Five people stood around a table in the Royal Study. A huge, bear-like man sighed, and poured himself a glass of brandy. He glanced at it, grimacing, before swallowing the whole thing in one gulp. Another, nearly as tall, but thin without at all being frail looking, shook his head at the bear-like man. He wrinkled his nose, but pushed the bottle away from him.
"Jon, we have to do something," said Alanna the Lioness. "Gethra Eddacesra is on the rampage. He'll kill anything and everything trying to get to you. He doesn't like what we did to his father and the Free Corsairs seven years ago." She was angry; a blind man could see it. Her bright violet eyes snapped in fury; her wild, curly hair frizzed out like tendrils of flame. Their bright red color added to the effect.
King Jonathan nodded; his eyes squinted, as he was deep in thought. He took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. Running his large hand though his hair, he barely noticed his circlet as it fell off with a clang. "You're right," he said in a deep voice, throaty and rich. He was a handsome man, with deep, yet bright blue eyes and hair that brushed his ears that was blacker than midnight. As of late, because of the Immortals War, and the previous Civil War, a few gray hairs had appeared. He turned to stare at the table, still thinking. "All of our resources are low: our Knights are battle-weary, our Squires unfit for war as of yet and our mages spend their time healing the wounded. Not that that's not an important job," he added hastily as Alanna glared at him. "It's just we need more people. Carthak, which we have an alliance with, could have helped before the, er, mishap, of the destruction of the palace, but they are working on re-building their empire and rounding up those who no longer have faith in their leaders. They can no more spare their mages and Navy than we can. We are in desperate need of help." Alanna shook her head in worry.
The burly man, Sir Raoul of Goldenlake looked wistfully at the bottle of Brandy before turning back to his companions. "I don't like how much you've been drinking, Raoul," said Alanna worriedly. "You've never been a drinking man; a knight needs a clear head in a fight."
"I know," said Raoul sadly. "Though, if it's any consolation, I've never drunk enough to get the least drunk." Raoul slurred a bit, as if his tongue were tripping over every word.
Alanna shook her head, and laid her hand on his. A pale, shimmery purple fire streamed out of her hand and into his, filling Raoul briefly. Raoul shook his head, clearing it, and looked gratefully at Alanna. "Thanks," he said softly, his voice clear and unslurred as it was a moment ago. "I needed that. Yes, I know I'm not really a drinking man, but the last few years have been a bit, ah, stressful."
"I'm stressed, but I don't drink," snapped a fourth man. His voice wasn't as deep as his companions, and there was a strong Cathaki accent, making it hard to understand for someone who wasn't used to it. His eyes were a brilliant green and they shone out on his dark face like a beacon. His deep brown skin betrayed his origins: he was once a slave in Carthak before he stowed away on the Royal Barge to come to Tortall. His frame was thin and slightly muscular, but underneath his fine clothes was the evidence of his cruel life. Scars decorated his back and wrists like an odd design. His hair, like Alanna's, was red, but it was so dark it was nearly black. "I need my head. Being a Battle Mage is very hard; blasting this and shooting lightning at that." He sighed, and drummed his fingers lightly on the table. "Not that I'm complaining. I owe you so much for not making me go back when I left Carthak," he said, the rage there, but dimmed. "I don't like being indebted. I shall likely spend the rest of my life paying you back." The King laid a gentle hand on his shoulder, and the other man quieted.
"I know, Hakan. You shouldn't feel indebted," said Jonathan quietly, hoping to calm the younger man. "We owe you so much for defending the coast against the Pirates."
Numair nodded. "Hakan, you really are taking this too harshly," he said in a voice that was even and educated. "I may be a Black Robe, but my learning covers nothing about Wars and Battles. We owe you a lot." He clapped a hand on Hakan's other shoulder, and withdrew when it was glared at. Numair seemed unaffected by Hakan's rudeness and just looked at Jon, hoping for an idea.
"Daine could help," Numair added thoughtfully. "She doesn't like getting animals killed in 'human stupidness,' as she calls it, but I think she will. Since our marriage last Midsummer's, she almost seems to listen to me more." He laughed ruefully. "I doubt it, in any case. What with her being pregnant and all, she'll be a bit more lenient if I mention something about 'thinking about the baby'. She won't like it, of course, but what choice do we have?"
Alanna's mouth flattened, but she held her tongue. She obviously didn't like the idea of someone's baby being held against them like that. As a three-time mother, she knew how Daine would react.
Numair went on. "As well, with her teachings, we have better archers than ever before, and more battle-worthy and fast horses. Thanks to Raoul," he nodded to the man on his right, who blushed; hard to see against his deeply tanned skin. "We have better soldiers. Especially with the Dominion Jewel, we are far beyond helpless."
Jonathan sighed, and fiddled with the circlet he picked up off the floor. "Still, people are being killed out there, and we can't do a damn thing about it. We could win against a war like the Civil War, or the Immortals War, but Gethra doesn't fight that way. He fights with a hit-and-run fashion, impossible to prevent. He massacres all the men, enslaves the women and girls and takes the animals. What he doesn't take, he slaughters, salts or destroys. We need something else . . ."
* * *
Gemini sighed, dragging her hand through her long, brown hair. She hit a tangle, and winced as she yanked it out.
"Je suis, tu est, il es, elle es, on es . . ." she muttered under her breath, concentrating on her French homework. She sighed ruefully as she stared at the textbook, then at the meager amount on her paper. Drat it, she thought. I usually love French, but this is pushing the limits. Who I would kill to be somewhere else, anywhere else! She slumped her shoulders and jotted down another miscellaneous French bit. She smacked her head on the desk in frustration, and then stopped abruptly. Her usually tanned skin paled.
"Hello?" she asked timidly. "Is anyone there?" She slid out of her chair, and tiptoed down the stairs, peering about her house. I swore I heard something! She checked everywhere, and since all the windows and doors were locked, she had no reason to believe she had an unwanted visitor. Both of her parents were going to see her sister's play at her school. Gemini had used the 'I have homework' protest, and could stay home.
Unfortunately, even on a weekend, that meant she had to do her homework. Finally, satisfied that she was alone, she went back upstairs. In her room, she sat down at her desk without looking around.
"Gemini Stargazer," said a dulcet, rich voice, somehow like the belling of hounds and the huntress urging them on, behind her that she had never heard before, yet seemed familiar. "We meet at last." Gemini spun out of her chair, knocking it down in her haste and dropping her pen. Before her was an impossibly tall woman, the tallest, and most beautiful, she had ever seen. Her eyes were a brilliant emerald, bright and sparkling with intelligence. Her long black hair reached past her trim waist; her lips were bright and red, but lacked the falseness of lipstick. Gemini sighed at her figure; she herself would never come close to that. And looking back into her eyes. . .
Suddenly, Gemini dropped on one knee, her face down, staring at the floor. "Goddess," she whispered.
The woman nodded gracefully. "It is time we met, my daughter. I have had my eye on you! You are in a world called Terra; a universe away from Tortall and the rest of the Eastern and Southern Lands, but as close as heartbeats." Gemini shook in fear and in confusion. She started to question the Goddess, but the Mother spoke over her. "Terra and our world balance each other off. Yours is a world of science and mathematics. Our world is of Magic and of 'medieval' things, as those of Terra would call it."
"But, my Mother, I am confused. You say, 'of our world'. What do you mean by that?"
The Goddess smiled at her. "This may come as a shock, but you are not of Terra." Gemini gasped, and swayed.
"Impossible," she whispered, shaking her head to clear it. "I'm of Terra, my parents . . ." The Goddess shook her head.
"You were adopted. A force, we know not of what, stole you from your parents and killed them. It transported you to Terra and here you live to today. It took us this long to realize you were gone and to find you. Our, that is, the magic of the Great Gods, does not work as well in Terra as it does in our world. You are needed in Tortall now. A War is beginning; perhaps a War greater than there ever was before. You and your Sisters are needed."
Gemini, again, wrinkled her forehead in confusion. "My Sisters. I assume you mean my sister, Jenna? But I only have one."
The Mother shook her head. "Your Sisters from Tortall. Those who were stolen along with you. You will know them. The ones you call Elspeth and Charisma."
"I know them; they're my best friends." The Goddess nodded approvingly.
"It is very interesting how you all seem so close. Ah, well, I suppose that is because you are all from Tortall. The Bonds between Sisters have never been so strong." The Goddess paused for a moment, perhaps to think. "In any case, please come with me." She held out her hand to Gemini. Gemini hesitated.
"My Mother, is it all right if I first quickly pack a few things from Ear-, um, Terra? It won't take too long, and won't weigh much." The Goddess sighed and nodded.
"You need not bring clothes; King Jonathan and Queen Thayet will take care of that." Gemini stopped dead in her tracks.
"King Jonathan? Queen Thayet? Oh, Goddess, er, figuratively speaking." Gemini blushed, and grabbed her backpack. Quickly scouting her room, she brought all of the Tortall books she could fit and a portable CD player with speakers as well as the headphones and her small collection of CDs. She stopped, thinking, before grabbing a couple of pens and her journal. "Okay, Goddess, I'm ready."
"You are?" asked the Goddess rather snidely. Oh, Goddess, for a moment I forgot who I was talking to! How in the Black God's realm could I do that?!
Gemini bowed, and said gravely, "I am ready to be transported to our Realm, my Mother." The Goddess nodded, satisfied.
"Very good, my Daughter," she said, and took Gemini's hand . . .
* * *
A lean, average-height girl leaned back on her bed, reading Emperor Mage. Her slate-blue eyes were riveted on her book as she read: 'Looking over quivers of arrows, she chose a handful. "You must tell Lady Alanna that sometime. I'd do it from a distance.'
Yeah! Elspeth cheered in her mind. I love that part!! That is the best part in Emperor Mage! Elspeth eagerly continued along the scene, enjoying it more and more.
"Hey, Elspeth!" cried out a cheerful voice. Elspeth shrieked and dropped her book.
"Gemini!" she complained. "You made me lose my place! And how'd you get here, anyways?"
"S'okay. Trust me. You will not believe this! I swear, I'm dreaming, aren't I?" Elspeth reached over and pinched Gemini's arm.
"Ouch!" She rubbed her arm. "I guess that means I'm not! Elspeth, get down from there! You will not believe this!"
"I know, you already said that," said Elspeth, climbing down the ladder from her bunk bed. She turned around and stopped dead. In front of her stood the Goddess. Elspeth sat down, hard, on the lower bed, then thought better of it and tried to bow. Looking flustered, she finally decided on dropping to one knee.
"So, my Daughter, we meet," chirped the Goddess. "Get up, get up. I've already had enough worship for today. To make a long story short, you were kidnapped at birth. You were brought to Terra-"
"Earth," interrupted Gemini. The Goddess glared at her, but continued.
"And were adopted by your Terran parents." Gemini gave Elspeth 'The Look', which she hoped Elspeth would interpret as: 'See? It all fits. You were adopted in the first place, now you know where your parents were from.' The Goddess sighed.
"Yes, Elspeth, I know you know who your 'parents' are. But, they had to adopt you themselves. Then, your adoptive parents adopted you afterwards." The Goddess heaved a sigh again and resumed. "Your Tortallan parents were killed by the force that kidnapped you and now you're here and Tortall needs you there. Understand? Good." Elspeth ran to get her Discman, CDs, books, and a deck of cards before she was transported. She came back, everything immaculately placed in a tiny backpack that could not possibly hold it all, grabbed her practice foil, and bowed to the Goddess, ready. The Goddess grabbed Elspeth's and Gemini's hands, apparently bored with small talk, and they transported to the last Sister's house.
* * *
The last Sister hummed happily along to 'Mambo #5' that played merrily on a CD the she got from Hollie, a friend of hers, for her birthday, as it was one of her favorite songs. She read 'Only Him', a gift from one of her friends at school, but it was hard to both listen and read at the same time. Still, one never knew what one would do until one tried. She jumped up, dancing as she sang her version to the famous American song.
"A little bitta Jeremy in my life, a little bitta Aaron, by my side. A little bitta Timmy's all I need, a little bitta Jimmy's what I s-oh!" She stopped abruptly in disharmony to the song, which continued to play. Charisma's eyes opened wide as she saw the threesome grinning at her. Gemini and Elspeth she knew; Gemini continued to dance to the song, her eyes closed. Sighing, Elspeth tapped her on the shoulder. Gemini opened her eyes, saw everyone staring at her, and blushed a deep scarlet.
"I, er, ummm, hey Charisma!" The two embraced. "I haven't seen you in so long, and you and I have a bit of catching up to do."
"Umm, yes, but who are these people, I know Elspeth - Hi, Elspeth! - but her, I don't."
"Okay, Charri, this is the Great Mother Goddess." Charisma burst out laughing.
"Great Mother Goddess? You've got to be kidding, right? She's in the Tortall books. I mean, you've got a great imagination but . . ." she trailed off as she stared at the Goddess.
Oh, Gods. No mortal could be that perfect. Is it really her? Or am I just dreaming? "Quick, Gemini, am I dreaming?" Elspeth punched her on the arm. "Ow!" Charri yelped. "Okay, I'm not, then." She hurried to the floor in front of the Goddess. "My Mother," she said respectfully. With that, she stood up and offered the Goddess a chair in her and her sister's rather cluttered room. "Would you like a seat, my Mother?"
The Goddess chortled amusedly. "I like this one. All right, Charisma. Tortall needs you, urgently. There is to be a great War between Tortall and the Free Corsairs."
"But I thought Mahil Eddace was killed in the battle of Pirate's Swoop," said Charisma, confused.
"He was, but his son, Gethra Eddacesra is bent on revenging his father. He has many allies, including Tyra, the Copper Isles and Tusaine. Even parts of Tortall, Eldorne and Tirragen hope to overthrow His Majesty and take over Tortall. You three are greatly needed. Now, to Tortall!" |
