“Not without a fair trial,” replied Petra. “And without a crime, the trial wouldn’t be fair. As long as the dragon within them was under control, I had hope.”
“You were just delaying the inevitable.”
Petra jerked her head sharply and glared at Sylvia. “They are your daughters. Reuben and I … we wanted to spare you the pain as long as possible.”
Before Sylvia could say anything in response to that, Richard slid his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. “They did what they could in the situation,” he said. “Sometimes, that’s all you can do.”
He was right. Sylvia closed her eyes and laid her head against his chest, allowing their shared heartbeat to steady her. No one could solve every problem. Petra couldn’t save everyone.
“They’ll be back, and you’ll see them again,” said Laura. “You’ll get second chances to try to save them – though I can’t say what good it’ll do.”
“Laura, I didn’t see you until the trial. When did you get here?” asked Petra.
“Shortly before the trial,” Laura answered. “One thing I wouldn’t have missed for all the worlds. Those two…” The bite returned to her words. Sylvia opened her eyes to see the Doorkeeper shake her head. “But they aren’t the reason I’m here, nor am I here for pleasantries.”
“Are you here to warn us of some impending disaster?” asked Richard. “Something we need to prepare for?”
“You have Bookdaughters and Bookholders, so you hardly need me to foretell your future,” Laura answered. “No, I’m here to do what only a Doorkeeper can do.”
“You’re taking us home,” Petra stated.
“Yes, you, your fellow kings and queens, and your siblings,” Laura answered. “Barring Robert, of course. He gets to remain here a few years more. But don’t worry. He’ll be waiting for you when you return home.”
Petra nodded. “We supposed his return would be separate from ours,” she admitted. “So, I take it this means that Noraeto and Ashna will be returning with us?”
“Yes.” Laura’s answer was short. “Do you have a problem with that?”
“No, no problem at all,” Petra answered. “We just were wondering if they would or wouldn’t. They aren’t native to our world, and Noraeto has never even been there.”
“He’ll get used to your world quickly enough,” said Laura. “Ashna did, after all, and he’s had more preparation than she did.”
“So how long do we have left here in Rizkaland?” asked Petra. “Since you’re here to take us, it can’t be long.”
“You have a week,” answered Laura. “Time enough for you to set your affairs in order.”
Petra nodded again and then frowned. “Is Sarah coming with us?”
“Of course,” said Laura. “Maybe she’s been away for a while, but Earth is her home, and Earth doesn’t give up its inhabitants easily. It’s for her sake that you guys have a week. Don’t tell her, but in a week, her main reason to stay will be gone.”
“You mean…”
“It’s the precise reason why Robert is staying,” Laura continued. “They won’t have another chance to see Linette or Ritis again in life. Much as I hate the finality of death, it’s the only way to part from a spouse.”
“Have you packed enough, Sylvia?” Petra asked, glancing down at the heavy satchel her sister wore.
“Enough,” Sylvia answered, adjusting the strap on her shoulder against the weight. “This satchel contains more than it appears to – though I still feel the full weight of what I choose to bring with me. It’s how I managed to bring so many items with me whenever I came to Klarand in the old years. Right now, I needed to make sure I had all of my stars and a good number of other things. Including books.” Unfortunately, she hadn’t had room for everything, even with Lotit providing her with extra strength.
“May I remind you that power was your downfall,” said Sarah. “Are you sure you don’t want to leave more behind?”
“Sarah, don’t start this today,” said Petra, stepping between Sher sisters with a shake of her head. “I’m sure Sylvia is bringing them with her as much to keep them out of her daughters’ hands as to keep them in her own.”
“There’s a tablecloth,” mentioned Sylvia, smiling to hide the pain held by the truth of Petra’s words.
“All right, you can bring it,” said Sarah, giving her head a toss.
“Come on, let’s go home,” said Petra. “A change of scenery will do much to heal your wounds.”
“Are you sure you’re okay with leaving?” asked Sarah, as the three sisters made their way through Loray’s halls to the kitchen where they’d find the rest of the returning party. “You really don’t have to do it just for our sake – you do know that.”
“It’s fine,” said Petra, running a hand through her hair. Today was the first day in over thirty years that she wasn’t wearing her circlet – it and her box had been left on her throne so that one of her children could take them up once their absence was discovered. “I’m eager to see Earth again and not have to worry about the lives of a couple million people every moment of the day. There’s only so much ruling a person can take before they crack from pressure or their head starts swelling.”
“I quite agree,” said Sylvia.
They’d arranged for none of the servants to be in this kitchen during this hour, so only family and Laura were there to meet them when they arrived.
“There you are, slowpokes. We were just starting to wonder if we’d have to go without you,” said Reuben, as they entered.
“Sorry, Sylvia had to weigh herself down with about a hundred pounds of magic items,” said Sarah. She stepped towards Robert, who stood off to the edge. “I thought you were staying here.”
“I am, but I couldn’t resist the chance to see you off,” he answered. “Tell my parents hello for me when you get there, will you?”
“I would, but apparently you’re actually going to get back before we do, when you finally do leave,” said Sarah, rolling her eyes. “So I think it’d be pointless.”
Robert just laughed. “Perhaps so. Well then, perhaps I should deliver a message of my own?” He glanced towards Sylvia and Richard. “I’m sure it won’t be easy for you to explain them.”
“I’m sure it won’t, but we’ll manage,” said Petra.
“Perhaps I can help you manage?” Robert suggested.
“Wait until after I fetch Tyler and Summer to bring them to Rizkaland,” said Laura, glancing up from the closet door. “Other than that, it’s a wonderful idea. Feel free to implement. It’s ready, by the way, so has everyone said their goodbyes?”
“All that need saying,” said Reuben. He glanced towards Robert. “You’ll keep an eye on our children for us, won’t you?”
“I’ll keep them in line,” Robert answered. He gave a mock salute. “Guess I’ll leave you guys to it, then. You’ll see me again in a few minutes. I’ll see you in a few years.”
Laura nodded as he left the kitchen, and then she pulled open the closet door to reveal a corridor. “Well, who’s first?” she asked.
Without a word, Sarah marched through, and then the others followed. Sylvia and Richard held back and entered last.
“So, you can’t say that I’ve never taken you anywhere now, can you?” asked Laura, falling into step beside them.
“No, I don’t suppose we can,” Sylvia admitted.
“Well, considering that you had to bring us through a door to take us to Luna, we couldn’t really say that before,” added Richard. “Even if we didn’t know it.”
“Yes, I suppose so,” agreed Laura. “So, are you excited to finally meet your parents as your parents for the first time?”
“After six thousand years, it feels more surreal than anything else,” said Sylvia. “You’d think we’d have gotten used to the idea after thirty years, but we still can’t believe that Jane and Ralph and Michelle and David were our parents.”
“You’ll get use
d to it after a time,” said Laura, encouragingly. “While I was honored to fill in for them, I would have much preferred to have left you with your real parents.”
Conversation lagged as they finished making their way through the corridor. At last, they emerged in a hallway.
“Welcome home,” said Laura. “Sarah, if you would please age yourself down to match the rest of us, we would appreciate it.”
Sylvia started in surprise as she realized that the last thirty years had just been shaved away from every one of them, and she and Richard were back at the age where they’d spent six thousand years. Well, everyone except Sarah, and she quickly joined them in a burst of glitter.
“I still have as yet to figure out why, exactly, doors will mess with a person’s age,” said Laura. “But it is terribly handy at times, won’t you say? Come along. Jane, Ralph, and Michelle are where you left them in the Room.”
Sylvia slid her hand into Richard’s as she followed the rest through the hallways. Their hearts were pounding, and she knew he was as nervous as she was. She only half-heard Petra telling her that this was their home and that Richard would live across the street.
Finally, they reached the Room, which proved to be a large room filled with thrones and a small replica of the Hill at the very center.
Robert leaned against the Hill’s slope, talking to two women and a man, and Sylvia’s breath caught in her throat.
“Well, well, well, back already are we?” said one of the woman, with a broad grin and dimples that could belong to none other than Richard’s mother. “And you brought some extras. Reuben, what have I told you about bringing home unexpected friends?”
“That they have to sleep on the couch if they intend to stay overnight,” said Reuben, without missing a beat. “But these aren’t just friends. They’re family.”
The man – this must be Ralph, Sylvia’s own father – glanced down at Robert. “So we’ve been told,” he said. He scanned the group, holding Sylvia’s eye for a split second, but she hastily glanced down. “We didn’t even know we were missing them, but we’re glad to have them back. Sarah, I understand you’ve just suffered a heavy loss.”
“I knew the day would come,” said Sarah, then her voice cracked as she added, “but that didn’t lessen the pain.”
Ralph pulled her into a hug and pressed a kiss into her hair. “I’m so sorry.”
The hug lasted maybe a minute before Sarah pushed out of it. “I’ll be fine, I really will be,” she said, shaking her head. “It’s going to take getting used to, but he was old, he lived a good life, and I know he’s in a better place now. I’ll get to see him again someday. It’s … it’s not me, really…” then she shook her head and darted through the group to grab Sylvia’s hand to pull her forward. “Sylvia has it worse than me, to be certain.”
Sylvia now stood right in front of her parents. She’d never been so frightened in her life. They knew her as Amber, the Lady Dragon at the peak of her terror. She’d been their childhood nightmare.
“Yes, Robert told us a bit about you as well,” said Jane, with the same crisp accent that Petra used. “Such a strange turn of events that we can hardly believe them.”
“I’m … I’m sorry for what I did to you two thousand years ago,” said Sylvia. “I was a power-crazed madwoman. You deserve better for a daughter.”
“I’m not sure how we could have done better,” said Ralph. “You were also a powerful queen for the side of good before you gave into the dragon, or so we’ve been told.” He nodded to Laura. “It might not have been the story we expected, but that’s why Alphego’s the one in control, not us.”
Then, before Sylvia had a chance to react, he pulled her into a hug and placed a kiss in her hair. “Robert told me about your daughters.”
“All right, sweet moment and all,” Michelle spoke up, “and I’m as much for a touching family reunion as anyone, but I’ve just got to make sure – you’re not going to sneak around and turn all of us to ice when we’re not looking, are you?”
“Michelle!” A warning edged Ralph’s voice as he let go of Sylvia.
“It’s … it’s fine,” Sylvia paused, considering whether or not to call Ralph “father” or some other paternal term, but then decided that it was still too early for that. “I won’t be turning anyone else to ice,” she told Michelle. “I can’t. Petra made me destroy that star.”
“Then welcome back to the family,” said Jane, putting a hand on Sylvia’s shoulder.
Reference
Guide to
Rizkaland
Glossary of Rizkan Terms
Just various words used over the course of Lady Dragon, Tela Du that those who are not native to Rizkaland may not understand.
Akik (ah-KIK): A star with the power of poison.
Alir (ah-LEER): A Rizkan word meaning “to speak or utter.”
Alizzina (ah-lih-ZIN-ah): A world that Laura has visited
Alphego’s Hill: The hill where Alphego stood to create the world. It stands about ten feet tall, and is a perfect circle, and has a perfectly flat top. Four sets of golden stairs are cut into its side, and it boasts the only bit of green plant-life in Rizkaland.
Antika: A Rizkan word for the Bookdaughter’s ability to Speak
Austila (ah-STEE-lah): Laura’s name for Ashna’s mother. It means sister in Estat.
Azit (ah-ZEET): A necklace that renders elves’ gifts powerless.
Book, the: A special book given to Rizkaland, through which Alphego guides and advises the people.
Bookdaughter: Daughters of the Bookholder, who, at times, Alphego chooses to Speak through.
Bookholder: The elf in charge of keeping the Book, and recording the legends.
Choola (CHOOH-lah): A green gem that generates a magical shield.
Down: Generally, it means the same as it does in our own world, but when referring to direction, it means the same as our south.
Ea (EE-ah): The Rizkan version of East.
Elina (eh-LEE-nah): A star with the power of invisibility.
Eliue (el-eh-YU): A Rizkan word used to refer to any creature with a soul.
El Shaddai: The name for Alphego in Lintooalintae
Elves: Apart from humans, the main race of Rizkaland. They are physically weaker than humans, but to compensate, each are given a special gift, such as healing, flight, or so forth, which manifests itself in the form of a small wooden box that the elf wears around his or her neck.
Erle (er-LAY) stones: Stones that produce light and can be controlled by touch.
Estat (eh-STAT): A language that Laura knows
Ezelie (ez-el-EE): The world that Karyn claims to come from.
Firefall: A point in Lower Klarand where fire leaks from the Lake of Fire in which Rizkaland rests. It forms the only Ri in Rizkaland to flow upward.
Haranda: One of the steeds who inhabit the Isle of Talking Beasts. It has the power of telepathy and instant travel.
Haric Door (HAR-ich): A doormat woven with a strand of hair from a haranda. The Rizkans use them to travel long distances quickly.
Hinequa (HIN-eh-kwah): One of the steeds who inhabit the Isle of Talking Beasts. They have the power of flight.
Ia (IE-ah) Beetles: Foul insects created by Amber’s magic. Their bites are deadly poisonous.
Ilysta (ih-LIS-tah): Also known as the Lifesnatch potion. This poison operates by forcing whatever death is appointed for a person to happen within a year’s time.
Kastle: The fortress that stands at the heart of Klarand and serves as the island’s capitol.
Kirat (KIE-raht): A large predator, about the size and build of a bear, but with longer, sharper claws and teeth.
Legend: A true history as recorded by the Bookholder of its time.
Li’Daughter (Le-Daughter): The daughter of one of the four Lords of Klarand.
Lika (LIHK-ah): A fruit from Lintooalintae.
Lintooalintae (lin-TOO-ah-lin-TAE): The world where Amber lived and ruled for four thousand years, also w
here she was corrupted.
Loray: The circular castle built around Alphego’s Hill in the heart of the mainland, forming its capitol.
Lorita (lor-EE-tah): One of the worlds that Laura has visited.
Lor’Son: The son of one of the four Lords of Klarand.
Lotit: A star with the power of strength.
Luna: Amber’s original world.
Luttel: A disk in Amber’s possession that she can use to manipulate the very fabric of the worlds. Powered by the Tullet.
Naria (Nar-EE-ah): A star that Amber used to manipulate the seasons.
Nyika (nyih-KAH): Stones in Amber’s castle that are used to control doors.
Palika (PAL-ik-ah): A pair of disks that can destroy any other magical ietem.
Ri (Rie): We would call it a river in our world. Plural: Ria (Ree-ah)
Riliya (rih-LIE-ah): A star with the power of hair growth.
Riv (Rihv): One of the seven great bodies of water that flow from the top of Rizkaland to the bottom, and separate the islands. Plural: Riva (RIE-vah)
Rizkaland: Generally, it refers to the world as a whole, but it is the specific name of the mainland, which is situated between Klarand and Rintae islands.
Rowanda (roe-WAHN-dah): One of the steeds on the Isle of Talking Beasts. They are given the power of speed.
Sentaur: The immortal ruler over the Isle of Talking Beasts. He has the body of a horse, and the torso, arms and head of a man.
Solar: The sunny side of Luna, was ruled by a woman known as the Eternal Queen.
Tela Du (TEL-ah DOO): The girl prophesied to be Amber’s final enemy. She is said to possess the same face as Amber herself.
Tullet: A necklace in Amber’s possession that produces an energy that powers the Luttel.
Twa: Rizkan for good-bye.
Twintas (TWIHN-tahs): A feathered fruit that is apparently among Laura’s favorite foods.
Tylith: The Rizkand word for the union between a husband and wife.
Ulint: A star that gives the power of speed
Lady Dragon, Tela Du Page 51