The House Of Whoosher... ;-)

[moonglum]

............Jerek heard a twig snap and turning, he saw a woman walking towards him. He held Taiman behind him with one hand and raised his sword. "Come no closer, whoever you are," he called out.
"You have nothing to fear from me, Jerek of the House of Courdes. Indeed, it is I, who shall be wary of you," she replied. "Where did you get that sword?"
She had stopped, well out of reach of his sword, and he looked at her now as if for the first time. Something about her was familiar. She was dressed in robes of white, much like a cleric would be. Her hair was short, almost cropped. and her young face looked somewhat boyish.
"Who are you," he said.
She smiled and replied, "I am the true Letitia, Queen of swords."
"You Lie," he shouted, "The dust of her bones blows in the wind as we speak!"
"The being you destroyed was a Lord of Chaos called Araemia. She and her brother Namirah sought to use you for their own ends. Jerek, where did you get that sword?" she repeated.
His head swam, they were playing their games again. She, in turn, could see the confusion and turmoil clouding his face.
"Jerek, listen to me," she said. "I don't think you realise what has happened here. You have slain a god, Jerek. There will be a price to pay. You have shifted the balance of power throughout the multiverse. I ask you again, Jerek,tell me how you come to possess that sword."
He snapped, "It was a gift I imagine, there on the coverlet when I awoke, but if it means that much to you, then you have it". So saying, he hurled the sword with all his might at her. She held up her hand and as she did so her body melted and swirled into the shape of a huge sword, the twin of the blade now arcing around her. His sword continued it's orbit and returned to his, still, outstreched hand.
" I cannot possess that blade, anymore than it's bearer can willingly relinquish it, Jerek. Just as I could not be here for you whilst Araemia existed on this Plane" she said.
Jerek looked at the sword, then at her, now human form and with trepidation slowly placed it on the ground at his feet. Looking up at her, he said, "Who are you?"

They sat on the hillside, watching Taimon riding one of the wild ponies in the meadow below, and she told him a story of gods, and of demons......................

[moonglum]

..........."I am indeed Letitia, Queen of Swords and daughter of Maros, Lord of the Middle Planes. We have held sway over these worlds for aeons and had, I suspect, become complacent, both in our arrogance and to a large extent, our ignorance," she paused and studied him for a moment and Jerek again saw something familiar in those eyes.
She smiled and continued, "Your legends have it that the gods left these worlds through boredom. Were it that simple!" she sighed. "We left to wage war. We were so sure of our strength, our invulnerability, our omnipitence...............call it what you will. In our naivety we had opened a rift between the, until then, undiscovered Planes. There we found beings, much like ourselves, just as powerful as ourselves but harbouring an insatiable taste for the darker side of nature". She looked at him again and said, "It came as something of a shock to us, to realise we were not alone on our 'pedestal'. So we deliberated and decided to eliminate the threat. We did two things first however. We realised that if we simply left and went to war, we may not have a realm to return to. To aid in this we formed the Arch of Time. It spanned the rift and had a support in each of the two Realms. In doing this we sought to tie the Realms together so that neither could exist without the other. How naive we were! What we didn't realise was that there were not just two Planes of existence, there were thousands..........millions.......... who really knows how many. You see Jerek, we were just beings, admittedly powerful beings, but beings nonetheless. We had effectively tied all the Planes together. Introduced evil where there was none before, introduced good were there was none, stirred in a mixture of both on some worlds. Our actions spanned the multiverse and, in that moment, we became Gods in the true sense of the word!"
Jerek stared at her and marvelled at her frankness, he felt humbled before her as he softly said, "What was your second preparation".
Letitia lifted an eyebrow and glared at him. A smirk worked it's way slowly around the corners of her mouth, "You are much like your father, Jerek....... direct! I like that". "We prepared for battle", she said.

"For this we forged two swords, each to be wielded by a Lord of Law, and endowed each blade with a 'personality'. These swords were each 'seeded' with two genes. One blade with the genes from your family and the Lord who used it and, the second from another family and the Lord that wielded it. Should either, or both, Lords perish, it was hoped the fight could at least be carried on by mortals. The swords, you see, cannot be used by a Lord of Chaos. My sister and I carried these blades into battle". Letitia sighed and looked into Jerek's eyes, "My sister was wounded and fell, her sword was lost, we thought, forever. As you can see I still posses my blade", she said holding open her robe, to reveal the second sword.
"The battle raged a long time and at last a fragile 'peace' was achieved. The multiverse was effectively 'balanced', with good reigning on some Planes, evil on others and on some Planes a mixture of both." She looked at him for a while before she continued. "A number of your years ago, it was rumoured that the blade you now possess was no longer lost, but in the hands of a demon. He, it was said, had somehow wrought a 'change' in the personality of the sword.. Tell me Jerek Courdes, are you a servant of Chaos?"
He was stunned that she should have to ask such a question. "If you are truly a goddess, then you should know the answer. You are, after all, supposed to be all-knowing", he said.
She laughed, a bright, happy laugh that lifted the heart. "You are correct, it was an impertinent question", she smiled.
There it was, there in her laugh, there in her smile. That was why she seemed familiar. "Elysha........", he said slowly, the truth dawning on him, ".........is your sister?"
"Yes Jerek. After the Great Battle, Elysha recovered but spent much of her time with the affairs of earthly creatures and it was feared her interference could upset the Balance. She was stripped of most of her powers and banished to this world".
Jerek said, "Then we were meant to be, I have her sword, your rumours were wrong and somehow she left it for me".
Letitia remained silent for a while before replying, "That is not possible Jerek. You see the sword with your gene hangs on my hip. You should not be able to possess that blade......................."

[moonglum]

"Will the witch be joining us?" said Jason. Silence, she continued to glare at him. He had been moving slowly, half a step at a time, keeping all his options open. He was now standing next to a wall lined with bookshelves, opposite the doorway.
"Have we met before?" Jason stalled. Still silence. A movement in the doorway again caught his eye as a servant ducked back behind the wall. Distractions, distractions he thought, as his left thumb clicked the selector on his pistol. "Tell him, if he does that again, I'll kill him". He watched 'green-eyes' look towards the doorway and as she did so his own eyes found what they were seeking. Middle shelf, mid-way along...........and he almost laughed aloud. A bound copy of Codex Sinaiticus, looking singularly out of place. Head and shoulders appeared in the doorway again.
In the space between heartbeats, Jason made three things happen.
First he fired at the door frame. The thermite-loaded dart hit the wood and exploded, taking with it a section of the wall and 'head-n-shoulders'.
Second, he moved away from the wall and kicked the chair across the room towards 'green-eyes' legs.
Finally, as smoke and dust billowed into the room, he stepped back to the wall.................and disappeared!

[moonglum]

As interested as he was, in finding out who the woman upstairs was, he didn't have time. If she was a servant of Namirah then, the hounds were on his heels! After operating the latch and stepping through the opening, he'd closed the bookcase again and was now rushing through a short passageway behind the wall. He reached the end and descended a flight of stone steps. He stopped on a landing and listened. No sound of pursuit, yet! he thought. Jason fished a crystal from his pocket and murmured over it. The tunnel was bathed in a bluish light. He continued downwards at a trot now. He had to reach the Pattern before they reached him. He'd sheathed his sword on the landing, in this enclosed space his guns were far more deadly.
Jason continued downwards for a long time and, after what seemed like hours, he found himself in a short tunnel leading to an iron-clad wooden door. He placed the crystal against the door and closed his eyes, recalling the incantation as he spoke it. The door swung inwards and he stepped through allowing it to close behind him. The door shimmered and disappeared, replaced by a solid rock wall. There was no escape for him now until he had done what he came to do.
Jason looked around. He was in a large cavern with rock walls and ceiling. No furnishings of any kind just bare space, except, in the centre of the floor stood a small stone obelisk. He walked towards it and as he did so he felt the cavern floor vibrating through his boots. Taking the crystal, he placed it carefully on the obelisk and walked quickly back to the wall where he had entered.
The floor slowly began to glow and soon a pattern emerged, etched into the very bedrock itself. It was a complex geometric pattern with many angles and curves. Jason had to walk the Pattern, following every line in a certain sequence. He must not repeat any line nor waiver from his course in the slightest. He walked around the glowing design and finding the start, Jason Korde began the walk of his life.

[moonglum]

.............Jerek studied her for a moment and said. "Then who left this 'gift' and where is Elysha?" The Queen of Swords sighed and said, "In truth I do not know where my sister is. She is 'hidden' from me and that worries me greatly. I do believe, however, she is no longer on this plane. We are Lords of Law, Jerek. If she were here I would know". Jerek was crestfallen, if what she said was true and there were indeed thousands of other Planes, then how would he ever find Elysha. It seemed an impossible task. He looked into Letitia's eyes and said, "Surely you can just go and find her, save her from any danger and return her here?"
"Ahh, naive young mortal, would that it were that simple! However, at this time, I am.....umm, not permitted, shall we say", she smiled. He shook his head in dismay and a hard edge crept into his voice, "You profess to being a God, yet you apparently can't, or won't, do anything to help your sister. What manner of God are you?"
"A very patient god". She snapped. "Now, as to the 'gift', as you call it. The sword is called Soulrazor and I think you should return it to the cave whilst we continue our discussion"..............

Jason was a third of the way through the Pattern now, each step becoming harder and harder to take. It was like walking through mud, his legs becoming heavier and heavier. Letitia had told him where to find the Pattern but, not on which plane. The bedrock, she said, may exist on all planes, only a few however held the focal points of power. She had imprinted the Pattern in his mind so he remembered the exact sequence. She hadn't told him how difficult it would be though. He had searched for lifetimes, fought a hundred wars, feasted on a thousand souls and now! His sword was beginning to pull him down, Soulrazor was testing itself against his balance. Almost as if it wanted to stop him doing this.............almost as if it knew!

[moonglum]

............"Araemia and her brother Namirah have used you Jerek. Indeed, they are still using you! They have achieved the impossible, they have united the four other families. They have lured them over to the darkside. Their only obstacle was the Courdes family. Although your family arbitrated many disputes, your father was a good friend Jerek. We were saddened by his loss." She sat thoughtfully for a while, before she continued. "I believe the spirit, soul if you will, of Araemia lives on in Soulrazor. Namirah is holding Elysha hostage and will come for you Jerek. He will use my sister to force you to his cause. Were it not for my intervention, he would also possess Taimon. Alas they vanished through the portal before I could try to help Elysha."
Jerek studied the ground and whispered, "Then all is lost, she could be anywhere!"
"Namirah has his heart set on dominating the Middle Planes, I believe they are here somewhere," she replied.
Jerek shook his head in dismay, "That means hundreds of worlds!"
"The balance has shifted so much that I am powerless to assist you in this search. I can, however, give you two things which will help you later," she said. Letitia opened the top of her robe and withdrew a gold chain from around her neck. At the end of the chain was a blue crystal amulet. "The gold will buy you passage where needed, but the amulet you must keep. Do not lose it Jerek, it will be important one day!"
"How will I know when and where............" he began. Letitia smiled and placed her forefinger on his forehead, and the world exploded. A myriad of thoughts and images rushed into his mind..........a tall tree in a garden.............a house, his house..........a blazing pattern............hundreds of images..........an old woman......... a younger woman with a pot............a cavern................ more than his head could cope with.............a bright blue crystal...........one, no two, Lurkers..........a dark figure in a tavern............a gravestone. The pictures rushed round and round in his head until nausea overcame him and he passed out.

Jerek awoke to find her gone. The amulet was still in his hands and Taimon was walking up from the meadow towards him. He, shakily, climbed to his feet and quickly tucked the gem in his shirt. He put his arm around his sons shoulder and together the walked towards the cave. In the morning he would arrange for one of his families servants to look after the boy...........................

[moonglum]

..............Jerek was packing the horses at dawn, when the Gothmiri attacked. He heard them enter the clearing in front of the cave and turned to face them. Rushing into the cave he snatched up Soulrazor from the bed and called for Taimon. No answer. He checked the other rooms and found nothing. His heart racing, he returned to the main room just as the first of them came through the opening. Without hesitation he swung Soulrazor and decapitated the ogre. The warmth of fire coursed up his arms and through his body. Side-stepping an axe, he drove his sword low under the next ogre's arm and blazed into an inferno. He was a dervish, fighting and killing his way out of the cave, into open ground. The more that came at him, the more he defeated; and the more he killed, the stronger he became. He had no concept of time. It was as if the world had stopped, while he continued his spree of slaughter. He heard the axe glance off the branch just behind him and tried to dodge the blow. Even so the ogre's axe-haft caught his shoulder and sent him tumbling down the knoll. He kept his grip on his sword and leapt to his feet, the Gothmiri nearly upon him. Jerek swung low and hamstrung the ogre, as he fell Soulrazor slid easily through his neck. As Jerek raced back up the slope he heard movement in the trees to his left. He turned and lunged. From behind a tree the Gothmiri stepped, holding the struggling Taimon in his arms. Soulrazor speared the boy and carried on through the Gothmiri, pinning them both to the tree.................

..............NOOOOOOOOOO, his screams lifted the clouds and awoke the heavens................

.............Jerek remembers little of that day, nor of the following night. He remembers nothing of the carnage that followed. How he killed two hundred Gothmiri and even after they were dead, how he continued hacking the bodies to pieces. The one thing he does remember is killing his own son...................

Maros, Lord of the Middle planes, and his daughter Letitia stood on the Pinnacle and looked down through the clouds.
"Will he suspect daughter?" He asked.
"No" she snapped, " he will be too consumed with his grief to realise."
Maros looked at his daughter and said. "It had to be done. A Courde soul and gene was needed to purge Araemia from the blade. We need Jerek as our champion, there was no other left."
Letitia continued to look down as a tear formed in the corner of her eye. "I know," she sighed.

[moonglum]

Two thirds now and Jason was sweating. The short lanyard held the hilt of Soulrazor securely in its sheath and the leather thong strapped it to his leg. Still he could feel it fighting him. There were two small circles in the Pattern, one at the start and another half way through. Letitia had told him he was permitted to stop briefly here, but not for too long. He'd injected himself with a stimulant and continued onwards. His legs felt like lead and he was dragging his left foot against the, now, dead weight of the sword. He limped on. Jason rested his hand on Soulrazor's hilt for a moment and................his mind went blank!
Flash, like a camera.......... He was on the Pinnacle. Araemia was sitting on the arm of a chair. Seated in the chair was a younger man. Jason kept limping forward. The man was himself, from a time long ago. They were laughing at him! He growled and went to reach for his sword. His hand was already..........Flash......... he was walking the Pattern, staring at his, now empty hand. He looked down and lurched to his left. He had come to the end of an arc and one more step would have seen him off the Pattern. He was on the zig-zag now which wound it's way to the centre circle.
Finally, Jason reached the centre and limped around it's circumference. When he arrived at his entry point he stepped into the circle and collapsed to the floor. As he lay there panting, he heard voices.
"Jerek, my love, stop now."
"My name is Jason," he cried.
"Jerek please, it is me, Elysha."
"No, I am Jason!"
"Father."
"No"
"Father please it is.........."
"No, No, No," Jason got on all fours and, shaking his head, crawled towards the obelisk.
"No," he reached up with his left hand and placed it on the pulsing blue crystal. Slowly he drew himself upright and unfastened the hilt of his sword.
"No," he drew the quiescent blade from it's scabbard.
"No," he held the blade aloft. He shouted "My name is Jason Korde. Namirah I have come for your heart and soul." So saying, he brought the hilt crashing down on the jewel and the world around him erupted. Columns of light and sheets of flame burst towards the heavens. Jason watched as the blade of Soulrazor slowly turned to black, dark shapes slithered from her keen edge and swirled into figures. Figures, that melted away as the blade turned slowly back to sky blue. All, except one. The misty figure of a boy rose slowly upward in the shaft of light, towards the heavens. "Look after him, Letitia." Jason whispered.
He felt the blade lift him off the ground until he was above the crystal and in the main column of light.

Jason was back on the Pinnacle. He felt strong, whole and clean.
Letitia and an old man in white robes stood before him.
Jason moved to speak, "Is he s....."
Letitia stopped him. "Do not speak of him here," she said.
Maros studied Jason and said, "Are you ready, my son?"
"Yes."
"Then you must return and renew some old acquaintances."
Letitia stepped forward and held the blue crystal up to Jason's forehead. The jewel felt warm and fleshlike against his skin. When she withdrew her hand, she no longer held the jewel. "Wha..........." he began, and felt the ground disappear from beneath his feet.

[moonglum]

................Had this been a city gate, and not a little known portal between the Realms, the guards would have been sickened by the blood-stained horseman that approached. Psychiatrists, soothsayers and seers all had names for his condition, but after the loss of his family, the loss of his love and now the murder of his son, his mind chose to forget everything. His amnesia was not selective, he remembered nothing except how to function. As it was, no-one saw the rider as he entered the portal, and to the people of this Realm, Jerek Courdes simply ceased to exist.
He became aware of the smell, more than anything. He had been wandering for days now, shunned by everyone he met. His head was pounding, his stomach growling, but most distracting of all was the smell. His horse had been leading him, truth be known, from one stream or pasture to another. This time he led the horse to water. He dismounted and, walking to the waters edge, he stared at his reflection for some time. He saw the soiled rags he wore and the bloodied face for the first time and wondered......where....what, and then.....who am I? He washed as best he could in the stream and looked at the pile of rags. Wondering what his saddle bags contained, he walked over to the horse and the smell hit him again. Opening one of the bags, he reached in and withdrew...............the severed head of an ogre.
After he'd finished retching, he threw the head into the bushes and washed his clothes as best he could. He needed to find food and shelter, try to find out who he was and what had happened to him. He led the horse back to the road and began walking for a while. Night was falling as he neared a crossroads and heard riders approaching, fast. They reigned in and stopped alongside. They were soldiers.
"Is your horse lame?" one called.
"No," he said, "just tired."
"Are you going to join up with Stephens forces on the coast?" the soldier asked and without waiting for an answer he continued, "We'll be making camp soon, you're welcome to join us. Gods, man, you look as if you've been in some battle!"
Later that night they sat around their campfire eating, drinking and talking of the coming war. The country it seems, was divided, with King Stephen controlling the south and his cousin Maude, the north. "Aye, if Maude has her way she'll be on the throne by yuletide, you see if I'm right," one of the men said loudly. The leader who had first spoken to him at the crossroads, leaned in and said. "So you remember nothing then, not even your name."
"Nothing, I must have taken a blow to the head," he replied. "J..........no, I don't remember."
"Jason, it's got to be. It's Jason, you see if I'm right," said the loud one.
"Could be John," said another.
"How about Jacob," said a third.
He thought for a while and said, "Jason sounds familiar."
"Then, Jason it is," said the leader.
"Told you," said loud-mouth to no-one in particular.
The next morning they rode on to the coast and enrolled with King Stephens army. The first of many armies that Jason would join.

The Gods, for their part, left him alone. They needed him toughened, they needed him taught, they needed him strong. They needed a champion..................

[moonglum]

As he fell, Jason felt the memories returning. The jewel embedded in his forehead held the remainder of his memories from long ago. He knew now who they were and why they met here at this house. He looked to his right and saw a dark winged shape following him down and, as the wind whipped his hair, he laughed aloud.
His descent slowed and he touched to earth lightly by the ruined front door. "Time first to right a wrong," he mused. Jason walked towards the old fountain. The Lurker lifted his head and hissed vengeance at him. Then it saw over his shoulder the dark shape towering above him. Orion cowed slightly and quietened. Jason knelt before the gargoyle and saw, in the shelter of his wing, enough dust to work with. He took a sharp knife from his coat and made a small cut in his left palm. As the blood dripped onto the small pile of dust, Jason whispered and the jewel in his forehead glowed brightly. The dust began to swirl, as if fanned by a non-existant wind, and as he stepped back, the form of the slain Lurker was resurrected before his eyes. He smiled at the pair and said, "You can keep my friend company until I return." Jason turned and walked through the main doorway. He stopped before the dining room doors and thought, "That was the easy part."
Jason pushed open the doors and walked into the dining hall, "I believe you have been expecting me," he announced to the assembled group.

[moonglum]

......................Through the centuries that followed Jason fought in many armies and on many worlds. His strength and longevity came from his sword, and he revelled in it. His days were spent, always at first, on friendly terms with his fellow soldiers. Until the fighting started, that is. Then, he was slowly shunned by everyone around him. After a while no-one would fight alongside him. They all became aware, and afraid, of his thirst for battle, and his dark blade. His nights were no better. He was haunted by strange visions. Faces and places would come to him in his dreams. A woman and a boy were always there, indistinct, but always there somewhere. When his days became too lonely and his nights too wakeful, Jason would move on. Another Plane, another world, another army; it didn't matter. There is always a battle somewhere.

To say he remembered nothing at all is maybe slightly misleading, for he remembered the portals. Not where, or what, they were specifically. He just felt a need, a 'call', draw him to them. Jason knew they were a means of escape. From what, and to what, however, he was never quite sure. Some adventures are sought after, while some are thrust upon us.

This world was much the same as all the rest, although more peaceful than most. He was in a place called Meshecan, on a world somewhere in the future. He was looking for one of their 'Eaterias', to get some food. When his attention was drawn to a group of people coming out of one of the huge dwellings. There was a girl standing with the group, and as he drew near, she looked up and smiled at him. Jason saw her eyes for the first time and realised, behind them was a mind older, and wiser, than he had thought. Those eyes had blue dots, like planets whirling in space. He blinked and sensed a darkness surrounding her and ......fire, he saw fire. Again he blinked and the feeling was gone. Smiling back, he walked on, feeling strangely disconcerted by her. These 'daylight' visions had been occurring more frequently of late.............

[moonglum]

...........Jason was riding hard. His men had just been massacred and, sword or no, he had been heavily outnumbered and was now fleeing for his life.
He rode into the village dismounting as he rounded the first of the huts. He slapped the horse on it's way and ducked behind a woodpile at the rear of one of the dwellings.

The soldiers came round the corner as Jason stepped out swinging his sword. He crippled the first beast and brought most of the rest down on top of it. It took but minutes to kill them all, enough of a breathing space now to reach the coast. He felt an odd itching at the nape of his neck and, turning, saw a woman staring hard at him. She had long dark hair with streaks in and small bottles of some sort at her waist. As she stared she raised one hand to her mouth and began to point at him with her other hand. She started towards him, the vials making small 'chinking' noises as she walked. He was mesmerised, transfixed, by her. Her mouth was moving but he couldn't hear anything. He was surely bewitched, he thought. Jason shook his head and the contact was broken. He turned and fled between the huts, found his horse and by nightfall was on his way to the coast.

That night Jason had the first of his memories resurface. He was on his way to board a ship when he became dizzy and faltered. He ducked into a tavern and sat down. Memories flooded back. He saw himself with his family. He knew all their names, who they were. He saw himself burying them all and relived the horror all over again. This time, however, it seemed more detached as though he were an observer to anothers fate. But he knew he wasn't...........

[moonglum]

...................It was just like all the other worlds, different reasons, different uniforms; same blood and death.

Jason was sitting in a tavern one night, keeping his own company and watching the other soldiers throwing knives into a dead body. In a corner seat a young woman was sitting with her back to the wall. Next to her a man was whispering in her ear. They were both swathed in shadows, but Jason could feel the man's eyes staring at him. His hand found the hilt of his sword, and without knowing why, he was about to rise from the table when, the pair got up and left.

He was still sitting there, an hour later, when she came in. A silence descended over the tavern and all eyes were on her. She made a sign with the fingers of her right hand and everybody carried on, as if she wasn't there. But she was, and it was his table she walked over to. She sat opposite him and made a second sign. The innkeeper appeared from nowhere and placed a cup of water in front of her. Jason felt as if she was in his mind as she stared into his eyes.
"It is almost time, Jerek," she said.
"You have mistaken me for someone else, I'm afraid," he replied.
"I think not Jason! Your name is Jerek Courdes and you are without memory of me. I, on the other hand, know everything about you."
She looked deep into his eyes and he felt memories returning. Flashbacks.....a woman........a cave in a hillside......... his heart beat wildly...........he loved her........Elysha!
His balled fist pounded the table. "Where is she, Letitia?"
"She is close Jerek." She watched him, ready to give him back his life. Still she would withhold the final piece. Not sure how he would react to learning the fate of his son. Not quite sure if he was indeed ready yet.
"That man no longer exists," he said, "My name is Jason Korde."
"As you wish. Soon you will have the chance to save Elysha, but first there are things you need to know," she continued.
"You will tell me where she is , now!" he growled. Now she was sure.
"Not yet, soon!" and with that she restored the last of his memories. All except those concerning Taimon. She had decided to tell him about the boy, be economical with the truth, and see where this led. As she spoke Letitia watched him closely. She saw the tear form, she saw the first signs of grief swept from his face, to be replaced with rage and anger. Good, she thought. This I can deal with, this I can work with.
"Where is Namirah," he said through clenched teeth.
"He is on a world in this Plane. Here he is called Ahriman," she answered.
"I care not for his name, I want his heart," said Jason.
"I'm not sure he has a heart, but you can amuse yourself looking for it," she smiled.
"Do not mock me Letitia, you may be alike for all I know." He was tiring of this.
She shrugged and placing her finger against his forehead, said, "Do you still have the jewel?"
"Yes," he whispered.
"Good. In seven days time the spheres will align and allow you to pass from this world to his. Any earlier and you will wander, lost forever. Araemia's spirit lies dormant at the moment but as soon as you arrive she will try to wrest control of Soulrazor from you. Only the spirit of your son can help you here. You must reach the cavern of the Pattern as soon as possible. When you've walked the Pattern the blade will be purged." She didn't tell him the rest. Too much too soon, she thought.
"What of Taimon?" He asked.
"His spirit will pass on, along with the others," she sighed.
"Not good enough Letitia. You, along with these others, have used and abused me. Not good enough." He sat there thoughtful for a while, then said. "I'll make a bargain with you. I'll do everything you ask and in return you save Taimon."
"I told you once that there will be a price for slaying a god Jason Korde, you may well fail and die," she said.
"Then we all lose!" he replied.........................

[moonglum]

..................Some days later Jason found himself in a different part of the town. He had a slight wound and was looking for a healer he had been told about. As he walked down the path a woman came out of a wicker gate and, still some distance away, vanished between the buildings. He wasn't sure, but from a distance she reminded him of the girl in the tavern. He continued on and, opening the gate, he entered a garden.
"And who might you be?" said a voice.
Jason stopped in his tracks. The pathway led between tall shrubs for some distance and ended in a magnificent, tall oak tree. He couldn't see anyone.
"I'm sorry, I was looking for a healer," Jason replied.
"Then you have found her," said the voice, behind him.
Jason, startled, turned around to find one of the most beautiful women he'd ever seen. He openly stared at her in awe. There was something warm, yet strong, about her, and for the life of him he could not tell how old she was. She looked young but composed herself with a dignity that implied the wisdom of age.
"Do not look so surprised, young man." She said, as she closed the gate behind her. "Come with me." She stepped between two bushes and led him down a smaller pathway that ended in a clearing enclosed by a grassy bank. "Sit down here and show me you........." It was as if she saw him for the first time. It was her turn to stare now. She slowly raised her forefinger up to Jason's forehead and lightly traced a circle. Snatching back her hand she said. "Go, you must leave here now. You must leave this realm, your time is not yet come, go..................ferie her straks!"
Jason was bewildered. He turned and left. Damn healers, witches all of them, he thought as he trudged back up the lane.
What had she said...'ferie here straks'....leave here now! He knew the language. He also knew he had never learnt it, heard it or spoken it before. This was Letitias doing, he was sure of it. How then did the healer know of it or him? She recognised him, he was sure. He turned back, determined to question her, and realised he'd walked further than he imagined. "To hell with them," he growled.....................


(The language in italics is an amalgam of Norwegian and Danish, both very similar anyway. It is intended to represent Old Norse. Old Norse appears to have died out somewhere around the 1600's and since very little was ever commited to paper, virtually none survives today. Strangely enough The Lords Prayer is one piece which did survive to translation, try as I might I couldn't find a use for it though! MG)

[moonglum]

They came from an island called Eyinhelgh in the Noronze Ocean. They held sway over their lands long before the Lords assumed their godly status. Fair of face, with long blonde hair, they rode their magnificent beasts of the air. For thousands of years they ruled their kingdoms defeating any enemy with strange magiks and the might of their mounts. Then one day the dragons began to die out. No new eggs had been laid in a long time and as the oldest of them passed on, there were no young to take their place.
Without their dragons the Linjaldrage withered and began to die off too. Soon, within a few hundred years, there was only one surving dragon and rider left. His name was Garak Kurhn and together with what remained of his family and retainers, he left the islands of his birth. He settled in an uninhabited mountainous region on a far off mainland. Here they built a new settlement and eventually other villages and farms sprang up around them. They called their new world Orkadia. Eventually Lauralen, the last dragon, died. Garak buried her with honour and erected a stone circle to mark her grave. Within a year Garak too was gone and the Dragon Rulers passed into legend.


Letitia and her father stood on the Pinacle and watched as Jason Korde resurrected the gargoyle.
"Has he all his memories now?" asked Maros.
"Yes," said his daughter. "He has the race memory of his ancestors as well as all his own. The combination of the amulet and the Pattern has made him whole at last."
"He has powers beyond his comprehension, tread carefully my daughter."
"He will need them all in what lies ahead," she said.

[moonglum]

.................Letitia met with Jason twice more during the next seven days. The first time he told her of his meeting with the healer. She dismissed it as coincidence. He pressed her about the language, what it was, how could he know it? She was evasive, "I have set into motion certain things to aid you," was all she would say on the matter. The meeting ended acrimoniously, he got up and left.

The second time they met was in front of the portal. He'd left the town and camped out in the hills nearby. Preferring his own company while he waited. He was about to go through, when she appeared in front of him.
"I cannot accompany you to that world Jason, it is forbidden. If you are successful in completing the Pattern, then we will meet once more on the Pinnacle. After that it will be up to you."
Once more she placed a finger against his forehead and instantly he knew the house, it's layout and all roads leading to it.
"Good luck Jason," she said.
"If you have planned well Letitia, luck shouldn't have anything to do with it." He brushed past her and stepped through..............

[moonglum]

........It was a days walk through open countryside to the house. Jason could have used the roads, maybe signed one of their chariots to stop for him. He didn't feel comfortable on anything other than horseback though. He'd gathered together what weapons he thought he'd need. One of the advantages of fighting in many different time-lines, on many different worlds, was his extensive knowledge of weaponry. He'd found some clothes in his chest he thought would fit in reasonably well. Everthing else he'd left at the camp. He may be going back. Chances are he wouldn't.

Jason started thinking about Elysha as he walked. Would she still be alive? If he'd retained his memory for all those years, would he still have remained true to her. Would he have given up! No, he was convinced of one thing.......he loved Elysha. He stopped and sat down on a fallen tree trunk. Why was it then, he could not recall her face. Lately, other doubts had begun to surface too. Now he examined them more closely. Why, he thought, has Namirah waited all this while. He has held Elysha hostage all these years and not once has he attempted any form of contact, any threat, any.........anything! This was all beginning to make less and less sense the more he thought about it.

Around the middle of the afternoon it started to rain and didn't let up. Jason came to a road and decided he would follow that for a while. He was thirsty, cold and hungry when he saw up ahead a tavern of some sort. As he turned off the road one of their two-wheeled chariots roared out. He heard the laughter of the two girls riding it echo in his head as they rode away from him. When he reached the building however, he found it boarded up. It looked as though it had been deserted for years. An old doll, the only evidence of habitation, lay face down in the dirt. Jason picked it up and turned it over. He dropped it in disgust. Someone had deliberately burnt the face off.

Back on the highway he resigned himself to another long walk.........................

[moonglum]

......................He had not walked very far before he saw, walking towards him, another man in the distance. The gap between them slowly closed until they were no more than a few yards apart. It was like looking into a mirror. Jason stared at himself.
"What trickery is this?" he growled.
"Go back Jerek Courdes, you may not pass. Go back Soul-Taker."
Jasons hand went to his sword and he made to step forward.
'No; this is a vision Jason, a mirage nothing more, ignore it'.
The voice in his head was insistant, commanding. It was Letitia. He walked forward, kept walking and the vision disappeared. He took two more steps before he heard the laughter behind him. Not this time, he thought, as he whirled round sword in hand.
This time, he faced four women. Standing, silently side by side, was a witch-woman, he'd met in a village many years ago; the girl from the tavern, and try as he might, he still could not make out her face; then the woman with the bottles at her waist who had tried to tell him something. Finally behind the three and slightly elevated stood the figure of the healer who had spoken to him in a strange language. The three in front were speaking, he could see their lips moving, but again he heard nothing. Was this another mirage or one of 'his' visions? He had no way of knowing. Letitias voice was silent in his head this time.
"Enough!" he shouted as he turned away and continued his journey. After a while Jason looked back. They were still there, slowly following on behind.......................

[moonglum]

She sat alone in a room of pure white stone. The furnishings were of a colour just dull enough to distinguish them. In front of her on a low table lay a large silver frame, the centre of which shimmered like a pool of water. In this pool she watched Jasons progress. She had watched over him for a long time. What started out as a quest, quickly turned to obsession for her. She found herself coming to this place more and more often. She found herself wanting to help him in his battles. When he was lost, she wanted to comfort him. When he was hurt, she wanted to hold him. When he.........she wanted him. With every sense, every fibre of her body she wanted him. She stood up and walked towards a wall. As she did so a window appeared overlooking the clouds. She stood looking out at nothing but her own thoughts. This is madness, she thought. How has it come to this. His pain and suffering are my pain and suffering.

A door appeared and an old woman entered. She hobbled over and sat down. "How does our hero fare today Letitia," she said.
Letitia choked back a sigh and replied. "As well as can be expected. It is still too soon to tell."
"I see he has some company, is this your doing?"
"No," said Letitia as she crossed to the frame and peered in. She touched her finger to the pool and concentrated. Her thoughts would be heard by Jason alone. She watched as he walked forward and the solitary figure disappeared. Only to be replaced by a group of women.
"What is this?" she muttered. Is this the work of Namirah. No, it can't be. He cannot know Jason is coming. Only once the Pattern has been walked will he know. This is someone else.......but who?
"Who are they dear?" asked the old woman.
Letitia sat down next to her and said, "I don't know".
"Look," crowed the old woman, "These have not left, they are following him".
Letitia looked and wondered who was doing this. We thought we were choosing a champion, she mused, but what if someone else had already chosen him. The person who left the sword for Jerek to find?. She had assumed it was Araemia and her plans had gone awry but what if it wasn't. Someone else was manipulating events long before that..............

[moonglum]

The old woman talked in circles for a long time. Letitia appeared to be listening but, as always, her thoughts were with Jason. She had tried, for her sisters sake, to focus on the task at hand but, to no avail. The more she watched him and thought of him, the deeper her feelings for him grew. She had resisted temptation for a long time, convincing her father and the others that her interest was purely clinical. Deep down she had known, as far back as the hillside by the cave. She had seen, as Jason watched his son ride the wild pony, that he was a good man inside. It saddened her to think of the suffering that would follow. When his son was slain she knew and accepted the reasons why, but still she cried and felt his pain. They hadn't expected the memory loss, but when it happened she seized on it, to counteract her own bitterness as well as his. She had moulded him then, into a machine, a fighting machine. Leading him by the nose from one world, one army, one battle..........to the next. Finally, she had hurt him more than the deepest of wounds ever could. She had given him back his memory. She had made him see the death of his son over and over again in his dreams. Letitia had made up her mind to save Taimon even before Jason had bargained for the boys life. She was unprepared however for what happened when they met in front of the portal. She had made contact and passed into his mind important information about his destination. What disturbed her was that he made a connection with her mind. He repeated his plea for a bargain, only this time he had offered her his soul.

[moonglum]

Back in the days of the Linjaldrage, before they passed into history. The council of elders, aware of their impending fate, came to a decision. They nominated a warrior to attempt to preserve their lineage. She was given the last remaining dragon egg and sent far into the WesterLands to seek a mage. Her name was Eren and after many weeks travelling she came to a place called Uskylnort. High on a clifftop she found a dwelling like none she had ever seen before. It was a palace of obsidian. Up close, it was the greenest, darkest material she had ever seen, and yet from far away it's reflections blazed like the very sun itself. Her dragon Mervina was quartered in huge stables and Eren was shown into a great hall lined with statues of gold.
"Welcome Eren, I have been expecting you."
Eren looked at the old man as he approached her. He looked very old, and yet he walked through the hall with the purposeful stride of a man much younger.
"My name is Ronaan. I believe you have been searching for me?"
"I was not aware you were expecting me," said Eren warily.
"My dear, one of the advantages of age is the knowledge that one aquires through it. However, one of the disadvantages lies in trying to remember most of it, eh," Ronaan chuckled. "I believe you have something for me!"
At that moment a servant appeared and whispered something in Ronaans ear. He looked at Eren with concern on his brow.
"What.........." she began.
"Come with me," he said and walked towards a doorway in the side of the hall. He led her through corridors until they reached a courtyard and quickly crossed it. Opening a door, they entered the rear of the stable where Mervina was housed.

The dragon was lying on her side. Her scales had paled in colour and her breath came in short gasps.
"What is this, what have you done?" cried Eren. She turned on Ronaan, then stopped. The jewel embedded in her forehead pulsed lightly. Turning back, she knelt and placed her forehead against Mervinas.The relationship between dragon and it's rider goes far deeper than friendship. Neither is master and neither is servant. There is a telepathic life-long bond which ties each to the other from birth to grave. Like some twins, they live their lives feeling each others emotions, anticipating each other thoughts and deeds. Mervina had reached the end of her life-cycle. The recent travels had been too much for a dragon of her years. Now, as Eren wrapped her arms around Mervinas head, the dragon quietly closed her eyes for the last time.

Eren knelt by her sobbing, for a long while. When she finally looked up she saw she was alone. She left the building by the same door and outside a servant waited.
"My master extends his sympathies for your loss and asked me to show you to your quarters. He said he would like to talk and take refreshment with you in the great hall, when you feel able." Turning away, the servant led her back through the palace, up flights of steps until they reached her room.
"When you are ready, just ring the bell by the bed," said the servant, and left her. Eren felt emotionally and physically drained. She lay on the bed and was soon fast asleep. While she slept, she dreamed. She dreamt of a man with long flowing white hair. The jewel in his forehead meant he was a Linjaldrage, like her. He wore a long white coat and weilded a sword, unlike any she had seen before. He rode a dragon, he rode Mer....................Uhh, she woke with a start.

[moonglum]

Letitia couldn't help him, she couldn't be with him. The balance would not permit her presence on that world. If she were to try, she would simply cease to exist, and Chaos would gain another foothold. Indeed, that was the reason they had chosen a mortal champion. If it were as simple as her going, there would have been no need for Jason Korde. So they had chosen Jason, and they had chosen well. Letitia had discovered his true lineage, she knew the significance of the Pattern, she had found the jewel on that world and now Jason was almost complete.

She watched as he continued his journey towards the house and pondered over things. Who had left the sword for Jerek/Jason to find? Who was haunting him with these wraiths/visions? Why had he offered her his life, his soul, for that of his son? Did he know of her feelings for him and had he given up on the idea of finding Elysha alive. Moreover, had his feelings for Elysha changed. She had assumed that when his memory was restored, so his love for Elysha would return and be as strong as before. Questions, questions............but no firm answers!

All she knew for sure was her love for him was growing stronger by the day.

[moonglum]

Eren sat on the edge of the bed and wiped the sleep from her eyes. She had been asleep for some hours, it was now night outside. Her bag was on the floor and she quickly inspected it. The egg was safe, the bag had not been touched. She felt tired and her joints ached. This is how it will be from now on, she thought. She will age more quickly, now that Mervina has gone. Until, soon, she herself will be ready to cross over. She inspected the room and found a doorway to a smaller room equipped with a large wooden tub. A series of pipes along the wall fed channels which ran into the tub. Eren felt the pipes and one of them felt hot. Opening a spigot she watched, amazed, as hot water rapidly filled the tub. After she had bathed and changed from her riding clothes, she rang the bell. The servant appeared almost at once.
"I'm sorry I seem to have slept longer than intended, is it too late to eat," asked Eren.
"No mistress, my master said he would wait at your pleasure. If you will follow me please."

They left her room and walked along the corridor to a door at the end. The servant opened the door and ushered her into a private chamber decorated with tapestries and elegant murals on the walls. Ronaan rose from a table and dismissed the servant.
"Welcome Eren," he said, "due to the lateness of the hour, I thought it would seem less formal if we dined in here."
He walked round the table and held a chair for her as she sat down. The table was overflowing with more food and wine than Eren had seen in a long time. Ronaan sat down and looked at her. "I can see by your expression, you have many questions," he said.
"I was entrusted with the last remaining egg, and told to bring it here. Why? Why am I here?" She asked.
Ronaan steepled his fingers and rested his chin on them as he studied her face for a few moments, before replying. "You have come here to die. Eren."

[moonglum]

Eren knew he was right, even before he said it. In the short walk from her room, she felt older, even more tired. She sat and picked at her food, moving food around the plate rather than eating it. She listened as Ronaan told her why she felt this way.
The symbiosis between Mervina and herself had ended with Mervina's death. Their mutual bonding had sustained both their lives far longer than would normally have been the case. Now with the roots dead, the rest of the plant would wither and die. It can take years, sometimes, but in this case the bond between them was very strong and therefore, all the more noticeable by its absence. Ronaan estimated the end to be days, maybe even hours, away.
At the end of the meal Eren rose from the table and said.
"Then I must begin at once, Mervina must be buried with honour."
"Fear not Eren, I will see to it. I am well versed in your lore and I promise, you will both be well cared for, in life and in death."
The next morning a servant came to Ronaan and told him the lady Eren had passed away during the night.

The bodies were preserved and placed in a chapel tomb for the time being. Ronaan then drafted in all the men he could from the surrounding district and they started work. Using brute force and magic they excavated a shaft down through the floor of the great hall. At a depth of three miles down, they were stopped by a barrier. Ronaan used his magic and opened a chamber inside the barrier. Here, they brought the skeleton of Mervina and Ronaan laid out the bones in an intricate geometric pattern. He buried Eren's body in the centre and erected an obelisk atop which he placed the egg. When all was complete, the chamber was resealed and the shaft filled in.

After the passing of years, many thousands of years, the civilisations of Ronaan's time were long gone and the palace of obsidian had long ago eroded into dust.

[moonglum]

..................Jason's long walk through the pouring rain was almost at an end. He crested a hill and there, in the near distance, he saw the house. The rain had lessened, though not by much. Jason turned to look behind him. The vision, if that's what it was, had gone. Along with it the wraiths, if that's what they were. The women had apparently shepherded him far enough. He turned back to look once more at the house. It stood atop a high cliff, overlooking the sea, even at this distance he could hear the breakers pounding the beach below. There was something else. A tingling through his boots, a faint warmth in his feet. Jason shrugged and walked on. He came to a small wood and made his way slowly through the thick undergrowth of brambles and bracken. Between the final trees he could see a graveyard and a woman kneeling by one of the graves. He tried to approach quietly but the undergrowth gave him away. When he reached the graves she was gone.

[moonglum]

Tread Carefully My Daughter

The words echoed in her head as Letitia watched Jason enter the dining room. She wanted to laugh out loud, but she waited until her father had left. She had done it!
The Lords of Law had wanted a champion, well, she had given them a champion worthy of the name. She had resurrected the blood of the Linjaldrage and merged it with the son of the House of Courdes. Moulded and kneaded him into a warrior fit for the gods. Now armed with that sword...............that sword, that damned sword! She still didn't know how he came to possess it! Still did not know who, or what, those visions were.

She made a sign and the Pinnacle vanished. She was back in her room. Letitia sat down and stared at the image in the frame for a long time. She was thinking back to something that had been puzzling her for some time now. Something Elysha had said............... No, something Jerek had said! Jerek had said 'Sister, help him I implore you'.

She hadn't noticed the room was growing darker. The shadows, beginning in the corners and slowly creeping into the room.

That couldn't be right. They were both on the same Plane, if Elysha had called for help, Letitia would have heard her. Letitia had heard nothing.

Then she realised! "Elysha.........Oh..........No.......Jason"

"Clever little thing, aren't you sister". Elysha's voice rang in her ears, as the darkness enveloped her.

The room gradually brightened until both the dark and Letitia were gone.

[moonglum]

Letitia opened her eyes slowly, and saw nothing. She had never felt like this before. She felt weak and cold. It was pitch black, no light at all, anywhere. There was a tightness around her ankle. Groping blindly down her leg she discovered a shackle and chain. Pulling on the chain, Letitia dragged herself to a wall and sat up against it. She felt pain! She had seldom felt physical pain before. Even in the Great Battle she had avoided injury. Her head was spininning, she felt nauseous and slumped over once again, onto the cold stone floor. As the dizziness increased, she made frantic signs in the blackness, to no avail. Finally, retching, she closed her eyes and slowly lapsed back into unconciousness.
When Letitia next awoke, the room was still in darkness, but this time there was a thin strip of light. At floor level on the wall opposite. In the dark greyness she could make out vague features of this dungeon now. In her weakened state she managed, with difficulty, to sit up. The dizziness returned, and the smell of her own wretchedness made her want to throw up again. She focused, concentrated on the strip of light, and slowly, she began to feel better. Where was she? She remembered darkness, being in her room and..........darkness. A voice, she remembered a voice. Who? Why couldn't she conjure a way out? Too many questions. Her head began to spin again.
Voices now, outside.

"Put that out, you fool!"

The strip of light was extinguished and the blackness returned.

[moonglum]

She had no idea how long she had been here, or even where 'here' was. She had been drifting in and out of conciousness for some while now. Twice she awoke to find a plate of food on her lap. The first time, she had felt it, smelt and licked it first in the blackness. The next time she was so hungry she just wolfed it down, not caring what it was. Her powers were gone. Many times she tried to return to her room. Nothing worked anymore. She could not create light and she could not escape. She felt so cold and weary. Every now and then she heard voices outside. She had tried calling out but no-one came, no-one acknowledged her.
Letitia slept, and while she slept, she dreamed. She was in her room with Jason. He was holding her, promising to keep her safe. Then he let go and seemed to move, no....float, away from her. With each step she took towards him, the further away he floated, until he was a mere speck in the distance and she was running to catch him.
She woke with a start. The room was bathed in light, bright light. She shut her eyes tightly.The light was so bright, it hurt. Rough hands unshackled her and dragged her from the pile of damp straw where she lay. Her legs wouldn't function so they dragged her into the corridor. Up some flights of steps and into another room. She was bundled inside and fell to the floor. Letitia still had not opened her eyes. She heard womens voices as they helped her to her feet. When she, at last, opened her eyes, she saw she was in a large bed-chamber. In front of her was a large, freestanding mirror, in an ornate frame. She looked at her reflection and felt sick. Her clothes were soiled and filthy, her face and arms were black with dirt. Her hair was greasy and stuck to the sides of her face.
"I've drawn a bath for you madam," one of the women said. "My Mistress wishes you to ready yourself for her."
"Wh......o," Letitia couldn't speak, her throat felt closed up and dry.
"Here, madam, I'll get you some water," and the maid went to a dressing table and returned with a glass. It was the coolest, most refreshing water, Letitia had ever tasted. She felt it soothe and quench the dryness in her throat. It had a faint and not unpleasant aftertaste.
"Who is your mistress?" she managed this time.
"Why, the Lady Elysha of course. Now then, if you go with Rose, she'll help you bathe while I lay out some clean clothes for you."
"I can manage on my own thank you," and she followed the younger girl through a side door into a bathroom. She dismissed the girl and closed the door behind her. There was no lock, she noted. She bathed quickly and then languished in the warm soapy water for a long while. She must have dozed off, for she woke with a jolt to find her sister standing in the doorway watching her.
"Elysha, is it really you," she gasped.
"Get dressed, sister. We need to talk," said Elysha and turned back to the bedchamber.
The maid appeared at her side, handed her a robe and helped Letitia dress. When she stepped into the room she found her sister sitting on the bed staring at her.
"Letitia, where is the boy?"
"I........don't.......know, what boy?" She stammered. Flashes of memory returning. It was Elysha's voice she heard. She had been puzzling over something Jason had said.
"Where is my son?" Elysha stood up and walked towards her. "What have you done with Taimon, you scheming little bitch!" Elysha struck her hard, across the face and while she was still reeling from the shock, her sister's hand came back and struck the other side of her head. The blow sent Letitia stumbling into the dressing table. Her sister's hand clasped her collar and pulled her upright. Elysha dragged her over to the mirror and, taking a knife from her belt, she held it under Letitia's chin. Letitia looked at her own reflection in the mirror and the room seemed to dim slightly. Her world slowed down. Her heart stopped racing and she felt her spirit calm itself. She saw a pin-point of light, just behind her eyes, blossom into a cosmos.
Elysha let go of her sister and retreated backwards.
"What is this," she screamed. She went to rush forward again, realising too late, as the pair of arms materialised from the glass mirror and plucked Letitia from the room.

[moonglum]

Elysha seethed.....she raged......she swept items from the dresser and smashed them underfoot. Not now, no, not now! Tearing the coverlet from the bed, she threw it over the mirror and rushed from the room. Outside she turned to the guards and said.
"If anyone attempts to leave this room, kill them."
She fled along the corridor to her own rooms. That witch of a sister had outsmarted her, she had help. The drug Elysha had been using on her had robbed Letitia of her powers. Elysha knew her sister couldn't have done this on her own, she'd seen the arms emerge from the glass. She had help! Well, she'd been patient so long and all that while believing her son to be dead. Now, no more. After Araemia had failed to return, the soldiers had amused themselves with her and left her for dead. She had been stronger than that, however and come morning she had found a horse, and was riding hard back towards their cave. She had circled around, behind and above them all, and watched in horror as her lover had killed their son. Elysha entered a madness every bit as deep as Jerek's. She huddled under a tree and stared, her mind lost, as Jerek went about his slaughter. When she regained some semblance of reason, she walked down among the carnage and knelt beside Taiman's body. The Lords in their arrogance had stripped her of the one thing that could have saved him. She swore there, next to her son's body, that she would avenge him and bring them all down, if it took an eternity. Somehow, some way, she would do it and as she buried her son she vowed to follow the dark path to find her goal. The mortal had long since left, no matter, she would eventually find him and when she did, she vowed to eat his heart.
Closing the door to her rooms behind her, Elysha walked on through to her laborium. She waved her hand over a frame of glass, similar to the one Letitia had been using to watch Jason. This one though, was divided into six individual scenes. The first showed Letitia's room. Elysha's fist hit the work-table. The room was empty. Another scene showed a house. It was still there. The dragon sat, on guard and staring in her direction, almost as if it knew it was being watched. This was her sister's doing, she was sure of it. She had felt the spirit of her son rising up from that pit. What mother wouldn't feel that! From where she was though, she didn't, couldn't know what happened to him. She had to leave here, she had to join her patron!

[moonglum]

Strong hands and arms pulled her, and the glass behaved like water around her body as she passed harmlessly through it. The dizziness returned, she caught her foot on the edge of the frame and stumbled forward into yet more darkness. The arms held her and guided her to a bed. Letitia sat down, holding on tightly to the coverlet. She heard a swishing sound of material being moved quickly and then the room gradually grew brighter as the lights were turned up. Her father was adjusting a cover over the mirror as the old woman moved from a lamp, to the edge of the bed.
"Is she alright?" she said looking at the bruises on the side of Letitia's head.
Maros bent to examine his daughter. He held her head in both hands and stared into her eyes.
"She has been drugged by the look of her. Letitia can you hear me?"
Letitia nodded and tried to speak but her father put a finger to her lips and said, "Sshh, we have time. You must rest and help us rid you of this poison.
They gave her something to drink and she passed out. For the next fortyeight hours she slept in a sedated fever as she tossed and turned. They took turns to sit with her, cool her with cold compresses and coax her to sip water. On the third day she awoke in a delirium and thrashed around, screaming and shouting. They had tied her hands and feet with soft sheets, so she would not harm herself. The following day she awoke calm, but weak, and then the process of healing began. As the purgative rid her body of the drug, so her powers slowly returned and she began to get stronger. By the end of a week, she was taking light meals sitting up in bed. At the end of the second week she was prowling the room feeling restless. They had not answered any of her questions so far, asking her only to wait till she was stronger. Well, now she was stronger, and she wanted answers!

"Where are we?" she asked. They were sat at one end of a long banqueting table, in the large hall of, she assumed, a huge castle.
"We are 'out of time' ," said her father. "It was created by a great sorceror called Farlowe, many centuries ago. It is a place outside of the multiverse and as such, timeless. It is a refuge, a haven, the place referred to in legends as 'Sanctuary'.....call it what you will. You, we, are safe here."
"I saw Elysha!"
"I know my child. Letitia, there is much we need to discuss. There is much we have not told you, but believe me when I say, it was for your protection that we kept you ill-informed."
Letitia looked from her father to the old woman and said, "What is going on and why is she here?"
The old woman, who had been nurse to the young girls and who was now more of a friend and confidante' to her father smiled, and placing her hand on his said, "Let me dear. Letitia, I am your mother. My name is Eren!"