have a close tie into all these talks and was someone who could be bribed easily. Thom drifted into the room, looking almost smug. George watched him. This was not the behavior fitting for someone who had just lost his twin sister—his little sister at that. If anything, George thought, he looks like he’s gotten not the perfect revenge, but the perfect vengeance. George couldn’t help but muse the idea over. Was it possible that Thom was the traitor? That Daemos had bought him off saying he’d restore Alanna to full life again? And what of the Ysandir? Why hadn’t they begun to attack again? The Guardians were all but magick minders. They fought, if the occasion called for it—but not unless it did. Had all the world gone mad? Had the gods suddenly begun to love their game of meddling too much? Why didn’t Daemos, so fired up and ready to do battle, not stormed over the entire world and set flame to it? Why hadn’t anyone begun to care about this infernal war? Was Tortall the only country that cared about this? Was Tortall the only insane one? Or was it just the people? With their revenge, that was insane? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Part 10: the Doom of the Gods -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AUTHOR’S NOTE: This is the last part in the miniseries. I cannot write anymore to anything. I am gonna take a break and work on my original stuff. Okay? I am very sorry to you all! *pouts* I can’t help it!!!! This is it. I am FINISHED!!!!!!!!!!!! I yield! I give up! Read the damned thing and don’t flame me for killing the series…. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DISCLAIMER: I don't own ANY of these characters at all used in the Alanna MS in anyway shape or form. I only own Sapphire, Loki, Lael, Daemos, Mekala, all the Elemental gods/goddesses. I own the Silver Realms. I don't own any of the characters used in Tamora Pierces books. The idea for the Guardians can be given credit to Naoko Takeuchi--the creator of Sailor Moon. That's where I got that idea. I got the idea for Sapphire/etc to be bad from the movie "Charlie's Angels" because of the guy Knoxx. I owe credit to all my fans, to all the ones who reviewed this series. If I let you all down, I'm sorry. This is the 100% LAST series I will ever write that turns out THIS long! I cannot deal with another series this long. It's not possible to do it and exist! I thank Jenni! My dearest friend who started this whole major idea and has helped me break writer's block up until the 5th part which was when I moved away. This is copyrighted to Jae Noble from March 2000 to December 2000. In no way can any of you use any of these ideas in the least. Not one BIT unless you ask my permission. If so, email me here: skysorceress5000@yahoo.com and I MIGHT let ya use some of these characters if you ask nicely. But only then. ^_~ I will welcome about every kind of email/review on this. Flames, praise, money [j/k!!!!], anything..... But NO WAY IN HELL WILL I EVER PUT UP A SEQUEL!!!!!!! Anyway, there's no room for a sequel on this. Your loving Muse, Jae Noble -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mekala walked the lower parts of the Palace, and ignored the occasional ba-boom that signaled the fact that Corus was still under attack. The palace shook with the explosions from the blaze balm. She stopped when she saw a sword sticking up out of the ground. It was a strange, odd blade. It called her…. “Stop,” Thom said. Mekala looked at her uncle. “You look like my mother?” she asked. Thom nodded. “I’m her twin. We look the exact same, except that she’s a woman.” Mekala nodded, and turned back to look at the sword. Oh, this is too easy! Thom cried out in his thoughts with glee. The whole world will bow down to us once we have these wills and souls! Only then can anyone ever exist! Only then…only then can I have Alanna back. Mekala sensed that her Uncle had some need of her. “What do you want, Uncle?” “I want you to help me save your mother.” “Mother is dead.” “She is not dead!” Thom snarled. Mekala turned and looked at him. “She is dead. Live with it.” Thom was not about to give up that easily. “No,” he murmured. He threw his magic at Mekala, and grabbed her mind. He used his magic, not sane at all, and whipped it clear. He put in all his knowledge of magic, all his hatred, his sarcasm, his cynical view on everything… He created one with no soul, no life, no being. And then he released her body, her mind, and her will—which all now belonged to Daemos. Jonathan was moments away from tearing his hair out. How could any of this happen? Daemos appeared in the room, and sword and dagger were drawn. Daggers were thrown at him, swords whipped at him. He yawned, and opened his hand. There, in the center of his palm was a small figure—it was Alanna. “Keep on trying to destroy me, and your precious Lady here will be shattered.” The daggers and swords stopped. “Surrender,” Daemos said, banishing the image of Alanna. “You are out numbered and you cannot take this constant death. You will all soon die and then be mine. Why do you bother to protect Sapphire and her clan when they destroyed everything?” “What?” Jonathan asked. “It’s just as Daemos said,” Thom told them, coming in. Mekala was behind him, a nasty smirk on her face. “Sapphire and the Elementals mean everyone death. Our gods, the Great Gods and the Lesser gods all sided with Daemos. Doesn’t that tell you something?” “That we have worshipped evil while they kept the good out!” Gary snapped. Thom looked at him. “You poor pathetic fool,” she said with amusement. “You think they’ll bring Alanna back. They’ll destroy her. Not save her. They are not capable of anything, but death. Destruction. Pain.” “You’re cracked,” George said with hatred. “You’re spilling information to that demon, and you accuse Sapphire and her bunch of lying.” Thom shrugged. “We warned you.” “Bring Alanna back!” Numair shouted. Daemos’ eyes glowed. “Very well. But believe me, she may not be the one you want.” He began to chant softly, and a glow began to form around the room. Thom was smirking, and Mekala was laughing softly. What did they know that we don’t? The Tortallans wondered. And then Alanna stumbled out of the glow and into the room. “Where am I?” she murmured. “The council room of Tortall in Corus,” Daemos said. Alanna scowled. “Get me out of here,” she snapped. “Why?” George asked. Alanna sneered. “You’re not Alanna,” he told the fake. “Oh, but my dear, I am Alanna. You know the saying that everyone has a good side and a bad side?” She asked sweetly. She held her palm up towards the sky, and violet magic began to collect there. “Well, meet my bad side.” She shouted a word and the fire traveled down ward—to the core of the Earth, of the planet. The magic built into a pressure, and the earth began to convulse. To pulse. The plant continued to pulse. Earthquakes began, and then began to shatter the buildings, the plants, and the trees. Everything began to quake. And then it all stopped. For a moment, it was like complete peace. And then… It exploded. The screaming everywhere are people tried to escape the lava and the fires could torture a person’s soul for ages. The wailing, the crying… It was almost inhuman. The bodies were blackened and charred. Nothing could escape the end of the world—the Ragnarok. The Doom of the Gods. Life no longer existed. “What shall we do?” a female asked softly. The universe was so quiet. Pieces of Earth drifted about space. Nothing could have survived that final blast. The blast which shattered the very planet itself. Nothing…. “Recreate what there was,” a male said. “And what of the people?” “I suggest we take a page out of the Book of Time and create what there was before any of this ever happened.” The woman looked into the eyes of the man—Violet to Hazel. “That would be a perfect ending.” “No, my sweet. A prefect beginning.” -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- END. I refuse to do Sequel to this.