A Child of Two Worlds

by Mark Cole

  “I’m sorry I put you in danger,” Terra whispered. “I should have told you about myself and what you were getting into sooner.”

  Alex nodded, put his hands on her hips, and kissed her gently on the forehead. Her skin was warm on his lips, and the feeling was slow to fade in the cold night air. “Just don’t keep any more secrets, ok?”

  “There’s so much to tell you… I’ll do my best to tell you everything I think you need to know.”

  Alex nodded again and hugged her. Terra yelped, and an invisible force pushed his arms wide. “That hurt! Please, don’t hug me so tight.”

  Did she just use magic on me? He looked Terra over. “What happened?”

  “Some of the ribs on my right side are broken.”

  Alex wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “Let’s go inside so you can tell me what happened. Where did Silvia go?”

  “Inside,” Terra said. “She knew we would want some privacy.”

  “I didn’t even see her leave,” Alex said as he followed her in.

  Alex led her to his room and lit some lamps with the flint and steel Timothy had given him. He stood next to the bed while Terra sat still on the edge. She pulled her shirt off so he could get a clear look at the massive injury on her side.

  A deep purple bruise the size of a dinner plate covered her side just below the bra. Alex poked and prodded the area to make sure the broken edges of her ribs weren’t collapsed in. She winced at his ministrations.

  “I don’t understand why you can’t just have someone here heal you, or bandage you for that matter,” Alex said.

  “I can’t be healed by magic,” Terra explained. “To perform healing, the person doing it uses part of the person being healed’s energy, and part of his own. Also, the person casting takes the damage into himself, but uses the magic to prevent wounds to himself.

  “The person casting the magic and the person being healed have to be the same... species, or else that filter will not be created. Any wounds on the person being healed will directly transfer over to the person doing the healing. I have some... unique physiology that prevents any one here from being able to heal me.”

  “How was Silvia able to heal me? She isn’t human.”

  “She is human while she is in her human form. Changelings can’t use magic in their animal form.”

  Alex nodded as he wrapped her chest with some semi-elastic cloth Silvia had given Terra earlier. “Well, that explains magic, but why not have an actual doctor or healer or whatever they are here take care of you.”

  “Healers use magic,” Terra said, “but there are doctors here, too. They don’t use magic. As for why no doctors, I don’t want too many people to know I’m back. Yet.”

  “What did you mean by you have some unique physiology?” Alex asked as he finished wrapping her ribs. He helped her put her shirt back on as she tried to think how to answer.

  “Alex, umm... I’m not completely human,” she said quietly.

  Alex’s eyebrows rose. “Not completely human? Are you mostly human?”

  Terra shook her head. “Half,” she whispered.

  “And the other half?”

  She let out a slow breath, “On each plane there is a different dominant species; the exception being the three Core Realms.”

  “The Realms of Magic, Balance, and Science,” Alex said. “Caitlyn explained some to me,” he said in response to her unspoken question.

  “That’s right. The three Core Realms are predominantly populated by humans. But, on the Realms farther from the Realm of Balance, there are a number of other races. Demons are from the Realm of Evil, for instance.

  “My mother was a powerful human sorceress from the Arcane City, the capitol city that was destroyed when Azreal conquered Dae. My father,” she paused trying to think of a way to say it without scaring him, “is part of a race of winged humanoids that don’t age, from the Realm of Good.”

  Alex took a step back and bumped into the desk. “Whoa, wait a second,” he said. “Are you saying that your father is an angel?”

  Terra nodded.

  “So, you’re half-angel?”

  Terra nodded again. Tears were beginning to well up in her eyes for fear of his reaction. People had always treated her differently when they found out what she was. At best, they would avoid her, at worst, they expressed open hatred if not violence.

  Alex thought for a moment. “That’s pretty cool. Why don’t you have wings?”

  “What?” Terra said. “Aren’t you going to freak out?” she asked.

  Alex looked at her in mock confusion. “Why would I? The past couple days, I’ve seen magic, monsters, and changelings. I think I’m pretty much in the know. But you aren’t going to tell me your mother was a human, vampire sorceress are you? Because that’s a deal breaker. No biting, not even ear nibbles.”

  Terra snorted a laugh and shook her head in amazement. “You are one in a million, Alex.” She wiped tears from her eyes.

  “That low, huh?” Alex asked with a smirk and an upraised eyebrow. “But, seriously, do you have wings?”

  “I do,” Terra answered quietly.

  Alex scratched his head in real confusion. “I don’t want to seem unobservant, but I’ve seen you naked quite a few times. Where are they?”

  Terra smiled at him. “They aren’t wings like you are thinking. Pure breed angels have flesh and blood wings and can fly, but half-breeds,” she said the word with disdain, “like me, don’t, and we can’t fly. Our wings only serve to mark us, just something to set us apart from humans.”

  “May I see them?” Alex asked.

  “Alex,” she started, “I’ve never...”

  “Please?” Alex interrupted.

  He watched as she seemed to fight with herself about it. “All right,” she said, sliding from the edge of the bed. She stood a few steps in front of him. “Are you ready?”

  “Don’t you need to take your shirt off?” Alex asked, full of wide-eyed innocence.

  She gave him a smirk, “Are you just trying to get me to take my shirt off?”

  “That’s not what I...” Alex crossed his arms and leaned against the desk. “I’m ready,” he grumped.

  Terra’s smile faded away. Closing her eyes, she drew a deep breath. Her ribs still hurt, but the wrap helped. She slowly let the breath out as she crossed her arms diagonally across her chest, each hand resting on the opposite shoulder.

  She snapped her arms down and soft, blue light bathed the room.

  Beautiful, Alex thought as he stared at her. Wings, like those of an eagle spread out from her back in a six foot span. But, like she said, they weren’t made of flesh and blood, but were translucent, glowing with soft pulses of light blue energy.

  Alex was in awe of the beautiful woman. His heart began to pound, and he couldn’t come up with any words to fill the silence. The light made Terra’s face and hair glow. She folded the wings in tight behind her.

  “Can I touch them?” Alex whispered after a minute or two had passed. Terra nodded. He stepped forward and tried to put his hand on her left wing. His hand slid into the glowing blue light with no resistance. He felt gentle tingles on his hand as pulses of energy passed through it.

  “Does that hurt you?” Alex asked. Terra shook her head. He looked at her. Her eyes were closed with a look of profound shame on her face. Alex frowned at her.

  Alex thumped Terra hard on the top of her head with his index finger. Her hands shot up to cover where he had unexpectedly thumped her. “What was that for?” she demanded, glaring at him.

  Alex put his hands to either side of her face. With a thumb, he wiped away a tear that rolled down her cheek. He smiled as he looked deep into her hazel eyes.

  “I have never seen you more beautiful than you are right now.”

  “You don’t understand,” she said, “These wings...”

  “Are a part of you,” he said with finality. “I love you, Terra. Everything about you. Never be ashamed of who you are, that’s all we can
be.”

  “You can’t say that you love everything about me, you don’t know everything yet.”

  Alex put his arms around her gently, not wanting to hurt her ribs. He could feel where his arms crossed over her wings. He released the soft embrace and sat on the side of the bed, pulling her over to sit next to him.

  She sat on the bed and turned to face him. Soft motes of blue light floated where her wings overlapped with the bed. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her wings vanished and sparkles of blue lights floated away from them in every direction.

  “As the Guardian of Balance,” she began, “you are the Paragon of the Realm of Balance. In you, there exists all the aspects of the Realm of Balance. Everything you do, whether you realize it or not, is to create equilibrium not only in yourself, but also in the Realms.

  “How do you know for sure?” Alex asked.

  “Silvia told me that you killed a hellhound with the Guardian’s Blade by unleashing one of the sword’s other forms. That it reacted to you, and that you were able to change its form instinctively is irrefutable proof. You are the Guardian of Balance, the Paragon of Earth.”

  Alex ran his hand through his hair, trying to take it all in. “All right,” he said. “So, I’m the Guardian of Balance. What does that have to do with me not knowing everything about you?”

  “Every Realm has a Paragon, every Paragon has his, or her, own title. The Paragon of Balance is the Guardian. I am the Paragon of this Realm, of Magic. I am the Nexus of Magic.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “I am the most powerful spellcaster, on this world, or any other. There are none that have more raw magical power than I. I draw energy from this entire Realm and bend it to my will. Even excluding the ability to draw power from this Realm, I have extensive magical power of my own.”

  “That sounds impressive but means absolutely nothing to me. You control the energy of this Realm?”

  “I’m sorry, it’s hard to explain. If I oversimplify, you won’t know what it is I’m trying to explain, but if I don’t boil it down some, you won’t understand half of what I say. It will just be easier to show you. I can direct the four elements.”

  “Like alchemical elements? Fire, water, air, and earth?”

  She nodded. “That’s right. Fire is easy, I just pull heat from anything nearby, even the air.” A ball of fire sprang to life above her hand, floating in the air.

  “Water is also easy, it’s in the air too.” A ball of clear water appeared and floated next to the ball of fire.

  She concentrated a few seconds, and a ball of dirt slowly formed with the other two. “Earth is harder to create, it can’t just be pulled from the air in large enough quantities. It has to be created if there is none around you.”

  “Air is the easiest, as long as you can breathe.” The three balls began to orbit one another.

  “But, this power is for destruction, not creation.” The fire and water came together and hissed into steam. The dirt seemed to compress as the air compacted it. It shattered into dust and blew away.

  “Is that all you can do?” Alex asked, unimpressed. “Make small balls of the three elements?”

  Terra glared at him. She shook her head. “What I just did, compared to what I can do, is like a drop of water compared to an ocean.”

  “If you are that powerful, why do you need me to help fight Azreal?”

  “He is the Overlord, the Paragon of Evil. Each Paragon has certain, advantages, for being Paragon. Mine is access to immense magical power while I am on the Realm of Magic. Yours is the Guardian’s Blade. His protects him from being killed while he is away from his home Realm, the Realm of Evil.”

  Alex gulped. A man who can’t be killed. “What can I do?”

  “Azreal can’t be killed by any powers that myself, or anyone else here possess. With the exception of you.”

  “The sword,” Alex said, looking at it on the desk where it lay.

  “Correct,” she said. “The Guardian’s Blade can nullify the powers of any of the Paragons. Including his. It will kill Azreal here, but he will rise again on Hell, the Realm of Evil. He must be killed there for his death to be permanent.”

  “Who made the blade?” Alex asked, staring at it still.

  “No one knows. As far as any recorded history can tell, it has always existed.” Terra yawned. She lay down on the left side of the bed. “We will need to wake up in a few hours to talk with Silvia about what must be done to form an army against Azreal. We should go to sleep.”

  “There’s only one problem with us going to sleep right now,” Alex said.

  “What’s that?”

  “You are on my side of the bed,” Alex protested.

  Terra stuck her tongue out at him. “Mine now.”

  Alex pushed her shoulder softly as he climbed over her to the other side of the bed. He lay down behind her and put his arm around her. His mind reeled with the days revelations, but Alex knew one thing for certain. He would give his life to protect the woman he had grown to love. A fierce heat built in the Guardian’s chest when he thought about his girlfriend’s broken ribs. I’ll do my best to keep you safe, Terra.

  The fires in his breast cooled as Alex listened to Terra’s breathing become the deep even breaths of sleep. “I will. I promise,” he whispered. He hooked some red hair behind her ear. “Good night. I love you, my Angel.”

  Alex awoke the next morning with a start. The bed was empty. He smelled bacon and toast. Terra stood in front of the window eating. She watched the sun rise over the trees. She had changed into a long, white silk dress, cut in a V at the neck. “What are you thinking about?” Alex asked.

  Terra turned to face him, sunlight coming in through the window made her red hair appear aflame. “I’ve been gone a long time. My home was destroyed while I was gone. I was just wishing I had found you sooner.”

  “You couldn’t have possibly found me any sooner,” Alex told her. “Do you remember how I told you I was in the Marine Corps?” Terra nodded. “I was in an elite urban combat squad, a division of Force Recon. With everything that was going on in Columbia, Moscow, and Iraq, I was deployed almost constantly for the last four years. There was no way you could have found me.”

  Terra lifted an eyebrow at him. “I was in all of those places during the heaviest of the fighting.”

  Alex looked at her in shock. He sat up in the bed. “What were you doing? You could have been killed by a stray bullet.”

  “No, I wouldn’t have, and I was doing my job. I knew the Guardian was there, but looking for one specific person in an embattled city full of people, is like looking for a certain needle in a stack of needles while the factory burns down around you.”

  “How did you know where I was?”

  “Magic,” she said.

  “No, seriously, how did you know?” Terra didn’t answer and just gave him a blank stare as she took a bite of toast. “Oh, you are being serious.”

  Terra rolled her eyes and nodded. Alex got out of bed and grabbed a piece of toast and some bacon off of the tray of food. “Although my powers as Nexus are limited to Dae, I still have a significant amount of my own magical power.”

  “Weren’t you tempted to use your magic while you were on Earth to make life easier?”

  Terra nodded. “I was, and I did a few times, but my magical energy doesn’t come back nearly as fast when I am away from here. A magic user has two sources of magical power. First is the magical energy they gather, and after they use all of that, they begin to use their own energy. If they expend all of the magical energy they possess, and continue to cast spells, they would, at first, feel tired, then pass out.”

  “How do you know how much magical energy you have?” Alex asked.

  “There are spells that can give a general idea of how much energy you have in relation to another, but you never really know exactly. It’s not like one of your video games or a car’s gas tank. Finish eating, we need to talk to Silvia. I’m going to get you
some new clothes. While I’m gone could you get cleaned up some before we meet with her?”

  “All right,” Alex said. “But, one more thing. Before I went through the door that was in our apartment, Caitlyn asked if I was linked to you. She seemed upset when I said I didn’t know what she was talking about. What did she mean?”

  “Asked you that, did she? Well, the linking of a wizard or sorceress to another has been around for a very long time. In exchange for certain benefits, a sorceress will bond a person to her to serve as her Shield until either one of them dies. After it has been done, the linking is irreversible.”

  “What kind of benefits?” Alex asked.

  “In times of high stress or fear, the link will activate, or it can be activated at will by the link’s host, the wizard or sorceress. The host sends magical power to the one linked to increase their strength, speed, and endurance. There are also some passive benefits, such as always knowing each other’s location, the other’s emotions, even physical sensations. Because of this unique empathy, the two usually end up marrying.”

  Alex was silent a moment as he considered asking his next question. He watched her face carefully as he asked, “Is someone linked to you?”

  A flash of sadness in her eyes was quickly replaced by a smile. “No. Now, you’ve asked three questions when you said just one. Eat, bathe, then we’ll meet with Silvia.” She turned and walked out before he could say anything else.

  “I’m sorry, Terra,” Alex whispered to the closed door.

  Terra leaned against the outside of the door to their room. She couldn’t tell Alex about the death of her first love, and the first time she failed her people. It was just too painful. The memories of when Azreal’s forces first invaded the Realm of Magic five years ago, when she lost Michael, came unbidden to her.

  Chapter Six - The Fall of the Arcane City

  The fighting had started seven days ago. Waves of Halfmen, demons, and the undead slowly wore down the stalwart defenders of the Arcane City. The defenders had just been pushed into the city and were forced to close the gates behind them.