Prologue

In a puff of black smoke, a man appeared in the main hall of a dilapidated inn. The ceiling creaked as the winds of the world tested the wood’s remaining strength. The stone wall was damaged, looking to give way at a moment’s notice. He brushed back his long black hair while gazing up into the rafters. His black filled eyes roamed the rafters until they fell upon a shadow that seemed out of place.

“You are late,” the shadow spoke in a harsh whisper.

“Bite your tongue, lowlife. I am employing you; you have no say in this arrangement other than how you get the job done. Even that you will carry out as I specify, should such an occasion arise.”

“Who is it this time, my lord?” The shadow filled out, becoming a body kneeling on a wooden rafter.

“It is not merely a who, but a what. You are to bring me the Vlamir and its bearer alive. Unconscious or risen are acceptable, but spoiled or poisoned and even the shadows will not be able to hide you from my wrath.”

“I swear it will be done.”

At these words, the black haired man vanished in a billow of black smoke, leaving only a small sack of coins where he once stood. The shadow man dematerialized into the shadows. A shadow extended out from its position into the light cast by the slots in the rotting roof unfazed until it arrived underneath the small sack of coins that is swallowed up. The shadow then drew to a corner of the room before slipping through the wall and disappearing.

It is time to visit colleges and figure out where your life is headed. For one individual, their future is out of this world, literally.

Chapter 1

“…And on your right you will see the library. We will be stopping in there after lunch. It is where we will assist you in registering for classes, and probably will become your home for the next four years while you cram for exams.” The parents all chuckled as if they were in on an inside joke, while all of the students rolled their eyes.

I really hate the tours they take you on when you visit colleges. This is not the way that they will actually look and feel once you start attending. They polish them up for a few weeks while the parents visit, and once the school gets its check things go downhill.

The guide leads on talking about how great this and that is, while listing endless clubs and Greek possibilities. I am sure they are paid to sound all chipper about everything and make everything sound like it is the greatest thing since sliced bread. This, come to think of it, is just bread without the need for a knife, so maybe it is not so great… oh, the things my mind comes up with. My teacher always said I had a great mind, since I thought things others would not. Her recommendation letter is probably the only reason I was able to make it into Duke, or maybe it was the 800 hours of community service.

Eventually we arrive at the dining hall. It is more of an all you can eat buffet. I bet the food gets worse once the parents vanish, and they take away the all you can eat part. Hey, it is a business school; they know how to make people pay lots of money while they save tons of money. Too bad for them I am not actually going to attend this place but I get to take a day off from high school while getting free food, yes please!

I grab my ham and cheese sandwich, which they made in front of me and presented with a toothy smile, and take a seat at the furthest table. I sit down at one of the empty tables, with my back to the windows so I can see how all of the people interact. People watching, they should make it a nation sport or something.

I glance to the table on the right and see a bunch of Greeks all mixed. While giving the illusion that this school is great and everyone gets along, I can see that some Fraternities do not like others. They do not sit near each other or talk to one another. I snicker, I see through your façade, school. As I turn my head to the left while taking a bite of my sandwich, I find my view blocked by a body. More importantly a female body, who decided to take advantage of today’s warm weather and wear a skirt. I love warm weather….

“Is this seat taken?” She gives me a friendly smile that could melt hearts; mine only turns to molasses so I am actually able to give a coherent response.

“Uh, yeah,” while I motion for her to sit. Smooth, super smooth. Tell her to sit while saying she cannot. She pulls out the chair and sits down. At least she understood what I meant somehow. I wonder if she gets that a lot, I mean, she is super hot. However, that could just be the college girl thing... they all seem more attractive. On the other hand, maybe my high school was just the unfortunate batch. My thoughts are broken by her speaking.

“How do you like the campus?” Thankfully, she only gave me a half smile this time, so my mind actually sends the right message to my mouth.

“It’s nice. Too bad I won’t be attending here.”

“Visiting for the free food and day off school?” Her half smile still in place, but with a knowing look in her eyes.

“Damn, you figured me out. Remind me to never play poker with you.” I smirk. My antics are rewarded with a small giggle. Apparently, the high school charm still works at this level.

“I’m Stacy. I am with Phi Sig and just wanted to invite you to a party we are going to be having for potential freshman tonight. Even though you aren’t going to be attending here, you at least should give us the chance to change your mind.” This time she breaks out the works, full smile with the flirtatious undertone. I am so done.

“I’m Steve, and sure I’ll stop by. Although, shouldn’t a fraternity be trying to get me to stay?” She gives me a slightly confused look for a split second before realization on something hits her.

“Yes they should, but would you even consider if a bunch of guys asked you instead of a hot girl?”

“Well, no, but I never said you were hot.” She snickers and shakes her head.

“No, but your eyes certainly did. I will see you tonight, Steve!” With that, she stands and walks away. The moment that she is gone, I suddenly become the most popular person in the entire place. Everyone descends on my table trying to make conversation. Most people decide to sit and eat with me while waiting their turn to talk to me. All of the conversations seem to draw to asking questions about Stacy and what she wanted and said. Kind of annoying that I am popular by proxy. One good thing that came of it is that I learned where this Phi Sig house is and what time the party is. The best directions being head that general direction and look for a house with white columns.

I am making my way to the Phi Sig house, after spending countless hours in the library reading random books just so I would not have to drive home and then have to drive back. I round the corner of the street heading off campus, and see rows upon rows of houses, all having white columns. I sure hope there is a gigantic sign in Greek letters or I am doomed. I walk down the street, hoping that the house will just jump out at me in some way. One house does just that, the grass has been cut, the garden very recently done, and brand new Greek letters hanging on the door. I shuffle my way up the stairs of the porch and knock on the door.

Not even a second later, an attractive short brunette answers the door. “Can I help you?”

“I hope so. Stacy invited me to a party you are having tonight.” I hope Stacy is in there or this could get awkward quickly.

“Oh! Yeah, right, she told us that she invited someone. Come in, you can wait in the area on the right while I go get her.” She runs off up the stairs of the house leaving me to close the door and head into said area. As I make my way through the foyer into the room I notice a wall of pictures, all portraying what I can only guess are legacies. One of them looks like an older Stacy, and another looks like an older version of the brunette that just walked off.

That‘s cool, they are legacies. I head into the designated area and stand waiting. I survey the room, noticing nothing set up for a party. I absentmindedly spin my ring on my hand while waiting for Stacy.

Several moments later, she enters the room, tailed by the brunette. “Hey, Steve!” is my greeting with a wonderful smile of hers. I feel it have the same effect as before.

“Uh. Hi! Am I early?”

The brunette answers for Stacy, “Not at all, you are exactly on time.” She gives me a smile as well, while I am sure it would have melted my heart, it failed in comparison to Stacy’s. “I am Mandy, it’s nice to meet you again.”

She extends her hand to shake mine, and I stop twirling my ring long enough to shake hers. Unlike the normal handshake, her eyes are not looking at me, but instead my hand. I guess her parents never taught her the professional handshake.

“Again?” I question.

“You must not recognize me from the flurry of people that stopped by your table today during lunch, but I was the one who told you what time to be here.”

“Ah, sorry. So where are all of the people for this party then?”

Stacy gives me a confused look. “We are it. Were you expecting something more?”

“Oh, well, yeah. I was expecting a big Greek party.”

“Sadly, you were the only freshman that we were able to get.”

Mandy snorts. “Actually, we shouldn’t even be having you but Stacy here thought you were a girl. The ring you are wearing and twirling is a sorority ring.”

“And here I was thinking it was my hair.” I brush my long blondish brown hair off my shoulders with a hand flourish for effect. Both Stacy and Mandy laugh while I just grin.

As the laughs ebb, Stacy fills the silence. “Sorry about it. Most people find it very offensive to be mistaken. I was basing my view on mostly the ring, if that makes you feel any better.”

I grin again, “It’s alright, it’s not the first time and I’m sure it won’t be the last time that it will happen.”

Mandy gives me a knowing smile, “No I am sure it won’t be.”

Stacy gives Mandy a look. One of those, why did you say that looks. I wouldn’t think it was that big of a thing, but that look says otherwise. Maybe she is looking to go out with me, one can hope, but that’s probably just wishful thinking. Awkwardness hangs in the air, so I try to break it.

“If it is just going to be the three of use, then what are we going to do?”

Stacy gives me an apologetic look. “We actually were just going to talk, no games or drinking. Is that okay?”

Just what every guy wants to hear, not. “Yeah, sure that would be great.” So I have no interest in talking, what’s a little white lie going to hurt. “What did you want to talk about?”

“You,” Mandy and Stacy say at the same time.

I give them a questioning look, “okay. My name is Steve. I am a senior in high school trying to figure out where I am going to be attending in the fall. I have good grades, spend most of my time reading or keeping busy, I love scuba diving, I live with my Dad since my parents got divorced. My mom passed away when I was in elementary school, and this is her ring. I didn’t know where it’s from, but I thought it looked cool and it reminds me of her. But as you said a minute ago it’s a sorority ring so now I know. I love Italian food, but food in general is great. I watch all types of movies, Dramas to gore fests. And I learned to ride my bike on two wheels when I was in sixth grade. Don’t laugh, I had balance trouble.”

Feeling like I just poured my life story I glance over at their expectant faces, which are now lower since they decided to take a seat in my monologue. “How did I do?”

Stacy smirks and giggles, “Spectacular, A for effort!” Mandy gives me a thumb up.

I look between the two, “who is next?”

Stacy eagerly jumps at the opportunity. Poor Mandy never stood a chance. “You know me as Stacy but everyone back home calls me Sta’ci, whichever you prefer is fine. I grew up on a farm before my parents were assassinated for being a part of a rebel group to kill a tyrant when I was sixteen. I then started training with a monk in the Mountain Valley, which is literally a mountain inside of a giant valley, to learn my craft. That was where I met Mandy. When I was twenty and had perfected my craft, I came to this world to find the last Vlamir and its wielder.”

I burst out laughing, and turned to Mandy for her turn. “I’m Mandy, I was born here and when my parents said I was of age I went with them to the In-between to learn my craft. When I had finished learning it with them, I went to study with the same monk as Stacy and the rest is the same as her. Both of us have been searching for you. You are the wielder of the last Vlamir Steve, and we need you to come with us.”

Having two of them make a joke makes it much less funny. Being the wonderful gentleman that I am though, I laugh for Mandy’s joke. They both just sit there staring at me with eager eyes. “Very funny.”

“We are being very serious Steve, Mandy and I need you to come with us to the In-between.”

My mood shifted in an instant, I don’t know if it is the look in both of their gray, borderline white, eyes or the fact they aren’t laughing, but I can see they are deadly serious. “Thanks for inviting me over, it has been real fun and all but I need to get going home. My dad is going to be looking for me.”

I give them a passing wave good bye and start walking towards the door. Neither of them tries to follow, thankfully. I make it to the doorway of the room and run smack into an invisible wall. I panic and push my hand hard against it, only to be pushed back and sent lurching backwards. I look at the two of them with what I hope is a questioning look. Mandy comes to my rescue.

“I am sorry, Steve, but we cannot let you go, as we said we have mastered our craft. Although there is no reason to fear us, we will not hurt you. We are here to help you.” So apparently questioning wasn’t the look I gave them, or they could read minds too and see I am totally freaking out. Mandy decided to come to my rescue for that as well. “No, I cannot read your mind, unless you allow me access. I can feel what you feel inside of context. I am similar to what you would call an empath, only I can’t separate my feelings from yours distinctly.”

I look at Stacy, the once wonderful girl now seeming much scarier. Almost as if she could tell what I was asking for she gave me what I wanted. “My craft is not like Mandy’s. I cannot read emotions or make walls in space and time. I can see through time, in very brief intervals. I can also change my form based on the world I am in. In this one I can only be things which exist in it, but in the In-between I can be much more. I chose this form because I saw that it would appeal to you when I looked through time. Believe it or not, we have met hundreds of times in different forms without actually meeting. It’s kind of like that Nicholas Cage movie. This was the only form that you even considered showing up for.”

Guilt washes over my face. I know I can be a bit of a jerk at times, but I never thought of myself as shallow. Huh, I didn’t know that I disliked Greek life that much. I blame the portrayal in movies. Wait a minute, what am I thinking. I am thinking about movies when I just found out magic is real, I am going to be sucked into some In-between, and I have some amazing Vlamir thingy. Ship me off to Arkham, I have officially lost it on the way to Hogwarts. Yup, that last thought verifies it.

“So, what is it that this Vlamir does? What kind of super powers can I have? Do we leave now, or do I have enough time to finish puberty first?”

Stacy giggles. “All very good questions. We need to leave now unfortunately. We have everything you will need waiting for you in the In-between. The Vlamir enhances a person’s craft exponentially once you know how to trigger its effects. It also is a form of consciousness. If you know about the Green Lantern ring, it’s like that kind of conscious, only less computerized since someone had to actually store their soul in it. I do not know what your ‘super powers’ are, we will have to figure that out once we get to the In-between. In this world, you cannot develop a craft, but once you establish one it can carry between worlds, zones, times, and dimensions.”

“Why can’t I just give you the Vlamir and wash my hands of the entire issue?”

Mandy fields this question. “The Vlamir is your ring and much more. The ring is only given to those who share the same blood, so it is passed through blood lines. While giving us the ring prevents it from being used, people will come in search of your blood so that they can use the ring. That is why we need you to go with us. However, there is one other thing that I need to tell you before you go with us. The wielder of the Vlamir must be….”

Mandy stares off behind me. I turn my head, look, and see nothing but a shadow being cast by my body. I turn back around to ask her to continue when I notice from my peripheral vision that my shadow is in front of me on the floor. Without warning, I am yanked forward by Mandy. I fumble to the floor face first. When I sit up I see Mandy with her hands up I assume making a wall between my shadow and me, which is somehow still where I was sitting when I am half way across the room. I look behind me and where Stacy was sitting is now a big grizzly bear. I back up from Stacy only to run into one of Mandy’s invisible walls.

My shadow, the non-moving shadow that is, starts to move directly towards me. It passes underneath the wall Mandy is projecting until it is right underneath me. I start to sink into the floor. Stacy, who is now Stacy again, grabs my hand and tries to pull me out. As is she pulling with one hand and losing the tug of war, her other hand breaks into flame. Her hand became flame, not her hand covered in flame! The flame fell to the floor like molten lava. When it touched the shadow, the shadow yelled in an ear splitting scream. I was sent flying across the room with the handless Stacy, while the shadow seemed to collapse in on itself and disappear.

I lay there on the ground trying not to freak out while the handless Stacy walks over to the flame still burning on the ground and pushes it around with what is left of her hand. The flame creeps back up on her skin and reforms a hand. That was just creepy. Mandy, I think reading my distress commented, “that’s disgusting, I thought you could only do living things?”

Stacy smirks,” I can only do living things, fire eats, breathes, and can die so it apparently is alive enough. I was trying for an Infernal Kavu* before when I became a bear. I forgot they don’t have those in this zone.”

How can they have a casual conversation without freaking out after what just happened? Yet it continues, “I thought shades couldn’t cross over because of the water on this planet.”

“They can’t. My guess is when you put up the barriers of yours to block in Steve you made a water free environment of sorts concentrated with magic. Oh yeah, Steve….”

Stacy walks over to me and extends her once fire hand to help me up. I just glare at it, who knows it could suddenly combust. I stand up on my own. Mandy, sensing the trouble I am having, grabs a dark blue crystal like egg off of a shelf and walks over to me. Stacy grabs Mandy’s shoulder while Mandy places one hand on me before speaking. “I’m sorry, Steve but we need to go before we find out something else came through with the shade. The first time can be a little tricky, but please try not to puke on me when you get to the other side.”

Mandy throws the egg to the ground causing a blue liquid that was contained within it to spread across the floor. We start to sink much like I had with the shadow, fight or flight kicks in and I go for running. My legs are no good, I can’t pull them out. I start to shift my weight to try to lurch out of the liquid. Just like quick sand, the liquid has now progressed rapidly up to my neck while still at waist height for the others. I take a deep breath before I submerge. The last thing I hear on what I like to call home of a ‘zone’ is Stacy yelling, “DON’T hold your br….”

Everything turned purple, almost like a kaleidoscope. It is about what I would think being on acid would look like, either that or mushrooms. However, being the good child that I am, I never touched the stuff, so I have no idea. All I know is that the whole display messed with my mind.

Then as if dropped out of the sky only backwards I am looking up into a purple sky while three suns and two moons are moving overhead without a cloud in the sky. I am certainly not in Kansas anymore. My body catches up with my mind and I let go of my breath I was holding. Only, that is not the only thing that came out. I spewed in what must have looked like a volcano like manner, as I rolled over onto my side in reaction to not choking.

My stomach starts to feel like I could release nothing other than my intestines and I collapse to the ground on my stomach. A very sharp pain goes surging throughout my chest, and instinct causes me to pull back and throw my hands on the perpetrating area of pain; hoping to see a bruise or even a knife stabbed through my heart to explain the degree of pain. If only life was so kind. My hands are the first thing to give me a clue what is going on because at this point my mind has stopped working. There is a giant ‘error does not compute’ sign flashing in my head. My hands feel two mounds that somehow I can feel on both ends of the contact.

My mind kicks in at this point, better late than never. I lift the top of my polo shirt and peek through the neck hole. I think I picked up something through this whole changing zone thing, because I don’t remember having breasts… ever. Then the real male part of my mind kicks in and panics. Junior!?!?! My hands fly and find nothing. When I find Mandy I am going to kill her. Just one thing you need to tell me before you cross over. This isn’t one thing, well I guess it is because you added two things and took one away but that’s beside the point. Switching genders is definitely not something you hide in the fine print, it warrants big bold letters, with several listings and even a waiver form or two with it listed in the title. I roll my head forwards towards the ground, I am not making the mistake of a chest first layout ever again. Just as my head reaches the bluish miniature fern carpeted ground, golden blonde hair falls all around me like a wall.

At least one thing didn’t change. I still have long hair. As my hand makes its way up to touch my hair and pull it into direct view, my hand touches a surface a few inches past my head. I feel the contact on both ends. I close my eyes tightly, praying to whichever god resides on this In-between that it isn’t some strange horns or something I have now. I trace the shape with my finger and notice it connects much like my ear, only it is much longer. If I had to guess, it’s more like a long elf ear. This is too weird, next thing you know I’ll be sprouting a tail or wings or something.

“The ears and the sex change are the only things that you will really notice that are different.” Who else other than Mandy would know what I was thinking and talk about it aloud. I looked up expecting to see her standing there with a smug look on her face, but she wasn’t. Smug look yes, Mandy, not so much. She looked like herself from the waist up, but from the waist down, she was goatish. Okay, so the technical term is satyr or something, but that is not right because the knees went the wrong way and the fur was an offshoot of dark green. Preventing myself from staring I try to change the topic in my mind.

“Where is Stacy, you and her have some explaining to do,” I say it in what I would call a threatening tone back home with the “I Love Lucy” accent, but here and with a new voice, it sounded more ominous and wizened. Almost like I knew what it is they were going to explain, but I wanted them to explain it nevertheless. Damn elves and their high and mightiness, apparently they get it genetically or it’s innate, who knew? Yet, somehow the voice isn’t freaking me out, too weird. My brain must not be up to full capacity after the big fry of having breasts or something.

“I am here,” says a voice that sounds exactly like Stacy only in a much more matter-of-fact manner. I look over to where the voice is coming from and see what can only be described as Stacy, only with long ears. Much like how I imagine mine look now. Her clothes however have changed to a much more rustic style. Leather battle gear covered with form fitting green cloths. Her blonde hair is the same as it was before, only now it is pulled back into a bun from its previous free flowing manner. Over her shoulder, I can see two sword hilts. To complete the ranger ensemble are soft sole shoes. A nature person if I ever did see one.

“Cool outfit, I definitely get the naturalist vibe.”

Mandy simply snorts, but Stacy graces me with a smile. While her beauty has not lessened, if anything it has increased, her smile does not make my mind turn to mush. My mind goes into a flurry, oh god, am I gay now. That is just messed up, new body, new mind, new powers, and now new lovers… well I guess when you are out shopping for new things might as well buy in bulk. Now I am thinking about shopping, this is just grand. Can I get anymore stereotypical?

Mandy doing what Mandy does, she breaks my train of thought. “You don’t receive the Star Elf charm since you are now an elf as well. Humans feel an unnatural attraction to elves; it is just one of those things you will learn about this zone.” Oh joy, oh bliss, learning yippee. I skipped class to visit a college so I wouldn’t have to learn. I suppose having one free day was too much to ask for.

“So how about this sex change, a little heads up would have been nice.”

Stacy gives me a knowing look, and I grow uncomfortable under her gaze. “Would you have come with us willingly if we had told you? Mandy was trying to tell you that the ring is usually passed through a female lineage, but since you are the only remaining person in the bloodline, it would have just skipped your generation since you are male. Since you were wearing the ring when you came here, the Vlamir’s magic must have transformed you in order to allow you to be a conduit. We knew that it was likely, but you being able to use the ring to defend yourself requires you being female. Once you go back to your zone you should turn male again.”

I scare at the word, “Should?”

“Yes it is only speculation since Vlamir knowledge was never shared or written down. As we said before, a Vlamir is a sorority ring of sorts, but it is not a sorority in your zone, but of the In-between. Those that wielded them were warriors and defenders of this zone. Those with powerful craft were able to traverse time, dimensions, and worlds to help maintain order in them. They had many names on many worlds, but here we just called them wielders or Craft Masters. This zone was the, as the name suggests, In-between point for all planes. Unfortunately, a man by the name of Arber Strauthcline worked to master many different crafts. He became power drunk and killed many wielders of Vlamir. Soon after they turned against one another suspecting a traitor, leading to their demise.

Arber learned years later that he could wield the Vlamir, if he had fused his blood with theirs. We suspect that there is something in a wielder’s blood that carries over through a transfusion. It wasn’t until recently that he found out that not all of the wielders have been killed. Now he is on a man, or rather a woman hunt to find you. He will not know you are the wielder with your changes unless he sees your ring. I suggest you don’t go flashing it around too much.”

I give her fish eyes at all of the information that was just thrown at me. I think I should be writing this all down. There is no chance that I am going to remember all of this. But, I am an elf now. I must be proud, heh. “Oh, is that all?”

Stacy takes a deep breath to give me what I’m sure is another long-winded speech. Mandy fortunately comes to my rescue. If your mental telepathy thing works like this, I am sending you my thanks, Mandy. “That’s all of the important stuff. The only other thing is we need to get to the Gryf Temple in Mountain Valley for you to learn your craft.”

“I know I am new in town and all, but wouldn’t Mr. Bad Guy shut down this temple place so he can stay as Big Man on Campus?” I look around, nope definitely not on campus anymore. “So to speak.”

“He kept the temple open as a way to train his soldiers and henchmen, but does not fear those with power since he was able to defeat those that wield Vlamir. However, you do bring up a valid point. He will be searching the temple for you, since I am sure that the shade will tell him of our encounter.”

Mandy gets a scared look, “Wait, you didn’t kill shadow man?” Ah, finally someone other than me who doesn’t know something. I mean duh, it’s obvious. Wait a minute, how do I know the answer when I have no idea what a shade exactly is. I guess this elf thing gave me some kind of knowledge too. I wonder if I can speak in elvish, that would be cool. I find a little switch in my mind and turn it on.

“Even I can figure this out, how don’t you know? Didn’t you say you lived here for a long time?” The words that were in my mind sounded like perfect English, but the movements my mouth was making were anything but. For instance, I did not know there was a letter in the alphabet that involved almost swallowing your tongue. It must be new, and I just didn’t get the memo.

Mandy gave me a surprised look, I only got a smirk from Stacy this time. “It is not polite to change languages during a conversation. Since your mind is new, I will not fault you this one time in the tradition. Now you understand how the language works both in the talking and listening.”

The words sounded almost like gibberish in a way, but when I tried to think about the words themselves, it was like the moment I tried to touch them they were English and I could understand them. I am going to have so much fun with this one. To be courteous to Mandy I go back to English, I mean if they were talking in some other language, I would hate it too. I mean, think about it, why is it that the second someone starts talking in a language you don’t understand you assume they are talking bad about you? Getting my mind back on topic, time to fill in Mandy.

“Correct me if I am wrong, but a shade is like a shadow, and fire is a perfect absence of shadow. So in a sense you banished it to a shadow, which could have been any shadow other than the one it was in. And since we are on the subject, why can’t a shade go across water? You mentioned that before.”

A smart look from Mandy. I know she is going to get her rebuttal. “A shade can move across solid surfaces, the dynamics of moving water makes a shadow too changing for a shade to be able to manifest within it. That means they have to cross at bridges or other solid forms.”

I cock my eyebrow, “Right.”

Ignoring my face, Stacy moves the conversation along. “Back to the clothes topic…. I hope you don’t mind what I am wearing, since that is what I have for you.” With a smirk she adds, “Either that or the skirt that I came to this zone wearing.”

“I think what you are wearing now will do just fine, thanks.” She opens her mouth giving me a shocked look.

“But you would look so much better in a skirt.”

“I think Steve is right, Stacy. If she wears the skirt, people will notice she’s not from this zone. It’s odd enough seeing two elves traveling together in this day and age. By the way, what are we going to call her? Steve doesn’t exactly work anymore.”

“Stephanie? No, no, Caiella. It’s the closest that elves have for Steve, but is a girl’s name so you will fit right in.” Stacy says with an etched grin. I take one look at her expression and just clasp my hands over my face. Today is just not my day.

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Authors Note: I do not know how long this story will be, or how much time will be between chapters. There will probably be a bit of a gap before I post Chapter 3 due to the holidays. Since this is my first story piece I hope you all like it, and any critiques are welcome to help improve my writing style. In addition, any questions you have about the tale, feel free to post them as a comment so I can ensure they are answered somewhere in the story if they are no incorporated already. Special thanks to djkauf for editing this tale.

*Kavu: Is a large Komodo dragon type creature, with the body shape of a bear that comes in many forms. An Infernal Kavu is one whose skin is made of drying molten lava. It has the ability to breath fire and it’s saliva is acidic. Just in case you wanted to know.

As comforting at Stacy’s clothes look, I think the skirt would have been the better deal. Before you jump all over my case, no I did not suddenly turn to the dark side. I just think it would not make me feel like I have a permanent wedgie. A feeling, which Stacy says, will pass. I don’t believe her. That feeling aside, The outfit wasn’t all that bad, getting used to a flat downstairs is odd, as well as a strapped in top half. Apparently, all adult female elves are the same size, so everything she had fit me well. Unfortunately, that also means I have shrunken. No more chance at being a six-foot macho man for me, now I’m a 5’ 5” twig. A strong twig, but a twig nonetheless. Okay, maybe not a twig, I just feel tiny compared to what I used to be.

Learning to walk in the clothes was an ordeal. Walking in general was a bit of an ordeal to be honest. Everything moved all funny, and I felt like my body was moving in a very discombobulated manner. However, if you ask Stacy, I’m simply walking like a girl. No wonder girls run so funny. Learning to walk like an elf was where things took a turn for the worse. While speaking and mannerisms came naturally, walking didn’t. Personally, just being able to get from point A to B with your feet was good enough for me, but that earned me a ‘you’re doing it wrong’ lecture followed by a ‘you are the last hope and if you screw up we are dead’ lecture. Lay it on thick, why don’tcha.

Now that I can walk like a stealthy professional snob, I mean an elf, we are heading to find Gryf Temple. Despite the good point of our little band being expected, Stacy seems to think that a group of rebel monks will have set up camp not too far away. Since I am not the tour guide on our little adventure I take the back seat and just mosey along. I think I could have been the guide though, all we are doing is following a river. Thankfully water is still blue here, a very bright blue but still blue. I’m not sure I could have been able to deal with drinking brown water or something. Bleh, just thinking that is disgusting.

We approach the edge of the forest and hear water falling. I don’t know if I mentioned this before but there aren’t trees in the Earth sense. They are more like giant cabbages that are shaped like cucumbers. Sorry I have food on the brain, I haven’t eaten since lunch and even that I didn’t get to keep down.

Our gracious guide Stacy stops where she is standing. “We will rest here for the night, and cross over in the morning.”

I sigh, at having to ask yet another question. “Does this place come with an owner manual? I mean crossing over, what is that?” I drop to the ground in place, walking as a snob is tiring, I mean elf. I’ll get it right one of these times.

Stacy grins at me. This cannot be good. “Come and see for yourself.”

I slowly stand with much complaint from my thighs and back. I trudge over to where Stacy is standing. The view is breath taking. Words cannot describe this scene. The world literally ends. We are on the edge of an island floating in the sky, a wall of off-white clouds below us, the purple sky above. On the horizon, the colors blended in a perfect gradient, where one of the two blue suns shone. You could just make out the one red sun dipping into the clouds without a trace of peeking through. The stream that we had been following flowed right off the edge, only as I peered over the edge carefully, the water did not fall off. It just disappeared.

Something is wrong with the physics here, but it can’t hurt to ask to see if they know. “Where does the water go?”

Mandy walks over to where I am standing and takes in the sight. “With the number of times I have come here, it still takes my breath away.” With a quick look at me, she answers my question. “The water crosses over, just like we will be doing tomorrow. You just walk off the edge and show up on the other side. It’s perfectly safe, only messes with your perception of reality a little. Up is down while down is up, that sort of thing.”

My brain has a hard time understanding how that could work. I sit to watch the suns set and ponder the logistics of an upside down world. I give up and just decide to see what it’s like tomorrow. I walk over to the campfire set up by Stacy and lay out on my back to go to sleep. I move in close to the blue flame and find little heat. Apparently, fire isn’t so hot here, either that or I am just more responsive to temperature changes. On cue as always Mandy jumps in. “It won’t get cold tonight; the temperature doesn’t really change here. And even though it’s colder here than your zone, as an elf you are used to outdoor conditions so you won’t notice changes much anyway. I have to warn Stacy not to wear skirts in the snow sometimes. You will probably have the same problem once you go back, to remember to dress appropriately for weather.”

With that necessary tidbit of information, I roll onto my side and try for sleep. Unfortunately, I do my best thinking while lying in bed waiting for sleep. Despite how tired I feel physically, my mind races at a mile a minute keeping me awake. The topic on the brain tonight, how do I feel about everything that has happened? The existence of magic, that is okay. Me being some key person in a potential plot for inter-planetary domination, less than okay but I can deal with it. The real trip up is with the whole gender bender thing. I’m a guy, I love being a guy. Yet when I think about things, my mind starts stepping in problems. Mentally I am a guy, but when I think about things now they are different. My mind feels like it is slipping. I want to be a guy again, but things are going haywire at some point in the thought process and it comes out with why would I want to be a guy again.

It’s one of those thoughts that I just can’t shake, but I won’t be able to sleep unless I find a way to stop focusing on it. Think happy thoughts, maybe that will work. Puppies, rainbows, butterflies, shopping… wait, what am I thinking; soccer, mud, wrestling, grunting, there that’s much better. This is overwhelming; my mind feels like it’s splitting. What is one thing that hasn’t changed? I open my eyes to try to find something familiar about this world. Everything feels so alien, yet so ordinary in my mind. I shake my head to banish the thought of the difference again. I resume my search for something, anything that is the same. My eyes fall on Stacy, who is sound asleep with her face facing mine. Although she doesn’t have that super elf charm thing on me anymore, she is still attractive to me. Well at least I still am attracted to girls. Being outright attracted to guys would be a little much at this point. But with a female body I know I might be attracted to guys, but since I haven’t seen any since getting here I can’t really be sure. I’ll just call myself uni-directionally encouraged bisexual and call it a night.

With that thought ending, so does my mind’s activity. Sleep instantly takes me.

~o~O~o~

I awake to the trill of what I would guess is a cricket, if this place even has crickets. I roll over and see Stacy still sound asleep, unfazed by the noise. I cast my eyes over to Mandy and see her sitting against a tree away from the fire wide-awake, gazing out into the tree cabbages. I sit up, causing her to quickly turn her head to look directly at me. When she realizes the stir was just me, she motions for me to join her. Rolling to a stand, I go and join her. “I would ask if you slept well, but I already know the answer you would give me.”
I will never get over how odd it is to talk with someone, but never have to open your mouth. “You know it’s not polite to read people without their permission. What if I was having a private thought?”

Mandy glances at me with a mix of shock and embarrassment. “If that was private I’m sorry, but I can’t really turn it off completely. It’s usually why I don’t talk to people, they get uncomfortable when I know things they don’t say.”

Well, so much for keeping secrets around her. Probably best to keep to non-feeling oriented topics. “So what is up with this world?”

Mandy smirks, “That isn’t what you really want to know, you want to know where we are. Which is a very complex concept. We currently exist outside of the physical world. We are in a focal point where anything and everything meets, yet nothing exists. This place is a step between all places and planes. It’s difficult to understand, but the key thing you need to know is that this place draws energy from all other dimensions, planes, and worlds. It is the focal point for all that is magical, as you would say.”

“So that’s how you and Stacy were able to learn craft? You came here and learned how to channel the energy through you?”

“For me, more or less; for Mandy it’s complicated. She isn’t really an elf. You remember that she is a shape shifter; well she shifted to the elf form so you would feel more comfortable. She is actually a demon, not the big scary things that your planet portrays. Most demons are evil, but Stacy isn’t one of those. She hates being a demon, because everyone thinks she will do something terrible. I guess it’s fortunate for her that her craft is shape shifting, she can hide from all the people who would kill her just because of how she looks.”

I look back at Stacy with a new set of eyes. I have never known that kind of hatred from people, it must hurt in ways I will never know. The thought of her being a demon seems impossible with her beautiful face, but you would never think I was a guy by looking at me now. Things change, some more than others. I hope that my craft will be able to help me as much as Stacy’s has helped her.

“What craft you get tends to follow family lines, but sometimes someone will show one entirely different. When they do, it tends to be weaker than if they had followed in the family line. For each generation it is the same, the stronger it gets. Mine has been in my family for a long time which is why I can’t turn it off. Some people have their craft refined to the point where it becomes dangerous or self destructive.”

I place my hand on her shoulder to give a half hug. “I’m sorry Mandy; it sounds like a curse to have.”

She shakes her head, “Craft isn’t inherently good or evil so it can’t be a curse. It just is, what you do with it makes it good or bad. I know how to live with mine for good reasons I think, so there is no reason to call it a curse. You will have the advantage of the Vlamir. It will let you access free-floating energy around you that people normal craft users can’t even perceive. That is why a wielder’s power is so great. Bloodlines only take you so far, they are disrupted before anyone gets strong. A wielder with a good bloodline would be a force to be reckoned with. Using it around another craft user would amplify it even more because you draw in their collected energies as well. Even with all that power, since the ring is the cause it doesn’t overwhelm or overtake you. If it somehow did, I would think you could just take it off and then you would be just a regular person.”

A yawn escapes my mouth despite my best attempts to stifle it. “Sorry, you aren’t boring me, I am just getting tired.”

“It’s okay, I know what you were feeling. I’ll make sure there is food for when you wake up.” With that she stands and walks off into the semi darkness until the trees block her from view. I look over at where I laid before, decide it is too far, and close my eyes.

Author's note: I don't like this chapter as much as the other chapters I have written, but feel as though the story must go on. I apologize for the large gaps between postings, but this semester has been particularly hectic. There will be large gaps between chapters until the summer starts, but once it does the postings will become much more frequent. All feedback is appreciated. Special thanks to djkauf for editing.