by Gene Rager
Tirana looked at the busy chamber maid with love, she had always taken care of her, even the first few nights in the castle.
A memory began to form that of Tirana awaking in the castle, she quickly buried the memory, it was not a good memory, and she would not dwell on it. Chama had been there when she awoke and their bond only grew from that first meeting.
The tea was ready, and Chama brought the brew over to Tirana in the porcelain cup. The cup was ornate with dragons gracing the outside of the cup the handle was forms by a dragon’s wing folded. It was Tirana’s favorite cup. Slowly Tirana sipped the brew and felt better immediately.
Chapter 22
Ileana lead Nathan and Lela through the forest, Nathan had saved her life, and now Ileana had decided she would start her plan to make Nathan her husband. The young woman was nearly skipping when they came to the clearing in the forest. Ileana stopped abruptly.
“What’s wrong Ileana?” Lela asked.
“We are at the end of the forest, Lex’s house is on the hillside, but Kira does not know we are coming. She might attack us, so be on your guard!” Ileana warned.
The three walked out of the forest into the clearing they had only walked half way through the field to the hillside when the first trident slammed into the ground in front of Ileana.
“Return to your village demon archer, and trouble us no further.” The female voice called.
“I thought you said you two were friends?” Lela questioned “More like we know each other, but do not socialize.” Ileana explained her cheeks burning red with embarrassment.
“I have two guests who wish to speak to Lex.” Ileana called out.
“The next spear will end you demon archer, are you willing to put your life on the line for two people you hardly know?” Kira stated flatly.
A spear flew almost immediately after the threat. A wall of green flame sprung into existence destroying the projectile, the head of the spear tumbling past Ileana harmlessly.
Ileana had fallen back from the fire she now looked at Nathan, he had saved her twice! Ileana would make Nathan hers now for sure! A secret smile spilled across her face. She was sure she could force Nate to love her, but only if he survived the enraged water nymph. Quickly hiding her smile she called out one last time.
“Kira! I do not want to fight you, but they need Lex’s help, and I do not like you throwing spears at me!”
Kira laughed loud and raucous, “Then you should leave!”
Nate looked at Lela, she would sneak up from behind the nymph and Ileana and Nathan would keep the nymph distracted so Lela could have a clear shot at taking out the water nymph.
“Ileana do you have any of those exploding arrows with you?”
“I have four, but that is all, the bow makes normal arrows though.”
“Only use the four arrows, we need a distraction, not a full scale assault!”
“Well people, what will it be? Are you going to leave, or do I get to kill you?”
Ileana answered with an exploding arrow. Spears filled the air and where quickly vaporized by green flame. It seemed like forever. Ileana would fire the arrow an explosion would happen and then spears would fill the air. Finally they heard what they had been waiting for.
Lela screamed in outrage “It’s you!”
The clang of metal on metal was what they had been waiting to hear. Ileana and Nathan ran up the hill to see Lela swinging her sword at the same nymph that had tried to rob them earlier. Lela screamed as the sword slashed out at an unbelievable speed only to be met by the trident. The nymph was tiring the trident was heavy compared to the elven blade Lela wielded. Finally the blade came down slicing through the trident handle and denting the breast plate that the water nymph wore. The force of the blow knocked the wind out of the warrior ending the battle. Once again Lela’s blade found a home underneath the water nymph’s chin.
The Nymph closed her eyes and whispered, “Do it, finish me off.”
Lela stayed her blade, balanced so carefully under the woman’s chin.
Lex came running at the sound of the trouble his hand holding what appeared to be a red ball of energy. Lex nearly threw the spell at the intruders when he recognized the princess. Lex opened his hand and the red ball faded into nothing. Lex approached the trio carefully.
“Princess, what an unexpected surprise, I see you have met Kira!” He said trying to put a light spin on the fight between the princess and his wife.
“Princess if it is not too much to ask, could you let Kira get up?”
Lela eyed Kira, but grudgingly pulled the blade away from Kira’s throat. Kira rose slowly. Kira knew the princess only needed a reason to begin fighting again, and this time Lex might not be able to talk her royal highness out of killing her. Kira also knew the demon archer had the exploding arrows, but the green flames were new. Who had burned up four of her spears with ease, surely not the boy she had ambushed at the stream.
“Lex we need your help.” Lela explained about the mishap with the ancient spell book and about the power Nathan seemed to wield. Lex took in everything that Lela was saying. Finally Lex answered her.
“The only way I can restore the book is if I use my lab at the house, so please be our guests while I see what I can do about the spell book.”
Kira looked ill, had she heard her Delphi correctly? Had Lex just invited these strangers into their home without consulting her first!
Kira looked at Lex through narrow slits for eyes. “Lex may I have a word with you?” Kira asked with a venomous tone.
Lex and Kira walked off a short distance, though honestly the three could hear everything that was said, Kira was shouting.
“You invite strange people into our home without asking my opinion!” Kira raged.
“You are upset because the princess beat you!” Lex countered.
“Yes, you are right, because if I cannot beat her into submission, then who will if she decides to take more than what they claim to need?”
“They will not take any more than the book they want me to look at.” Lex said exasperated.
“And why is that? Because she is a princess! Pointy eared land slug is more like it!” Kira shouted making sure the princess could hear the insult. Lela ignored the infuriated nymph. Kira realizing she was being ignored by her intended target and tried again.
“After all dear delphi that is all that can be expected of the woodland people who lie on their backs all day allowing anyone or anything to enter into them!” Kira stated with an arched eyebrow.
“Kira, that was uncalled for!” Lex exclaimed clearly mortified by his wife’s last comment.
Lela eyed Kira without emotion, “It is okay Lex, I would expect nothing else from an exiled ocean siren, who could not even fend off a toddler with her weak armed attacks!”
Lela’s comment had stunned Kira into silence. How had the elf known she was an ocean nymph? Kira stopped flinging insults and looked closely at the elven princess standing five feet away from her. Lela was carefully looking at her traveling companions, but still watching her. The elf had been trained by someone, but Kira was at a loss as to who would train a stuck up, royal brat, and who would want to take the time to? For what reason would a princess want to be trained as a warrior? The questions circled Kira’s mind like wild dogs nipping at each other. Finally Kira realized Lex and the others were staring at her.
“I am sorry what did you say Lex sweetheart?” Kira stammered.
“I said they will have to spend the night here, while I try to restore the mage’s spell book dear.” Lex said noting the delayed reaction his wife had given him.
Kira’s mood darkened, “Fine, but they will have to sleep on the floor being as we have no other beds!”
“That will be fine Kira.” Lela said calmly.
Kira’s temper began to flare; this little princess was acting as if none of her insults had any effect on her what so ever! Before she had a chance to insult the princess again Lex slide his arm around her wais
t and kissed Kira. Kira’s eyes shut and she could not stay angry any longer, she would be mad at Lex later; she hated it when he would smoother her anger with his passion.
Lex’s house was almost as grand as Mordenar’s castle. The expanse of the room the three would be sleeping in was far larger than any room Nathan had been in so far. Lex showed the visitors around with pride. It had taken him seven long years of trading to get the tools to build the colossal home. Though the rooms where few, the size made up for their lack of numbers. Each room had hand carved columns, each depicting how the couple had met and their progression until their marriage.
The fur that lined the floors was thick and soft taken from animals that Nate had yet to see. Lex fussed over the princess like any subject would, while Kira stood silent glaring at the group of trespassers in her home.
“Princess would you like anything in the way of food before I look at the spell book?”
“I would not want to be a bother Lex.” The princess said eyeing Kira coldly.
Lex sensing the two female warriors might need some space between them, decided on a different approach.
“Kira, sweetheart could you help me in the kitchen please?” Lex crooned.
“You have never needed my help in the kitchen before.” Kira replied sourly.
“Please darling it would mean a lot to me.” Lex countered.
In a huff Kira followed her Delphi into the kitchen where they could talk alone.
“I know you don’t like the princess sweetie, but we need to stay on good terms with her father, he gives me quite a bit of business, and it would be bad for us if I had to sneak into his kingdom every time I went there.” Lex explained.
“I know, but this is the second time she has put a sword to my throat, and it’s well, embarrassing.” Kira pouted.
“It won’t take long and it is already getting late, they will probably go to sleep soon and be out of your hair until the morning.” Lex added hastily.
“I suppose they can stay, but next time Lex, ask me first. We are married, but you are still my Delphi, and I am responsible for keeping you safe.” Kira’s eyes softened. She was a warrior and her Delphi was her partner in life.
Lex returned to the visitor’s room with fresh fruit that he had cut up in the kitchen, Kira was not with him. Kira had decided to keep an eye on their guests from the other room using the eye of the storm, a jewel that allowed the user to spy on people only a few yards away.
“Lex, Kira doesn’t seem to like us that much, why?” Nathan asked.
“Nathan is it?”
“Yes.”
“Kira is indeed an ocean nymph, she was once the first in command of a siren brigade. The siren brigade is the elite militant group that protects their underwater empire. The problem is that Kira fell in love with me when I was traveling abroad to procure some hard to find objects for a client of mine. My vessel wandered into the sirens’ territory and they sank it. The water rushed up to meet the crew and the few passengers on board. I still remember the icy grip the water had on me. Fourteen of us where on the boat, only I survived. The crew knew how to swim, but the sirens made sure to pull them under and hold them until the ocean filled their lungs. One by one the passengers were drug down to their demise, until I was the only one left. Suddenly hands grabbed my ankle and I was pulled under into that icy abyss! I knew I would die in that watery grave never to feel the sun on my face again, and then it happened. The siren that had my ankles was hit with a harpoon! It didn’t kill her, but the shock on her face showed she could not believe what was happening! That is when I saw Kira swimming towards the siren that had the harpoon in her. Kira pulled the harpoon out with a mighty yank, causing the wound to bleed more. The sirens didn’t know what to think, one of their own had just betrayed them! It would have been both our deaths, but the other sirens became nervous, you see the siren Kira had harpooned was leaking a lot of blood into the ocean which brings in their natural enemies…sharks!
The siren brigade’s second in command issued the order to fall back, and that Kira was no longer one of them! I was half frozen when we landed on the island; Kira had swam with all her might to get me to the little oasis in the sea. She built a fire, and a small shelter the whole time threatening to end me if I tried to double cross her. It was funny but the whole time I knew she wouldn’t hurt me. We were rescued by another passing vessel four days later. I introduced her as my wife to the crew, four weeks later we were married. She is my wife, but I am her Delphi which in her language means life partner. The cultural clashes we have had over the years have been numerous, but what it really boils down to is we love each other and always will.”
“Anyhow, how about I take a look at the spell book that you need me to restore?” Lex said.
The spell book was still in one piece, but charred. Lex began to open the book when Nathan and Lela both screamed no! Lex already had the book open and was looking through it with no signs of the book’s magic attacking him.
“It is okay my friends, I felt the book when you handed it to me. If the enchantments were still on the book I would have felt them.” Lex explained.
Lex then looked at the ancient book and frowned. Shaking his head he asked Nathan how the book had been damaged, Nathan related the story to a shocked Lex.
“You say an ordinary candle lighting spell caused all this damage, and Nate you cast this spell?”
Nathan hung his head low and nodded his answer.
“It will take me some time to determine how much I can save, but I will do my best. You have traveled a long way and need to rest.”
Chapter 23
The room was dark and quiet. Shadows played across the walls given life by the fire that had burned low. The unfamiliar house had its own set of sounds creaking and groaning as if it were alive, and resented the travelers’ presence. The sound of the brook seemed near reminding Nathan of his first meeting with Kira, and the feel of the nymph’s blade against his throat.
Nathan had tossed and turned throughout the night, wishing that Lex could hurry up the restoration of the mighty book. Finally Nathan’s nerves could handle no more, he looked at the two sleeping women at each side sleeping so peacefully, and felt a stab of homesickness rattle through his heart. How long had he been gone? Only ten days? It felt like a lifetime. Nathan quietly crawled over to where the backpacks lye and wrestled with his until he felt the corner of his tablet. Nathan pulled the black plastic device from the pack, and stared at it wondering if the device still had enough charge left on it to work. Nathan debated if he should turn it on when he heard Lela’s sleepy voice ask.
“Nathan what are you doing?”
“Sorry Lela I didn’t mean to wake you.” He whispered.
“Nathan, what’s wrong, can’t you sleep, why not come over here and let the demon archer rock you to sleep in her ample bosoms!” Ileana flirted.
Lela rolled her eyes, and caught a glimpse of the shiny black plastic Nathan had in his hands. The dark shape was like nothing Lela had ever seen before; her curiosity got the better of her.
“Nathan what is that object in your hands?” Lela asked.
Hearing the question Ileana touched her bow, but she couldn’t see what Nathan was holding only that it was something.
“Yeah what is that Nathan?” Ileana asked.
With a slight grin Nathan crawled over to the two perplex women and showed them the screen.
“It’s a tablet from my world it shows pictures, words, and a few other things.” He explained.
“Nathan we have tablets here, we read, write, and draw pictures like any other society!” Lela said sourly.
“Yeah, but can your tablets do this.” With a dramatic pause Nathan pushed the power button and the tablet flared to life bathing the room in light.
Lela’s eyes grew wide in amazement. This tablet could make light! Lela shied away from the alien object in Nathan’s hands. Ileana only frowned. Her heat vision could tell a difference in heat the device emitted, but
little else.
Nathan had an idea, he would show these two amazing women a little bit of his life before coming to their strange new world. Nathan ran his fingers across the screen until he found the video clip he wanted.
“Come here both of you, I want to share something with you.” He said.
All three of them huddled together and looked at the screen. Ileana sighed deeply, she couldn’t see the screen, the picture wouldn’t make sense to her.
“Nathan I can’t see the pictures my vision is based on heat. I can tell there is light and heat coming off of the tablet, but I can’t see what it is doing. It’s not fair!” Ileana pouted.
“It’s okay Ileana you can still listen to what is going on.” Nathan replied.
Both women looked at him. Did he say that they could hear what was going on? This was strange magic indeed. Lela was dumfounded by the comment. Nathan touched the play icon and the video began to play.
The scene was of a typical backyard. There were birds singing in the background, a gas grill came into view showing an assortment of hamburgers, hotdogs, and even a steak! The camera panned to a middle aged man who was greying at the temples, wore glasses, and a funny garment that proclaimed to “Kiss the cook”. Lela watched in silence as the camera made its rounds to land on a small girl about three years old. The little girl raced around screaming in delight, she noticed the camera and laughed followed with a bellowing “Catch me Nate!” as she sped off out of view. The picture moved up to see a woman carrying a tray with three glasses and a Sippy cup. She had long red hair that came down to her shoulders. She smiled, as the little girl with the loud voice ran between them screaming “Mama, Mama, Mama!” and ran off with the Sippy cup. The picture shook and Nathan was chasing the little girl.
Lela gripped Nathan’s arm and looked at him to make sure he had not somehow slipped into the picture that was moving! How could he be in two places at once? Maybe he was a great wizard in his own world, but then he would not have burned the spell book would he? Lela’s mind began tugging in both directions until the little girl’s high pitched squeal brought her attention back to the picture once more.