Sword and Sorcery
Chapter 1

by D.Fire
phongb9@idt.net

	Present time.

	"Raeni ... Raeni, please come here," called the old
man from the doorway of the house.  The old man was the
same one from before.  Sporting a long, white beard, he
had not changed his appearance even by a hair.  Wearing a
blue robe, something akin to what Friar Tuck might wear,
he stood in the doorway calling to his adoptive daughter.

	An answering call came from the forest clearing just
beyond the bend in the road leading to the house.  "Yes,
Poppa.  I'll be right there," a sweet voice cheerily
replied to his.  The owner of the voice soon bounded into
view.  The girl, previously seen only as a six-year-old
child, had grown into a somewhat buxom and very beautiful,
young girl of sixteen years of age.  Her garments would
have scandalized the old man, had this been the first time
she had worn them.  But Raeni, with fire-red hair and
personality, had worn this outfit many times before. 
Skintight black pants accompanied by a red bikini top
greeted the old man as Raeni threw herself into the old
man's arms.

	Laughing, she whirled around with the old man in tow.
"Poppa, dance with me," she demandingly giggled.

	Laughing a little himself, the old man known as the
sorcerer Hariule replied, "Come on Raeni, I'm not that
young anymore."

	"Oh, Poppa, you'll never be old," Raeni laughingly
denied.  "Why did you call me in?  I was just practicing
outside."  Indeed, sweat glistened from her arms and back
as witness to her claim.

	"I hope you didn't damage anything with your
'practice'," Hariule said as he led Raeni through the rest
of the house, into the kitchen, and  towards the back
door.  "Now go bathe that sweat off and meet me in the
basement when you are done."  With that said, he
disappeared to give her privacy.

	After walking to the edge of lake behind the house,
Raeni glanced around.  After making sure that she had no
company, she uttered, "Uir Regalis", and her clothes
seemingly disappeared as she snapped her fingers.  Now
totally nude, she quickly dove into the lake.

	After swimming around for a while, enough to rid her
of sweat and dirt, she swam over the bank and climbed onto
solid ground.  Concentrating, she whispered, "Oris
Lairus".  A warm wind swirled around her body as she held
her arms open and straight.  The warm caress of the wind
eventually dried her off as well as completely drying her
hair.

	Again, she uttered, "Uir Regalis".  A different
outfit now clothed her.  Raeni now wore a simply
embroidered dress, as befitting a young lady of the times.
Leaving her dried hair unbound, she briskly walked into
the house.

	"Hey, Azure," she said, bending down low as she
petted the blue-haired cat sitting beside the door.  "Got
any clue what Poppa wants now?"

	<How would I know?> the familiar replied.  <I'm just
a cat, remember?>

	"Oh, you're not still sore about that, are you?  Tell
you what, how about I sneak you a snack later?"

	<To think that you would sink to bribes,> sniffed the
cat haughtily.  <Or that I would sink to accepting them. 
Oh very well,> replied Azure with a twinkle in his eyes,
<I guess I can clue you in.>

	Leaping onto Raeni's shoulders and curling around her
neck, Azure said, <He's giving you your memories back
today.>

	Excitedly, Raeni queried, "Really?!  This is going to
be great!"  Almost jostling Azure out of his position,
Raeni rushed into the library.  Pulling on a tome of
history, Raeni skipped aside as a section of the library
wall slid open to reveal a dark stairway.  Holding out her
hand, Raeni spoke, "Oru".  Soon after, torches began
lighting themselves in succession as she rushed down the
stairway.  Behind her, the wall shifted back into place.

	Pausing before the immense door at the bottom of the
stairway, the young girl composed herself and then knocked
on the door.

	"Come," commanded Hariule's voice from within.

	Pushing the oaken door as though it were nothing,
Raeni entered the room, casually sweeping the door closed
behind her with her foot.

	Noticing Raeni's casual strength, Hariule stared at
the door and at her in shock.  Forcing himself to focus,
he turned his attention to Raeni.  Hariule declared,
"Today marks the tenth year since you came into our
world."

	By the this time, Azure had separated himself from
Raeni, having leapt off her shoulders when she entered the
chamber.  He now sat on a convenient stool placed next to
a chalk circle drawn on the ground.

	Continuing, Hariule said, "And although you have been
the best student I have ever had in magic, I would like to
say that you have been both the daughter -- and son --
that I never had.  It has been written that I give you
your memory back today."  Seeing no apparent reaction on
Raeni's face, Hariule scowled at Azure and continued, "I
see someone already spilled the beans, as you would put
it, but I digress.  I hope that no matter what happens
after today, you remember me kindly."

	"Oh Poppa, you sound like you're going to die or
something," said Raeni as she hugged the old sorcerer
again, not seeing his wince when she spoke the word 'die'.
"You'll always be my Poppa, no matter what."

	After returning the hug, Hariule released her, and
casually wiping the tear in his eye so that she would not
see it, Hariule turned to the business at hand.  Steadying
his voice, he commanded, "Okay, into the circle with you."

	After she was ensconced firmly within the circle, the
old sorcerer walked around it placing six candles on the
edge of the circle, evenly spacing them.  With a casual
flick of his wrist, and a lowly spoken, "Oru", the candles
danced to life, sparking to birth a flame atop each.

	Once again, he commanded Raeni.  "Go into a
beginner's trance."  The old man raised his arms and began
intricate gestures.

	Raeni did as he bid, sitting cross-legged she fell
into a meditative trance.  She could barely make out his
words as his voice gained a choral quality.

	"Child of prophecy,
	Reft from a land of strife."

	A wind swirled around Raeni's frame, ruffling her
hair softly.

	"Child of light and power,
	Born into a dance of darkness."

	Raeni, still in her trance, began slowly levitating
from the ground.

	"Memory long lost,
	Hidden within shadows and light."

	Light swirled around Raeni, following the path of the
wind before.

	"Grant unto this one,
	The power memory incarnate."

	The light glowed intensely, increasing to an almost
blinding level.

	"Return what was taken,
	NIGARU PALESUMO JORA GENSUMO!"

	With a crack of thunder, the light waxed insanely,
staying that way for a full minute, and then died away,
revealing the girl lying sprawled within the chalk circle.

	Upon seeing Raeni lying there unmoving the old
sorcerer rushed to her side.  Shaking her delicately and
cradling her head in his lap, he lightly patted her cheek,
willing her to wake.  "Raeni ... Raeni ... Raeni," he
gently prodded her.  "Please wake up."

	Slowly, her eyes opened, and she spoke.  "My name is
Ranma."