Part 4
"Open The Gates"
Three Years Ago.... (continued)
As Jaran approached, he saw that these strangers carried an unfamiliar standard--odd, because everyone stood squarely in the center of The Realm right now, and emissaries from other kingdoms usually visited by way of the Castle, not over miles of barren wilderness. He nodded to the foremost figure, a pale-faced, silver-haired male with careful lines in a strange design marked on his forehead, a thin circlet of gleaming metal around his head, and--strangest of all--ears that came to a narrow point at the top. In fact, all four figures--two male and two female--had distinctive designs etched over their face and neck, and the pointed ears.
The silver-haired one in armor never moved, but the other male, a dark-haired fellow dressed in a silky-green tunic with shiny leather belts and braces, stepped forward and nodded to Jaran.
"You are the King of this Realm?" he asked.
Jaran straightened and nodded courteously, but kept his head held high. He got the impression that these folk stood very much on ceremony--something that Beren was still getting the hang of. "I am King Jaran, and this Realm is my dominion." He leveled a hard stare at the stranger. "And you are?"
"You are the King of this Realm?" he asked.
The stranger bowed gracefully. "My name is Spruce, and I am a Low Prince of the realm of Elvendom--at whose gates you now stand." He pointed to the rest of his group. "The ones with me here are High Prince Aspen, High Princess Mignionette, and Low Princess Tamarind."
Jaran glanced all around the area. As far as he could see, there stood nothing but empty space between the first trees of the Forest, and the edge of the City surrounding the White Castle. How many times in the last year had he been in and out of this very Wilderness without once passing by any gate at all?
Jaran glanced all around the area. As far as he could see, there stood nothing but empty space between the first trees of the Forest, and the edge of the City surrounding the White Castle. How many times in the last year had he been in and out of this very Wilderness without once passing by any gate at all?
"That's a lie!" Beren seethed. "There's no gate here--there never has been! This whole region has been nothing but empty wilderness for as long as anyone can remember!"
"Beren!" Jaran cautioned his brother. The females were beginning to fidget nervously. The other male hadn't moved a muscle. He waited till his brother looked at him, and then he tilted his head to the side. "Be calm, or withdraw."
Beren took a deep breath, but he calmed down.
"Beren!" Jaran cautioned his brother. The females were beginning to fidget nervously. The other male hadn't moved a muscle. He waited till his brother looked at him, and then he tilted his head to the side. "Be calm, or withdraw."
Beren took a deep breath, but he calmed down.
Jaran held his stance before the one called Spruce. "You are Elves, then? Forgive me, I have never in my life heard of any of your race residing within the boundaries of The Realm--not even my father, who was king before me, ever mentioned once about them."
"Your ignorance is noted," Spruce replied, "and hereafter we agree to rectify the situation. Now, as for this region, which you have called a barren wilderness, I must ask your intentions with this region, which for so long has remained untouched and ignored."
Beren let out a loud scoff. "Not that it's any business of yours," he retorted, "but we intend to found a sanctuary for a select few of our citizens here."
"Your ignorance is noted," Spruce replied, "and hereafter we agree to rectify the situation. Now, as for this region, which you have called a barren wilderness, I must ask your intentions with this region, which for so long has remained untouched and ignored."
Beren let out a loud scoff. "Not that it's any business of yours," he retorted, "but we intend to found a sanctuary for a select few of our citizens here."
Princess Tamarind--a slender beauty with dark eyes, dark skin, and dark hair, spoke up. "Will you not consider perhaps populating another region in your vast kingdom? Could there not be another entrance by which these few may access this sanctuary you seek to build?"
Jaran heard Beren suck in a breath to reply, so he snapped his fingers. A quick jolt of lightning snapped invisibly across the space between them, striking Beren in the side. The Prince cringed and narrowly avoided crying out, but he got the hint and stayed silent.
Jaran heard Beren suck in a breath to reply, so he snapped his fingers. A quick jolt of lightning snapped invisibly across the space between them, striking Beren in the side. The Prince cringed and narrowly avoided crying out, but he got the hint and stayed silent.
Spruce took up the cause, coming nearly nose-to-nose with the King. "As you say, Your Highness, you do not know of us, our race, nor the function of our boundaries in this realm. The gates to Elvendom stand thus." He reached into the pouch hanging from his belt and pulled something out of it. Spruce waved the object in the air, and right before Jaran's eyes, he saw, within the shape that the Elvish prince inscribed, a shimmering surface of some sort, extending right across the proposed area for Wildhaven's gate.
"It is nearly imperceptible to mortal eyes," Spruce explained, "and rightly so. My brother--High Prince Aspen--has taken great pains to conceal what little remains of our kingdom from the greed of mortal men who would seek to conquer it, sully it, and wrest it from us. Indeed, we might never have met, King Jaran, if it had not been for this gross encroachment you have committed."
"It is nearly imperceptible to mortal eyes," Spruce explained, "and rightly so. My brother--High Prince Aspen--has taken great pains to conceal what little remains of our kingdom from the greed of mortal men who would seek to conquer it, sully it, and wrest it from us. Indeed, we might never have met, King Jaran, if it had not been for this gross encroachment you have committed."
Jaran spoke before Beren could let loose a host of the most scathing insults he learned as a sailor on the high seas. "What encroachment?"
Princess Tamarind pointed to the shape Spruce had made. "Every time a mortal crosses that boundary, they trespass upon our realm, hidden within, around, and under this region you know as nothing but a wilderness. Every time this happens, we have had to work to repair the breach, lest the veil between our realms is worn away, and you will begin to see just how vast a kingdom exists right in front of yours--and under it and within it."
Princess Tamarind pointed to the shape Spruce had made. "Every time a mortal crosses that boundary, they trespass upon our realm, hidden within, around, and under this region you know as nothing but a wilderness. Every time this happens, we have had to work to repair the breach, lest the veil between our realms is worn away, and you will begin to see just how vast a kingdom exists right in front of yours--and under it and within it."
Jaran considered this, thinking of Jade and the way she talked about Justicia--the realm in the sky, the dimension of Abnormals. Now here was an entirely new realm, no less real, but fixed in its own space distinct from theirs, yet just as rooted within the same land occupied by his own Realm... His head began to throb, and he could only nod without speaking.
"Now that you have been made aware of its existence, and our presence has been made known to you," Spruce added, "any further infiltration outside of the authorization of Elvish royals will be subject to prosecution under Elvish law."
"What?" Beren blurted. "But what about the Gifted ones?"
"Now that you have been made aware of its existence, and our presence has been made known to you," Spruce added, "any further infiltration outside of the authorization of Elvish royals will be subject to prosecution under Elvish law."
"What?" Beren blurted. "But what about the Gifted ones?"
"Gifted, you say?" he repeated slowly. "Those you would deign to sequester here have been blessed by the Great Juros, himself?"
Jaran sensed a distinct shift in the manner of the Elves at the mention of Juros, and he capitalized on it.
"Yes, the ones who will live here are Gifted, sometimes in a manner that is difficult to understand among those who have no such Gifts. My brother and I have experienced persecution for our own Gifts, and we desire that such a thing should never happen again." He opened his palm and a glittering ball of energy floated up from the surface of his skin, while Beren chose to demonstrate by forming a small storm cloud no bigger than his fist, which released a tiny flurry of snow.
Aspen lapsed back into silence with a nod to Prince Spruce.
"Yes, the ones who will live here are Gifted, sometimes in a manner that is difficult to understand among those who have no such Gifts. My brother and I have experienced persecution for our own Gifts, and we desire that such a thing should never happen again." He opened his palm and a glittering ball of energy floated up from the surface of his skin, while Beren chose to demonstrate by forming a small storm cloud no bigger than his fist, which released a tiny flurry of snow.
Aspen lapsed back into silence with a nod to Prince Spruce.
The latter reached again into his pack and pulled out a large round token the size of his palm.
"Have your smiths cast this medallion in whatever metal you wish," he said. "Since you desire to protect the Blessed, we will honor Juros by allowing them--and only them--to pass through our border. This medallion will be a sign of the pact between us, and it will hold the magic of our barriers, so that we need not repair it every time someone passes through, so long as they present this medallion."
Jaran accepted the medallion and handed it to Beren. "Thank you, Prince Spruce. In recognition of your deference, my brother can draw up a plan of curfew for the residents of this haven, so that they are not passing back and forth all day long, but only some hours of the day, to lessen the impact upon your magical borders."
Aspen stepped forward and extended his hand. "We are in agreement, then," he stated.
"Have your smiths cast this medallion in whatever metal you wish," he said. "Since you desire to protect the Blessed, we will honor Juros by allowing them--and only them--to pass through our border. This medallion will be a sign of the pact between us, and it will hold the magic of our barriers, so that we need not repair it every time someone passes through, so long as they present this medallion."
Jaran accepted the medallion and handed it to Beren. "Thank you, Prince Spruce. In recognition of your deference, my brother can draw up a plan of curfew for the residents of this haven, so that they are not passing back and forth all day long, but only some hours of the day, to lessen the impact upon your magical borders."
Aspen stepped forward and extended his hand. "We are in agreement, then," he stated.
Jaran shook hands with Aspen and Spruce, and Beren did the same. Thus secure in a resolution, the Elves withdrew across their border, stepping into thin air, it seemed, and vanishing completely. They left behind a thin golden band as the only evidence of the magical border.
Beren stepped forward and waved his hand over it, noting how his skin detected some kind of resistance, yet his arm did not disappear as the Elves had. He turned back to his brother.
"So... The Realm has Elves now?" He said with a snort. "Just wait till Zayra hears about this!"
"So... The Realm has Elves now?" He said with a snort. "Just wait till Zayra hears about this!"
Jaran let out a heavy sigh and shrugged. "I suppose it was bound to come out sooner or later. We were lucky they seemed to revere Juros and the Gifts more than anyone here." He rubbed his fingers over the etched surface of the medallion. The design on the front and back were almost incomprehensible, full of some otherworldly symbolism and markings in a foreign language.
Beren left instructions for the workers to continue building a fence around the whole region--of wood and stone this time, and not mere shrubbery--and the two brothers headed up toward the Castle.
Jaran felt his brother's frustration before he'd even said anything.
"What is it?" he asked.
"I'm just thinking of how to tell Zayra about the new curfew for the residents of Wildhaven."
Jaran felt his brother's frustration before he'd even said anything.
"What is it?" he asked.
"I'm just thinking of how to tell Zayra about the new curfew for the residents of Wildhaven."
Jaran threw up his hands. "What else was I supposed to do? We had to offer some kind of concession in response to theirs!"
"Yes, but we're building this so that the Gifted people can live freely, aren't we?" Beren pointed out. "There's not much freedom in being told when one can leave the neighborhood!"
"Yes, but we're building this so that the Gifted people can live freely, aren't we?" Beren pointed out. "There's not much freedom in being told when one can leave the neighborhood!"
Jaran smirked. "I'm sure the two of you can work things out so it doesn't feel unreasonable. We'll make medallions for everyone, so no one has to feel trapped." Jaran walked through the gates of his own city with a new appreciation for the security they provided. "Who knows? Maybe creating goodwill between us and the Elves can work out to our benefit. It's not like we're asking them to leave the gates open for us."
Beren shrugged and wandered off to find his wife, as Jaran felt Azelie's telepathic nudges as they approached the palace. Being king was a complicated role, to be certain!
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>
Present Day.... (Continued)
Inside Velora's headquarters within the Forest, Prince Spruce spoke slowly, with a grave expression. "The egg belongs to a dragon that, until a most unfortunate day long ago, thrived in a sanctuary within Elvendom, among her kind. All attempts to track down the missing dragon have turned up nothing--but thanks to your fortuitous discovery, we can at least return her egg to the sanctuary, in the hopes that she will return to raise it."
Velora pursed her lips. "How do you know this egg belongs to your dragon?"
Spruce met her gaze. "Our methods of tracking and distinguishing the particular dragons under our protection are far beyond your mortal understandings; be that as it may, how many dragons have you heard of in your lifetime? A dozen? Three? No, the dragon we seek is very likely the only one within this dimension. Not unlike us Elves, they have their own pocket of time-space in which they survive beyond the comprehension of any other species." He stepped forward. "Do you wish to once again defy the authority of Elvendom?"
Velora raised her hands and wagged her head. "No, you've made your case. By all means, take your egg and go."
Velora raised her hands and wagged her head. "No, you've made your case. By all means, take your egg and go."
"Why not?" asked the Elf Prince, maintaining a respectful distance.
Erlis kept her hand on the egg. "This hatchling is in the final stages of incubation. If you move it now--especially through the magical barrier--you risk destroying the life within, and incurring the wrath of the mother. If, as you say, both mother and child are in the same dimension, perhaps separating the two will invite unnecessary peril. On the other hand, allowing it to hatch might draw the mother back to the forest, where she and her Wyrmling can be reclaimed by your agents as soon as she reappears."
Spruce tapped his chin, the faint "bloodline scars" on his face glinting in the dappled sunlight. Finally, he nodded to Velora. "Very well; the Royal Seat of Elvendom recognizes Warden Velora as the temporary Guardian of this egg, the female dragon who produced it, until such time as the egg hatches, at which point she will be allowed to traverse the Barrier expressly for the purpose of returning both the dragon and the Wyrmling together." He plucked a Crossing Token out of the pouch on his belt and flipped it onto the table. "Just make sure you're carrying that when the time comes."
Velora nodded. "See you sometime soon, Spruce," she nodded toward the Prince.
He bowed and stepped out of the building, vanishing as he passed over the threshold.
Erlis tensed as she felt the heat of Velora's stare upon her back. "I..." she stammered. "I hope I did all right by you. The egg will need to be guarded and watched very closely until it hatches."
Erlis tensed as she felt the heat of Velora's stare upon her back. "I..." she stammered. "I hope I did all right by you. The egg will need to be guarded and watched very closely until it hatches."
The young man appeared, Sable close to his side. "Yes, Warden?" he asked.
Velora's eyes glinted and she gave her most vicious smile. "Congratulations!" she clapped him on the shoulder with a heavy hand. "You've just earned yourself Wyrmling duty."
Gavin gulped. "W-wyrmling?" he stuttered.
Velora jerked her thumb back toward the doorway. "Get in there and watch that egg you so helpfully found in my jurisdiction. The moment it hatches, or if you see any changes at all--anything, mind you--come and find me immediately." She turned to the guards flanking the entrance. "See that he doesn't leave here without my say-so."
Gavin wilted at the prospect of sitting indoors for an indefinite period. "Are you kidding me?" he whined.
Velora shrugged. "You can thank Madam Erlis for that. Remember! You watch that thing carefully. I don't want it seen, touched, felt, or otherwise sensed by another being!" She turned heel and marched away toward her secondary office.
Even Sable hung her head and dropped her tail as master and wolf headed into the small cabin. What a price to pay for a simple discovery!
>>>>>>>
Gavin wilted at the prospect of sitting indoors for an indefinite period. "Are you kidding me?" he whined.
Velora shrugged. "You can thank Madam Erlis for that. Remember! You watch that thing carefully. I don't want it seen, touched, felt, or otherwise sensed by another being!" She turned heel and marched away toward her secondary office.
Even Sable hung her head and dropped her tail as master and wolf headed into the small cabin. What a price to pay for a simple discovery!
>>>>>>>
Denahlia flicked listlessly through the day's files. Aurelle's outburst yesterday still rang through her head.
You shouldn't have left at all.
It wasn't like I had a choice. I was mind-wiped, dumped in another world missing nearly all my memories except ones that pertained to my position as assassin, and no idea how else to get back but to go through with it.
You had a duty.
And I had every intention of following through with it.
I hope wherever you went, it was worth it.
It wasn't like I had a choice. I was mind-wiped, dumped in another world missing nearly all my memories except ones that pertained to my position as assassin, and no idea how else to get back but to go through with it.
You had a duty.
And I had every intention of following through with it.
I hope wherever you went, it was worth it.
She sighed and clenched her fist, closing the file. Eyes shut, she enjoyed the blank blackness and massaged her temples. "You have no idea," she murmured to the inner voice.
"What is it?" Denahlia asked, accepting the gesture with a nod.
"Madam Watch," the soldier reported. "We responded to a spot-check request, on the grounds of suspected illicit activity, and found this man in possession of banned substances." He stepped aside to give her a glimpse of a hard-faced, bearded man standing bound between two more guards, vehemently attesting to his own innocence.
"I've done nothing wrong! I've only just arrived here--you cannot charge me for infraction when I had no prior knowledge of your laws!"
Denahlia rolled her eyes. Another one; they all tried the same excuse at first. "All right, bring him in for an interrogation."
"Very well, Madam Watch."
"I've done nothing wrong! I've only just arrived here--you cannot charge me for infraction when I had no prior knowledge of your laws!"
Denahlia rolled her eyes. Another one; they all tried the same excuse at first. "All right, bring him in for an interrogation."
"Very well, Madam Watch."
No sooner did she switch the screen off than another one popped up, accompanied by a "Citizens At Risk" alert. Denahlia blinked and leaned forward, squinting at the feed streaming before her. Was that--could it be? Surely such things did not exist!
"This I gotta see for myself!" Denahlia muttered, securing her pistols in their hip-holsters and throwing on her Harbor Watch cloak for good measure.
"This I gotta see for myself!" Denahlia muttered, securing her pistols in their hip-holsters and throwing on her Harbor Watch cloak for good measure.
The dockside sector was in an uproar. People screamed, fired off ballistics, and flourished weapons while running this way and that.
Denahlia stopped just on the edge of the fray, and squinted at the figure dodging this way and that along the rooftops. It roared, belching a stream of fire, and lifted into the air with a leathery flap of its wings.
A dragon! The only other dragon Denahlia had ever seen was when Erlis "upgraded" from a mere half-dragon to a full-sized dragon large enough for a person to ride on. This one didn't appear to be much larger than a greyhound--but where did it come from?
A dragon! The only other dragon Denahlia had ever seen was when Erlis "upgraded" from a mere half-dragon to a full-sized dragon large enough for a person to ride on. This one didn't appear to be much larger than a greyhound--but where did it come from?
Denahlia watched her soldiers work to clear the streets and calm the agitators. Finally, a squad arrived with nets, poles and shields, ready to subdue the beast.
She slapped her wrist, and a tiny hologram of Hayden appeared over her palm.
"Yes, Madam?" he rapped out quickly.
"Where are you?" Denahlia grunted. "It's madness out here!"
Hayden seemed to duck, and his hologram flickered. "Very sorry, Madam Watch. Gordon and his men were just checking a miscreant into holding when he sent word that--"
"Look out!"
"Yes, Madam?" he rapped out quickly.
"Where are you?" Denahlia grunted. "It's madness out here!"
Hayden seemed to duck, and his hologram flickered. "Very sorry, Madam Watch. Gordon and his men were just checking a miscreant into holding when he sent word that--"
"Look out!"
Denahlia barely had time to switch her focus from her hand to her present surroundings before the lithe, scaly body coasted within arm's reach. She lashed out, fingers spread, as if getting hold of it would stop all the frenzy. She felt the electrical charge building in her wrist, and as her fingers clamped down on the narrow tail, Denahlia released a flurry of sparks from her fingers into the dragon's scales.
Immediately, the body stiffened, and the soldiers descended, wrapping the immobilized animal in their nets.
Immediately, the body stiffened, and the soldiers descended, wrapping the immobilized animal in their nets.
A gap in the mesh over the dragon's flank gave Denahlia an unobstructed view of something that made her grab the nearest soldier and cry "Hold!" She made sure to keep her fingers relaxed, lest she paralyze him with a jolt as well.
He obediently froze, and Denahlia examined the mark closer. The casual observer might assume that this particular dragon had been wounded in battle, or injured in an accident; the scars weren't very large, and the pattern held no particular significance to anyone who didn't know. It was old enough that the broken scales had sloughed off, yet not quite enough time for the new scales to grow in. She counted the points on the small star at the center--seven, just like she remembered. The five small points around its perimeter stood out as obvious as the fingers on her hand. She just never expected to see it here in The Realm.
"Madam Watch?" The soldiers asked.
"Madam Watch?" The soldiers asked.
Denahlia blinked. Everyone had been herded back into their homes, and the injured were on their way to the medical clinic.
She swallowed and steadied herself with a deep breath. "Take it to holding," she commanded with a wave of her hand.
She swallowed and steadied herself with a deep breath. "Take it to holding," she commanded with a wave of her hand.
She trudged back to her office, fighting to suppress the flood of memories that came along with the seven-pointed star--the one she promised herself she'd never even think about again.
The Harbor Watch froze and raised her hands at the ready, arming the charge once more as she saw the dark gap around the edge of the door into her office. Hadn't she closed it when she left? She'd taken pains to make that habit second-nature--had it left her so soon?
Denahlia's feet made no noise as she crept up the steps at a steady pace, but on full alert. The space between her hands wobbled, and to her eyes it shifted to another color, showing black and purple shadows in the empty space, thin blue lines mapping out the metallic furniture and systems--and a large reddish blob glowing brightly with a yellow light, right at the center of the room.
Reaching the door, she didn't bother with any sort of caution. She slammed it open and sailed into the office, hands outstretched toward the intruder.
"Who are you?" She snarled. "What do you think you're doing? How dare you! I ought to--"
"Who are you?" She snarled. "What do you think you're doing? How dare you! I ought to--"
His own lips widened into a smile, and he pushed the hood back from his brow. "Well, hey there, ma'am," he drawled. The sound of his voice barely covered the soft clunk of a round being chambered in a handgun--not a sound she heard very much in a place like The Realm, but one with which she herself was very familiar.
Denahlia summoned the charge again and didn't even wait for the sensation to build. She grabbed a fistful of his collar and zapped him, using the momentum of his muscles firing to lift him out of the chair and toss him to the floor. His weapon skittered across the floor, far out of his reach. Regaining her cool, she took a seat in the newly-vacated chair and folded her hands on the desk.
"I'll ask you again: what are you doing here? Are you the one responsible for the dragon? Do I need to call the guards in to restrain you?"
"I'll ask you again: what are you doing here? Are you the one responsible for the dragon? Do I need to call the guards in to restrain you?"
The man coughed, gasping heavily as he rolled onto his hands and knees, working his way back to his feet again. He knew better than to retrieve his gun.
"Now, Denahlia," he rasped, doing his best to sound cool and collected. He even threw in a chuckle for good measure as he smiled up at her. "Is that any way to treat family?"
"Now, Denahlia," he rasped, doing his best to sound cool and collected. He even threw in a chuckle for good measure as he smiled up at her. "Is that any way to treat family?"
<><><><><><><><>
No comments:
Post a Comment