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Author's Note: Thanks to my readers and to Martin for reading it and telling me that it was a world worth sharing. ~Amethyst.
 

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Chapter 1: Down the Fishing Hole

“Alex, those things are going to kill you, you know,” Michelle told me as I lit a cigarette. We were at a rest stop and despite the cold we were sitting outside. It was clear and cold enough to see our breath, but I needed a nic fix and Michelle didn't want me smoking in the car. She didn't seem to be all that bothered by the cold. She was even wearing a mini skirt and I envied her for it, but not for the reasons you might be thinking. You see I've always felt that I was born in the wrong body, and at that moment I was really wishing I could be wearing a skirt too, not that I could tell my sister that. She was my twin sister, and my best friend, and I couldn't even tell her who I was inside.

I had never told anybody, not my sister and not my parents, and I had always kept my dressing up private and secret. You'd probably keep it secret and private too if you were six foot three and broad shouldered, with a square jaw. Other than that I was pretty unremarkable with dull brown hair and eyes, not at all like my sister who was gorgeous with her nice figure, bright green eyes and auburn hair. About the only things we had in common physically were our age and that we were both on the skinny side, but I suppose at this point I was getting to be more gaunt than skinny. I gave her another carefully concealed look of jealousy.

It was probably better left secret I thought. It was just one more cross I had to bear on my own. I hadn't told anyone about the Cancer either. They would just worry or waste their time, and mine, by looking for ways to save me. Better to just enjoy the time I had left, two months, maybe three if the doctors were right. I took a long drag on my death stick and gave Michelle my best fake smile, “It'll take more than cigarettes to take me down.”

As I finished my cigarette I considered telling them all everything once we got to the cabin. Hiding it from them and everyone else my whole life had only made me miserable. Maybe I'd enjoy the time I had left if I could at least live it as the girl I wanted to be. Maybe then my last few months could bring me the happiness I couldn't seem to find in the first twenty-eight years of my sad existence. I extinguished both my cigarette and my train of thought and we climbed back into Michelle's beat up Camry to finish the long drive out to the family cabin, and my final Christmas.

Visanee kept her cloak wrapped firmly around her and her cowl up to hide her features as she slipped along the halls of the Misalet Castle with the feline grace and silence that was a benefit of being a Zenin. Behind her, the guards to the room that had been her prison for almost 16 passes lay fast asleep. "I will have to thank Trevas for smuggling me in some corrune pollen if I ever get the chance. For now though," she thought, "I must focus on my escape."

Making her way down to the stables from the tower was easier than she first expected. The late time, and darkened halls with only very few of the kida lamps on, helped a lot. There also weren't many guards to be seen, and what ones there were seemed to be focused on what or who may try to enter rather than who may try to leave. Her ears twitched and her fur stood on end at a distant sound as she approached the entrance hall. Quickly she slipped into an alcove that would let her see, and hopefully remain somewhat hidden in the shadows. Her feline nose wrinkled as she cautiously sniffed the air and picked up the scent of sweat, steel, and wine. The guard who turned the corner and entered the hall, sniffing the air, was large with brown fur and bear-like in appearance, if bears walked upright and had four arms.

"Just great," she thought, "a Jiquar, and he's close to 8 tayr tall. Oh well, at least Jiquar have a good sense of smell." Pinching her nose with one hand she slipped the other into her pouch and withdrew a handful of pollen. The Jiquar sniffed his way toward her and once he was almost at her alcove she jumped out and blew the pollen up into his still sniffing nose. “Surprise,” she whispered as the guard breathed in the pollen. Before he even had a chance to react, he staggered, his eyes rolled back in his head, and he fell to the floor asleep, with Visanee only narrowly avoiding being pinned beneath him. A little corrune pollen just makes a person drowsy, but with as much as the guard just inhaled even races with less sensitive noses, like Humans and Cinoles, would be knocked out for a few hours.

By the time Visanee arrived at the stables she was almost out of pollen. She quickly saddled a machul and mounted it. There were plenty of horses available, but she wanted speed and stamina in a mount and the black equines were easily faster and stronger than their cousin the horse. The only thing on land faster than a machul was it's other cousin, the baynard, but those were often too wild to be safely tamed, especially with their long, curved, and very sharp blade-like horns. Still this was only one of three machuls in the stable, so with a head start she figured she should be able to make it deep into the city long before any pursuit.

She rode through the courtyard to the castle gates where a lone Human stood guard, “Lower the the drawbridge and raise the gates,” she tried to give it the air of an order.

“I'm going to need to see your gate pass,” the guard replied, sounding bored.

“Oh yes my gate pass, silly me.” She opened her pouch, dumping the contents into her opened hand.

At this point the guard started looking intently at her cowled face and then gasped in realization. “It's the pri...” was all he managed to call out before he started coughing from the handful of pollen she threw in his face. Moments later he was on the ground fast asleep as she strained her muscles turning the wheel to raise the black gates. It took her longer than she wanted, but they were made of yalk wood and that made them heavy. She had not yet finished when the sound of the alarm rang out, she was running out of time. Once she finally had the gates high enough to ride through, she hit the lever to lower the drawbridge and tiredly climbed back on the machul's back to ride through the gate, across the bridge, down the great road, and into the capital city of Velheim as the sounds of the castle being roused behind her spurred her on.

It had taken almost an entire sun to find an Enchanter who could do what Visanee wanted, and she had been waiting for him to finish the item in question for several candlemarks. She was beginning to get nervous. She had only narrowly evaded pursuit, and each moment she spent in the city increased her chances of getting caught by the guards roaming the streets. Her ears and tail twitched nervously as she risked a glance out the window of the shop into the street. Hearing a noise behind her, she adjusted her cowl and turned to see the shop's proprietor stepping out from the curtain that separated the storefront from his workshop. “Is it finished?” she asked.

The elderly Enchanter nodded, placing a rather plain looking dagger on the counter. “It is. Use this to trace a circle where the veil between our worlds is the thinnest, and it will allow you to change places with a compatible soul on the other side.”

Visanee nodded eagerly. “And the back door you mentioned?”

“The kida from the enchantment will linger in that spot until the passing of the full moon, the back door must be used by then and can only be used once. The Gift is not common on that world, if it exists there at all, and you can not take physical objects with you, so you must remember the words I taught you to use the back door. Only those words can trigger the kida for a trip back. Just like when you get to the other world, I can not guarantee whose body you would inhabit on your return...” He paused, his blind eyes turning in the direction of her breathing, his face a mask of concern. “Are you sure that you wish to do this?”

She placed three gold coins on the counter as she muttered, “Whatever happens can't be worse than things are now.”

With a resigned sigh the old man placed a piece of parchment beside the dagger. “When you are ready thrust the dagger through this parchment, it will take you to where the veil between worlds is the thinnest.”

Without another world Visanee took both dagger and parchment and thrust. Almost immediately, a blue mist began to rise from the parchment and encompassed the Zenin. Soon all she could see, feel, or taste was the mist, it felt like the tingling sensation one feels when a limb returns to feeling after being numb and it tasted like old parchment. And then it was all gone, and she was surrounded by snow and ice. She was in The Frozen Wastes.

We pulled up in front of the cabin in the early afternoon on Christmas Eve. Mom and Dad's car was already there, and covered in several inches of snow. The snow had been really coming down on the last leg of our drive and the wind was really starting to blow. I cursed as I tried to light a cigarette in the wind and snow, “It looks like we might be in for a snowstorm sis, hell of a way to be spending Christmas Eve.” A shiver tore through my body as the cold wind whipped at me and I took a drag of my cigarette.

Michelle chuckled cheerfully. “I guess we'll save the snowball fight for another day and spend tonight in front of a warm fire, sipping hot cocoa, and talking then. It could be worse.”

“True, hot cocoa does sound good, and I'm sure we can find something to talk about.” My mind wandered back to the thought of telling them everything as I absently puffed away. Finally I finished my smoke and grabbed our bags from the trunk of the car, then Michelle and I left the snow and wind for the warm comfort of the cabin.

Visanee shivered, despite her fur, as she used the dagger to draw a circle about one tayr in diameter in the ice at her feet. Once finished, she set the dagger aside and the light blue glow that had clung to the blade left it, and the dagger was just a dagger once more. The circle though took on an ethereal blue glow, and looking through it she could see a twilight sky lit with a gibbous moon and unfamiliar stars. The deed was done. Now she just needed to wait.

She wondered whether someone compatible would arrive soon. If the area on the other side was as desolate as the wastes she could be waiting quite a while. She hoped not, she didn't have that kind of time. As she huddled in her cloak and tried to keep warm, the Zenin held on to hope that it would happen before she froze to death, or she was found by her pursuers or one of the waste's predators.

Her ears and nose twitched and she carefully watched her surroundings. The howling wind was making it hard to hear anything else and, since she had never been in the wastes before, the distant scents she could pick up other than snow were unfamiliar. Still, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched. She risked a glance back at the circle and offered a silent prayer to Selune, the Goddess of Gifts, that something would happen soon.

"The snow outside is getting worse", I thought as I looked out the window after dinner. The wind was whipping furiously and it seemed like a wall of white powder slammed into the side of the cabin with every howling gust. Inside though, the cabin was fairly warm, thanks to the fire in the fireplace. The hot cocoa helped too, as did the fact that I was wearing wool socks under a comfortable pair of old sneakers and a warm sweater.

Mom had set out a platter of Christmas treats to go with the hot cocoa. There were sugar cookies, fudge, nanaimo bars, chocolate snowballs, and gingerbread. All of this conspired to make me very relaxed, probably too relaxed. Or maybe I just wanted to have the truth out and get it over with. Either way, it doesn't matter as it all led up to me being in the wrong place at the wrong time, or perhaps the right place at the right time. I'm still not quite sure yet.

So as I sat there staring out the window, comfortably full of hot cocoa and sweets, I came to a decision that would change my life. With a sigh I turned from the window and faced my family. Michelle took after my Mom, with those same green eyes and auburn hair, though Mom's was starting to go grey and she had been granted a visit or two from the wrinkle fairy. Dad was a big guy like me with black hair and brown eyes and stood at six feet four inches. Unlike me though, he was a wall of muscle and he had played hockey semi-professionally before he blew out his knee and became a contractor for a construction company. My father was going to be trouble, but I needed to get this out, it's not like I'd have to live long with his disapproval anyway.

“So...” I began, taking a deep breath before continuing, “I really need to talk to you all about something.”

Mom smiled and reached across the table taking my hand. “What do you need to talk about Alex?”

Dad looked at me sternly and said, “Men don't hesitate son. Say what ya gotta say and be done with it, otherwise you sound like a woman.” This earned him a dirty look from both my mother and Michelle.

I laughed nervously. “Funny you should say that Dad, I was going to ask how you and Mom would feel about having another daughter.”

Mom and Michelle looked a bit confused while Dad, as usual, heard it the way he wanted to. “Why didn't you tell us you've found a girl Alex? It's about time! How long have you been seeing her? Why didn't you bring her for the holidays? I'm so proud to see you carrying on the family name.”

I groaned, shaking my head at his excitement. “Dad stop! That is not what I meant, there's no girl. I've been thinking about this a long time and... I've never been comfortable with my body.” I blushed as I looked toward my sister. “Michelle I've always been jealous of you, the way you look, the way you dress.” Looking at her, I was a bit taken aback by the look in her eyes. She already knew. “Sis?”

Michelle shrugged, giving me an encouraging smile. “I figured it out when we were in high school, I figured you'd tell me when you were ready.”

Dad was not quite so understanding. “Mary! I told you we shouldn't have named him Alex! We should have named him Gordon like I wanted to, never heard of a faggot named Gordon.”

“Louis, I don't think his name is what...” my mother began before he cut her off.

“Alex you're going to come work with me, no more of this working with computers and hiding behind a desk all day. No son of mine is going to be a fairy. A man's work will make a real man out of you!” I looked from him to my mother. He wasn't going to accept the idea, and my mother wouldn't go against him, I should have expected as much.

I stood up and glared at them. “I'm old enough to decide how I want to live the rest of my life. I wasn't asking your fucking permission! I was telling you that this is what I've decided on.”

The arguing went back and forth for quite a while. Dad refused to give up his position, Mom silently sided with him, I refused to give up my own position, and Michelle would try to get a word in edgewise to defuse the situation. Finally things became too much when Dad shouted, “If you go through with this you are dead to me!”

I turned and stormed out of the cabin, but not before throwing back at him, “I already am dead, you just didn't know yet!”

I stomped through the snow, the wind behind me half pushing me along. The snow was close to a foot deep, and even higher in some places where the wind had formed it into dunes. I was beginning to regret not getting anything on before storming out of the cabin. My hands and feet were frozen, my sweater wasn't much protection from the elements, and my sneakers kept slipping on the lake ice beneath the snow. I seriously thought about turning back, until something caught my attention.

Not far away there was a circle in the snow and ice, and it seemed to be glowing. I made my way closer, thinking that maybe someone had been ice fishing and dropped their flashlight in the hole. There didn't seem to be any fishing equipment, but the circle was about the right size, being around a foot in diameter. I could hear Michelle's voice in the distance calling my name, but it was hard to tell how far away with the wind and snow. Besides, at the moment the strange circle had my attention. I slowly reached out my hand to touch it and then everything went black.

I awoke freezing and uncertain as to why I had fallen asleep, and just what had woken me up. Maybe it was the sound of crunching snow or that strange smell, sort of like a mix between wet dog and nutmeg. I opened my eyes to see something large moving toward me. At first glance I couldn't believe what I was seeing, so I shook my head to clear my vision. Sadly this did not change the fact that approaching me was what appeared to be a large ferret like creature with thick white fur and roughly thirty feet in length.

The creature approached slowly, each of it's six legs moving with deliberate purpose as it watched me. I looked around and saw a knife close by, but everything was so surreal that I thought I must be dreaming. It was almost right on top of me by the time I thought of moving, on the off chance that I wasn't really losing my mind and the thing might think I was dinner. I only narrowly avoided it's lunge as I leaped to the side, grabbed the knife, and the creature slammed into the snow and ice where I had been laying only seconds before. It recovered quickly, turning to snap at me with really large and sharp looking fangs. Delusion or not I took off running.

I was running fast enough to keep ahead of the thing following me, just barely, but I knew that couldn't last long. My eyes darted around and I caught sight of an ice cave not far away. It looked small, probably too small for my pursuer, but I might be able to get inside if I crouched. Once again the creature's teeth snapped behind me and I could feel it's hot breath. Thirty feet... twenty feet... ten feet. I dove toward the little cave, hitting the ground in a slide which carried me inside just as the monster's jaws snapped shut behind me.

My slide carried me well into the entrance of the cave and I could see that it got bigger once further in. I crawled in further, until the ceiling was high enough for me to stand, and placed both the knife and a pouch that I was wearing with some sort of coins inside on a small ice shelf. Then, worried about both my exposure to the cold, and my close encounter with the strange beast, I set about going over a mental checklist. "Okay, head? Check. Arms and hands? Check. Legs and feet? Check." At this point I felt something swishing against the back of my legs and saw something long, furry and white with black stripes and tip. "Tail? Check.... wait, what the hell?!"

It was some time before I calmed down enough to think somewhat rationally. “Okay Alex, I don't think we're in Minnesota anymore,” I muttered. My hand flew to my mouth at the sound of my voice, it had a musical quality to it and was unmistakably feminine. “This has got to be a dream, I'm probably dying and having some sort of delusion.” I turned my head and gave my tail a good hard tug. "Ouch! Okay that hurt too much for me to be dreaming and now I know that that tail is definitely attached, but how did I get it? And what else has changed?”

Using my hands, and what reflection I could get from the knife, I began to take another mental inventory, this one of a more exploratory nature. I was wearing a black hooded cloak of some sort and a black body suit and, since that was all I seemed to be wearing, I wasn't about to take it all off to get a better look at my body. I was cold enough already, despite seeming to have a full body fur coat. Any further looking would have to wait until I was warmer. My hands and the knife would do for now. "Right, on to the checklist," I thought, taking a deep breath.

I was most definitely female, as some casual poking and touching in the right spots quickly confirmed, and I appeared to be humanoid in shape, but I had a lot of feline features. The fur on the exposed parts of my body seemed to match that of my tail, being predominately white with black stripes. White furred triangular cat ears rested atop my head poked out from waist length jet black hair. I had a kitty nose and lips, with a slight muzzle and fangs, and big green eyes with slit pupils which overall made me think of myself as pretty, if one has a taste for cat-girls. I was slim and muscular, both my fingers and toes seemed to have claws, and for some reason I was more comfortable walking on the balls of my feet, though I would have been even more comfortable wearing some warm footwear.

With my self-discovery inventory done, I turned my mind to how this could have happened and just where I was. I wasn't going to complain about my current situation, as going from a dying male body to the body of an apparently healthy female was a definite step up for me, but it still would be nice to know the where, how, and why of the matter. For the where, all I knew was that I was someplace cold and most certainly no longer on Earth. Well I suppose I could be on Earth, but it certainly wasn't my Earth. The how and why proved equally elusive.

With no answers forthcoming, I decided to take a good look around the small cave. The cave was just high enough that I wasn't bumping my head and got to about half my height at the entrance. The room itself was vaguely round, and about four times the height in diameter, with a slight depression in the middle. I briefly considered trying to go back outside to look for some sort of civilization, or at the very least some firewood, but my newly heightened senses could still pick up my large friend prowling around outside the mouth of the cave. With a sigh I laid down in the depression it the cavern floor and attempted to sleep.

Visanee was cold, so very cold. Her hands and feet were numb with it, in fact this entire unfamiliar body was. She had been told she could end up in a body very different from her own and she had prepared herself to feel out any differences, but at the moment she was too cold to feel much of anything at all, except for the shivers which seemed to wrack her body on a near continual basis. Someone beside her spoke to her and her eyes briefly opened to take in the visage of a very concerned looking Human woman with green eyes, auburn hair, and a face flushed from the cold. “Alex, try to stay awake, I've called search and rescue, they've got a medi-vac on the way."

The young woman kept talking to her, and occasionally shook her to keep her from falling asleep. She was so tired, why wouldn't this person just let her rest? It continued like this for some time, Visanee couldn't be sure how long, but after a time she heard something. The unfamiliar roaring sound kept getting closer, it sounded like some great beast and the *whup whup* sound, like the rapid beating of some great wings, that accompanied it kept getting louder. Her blurry vision tried to focus as a large red blur emerged from the snowy skies, landing nearby where the deafening sound, and the snow being whipped about by the beasts landing, made what senses she had kept about her practically useless.

More humans approached, she could make out their outlines, and they spoke strange words with many syllables. One opened her eye, shining a light of some sort in it as he spoke to the others. She was picked up and placed on something, and then she felt herself being moved closer to the strange red beast and it's odd noises. "Perhaps it is some sort of Drakan," she thought. The last conscious thought she had as the Humans fed her to the beast was, "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.".

I awoke on what I assumed to be Christmas comfortably warm, so warm in fact that I didn't want to move, but just languish in the experience of not being frozen. It was with great reluctance that I finally opened my eyes to see that I was not sleeping alone. There were white-furred creatures all around me, all snuggled together sharing body heat in the cold of the cave. I wondered if perhaps this was some sort of communal den, as there were well over a dozen of the creatures ranging in size from one to four feet long snoozing contentedly around and on top of me.

The animals seemed to be similar to the big one that chased me in here and I pondered the possibility that they may be it's children. I quickly dismissed that idea though for two reasons. Firstly, there was no way the larger creature could have made it in the cave to nest, and secondly if they all were babies they likely would have been here when I entered the cave. I felt that it was far more likely that my idea that this was a communal den was more accurate, and that this was some sort of smaller cousin to the creature from before.

I laid there comfortably for a time, feeling warm and secure as I pondered what I should be doing. My first priority would probably have to be finding some sort of food. I know that I probably could have eaten some of the creatures in the cave with me, if I could have found a way to cook them, but they were just too cute, it would be like eating a kitten. Also, they had kept me warm when I would have otherwise froze so it only made sense not to, since I may need that warmth again. Basically, to me it was the same concept as not peeing in your drinking water. I probably needed them for survival and I couldn't risk screwing that up.

Honestly though, they really were cute, especially when they started to yawn and stretch as they awoke. They weren't near as fearsome as the larger model. As they awoke the smaller ones began to play, chasing and nipping at one another and I assumed these must be kits. One in particular seemed to have taken a great interest in stalking my tail, which I was swishing about in an effort to get used to having it as an extension of my body. Okay, I admit it, I might have been playing a little, but there was nothing else to do. As I played I considered looking for food, or perhaps some trace of civilization, since surely I couldn't possibly be the only intelligent being here, wherever here was.

Soon the creatures began to leave the cave. Trusting them to know whether it was safe to do so I followed, hoping that they could lead me to food and water. Taking the knife and pouch, I crawled out of the entrance where I was greeted by a cool clear day. The sky was a beautiful blue and the air, though cold, was fresh and clean. I spent a moment taking it all in before my stomach decided to remind me just why I was out there. With a sigh I took a look around to find out where my little friends had taken off to, only to find that one seemed to be waiting for me. It just stood there watching me, balanced on it's four rear legs, until I began to make my way toward it. Then it took off, pausing only once more to make sure I was following.

My little friend, who I was almost certain was the same one I had been playing with earlier, led me to a valley that wasn't quite as barren as the rest of the landscape. The valley boasted some pine trees, shrubs, and a small glacier-fed lake. The water was cold and clear, and I quickly drank my fill before sitting down to consider food. Watching the snow ferrets, I saw that they were standing on their four rear legs while using their forepaws to grab at the shrubs. Both curious and hungry, I made my way to one of the bushes.

The shrubs had small almost triangular shaped leaves and some sort of pale blue, almost white, berries. Remembering my survival training from my scout days, I took one of the leaves and licked it experimentally. It wasn't bitter, so I took one of the berries and popped it in my mouth. The berry had a slightly sweet taste to it and I smiled as I began to pick and eat more of them. Before long my hunger was sated and I began putting as many of the berries as I could fit into the coin pouch.

I spent three days like that with my furry little companions; sleeping with them snuggled around me and leaving the cave whenever they did to forage food and water. Besides the berries, I also managed to catch some fish and some white creatures similar in size and appearance to a crab from the shallow parts of the lake. They tasted pretty good too once I managed to start a small fire and cook them. Most of my furry friends preferred them raw, though the one I had taken to calling Chrissy would mostly eat whatever I did. She, yes I did manage to check her gender, seemed to have taken quite a liking to me and had become my constant companion, even while the others were off doing something else.

On the fourth day Chrissy and I were sitting in the valley enjoying the heat of a fire and sharing a meal of berries, fish, and crab when it happened. My nose twitched as a familiar scent caught my attention. My ears twitched under my hood and my fur stood on end at the sound of something large moving through the valley. Chrissy seemed to sense it too, and her head swung around to the direction both sound and smell were coming from as she hissed. Her large cousin had found us, and it was between us and the path back to the cave.

I quickly took my knife in one hand as I used the other to grab a branch from the fire. The branch was only maybe a foot and a half long, but the end was aflame and I felt better with it between me and the monster approaching. As the beast came closer I tried to make sure to keep the fire between it and myself. It tried to move around the fire to get to me, but I quickly swung my torch at it, catching it with a glancing blow to the side of the head and it recoiled with a squeal as it was burned. Chrissy climbed my leg and back and hissed at the creature as she wrapped herself protectively around my neck.

We stood faced off like that for a while, the creature becoming more bold as time passed and my fire began to go out. I kept swinging my knife and torch at it whenever it would lunge at me, but with the flames starting to flicker out and me starting to tire I knew it wouldn't be long before I made a mistake and went from eating dinner to becoming it. A large shadow passed overhead, but I ignored it as I was far more concerned with staying alive at the moment.

Suddenly a brown and white blur dropped from the sky and landed on my opponent's back. Then everything kicked into high speed as the creature screamed and bucked, as whatever was on it's back stabbed at it and it's blood flew all over the place. I had to dive to the side to avoid being crushed beneath it as it bucked and rolled, trying to dislodge the new threat. I crouched in the snow ready to move again as the beast finally breathed it's last and I saw a creature atop it resembling a cross between a four armed man and a grizzly bear, wearing a pair of fur-lined boots and a white bodysuit that seemed to be made of something scaly. He watched me for a moment as he sat atop the dead predator, brandishing a bloody sword, then gave me what I hoped was meant to be a smile. “Trying to take on a Kythir alone face to face with little more than a dagger? You're either the bravest or the stupidest person I've ever met.”

I merely shrugged under my cloak as I offered, “Maybe I'm both. Thanks for the help.”

He laughed at my response as a large white creature landed behind him and the corpse. “The Drakan landing behind me is Runne, I'm Patar his Chosen.” I took in both Patar and the creature he referred to as a Drakan and tried not to show my surprise and wonder. The Drakan was covered in white scales and stood on it's hind legs looking to be over twenty-five feet tall. It had a long tail stretching out behind it and I'd say from nose to tail tip it would be over forty feet. It's forelegs resembled arms more than legs, which made sense since it stood upright, it had large wings with a wingspan of over thirty feet, and a slightly elongated neck was topped with a proud draconian head with jagged looking blue-white ridges atop the head which resembled an icy crown.

I felt I was doing quite well at not showing my shock until the Drakan opened it's carnivorous mouth and spoke in a gravelly and distinctly male voice, “You are fortunate we saw your plight as we flew overhead. We are looking for someone, perhaps you could help us.”

I stood up, giving Chrissy an affectionate scratch as we both began to calm down, and then approached the pair, lowering my hood as I shrugged. “I haven't seen anyone since I've been out here, wherever here is.”

Patar stared at me for a long moment before grinning and striding toward me. “We've found you.”

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To Be Continued...

 

 

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Author's Note: I had originally intended for this to be a 2 part introduction to my Greylands Universe for the One Winter's Eve Contest but fate conspired against me. Technical issues prevented this second part from being posted in time for the deadline so I am unsure whether it qualifies. Also my muse keeps insisting that this story goes full novel length. Any way here is part 2 and I hope you all enjoy the Greylands ~Amethyst.
 

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Chapter 2: Knocking on the Back Door

Patar stared at me for a long moment before grinning and striding toward me. “We've found you.”

I stared at him, confused for a long moment, before not so cleverly responding, “I'm the one you're looking for?”

Patar got on one knee and bowed his head as he spoke again. “Your Highness, how did you manage to get this far out into the Frozen Wastes? What were you thinking leaving the protection of the castle? What if assassins from the the Lharusian Empire had found you? You know that you are too important to risk, you could have been killed out here. You must stay where it is safe until your Giftsun. If their Majesties had not sent out search riders to find you, on the off chance you had gotten this far, I would not have been here to save you just now.”

There were so many questions, and I didn't know the answer to any of them. In fact it all just brought up more questions of my own. In my confusion I asked what I felt was the most important of these questions. “Excuse me, but you know who I am?”

It was his turn to stare at me, and he did so for several long seconds before recovering enough to ask, “You do not know who you are?”

I shook my head. “I know who I am... who I was. I just don't know who I seem to be now. One minute I was in a snowstorm in Minnesota, then I blacked out, and the next thing I knew I was waking up here in a strange place and an unfamiliar body. That was four days ago.”

Patar gave me a confused look. “You use some strange words Highness. You left the castle five suns ago. We found the machul you took, but there was no sign of you in the city, so we decided to extend our search in case you had somehow slipped out unnoticed by an enchantment or some other means, or had been taken by spies of the empire.”

Runne's gravelly voice spoke from behind his Chosen, “There is one way to be sure that she is telling the truth Patar.”

“I cannot do that Runne,” Patar growled, his brow furrowing. “You know I do not like using my Gift like that, and she is the Princess. It would not be right.”

“Perhaps we should let Princess Visanee decide,” the Drakan proposed.

I was really confused at this point. “Decide what exactly?” I was getting nervous and started absently petting Chrissy, who remained a comforting presence around my neck. She began to hum softly at the gentle stroking.

Patar sighed and forced himself to look me straight in the eyes. “I am a Diviner your Highness. Part of my Gift is the ability to read minds. I do not like doing it without permission though, some things should remain private, and reading the mind of someone of your position would be wrong.”

I looked from Patar to Runne and back to Patar again and asked, “I'm the Princess right?”

“Yes, even if my senses did not confirm that, my Gift tells me that you are by blood Visanee, Princess of Azure,” Patar said. “No matter who your mind belongs to, your body is by rights that of the Princess and that makes you Princess Visanee.”

I shook my head as I tried to wrap my mind around that theory. “Huh, I guess possession really is nine tenths of the law,” I mused aloud before taking a deep breath. “Okay, then as Princess, I order you to read my mind to see if I'm telling the truth.”

Patar scowled while his Drakan companion issued what sounded like a throaty laugh. ”Fine,” he muttered, “but I am doing this against my better judgement.”

Visanee awoke in a strange bed in a white room, with a number of strange tubes and objects connected to her new body. It wasn't the beeps and other strange sounds which had caused her to awaken, but rather the powerful coughing fit which wracked her body. Long rasping coughs left her breathless and her lungs burning. “Drek!” she cursed as she tried to move and failed. She felt so tired and weak, unable to even summon the energy to sit up, and just the effort left her feeling weaker and light headed.

The coughing fit, and her curse, brought someone straight to her bedside and Visanee looked up into the green eyes of the auburn-haired Human who had been at her side when she last woke. The eyes were bloodshot, either from crying or lack of sleep, possibly both. “How long...” she managed to get out before another coughing fit took her.

“They brought you in four days ago Alex. It's nine o'clock in the morning on the twenty eighth,” the woman answered. “They've been keeping you sedated, hoping it might help you recover. You got a mild case of frostbite, but it's the pneumonia that has us worried. They told me you may not last the day. Dr. Ryans said that you'd be able to fight it better if it weren't for the...” The woman sniffled as tears came to her eyes. Once she was sufficiently recovered she looked into Visanee's eyes. “Alex, why didn't you tell me that you have Cancer? I'm your twin sister! I had a right to know! I could have been there for you...”

Visanee watched the woman lose herself to tears, uncertain how to react. She wanted to comfort this person, the twin to her current body. The news that she was dying though weighed heavily upon her. This had not been her plan. She had planned to let someone else be the heir to Azure and to return to help her replacement to learn about her world, and what would be expected of her, before leaving to enjoy her hard-won freedom. It would seem that Pallo, Goddess of Death, meant to claim her on this strange world. She had no idea how long before the kida from the enchantment could no longer be harnessed, even if she could live that long. “When... is... the... full moon?” she managed to get out between coughing.

The woman wiped her eyes before looking at her like she was one of the befuddled. “Alex! You're laying here dying and you ask me when the full moon is?!” She looked at Visanee in concern and made to stand up. “I think the drugs are making you loopy, maybe I should let them sedate you again.”

Visanee took the Human's hand and told her softly, “I am not your sister, I have changed places with her. She is on my world, in my body, and she needs our help. She needs someone to stand beside her.”

“No, I'm Michelle and you're Alex, my brother. I know you wanted to be a girl, but you're not.”

Visanee shook her head. “No, I am Visanee Misalet, heir to the throne of Azure. This body may be male, but Alex is your sister. To travel between the worlds there must be equal exchange. Female essence may only be exchanged for female essence. The kida that makes up male and female essences are too different.” Another coughing fit took her and her hand gripped her twin's tightly as she recovered. “Now when is the full moon?”

Michelle sighed but finally replied, “The full moon is tonight.”

“Drek! It must be done tonight,” the former Zenin cursed before letting out a tired sigh. Visanee could feel her strength waning with each breath. She would not make it back to the place of the exchange, and even if she could the chances were slim that she could hold out long enough for the back door to open and a compatible body to be found. She must prepare Michelle, but first the Human needed to know everything. “Let me tell you the story of a spoiled Princess who wanted freedom more than anything else.”

“This may be a little uncomfortable. There is a reason I don't like doing this,” Patar said as he placed two of his four hands on my head. “I will try not to look into anything too deeply, and to avoid anything personal. Please keep in mind that whatever I see Runne will see as well. Our minds are linked.”

I nodded slowly. “Okay, I'm ready when you are, let's get this mind meld over with.”

“Mind meld?” Patar asked, looking a bit confused.

“Sorry, I think I watched too much Star Trek on television a kid.” I replied, probably blushing under my fur.

“I have no idea what you are talking about.” Patar muttered, shaking his head.

“Just read my mind please, it would take to long to explain,” I said with a sigh. I just wanted this little mind reading session over with. I may have asked for it, but that didn't mean I wasn't nervous as hell about it.

Patar nodded grimly and closed his eyes. Suddenly I felt a presence in my mind, and then it was my life was being played through my brain in fast forward. It was too quick to make out much detail, but it was enough to get a sense of who I was. I opened my eyes only, realizing when I did that I had closed them. Runne and Patar were both giving me a strange look and the latter shook his head. “You were telling the truth. You come from a strange and frightening world, but if you are to survive here in the Greylands, and one day take your place as Queen of Azure, you will have much to learn.”

I held up my hands in front of me. “Whoa! Wait just a minute Patar! I am in no way qualified to rule a country, I can't even balance my checkbook!”

Runne snorted at that, “You have time to learn, you are young yet. Their Majesties both still have a lot of life in them. You will learn all that you need to about the Greylands with help, and your parents will teach you about Azure, your people, and your future role.”

“Ummm about that, how young am I exactly?” I asked as I absently petted Chrissy.

Patar smiled as he told me, “In three suns you will be sixteen passes. This is a very important time for you.”

Chrissy nuzzled against my cheek, causing me to smile as I posed the question, “Why is it important?”

“For many reasons,” Patar responded. “The sixteenth birthsun is called the Giftsun. It is when your parents will take take you to a Diviner, who will test you for Gifts and trigger what Gifts you may have. Triggering can result in mental or physical changes in you, sometimes both. The Giftsun is when you put aside your childhood name and take on the name you will use in adulthood.” He paused a few seconds before adding, “And for you, it is also the day that you will be brought before your people and recognized as the heir to the throne of Azure.”

I sighed, rolling my eyes. “So no pressure right?”

“There is much pressure for Patar and I Princess,” Runne ventured. “We must get you home safely as soon as possible and present you to your parents. They are worried that you may have been killed or captured by Lharusian spies.”

“Patar mentioned these Lharusians before,” I said, swallowing the lump in my throat. “I take it they aren't people I want to meet?”

Patar grunted, “No, the Lharusian Empire covers most of the continent of Gaje. It's ruled by Krius Myttar and they have a policy of Human superiority. All other races are enslaved and treated cruelly there. Drakans have been almost completely eradicated by the empire's armies. Twelve passes ago Azure was offered as a safe haven for Drakans and other non-human races. The empire's armies can not reach us easily as to the west there is the Ujard Ocean, the Brey Mountains to the east, and the Great Sand to the south and southwest. They are natural barriers that an army can not easily cross.”

“What's to the north?” I wondered aloud.

A chuckle escaped Patar's lips. “To the north is the Frozen Wastes, where we are now. It is not exactly the most hospitable land. Beyond this is Syrnia, a country much like Azure, but isolated on the tip of Gaje.”

“If this empire can't get an army to us then why bother with us at all? I mean why would they try to assassinate or kidnap me.”

Runne snorted. “Azure is everything they hate. It has welcomed the Drakans they've tried to exterminate, all races are seen as equal, and the ruling family is Zenin. They would hope to kill your family to cause unrest and put a Human puppet on the throne. We've seen your mind, so we are certain that you are not a spy. I suspect that you are here in the princess' body due to some enchantment. Maybe it was something she herself arranged, or it could just be a Lharusian Gifted trying to destabilize Azure's ruling family. Either way, until we know, we must not let on that anything has happened, other than the princess wanting a few days of freedom before her Giftsun. When we return you must begin your lessons immediately. Patar and I will help you however we can, just try to act like a spoiled princess.”

Patar shook himself and turned back to his Drakan. “Enough talk for now I think, we must get you back home Your Highness. The flight back will take a few candlemarks.”

I reluctantly removed Chrissy from around around my neck and said, “I guess this is goodbye then.” She chirruped sadly in response.

“Bring the kihr along if you wish Your Highness, you would hardly be the first of noble blood to have an exotic pet. In fact, we could use your search for a kihr to have as a pet as your reason for leaving the castle and ending up out here,” Patar offered as he approached Runne. He clambered up the Drakan's back to where large straps were wrapped around his great white chest and underneath his wings at his back, then he held out a hand to help me up to join him. “I have a secure pouch that she can ride in.”

“Thank you Patar,” I said with a smile. I had grown attached to my small companion and really didn't want to leave her behind.

“My pleasure Princess.” He opened up a leather pouch secured to one of the straps and soon, after a bit of coaxing on my part, he had Chrissy safely stashed away. “Now for you,” he said as he gestured to what looked like a sturdy looking leather belt with large buckles securely fastened to the larger straps. “Sit there and fasten the belt firmly about your waist, you don't want to fall off so make sure it's secure. Hold on to the main strap in front of you while in flight to keep yourself steady.”

I nodded and did as instructed and he quickly checked my work before fastening his own belt ahead of me. Runne flapped his large wings several times as if testing the air, then, after taking a few steps forward, he launched himself into the air and then we were flying. I'm not quite sure how to describe it. I had flown in planes before, but this was nothing like flying inside what amounted to a metal box. No, this was flying. I could feel the muscles of the Drakan flexing between my legs, the air rushing past me, caressing my face, and whipping my hair behind me. This was exhilarating and I felt, perhaps for the first time, truly alive.

Michelle watched Visanee become progressively weaker from the telling of her strange tale, and the coughing fits which wracked Alex's body. The tale really was strange, but somehow she knew that it was the truth, even as her common sense tried to insist that it was some drug induced delusion of her twin. When the tale was done Visanee looked to be hanging on by a thread, but she insisted that there was information that Michelle needed to know. “Michelle, I won't live long enough to help your sister as I had planned. You must go in my place. She is in a unfamiliar place, surrounded by unfamiliar things. If I can not guide her as I had intended, then she needs something familiar and close to help her through. She needs the love and support of her twin sister.”

“Whoa! Wait a minute! It was one thing when you were talking about having switched bodies with Alex and her being in a different world, but you're wanting me to go after her? I have a life here! I have a job and a boyfriend!”

“What is more important to you, your twin or your life here? You can find a new life in the Greylands, possibly a better one, can you find a new sister here?” Visanee got out before another coughing fit took her.

Michelle thought a moment before answering, “Well my job does suck, damn I hate customer service, and my boyfriend I aren't that serious, but I know nothing about your world besides what you mentioned in your story. How would I even find Alex?”

Visanee spoke again, her voice raspy from the coughing. “Once you have opened the back door, all the kida will be released and your essence will be placed in a body near the original focus of the enchantment.”

“The dagger?” Michelle asked uncertainly.

Visanee shook her head as she explained, “No, the dagger was the medium used to activate the enchantment. The focus of the enchantment was my body. You should find yourself near your sister. Look for a white Zenin with black stripes and black hair. You are twins so your essences are similar, you should be drawn to one another.”

Michelle nodded, though she still had her doubts.“So once this back door is open I'll switch places with the first person to come along, like you did with Alex?”

“No,” was Visanee's reply before she started coughing again. Once she recovered from the fit she elaborated. “The Enchanter made the original enchantment work that way to save time. He said that normally an enchantment like this would seek out the most compatible essence to yours in the area of the focus, unless there is already an empty shell. The enchantment seeks out the path of least resistance .The back door is supposed to work that way.”

“What do you mean by an empty shell?” Michelle asked, her brows furrowing in concern.

Visanee thought briefly on how to explain it. “I mean a body whose essence is fading, or has left the body altogether, while the body itself still lives. Like someone who has lost the will to live, or whose essence just was not strong enough to endure. If the body is an empty shell then the compatibility of the essence isn't important, since there is no essence to switch with.”

“How is something like this even possible?” Michelle asked. “How can people travel from one world to another? “

“It's not really travel, since there is nothing physically moving from one world to another,” the former princess explained. “It's just one form of energy being exchanged for a similar one. Even that was difficult to manage though, it took me a while to find an Enchanter powerful enough, and with enough knowledge to do it.”

“But how did you even know it was possible?” pressed Michelle.

Visanee coughed hard and was a few minutes in recovering before replying, “One of my tutors told me how our world was once connected to another. There used to be a gate linking our worlds, and then it was possible for people to go physically from one to another. That is how Humans came to live in the Greylands, and why we have some of the same plants and animals. A few hundred passes ago though, the gate stopped working and nobody knows why.”

Michelle nodded as she considered that. “That could explain a lot of our myths and legends. I wonder why the gate stopped working.”

“I have no idea, but our worlds are still connected,” she replied. “Without the gate though, travel between is impossible. Only energy can get through, and it takes powerful use of kida to do even that.”

Michelle then spent the next half hour listening as Visanee explained what she needed to do. She needed to go as close to the spot where she had found Visanee in Alex's body as she could manage and then speak a specific phrase. Michelle tried to commit it to memory, but ended up writing it down on a piece of paper just in case. Visanee was getting weaker with every breath and it broke Michelle's heart to see her brother's body that way. Visanee didn't deserve it either.

Finally Visanee could hold out no longer and she breathed her last as Michelle held her hand tightly, trying to reassure her that it would be alright, though in her own heart she didn't believe it. She left the room sobbing and made her way down the hallway, where her parents were walking in the opposite direction. She levelled a glare at them as she passed and said coldly, “You needn't bother, she's already dead.” Then she left the stunned pair behind and left the hospital. She had a sister to find.

Flying didn't get old, not even after a couple hours of it. We flew over countless miles of icy wasteland before the land began getting rocky and then gave way to the more hospitable looking green of farmlands. They were mostly crops, though there looked to be some that were devoted to the raising of some forms of livestock too. The passing of the land beneath us, and the wind in my face, was a constant rush that was over all too soon in the late afternoon as we approached a large city and began to lower our altitude.

To the north of the city on an island in the center of a lake was a huge castle. A black wooden drawbridge was lowered and connected to an amazing stonework bridge which spanned the lake from the island to the city and bore a wide cobblestone road. It looked like we were headed to the castle, but Runne suddenly banked to the right and landed us just outside of the city, on the shore of the lake. As we settled onto the ground I asked, “What's up? I thought you were taking me to meet my parents.”

Patar turned to face me and said, “I am. I was speaking with another Diviner and he said there is a nest breaking.”

I shook my head, not quite understanding. “How were you talking to someone from way up there? And what is a nest breaking?”

Patar chuckled and pointed at his head. “I may not like using my Gift to read minds, but using it to speak mind to mind with others can be very useful. My range isn't very far, maybe half the city, but it's better than some whose range is less or who can only use it with physical contact.” He paused to give me a hand with my belt and lower me to the ground. As he handed me Chrissy, who was very happy to be out in the open again, he continued on. “As for your second question, a nest breaking is when Drakan eggs hatch. Your parents will be here to witness the breaking and see who gets chosen.”

I settled Chrissy back on my shoulders, where she wrapped herself once more around my neck while humming happily. “So is this a big event then?”

Runne's gravelly voice responded. “When your family offered our kind sanctuary twelve passes ago, there were barely a dozen of us left. We now number close to two hundred. We reach breeding age at five passes and have a breeding cycle every three passes. Each cycle produces on average three to ten eggs. Our kind imprints on the first sentient being they see after hatching. Usually that is their mother, but since coming here we have been letting Diviners find the perfect match for the Draklings amongst the various races living here. The Chosen become lifelong partners to their Drakans and the Diviners haven't made an incompatible match yet. Given how few of us there still are, and how many wish to become a Chosen, nest breakings are always well attended.”

“So what?” I asked, “they just randomly select people from a crowd and match them to a Drakling?”

Patar shook his head. “No Diviners with precognitive abilities look to see who is destined to be the match of an Drakan and place them in front of the proper egg, there is nothing random about it. Most chosen are Gifted, and the type of Drakan they are matched to compliment either their Gifts or their personalities in some way.”

“Okay so it's only partly random,” I said with a shrug. Then I caught on to what he said. “There's different kinds of Drakans? Runne isn't the only kind?”

Patar began leading me to a large crowd gathered by the lakeshore as he answered my question. “Runne is a Frost Drakan, but there are also Radiant, Shadow, Storm, Flame, Water, Earth, and Stone Drakans. They all are attuned to a force of nature and have abilities that reflect that. The mother to this nest is a Water Drakan, but all of the eggs have the potential to be any of the eight types. This is a good sized nest, there are nine eggs.”

I nodded as I took in all the information.“What happens to the Draklings and their Chosen after the breaking?”

Patar smiled, seeming pleased that I was trying to learn more. “After the breaking each new Drakan and Chosen pair will be matched to an older pair, who will teach them what they need to know and help take care of the Drakling. Draklings are smart and can communicate well enough with their Chosen mind to mind, but they are still physically infants and need a lot of care. Their bodies take a while to catch up to their minds.”

I tried to process all this information as we began to make our way through the crowd. I kept my cowl covering my face in shadow to avoid anyone who might know the princess from recognizing me. People could still see that I was a white Zenin with black stripes, but I was hoping that wasn't too uncommon. Patar seemed unconcerned as he held my hand in one of his huge ones and led me toward the front of the crowd.

Then, as we managed to get there, I saw the nest. Soil, sand, and branches of trees had been piled up in a rough circle about two feet high. Inside the nest were nine huge eggs, each of them easily bigger than me and almost lavender in color. Watching the eggs intently was a blue Drakan, easily as large as Runne with a similar wingspan. I later learned that Drakans may look reptilian, but they are actually warm blooded, and that the parents take turns sitting on the eggs to incubate them.

One of the eggs began to shake and the mother took it from the nest and placed it on the beach, then a blonde Human woman dressed all in red began to stare intently at the shaking egg. The woman then turned to face the crowd and looked around for something before walking confidently into the crowd and taking the hand of a small woman, maybe four feet tall at most. She looked to be in her early twenties or late teens and had pointed ears and long brown hair, but the most fascinating thing about her was the leathery green wings sprouting from between her shoulders and holding her aloft three feet in the air.

I tried not to stare as Patar whispered to me, “She's a Cinole, we do not see many of them get Chosen.”

The woman in red asked the tiny woman, “Do you consent?”

The Cinole nodded before speaking out, “I consent.”

“The consent is really just a formality,” Patar once again whispered to me. “The Drakans offer us their children, and it would be unspeakably rude to the Drakans not to accept that gift. Once the Drakling hatches and imprints on her, she will give it a name and the Diviner will choose an older pair to take on the new pair as their wards and lead them to where the Drakling can be fed.”

I nodded in agreement to his first statement and acknowledgement to the last. Meanwhile the hushed crowd watched as she was led to the shivering egg. She stood before it, waiting nervously, and almost rose three feet higher into the air in shock when the first crack appeared on the egg's glossy surface. More cracks appeared and then, with a collective gasp from the crowd, the shell shattered to reveal a wingless green Drakling. It locked its eyes on her, and a moment later the crowd cheered as she said, “Grayle.”

The woman in red led the girl off to the side where a large wingless grey Drakan and his Chosen waited for them. “The one that hatched is an Earth Drakan, and it looks like yon Stone Drakan and his Chosen will be taking them on,” Patar said in an aside, as he started to pull me along once again. “Let us go find their Majesties.”

“Lead on,” I replied. I was vaguely aware, as Patar led me along the front of the crowd by the hand, that the mother Drakan had removed another egg from the nest and placed it on the beach. I was nervous about meeting the King and Queen and was focusing mostly on walking wherever Patar was leading me when I felt someone take me firmly by my free hand, stopping me in place. I turned to see a tawny colored cat-person with reddish hair, who I assumed was a Zenin like Patar said I was. He was taller than me, dressed all in red, and he was holding my hand. “Do you consent?” he asked.

Michelle arrived back at the cabin in the late afternoon, wondering what exactly she was doing there. Now that she was no longer in the room talking to Visanee it seemed more and more likely that it was all just a drug induced fantasy of her brother's. Her brother was dead now, she no longer needed to humor him. "But still," came that nagging thought, "what if it's true? What if my sister is alone on a strange world and needs my help? Can I really give up even the remote chance that I can go help her and see this fantasy world for myself?”

Curiosity, and the need to do something, won out. She made her way through the snow drifts down to the lake, the snow crunching under her feet as she walked, and she shivered at the cold. Alex's hand had been cold too when she left him. “No,” she told herself, “that wasn't Alex. I'm going to find Alex and help hi... her.” She needed to believe that her twin was still out there somewhere, she needed to believe that this would work.

She trudged across the snow covered lake ice until she reached the spot where she was pretty sure that she had found Alex. “No, it wasn't Alex,” she told herself again sternly. Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, she pulled out the piece of paper with those all-important words on it. Fold by fold, she opened it to reveal those words and then she spoke. “Kida gather, hear my plea. Take my essence, all of me. Selune come and take my hands. Lead me into the Greylands.”

Nothing happened at first, ten minutes that seemed an eternity, and then there was a flash of light and she felt weightless. She was in a dark void, endless nothingness. Then, with a sudden lurching feeling, she could sense that she had weight and form once more. Something was wrong, it was hard to move, like she was confined. Why was it still so dark? Such utter blackness... no wait. There were two small slivers of light. She needed that light and threw herself toward it. There! Another crack of light in this dark abyss. She threw herself forward again and was rewarded with more light as the crack grew larger. One last time, she gathered all her strength and launched herself at the crack. The darkness around her shattered as light filled her world, and then she saw her.

I stared at the Zenin in red unsure of what to do. I turned to look at Patar who had squeezed my hand and saw him give a nod. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I turned back to the Zenin, “I... ummm.... consent.” I reluctantly let go of Patar's hand, removed Chrissy from around my neck, and handed her to him. Then, summoning all my courage, I let the Zenin Diviner holding my hand lead me to the egg.

He placed me in front of the massive quivering egg. There was a small jolt and a tiny sliver of a crack appeared on the shell. Then there was nothing for a few minutes before a second jolt, much weaker and barely noticeable caused a second sliver. Then there was nothing. Other eggs were being paired off around me and Draklings burst forth to be named by their Chosen and led away.

It had been well over ten minutes, if I could count on my internal clock, and still nothing had happened. I began to despair that this might be some cruel joke that fate was playing on me. Then it happened, the egg wobbled. Then it rocked, as a crack appeared along shell's surface. Another powerful tremor ripped through the egg, causing the crack to grow wider. Finally the egg was shaken so hard that the shell all but shattered, revealing a Drakling with silver scales and iridescent wings that practically shone in the late afternoon light. Our eyes met and it was then that I heard a familiar voice inside my head. ~Alex?~

My jaw dropped as I recognized the voice of my twin sister. “Michelle?”

 

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Author's Note: Here's chapter 3 of Alex in Wonderland. The sisters are reunited and there's a lot they need to adjust to. Thank you as always to all my readers for the comments, kudos, and thinking that my work is worth reading. Also thanks to the Big Closet team who work tirelessly to give us all a wonderfully supportive venue to read and post TG fiction ~Amethyst.
 

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Chapter 3: There Be Drakans

My jaw dropped as I recognized the voice of my twin sister. “Michelle?”

I stared in awe at the silvery, iridescent Drakling as it stumbled toward me speaking to me in my head using my sister's voice. ~Alex! I didn't know whether to believe her or not. You were dying and I couldn't do anything and she told me about this place and how you'd switched places and then you died and I wasn't going to come but I needed to know if you were still alive...~

She probably would have kept babbling in my head like that for quite some time if the tawny Zenin in red had not interrupted her by speaking to us both. “Come, I will take you both to your Warders.”

“C'mon Michelle, we have a lot to talk about I think, and a lot to do,” I said as I nodded. Then I followed the Zenin, with my sister stumbling alongside me.

~Where are we? What's going on? What's with all the people?~ Michelle asked as she looked around.

“We're at a Drakan nest breaking, people came here to see who gets paired with the newly hatched Drakans,” I replied as we walked, “and hoping to get paired with a Drakan themselves.”

~Drakans? What are those? Were you hoping to get one of your own? Why are all those people looking at us. Is it because you're the princess?~ She continued yammering merrily in my mind.

"Her talking in my brain is going to get tiring after a while," I thought as I answered, “No, it's because I got paired with a Drakan. And I'm sure that you'll get to see a baby Drakan, as soon as we find you a mirror."

~What do you mean my talking in your brain? You got one? Where is it? Babies of all kinds are adorable... wait what?~ She stared at me and fell on her face as she forgot to keep track of her feet.

I groaned as I waited for her to get to her feet. “Congratulations sis, you just hatched and now I get to be your mommy. Now could you please try to calm down and follow the nice catboy in red? I swear that you have the attention span of a hummingbird on espresso right now.”

Michelle managed to get up and we followed our guide past the crowd and closer to the shore of the lake. ~I'm sorry Alex. We're in a whole different world here. Everything is new and different. I feel like a kid again.~

I giggled at that as I replied, “I know, it's all pretty incredible. And news flash sis, you are a kid again, a newborn to be precise.” At that point we had arrived in front of a very familiar Frost Drakan and his Chosen. “Runne? Patar?”

Patar was leaning against the white Drakan and grinning at me. He waited until the other Zenin was gone and he was sure we had some privacy before speaking.“Congratulations Princess, you have been paired to a Radiant Drakan, she is a beauty isn't she? What did you name her?”

I was distracted for a moment by a bundle of white fur leaping from Patar's shoulder to wrap itself around my neck and start humming happily. I gave Chrissy an affectionate scratching as I replied to Patar, “Her name is Michelle.” Then I sighed and added uncertainly, “I know this is going to sound wacky Patar, but in that other world I come from, Michelle was my twin sister. I think she knows what happened to your real princess.”

Patar frowned at that. “We will have to discuss this later, once we get someplace more private. For now, since I managed to get myself and Runne assigned as your Warders, let's have Runne take Michelle to get something to eat. I need to get you prepared.”

Runne's gravelly voice spoke just loud enough to be heard by me and Michelle. “Come with me little one, I will take you to eat, our Chosen will find us when they are ready, or call us to them.”

It suddenly struck me that the Frost Drakan sounded an awful lot like Ron Perlman. I tried to shake off that strange thought as Michelle waddled and stumbled along in Runne's wake and I tried not to giggle as I turned to Patar to ask, “Get me prepared for what?”

Patar sighed as he looked around cautiously. “The shitstorm that is bound to be stirred up once the breaking is over and people find out who you are. You've only been here 4 suns, but I swear your Gift must be the ability to get into trouble.”

I tried to think of anything I might have done to cause trouble, but I came up empty. “What did I do? I was just staying with you until that Zenin grabbed me, and you said it's rude to not consent.”

Patar nodded and agreed, “Aye, I did Princess. You did nothing wrong, and it would have been worse had you refused to consent. I was hoping to slip you by folks all quiet like and present you to your parents. We kept it quiet that you were missing. Some people think Visanee's escape was just a drill, and that you are still safe inside the castle. Most people believe that your disappearance is just a rumor.”

“I thought that you said that the King and Queen meet all the new pairings though, so it's not a big deal. I'll still get to meet with them right?” I asked, a bit confused.

Patar groaned and leaned against a tree. “It's not their Majesties I'm worried about. I try to sneak you in, without folks knowing you are outside the castle, and you get yourself a Drakan. I might of been able to manage to keep things quiet if it were just that, but you had to go and get yourself paired with a Radiant!”

I was getting more confused by the minute. “What does Michelle being a Radiant have to do with anything?”

“We told you there were close to two hundred Drakans alive today right?” Patar asked. I quickly nodded and he sighed as he looked off into the direction our Drakans had walked off in. “Out of all those Drakans only three are Radiants, including yours.”

“So isn't that a good thing then?” I wondered aloud.

“Yes it is. A Radiant will be seen as a good omen, and that means a lot of people are going to want to meet the new Radiant pair. This could be a problem, especially given everything else.” He didn't seem too happy about this.

“Okay what the hell is the problem then if all this is good? And what do you mean 'everything else'?”

He sat on the ground, still leaning his back against the tree and motioned for me to sit with him as he told me, “At the last nest breaking, about a tenth ago, the first pairing was a Human and a Shadow Drakan. Shadows are almost as rare as Radiants, there are currently five. Quite a few people saw it as a bad omen. I have met the pair, they are both good lads. Nobody thinks they are trouble, but the superstitious lot saw it as a sign that the Empire is going to find a way to get to us here.”

“But that's superstitious nonsense,” I argued.

“Aye it is. Now you are the Princess, and you are still three suns before your Giftsun. Before today, for as long as we have been having nest breakings, no member of the nobility has ever been Chosen. Nor has anyone ever been Chosen before their Giftsun.” He sighed as he watched me sit across from him. “Now let us put all these unlikely events together. The Zenin Princess gets paired with a Radiant only a few suns before her Giftsun, while she is rumored to be missing. How will the superstitious see that, aye?”

As I sat down I thought about that, and the fact that I had little or no knowledge about this world, this country, the people, or even my new self. “Oh crap.”

Patar nodded grimly. “You Princess are about to get a lot of attention.”

Michelle followed the large white Drakan, marveling at just how huge he was and the fact that she was looking at a real live dragon... Drakan. Her staring caused her to lose her footing once again. With a grumble, she got back to her feet and continued shuffling along. She watched Runne ahead of her once more, thinking of how incredible it was that she was looking at a Drakan and that she was one herself. "I wonder if I'll get that big? I wish I could talk to him."

After they had left their Chosen, Runne had explained that, like any baby, she wouldn't be able to talk, move well, or care for herself very well for a while. For now, she would have to rely on Alex for a lot of things. Not because Alex would be the only one to care for her, but rather because until she could talk she could only communicate her needs by mind-speech, and Drakans can only do that with their Chosen. Runne said it is part of the imprinting process.

So for now she was stuck just following and listening, though there were some interesting tidbits to listen to. For one thing, it seemed that Drakans have a racial memory. As they grow older they instinctively know anything about the world and surviving in it that their ancestors knew. This included how to fly, and also how to use their natural abilities. In short, Drakans are born with mature minds, they just can't put any of that knowledge to use until their growing bodies catch up.

She found out that Runne was a Frost Drakan, while she was a Radiant. Frost Drakans abilities are centered around the element of ice, allowing them to freeze things. Their scales also insulate against the cold. As a Radiant Drakan, Michelle's abilities would be attuned to light. It didn't sound too impressive to her but she supposed that she should be happy with what she gets. Maybe she could find some way to use those abilities to protect Alex.

A delicious smell suddenly caught her attention and she bumped into Runne's tail, not realizing he had stopped. “Here we are Michelle. The butchers have prepared some portions for all you Draklings without bones, so you don't choke.” He guided her to a large pile of raw bloody meat and she could see the butchers in a nearby tent, in their red stained aprons, chopping up even more for the Draklings who had not yet arrived. For a moment, all she could do was stare at the pile in confusion, and then it hit her.

~Omigod! Alex! They expect me to eat raw meat!~ The panicked voice of my sister belted out in my mind as I was trying to focus on the instructions Patar was giving me. They weren't terribly detailed instructions, basically keep quiet when possible and stick to the cover story that Patar was concocting. Still, I really didn't need the interruption.

~Sis, you are a newly hatched baby Drakan~ I tried to send back through my thoughts. I'd feel pretty silly talking to her out loud when I was supposed to be listening to Patar.

~So what? RAW MEAT Alex! It hasn't been cooked at all! They just yanked it from whatever animal it came from,~ was her anguished reply.

~What did you think baby Drakans eat? Somehow I doubt they sell formula or baby food in convenient Drakan sized portions. Or did you maybe think I'd be breast feeding you?~ I sent back grouchily.

~But it's raw!~ she complained again.

~Is it currently moving or breathing?~ I asked, rubbing my temples as I tried to dislodge the headache that was starting to form.

~No.~ I could practically hear her pouting.

~Then it's just a rare steak. So suck it up and eat your goddamn breakfast so I can find out how to be someone I'm not.~ With a sigh I looked up at Patar, who had just finished explaining to me my cover story. Crap.

“So," Patar asked, “tell me what we are going to be telling anyone who asks why you're out of the castle?”

I swallowed hard, clearing my throat before speaking. “Uh, being the spoiled princess I am, I snuck out of the castle because I just had to have some raw meat... I mean a kihr as a pet. So I got some Thaumaturge in the city to take me to the Frozen Wastes. He was... uh.. eaten by a kythir before we could come back. I got away and found my new pet, and you found me.” I sighed shaking my head. “Nobody is going to believe that. Can't we just say that I have no idea how I got there because I hit my head and don't remember anything? Then from there I can just tell what happened until you found me.”

Patar chuckled at my slip up. “Having them in our heads takes a little getting used to.” Then he considered my idea and agreed, “Fine we will go with that, it will explain any odd behavior and gaps in your knowledge. Maybe we can get a Healer in on this to 'confirm' that you hit your head and suffered some memory loss.” His eyes went glazed and I realized that he must be doing his telepathic thing.

~You know, this is actually pretty good,~ Michelle sent, interrupting my thoughts.

~I am so happy for you,~ I sent back with a groan.

Patar seemed to focus on his surroundings once again and grinned at me. “Do you remember the Cinole who was paired with the Earth Drakan before you and Michelle were paired?”

I thought back to the first pairing. “Yeah, I remember her, she had brown hair and green wings right?”

He quickly nodded. “She's a Healer. She's also the daughter of a friend of mine. She's still young, not even two passes older than you, but she has enough experience for people to believe her when she says that you bumped your head and may have some memory loss.” He spaced out for a few seconds again, nodding about something. “I was told that the last pairing has just been made. We need to hurry if we are going to talk with her before their Majesties start making the rounds of the pairings. Her Drakling is still feeding, but she will meet us at the lake side garden. I'll have Runne bring Michelle to meet us there once she's finished her meal.”

I got to my feet and dusted myself off. “Let's go find her then.”

When Patar had said gardens, I thought he had been referring to flowers. There were some big red ones and some pretty blue ones, but most of the garden seemed to be herbs. I assumed that their vegetables and other major produce was grown on some of the farms we passed when we flew to the city. The Cinole was waiting for us seated on a large rock. Once we were close she jumped up into the air to dive bomb Patar with some kind of kamikaze hug. “Unca Patar!”

Patar easily caught her in his upper arms while his lower arms moved out to steady him. “Jezz,” he said with a grin, “you have grown. I saw you paired with that Earth Drakan, but you have gotten so big that I did not know it was you until your father told me. What brought you back to the capital? I assume that you have a good reason to stay now.”

“Da wanted me to get some trainin' from the Healers in the palace. They been lookin' for young 'uns wit a strong healin' Gift. Da thinks they might be wantin' proper trained Healers in case the Empire decides we may be wort' a long walk 'cross the Great Sands after all. There been talk 'bout trainin' a defense force too, what wit the rumors that the Princess is missin'. But ya,'tween Grayle and proper Healer trainin', I got good reason t' be stayin'.” Her accent was a bit hard to follow and I tried not to stare as I stood off to one side.

Patar chuckled. “Actually, speaking of the Princess, I need you to do something for me. I found the Princess, but there were some complications. I need you to tell anybody who asks you about it, that you looked over the Princess and she took a good blow to the head and might have some memory problems. Don't worry about their Majesties, we'll be telling them the truth. Can you do that for us?”

“I'll do it for ya Unca Patar, but how can I be sayin' I looked o'er the Princess if I dun know what she looks like?” the Cinole asked. “I heard she's a white Zenin wit black stripes, but I can't be givin' a better description than that if someun' asks.”

I lowered my hood and offered, “You could look over me, then you won't be lying when you say you looked over the Princess.”

She did look over me, in fact she downright stared as she freed herself from Patar's arms and knelt on the ground. “Yer Highness.”

I groaned inwardly as Patar gave another of his grins, although his tone was serious. “For now you will be the only Healer the Princess will trust, and you will be sticking with her. I might have to pull some strings to see if Runne and I can be Warder to both of you.”

“Warder fer both of us?” Jezz asked, a bit confused.

“I must be getting old, I forgot to introduce you both,” Patar said with a shrug. “Princess this is Jezz, newly Chosen of Grayle. Jezz I'd like you to meet Princess Visanee, newly Chosen of Michelle.”

I could have sworn I heard her jaw hit the ground before she spoke. “Michelle? That's the name everyun's been talkin' 'bout. The Radiant. Folks been askin' if I knew who her Chosen was, She was wearin' a hood. Nobody saw her face, alls they knew was she was a white Zenin wit black stripes.”

Comfortably full, Michelle was once again following Runne. She was uncomfortably aware of the amount of attention that she was getting as she waddled along behind the massive white Drakan. She might not have been able to speak yet but, she could still understand what was being said. They were talking about her. They spoke about what a good omen a Radiant Drakan was. She heard other talk too.

Mostly it was talk about her and her Chosen, who she assumed was Alex. People were wondering who she was, and why she was wearing a hood. Some people were also talking about Princess Visanee. There were rumors that she was missing, but those at the palace weren't saying anything about it. Michelle felt badly that her being a Radiant was taking attention from all of the other new Drakans and their partners. She sighed and sent a thought to Alex as she walked. ~Alex, we're on our way to meet you. People are talking about us, a lot.~

She quickly received a reply. ~I know sis. Jezz said that a lot of people were asking her if she knew who your Chosen is. I feel bad, it sounds like hardly anyone has congratulated her about being Chosen herself. Patar says that we're going to be getting a lot of attention when people find out that the Princess is your Chosen.~

Michelle grumbled about that as she made sure to stay close to Runne. I feel bad for all the other new pairs too. This shouldn't be about just us. What I don't get is, how aren't these people putting two and two together and thinking that the mysterious white and black Zenin Chosen could be their missing princess.~

She could feel something like a mental shrug from Alex before she answered. ~Patar seems to think it's because they've never had a member of the nobility, or anyone under the age of sixteen, get Chosen before. It's so highly unlikely in their minds that they don't make the connection, since I'm the Princess and my sixteenth birthday isn't for another three days... err suns.~

The Radiant Drakling sighed. ~This is going to be the Greylands version of a media circus, isn't it Alex?~

~Yeah sis, it is.~ The sadness and uncertainty in her sister's thoughts was palpable.

I looked at Patar and Jezz and tried not to let my feelings show as I told them, “Michelle says that she and Runne are on their way. She's been overhearing a lot of talk about us.” I turned my gaze directly on to Patar. “So how much time do we have and what's the plan?”

Patar shrugged, which looks weird on a guy with four arms. “They will want to gather all of you to break apart the nest, once the Drakans have all been fed. Their Majesties will want to meet you all before that, so I would imagine that they will be on their way here to meet Grayle and Jezz very soon, so we don't have long. We will go with your idea of having your hit your head and not remembering anything before that. I found you and brought you back to the capital and then, as we were looking for your parents, you were Chosen. Play shy and make like you don't know, or trust, much of anyone except me and Jezz.”

“And what bout Jezz?” I asked, “what does she do?”

He turned to the Cinole in question. “Jezz, I brought the Princess here to meet you because you are a Healer, another Chosen, and close to her age. You confirm that she banged her head hard and that she has forgotten even some basic every day things. Just go with that for now, we'll tell you the whole story once we can be sure to have enough time alone.”

Jezz nodded to the Jiquar. “Ya, I think I got it Unca Patar. T' think I came here t' learn proper Healin', and now in one day I got Chosen and became the Princess' own Healer.” She grinned at me. “I can't wait t' hear whate'er ya did t' lead up t' this yer Highness.”

“You and me both,” I muttered to myself.

Grayle was of course the first of our partners to return from feeding. She may have lacked wings, but I could tell that she was going to make up for it with her sheer energy and enthusiasm. Even though she couldn't speak, she was extremely friendly, far more so than the Stone Drakan escorting her, and she seemed to adore her Chosen. The Stone Drakan was named Perrix and he and his Chosen, Yurin, went aside for a brief talk with Patar while Jezz introduced me to Grayle, who gave me a lick on the cheek.

The talk was indeed brief, and soon they approached us again as Yurin spoke. “I have no problem with you and Runne taking over as their Warders, so long as their Majesties approve of it. Perrix and I found a fine vein of silver, and I wouldn't mind the extra time to work on mining it.”

Patar gave him a friendly slap on the back. “Aye, I imagine you would. I will clear it with their Majesties. I know it is unusual to want to ward two new pairs, but trust me these are unusual circumstances, and I think it is for the best.”

Yurin nodded, “I'll leave them in your care then for now. Let me know if you need anything, or if their Majesties decide they want us to remain their Warders after all.” He gave us a friendly wave as he clambered up Perrix's back and the pair took off toward the city at a leisurely walk. It was then that Runne joined us with Michelle following at his heels. Michelle waddled her way over to me and I gave her a big hug. ~Welcome back sis, did you eat well?~

I could feel her contentment bubbling in my mind, though it seemed tinged with worry. ~Yeah I'm full. Once I got over the fact that it was raw, it actually tasted pretty good.~

“Michelle,” I spoke aloud as I gestured to the green Drakling and the Cinole, “this is your sister Grayle and her Chosen, Jezz.” ~Sis, get to know your sister and play for a bit. It'll probably help things if you and Grayle can get along well.~

~We can't communicate mind to mind, it seems we only have that link with our Chosen. Playing I can do though!~ She cheerfully made her way over to Grayle and the pair started to roll about, pounce, swat at one another, and generally act like a pair of seven foot long kittens.

Jezz grinned at me. “Seems like Grayle likes her, though she's bein' a bit jealous 'bout how pretty Michelle is. I think they'll be good friends. Michelle is gorgeous by the way.”

I returned the grin as I offered, “Grayle is really pretty too, just not as shiny.” I laughed a bit at that. “I hope they are good friends, since we'll likely be spending a lot of time together, if Patar gets his way. I hope we can be good friends too Jezz.”

The Cinole's smile lit up her face. “Yer not what I was expectin' yer Highness. I think we'll get 'long fine.” She paused as something caught her attention. “Best be lookin' behind ya Yer Highness, we got comp'ny.”

I turned to look, and saw a procession of people heading our way. At the front was a regal looking white Zenin female with bright green eyes. She was in a very expensive looking dark blue dress that made me think of Victorian England. Beside her was a grey Zenin with black stripes and amber eyes wearing an ornate dark red tunic and green hose. From the way everyone seemed to be speaking with the woman, who I guessed must be Visanee's mother, it appeared that she was the one in charge.

Patar intercepted the procession and knelt before the royal couple well before they reached us. After he rose he had a hushed conversation with them gesturing toward us. A moment later he was leading the pair toward us while the retinue waited behind. As they approached I could hear the white Zenin saying, “...is very unusual Patar, but you have served me well for many passes and I trust you. Now why did you wait until now to bring our daughter to us? You told me that you found her before the breaking got underway. Could you have not brought her to us right away?”

Patar shook his head. “I had planned to your Your Majesty, but there was an unforeseen complication.”

“What sort of complication Patar?” she inquired.

By this time they were almost upon us. Patar gestured to the playing Drakans, “Your Majesties, those are Grayle the Earth and Michelle the Radiant. And these,” he added as he gestured to Jezz and myself, “are their Chosen, Jezz and... your daughter.”

“Ummm.... hello,” I spoke softly, giving a nervous little wave. Both the Zenins' eyes went wide as the realization sunk in.

It had been a long explanation. Patar and I explained who I really was, and with Michelle's help I was able to tell them what Visanee had done and her fate on my own world. They were both understandably distraught at the news of her death. We gave them a bit of time to come to terms with that after Patar confirmed that he had read my mind and saw the truth.

The Queen spoke softly, her voice hoarse from crying, “We tried to give her everything she wanted. The best of everything was made available for her. We spent all the time we could with her. In the end we couldn't give her the one thing she really wanted.” She began to cry again, soft little sobs. I wondered if my mother on Earth had cried when Visanee had died. Would she cry at Michelle's apparent death?

The King took over. “She wanted freedom. She wanted to see the world and have grand adventures like in the stories. We couldn't let her do that with all of the dangers out there. The Empire would like nothing more than to kill her, or use her against us. More importantly, she was our only daughter, if something happened to her the royal bloodline would end. It would be a disaster.”

“What do you mean a disaster? Couldn't someone from one of the other noble families be announced as a new heir?” I asked.

“No,” The King replied, shaking his head emphatically. “The land itself is tied by magic to the blood of the females of the royal line. This land used to be uninhabitable; covered in poisonous swamps, the mountains brimmed with fire and ash, and the very earth shook constantly. We Zenin had been forced to flee our homeland. That was long ago, when the Empire was just starting to expand. We fled across the Great Sands and came here, many of us died on the journey. We tried to make a home here, but it seemed impossible.”

“So what happened to change that?” I wondered.

“The island in the center of the lake,” the Queen said, her voice strained from sobbing. “Alina, the first Queen of Azure discovered it, and the crystal fountain that sits at the center. The fountain is sacred. It is connected to Itari, the Goddess of the Earth. Itari spoke with Alina, She offered to make the land livable in exchange for the Vow that the daughters of Alina's line protect the fountain and rule the land fairly. She was bound to the Vow by her blood, and her blood tied to the land by magic. Should our line end, or the Vow be broken, the land will start to return to as it was before. Each eldest daughter of the line is announced as heir and bound to the Vow on their Giftsun. ”

“Damn,” I cursed. “That's why Visanee was so desperate to make the exchange. She wanted freedom, and to not have the responsibility of the Vow, and she was running out of time, but she didn't want the land to fall to ruin so she couldn't just leave, she needed a replacement. That's why Patar said that I'm the princess, no matter who I was in my mind.”

The Queen nodded slowly, sniffling a bit as her husband held her close. “I am sorry that she put you in this situation Alex. If she had waited, she would have been given a little more freedom once she was named heir.” She looked at me morosely and told me, “I can bear no more children. You alone have the blood needed now. People cannot know that you are not the true heir. I ask not for me, but for my people, will you be our heir and princess?”

I looked at the pair of them, obviously distraught. They just lost a daughter, how would they deal with losing a vow that obviously meant a lot to them as well, even if the part about the Goddess wasn't true? Given how I'd gotten here, and what I'd seen so far, I couldn't eliminate the possibility that Itari was indeed real. I nodded grimly and reached out to hug them both. “I may not be your real daughter, but I will do as you ask, and try to make it look like I am.”

It was then that we relayed what had happened since I had arrived in the Greylands, ending with the plan that we had come up with to explain my lack of knowledge. They both thought the plan was a good one and approved Patar's request to be Warder to both myself and Jezz. The Cinole was also recruited to help Patar teach me the basics of life in the Greylands. All of this was done quickly, as it was felt that the royals had spent too much time already talking with us without their retinue.

The retinue in question, consisting largely of the nobility and some important officials, were quickly called over once the royals had composed themselves. It was explained to them that Princess Visanee was the Chosen of the Radiant Drakan everyone was so interested in. We also gave them my story about having hit my head and losing my memory. I was careful to act a bit shy and skittish if anyone other than my parents, Patar or Jezz got too close.

When the procession left we accompanied them to visit the other Chosen and their Drakans, but I was careful to stick close to those that I was 'comfortable' with. Finally, once all seven of the other pairs had been visited, we all gathered back at the nest. It was tradition for the Chosen to take all the branches and other flammable materials used to make the nest, and move them to the center of where the nest had sat. Then, once it was all piled up, the Queen herself would set fire to it all with a torch. It was considered bad luck for any part of the nest to remain behind and possibly be used again.

Once the fire was set, animals were roasted on spits and a feast was prepared to celebrate the new unions. Shards of the Drakan egg shells were tossed into the fire by couples as offerings to Kanae, the Goddess of Fertility, the Harvest, and Birth. As that was being done, a Priestess of Kanae performed a blessing on each Drakan and their Chosen. It was all so strange to Michelle and me, but exciting as well.

I was sitting alone with Michelle and absently petting Chrissy, who was now snuggled up in my lap. We were staring into the great bonfire when Jezz sat down beside me. Grayle curled up beside Michelle, her eyes, like Michelle's, getting droopy. I giggled, “I guess they're pretty tired. It was a big day for them, being born and then all of this. Big day for us too.” Was it really this morning that Patar had saved me? So much had happened in just this one day.

Jezz giggled back, but quickly turned serious, “Ya, big sun fer us all. I been flyin' 'bout listenin' ta the crowds. Folks are talkin' non-stop 'bout the 'Radiant Princess'. Yer right, people are talkin' like yer Itari Herself. Sayin' this is a sign. If it's not that, folks are talkin' 'bout how sad it is ya lost yer mem'ry.”

I nodded, taking a cautious look around. “I keep expecting to get swarmed by people any time now.”

Jezz shook her head. “Na, Queen Nisa announced that you're t' be left alone while ya recover. Dun worry, ya got Unca Patar and I t' look out for ya yer Highness.”

“Thanks,” I said as I reached out to squeeze her hand. “I'm glad to have you both with me. One thing though Jezz.”

The Cinole looked at me curiously and asked, “What's that Yer Highness?”

She wasn't much older than me, and in the flickering firelight I could see how very pretty she was. She looked so fragile and innocent at that moment and I kind of wanted to hold her. She had a strength inside her though, and I could sense that she cared a lot for people in general. She would be a good friend through whatever came. I smiled at her, “Friends don't call friends 'Your Highness'. When we're alone like this, call me Alex.”

She blushed a bit at that, I could see it even in the firelight. She nodded though as she answered quietly, “Okay then 'Lex, I think I'd like that.” We sat there together for a long while, staring at the fire as I thought about all the weirdness that had happened since I had arrived in the Greylands. We were both dozing off along with our Drakans when Patar came to take us home.

 

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Author's Note: Here's chapter 4 of Alex in Wonderland. This one just wouldn't let me stop until I was finished. Thank you as always to all my readers for the comments, kudos, and thinking that my work is worth reading. Also thanks to the Big Closet team who work tirelessly to give us all a wonderfully supportive venue to read and post TG fiction ~Amethyst.
 

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Chapter 4: Sweet Sixteen

We were all very tired when Patar came to take us home. The bonfire had died down to mere embers, Chrissy was asleep in my lap, and Michelle and Grayle were sleeping peacefully. Jezz and I had also fallen asleep, the Cinole's head resting on my chest, while mine rested on Michelle's back. Patar gently shook Jezz and I awake and, once we were both alert, we woke our Drakans.

Chrissy awoke from the jostling and scurried up to take her place around my neck as we all shuffled over to a large wagon that Patar had prepared. Two massive black horses, which Patar had called Machuls, were hitched up to it. Getting the Draklings into the wagon proved a bit difficult given their size and their clumsiness. Once we had them loaded, Jezz and I climbed in with them and Patar got into the drivers seat and flipped the reins to set the Machuls into motion.

It was a bit of a bumpy ride across the huge cobblestone bridge that spanned from the shore of the lake to the island in the center where the castle stood. As we made our way over the huge black drawbridge, we were stopped momentarily by the gate guards. Once they saw Patar and his passengers though, they quickly let us pass. Then in the courtyard Patar began issuing orders. “The Princess and Michelle are to be taken to her rooms for tonight, Jezz and Grayle are to be taken to one of the guest rooms, and then all of their needs are to be seen to.”

We were escorted to our rooms by palace servants and, as soon as we entered the princess' rooms, Michelle found a spot on the floor to settle down and sleep. I was led by someone that Patar had introduced as my personal maid, a reddish brown Zenin named Felice, to the bedchamber. “Can I get you anything before you retire for the night Your Highness?" she asked.

I was really tired, but I also realized that it had been over four days since I had had a bath. It had been too cold to do anything but drink from the glacier fed lake in the valley. The only time I had taken off my bodysuit and cloak had been to relieve myself, and I had always made sure that had been quick. So with that in mind, I reluctantly removed Chrissy from around my neck and placed her on one of the pillows before saying, “I would really like to clean up a bit.”

“Of course your Highness,” she replied, “I will prepare a hot bath for you.” She disappeared into a room connected to the bedroom and I could hear her moving around, and water splashing, for a while before she returned. “Your bath is ready Highness, let me help you off with those clothes.”

It was more than a little awkward having someone undress me, but I was really too tired to argue. Soon I was relaxing in a hot bath as Felice scrubbed my back. Once my back was clean Felice left at my request, leaving me a robe and some towels for when I was finished. I was amazed at what I was seeing in the bathroom as I soaked and let the hot water relax me. It practically had all the comforts of home. There was hot and cold running water for the large marble bath and smaller wash basin, and even indoor plumbing. I later found out that this was all made possible by Enchanters, and that only the very wealthy could afford such convenience.

I soaked for some time before I started to carefully clean myself and, once I did, the bath was a learning experience. Firstly, I discovered that while I only had two breasts, I did also have two other sets of nipples hidden in the fur on my belly. Secondly, I discovered while shifting position to better reach my feet, that sitting on one's tail hurts, a lot. Felise rushed in looking panicked after the yowl I let out when that happened. Lastly, once I was out of my bath, I discovered that fur is a bitch to dry. I first had to shake myself like... well like a cat I guess, and then towel off if I wanted to get dry in any decent amount of time. By the time I actually got into my bed I fell to sleep immediately.

The two days following the nest breaking were extremely hectic. Not only did the baby Drakans require a lot of care and attention, but when we weren't doing that Patar and Jezz spent all the time they could teaching me about life in the Greylands, and specifically in Azure. I learned about the geography, the various Gods and Goddesses that were worshiped, and how time, weights, and distances were measured. Most Importantly though, I learned about Gifts.

With my Giftsun coming up fast, it was felt that basic education on various Gifts and the Gifted was of the utmost importance. Gifts were granted to people on their sixteenth birthday, or birthsun as they called them, by the Goddess of Gifts, Selune. Because of this, the sixteenth birthsun was called the Giftsun. On their Giftsun people are taken to Diviners to test for Gifts, and to trigger those Gifts if any are discovered. Triggering, or Gifting, can sometimes result in various degrees of physical and/or mental changes. The Giftsun is a rite or passage into adulthood, whether one is Gifted or not, and when people set aside their childhood name for the name that they will carry into adulthood.

Not everyone has Gifts though, and those who do are called the Gifted. The Gifted harness kida, the spirit energy found in the earth, the air, and all living things to use what I would call magic. There are various types of Gifts, and each type of Gifted has a different name. Healers can heal illnesses, wounds or diseases, though the more serious the injury the more kida they need to use. They also make potions, balms, and use various other non magical healing methods to care for the ill. Jezz is a Healer.

Patar is a Diviner. Diviners are those whose Gifts are mind based. These abilities can include such things as telepathy, telekinesis, precognition, sensing the history of objects or places, and empathy. They can also detect Gift potential. Diviners are the most diverse of the Gifted, and their abilities vary widely amongst them.

Both my parents, Queen Nisa and King Janis, are Thaumaturges, who can use their Gift directly for a wide variety of spells. These spells can be offensive, defensive, or completely neutral. In any type of combat situation Thaumaturges are extremely useful. It was assumed that I would be a Thaumaturge as well, should I receive a Gift.

Another type of Gifted are Enchanters. They can't use kida to do anything directly, but can permanently enchant objects with pretty much any effect spells they can imagine, should they have enough power. Enchantments can be temporary or permanent, but permanent takes more power. Then there are Wilders, who can communicate with and influence animals; Wind Walkers, who can control the weather; and Shifters, who use their Gift to change their shape, appearance, etc. More powerful Shifters can subtly reshape the bodies of others or materials as well. Finally, there are also people with more than one Gift, these are called Dabblers.

It wasn't all work during those two days though. Michelle and I spent quite a lot of time just being together again, and getting used to the new connection we had. Being able to speak in each others minds all the time took a lot of getting used to. Thankfully we weren't the only ones new to this, since Jezz and Grayle were going through the exact same thing. It turned out to be a good bonding time for the four of us, and I felt myself feeling close to someone besides my twin for the first time in years.

Semi permanent living arrangements had been made as well. Most Chosen and their Drakans were deeded land to make a home on by the Queen, but in my case that wouldn't work so both Jezz and I were staying in the palace, or Misalet Castle as it was called. I of course had the princess' room, I shouldn't call it a room though, since is was practically a home all by itself. Jezz had one of the spacious guest rooms, which sat beside mine. For Michelle and Grayle, one of the larger private courtyards had been set aside and made comfortable for the pair. Guards were posted to ensure that the Draklings, myself, and Jezz were not bothered by anyone, and food was brought to Grayle and Michelle whenever we requested it.

On the second day I also spent some time with my new parents. Queen Nisa and King Janis were a bit withdrawn, still mourning Visanee's death. Luckily, most people were attributing their mood to almost losing their daughter and the shock of my amnesia. To their credit, both the Queen and the King tried their best to get to know me and start to build some sort of relationship with me. Jezz was treated as a special guest, she even dined with us. She was a country girl and, although she seemed to enjoy all the fancy clothes and servants waiting on us, I think she was a bit unsure how to act, and nervous about her new social standing. I couldn't blame her, since I was feeling the same. It was another bond that we shared.

I was awoken early on the day of my Giftsun. Felice woke me with the dawn, insisting that I needed time to prepare for my busy day. She immediately ushered me into a hot bath and started washing me, despite my objections. I had no time for a leisurely soak so the bath was an exercise in precision cleaning. Once I was extracted from the hot water, I was instructed to dry myself as quickly as possible while Felice went to fetch my breakfast. It seemed that Michelle was getting similar treatment as, while I was drying myself, I heard ~Coooooooold!!!~

I continued to towel myself as I giggled. ~At least I'm not suffering alone. What's going on sis?~

Michelle sounded irritated. ~Patar has some servants here in the courtyard. They're giving Grayle and I baths for some reason. Why did they have to wake us at this ungodly hour for this!? Mmmmmm, at least they brought us breakfast.~

I rolled my eyes at that as I started toweling my hair. ~Hey, if I have to suffer so do you. Just try to cooperate. They probably want you accompanying me on the parade through the city to the Temple of Selune.~ I finished drying off and stepped into my bed chamber, where Felice had my breakfast laid out on a small table. I took my seat and looked over the broiled fish, hard-boiled eggs, some sort of dark bread with butter, and a glass of milk. ~Ah the breakfast of champions.~ Michelle's only answer was a contented warmth in my mind as she ate her own meal.

Breakfast was delicious, the fish was delicately spiced, and the milk had a sweet taste to it. It was over all too quickly though, and soon Felice was getting me properly dressed. Green was the color of Itari and, since much of today would be committing myself to Her, that was the color of the day. After I was placed in appropriate undergarments we began with a crinoline followed by a full length skirt of a hunter green velvet. The skirt felt heavy and I thought that it and the crinoline were going to be difficult to move in, making me suddenly very grateful for my new body's inherent feline grace.

A golden colored satin-like chemise with large billowing sleeves was next on the list, the color chosen to honor Selune when I visited the Diviner Priestess at Her temple. It was actually fairly comfortable, but I could see the sleeves having the potential to cause problems when I ate. Over the chemise was placed a corset in hunter green velvet to match the skirt. Corsets may look great, but they should probably be banned by the Geneva Convention, as they are sheer torture to put on and wear. As I was being squeezed into it I mentally grumbled. ~Be glad you just got a bath sis. You could be in my shoes.~

Speaking of shoes, those were the next item on the list. Well boots actually, made of a dark green suede with a three inch heel. They looked intimidating at first, but since I walk on the balls of my feet they were actually very comfortable. I thought that we would have been finished then, but Felice had me sit down (not an easy feat with what I was wearing) and she started working my hair into a complex looking bun, with a braid at the back center and two more falling to either side of my face.

Then it was time for more torture. Three gold rings were placed in each of my ears. This wouldn't have been so bad if they had been pierced beforehand, but apparently it was tradition to wait until the Giftsun for it. You try getting needles thrust through one of the most sensitive parts of your body and try not screaming. I only marginally succeeded... the first three times didn't count since I wasn't ready.

After my torture session, Felice took Chrissy for me and led me down to the main courtyard, where I found half the castle waiting. All the nobles and officials from my parents retinue on the day of the nest breaking were there, as well as close to thirty guards, several horses, and two of our machuls. Patar sat astride Runne, who took up a good portion of space, and both Grayle and Michelle sat in another large wagon decorated in golden flowers, which was hitched up to the two machuls. Sitting demurely just ahead of the Drakans was Jezz, who was dressed in a similar fashion to me and looked just as uncomfortable.

Normally on her Giftsun, the Princess rides a in a carriage behind the Queen and King with a trusted servant, handmaiden, or sometimes a friend from the nobility to help her throughout the day. It was decided that Jezz would do that for me, since we had been bonding so well. Since this was our first public appearance since the nest breaking, it was decided that the Drakans would come too. With a hand from some of the guards, I managed to climb into the wagon and get myself seated on the padded bench beside my Cinole friend. “You look about as nervous as I am,” I grumbled. I took Chrissy from Felice and placed her between Jezz and I.

“Ya Yer Highness, I ne'er thought I'd e'er be sittin' 'side the Princess fer her Giftsun parade,” she said, wringing her hands.

I nodded agreement, giving a nervous laugh as I replied quietly, “Well we're in the same boat then. I never thought that I'd be a Princess in her Giftsun Parade.”

Michelle's voice slipped into my mind, radiating calm. ~Relax Alex, we just need to sit here and look good for the most part. Then you do your thing at the Temple, and we look good on the way back too. Then you do your vow thingy and get crowned. Easy, right?~

~Easy for you to say, but thanks for trying sis.~ I turned around to give her a smile. Then I turned back to the front as two large and heavy sacks were placed in front of Jezz and I. From what we had been told, the sacks were filled with a mix of sweets and copper coins for us to toss to the children out to see the parade.

Despite my concerns that this would take a while to get organized, under Queen Nisa's supervision we were soon underway. Ten guards in golden armor took the lead with my parents behind them on large bay horses, followed by our wagon, then ten more of the golden clad guards, the members of the nobility, and finally the final ten guards. Above us Patar and Runne flew with six other Drakan pairs in formation. I had thought the parade wouldn't really get started until we crossed the bridge spanning the lake, but even at this early hour people were lined up along the sides of the bridge to get a good look at the procession.

I groaned and reached into the bag for a handful of coins and sweets, speaking loud enough so my companions could hear me. “Showtime girls, let's smile and look pretty.” I put a nervous smile on my own face and tossed the handful out into the crowd. Jezz followed my lead and our companions sat up doing their best to look proud and noble. All eyes were upon us as we made our way across the bridge and through the capital.

Somehow I had managed to make it to the Temple of Selune without throwing up from nervousness. Our sacks were now depleted, and the only thing keeping me from being glad it was over was the fact that after the temple we'd have to do it again in reverse. Once I was helped out of the wagon, I walked along the path of golden flower petals that Jezz was spreading out before me leading to the small dais had been erected in front of the temple, for the sole purpose of my Gifting. Once I had stepped onto the dais, Jezz moved to one side as she had been instructed and knelt waiting, while I stepped in front of the Priestess in white and gold robes.

The Priestess smiled at me and began to speak in a voice that carried well over the hushed crowd. “Visanee Misalet, daughter of Nisa and Janis. Why do you come before the Goddess Selune?”

I swallowed hard, hoping that I was remembering all of this correctly. We'd only gone over it a thousand times or so. I knelt and raised my face and hands to the heavens. “I come before Selune to ask Her favor. I am sixteen passes old today, and humbly ask Her for Her touch. I ask for no more than She is willing to give. I ask that She bestow me with what Gift or Gifts that She finds me deserving of.”

The Priestess took my outstretched hands, and I could feel a warmth filling me as she looked for my Gift. Then I felt something release in me, like I wasn't quite whole before and now I was. Then the Priestess raised me to my feet. “You have been found worthy. Set aside your childhood and tell me the name you will carry into adulthood, so that I may know who to bestow these Gifts upon.”

She said 'Gifts'. For a brief second I was unsure what to do, luckily the murmuring of the crowd as they realized the same thing gave me a few seconds to compose myself. I was careful to speak loudly and clearly as I said, “Alexis.”

“Alexis Misalet,” the Priestess intoned as the crowd now hung on her every word, "Selune has seen fit to bestow upon you three Gifts on this, your Giftsun. She gives you a great Gift in Healing. She also gives you a small Gift in the Divine, and another in the Wild. I pronounce you Dabbler.”

This was unexpected. It was thought I would be a Thaumaturge like my parents, but I got three Gifts and none of them were what I had been told to expect. The crowd was shocked too for a moment, before they suddenly burst into applause and loud cheering. I quickly shook off my confusion and said, “I thank Selune for these Gifts and will do my best to be worthy of them.”

With my Gifting complete, Jezz rose to escort me back to the wagon, several women and young girls offering us both flowers as we stepped off the dais and made our way back to the wagon. As we settled into the wagon once again, I had to make an effort not to just slump into my seat. The corset helped a lot with that though, but smiling was still an effort with as nervous as I was. “Am I glad that is over,” I said once we were underway and once again smiling and showering people with sweets and copper coins from new bags.

“You 'n me both 'Lex,” was Jezz's soft reply. “I was nervous at m' own Gifting, but at least mine was done in the privacy o' the Temple. Dinna have thousands of folks watchin' m' every word. Ya did well though 'Lex.” She paused to toss a handful from the bag. “And yer a Dabbler, I dinna think anyun expected that.”

“Least of all me,” I said with a sigh as I too tossed a handful. “I guess we'll both be busy with Healing lessons now too. I wonder what exactly my Wilder and Diviner abilities are. I mean, how small is small?”

The Cinole shrugged, her green wings fluttering a bit. “Ya should be findin' out o'er the next se'ensun. It takes a bit fer the Gifts to start showin'.”

“That's good to know.” I was a bit relieved that they wouldn't start kicking in right away. “The last thing I need right now is to find out I'm a telepath or something in the middle of thousands of people. It's bad enough with the one person I already have in my head.” I giggled and winked back at Michelle before tossing another handful.

I could feel Michelle's laughter in the back of my mind. ~Just for that Alex, I've got something for your Giftsun.~ Then she began to sing. ~This is the song that never ends....~ It was a long parade back to the palace.

It was almost midday when we arrived back at the palace. The procession, followed by all the townspeople who could manage it, filed into the main courtyard. Behind us, I could see that the entire bridge was also full of people hoping to get a look at the ceremony that would name me as heir to the throne of Azure. When we entered the courtyard, I stepped down from the wagon to join Queen Nisa at the great doors that stood at the rear wall of the courtyard. To either side of the great doors were stairs that led up to the balcony, the great hall, the throne room, and the rest of the palace proper.

The great doors themselves were made of the sturdy black wood called yalk, with thick wrought iron hinges and handles. The doors were barred and guarded at all times, unless the Queen or her heir was inside the Queen's private courtyard that lay behind them. Swallowing my fear, I watched as two large Jiquar guards pulled open the massive doors. Then Queen Nisa stepped inside and I moved to follow. Inside the great doors was another smaller door sealed by magic. Only one who had been bound to the land could open that door. My new mother opened the door and we stepped inside, the door shutting behind us.

The Queen's courtyard was large and very well lit by kida lamps, which gave off a natural looking light. I had been told that the light in this courtyard was created to simulate the time of day. There was an illusion of the sky, with moving clouds and the sun in it's proper position on the ceiling. After I was bound to the land I would be able to come in here any time, and it would be just like being outside no matter whether it was day, night, dawn, or dusk. It was an amazing illusion, and even the flowers and small trees that grew all over the bare earth at our feet couldn't seem to tell the difference.

Another enchantment caused the air in the room to stay fresh, and even have cool breezes, which would make this a nice place to keep cool later in the summer. There were even birds and some small animals. The Queen led me by the hand as I took in the realistic environment and she let out a giggle as she said, “I was the same way when I saw it for the first time.” It was the first time that I had heard her laugh since we had met and it warmed my heart.

I merely nodded in answer and squeezed her hand, not really wanting to spoil this moment. I saw several benches as we made our way to the center of the courtyard and then, as I turned to face forward, I saw it. The crystal fountain of Itari was a large formation of crystals, in all the colors of the rainbow, that gave off a light all their own. We stopped when we reached the formation and the Queen spoke. “Itari, Mother of our land, patron Goddess of our people. I bring before You my daughter, Alexis Misalet, and ask that You accept her as my heir.”

The crystals seemed to hum, vibrating as I stepped forward to stand beside the Queen. Then I heard a voice in my head that wasn't Michelle's. It was a voice of power that seemed to make my head hum right along with the crystals. ~Alexis, you of two worlds. Your mind is not hers, but you are of the blood. Are you prepared to leave your old world behind forever, to defend and rule this land and these people? Are you prepared to protect this sacred place?~

I quickly shook off the shock I was feeling and formulated my reply. “This land is now my home, these people my own, and I relinquish the family of my old world to embrace the family whose blood runs through my veins. There is nothing for me in my old world. I promise to defend and rule this land, and it's people, when the time comes, and to protect this sacred place from harm.”

The Queen smiled at me, teary eyed, and the voice in my head was happy once it spoke again. ~Very well then Alexis. I accept you as heir and will bind you to the land. Seal the Vow with your blood.~

I nodded and stepped forward to prick my finger on one of the crystals. I held the finger over the crystal letting several drops of blood fall onto it. The blood seemed to be absorbed by the crystal, which seemed to glow even brighter than the rest. Then the whole crystal formation started to glow brighter, shining with a blinding light, and the crystals and the castle around us started to sing.

Sometime during the cacophony of bright light and the music of the earth, I felt a connection begin to form with the crystal formation and the land beneath my feet, like some sort of tether between it and my soul. It wasn't really a binding, as I didn't feel bound to the land, as I think that would have felt restraining. No, this was more like I was part of the land, and it was part of me, and would be no matter where I was. ~You are bound to the land and the Vow. I know that you will serve both myself and your people well.~

"She's been in there a while now," Michelle thought as she waited impatiently for Alex to either come out the doors, or contact her to let her know everything was alright. Things had gone smoothly so far, even if Alex had been thrown a bit of a curve ball with the Gifts. There was no reason for people to think anything would go wrong now. Still, most people didn't know that Alex wasn't the princess in her head. Could that somehow throw a wrench in the works? The more time that passed without something happening, the more worried she became.

Then something did happen. Something she wasn't expecting at all. Michelle's eyes darted around rapidly as the castle began to shake around her, the very walls seeming to hum with the vibrations. The sound carried through the walls and floors, and she could feel it even in her bones. The humming sound seemed to change pitch with each passing second. It almost sounded like singing.

She tried to contact Alex through their mind link, fearing for her sister's... her Chosen's safety. She couldn't seem to reach her though, it was like her thoughts were being redirected elsewhere. She couldn't sense Alex at all. The Radiant Drakan began to fear the worst, that this Earth Goddess had sensed that Alex wasn't the true heir and had killed her. Was that why the earth was shaking?

She was supposed to protect her, she should have insisted she go in with her, regardless of the tradition. What would she do if Alex were dead? How would she make it alone on this new world? She came here to be with her twin, because it would have hurt too much to lose her. How could she go on if she had lost her now? Then suddenly she felt it again, the comforting presence of her former twin in the back of her mind, and she reached out.

~What in the hell was that?!~ Michelle's voice suddenly popped into my head. ~The whole castle was just shaking and humming!~

~I think that was me being made heir, sis. Itari accepted me and all that started happening when we used my blood to seal the deal. I think we should be coming out soon,~ I sent back, trying to calm her down.

~Okay Alex. By the way, your furry little white friend is shaking in Jezz's arms. The whole castle eruption scared her pretty bad. You might want to find a treat for her after all this,~ Michelle said, still sounding a bit spooked herself.

I had to stifle a giggle at that. ~Noted sis, I'll see if I can slip you some sweets too.~

~I wasn't scared. I was just startled is all, but some of those frostberry pies would taste really good.~ I could feel a happy warmth in my mind as she thought of the pies.

I giggled at that and quickly composed myself as my new mother smiled at me saying, “You may now enter our courtyard whenever you wish, but only you and possibly your pet kihr. No other people are allowed in here under any circumstances. This is our place and it's a nice place to be alone with our thoughts when needed.”

I nodded solemnly as I answered, “I understand. It's a very relaxing place, and I think I'll like coming here when I need to think.”

She took my hand again and began to lead me back to the door. “Now it's time to go up to the balcony and complete the tradition.” I followed her back through the door and then the great doors, which were closed securely and barred behind us. We walked up the stairs, my hand still in hers, to the balcony where the King waited. As we got to the balcony, overlooking the throngs of people in the main courtyard and beyond, she gave my hand a reassuring squeeze.

My mother on earth had always been afraid to show me affection like that, as my father would always complain that I needed to learn how to be independent if I were to grow up to be a strong man. This was a nice change, and I realized that what I had said earlier was true. She was my mother by blood now. This was my family, my home, and my people, and I had to stop thinking about my earth parents that way. I was dead to them before the heart in my old body even stopped beating. There was no going back. I had Michelle, a family, friends and my people. It was time to live in the present.

“People of Azure!” my mother spoke in a tone that commanded attention. “Today my daughter pledged herself to Itari, our country, and all of you. Itari heard her pledge and accepted. She has been bound to the land and our Vow. Today the earth sang for her.” She took a delicate jewel encrusted gold tiara from her husband and placed it on my head. “I give you Princess Alexis Misalet, true heir to the throne of Azure!”

The crowd burst into a deafening cheer, a cheer which almost threatened to shake the castle again, as I stepped up to the stone railing for my part of the ceremony. I tried my best to speak clearly, and loud enough for all those in the courtyard to hear.“Thank you my people. Today I have been bound to you all, and to our country. Today I have been given Gifts. Today I celebrate. But I do not wish to celebrate alone. Let there be feasts, music, and celebration for all!” This resulted in another cheer and some chanting of my name.

My Giftsun feast was well underway in the great hall of the palace. Food and wine flowed freely and people joked and laughed. Chrissy was in my lap, humming contentedly as she nibbled on a cookie. I was so full that if I tried to eat another bite I think my corset would have exploded. People around me were happy, and so was I. I could feel that Michelle was happy too, the warmth of the feeling radiating in the back of my mind. ~Enjoying your pies are you.~

,~Yes I am, and so is Grayle. Thank you for thinking of us.~ She gave me a warm and fuzzy mental hug.

~Good. You both deserve it after spending half the day in a wagon and putting up with Jezz and I complaining about how uncomfortable we were. Besides it's my day, and the cooks want to keep me happy. I think those closest to me should benefit from that a little today. You both enjoy, we'll be out to spend some time with you as soon as we can get away for a bit.~ I turned to Jezz, who I realized had asked Patar something potentially embarrassing. “Oh no Jezz, all these wonderful people don't want to hear that story.”

“Ya, sure they do Yer Highness. Folks have been askin' him all through dinner. An' yer only tellin' how ya woke up an' found yer l'il friend there.” She pointed at the kihr in my lap. “Ya don' tell much 'bout the valley and meetin' Unca Patar.” My friend grinned at me and I resolved to put something squishy in her bed later.

Patar didn't need to be asked twice, and soon he was beginning his tale, leaning in toward his listeners like some sort of conspirator. “So there I was, flying over the Frozen Wastes looking for the Princess. Now I didn't expect to see her out that far, I am still not sure how she got all the way out there. Anyway, we were flying over this nice little valley when Runne tells me he sees something. So we circle down and I see this huge kythir, it was at least thirty tayr long. But that is not the interesting thing, no, I also see this crazy person trying to fight the beast with a dagger and a burning stick.”

I groaned and put my face in my hands. “Okay Patar, while you besmirch my good name, with what is probably the truth, we're going to go check on Michelle and Grayle, right Jezz?” I picked up Chrissy and placed her on my shoulder, where she soon found her favorite spot around my neck and proceeded to happily hum.

“I thought ya'd ne'er ask yer Highness,” the Cinole said with a grin.

"Oh yes, definitely something squishy, cold too if I can manage it," I thought.

As we left the hall Patar's voice trailed off behind us. “So I'm thinking to myself, 'this is either the stupidest or bravest person I have ever seen'...”

 

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Author's Note: Here's chapter 5 of Alex in Wonderland. More about Gods and Gifts in this one. Thank you as always to all my readers for the comments, kudos, and thinking that my work is worth reading. Also thanks to the Big Closet team who work tirelessly to give us all a wonderfully supportive venue to read and post TG fiction ~Amethyst.
 

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Chapter 5: Bearing Gifts

The morning after my Giftsun I awoke late and just stayed in bed for a long while, enjoying what was probably the first real chance that I had to relax since arriving at the capital. It was then that a wave of hunger hit me. I found this strange since I was hungry, but not that hungry. I could feel Michelle as a contented warmth at the back of my mind. It didn't feel like she was hungry, but I thought I would ask anyway. ~Sis. Are you hungry?~

It was a moment before she responded, her mind speech heavy with sleepy contentment. ~No. Grayle and I just ate, and I was about to take a nap. What's wrong?~

~I feel hunger,~ I responded. ~I know I'm a bit hungry, but I'm not that hungry. Nevermind. I'll eat something, then hopefully it will go away. Have a good nap sis.~

~I will. Call me if you need anything.~ I could feel the connection lose it's strength as she started to doze off again. The hunger was still there though, so with a stretch I got out of bed and rang the bell that would bring Felice as I got dressed. She was there before I had even finished putting on my bra and panties. On my first day in the palace I had learned to ring for Felice should I need anything. Not only was she eager to serve, or even just chat, but it was considered improper for a princess to do things like go down to the kitchen to fix her own meals. The first time I had tried that had been amusing.

Felice was in a good mood and smiling when she arrived. She even felt happy, it was like I could sense the feeling bubbling around her, and that made me happy. Soon I had eaten and was dressed in a casual light green chemise that really made my eyes pop, brown suede leggings, and matching ankle boots with a three inch heel. Strangely, I could still feel that hunger, even as I felt the happiness and what might just be pride. “You seem to be in a fine mood this morning Felice,” I said as she began to work my raven hair into a long braid.

“And why should I not I be your Highness? I was a little worried when you came back to us with no memory that you may not receive a Gift, and that Itari may not accept you, or that you may have had troubles with the ceremonies. You did perfectly though, and not only did Itari accept you, but you received three Gifts. I am so proud of you.”

"Wait a minute," I thought. "Gifts? She's happy and proud? Maybe my Diviner Gift is some sort of empathy? But if that's the case, who am I feeling this hunger from? I've been the only one in the room since I woke, until Felice came, except for..." I turned my head toward my bed, earning a scolding from Felice. I could feel that her heart wasn't in it though.

On my pillow, Chrissy was watching me intently and I felt the hunger intensify a bit. “Felice, once you're done with my hair could you please bring up some leftovers from last night's feast for Chrissy to eat? I think she's hungry.”

I could see my maid nod in the mirror as she continued on my hair. “Of course Your Highness. Once you are finished here Lady Jezz wished to continue your lessons. She mentioned wanting to teach you some of the basics of Healing as well, since neither of you will be able to begin your formal training until Lady Larane returns from her diplomatic mission in Torma.” I knew Torma was an island nation in the Ujard Ocean to the west and that it was the homeland of the Cinoles. From what Jezz had told me they were pretty isolationist. I had no idea who Larane was.

“Who's Larane? And what type of diplomatic mission is it?” I asked.

Felice gave me a sad look at another reminder of my 'lost' memory and her emotions echoed it. “Larane is the palace Healer and she will be teaching you and Lady Jezz. Their Prince, Mathan Biord, has come down ill. Her Majesty offered Lady Larane's services, and sent her to Heal Prince Mathan and discuss trade between our nations. Her apprentice Trevas remained behind, but he is not qualified to teach you both.”

I had to keep myself from nodding as she finished braiding my hair and tied it off. “I see. Please have Jezz join me when she is ready so that we can get started.”

“As you wish Highness,” was her reply as she left to carry out my orders. It wasn't long before she returned with both Jezz and some food for my kihr.

“Thank you Felice,” I told her with a smile. “I'll ring you if we need anything else before we leave my rooms.”

My maid placed the bowl of food on the floor for Chrissy and bowed as she took her leave and said, “As you wish Highness.” Chrissy leaped off the bed and began to eat, and hunger gave way soon to happy contentment once she was full and in her rightful place around my neck.

We were about to leave the room for the palace library when I could feel something like humor bubbling around my Cinole friend. “I think ya may be forgettin' sumthin' 'Lex.”

I tried frantically to think of what she may be referring to, but I had my keys for my rooms, I had Chrissy, and I was properly dressed. This might be a bit casual for a princess, but there were no formal events today and I was just going to be spending the day with Jezz, since Patar and Runne were on border patrol today. “What did I miss?” I asked finally.

I could feel her humor getting more intense and she looked like she was having trouble not laughing. “Ya fergot yer crown, silly. I know yer not used t' bein' a princess, but ya oughta be wearin' that. Maybe it'll remind ya.”

I groaned, went to retrieve the badge of my new office, and placed the jewel encrusted gold tiara on my head as I shut the door to my rooms behind me and locked it. “Is this better?” I asked.

“Ya, I think that'll do,” she replied. Happiness and humor seemed to radiate from her along with something different, something I couldn't really define.

“Come on, we've got studying to do,” I said.

I took her hand in mine and began to pull the flying girl along with me in the direction of the library when my thoughts were suddenly overwhelmed. ~... my friend and the princess. I shouldn't be thinking about her that way. But she's so sweet and pretty and we have so much in common. What do I do? I can't just tell her. It could ruin our friendship. She probably wouldn't be interested in me anyway. Besides, she has to have an heir some day. Better to keep it as friends. Why did she suddenly stop?~

I let go of her hand and looked away as I figured out what that something I hadn't been able to define was. “Umm... do we need to go to the library to study Healing stuff or is there something better?” I quickly offered as an excuse for my sudden stop.

She seemed lost in thought for a moment before answering. “I s'pose we could go t' see Tre'as. He's Larane's 'pprentice, and may have some scrolls or books fer beginners.”

I nodded as I tried to bury my thoughts. “Let's go find Trevas then.” "Were those really her thoughts I was hearing? And if they were what in the hell should I do?" I thought bitterly.

Eventually, with Jezz leading the way, we arrived at the palace Healer's rooms and knocked. The door was answered by a Zenin boy, maybe a year older than my current body. He had dark brown hair, amber eyes, and his fur was beige colored with black spots. He was also shorter than me by a few inches and a little overweight. When he caught sight of me his eyes went wide. I could feel a mix of hope, happiness, and something very close to what I had been feeling from Jezz as he smiled. “Are you Trevas?” I asked.

Suddenly the hope and happiness were replaced with disappointment as his smile left his face.“Yes Your Highness, how can I help you?”

I wondered briefly what, if any, relationship Visanee had had with the boy as I replied, “Jezz and I are supposed to be learning Healing from Larane once she gets back from Torma. We were wondering if she might have some books or scrolls for beginners that we might look at until then.”

The boy nodded his head. “Mom has some in her library that she had me read when I was starting out. I suppose they should be fine for you.” He paused as he looked around. “Please come in while I have a look Your Highness.” He waved us inside and gestured to a sofa, where Jezz and I took a seat. “Congratulations on your Gifts Your Highness, and welcome, both of you, to the ranks of the palace Healers.”

“Thank you Trevas,” I responded. I would have offered a smile as well, but he was absorbed in looking through a bookshelf at the moment. “My Gifts were a bit of a surprise to us all, but I think I will like being a Healer.”

He nodded as he brought over some of the scrolls and a book that he had found. “I have only been one for three tenths myself, but I find it very interesting. I think it will be very rewarding.” There was still a sadness about him, and something like guilt. I was about to ask him if we had known one another before my loss of memory when he handed me the materials and our hands touched.

I was in the palace Healers rooms and there was white Zenin with black stripes smiling at me. I knew that Zenin. I looked at her every morning in the mirror since I had come to that palace. She had a scrape on her elbow, and was speaking to me as I cleaned it. “Trevas, thank you for taking care of me. Will your mom be back soon? I wanted to talk to you privately.”

"Visanee is so pretty," the thought came out of the blue, "but she would never be interested in a short, fat Zenin like me. The only reason I am here is because my mom is palace Healer, and because I show promise." Then I found myself saying, “Talk to me about what Your Highness?”

"I..." Visanee smiled flirtatiously as she replied. “Trevas, we have known each other since we were babies. You know that you can call me by my name. I was wondering if you could do me a big favor.”

“Ummm... sure, what can I do for you Your High... Visanee?” I heard myself as Trevas ask.

She seemed nervous, wringing her hands and her tail twitching as she replied, “Do you think that you can get me a pouch of Corrune pollen?”

Another thought came to me. "She has been yawning during our history and geography lessons lately, perhaps she is having trouble sleeping?" “I guess I could ask my mom.”

Visanee shook her head. “No, I don't want your mom to know. She would tell my parents and they would... umm they would all worry. My Giftsun is under two sevensuns away, I do not want everyone to worry about me.”

I realized that I was a passenger in Trevas' mind. This must be a memory.“I guess I could gather some and bring it to your rooms later today,” I felt myself reply. There was uncertainty in my mind and voice.

“I would be very grateful Trevas. So grateful I could kiss you.” I could feel my heart leap at that.

I was brought back to the present as his hand left mine, and the book and scrolls fell to the floor. I felt bad for Trevas. The poor boy had it bad for Visanee. Seeing me here not remembering him, a childhood friend who clearly wanted to be more, must be hard on him. I quickly bent over to pick up the reading materials. “Sorry, my mind kinda went blank there for a minute.” I could feel the feelings he had for her, me, and I felt for him. I may have wanted to be a girl all my life, but I still knew what it felt like to be a horny teenager and carrying a torch for someone I had no chance with. “Thanks for the book and the scrolls.”

He looked away as he replied, “Think nothing of it Your Highness. I guess that I will be seeing you both for lessons soon. If either of you has any questions before my mom... Lady Larane returns, just come find me. I will try to help if I can.”

Jezz and I took that as our cue to go, stood up, and headed to the door. “Thanks again Trevas, we'll see you around.” We left the Healers rooms and, as the doors closed behind us, I took a deep breath to calm myself. “So where to next?” I had thought briefly of telling Jezz what just happened, but I wasn't sure how to talk to her about it without the subject of my new Gifts coming up, and possibly that of my inadvertently hearing her own thoughts.

“Let's go t' the palace gardens 'Lex. I'll show ya the Healin' herbs,” was the Cinole's reply as she flew off down the hallway, leading the way. Soon we were out in one of the courtyards, which sported a large garden. There were some fruit trees and a few varieties of vegetables grown there, but mostly it was herbs. I saw some red and blue flowers as well, and I recognized them from the lakeside gardens where Jezz and I had first met.

“Those flowers look familiar, are they common here?” I asked.

“The blue 'uns are corrune, they're only found here in Azure. The pollen makes folks sleep. The red 'uns are red bonnets, they...” she trailed off as she began to blush. “Best not go smellin' either with yer sens'tive nose 'Lex. Gotta b' careful collectin' the pollen fer use.”

“Come on Jezz, what do the red ones do?” I asked, curious what was making her so embarrassed.

“They make folks more alert, but they also make 'em feel... desire,” she answered as she looked away.

I too blushed under my fur, as I realized she meant that they were an aphrodisiac. I could feel that warm feeling coming from her again and I couldn't help wondering what she was thinking about. Was she thinking about me in that way? “Oh,” was my not so clever reply. “So ummm what are these other ones?” I asked, trying to change the topic.

She ran through all the various herbs there, many were the same as we had on earth, though I had never really known of their medicinal uses before. Another that was not from earth, at least that I knew of, was padith, which has a variety of uses in Healing and is often used in potions. There was also loiku, a common plant in the Greylands, whose fibers are used in making cotton-like cloth. The large roots are very sweet, and are ground to make a pink sugar-like substance which is referred to by the same name as the plant. The sweetener is used to make potions more palatable.

Another important plant was stingweed, it has purple leaves and long sharp needles. The needles are used by Healers for drawing blood, and injections when needed, and the leaves contain an aloe-like gel that is used to treat burns and scrapes. Finally, there was also shiide, a plant with gummy leaves that taste and smell very minty, and is also a mild relaxant. I tried chewing on one of those leaves and found it a lot like chewing gum. Too bad that it wouldn't let me blow any bubbles.

We spent a good two hours, sorry candlemarks not hours, in the garden going over the various plants and their uses, though I was sure to keep my nose away from the red bonnets. When we got hungry, we pulled a couple of blue citrus fruits from a tree and ate them. They were called rillfruit and were a bit tart, but very tasty. Finally, when Jezz thought I had had enough, we headed for the Drakans courtyard to spend some time playing with Michelle and Grayle before the midday meal.

As the day plodded onward I found myself wondering more and more what Jezz was thinking. She had been with me all through the morning, we had taken lunch together in my rooms, and we spent the early afternoon going over the book and scrolls that Trevas had loaned me. She was fun to be with and I knew that she was feeling more than friendship for me, as on several occasions I felt that warm feeling that I had felt from her when I had accidentally read her thoughts. And as I wondered what she was thinking, I also wondered what to do about it. I needed to think.

Finally I couldn't take it any more, and told Jezz I needed some time alone to focus on what I thought might be my Wilder Gift. I told her that I had been feeling things from Chrissy all morning, leaving out that I had been feeling things from her, Trevas, and everyone else we met as well. Technically it was all true, and I was hoping that some time sitting alone in the Queen's courtyard, with only the animals and birds around me would help me focus my thoughts. So it came to pass that a candlemark before dinner I was standing before the great doors and their Jiquar guards. “I would like inside please.”

“Yes Your Highness,” said the grey one, and they quickly unbarred and opened the doors. Then I placed my hand on the inner door and it opened to allow me access. It was just like I remembered it from the day before, but the illusion of the sky showed the sun preparing to set, just as it was outside. Chrissy was quick to jump from my shoulder to run off and explore, and soon I was feeling the emotions of the other creatures around me.

There was a veritable cornucopia of emotions amongst the birds and beasts: Hunger, excitement, curiosity, fear, and contentment. The emotions washed over me, soothed me, and made me feel connected to the land I was bound to. I stopped walking when I got to the fountain and, rather than finding a bench to sit on, I just sat right there in the lotus position. Then I closed my eyes and opened myself to the land. Itari's voice soon filled my mind. ~I did not think you would come to visit me again so soon Alexis.~

I sighed as I formulated an answer. “I needed to get away for a bit, I am confused and uncertain what to do.”

~Ah yes, your Gifts have come to you. You will get used to them in time, and learn to better control them, but it is not your new awareness alone that bothers you.~ I could hear the amusement in her voice.

“No, it's not,” I admitted. “I think that I accidentally overheard Jezz's thoughts. I think she likes me as more than just a friend, and I don't know what to do about it. That, and I feel bad about intruding in her mind, even if it was an accident.”

~You are learning, there will be accidents. You will learn from them. I can not tell you what to do with your life, we do not interfere in the lives of mortals.~ There was a bitterness in her thoughts at that.

“Wasn't making the land here habitable interfering? Aren't You interfering each time You bind one of us to the land? Isn't even talking to me interfering?” I asked, genuinely confused about it.

~No,~ was her firm reply. ~The fountain is a great source of power and must not fall into the wrong hands, it must be protected. The hostility of the land before your people came here was a way to protect the fountain. When I made the vow with your ancestor, I merely exchanged one form of protection for another. Your people would have continued living here regardless. Speaking with me no more interferes with your fate than you speaking with a friend or relative, or even a stranger. It is you who ultimately makes your decisions and guides your fate. So long as I do not try to influence you, there is no interference.~

“What about Selune?” I asked. “Doesn't She interfere by giving us Gifts? The right Gift in the right hands could likely change this whole world.”

I could have sworn I felt sadness in her tone as she replied, ~Selune gives Gifts but she can not know how those Gifts will be used, nor will she tell you how to use a Gift she has given. She merely bestows them and hopes for the best. It is up to each of you whether you will cherish your Gifts, and use them for good, or let the power corrupt you. People are not born good or evil, it is the events of one's life which shapes the soul. None of us, save one, would dare to tell a mortal how to use a Gift given them, especially not the greatest Gift, life itself.”~ There was bitterness as she said the last.

“Save one?” I wondered aloud.

The bitterness increased. ~Would you like to hear a story? Fear not, I will tell you nothing you would not be able to find in the library on your own, if you chose to.~

I nodded my head, then fearing that She may not have seen it I said, “Sure.”

~I have a brother,~ She began, ~Lharus, God of the Sky. He and Selune were deeply in love and bound themselves to one another. On the night of their union, they gave one another gifts to show their love. Lharus used his winds to carve Selune's likeness into a great stone spire. Selune, trusting Lharus, gave him a portion of her power. Lharus used this power well at first, giving Gifts as Selune herself did. Soon though, the power corrupted him. He saw mortals using Gifts in ways that he was not expecting. He began to think that the world would be better if the mortals used these Gifts only as he intended. He began to whisper to mortals on the wind, promising them power if they would follow him. He started to use these Gifted mortals to shape events, and mold the world as he felt it should be. The power drove him mad. He began to call himself 'The One God' and favored only Humans with his Gifts, as they craved power most of all. In her anger, Selune had me destroy the gift Lharus gave her, and for many passes she gave Gifts to no one. Thus the Lharusian Empire began it's expansion, and your people were unable to do much but flee your homeland. Now he alone is worshiped by an empire of Humans that threatens to one day engulf all the Greylands. Still we will not interfere, mortals must weave their own futures.~

I shook my head in shock. “Couldn't the Gods have worked together to prevent him from abusing that power?”

I could feel Her regret and a sense of loss as She answered, ~We can no more see the future than you can Alexis. We see flashes here and there, various possible outcomes, but all we can do is follow our hearts and hope for the best. That is all the advice I can give you.~

I sighed deeply. “If I follow my heart things could turn out badly. I don't even know how people in this world would react to same sex relationships. We're not even the same species, and I thought that I need to produce an heir to take on the Vow after I die.”

There was humor in Her voice now. ~Every decision has the possibility of turning out badly. Whether it turns out badly, or well, is all up to you, and the decisions you make. You would not be the first Queen of Azure to have a female consort. Heirs can be produced outside of wedlock, all that matters is your blood and the will to protect this place and your people. If you pass both of those down to a daughter then the vow will be renewed with her.~

“I thought that you couldn't interfere,” I grumbled.

~I am not. I am merely telling you what your options are. I do not favor any particular choice, nor will I suggest one. It is you who will decide the path you take.~

I nodded sadly. “I guess you're right. I'm no better or worse off than when I came in here and I still have a decision to make, but if you can't interfere, why talk to me at all?”

~You are bound to the land, the fountain, and thus to me. Does a mother stop talking to her child once they reach maturity? No, they watch them become the person they were meant to be, hope they turn out well, and provide a loving heart and listening ear when needed.~ She gave me a warm mental hug. ~I can not interfere in your life, but I will be here to listen and embrace you when needed.~

“Thanks Itari, I should go now, I think dinner is soon. I'll see You again soon.” I returned Her mental hug.

As I walked away I could feel her mental grip loosening as I heard her say, ~I will be here Alexis.~ Chrissy found me near the entrance and climbed up my leg to make her way to her usual spot. She was a bit hungry, but I could feel her happiness wrapping around me as I lovingly stroked her fur and she began to hum. As the great doors were barred behind us, I began to give serious thought to what I really wanted to do about Jezz.

Dinner was a quiet affair that night, devoid of all the well wishers and revelers of the past several nights. Patar was still on patrol, and my parents mostly discussed an upcoming trip to Draden. It was Azure's largest port city, and home to some very nice beaches, if my mother was to be believed. They planned to stay at our summer house there, while they made a tour of the various port towns and held court for nobility, merchants, and other citizens with matters to discuss, who might not easily travel to the capital. They asked if Jezz and I would like to accompany them, but we turned down the offer. Traveling that kind of distance with two Draklings was just too impractical, and neither of us wanted to go have fun without them

Other than that I hardly spoke. I was feeding little tidbits to Chrissy, who was becoming very fond of sweets, when Michelle's voice popped into my head. ~Alex, is something wrong? Your emotions have been bouncing around like a pinball all night.~

I fed Chrissy another piece of my tart before finishing it myself. ~I discovered some of my Gifts this morning.~

~Isn't that a good thing?~ she asked. ~What can you do?~

I washed down my tart with the last of my sweet milk as I replied, ~I seem to be able to read the emotions of people and animals.~

~An empath huh? Do you think it's influencing your own moods? Is that why you're all brooding and sad one moment, and happy or nervous the next?~ There was concern in her mind as she asked.

I only barely stopped myself from shaking my head in response. ~No sis. Something happened when I touched Jezz earlier. I think I read her mind.~

I could feel her interest spark. ~Telepathy? That could be a useful talent. Have you tried speaking with anyone like you do with me?~

~No,~ I responded, ~It only happened when I touched Jezz, and later when Trevas and I accidentally touched. I don't know if I was reading his thoughts or not, it was more like I was watching one of his memories through his own eyes.~

~Maybe your telepathy is only touch based, didn't Patar say something about that being a possibility for some Gifts? Maybe you could get Jezz to help you test this?~

~I'd have to explain to her how I learned about this ability.~ That was not something I looked forward to at all. ~The thoughts that I picked up from her were personal, I had no right to hear them. If they really were her thoughts, then she's attracted to me, but she doesn't think I'd be interested and doesn't want to risk our friendship.~

I could have sworn she was laughing at me as she replied, ~And how do you feel about her? Do you want to jump her bones too? Or are guys more your thing?~

I blushed at that, and was very happy that my fur was there to conceal it. ~Well we have a lot in common, we get along great, and I really like her. I find her very attractive, but we're not even the same species. As for guys, I've seen a few of those I've found attractive since coming here, I've seen other girls I've found attractive too, but looks aren't important to me. I want a connection.~

~Race isn't important Alex,~ Michelle told me sternly. ~You said it yourself, you want a connection. If you feel that connection with someone who you're attracted to, then everything else isn't important. Now stop moping and make a decision, if you need me I'll be napping.~

~Thanks sis, rest well,~ I replied as I turned my attention back to the world around me. I picked Chrissy up, nuzzling her against my cheek before placing her on my shoulder so she could take her spot around my neck. “Mom, Dad, may we be excused? I'm finished, and I think I'd like to go over a few of the things that I learned earlier today. Jezz would you care to come with me?”

Jezz nodded, her wings fluttering as she stretched a bit. “Ya 'Lex, we did go o'er a lot. I'm sure you'll have it all mem'rized soon.”

My mother nodded her head and smiled at us as she said, “You are both excused. Try not to study too hard though, you have plenty of time to learn everything.”

Jezz and I were sitting on the massive bed in my bedchamber, and I had sent Felice away for the evening with the promise to ring for her if I needed anything. She could hear me ring from anywhere in the palace, since an Enchanter had connected the bell I used to one of the earrings she wore. I tried to find a sitting position on the bed that was comfortable for my tail, but finding none I had given up and instead reclined on my belly facing Jezz.

Jezz had taken a similar position and we were facing one another, just close enough to reach out and hold hands if we chose. “So 'Lex. Which o' the Healin' lessons did ya wan' t' go o'er?”

I shook my head. “I'm fine with all the Healing stuff we went over, but there is something else Gift related that I want to talk to you about.”

She nodded and looked toward Chrissy, who was stretched out on a pillow. “Is this 'bout yer Wilder Gift?”

I took a deep breath and said, “Kind of. I've been picking up emotions from Chrissy, and other animals, all day. I've been picking them up from people too, though peoples emotional states seem a lot more complex and can be hard to figure out. I think there may be one other thing though.”

She seemed to be following me as she nodded and smiled. “Yer Gifts are comin' fast 'Lex. It makes sense yer Diviner Gifts are sim'lar t' yer Wilder Gifts. So what's the other thing?”

I swallowed the lump forming in my throat as I admitted, “I think I can read minds when I touch people. It happened earlier with Trevas. I think that I saw one of his memories of Visanee. He kinda has a thing for her... me. It happened before that too with... someone else. Michelle suggested trying to see if I can do it again, or maybe to try speaking mind to mind with someone other than her.”

Jezz looked uncertain for a moment before reluctantly agreeing. I tried at first reaching out for her mind without touching, but all that served to do was give me a headache. Finally I reached out and took her hands in mine, and then her mind was suddenly open. ~What do I do if this works? I've never been mind to mind with anyone but Grayle, or Uncle Patar.~

~Jezz can you hear me?~ I ventured, now that the connection was made.

~Alex? I can't believe that we're talking this way!~ Her thoughts were tinged with excitement, uncertainty, and nervousness.

~Would you two keep it down, I'm trying to take a nap. Wait.. why am I hearing Jezz's voice, and what happened to her accent?~ came Michelle's voice.

~Uncle Patar says mind speech is interpreted by our minds as we would think the words ourselves. It's mostly images and concepts, that we ourselves put into words to make it easier to understand,~ Jezz responded. ~I have no idea how you can hear me though.~<

~Maybe it has something to do with the permanent mind link between Drakan and Chosen?~ I offered. ~Grayle, can you hear us too?~

Another voice, one like soft music and silk, broke in. ~I can hear all of you. This is very strange, but it is nice to speak with someone other than my Chosen. No offense to you of course, Jezz.~

~None taken, my sweet Grayle,~ Jezz responded with a warmth in her mind.

~As fascinating as this is, could we practice this more later? Dinner made me sleepy, and it's hard to sleep when you've got a party going on in your head,~ Michelle put in sleepily.

~I will work on a way to not bother you whenever I do this,~ I assured Michelle as I let go of Jezz's hands and severed the mind link. When I opened my eyes I was staring into hers. I'd never noticed before how very green they were. “Well it looks like that worked,” I said as I looked away.

“Ya, 'Lex, tha' could be useful,” Jezz said.

I let out a breath that I hadn't realized I had been holding and spoke, “Ummm, Jezz. The first time I read someone's mind.” I paused and took another deep breath to steel myself. “It was when I took you by the hand this morning. You were thinking things about... me I think. I swear I didn't mean to do it! It just hit me out of nowhere, I had no control over it!”

The Cinole's emerald eyes went wide and she blushed as she realized what the nature of those thoughts might have been. “I'm so sorry 'Lex. I dinna wan' t' say anythin'. I was worried it would ruin our friendship.” She hung her head down and started to move away, “I should go, ya prob'ly don' wan' me too close now.”

I took her hands firmly in my own and concentrated very hard on sending to only her, hoping not to bother our sleeping companions. ~Jezz! I'm not mad at you, or uncomfortable or anything. You're not going anywhere.~

~But you're the Princess, and I'm just a lower class Healer in training,~ she thought at me frantically, backing away. I noticed that she didn't seem to share my previous concern over us not being the same species though. ~You need to find a nice Zenin man to give you heirs.~

~What if I don't want a nice man? I think I can decide what's best for me. I am the Princess right? Even if I weren't your friend, you'd willingly do anything I ask?~ I sent, gripping her hands more firmly, but not tight enough to hurt her as I pulled her back toward me.

~Yes, Your Highness,~ she answered uncertainly.

~I told you to call me Alex,~ I insisted.

She sighed as uncertainty, affection, fear, and hope all swirled around in her mind. ~Alex, if you ask it, I will stay and just be your friend. I'll never try to be more to you then you want. We can forget all this and never mention it again, we can...~

I quickly cut her off, opening my eyes to look into hers, and squeezed her hands in my own shaking ones. ~Jezz, this is an order. Shut up and kiss me.~

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Author's Note: Here's chapter 6 of Alex in Wonderland. This one has a few hints of what's to come. Thank you as always to all my readers for the comments, kudos, and thinking that my work is worth reading. Also thanks to the Big Closet team who work tirelessly to give us all a wonderfully supportive venue to read and post TG fiction ~Amethyst.
 

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Chapter 6: Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

I quickly cut her off, opening my eyes to look into hers and squeezed her hands in my own shaking ones. ~Jezz, this is an order. Shut up and kiss me.~

She wasted no time in obeying that order, leaning forward until our lips met. The kiss felt incredible. It was like the more I could feel her enjoying it, the more I enjoyed it. And the more I enjoyed it, the more she did, and so on, until it was like there was an explosion of pleasure and passion in my mind and we broke apart, both of us panting heavily. Then I noticed that Chrissy was laying on my pillow with a similar look of bliss on her face as was pasted on Jezz's face, and probably my own as well. I could feel the bliss from both of them as well. Even Michelle felt like it. I took Jezz's hand in mine again and thought, ~What in the hell was that?~

Jezz couldn't seem to wipe the smile off her face, and she let out a happy sigh. ~Amazing is what it was. That was the best kiss ever.~

Michelle's voice popped in. ~Whatever it was, Grayle and I felt it too. She has this dopey grin on her face. I thought I told you two to keep it down.~ She wasn't as grouchy as she was trying to make us believe though, and I could feel it in her mind.

Grayle obviously didn't believe her either as she put in. ~Like you don't have the same look on your face. That felt really nice.~

~Okay, we all agree that it was the best kiss ever. I almost feel like I need a cigarette. Even Chrissy is in happy land over this.~ I thought at them all.

~You need a what?~ Jezz asked, confused. I guess they don't smoke in the Greylands.

~Don't you dare even joke about that!~ Michelle's voice made me almost leap off the bed. ~I lost you once because of smoking, and I'm not about to do it again!~

I tried to calm her down. ~Whoa! Cool down sis! I'm sorry, I shouldn't have joked about that. What I meant is, why did a simple kiss...~

~The best kiss ever,~ Jezz interjected with a giggle and another happy sigh.

I sighed ~Okay, why did “the best kiss ever” between me and Jezz make all four of us, and apparently Chrissy too, feel like we just had the best sex of our lives? And if that's just a kiss, even if it was the best kiss ever, what would happen if we tried something more?~

Jezz, her eyes half closed in contentment, just smiled at me. ~Want to try and find out?~

I looked at the Cinole, laying on her belly on the bed in front of me, and swallowed the sudden lump in my throat. I could just see the tops of her breasts peeking out from her camisole and her legs were bent at the knees waving her feet in the air causing her skirt to ride up ever so slightly. Between that, the very sultry smile on her face, and the post-kiss bliss, I was feeling just a little hot under the collar and could feel my nipples getting hard, all six of them. ~As tempting as that is... Oh damn is that tempting right now... I don't think we should until we know what caused this. I wouldn't want any of our heads to explode.~

Amongst the four of us we decided to wait to until I could talk to Patar about my Gifts before trying anything further, or risking a repeat of the best kiss ever, or something similar. So, as much as I didn't like it, Jezz went to her room for the night, while I took a warm bath before going to sleep. The warm and fuzzies of the kiss followed by the bath had me so relaxed that I fell asleep nearly instantly.

I was flying. More accurately, the massive Drakan with silvery scales and iridescent wings that I was riding was flying. Far below us was a seemingly endless expanse of sand. The feeling of flying didn't give me the same thrill it did before, I was too focused on the black line in the distance. As we got closer the line resolved itself into people wearing armor and walking in formation. Several carried a black flag with an eclipsed moon on it, a symbol which made me extremely uncomfortable.

I wondered how they could be comfortable in the desert wearing armor and black cloaks as I looked down the seemingly endless line. I kept expecting them to look up and point at us, but for some reason they didn't notice us. The people were all Human, and while many of them were walking, there were also formations of them riding Machuls and horses, and wagons of supplies being pulled along. In some of those wagons rode Human men and women in black robes, who I somehow knew were Gifted.

We flew to the end of the line, far too long for my liking, and then we turned about and flew back across the desert until sand gave way to rock, then soil and farmland. Soon we were back at the capital and circling around the palace. We landed in one of the larger courtyards and were greeted by Jezz. She looked older and was wearing a tiara much like my own. “How bad is it m' love?” she asked.

~ ~ ~

Suddenly I was flying once more, atop that great radiant Drakan, over large mountains this time. Ahead, there were shadows passing over the mountains, shadows not caused by Drakans or clouds. These shadows were born of the great ships which sailed through the skies over the mountains, ships bearing the black eclipse as their sails. We landed atop a plateau some distance away, where many Drakans of the various flying types waited, a grizzled looking Patar and Runne among them. I dismounted and walked toward the others and Patar asked, “What is your plan my Queen?”

~ ~ ~

We were flying once again, over the fields and farms of Azure. Dodging and weaving as Thaumaturges threw balls of fire, lightning, and great lances of stone at the Drakans around us. Stone and Earth Drakans fought them, and their black clad troops, on the ground alongside soldiers of all races. In the sky we rained terror upon them in the forms of fire, ice, lightning, water, and whatever large projectiles we could drop on them. I fired arrows into their midst whenever I could manage a clear shot. Fields once filled with food meant to give life were now littered with the bodies of the dead.

I awoke screaming in the dark, and sat in bed sobbing for several minutes, the dreams still fresh in my mind. I thought of Itari's words from the day before: We can no more see the future than you can Alexis. We see flashes here and there, various possible outcomes, but all we can do is follow our hearts and hope for the best. That is all the advice I can give you. I shivered and held Chrissy in my arms as I waited for the sun to rise. Her warmth, and presence in my arms, was appreciated and I could feel that she was almost as scared as I was. Perhaps my scream had frightened her.

We both were somewhat calmer when dawn began to paint the sky outside my windows in shades of red, orange, and gold. By this time both Chrissy and I were getting hungry, and I could feel Michelle stirring in the back of my mind. I picked out a nice emerald colored sundress with matching sandals, and proper underclothes to go with it, since the weather had been turning progressively warmer since I had arrived. I was thinking that it must be the end of spring, and summer was coming, as I began to get dressed and rang for Felice.

I had barely finished dressing before Felice arrived with my breakfast. “Oh, you look lovely this morning Your Highness. Shall we braid your hair today, or would you prefer it loose?”

I considered the options for a moment before replying, “I think we should go with a braid today. I have no idea what I'll be up to, and I don't want my hair getting in the way. Unless there's something planned today that I've forgotten. Is Patar back from border patrol yet? I need to speak with him about a few things today.”

She smiled at me, and it struck me that we Zenin are adorably cute when we smile. She replied, “No Your Highness there are no official functions today. Sir Patar returned late last night, and he has requested an audience with you and Lady Jezz to discuss your training schedules.”

“Good,” I responded, “there are some matters, and some training concerns, I need to speak with him about. Could you get something for Chrissy to eat while I have my breakfast Felice? She seems to be used to eating whenever I am.”

My maid chuckled as she took the domed silver lid off my breakfast, revealing my breakfast tray and a small silver bowl filled with shredded meat and berries. “I had expected that Your Highness, so I took the liberty of bringing Chrissy's breakfast up along with yours.” She took the bowl and placed it on the floor beside my breakfast table.

Chrissy leaped off the bed and affectionately nuzzled Felice's leg before digging in, humming happily as she ate. I just shook my head and smiled. “Felice, you know me too well. Thank you.” Then I too started to tuck into my breakfast of broiled fish, scrambled eggs, bread with sweet butter, and rillfruit juice. Once I was finished, Felice began to brush out and braid my hair, which gave me some time to mentally check on Michelle. ~Sis how are you feeling this morning?~

~Not as good as last night,~ she joked, ~but I'm eating and feeling pretty good, aside from a bit of itchiness. How are you this morning Alex? You feel like you're worried. Is it about what happened last night?~

I had to resist shaking my head in response. ~No. I had some disturbing dreams last night. Those, combined with something that Itari said to me yesterday, are bothering me. Thinking about it now, it was like She was dropping a really subtle hint the way that She said it.~

~What did she say?~ Michelle asked.

I sighed as I watched Felice begin to braid my hair in the mirror. ~I had asked Her why the other Gods hadn't tried to prevent Her brother Lharus from misusing His power. Her answer was that They can no more see the future than I can. She even used my name to stress the point. She said They get flashes of possible outcomes, but nothing definitive, and that all They, or we, can do is what feels right and hope for the best.~

~You think that you were seeing the future?~ Michelle asked, her thoughts a bit confused.

~I think that I was seeing possible futures,~ I clarified, barely keeping from shuddering. ~And they weren't good.~ The events from my dreams replayed through my mind as I thought about them. This time I did shudder.

~That's what you dreamed of?!~ Michelle practically screamed in my mind. ~If those really were possible futures Alex, that's really bad!~

“Are you alright your Highness?” Felice asked, concern on her face in the mirror.

I gave her a weak smile. “I'm fine, I just remembered a bad dream that I had last night. I'll be fine, once I can talk to Patar and Jezz.” Then I thought to Michelle, ~Bad doesn't begin to describe it. You seemed to be full grown, or close to it, in those dreams so we have some time I think, but I think that we need to start preparing now. Nothing obvious, but maybe start considering countermeasures.~

~What sort of countermeasures?~ Michelle inquired.

~Well for one thing,~ I mentally grumbled, ~we'll need to figure out a way to take down those airships, or whatever they are, in case that comes to pass. For another, I'll need a better long distance weapon than a bow and arrows if we ever need to fight from the air.~

At that point Felice had finished braiding my hair and placed my tiara atop my head. “Is there anything else that you require before I send for Sir Patar and Lady Jezz, Your Highness?”

With thoughts of needing a better long range weapon fresh in my mind, I nodded. “Please tell the royal Enchanter that I would like to speak with him as soon as he has the time.”

“Yes Your Highness,” she replied with a curtsy, before taking Chrissy's empty bowl and my breakfast tray and leaving the room.

When Patar and Jezz came in I raised my hand to keep Patar from speaking a word. “Felice, please see to it that we aren't interrupted. We may all need to take lunch in here today as well. We have a lot to discuss. Also, please come let me know when the royal Enchanter has time to join us.”

“Yes Your Highness,” my maid answered before leaving to ensure our privacy.

Patar raised an eyebrow as she left the room. “All business this morning are you?”

I merely shrugged as I told him, “We have a lot to discuss this morning.” Then I gave both he and Jezz a long look before adding, “And Gifts and training are just the tip of the iceberg.”

Then I began to describe my dreams from the night before, in as much detail as possible. They both listened carefully and Jezz blushed a bit at her appearance in the first dream. Finally, once I was finished, Patar gave me a searching look. “The symbol of the black eclipse on a black background is the symbol of the God Lharus and the Lharusian Empire. Have you seen it before in your studies with Jezz? They are just nightmares Princess. You are probably just nervous about becoming Queen someday.”

I shook my head. “I thought at first they were just nightmares, but I've never seen that symbol before those dreams. Yesterday I was speaking with Itari, and She said something that is making me wonder about those dreams.”

“The Gods don't interfere in the lives of mortals Princess.” Patar said, shaking his head.

“That's what She told me," I agreed, "but when I asked about Lharus, and why the Gods didn't prevent Him from interfering and abusing His powers, She told me something else. She said, and I quote, 'We can no more see the future than you can Alexis. We see flashes here and there, various possible outcomes, but all we can do is follow our hearts and hope for the best. That is all the advice I can give you.' The way She said it, and the timing of these dreams, seems just a little too convenient.”

Patar sighed. “That is concerning, and prophesy does rarely occur in Diviners. Do you really think that Itari was trying to warn you?”

I looked out the window toward the courtyard and shrugged. “The Gods don't interfere in the lives of mortals directly, but I think indirectly interfering is another matter entirely. Itari and Selune may regret not having stopped Lharus before, I certainly got that feeling while talking with Itari. This may be Their way of making amends.”

Patar let out a curse, “Drek! If the Gods are choosing to interfere in the mortal world, even indirectly, your dreams may not be far off the mark. There may be hard times ahead for all of us. Even more reason to get you girls properly trained in Healing, and the other things you'll need to learn. Have you had any Gifts besides prophesy showing up?”

I told him, as briefly as I could, about the empathy and telepathy that I had discovered the day before and then we awkwardly explained about the best kiss ever. Jezz and I were both blushing at that point, at least I had fur to hide mine. For the next few candlemarks he had me try various things at various distances or when touching. According to Patar, my Gift for telepathy and mind reading was only by touch. So it was not terribly powerful, but it would allow me to have quiet conversations with people I was touching, and anyone that they are telepathically linked to. We tried it with Runne, as well as with my mother while Patar opened a mind link with her, and it worked fine both times.

My empathy was another matter, and seemed to work equally well with animals and people. We discovered that I had a range of about fifty feet and that I was both a receptive and projective empath. What this meant was that, not only could I sense what other people were feeling, but I could also, when concentrating, make others feel what I wanted them to feel. It was easier with animals, but I could do it with people too if I tried hard enough. This also happens if I'm feeling really strong emotions and not thinking about keeping them from leaking out. That was the reason Chrissy was all blissed out after the the best kiss ever.

Patar figured that the reaction of the kiss itself was due to an emotional feedback loop. Basically, I was receiving Jezz' emotions and sending mine to her, but amplified by hers, then getting more back, sending it again, and so on until the pleasure centers of our brains overloaded, giving us a sort of mental orgasm. I still had a lot of practice to learn to control it all, but at least now I knew what I had to work with. Until then, keeping things to just kissing for now was likely to keep Jezz and I both satisfied until we were ready for more.

Once we were done figuring out my Gifts, we sat down again to discuss our training. Patar looked us both over thoughtfully as he began to speak. “I think we will start with your Healing studies first thing in the mornings, then we can move on to lessons in geography, history, and the things that Princess Alexis will need to know as Heir, and later as Queen.” He gave the two of us a wink as he added, “And it may be a good thing for you to be learning these things as well Jezz.” She blushed at that, but nodded in agreement. “You will be taking all your lessons together and Larane will be your Healing instructor, while I will instruct you in everything else.”

“Well that sounds easy enough,” I commented with a nod, “but I was thinking I should probably learn something that will keep me alive if a war does happen.”

“Hold on,” Patar said with a grin, “I was getting to that. After a break for lunch, I will teach you about survival in different areas of the Greylands, and after that you will both be learning everything I can teach you about combat. Princess, you will be learning the sword, and probably the bow. Jezz, your people aren't built for fighting so we may have to concentrate on long range for you, maybe bows and the like, but having a sword or dagger would be good too. If enemies get too close then Grayle can fight them if she has to, but I want you both to know this: Don't let enemies get close. Your Drakans will protect you, if it comes to that, but they are not invincible. Sadly, neither of your Drakans have offensive skills either, other than what comes with their teeth, claws, and tails. As their Chosen, it is your job to protect them, as much as it is theirs to protect you.”

We both gave a determined nod at that. Nobody was going to get close enough to hurt Michelle, if I could help it. “I may have an idea for a better weapon than a bow. I was wondering though, what exactly are Michelle's and Grayle's abilities?”

“Well,” Patar began thoughtfully, “both of them have size going for them. Radiants and Shadows are the largest of the Drakans, and Earth Drakans are not far behind them in size. So sheer size can count in a fight, longer reach with their tails and necks and such, and they should be strong too. Other than that, Grayle as an Earth Drakan can help plants grow and stay healthy. Her saliva can heal most wounds and poisons and can be used with other ingredients by Healers to make tonics and such. She should be useful to you both as Healers, but only her size and her hard scales make her useful in combat.”

Jezz's eyes lit up at the mention of Grayles usefulness to Healers. “I guess we were well matched af'terall. I dun need a flyin' Drakan but 'un that can help with Healin' is perfect fer me.”

I nodded as I agreed, “She'll be great to have around once we start making potions and stuff. She can keep our healing herbs and other plants healthy too. So what about Michelle, what does she have other than her size?”

Patar grinned at me. “Radiants and their Chosen are the best spies in the Greylands, though Shadows come a close second.”

I crossed my arms and glared at him for teasing me. “You just said they're the biggest of the Drakans, how could something so big and shiny possibly make a good spy?”

He just kept grinning as he said, “Simple, Radiants control light, or rather they bend light to suit their purposes. They can bend light around themselves to become invisible. They can make others invisible too, though it is easier if the person is wearing clothes made from their scales. With enough practice, imagination, and concentration they can create illusions as well.”

I blinked as I remembered something. “So we'd be perfect to do advanced scouting, like in my dream. They'd never see us coming.”

A knocking at the door interrupted our conversation at that point, and Felice stepped inside with two other palace servants carrying trays, “Your lunch Your Highness. Also Galan, the royal Enchanter, has said that he will meet with you after lunch if it is convenient.”

I nodded at my maid eagerly. “Thank you Felice. Please place the trays on the table and tell Galan that after lunch would be wonderful, we'll be waiting for him here.”

“Yes Your Highness,” she replied as she and the other servants placed the trays on my breakfast table and curtsied, before once again leaving us alone.

Once they had left, we all sat at the table and I gave Chrissy her lunch, while we settled in for ours. Patar looked at me from across the table and queried, “What do you need the royal Enchanter for?”

I finished a bite of my steak, swallowing it. I wasn't sure what animal it came from but it was delicious. “You mentioned us needing long range weapons and I was thinking the same. A bow just isn't practical though while flying, even with my vision, accuracy with it at higher altitudes would be near impossible. And Jezz won't be able to use the stronger bows; she's too small, and not strong enough. Besides, I think Jezz and I are going to need something with a little more stopping power.” I took another bite of the steak and some of the potatoes and gravy as I watched for his reaction.

He nodded as he finished a bite of his own meal. “You have valid points Princess. I take it that you have something else in mind?”

I took a sip of my sweet milk to wash down another bite of the steak before answering, “I do. There's long range weapons on my world that are pretty easy to use, and I'm hoping that Galan will be able to work with a blacksmith and create something similar, possibly with some modifications. There are different types for different purposes. I'm thinking of a smaller one handed model for Jezz and maybe for me as well, and a larger, long range model for when I'm flying. It could be something to give those of us who aren't Thaumaturges an edge in battle, and half a chance if we have to fight a Thaumaturge. I doubt that I'd be able to get close enough to stick a sword in one of them if they decided to use a distance spell on me first, so I'm hoping to even the odds.”

“So, you are thinking that if we have some of these weapons of yours that we will have a better chance of victory?” Patar asked.

I nodded, asking a question in return.“How does the Empire fight a war?”

Patar quickly repied, “Mostly they use ground troops armed with swords and spears. Each unit of fifty is commanded by one or more Thaumaturges, who will attack the more important or larger targets such as Drakans or other Thaumaturges. Sometimes they use shifters as spies to find a weakness, or prime targets, and Wind Walkers to turn the weather to their advantage.”

“So I figure if we have the ability to take out their heavy hitters, then that leaves our heavy hitters open to do their thing at least until they realize what we're doing and start taking measures to counter it. Then we only have to deal with their troops, while the rest of their Thaumaturges have their hands full with our own and our Drakans. They may outnumber us, but if we get organized right, send out Radiant's and Shadows as spies before battles, have our fliers attack from above, use the terrain to our advantage, and come up with decent strategies we could hold our own.”

“You make it sound so easy,” Patar said grimly, “I guarantee if war does come to us, it won't be. Should they manage to make it into Azure, they won't stop until we're all dead.”

“Or they are,” I added. “This is exactly why we’ll need every advantage we can get.”

Jezz looked up from her own meal and nodded. “Hopefully we'll have plenty of time t' prepare.”

Patar looked thoughtful. “Still, it cannot hurt to step up border patrols, and see about training a defense force now before it's too late. Maybe some long range scouting too. We will have to inform their Majesties about your dreams, and the possibility of war sometime in the future.”

The rest of lunch was a quiet affair, though the lunch itself was delicious. Soon though, Felice and the other servants came to take the trays and inform us of the arrival of the royal Enchanter. Galan was a short Human with shaggy brown hair and blue eyes, who had broad shoulders and was just a tiny bit overweight. He was a friendly and jovial sort though, and I liked him almost as soon as I met him. “You asked for my services your Highness? What can I do for you today?”

I quickly sketched out a few designs based on a hand gun, a shotgun, and a rifle. I never really cared much for guns, but on earth my father was a big gun enthusiast. He taught me all about them, and took me to the shooting range hoping to do some male bonding. I had hated every minute of it, but I still remembered what I learned. Once I was done sketching I explained to him the purpose of each type, how they worked, what each piece did, and the difference between bullets and shotgun shells. Sadly I didn't know how to make gunpowder.

Galan seemed intrigued by the designs and figured that he could probably create something similar using a number of enchantments on the different parts. The hard part would be making the parts and combining them, but he figured that our blacksmith would be able to make the individual pieces. Then he and the blacksmith could put the pieces together into a working whole and he could enchant what parts needed it. He also figured that he could use an extremely powerful blast of air to launch projectiles, rather than the explosive method of gunpowder. This could allow them to make the weapons out of much lighter weight materials, and avoid the use of shell casings altogether. Buckshot, and thus shotguns, were quickly discarded as impractical since it would require shell casings and an extra enchantment so we focused on the other two designs.

Once we had designs that Galan and Patar were both happy with, Patar dragged us down to the courtyard that served as a weapons practice yard and host to our blacksmith. The blacksmith, a massive grey Jiquar looked up at our approach. “Hello there Patar, ah I see that Her Highness is with you today, what can I do for you?”

Patar greeted him with a slap on the back. “Kardis, this is Princess Alexis of course, her companion Jezz, and you know Galan. First, I need the finest sword you can make for Princess Alexis; she needs a blade befitting her status. We'll need a good dagger for Jezz as well, since both these girls need to learn how to fight if they are to be proper Chosen. Second, Her Highness had some ideas for something a bit better than a bow, and Galan will need your help making all the pieces.”

Kardis nodded. “I have just the thing for our Princess.”He went into the back of the forge and came out with a long leather wrapped package. “I figured with Her Highness getting Chosen that she would be needing a proper blade. You will not find a finer blade in all of Azure, I assure you.” He unrolled the package revealing a sturdy looking black leather belt and a sheathed bastard sword and dagger. The sheaths were of the same black leather, with gold ornamentation and emeralds. The hilts of both blades were steel with gold inlay, and large emeralds in the pommels, while the guards and the blades were a polished silvery gray and looked very sharp.

I picked up the sword experimentally, my eyes widening in surprise. “It's so light. I expected it to be heavier.”

The blacksmith nodded. “I had Galan enchant it to make it lighter. Between that and the balance, you shouldn't have any problems with it. If you need either of them sharpened or repaired bring them to me, but I guarantee you that's the strongest blade I have ever forged. The dagger is fine quality too.”

I smiled at Kardis. “These are beautiful work Kardis, could you make a similar short sword for Jezz? If it's light enough, and made for her size, it may be better than a standard dagger for her.”

He smiled, bowing his head slightly. “I would be happy to Your Highness. I will make the blade as fine as your own.” At that point Patar brought out the designs for Kardis to look at and we discussed how he could go about making the parts. Without the requirement of a gunpowder reaction to propel the bullets, it was decided that rather than using iron for the barrel we would use a lighter weight alloy to make the guns easier to handle, but still sturdy enough in case they were dropped or otherwise bumped around.

Once we were finished talking with Kardis, Patar began to give me my first lessons with a sword. We used lightweight practice swords and he began by showing me various thrusts, blocks, parries, what stance I should be standing in, and how to take advantage of my superior agility and sense of balance. It was a long, hard workout and by the end I had worked up a really good sweat. I was a very tired Zenin by dinner time.

At dinner Patar and I brought up the subject of my new Gifts, and by extension my dreams, with my parents. They were not happy with that news at all, and began to make plans to quietly start forming a defense force and sending out regular spy missions to keep an eye on the empire. After dinner Jezz and I laid on my bed holding hands, as we and our Drakans talked about the day’s events and what we were going to have to do to prepare ourselves for the possible futures that I had seen. We were going to be very busy girls for some time it would seem.

Almost two weeks, or rather two sevensuns, had passed since my dreams and I had yet to experience another. Jezz and I had settled into the routine that Patar had decided on for us and spent our evenings together in my rooms studying, talking with our Drakans, or sometimes just kissing and cuddling. I was beginning to get some measure of control over my empathy and our kissing now only caused mental fireworks when we got really amorous. I was nowhere near fully controlling my Gifts yet, but I was making a good start.

I was also learning more and more about my new home each day. Patar was a good teacher, though he pushed us mercilessly when we were doing combat training. Occasionally though, he would give us an afternoon off and encourage us to go into the city and do some shopping or play with Michelle and Grayle in their courtyard. The shopping trips were a bit scary for me at first, and we needed guards since a lot of people wanted to talk to the Princess. Not that being in the palace with spare time was any better, as there I had hopeful nobles wanting to introduce me to their sons, and sometimes their daughters.

Our Drakans were growing steadily, both over twice their birth size now, and moving around more on their own. They were a long way from their full size, but seeing as they were only two and a half weeks old I thought that they were making good progress. We would soon have to think of preparing them a place to live other than the courtyard since, unlike Michelle, Grayle wouldn’t be able to fly in and out once they were full grown. There was a large area of bare land on the island behind the palace, but we would need to make it comfortable for them both.

They had both shed their scaly skins during that first growth spurt, and the castle seamstresses were working on making the thick scale covered hides into body suits, gloves, and boots for Jezz and me. I had also suggested a hooded cloak for me, to take full advantage of Michelle’s Radiant scales. If they didn’t have enough to work with, then they would make the rest of the clothes and spares when the Drakans shed again. I once joked with Michelle, ~We’re twins, so how come I’m getting your hand-me-downs?~

Jezz and I had just finished lunch one afternoon when Patar and Galan knocked on the door to my rooms. I was expecting our usual survival training and was a bit confused to see Galan there. “Hello Galan, it’s nice to see you again.”

“Good afternoon Your Highness. At Kardis’ request, I enchanted Jezz’s sword the same as I did yours and I thought that I would bring them by.”

I smiled at the Enchanter. “That was very sweet of you Galan, but you didn’t need to come here just for that, we could have picked them up.”

“I did have another reason for coming Your Highness,” Galan admitted with a smile. "The items that Kardis and I were working on for you are ready. Patar and I were thinking that you and Jezz would like to come down to the practice yard and test them.”

I quickly nodded. “I’m eager to see if you were able to make them work like I was hoping.” Jezz and I got to our feet and followed Patar and Galan down to the practice yard, where some large wood and straw practice targets had been set up on the far wall. Once we were there, Patar placed the large canvass package he was carrying on the ground and unrolled it. Inside was what looked like a long barreled rifle over three feet in length, with a metal tube mounted on top, and two smaller packages, which when unrolled revealed two hand guns of different sizes. The guns were all silver in color, and the rifle boasted a black wooden stock.

“How did you get them to look so much like the designs I sketched?” I asked. “I was expecting something more… primitive, no offense to you or Kardis.”

Galan chuckled at that. “Kardis is not just a fine blacksmith Your Highness, he is a Shifter and a right powerful one. Besides changing his own shape, he can also subtly change the shape of other people, or objects. Your designs were a challenge for him, but you could not have found a better smith to do it. Still, making these strained both of our Gifts. We do not think that we will be able to make a lot of these. The ammunition was a lot easier though.”

I nodded grimly as I muttered, “Hopefully we won’t need a lot of them.”

Galan handed the smaller handgun to Jezz and gave me the larger of the two. “Both these and the larger weapon use the same ammunition. We thought that it would be easier that way, and the bullets should not be hard to mass produce for your needs. Each clip can hold seven bullets.” He showed us the sharp pointed bullets and a clip as he explained. “The trigger is enchanted so that once you pull it, an extremely powerful wind will be summoned to fire the bullet and pull the next bullet in the clip into the firing chamber. They should work just as you wished them to, give them a try.”

I pointed the weapon in my hand at one of the targets and fired a shot. My shot went a bit low, since I was expecting a kick that never happened. The only sound the weapon made was a silent ppphhtt. I took another shot, and it hit much closer to the center of the target. I gave Jezz a quick lesson on how to use a gun and proper gun safety, then both Jezz and I emptied our clips into the targets. I turned to Galan with a grin. “These are perfect. We’ll need to work on our aim, but these should do nicely. What about the rifle?”

“The tube on the top will magnify your view as you wanted," he explained with a nod. "It has been enchanted to show you the magnified view directly in the path of the barrel of the weapon. So long as you do not twitch, and have your target marked clearly in the center, you should have no problem with accuracy. To increase or decrease the magnification you just need to think about it. There is another enchantment on the barrel of each of the weapons.”

I raised an eyebrow at this since I already had everything I wanted in these guns. “What kind of enchantment?”

The Enchanter grinned at me. “The clips you both just emptied are normal ammunition, but I have also included some special rounds. I will be color coding them according to their effect. The enchantment on the barrel will cause any enchantments on the bullets to be activated one heartbeat after they leave the barrel.” He handed me a clip and the rifle. “This clip contains one of those special rounds. Shall we all go to the top of the northwest tower? We have a wooden target floating on the north side of the lake, I would like you to try and hit it.”

Soon I was lying down on the top of the tower, scanning the lake through the scope of the rifle with Jezz, Patar, and Galan sitting nearby to watch me attempt to hit the target. To help my aim, I had the rifle resting on the retractable bipod that I had requested. Finally I saw it floating lazily in the water, halfway between the island and the far shore. It was pretty big, about the size of a rowboat, and I was pretty sure that it was going to be easy to hit. I carefully took aim, remembering to account for the lack of a kick, and fired. I was still looking through the scope when the target literally exploded. “Holy shit.”

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Author's Note: Here's chapter 7 of Alex in Wonderland. Alex gets a taste of ruling her people and prepares for the future. Thank you as always to all my readers for the comments, kudos, and thinking that my work is worth reading. Also thanks to the Big Closet team who work tirelessly to give us all a wonderfully supportive venue to read and post TG fiction ~Amethyst.
 

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Chapter 7: New Arrivals

I turned to look at Galan, stunned by what I had just seen through the scope of my new rifle. “What the hell did you do to that bullet?”

“That was one of those special rounds I mentioned,” he said with a grin. “You are familiar with the concept that everything is made up of kida, yes?” I nodded in response as he continued explaining. “People, animals, plants, rocks, even air; it all contains kida. The enchantment on the bullet was that on impact it repels all kida within a six tayr diameter sphere, creating a void. Matter does not want to be empty of kida. So in the case of the target it all; air, wood, water, and anything else in that sphere rushed to the nearest source of kida, which was outside of that six tayr sphere. The matter in the center of the void pushes out faster than that around it as it tries harder to get to the kida outside. As a result, the target literally tears itself apart as it, the air, and anything else around it in the area of effect pushes outward toward kida. The momentum that the shattered pieces gain as they rush outward causes it all to ‘explode’ outward, sending it all flying. Afterwards, there is a rush of air inward as the displaced kida and air return to fill the void.”

“Umm… wow,” was all I could say. Six tayr was close to six feet. That was a pretty nasty effect.

Galan echoed my thoughts as he suggested, “Please only use those rounds on inanimate targets Your Highness, using them on people would be… messy.”

I shuddered at that thought. “Yeah, I think I want to throw up just thinking about that.”

In all, Galan had come up with four different types of special ammo. The first of course were those explosive rounds, which he made appear yellow. The second type, color coded red, I called fireball rounds, since they would erupt into a ball of flame ten feet in diameter once safely out of range of the person firing the gun. The third type was color coded white, and I called them blizzard rounds. These expanded, and shattered into shards of ice, which spread out like buckshot. Finally there were the blue tornado rounds, which would create a wind shockwave around the point of impact, spreading out about 20 feet in diameter.

Once he was done explaining the colored bullets, and what they did, I asked him, “Have you and Kardis memorized how to make the guns and the ammunition?” He nodded, so I replied, “Good we’ll burn the plans for them. If we ever need the plans again I’ll sketch them again, but I don’t want anyone that I don’t know and trust implicitly being able to recreate these. Also, I don’t want any more of these made unless I personally request it. I want these kept quiet for now.”

“Of course Princess. I have not let these plans leave my sight, and these three are the only ones that we have made so far, as per your orders.” He pulled the plans in question from his vest pocket and handed them to me. “Let us wrap these weapons up and get them put in your rooms, and then you can burn the plans at your leisure.”

I nodded as I began to re-wrap my guns in the canvas and handed Jezz a small piece of canvas to do the same with her own. Once I had mine wrapped and had picked them up I asked Galan, “And what of the other modification I requested? The fail-safe?”

“It is done your Highness, that is part of the reason they took so much energy to enchant, and the reason why I handed the weapons to you both myself,” he answered. “They are linked to the first person, other than me, who touches them. Now, if anyone other than you touches your weapons, or anyone but Lady Jezz touches hers, they will self-destruct.”

“I think that was a wise decision your Highness,” Patar put in.

Galan nodded in agreement. “I would rather we have to build you or Lady Jezz a new weapon, than possibly have one of those fall into the hands of our enemies.”

We started heading in the direction of my rooms as we talked and I thought aloud, “We’ll need someplace to put these that only Jezz and I can access. I would hate for Felice, or one of the other servants, to accidentally touch one and trigger the self-destruct.”

Jezz was in agreement on that. “Ya, true ‘nough. It’d be a good idea t’ keep ‘em ‘way from pryin’ eyes too.”

I thought for a moment. “How about the small storage room, just inside the door to my rooms? You know, the one in the sitting room. I never use that one for anything. It just sits there, mostly empty. Jezz and I could use it as a sort of private armory to keep all of our combat gear.”

“I could enchant the door so that it will only open for you or Lady Jezz,” Galan offered, “though afterwards I will need to rest for a few suns before I can do anything else major.”

I nodded. “Thank you Galan, after this you can take a few suns off and relax a bit. I appreciate everything that you’ve been doing, you and Kardis both.”

At this point we reached my rooms, and Patar opened the door for us to enter. Galan gave me one of his jovial smiles. “I think I speak for both Kardis and myself when I say that it is our pleasure to serve you. You will be a fine Queen when the time comes Your Highness. Perhaps since I have a few suns off I will go into the city tomorrow. I have been considering taking on an apprentice, and a Diviner friend at the temple of Selune told me of a newly Gifted Zenin boy with great potential as an Enchanter. Since you are trying to prepare for the future, I think I can do no less.”

I smiled back at him. “Thank you Galan, I will certainly do my best. Enjoy yourself when you go, and if you need any supplies get whatever you need, the palace will pay for them.”

“Of course Your Highness, thank you.” Galan gestured to the storage room door. “If you and Lady Jezz will both please place your hand on the door, then I can enchant it for you.” We both did as he asked, and he began to chant a prayer to Selune as he concentrated on the door. He began to glow with a pale golden light, and sweat started to bead along his brow. I felt a slight tingle, and then he was done chanting and the glow began to fade. He gave us a tired smile. “Now only the two of you will be able to open this door and access the room.”

I placed a hand gently on the Enchanter’s shoulder. “Thank you Galan, please go get some rest, you look tired. I will hopefully talk to you tomorrow evening to find out how your search for an apprentice went.”

“Ya, thank you Galan, fer all o’ this,” Jezz said, adding her thanks to my own. After that, Galan left and we carefully placed the guns in a large cabinet in the now private room. The ammunition was placed in the drawer of the cabinet. There were about two hundred regular rounds, with four spare clips to load them into, then there were eight color coded clips filled with rounds of the same color so we could remember what rounds that we were using. So it looked like for now, we both had one clip of each type of special rounds plus one hundred rounds each of normal rounds. We would be getting more of the regular rounds soon, since those were relatively easy for Kardis to reproduce now, but any more special rounds were going to take time, since I didn’t want to overwork Galan.

Patar gave us the rest of the afternoon off from any studies, while he and Runne went for a flight to find a quiet and secluded place away from prying eyes for Jezz and I to practice with our new weapons. We wanted to be able to do so in privacy, and there was just too much chance of someone walking into the practice yards and stumbling across us using our new secret weapons. So while Patar and Runne looked for a suitable place, Jezz and I sat and talked on my bed. The plans for the weapons quickly went into my fireplace and were burned. Truth to tell, I was happy to get out of combat practice for the afternoon, since I wasn’t feeling well. I hoped that it was just the flu or something and tried to make sure my discomfort wasn’t leaking out empathically.

Michelle lazed in the courtyard beside Grayle, settling in for a nice afternoon nap while their Chosen snuggled. She felt another surge of discomfort from Alex and sighed. ~What’s wrong Alex? You’ve been feeling off all afternoon.~

~I don’t know,~ came Alex’s reply. ~I’ve been wondering if I’m doing the right thing. I mean, I’ve brought guns to a world that still uses swords and spears in war.~

Michelle snorted dismissively at that, causing Grayle to lazily open her eyes and look in her direction before closing them once again. ~Sure they use swords and spears here, but they also have magic. Some of those Thaumaturges can do things way more powerful than fire bullets. You’re just evening the playing field, for yourself and Jezz, since it’s not like Grayle and I have offensive powers. You’re taking great pains to make sure these don’t become widely used, and you’ve had them created using magic, so it’s not like you’ve created something they couldn’t have on their own. It’s no different than an Enchanter giving someone a wand that shoots lightning or something. You know from your lessons that that has been done before for rulers with no Gift, or no offensive Gifts, in war.~

She could practically feel her former twin sigh as she responded, ~I guess you’re right, but I feel like I’m bringing destruction to these people.~

~You are doing your best to prepare to protect these people. It’s your right and responsibility as their future leader. The empire is not going to stop until we’re all dead or enslaved, if they find a way to get their army here. You have to start preparing now, so we’re ready when the time comes.~ She felt another stab of discomfort from the Zenin princess. ~Okay, what is wrong? It’s not just the whole gun thing.~

~I’m just not feeling very well today sis, and between that, the guns, and being in charge of the castle while my parents are in Draden I’m a bit moody,~ Alex responded.

A thought suddenly popped into Michelle’s head. She almost felt sorry for Alex, but her twin had wanted to be a woman so she’d have to take the bad along with the good. ~Hmm... emotional and not feeling well? Umm Alex, are there any symptoms? You seem pretty uncomfortable, and you’re pouring an awful lot of your concentration into controlling your empathy so nobody finds out.~

~Maybe it’s just something I ate,~ Alex suggested. ~I started feeling a bit nauseous and tired after lunch, and I’ve been getting the worst cramps.~

Michelle tried not to laugh, since she really shouldn’t find her Chosen’s discomfort so amusing. Instead she clamped down on that urge and asked, ~Any other symptoms? Tenderness or bloating or anything?~

She could feel Alex’s embarrassment at the response. ~Yeah, I guess I feel kind of bloated, and my breasts are feeling a bit tender and sensitive, even my bra is bothering them.~ Then she felt the eureka moment in Alex’s brain as she put two and two together. ~You don’t mean that I’m…~

Michelle interrupted that thought, as she could feel her Chosen start to panic a bit. ~Yes, I think you’re starting your period, so get used to it. You’re a girl now, and this is a part of being female. Welcome to the club. So you had better talk to Jezz and find out how women here in the Greylands deal with their monthly visitor, because I have no idea. Maybe you should invent a magical equivalent to the tampon next.~ The last was a joke, but Alex wasn’t laughing. ~Honestly though, you and Jezz are Healers, they must have something in your studies to help with this.~

Alex was quiet for several moments, since her attention was elsewhere. The next thought to pop into Michelle’s mind from Alex was, ~Ewwwwww!!! This is so gross!~ Michelle just allowed herself a good laugh and went to sleep.

“Now that we got ya all cleaned up ‘Lex, ‘tis time t’ take care o’ yer flow,“ Jezz said, handing me a square of rough loiku cloth. Then along the center from almost one end to another she spread out a bluish moss. “This is brae moss,” she explained, as she finished spreading it out and folded both ends over the middle. “Tis very good at absorbin’ blood an’ the like.” She then helped me to situate the makeshift pad in place and I got dressed in new clothes, putting my now stained panties and tights in the hamper.

I had just come out of the bathroom to join her, when Jezz handed me something white. “Vilae root right?” I asked. I remembered from our lessons that the root from the fern like plant was used as a painkiller.

“Ya,” Jezz replied, “it should help wit’ the crampin’ an’ discomfort. If ya get t’ feelin’ nauseous try not t’ be eatin’ anythin’ too rich.” After that Jezz and I, armed with baskets, took a trip toward the city with a dozen guards as our protection. We didn’t enter the city though, but instead stopped at an outcropping of yalk trees by the lake shore, near where the nest breaking had been just over two sevensuns ago. Brae moss only grew on yalk trees, and Jezz thought that I might need a supply of it for the next several suns. Once our baskets were full, we returned to the palace and picked a small supply of vilae root, as well as some corrune pollen from the garden in case I had trouble sleeping.

We took dinner in my rooms that night and spent most of the evening cuddling on my bed, with Chrissy draped over us both, snuggling. Jezz was really sweet and helped me through that first night and, if nothing else, at least the evening was good practice for controlling my empathy. It was also a good excuse to just hold one another and spend some time talking about everyday things not related to my duties as Princess, or the looming threat of war sometime in the future. We talked about what we were learning, how our Drakans were growing, and how we were going to make a cozy home for them both on the plot of land behind the palace.

~My concern is mostly for Grayle,~ I said at one point. ~She won’t be able to fly and soon she will be too big to leave the courtyard. The only way on or off the part of the island behind the castle is by water or air.~

~Worry not,~ Grayle herself interjected. ~I won’t be able to fly, but all Drakans, except for Stone Drakans, can swim and we Earth Drakans float pretty well. I shall be able to come and go as I please. You are right about my size though, and Michelle is bigger than I am. We will need to move soon.~

~Alex, how do you plan to get out there to spend time with Michelle?~ Jezz asked. ~You would have to take a boat around since there are no doors at the rear of the palace. The only entrance is the main gates to the bridge.~

I sighed deeply. ~I hadn’t thought of that. I can’t fly, and the palace walls would give even a Zenin trouble to climb, plus any sort of door or gate back there would be a security risk. I hate to ask Galan for anything else right now, but we may need to get his advice on this once he’s had a few suns’ rest.~

Michelle’s voice slipped into the conversation. ~Okay, we know where we’re going to be living, and that Alex will need a way to get there. So what are we going to need out there? I don’t really think we’d need much, except someplace to sleep where we won’t get rained or snowed on.~

~I’ll be talking with Patar about getting a work crew to build a comfortable place for you both to sleep with a roof,~ I replied. ~Basically, a large stable like affair against the palace wall. We’ll fill it with hay, or whatever is comfortable for you both. There’s a stand of yalk trees back there which would be nice for shade in the summer.~

Jezz nodded beside me, her head bobbing on my shoulder as she added her own thoughts. ~I was thinking that we could also plant some vilae, padith, and all the other plants we’ll need back there in a garden, since there’s plenty of space. Grayle can keep them healthy, and help them grow, and we’ll have plenty of materials for our Healing. The palace garden has plenty for Larane and Trevas to use, but having us learning now as well will be stretching those plants thin. We will also want to be prepared in case of war.~

~That’s a good idea,~ I thought back. ~Michelle, Grayle, can you girls think of anything you’ll be needing out there? We’ll work out a way to have your food brought to you both, until you’re old enough to hunt on your own.~

~As long as we have food and shelter covered I think we’ll be fine,~ Grayle responded after some thought.

Michelle seemed to agree with her. ~So long as I have food, shelter, and you I’ll be happy Alex.~

The next few days were long ones. Not only did I have to do my regular studies and combat training while my period was making me miserable, but I was also putting things in motion for Grayle and Michelle’s new home and holding court. There were land disputes to settle, yet more nobles hoping to match me with their children, requests for aid from some farmers whose fields and homes were flooded when the Yalze River overflowed during spring runoff from the mountains, and there was a nest of Drakan eggs due to hatch any time. Patar was mostly overseeing the construction of the Drakans’ new home and, though he had found a good place for target practice, we just didn’t have the time for a flight there and back to get any practice in.

Galan meanwhile, had found the Zenin boy who he had been told about, and Tarn had been more than happy to become his new apprentice. The pair was discussing ways to make it easier for me to get outside to spend time with Michelle, and thought that they might have a few ideas for me. Tarn was a tall lanky Zenin with blond hair, amber eyes, and beige fur with small black spots. He was also a bit shy, and I thought the poor boy was going to have a heart attack when he met me for the first time. Like Jezz, he was from a small village out in the sticks, and he had only come into the city to visit the temple of Selune on his Giftsun. He had never expected to have a strong Gift in anything, let alone become apprentice to the royal Enchanter.

I was finally relaxing in a nice hot bath on the afternoon of the fourth day of my period. Between the cramps and my sore muscles from combat practice, the hot water felt heavenly. I was just beginning to relax when I heard Felice’s distinctive knock on my bathroom door. With a sigh I called out, “Come in Felice.”

My maid entered the bathroom and gave a quick curtsy. “Sorry to interrupt your bath Your Highness. Sir Patar sent me to tell you that the Drakan eggs are moving. They should be hatching within a candlemark or so.”

I groaned, “I’ll be right out. I suppose you have an appropriate outfit laid out for me?”

She nodded in response. “Yes Your Highness, I will help you to prepare. I sent Kiryn to help Lady Jezz.” Then she stepped out to let me dry off.

I pulled myself to my feet and slipped out of the bath, suddenly glad I hadn’t gotten my hair wet. I quickly shook out my fur to get most of the water out before toweling myself dry. Then I put on my panties and slipped in a brae moss pad that I had prepared beforehand. With that taken care of, I left my hot bath behind to go join Felice in my bedroom.

Unsurprisingly, we were going fully formal and we started with a corset. As bad as they are to wear under normal circumstances, they are ten times worse when you’re feeling bloated and having cramps. Then there was bloomers, a crinoline and silk stockings. The dress itself was a long hunter green affair with a cream colored chemise and a burgundy and gold bodice. White silk gloves and burgundy colored boots with a four inch heel completed the outfit. Once I was properly attired, Felice brushed out my hair and put it up in an elaborate hairstyle that I could never hope to replicate on my own, before placing my tiara on. As soon as I was ready to go I sent a mental nudge to Chrissy, who leaped off the bed and climbed up me to wrap herself around my neck like a white fur stole.

Now that I was presentable, I left my rooms to the main courtyard where Jezz and Patar waited with Runne. Jezz was dressed in a similar style as me, and Patar was dressed in his usual garb made from Runne’s scaly skin. Patar and I quickly climbed onto Runne’s back and got securely belted in, which I assure you was not an easy task in my current state of dress. Jezz would fly across the lake under her own power to where the nest was. Soon we were up in the air and I was once again enjoying the feeling of flying.

The flight was over far too soon for my liking. I had been enjoying it so much that I had, for a time, forgotten my discomfort. Once I had both feet on the ground again though, it all came back to me. Jezz had no sooner landed beside us then Patar half dragged us both to some padded benches that had been placed near the nest, so that we could see the whole nest breaking. My seat was fairly comfortable, but it did little to alleviate my discomfort, especially since Duchess Yanesse and Countess Nikola apparently intended to use this event to go on endlessly about the wonderful qualities of their sons.

Nikola was in the process of regaling me with a story of how her son Halan had found a rare book on his travels in the Great Sands. He had gotten the book from a human trader who was fleeing the empire after charges of sympathizing with non-humans. The book itself was over three hundred passes old, and was the account of a prophet who had lived on earth and who was one of the last to travel to the Greylands through the gate that had once connected our two worlds. Needless to say I was intrigued. Even though I had forsaken my home world to embrace my new home, and no desire to return to Earth, it would be interesting to know why the gate had stopped working. I turned to smile at her. “I would like to read this book if possible. Could you have Halan come to the palace tomorrow with it?”

Nikola gave Yanesse a smug smile before turning her smiling face to me. “Of course Your Highness.” We didn’t get to speak anymore on the topic though as the Flame Drakan who sat at the nest had chosen that moment to place the first egg on the ground. It was a small nest, only four eggs overall, and the first Chosen picked from the crowd was a pale human girl with fiery red hair. Ironically, her new charge was a Frost Drakan. The next pair was a white furred Jiquar girl and a bright gold Storm Drakan, followed by a brown haired Zenin boy with grey fur, who was matched with a light blue Water Drakan.

The last pair nobody was expecting. A Rokin with gold scales was fished out of the gathering where he was selling something in wine skins. He looked as scared as I was when I got yanked out of the crowd, but he consented and was paired with a crimson Flame Drakan. I knew of the Rokin from my studies. They are a reptilian race that prefer hotter temperatures, live in the Great Sands, and supposedly hardly ever leave their desert home.

Once the baby Drakans were done feeding, I arranged for Patar to have my retinue meet them all at the same time. The nobles all gave quick congratulations to each pair before going off to tend to whatever business that they had been summoned from for the breaking. I waited until they were all finished before walking up to the four pairs. “Congratulations to all of you. I’m Princess Alexis, and this is Jezz and Patar. I’m pretty sure that I know exactly how you’re all feeling right now. Jezz and I were in the same boat a few sevensuns ago.” There were a few knowing laughs at that. “Why don’t you all introduce yourselves, and tell me a bit about you before we go break that nest apart.”

I shook the red haired girl’s hand first and I could feel her excitement over meeting me and getting Chosen. She nodded and spoke up, “I’m Lannah and this here is Snow.” It wasn’t a terribly original name, but at least it was easy to remember. “I just turned sixteen passes.” Then she added with a blush, “Actually my birthsun is the same as yours, Your Highness. I’m a Dabbler too; I have a strong Diviner Gift and a small Shifter Gift. “

I smiled at her. “We have a lot in common then, Lannah. Any idea what your Gifts are specifically?”

She nodded, quickly replying, “Long range telepathy. It’s troublesome to learn to control; I keep picking up thoughts from all over the place, and I often forget to keep from projecting my own thoughts. My Shifter Gift is pretty small; I can only seem to change my coloring.” She demonstrated by turning her red hair white and her green eyes a pale blue.

“I know how you feel with the telepathy, though mine is only touch based.” Then I giggled. “I think that’s a good look for you, did you have any plans for yourself and your new Drakan?”

She blushed at my comment, but quickly nodded. “I heard that a lot of Drakans and their Chosen serve the royal family as scouts, body guards, and such. I was hoping that my skills might be useful for something like that.”

I nodded and smiled at that. “I think that I can find a use for you Lannah, if you still want to serve the royal family?” Then I sent to Patar, ~Is she trustworthy?~

He quickly sent back, ~They all are Princess. I had the Diviners for this lot using their precognitive gifts to find, not only good matches for the Drakans, but also people who would be useful to you and serve you loyally.~

Meanwhile, Lannah was eagerly nodding as she replied, “Yes Your Highness!”

“Great!” I said with a grin, “You’re in.” I turned to the white Jiquar and shook one of her four hands, “And how about you? Tell me about yourself.”

The girl swallowed nervously, patting her Drakan lovingly. “I’m Rozia your Highness, and this is Thorza. I’m seventeen passes old and I’m a very minor Thaumaturge. Before I was chosen I was training to become one of the palace guards. Thorza and I would be happy to serve you in any way we can.”

“I’m sure you both will serve me well. I’m happy to have you.” I took the Zenin’s hand next. “And you are?”

He had a dreamy look in his eyes, and the light blue Drakan beside him had to give him a bump before he spoke, “Yes Your Highness! I’m Jonth and this pretty girl is Xuth. I’m afraid that my Gift is a small one. I’m supposedly a Wind Walker, but I can only seem to make the wind blow.”

“It’s not what we have Jonth, it’s how we use it,” I said, giving him an encouraging smile. “How about your plans?” I asked.

“We had no specific plans Your Highness.” He looked to Xuth for a brief instant and nodded before adding, “Xuth and I will gladly do whatever task you put us to.”

I nodded and smiled as I said, “And I’m sure you’ll both do it well.” I then turned my attention to the Rokin and shook his hand. One of his kind had never been Chosen before, indeed it was rare for them to leave their desert home in the first place. “And now we have you. I sense there’s a story here.”

“Yesss Princesss,” he replied. “I am Irric, and thisss isss Forte. I am twenty one passssesss. I wasss a powerful Zenin Shifter. Five tenthsss ago I tried shifting into a Rokin while traveling through the Great Ssssandsss. I figured that I would be more comfortable that way. Then I got sssick. I wasss found and nursssed back to health by sssome Rokin, but I found that I wasss ssstuck like thisss. Now, like Lannah, I can only change my coloring.” He demonstrated by changing his scales to a red that matched Forte’s. “I didn’t fit in there with the Rokin, ssso I thought I would return home and try to make a living asss a trader or sssomething. I came to the nessst breaking hoping to sssell sssome of the prickleberry brandy that I got in the dessert.”

“I could probably use you as a desert scout,” I said thoughtfully, “you’d blend right in, and both you and Forte can both take the heat easy enough. That is, if you want the job. You and Forte can go off and live in the desert if you want, it’s your lives to live.”

“We would be happy to ssserve you, Your Highnesss,” he said, giving a slight bow.

I gave them all a warm smile. “Great, you four will be trained to be mine and Jezz’s personal guards. Once trained, you’ll accompany us when needed and do whatever other tasks I assign. Until then, with the help of your Warders, you will take care of your new Drakans and build yourselves homes on land that I will deed to you on the lake shore. At three candlemarks after high sun you will come to the palace to train in hand to hand and weapons combat with Jezz and me, under Patar’s watchful eye.”

All four responded with, “Yes Your Highness!”

I just smiled at their eagerness. “Good, now go break down that nest, so I can start a fire and we can eat.”

Jezz and I would have helped the four break down the nest if we could have, but it was tradition that only the Chosen and their new Drakans complete that task. Still, the four went about their task quickly and soon I was holding a torch and lighting the remains in the place of my absent mother. Then the party started and we sat down to enjoy the feast. Jezz, Patar, and I all sat with the new pairs and got to know them a bit.

Overall they were all good people, and it seemed like Patar’s Diviners had chosen well. I started to relax, and resent Patar's idea of choosing personal guards from the breaking less and less, especially after Irric started passing around those wine skins of brandy, that stuff had a kick. I must not have been focusing well on my empathy, because even Chrissy seemed to have a good buzz going. We were all pleasantly tipsy, and the new Draklings were all slumbering peacefully, when Jezz and I bid the others goodnight and flew back to the palace with Patar.

The next morning, I awoke with a bit of a hangover. My head was killing me, but luckily it seemed like my period was over. I decided that I could live with a hangover since I almost felt human, or was that Zenin, again. After I was dressed and fed, I was surprised by a visit from Patar before Jezz and I could head down to our Healing lessons with Larane. “Good morning Princess, and you as well Jezz. I came to let you know that Countess Nikola has sent word that her son Halan will arrive at the palace after lunch to speak with you. Also, I have decided on a change of schedule for this morning.”

I nodded as I gave Chrissy a gentle scratching. “Okay what’s the change in plans Patar?”

He grinned at us. “We’re going out to have a real world survival lesson, and get you girls in some target practice with those new weapons. I found a cave we can use for now in Therune forest on the north side of the lake. We will only practice with the smaller models for now, until we can figure out a way for you to slip out unnoticed with the larger one.”

Jezz and I quickly went to our armory and buckled on our sword belts, then we wrapped our pistols, spare clips, and all the regular ammunition we had in pieces of canvas. Once that was done, and the door to the armory was shut again, we followed Patar down to the courtyard and placed our bundles in the pouches attached to Runne’s flight harness. Soon, we were flying over the lake and then the forest, where Runne landed close to the mouth of a large cave.

We spent a few candlemarks in the forest, with Patar showing us what mushrooms and berries were safe to eat, how to gather nuts, how to stay warm without a fire, and what tracks belonged to what animals and how fresh they were. It was a learning experience for both of us and I was enjoying both it and the natural beauty of the forest. My new home really was breathtaking in places, and I counted myself lucky to be the one who Visanee had traded places with. I still felt somewhat responsible for her death though, and silently promised myself that I would be the best leader that I could to her people, my people.

We did have one close call. At one point a reptilian creature about the size of a Volkswagen Beetle, with spines on its back and tusks as long as my arm, burst through the brush. It was chasing a small black and brown cat-like creature with a long tail and large floppy ears. The smaller creature all but dove into Jezz’s arms as the larger one halted at the sight of us, particularly Runne and Patar. I don’t think it was used to seeing creatures as large as, or larger, than itself and I could feel a little fear coming from it. I focused on it and tried to fan the flames of that fear. I think it worked, because the creature turned and ran like hell.

Jezz was trying to comfort the shaking ball of fur, even as I used my empathy to try to calm down Chrissy, who was scared enough to form a vice grip on my throat. As Jezz was petting the small creature, she made cooing sounds at it before finally speaking. “Poor thing is terrified, that kranth must ha’ been hungry t’ chase a neetay. It wouldn’t ha’ been much o’ a meal fer it.”

Patar nodded in agreement. “Hopefully with Runne here it will not come back. Let us get back to the cave and get your shooting practice in.” We did just that. Patar had put some small targets along the back wall of the cave, and had hung some kida lamps to give us enough light to work with while we practiced. We ended up using most of the rounds we brought with us, and by the end of it we were both getting much better with our aim. The neetay had stuck close to Jezz the whole time and, as Patar and I climbed back aboard Runne for the flight back to the palace, Jezz took to the air and headed there herself with her new pet in her arms.

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Author's Note: Here's chapter 8 of Alex in Wonderland. This is a darker chapter and may be triggering to some people. I would have had it posted yesterday but I decided that I just wasn't happy with how the second half of the chapter felt. It lacked the emotions I usually try to convey so I had to completely change it twice before I was somewhat happy with it. Thank you as always to all my readers for the comments, kudos, and thinking that my work is worth reading. Also thanks to the Big Closet team who work tirelessly to give us all a wonderfully supportive venue to read and post TG fiction ~Amethyst.
 

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Chapter 8: Noble Prize

I had decided to meet with Halan in the throne room. I had a bad feeling about this meeting, and thought it wise to have the meeting in a place that would remind him just who was in charge. After finishing our lunch, Jezz and I headed to the throne room and I sat in the heir’s throne to the right of the Queen’s throne. My throne was a bit smaller, but nearly identical to my mother’s, and both sat on a raised dais and had sizable holes for our tails. Jezz literally hovered above and behind my right shoulder. It was my hope that this would make the message clear from the beginning; I wanted no courting.

I would have had to be both blind and stupid not to see that the Countess Nikola planned to use this meeting in an attempt to make her son the next King of Azure, or at the very least to get into my good graces. I was neither, nor was I a simple child to be manipulated. Soon Halan was led inside by one of the palace squires, while guards took their positions outside the doors, ready to come if I called. Halan was a tall muscular Zenin with black fur and hair, probably in his late twenties, though it’s hard to tell with Zenin. He was also very handsome, and worse yet he knew it.

It would seem that his plan was to stride in, and make the young Princess’ heart go all aflutter. Even if I weren’t an empath I could have seen that he radiated confidence. I was not impressed, especially since he strode into the throne room like he owned the place, or soon would. I groaned as the squire introduced him, but minded my manners, “Viscount Halan, how nice of you to come. I appreciate you bringing the book; I was fascinated when your mother told me of it. Can I have one of my servants get you some refreshment?” I quickly reminded him just why he was here, and who’s home he was in.

“It was my pleasure to call on you Your Highness. Some wine would be wonderful, would you care to indulge with me?” he asked, flashing me a smile.

I sent the squire off for some wine and shook my head. “Thank you for the offer, but no. I have combat practice after this, and I would prefer a clear head for it.”

The black Zenin nodded and replied, “Of course Your Highness.” He didn’t seem at all disappointed that his little ploy to get me inebriated had failed. “Perhaps some milk would suit you better then.” It was a subtle insult, meant to refer to me as a child, and perhaps to spur me into proving I wasn’t. I wasn’t going to take the bait.

“Let’s get down to business Viscount,” I said, deliberately referring to him by title only. “I would like to look at, and perhaps purchase, this book your mother spoke of. I have no wish to involve myself in the power games of the nobility. If you wish to gain my favor, then you would be best served by giving me what I want.”

Halan stepped onto the dais and knelt before me, handing me an old leather bound book with pages yellowed by the passage of time. “Please Your Highness, consider this a gift from my family.”

His hand lingered too long on mine, and I caught a familiar scent that I couldn’t quite place. I tried to put it out of my mind as I opened the book to look inside. It appeared to be a journal of sorts, the pages were hand written and the entries were dated in the seventeenth century, and signed by James O’Donnell. After taking a brief look through it, to confirm that it was indeed written by someone from Earth, I placed the book in my lap and smiled. “Thank you Viscount, I am very pleased, this should make a very interesting read.”

“It is my pleasure to give you pleasure Your Highness,” he said with a smile. He had such a nice smile, it made me feel warm all over. I felt a warmth in my groin, and could feel my nipples hardening underneath my clothes. My throat was dry and I thought that maybe a drink of some sort would be a good idea, nothing alcoholic though, since I needed to think clearly through this meeting in case he tried to pull something. Why would he try something? He already had my favor by giving me the book, and his hand felt so nice as it slowly caressed my own, causing shivers of pleasure.

Michelle’s voice slipped into my mind. ~Are you and Jezz fooling around again? I thought that you were supposed to be in a meeting.~

~Of course not,~ I answered her, giggling. ~I’m meeting with Halan right now.~

~I thought that you planned to keep this meeting all business, in case he tried something,~ she replied.

I sighed as Halan’s hand started to move up my arm. ~Yeah, I was very clear that this was all business. He gave me the book with no problems.~

I could feel her mental groan as she pressed, ~Care to tell me then why you feel like a horny teenage girl on prom night then?~

~I don’t know,~ I admitted. ~Maybe it’s because he’s handsome and nice. He even smells nice, kind of like flowers.~ My eyes snapped open as I recognized that smell. ~Flowers! I think the bastard practically bathed in red bonnet pollen! He reeks of it!~ I could smell the scent clearly now, and fought to get control of myself and push down the desire which threatened to weaken my resolve.

I could feel Michelle’s fury in my mind. ~I am going to rip him apart!~ The scary thing was, that even as an infant she probably could.

~I’ve got this sis, but you may want to go wait in the main courtyard.~ Then I opened up my mind to Halan’s, and tried not to breathe too deeply, as I glared at him and said very slowly and deliberately, “Remove your hand from my arm, before I remove it from yours.”

Halan swallowed hard, and I could feel the arousal, confusion, nervousness, and just a bit of fear off him. He was thinking, ~What happened? This naíve little girl should be willing clay in my hands.~ He obediently removed his arm before I could get any more than that though. “Your Highness?” he asked nervously.

The squire chose that moment to come back, but I quickly dismissed the Human boy again. “Please fetch Patar for me Mante, I’m afraid that Viscount Halan will be leaving momentarily.” Then I turned back to Halan. I had to focus quite a bit to keep myself from giving in to my arousal, but he was wearing the stuff so I imagined it was worse for him. I could in fact see it, now that I was paying attention. Well it was his own damn fault if he had a case of blue balls, and as far as I was concerned he would be lucky if I didn’t decide to kick him there.

I clenched my fists at my sides as I spoke again. “Didn’t think I would catch the scent of red bonnet pollen Halan? Or did you just think that I wouldn’t care, once I got a good enough whiff of it?” His eyes widened at that, and I didn’t give him a chance to reply before I continued. “I’m a Healer you idiot, I’m very familiar with red bonnets and their effects. The whole city, and probably most of the rest of Azure as well, knows I’m a Healer and an empath. You were so confident, and were hoping that that would make me, as an ‘inexperienced child’, ignore everything else. This naíve little girl was supposed to be willing clay in your hands, was I not?”

Worry and fear was coming off him in waves as he sputtered, “Your Highness you…”

I cut him off, giving him a predatory smile. “Yes, that’s the thing most people don’t know. I also read minds. Would you care to know what I found in yours?” I bluffed. His look told me that he very much did not want to know what I may have found there. I looked back at Jezz, who was clearly very upset. She felt it too; I could feel the anger and hate radiating off her with heat like a furnace. I turned back to Halan and sighed, giving him a stern glare. “Now what shall I do with you?”

“Your Highness please forgive me I…” he began.

I cut him off again. “You are in my home, in front of my throne, and you have made me very angry. You’re familiar with my Drakan Michelle right?” When he nodded slowly I continued by saying, “She has made it very clear that she wants me to send you home to your mother.” I gave him a brief moment to look relieved before adding, “In pieces. And judging from the look on Jezz’s face, I would imagine that her Drakan Grayle is of the same opinion.” He was really scared now, especially once Jezz moved to hover beside me, nodding her head gravely. ~Are you in the main courtyard sis?~ I sent to Michelle.

~I’m here, and so is Grayle, and she looks as pissed as I am. I guess Jezz told her what that creep did?~ she sent back, her thoughts seething with fury.

~That would be my guess,~ I replied, before turning my attention back to the Viscount. “I will be speaking with my mother on this matter, and you will be very lucky if she does not remove your family’s title and confiscate your lands. Regardless, I will be having people keep an eye on you. If you ever pull anything like this again, if I even get the impression that you have coerced a girl into bedding you by any means, then I will leave you to the not-so-tender mercies of our Drakans. Do I make myself clear?” I empathically fanned the flames of his fear to get my point across.

He swallowed hard and nodded as Patar showed up, looking concerned, “Your Highness,” Patar ventured, “You called for me?”

I nodded and, as he opened a mind link, I sent him a brief synopsis of what had happened, and what was about to. I could feel his anger as he waited for me to speak aloud. “Yes Patar, Halan was just leaving. Please see to it that he finds his way out as quickly as possible, I no longer want him in my palace.” Then I took Jezz’s hand, and gave it a reassuring squeeze, as I sent to our furious Drakans, ~Okay girls he’s coming out to the main courtyard. Scare the living shit out of him… but do try to leave him in one piece.~

Michelle waited with Grayle in the courtyard, wondering if perhaps this was the time to try to display her abilities. She had been practicing bending light for over a week now; ever since she began to notice that she could see the various individual color spectrums, or all of them just by thinking of it. At first she was just able to see them, but thanks to her racial memory she quickly discovered that she knew how to manipulate what she saw, to bend it to her will, and shape it like clay. Knowledge led to doing, and she had begun to practice in secret whenever Grayle was sleeping or otherwise occupied and Alex and Jezz weren’t around. She had been hoping to surprise them.

After what that bastard did to Alex though, Michelle was sorely tempted for the surprise to be now. She left Grayle in the courtyard as she made her way fuming to the main gates. Her Chosen seemed tired, having to focus on keeping herself in check while talking to Halan must have taken a lot out of her. She still felt very aroused, and Michelle knew from experience that when you were that turned on saying no and remaining composed could be extremely difficult. That asshole would pay for what he did to her sister and Chosen.

She made her way out to the drawbridge and the end of the bridge it was attached to, her thoughts firmly entrenched in the need to make that bastard suffer. Once she got to where the bridge and drawbridge met she sat herself firmly in the middle of the path, brought herself up to her full stature, and spread her wings menacingly. Then she concentrated on the light around her. She took all the light that touched her and bent it around her, and only once she was sure that she had done it right did she turn her attention to the gates to await her prey.

It was then that a well-dressed black Zenin ran from the courtyard and out the gates with a look of pure terror on his face, promptly slamming into her. He fell on his ass and looked around confused, wondering what he had bumped into. Michelle focused on the light once again, and instead of bending it around her she enhanced the reflection of it off her scales. This in effect changed her instantly from being invisible to being literally radiant with bright light, an avenging angel with her wings outstretched. And then she spoke. Speaking was still difficult, but she and Grayle were beginning to get the hang of it and could speak using some single syllable words and their Chosen’s names. “You… hurt… Alex!” The words came out in a deep growl that practically shook the bridge beneath them.

Still on his butt, the Zenin started to back away as Michelle stalked him, still uttering a deep angry growl. Michelle was pretty sure she could smell urine, and a look at his trousers proved it to be true. He came to an abrupt stop when there was a second growl behind him, turning his head to see Grayle there, approaching slowly and deliberately. His head darted back and forth as he looked from the glowing silvery Drakan to the menacing green one behind him, and back again, and then he got to his feet and ran to dive off the bridge and into the lake.

~Grayle and I are finished taking out the garbage Alex. He’s still in one piece, but I think you’re being far too kind after what he pulled.~ She gave a quick look to the water below before turning angrily to stomp after Grayle, as the other Drakan led the way back to their courtyard, but her mind was on Alex. She did not like what she was feeling from her Chosen. Alex was obviously more shaken by the incident then she was letting on and after handling the situation so calmly, now that it was over her thoughts were confused, scared, and panicked. Michelle became even more worried once Alex’s presence in her mind suddenly vanished.

Jezz had shoved shiide leaves in my mouth, making me chew them to relax me, and to gradually disperse the effects of the red bonnet pollen on me, as I sat back in my throne. Michelle and Grayle had taken out the garbage, and I was trying to relax and calm down after the incident. Now that it was all over I was shaking like a leaf, starting to cry as Jezz held me and tried to console me, and my thoughts were all over the place. "He came into my home and essentially used a drug in an attempt to rape me, and if it hadn’t been for Michelle I would have probably cheerfully led the way to my bedroom. Why did I have to meet him while my parents are away? Did I handle the situation right? Should I have imprisoned him? Just how much authority do I have while my mother is away? I’m scared and angry, and I feel so used and dirty. I feel like I’m going to throw up. I want my mom!"

~Alexis?!? Are you alright?~ My adoptive mother’s voice was suddenly in my mind. It was different than regular telepathy though, accompanied by the same humming/singing feeling as when Itari spoke with me.

~Is that you Mom?~ I sent back uncertainly, my heart rate quickening. ~I’m really upset at the moment. How are we talking like this? I don’t have this kind of range on my own and it feels different.~

Mom’s voice was soothing in my mind. ~We are both connected to the land and Itari Herself. We can use that connection to speak with Her or each other whenever we need to. It blocks out any regular telepathic contact though while we do it. I just heard you shouting that you wanted me. What’s wrong dear?~

I was sniffling and shaking in Jezz’s arms, and my heart felt as if it was being torn asunder as I explained to my mom what had happened, and how I had handled it. I could feel the cold fury in her mental response. ~They will pay for this. You did well dear; you stayed in control and managed to show great strength in a position where most girls would have frozen, panicked, or given in and let him have his way. I will be there in a moment, I’m using the ring, your father will return by Drakan as soon as possible.~

The ring was just that, a ring, and it had been created decades before by one of the royal Enchanters. It was worn only by the Queen, and had a permanent repetitive enchantment on it that would allow the wearer to return to the palace throne room instantly, from anywhere in Azure. Suddenly another set of arms was around me and I opened my eyes to see my mother holding me tight, trying to comfort me. She spoke softly, but there was cold iron in her tone as she said, “Jezz dear, I need you to go to the Temple of Itari in the great square, where the Temple District and the Market District meet. Tell the High Priestess that I want her to ring the bell three times and prepare the temple balcony for a royal proclamation.” She handed Jezz something as she added, “Show her this, to prove you came from me.”

“Yes Yer Majesty, I’ll fly as fast as m’ wings’ll let me,” was the Cinole’s reply.

I only half heard what they were saying, chewing the leaves as I started to calm down from the effects of the pollen. I felt Jezz release me though, and fly off as Michelle’s worried voice popped into my head. ~What the hell happened?! I couldn’t feel you at all just now. I was worried that you had a mental breakdown.~

I sniffled and buried myself deeper into my adoptive mother’s arms. ~I’ll explain later, Mom’s here now and she’s pissed.~ I felt bad for being so short with Michelle, but I really didn’t feel up to explaining things right now. Mom just held me and kept telling me that it would be okay, and that I had done so well by foiling his plans and keeping a level head. Michelle had been the one to figure out I wasn’t acting like myself though. ~Sis, thanks. If it hadn’t been for you I probably would have been…~ I couldn’t finish that thought, and shivered and started sobbing again.

~I came here to protect you remember,~ Michelle answered sternly. ~I will never let anyone harm you, and if I think you’re doing something out of character I’ll call you on it, just like I did today. I would have gladly killed that slime ball if you’d wished it, and I was seriously tempted to maim him no matter if you wanted him kept in one piece or not. You are my twin, my sister, my Chosen, and my best friend and nobody is going to harm you while I live. You avoided what he had planned and, while I was the one who warned you, you were the one who got and kept yourself under control.~

I wiped my eyes and sniffled as I tried to calm down. It could have been so much worse, but I had avoided that and I had Michelle, my mom, Jezz, and Grayle to support me. ~Thanks sis, I feel a bit better now, I think I just needed a good cry.~ After a while I lifted my head to give my mom a weak smile, “I’ll be okay I think, thanks for being here.” I did feel calmer now, possibly in good part due to the shiide leaves, but I felt emotionally drained after the meeting, and the upset afterwards.

Mom kissed me softly on the forehead. “My daughter was scared and hurting, where else would I be?” She pulled me closer and softly stroked my hair. “You did a good job while I was gone. I had Patar giving me status reports every night, and he said you handled things as well as I would have myself. Even today, you handled yourself admirably. In the future, when I am not here, your word will be as my own. You did not act in anger, but made him fear ever crossing you again, and I think that your threat to take away their titles and lands is a fair punishment. Do you wish to announce it or shall I?”

I shook my head. My heart felt heavy in my chest, and I was just too tired and emotionally drained at the moment to be making speeches in front of thousands of people. “I think it would be better coming from you Mom, otherwise people are liable to get the wrong idea about it. If you need witnesses, Jezz was here the whole time and Patar can attest that he stunk of red bonnet pollen when he escorted him to the courtyard.”

“Very well dear, I have Patar preparing the royal carriage so that we can go to the temple for the announcement. Do you think you are up for leaving now?” she asked.

I wiped away the tears that had wet the fur on my cheeks and nodded. “Yeah, I guess I’m feeling a bit better, can I go get Chrissy from my rooms first? I’d feel better with her in her usual place.”

Mom gave me a smile and squeezed my hand, “Of course dear, I’ll be waiting in the courtyard.”

When I got to my rooms I dropped the damn book that had caused all this on my bed, where I found Chrissy and Pounce curled up together sleeping. Jezz had named the neetay after the way it had leaped into her arms when they met earlier that morning, I almost felt guilty as I took Chrissy, but I needed my little friend right now, and I made sure that there was still plenty of food and water for Pounce, and that the box of sand for the pair didn’t need cleaning before I left.

Chrissy had woken when I picked her up and quickly took her place around my throat. Once in place, she started to hum contentedly. I opened myself up to her emotions in an attempt to dull the disquiet in my own heart. Her mere presence, combined with her happiness, contentment and relaxing humming made me feel better as I headed to the courtyard. As I was stepping out of my rooms I heard a bell toll three times in the distance.

Michelle was still fit to be tied, but at least Alex had calmed down somewhat and her thoughts weren’t so chaotic. She was regretting not having chased Halan to the shore when she saw that he had survived the dive and was swimming for the city. She wanted that man to suffer after what he did to Alex. Alex had insisted on being the better person though, and Michelle wasn’t going to go against that. At least she had been there to give her Chosen that prodding when she needed it, and had been there in her mind to comfort her after. She had meant what she said; nobody would ever hurt Alex while she still drew breath.

Michelle was sure of one thing; she needed to train more, and harder, so that she could be the best possible protector for her former twin. She no longer had the luxury of doing so in private or when the others were asleep. With more practice, she’d soon have the invisibility trick for herself flawless. It was time to start lessons two and three; making others invisible, and creating illusions. Finding the former more important than the latter, she turned to Grayle and the light reflecting off her scaly hide. "If I’m going to do this, I might as well start big," she thought as she tried to bend the light to her will while Grayle watched her through half closed eyes.

I fell asleep on the ride to the temple. The shiide, Chrissy’s contented humming as she vibrated against my neck, and my mom’s arms wrapped protectively around me conspired to relax me enough that my body gave in to its need for rest after my ill-fated meeting with Halan. Mom woke me once we had arrived, and told me that Patar had contacted my new guards in training to tell them that there would be no combat practice that afternoon, due to the ringing of Itari’s bell and the proclamation that would follow. When the door to the carriage opened I was surprised, and a bit touched, to find all four of them waiting with Jezz to help us out and escort us into the temple.

The square was packed with people. It was usually busy, but now the square was as packed with people as if had been during my Gifting. There was much murmuring and confusion as people saw the Queen, who was supposed to still be in Draden. The temple bell only ever rang three times to gather everyone in the capital for a royal proclamation, and usually such matters were very serious. I could hear people talking, and generally they seemed worried. With so many people there, I had to firmly clamp down on my empathic shields to keep from being overwhelmed. I was already tired and emotionally drained, and I didn’t need to add more confusion and fear to the list as I had plenty of my own that I was sure would rise to the surface once I had the energy to care.

My guards, as well as four uniformed palace guards, formed a protective circle around us as I followed my mother mutely into the temple and we approached the waiting High Priestess. “All is prepared as you requested Your Majesty,” said the Human woman in dark brown and green robes as we approached.

“Thank you Zarla,” my mom replied, looking grim, though her eyes were filled with a cold tightly controlled anger that I may have found frightening under other circumstances. “I will try to make this as brief as possible, so people can get back to their lives.” The priestess joined our group, and we all headed up the marble stairs to the balcony that overlooked the great square. The balcony was also made of marble, and the railing was painstakingly sculpted into a pattern of leaves. Normally I would have been impressed and in wonder at the craftsmanship, but at the moment I just didn’t care. Mom, Zarla, and I all stepped up to the railing, with me at her right and Zarla to her left. Our guards all waited behind us, ready to act if needed.

Mom held her hands up for silence, and soon got it. Raising her voice to be heard across the square she began to speak. “People of Azure! Last night my daughter, Princess Alexis, arranged with Countess Nikola Tahrun to meet with her son, Viscount Halan Tahrun, regarding a matter of business. Today, when that meeting occurred, Viscount Halan used that meeting, and a good measure of red bonnet pollen, in a craven attack on my daughter’s virtue!”

There were gasps of surprise and angry muttering at that, and she held up her hands again for silence before continuing. “This attack was foiled, due to quick and level headed thinking on the parts of both my daughter, and her Drakan Michelle. Your Princess sent the coward fleeing the castle in fear.” There was some applause at this, but most of the crowd was angry and shocked. “This deed was a foul betrayal against, not only Alexis, but the entire royal family, all the people of Azure, and Itari as well. My daughter has fairly decided on the punishment for this attack. Henceforth, the Tahrun family is stripped of all titles and rank, and their lands and property will be seized!”

After the proclamation the anger was almost palpable to even non-empaths, and I felt it slipping past my shields as my thoughts went all over the place. "Maybe I should just give in and let that raw emotion wash over me. I have right to be angry, me more than anyone in fact. Everyone else is angry; Mom, Michelle, Jezz, Grayle, my new guards, so why not me? Maybe I should have let Michelle and Grayle rip him apart. No. As angry as they were, if they had killed him like that they both would regret it later. We are all better than that. I’m better than that. I stopped him and dealt with him in my own way. I just want this to be over and put it behind me."

We waited in the temple for the crowd to dissipate. I was sitting on a pew trying to keep calm, with Jezz and my mom to either side of me holding me. A candlemark had passed when my mom said, “The Square has settled down. Let us go home so you can have dinner and get some rest.” I didn’t argue, I knew I was emotionally exhausted, I just let them guide me back to the carriage and sat in silent contemplation the whole trip home. When we got back to the palace I picked at my dinner and afterwards let Jezz guide me to my bed. She, Grayle, and Michelle all tried to talk to me, to take my mind off things, but I didn’t say much in return. I didn’t want to talk; I just wanted their company, so I mostly just listened. Jezz and I laid there the rest of the evening together and, rather than sending her to bed when I got tired, I asked her to just stay and hold me as I finally fell asleep in her arms

I was dreaming. I knew I was dreaming, but it had the clarity and focus I’d had in dreams only once before. I knew with near certainty that what I was dreaming was playing out in reality as I dreamed. The first thing that I was aware of was the sounds; distant yelling, banging, and crashing. Then there was the smell of smoke. I looked around to find myself in a lavishly decorated room with expensive looking furniture, paintings, sculptures, and a large wine rack. Whoever lived here had wealth, and liked to flaunt it.

I tried to push a sculpture off a small table in a show of distaste, but my hand merely passed through it. I guessed that I was merely an observer here, not that there was much to observe. Then I heard raised voices and arguing, much closer than the other sounds. I turned to see Nikola and Halan there with another Zenin who I vaguely recognized as Halan’s father, Count Leggund. The two Zenin men had begun moving furniture in front of the large pair of doors to the room while Nikola screamed at them.

“This is all your fault Halan! All you had to do was go to that meeting, seduce that child, and convince her to make you her King. You could not do that right, even with the pollen, and you let that spoiled little brat see right through you! Now we have lost our lands, our titles, everything! Even our servants have turned against us!” She waved her arms about wildly as she screamed.

Halan turned and snapped back at her. “It was your idea to use the pollen! You said it could not fail, but she smelled it on me because she is a Healer! You said she wasn’t trained enough to recognize it and, that if I was confident, it would overcome her empathy! How was I to know that the zint could read minds?!”

The Count glowered at his son. “Why didn’t you give her the ring I enchanted?! If she had put it on she would have obeyed whatever you wished!”

“Because you told me to wait until I had her alone in her bedchamber!” the younger Zenin growled.

I grew angrier with every word I heard, but I couldn’t do anything but watch and listen. The shouts and banging were just outside the doors now, and I could see smoke slipping in from under the doors. The doors began to crack and buckle under the assault. Leggund looked around frantically. “We’ll escape through the windows and head to the forest!” He took a chair and threw it at one of the large windows, shattering the glass, and then the three Zenin leaped through it as the door gave way and the angry mob entered the room.

They ran across the back yard and soon were running through the woods with the mob hot on their heels. Leggund tripped on a root that seemed to grab at his foot and the mob was upon him. Nikola and Halan kept running, pursued by the more persistent. Shrubs and branches took pieces out of their clothes, and left them with scratches as they ran, and loose soil gave them trouble with their footing. Nikola fell as she twisted her foot on a large stone buried in some of that loose soil, and then the mob was upon her too. Some pressed on to chase Halan.

Halan looked to be growing tired from his run. The loose soil and grabbing thorns and branches seemed to be making it hard on him. He had almost a dozen needles from stingweed plants in his leg and he was bleeding from multiple cuts and scrapes. His once fine white silk shirt was now torn and ragged and sporting red blood stains, and his chest rapidly moved in and out from heavy breathing. “I… will get… that… zint… for this.”

The former Viscount was staggering now, his pursuers catching up as he seemed to hit every possible obstacle in the darkened forest. Then he was gone. I looked around, wondering where he could have gone when I heard him cursing and looked down to find him sprawled at the bottom of a shallow hole in the ground that I hadn’t noticed while following his run. Apparently he hadn’t noticed it either. That was all his pursuers needed to catch up, and they fell upon him like they did his mother and father before him.

I shot bolt upright as I awoke breathing heavily, as though I really had been running through the woods following the treacherous trio. Jezz was still awake and quickly put her arms around me. ~It’s alright my love. I’m here.~ She lovingly caressed my cheek and kissed me softly.

I shook and buried myself in her arms. ~It’s over Jezz. They’re all dead.~

~Who is dead my love? Halan?~ she asked, and I could feel her confusion.

I nodded, bobbing my head up and down against her chest, trying to slow down my breathing. ~Yes. I just had one of those dreams again. I saw Halan and his parents chased by an angry mob through the forest. I just knew that it was happening while I was watching.~

~I can’t say that I’m surprised after how the people reacted at the proclamation,~ Jezz replied, radiating a mix of sadness and relief. ~Your people love you. I wish they hadn’t gone that far, but at least we know he won’t be harming anyone else, now that he’s in Pallo’s realm.~

~He was going to try to get revenge if he had lived, but I agree. I wish they hadn’t killed them. I think he sealed his fate though, the moment he used something grown from the earth to try to do what he did.~ I didn’t say anything more but snuggled closer into my lover’s arms and soon fell back to sleep, wrapped in her arms, her love and her soothing thoughts.

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Author's Note: Here's chapter 9 of Alex in Wonderland. This one hints at what may be to come both in the Greylands and on Earth. Thank you as always to all my readers for the comments, kudos, and thinking that my work is worth reading. Also thanks to the Big Closet team who work tirelessly to give us all a wonderfully supportive venue to read and post TG fiction ~Amethyst.
 

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Chapter 9: Future Tense

I awoke in Jezz’s arms, with Chrissy sleeping on my chest and Pounce asleep at Jezz’s feet. It was still dark, though a look out my window showed a sliver of light on the horizon that indicated the coming dawn. A quick check in the back of my mind showed that Michelle was still asleep as well. I carefully moved Chrissy into my lap, got into a sitting position, and waved my hand over the kida lamp above my bed to give myself some light. Jezz looked so beautiful and delicate sleeping beside me and I leaned over to softly kiss her.

I was feeling much better than the day before, the long sleep and love and support of my friends and family had helped to tame the fear and insecurity I had been feeling. I wasn’t one hundred percent better, but I knew that I would be protected from something like this happening again and if it did then I could deal with it. Looking back, there wasn’t anything I could have done differently that would have changed what had happened, and I had handled it in the best way possible once Michelle had noticed my odd behavior. My dream showed me that Halan and his family had been waiting for an opportunity like this, and they would have made it happen sooner or later. At least the way it had happened I was able to take control of the situation.

I looked over at the book on my nightstand, the object which had triggered the entire scenario yesterday, and picked it up. It was a journal of sorts about James O’Donnell’s life. James was a descendant of the druids and worshiped the old Celtic Gods. Many of his fellows had fled Earth to the Greylands using the gate during the Witch hunts in England of the early to mid-1600’s. He often mentioned fools worshiping a single God that persecuted those who followed the old ways. It was an interesting look into the life of a mid-seventeenth century pagan. Most of it was just daily life stuff, though spattered here and there were a few predictions such as a “Great Rebellion” and witch hunts that were almost spot on for the dates and locations for the English civil war and the witch hunts by Matthew Hopkins from 1644 to 1647. He also predicted the Salem Witch Hunt in 1692, though he claimed that at that time such trials would be a falsehood. The final entry was by far the most interesting.

November 22nd, 1646

It is as I feared. Hopkins and his ilk hunt us down. He cares not who he accuses, and even members of the clergy of the church he professes to follow fall victim to his plot. The whole of England is in chaos and I grow weary of this place. I have arrived at the last of the remaining standing stones, the final of the world-gates. I hope that in that other world I can find some happiness. The full moon is tonight and I will sing the prayer to Danu that will open the gate before such is no longer possible.

Danu, Mother of all the Gods, grows as weary of this chaotic world as I. I am one of the few still on this world who worships the true Gods. Few remain to pay homage to Her or Her children and use the gifts of Her magick. Those that do are hunted down, as are the Fae and other creatures bound to magick. Tonight, under Her watchful eye, I shall leave this place, basking in Her light one final time. Danu has created a veil, one which even now begins to gather all creatures of magick, including the Gods themselves. Humans alone will remain, and those who had the gift of magick will find that gift vanished along with all else once the veil has closed.

With magick gone, the world will enter a time of industry and in the twentieth century two great wars will threaten all life. Despite these wars, mankind will persevere and great cities will climb toward the skies holding the populace of entire countries. This will not last. The end of the age of industry will come upon the heels of three souls passing through the veil between the worlds in December of the thirteenth year of the new millennium. The passage of these souls will weaken the veil and magick, and the creatures bound to it, will begin to return to the world until the veil is broken but eight years later.

When the veil breaks all manner of magick will return to the world at once. The Fae will ally themselves with humans against evils long forgotten and the mindless dead that walk the earth. Magick and industry will be united in a common goal, and the old Gods will be paid homage once more. When the Gods return from the void, the world-gate will return to life. A crazed God and his followers will attempt to use a world-gate to rule both worlds.

It is done. I have passed between the worlds. I look forward to living out the remainder of my days traveling and exploring this new world. When I am dead, a fellow traveler will happen upon my body and take this book. It will pass from traveler to traveler until such time as it reaches one of two worlds. The crazed God will destroy all the world-gates but one to Earth. I ask that the one of two worlds who reads this journal find a way to destroy that world-gate. Our two worlds are destined only to bring one another destruction, so long as they remain connected.

James O’Donnell

I put down the book and let out a sigh as I looked out into the post dawn light. Then I felt for my connection to the land and probed, ~Itari?~

~Good morning Alexis,~ The earth Goddess responded.

I thought a moment as I tried to figure out where to begin. ~I’ve been reading this journal. He had some disturbing predictions. Are my dreams of war related to this?~<

~You know that I cannot interfere in the lives of mortals Alexis, the information that you ask for is too much, it is up to you mortals to determine your own futures.~

~Okay then, did Lharus really destroy all the world-gates but one?~ I asked, hoping that She would answer something that already happened.

She did answer, in the affirmative. ~Yes. All the gates are gone, but the gate to your Earth, and that one does not work.~

I thought about the journal before replying, ~Because of the veil?~

~Yes, the human’s predictions about the veil were true,~ She replied.

I wasn’t sure I liked the sounds of that. If he was right, then my switching places with Visanee and Michelle coming after would have devastating consequences for Earth. We could have very well set off a future zombie apocalypse. ~Where is this gate to Earth?~

I could feel Her melodious laughter in my mind. ~Do you have something against research my child? Go to the temple of Selune. She had the world-gates in the Greylands created, even as Danu did on Earth, and all the information you need can be found in Her temple.~

I sighed again and wondered if I should convince Patar to take me to the temple of Selune for our daily history and geography lessons, since technically this would apply. ~Thank You Itari,~ I responded before adding, ~and thank You for last night as well.~

~I have no idea what you’re talking about Alexis,~ She replied, though we both knew that She did.

~I had better get prepared; it looks like I’ll have a busy day. I’ll talk to you again soon Itari.~ I gave Her mental smile.

The Goddess wrapped me in a warm mental hug. ~Stay well until we next speak Alexis.~

I opened my eyes, and after giving Jezz another kiss and Chrissy a bit of petting, I placed the kihr on the bed as I got up to get dressed. I was just finishing tying my hair back in a ponytail as I felt Michelle starting to wake. I placed my tiara on my head and sent to her, ~Good morning sis.~

~Good morning Alex, are you feeling better this morning?~ Her mental voice was filled with concern.

~Yes and no,~ I replied. ~I’m feeling better about what happened yesterday, but I have a lot on my mind this morning.~

I could feel her relief flooding through my mind. ~I’m glad you’re feeling better, I was worried. I still want to rip that asshole Halan apart.~

~Too late,~ I replied casually. Then I told her about my dream the night before.

I could feel her anger at the plot against me, and then her relief that it was over, as she wrapped me in the warmth of her mind. ~Couldn’t have happened to a more deserving family. Itari must have been pissed to get involved like that.~

~She claims ignorance,~ I said with a mental chuckle.

~You spoke with Her? ~

~Yeah,~ I replied. ~I can talk with Her or my mom any time I want, just by speaking through the land. I’m told it blocks out other telepathic links though. I needed to ask Her about some of the stuff that I read in this journal.~

~That explains why you disappeared on me yesterday,~ Michelle griped. ~So what did you find in the journal?~

I shrugged as I checked my reflection in the mirror. ~This O’Donnell guy was a pretty accurate prophet. He predicted the English civil war, the Salem witch hunts, both world wars, the industrial revolution, and in a way he predicted the two of us coming here.~

Michelle seemed impressed as she replied, ~Those are some big predictions, but he predicted us coming here? That doesn’t seem near as important as his other predictions.~

I swallowed hard, not really sure I wanted to share this bit with her. ~It was part of a larger prediction. He said that three souls passing between worlds would cause some other major events, you know like the return of magic, magical creatures, and the Gods to Earth. And he may have mentioned something about a zombie apocalypse and the end of the technological era.~ I tried to think it as casually as possible.

It seemed to work for a moment. ~Well as long as we’re not directly involved in anything big… wait what?!~ I could feel her panic threatening to overwhelm me. ~Our coming here is going to cause a zombie apocalypse?! The end of technology?! Gods and magic returning to Earth?!~

I tried to send her calming feelings. ~Don’t worry. It sounds like the Fae will be siding with humanity to fight all the bad stuff, and try to usher in an era of cooperation, magic, and industry. Our fight is here. There is still a gate to Earth and once the Gods return to Earth and that gate is usable Lharus plans to use the gate, and the chaos on the other side, to try to take over both worlds. We’ll need to destroy that gate at some point.~

~You want to destroy our ticket home?!~ Michelle practically screamed in my head.

I rubbed at my temples, trying to prevent the headache that was already beginning to form. ~As I understand it sis, nobody will be able to use that gate to return to Earth until the Gods there have returned, and by then it will be late to warn anyone there. Besides, our parents there think that we’re both dead, and they’d never believe us if we told them who we were. This is our home now sis, we have friends and family here, and a country that’s counting on us.~

Michelle was quiet a moment before answering, ~You’re right. This is our home now and it’s kind of grown on me in the past three weeks. Speaking of home, ours should be ready sometime today for Grayle and I to move in.~

I nodded, but figuring she wouldn’t see it I thought, ~Yeah, that’s the good thing about having Thaumaturges at our disposal, they can practically grow a stone wall in minutes. Jezz and I will need to start planting the herbs we want back there soon. Maybe I can get Jezz to organize that today, while I go to the temple of Selune. Speaking of Jezz though, I should wake her so we can get some breakfast.~

~Okay Alex, let me know if you need anything.~

~You got it sis.~ I went back to bed and gently shook Jezz, until her eyes started to flutter open, and then I kissed her deeply. ~Good morning.~

The Cinole was surprised at first, but quickly returned my kiss, putting her arms around me. ~Mmmm now that’s a nice way to wake up.~

I just stared into her eyes for a moment. ~Jezz, thanks for being there for me last night. I know I didn’t say much, but you, Grayle, and Michelle were great.~

~Where else would I be? You’re my best friend, and my lover, and you needed me. Even when you don’t say anything, there is no place I would rather be than with you.~ Jezz smiled and stared back into my eyes as she thought the words.

~Aww aren’t you two in a lovey dovey mood this morning,~ Michelle interjected.

Grayle’s voice popped in. ~Much better than last night. So what’s the plan today? The usual?~

~Actually,~ I interjected, ~I was hoping you both could help Jezz get your new digs set up and a garden started, while I go to the temple of Selune after our morning Healing lessons. Then maybe I can bring some lunch out and we can do something before combat practice this afternoon. I’ll run it by Patar.~

Jezz and I ate breakfast together in my rooms, and afterwards I talked to Patar about my plans for the day. So it happened that after our Healing lessons with Larane, while Jezz and the Drakans made their way around the palace to their new home, I was on Runne’s back flying into the city. As we flew overhead I could see the pair of them swimming, as Jezz flew just above them carrying Pounce. Gradually I lost sight of them as we rose higher and headed toward the lakeshore and the city.

Soon we landed in the square, and Patar helped me to dismount before leading me into the temple of Selune. The High Priestess, the same silver furred Zenin with auburn hair and green eyes that had triggered my Gifts, met us at the doors. “Good morning Your Highness, what brings you to the temple this fine sun? How are your Gifts coming along?”

I smiled at her, “I am getting better with them every sun Priestess Alizia. Chrissy here is a great help with the Wilder Gift.” I gave my kihr an affectionate petting as she hummed happily around my neck. “And my other Gifts are coming along well too I think. As for why I’m here, I had hoped I might be able to find some information here on the world-gates.”

The priestess seemed to think for a moment before nodding. “We should have some of the books on the world-gates in the temple library Your Highness, please follow me.” With that she turned around and led me through the temple to the back, where there was a large room with two tables, some chairs, and shelves filled with books and scrolls. She started to look through the shelves, and sometimes her hand would hover over a book as if waiting for confirmation that it was the correct one before either pulling it out or leaving it. Finally she had pulled out three large books, which she set on one of the tables for me. “These should contain the information you need Your Highness. If you need anything further please come find me.”

I smiled at her as I sat down in one of the chairs. “Thank you Priestess Alizia, I’m sure these will be very informative.”

Alizia and Patar left the room to leave me to my studies, with Patar promising he would return at lunch. Once they were both gone I got down to business. The books were very informative, but a bit of a dry read. The gates had been created by the various Gods and Goddesses that controlled magic on Earth, the Greylands and five other worlds. Each gate was slightly different in design, depending on which world it was linked to. It turned out that there had been seven gates in total, and diagrams showed that they resembled a smaller version of Stonehenge. One gate led to Earth, and five others led to similar worlds, and then there was the seventh gate which was much bigger than all the rest. This gate was called a multi-gate and could connect to any gate on any of the worlds. From the looks of it, Stonehenge was one of these multi-gates.

I leafed through the records for the gate locations and found that they were spread all over. I remembered though that all of them except for the one that led to Earth had been destroyed, so I looked specifically for the one to Earth. Then I found it and shook my head, before I took another look to make sure I wasn’t seeing things. Sadly though, the location matched up with a place I had become all too familiar with in my recent geography lessons. It was right smack dab in the middle of Pysis, the capital city of the Lharusian Empire. I cursed, “Aw fuck.”

It made sense that the gate to Earth would be there. Humans would have built homes near the gate when they arrived and over time it would have of course evolved into a city as the population grew. How in the hell was I going to get into Pysis to destroy the gate? Even with Michelle’s Radiant abilities it might be a fool’s errand. I was sure I would figure something out, though I wondered why they didn’t just build new gates to replace the old ones when they were destroyed. I rested my head in my hands as I began to flip through the last book, but I was so tired that I wasn’t really seeing the pages. Maybe I got up too early, because the next thing I knew I was dreaming.

I stood in my room staring at the clouds out the window. My gaze swept downward to the large meadow that sat on the edge of the far side of the lake that stretched between the shore and Therune Forest. There were people there, and Earth and Stone Drakans placing massive stones and digging a large circular ditch. I wasn’t sure how I could see clearly so far away, but at each of the compass points on the outer edge of the circle was a shard of crystal embedded in a massive stone pillar. The whole thing looked very familiar but I was distracted by the feeling of something heavy in my hand.

It was a moment before I turned my gaze away from the activity on the north shore and looked down at the book in my hand. It was the first book I had looked at in the temple of Selune, the one with the diagrams. I opened the book to a marked page to see the diagram of the multi-gate, and that same familiar pattern that was being constructed on the north shore. The page got fuzzy as I looked at it and the diagram faded, to be replaced by a strange cursive symbol I had never seen before which glowed with a golden light. I just stared at the symbol as I heard a familiar voice calling, “Your Highness…”

“Your Highness, are you alright?” Alizia asked, gently shaking my shoulder.

I looked up at her sleepily. “Huh? Oh sorry Priestess I just suddenly got really tired. I think I had one of those dreams again.” Chrissy must have fallen asleep around my neck as well, as I could sense her starting to wake up.

“Those dreams?” she asked, though from the smile on her face I think she probably knew exactly what I was talking about. “Why don’t you tell me about it Your Highness?”

I nodded and absently petted Chrissy as I pictured the dream in my head, it was still so clear. “I’ve been having dreams where I see what I think are possible futures, and last night I saw Halan and his parents getting chased through the woods by an angry mob.” She merely nodded at this before gesturing for me to continue. “Well, I was flipping through this book.” I tapped the one that I had been flipping through and found it opened to an empty page. "Strange," I thought as I went on to add, “I suddenly got really tired and fell asleep. I dreamed that I was in my room looking out over the large meadow on the north shore of the lake and there were people and Drakans there moving large stones, and digging a large circular ditch that covered almost the whole meadow. Then I looked down at a book in my hands. It was this book here,” I said tapping the book in question. “It was open to the diagram of the multi-gate.”

Her eyes were drawn to the open book with the blank page and she gave me a knowing smile. “Was there anything else?”

I looked at her, wondering just what she was smiling about. “Yeah, the diagram in the book faded and was replaced with this strange symbol I’ve never seen before. It was kinda glowing.”

Alizia took a quill and ink from a nearby shelf and asked, “Do you think that you could draw that symbol for me on that open page there?” She gestured to the blank page in the book that I had been flipping through.

I arched my eyebrow at her. “Are you sure about that? I don’t want to damage this book, it looks old.”

The priestess handed me the quill, “Please Your Highness, I insist.”

I sighed and gave a shrug as I took the quill. “Okay, if you insist.” I dipped it in ink and let any excess drip off before I began to painstakingly draw the symbol from my dream. No sooner was I finished drawing the strange cursive symbol then it began to glow with a golden light, just like in my dream. I just stared at it a moment before turning my stare to the priestess.

Alizia was grinning at me. “Congratulations Princess, you dreamed of the gate and your dream proved true. I will begin organizing the construction of the gate at once.”

“Huh?” I asked, confused. “Wait. Just because I had a dream about building a gate, you’re going to have one built? No offense, but couldn’t anyone just say that had such a dream just to get one built? And aren’t these plans easy to come by? Anyone could just walk in and copy them.”

The priestess patted my hand affectionately. “These are diagrams only. Only High Priestesses of Selune are given the knowledge on how to actually build the gates, what materials to use, and the shapes and exact placements required for the stones. You came here to Her temple and I used my precognitive gift to decide which books you needed. One of those was the Book of Confirmation. Once you opened it, you slept and had the dream. Selune confirmed that your dream was sent by Her when the symbol you drew in the book glowed. If it had not been a dream from Her, that would not have happened.” She showed me the multi-gate diagram. “Is this as you remembered it in the dream?”

I nodded as I thought about it. “Yeah it looks the same. Only in my dream, there were four fist sized crystals embedded into massive stone pillars at each of the compass points on the outer edge of the circle. The crystals looked like they were from the crystal fountain of Itari, and were at about eye level facing the inside of the circle.”

She looked a bit taken aback by that, but nodded. “Do you think you can mark the points where these pillars should be and sketch their shape with notes about the sizes for me?”

She handed me some loose parchment and I got to works sketching and making notes after marking the locations on the diagram. Once I was finished, I showed them to her. “I think that’s everything. I take it that these aren’t a part of the usual gate construction?”

Alizia shook her head. “No they’re not, but they should be easy enough to make, Selune will help guide me. I think they may be to tie the gate to the crystal fountain.”

“Why would we want to do that?” I wondered aloud.

The priestess looked over the notes and sighed. “It’s possibly to draw off the power of the fountain instead of drawing its power from the kida in the earth and air around the gate. But why would we want to do that? It would severely restrict gate access.”

“How so?” I asked.

“If it draws power from the fountain then only those tied to the fountain would be able to activate the gate. It would mean that whenever someone wanted to use the gate the Queen or her heir would have to be there to allow it,” she explained.

I liked the sounds of that, it sounded like a good security measure. “Okay that means that only my mom and I could send people to other worlds with that gate. What if someone was trying to come from another world to ours?”

The priestess looked pensive for a moment. “I suppose in that case they wouldn’t be able to arrive in our world until one of you allowed it. You and Her Majesty would likely get a pulling feeling from the direction of the gate, and the earth might sing to you to let you know of a visitor from another world.”

I giggled at that. “So kind of like an inter-dimensional doorbell?”

She gave me a confused look. “I beg your pardon Your Highness?”

I shook my head. “Never mind, it was a private joke, but I think I get it. If we get visitors we’ll know about it and they’ll have to wait for us to open the door. That sounds like it would be a good way to keep out uninvited guests.”

Alizia nodded in agreement. “Yes it would be. With your permission Your Highness, I will start preparations for the construction of the gate. I will have to ask that you obtain the crystals from the fountain though.”

I stood up and stretched as I nodded. “Send word when you need them and I’ll take care of it. I’d rather wait until you’re ready to have them placed in the pillars though, as a precaution.”

We placed the books back in their proper places and she led me back out to the square, where Patar waited with Runne. “How went your research Your Highness?” the Jiquar inquired.

“Fruitful,” I replied. “I found the information I was looking for, and Selune decided that I needed to have a gate built on the north shore.”

Patar raised his brows in interest and Runne’s gravelly voice asked, “To which world?”

I gestured broadly, spreading my arms wide, and grinned at the Frost Drakan. “Why to all of them of course. Don’t worry, we’ll have proper locks and a doorbell to keep out the riffraff.”

“You say the strangest things Your Highness,” Patar said with a shake of his head, though I could see a smirk on his bear like face.

Runne smiled, displaying sharp canines. “Oh this is very good news indeed.”

I suppressed a shiver at his smile, as I inquired, “Oh? Why is that?”

The white Drakan turned his head toward me. “If we do go to war, we will be able to use the gate to possibly gather allies.”

I nodded, since I had been thinking much the same. “We won’t be getting any help from Earth though; their gate likely won’t work for a few more passes. Even then I don’t think I’d want much help from them, they might just decide to side with the human ruled empire rather than us.”

“I was thinking of the other worlds myself,” Runne replied. “We Drakans are explorers of a sort. We used the gates to travel to other worlds and, though it has been a few hundred passes since the gates here were destroyed, it is likely there would still be Drakans on some of the other worlds, especially our home world of Lojihn.”

Runne had given me a bit to think about as I bought some lunch for myself and Jezz at the marketplace. I bought some fresh rolls, frostberry pies, broiled fish, and pastries filled with Lharn meat, diced vegetables, and a tangy sauce. Once I had procured lunch, and placed it all safely in one of Runne’s bags, we mounted up and flew back to the rear of the castle. Michelle and Grayle had nearly finished digging a large plot of land for a garden, and Jezz was making sure their new home was sturdy and didn’t have any holes in the roof. The stable-like structure was huge and looked like it would easily be able to fit them both comfortably, even once they were full grown.

As they finished up their tasks, I started setting out lunch on a small blanket and Runne flew over the castle walls to airlift Michelle and Grayle’s lunch out to us. Soon all was completed and two very dirty Drakans began to eat their meals as Jezz and I sat down to ours. We had invited Patar and Runne to stay, but he needed to talk to Kardis about weapons for my new guards before combat practice began. So Jezz and I enjoyed some cuddling time as Chrissy and Pounce frolicked amongst the yalk trees. Michelle and Grayle were pleasantly surprised at the frostberry pies I had bought us for desert, and as they made happy noises I smiled at the pair while holding Jezz’s hand. ~I’m glad you’re both so happy right now. That means you won’t object to a bath.~

~Hey I’m not that happy Alex. I already had one swim today,~ Michelle replied.

I looked at her sternly, but couldn’t manage to hold the expression as I smiled. ~Come on sis, it’s shaping up to be a hot afternoon and Jezz and I still have a few candlemarks before combat practice, so we can get you both clean and all have a bit of fun.~

~If you want to bathe me, you’re gonna have to find me first,~ she responded as she vanished from sight.

~Hey! No Fair! Hide me too!~ Grayle exclaimed.

~Can’t do that sister mine, I’m not good enough yet to hide us both at the same time.~ Michelle sounded regretful that that was the case.

~Oh so that’s how it is huh?~ I stood up and unbuttoned my sundress, letting it fall to the ground before picking it up as I felt around with my mind. “Need I remind you Michelle that I am not only your Chosen, but an empath as well? I don’t have to see you to know where you are.” I closed my eyes and filtered out Jezz’s and Grayle’s emotions, then those of Pounce and Chrissy, and that left me with the next closest source. “Aha! There you are!” I tossed my balled up dress and it suddenly stopped mid-air to just hang there.

Michelle, figuring that she was found out, reappeared with my dress dangling off her draconic muzzle. This set Grayle off laughing, and Jezz and I weren’t far behind as we both started giggling. “Oh tha’ dress looks great on ya M’chelle,” Jezz managed to get out between giggles.

“Yes, very dignified sis!” I got out between my own bursts of giggling. “I wish the Greylands had cameras, because this is a Kodak moment!”

Michelle snorted indignantly, causing the dress to flap in the burst of air before settling back over her muzzle, which set us all off laughing again. ~You mentioned a bath? I think I may still have some dignity left to lose.~ She snorted again, finally dislodging the dress and causing it to fall to the ground, and started to head toward the water. Once we were all finished laughing Jezz and I stripped down so we could join her.

It was a nice day for a swim, warm with very few clouds. The water was a bit cold, but we quickly got used to it while we got our Drakans clean. Once they were nice and shiny we all splashed around and swam, until Grayle and Michelle decided to leave the water to dry off in the early afternoon sun. Jezz and I kept splashing and playing for a bit, until we felt it was nearly time for us to be getting ready for combat practice. I left the water, my fur dripping wet, and casually strolled between both Drakans who were now dozing in the sun. Then once I was in position I shook off all the water in my fur, getting them both wet again in the process. Hearing the Drakans squeal in surprise was well worth them both chasing me back into the lake.

I was finally dry, and in my clothes again, as we sat down to wait for Patar to retrieve us. Jezz laid down with her head in my lap holding my hand. Her voice was like satin in my mind as we both relaxed. ~So was your trip to the temple productive?~

~Far more so than I thought it would be,~ I replied. ~I found out where the world-gate to Earth is. It’s right in the center of Pysis.~

~That’s going to make it difficult to destroy,~ Jezz replied in concern.

~I may have some ideas, and there’s plenty of time to plan before Earth’s gate is usable again I think.~ I ran my fingers through her hair and caressed one of her wings as I thought, ~I’m more concerned about the new gate.~

~New gate?~ Michelle asked sleepily.

~Yeah. When I was in the temple I got one of those dreams again. Selune apparently decided to have me play messenger girl to let Priestess Alizia know that She approves of me building a multi-gate. One that can access any world with a gate.~

~That sounds promising; there hasn’t been a working gate in close to three hundred passes. I wonder why Selune waited so long to have another made,~ Jezz replied.

I sighed as I considered that. ~I think because She was afraid of Lharus just destroying them again. I also think that Itari had something to do with this. The new gate is to be on the north shore of Misalet Lake. Azure is the center of Itari’s power, and They may feel a gate will be safer here. There are also some modifications that include crystals from the fountain. Alizia thinks they may be security precautions that limit gate use.~

~Sounds like we’re in for interesting times,~ Michelle put in.

~Yeah, at least you can never say life in the Greylands is boring.~ I leaned down to kiss Jezz as I thought, ~Which is even more reason for us all to prepare ourselves for the future.~

I looked up from our kiss to see Runne coming in for a landing. Jezz sighed in my arms as she added, ~No time like the present.~ We got to our feet to collect Chrissy and Pounce, and gave our Drakans a big hug before Jezz flew up toward the courtyard and I mounted Runne. Soon we were both in the practice yards with our weapons in hand as we waited for the others.

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Author's Note: Here's chapter 10 of Alex in Wonderland. I finally snapped through the writers block and it all came at once :) Thank you as always to all my readers for the comments, kudos, and thinking that my work is worth reading. Also thanks to the Big Closet team who work tirelessly to give us all a wonderfully supportive venue to read and post TG fiction ~Amethyst.
 

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Chapter 10: Uninvited Guest

Once Patar had arranged for weapons for my new guards, he started us all on some warm-up exercises. Then, when we were all warmed up, he started us on practice drills, assigning a different drill to each of us depending on our weapons of choice and our physical traits. There were a lot of different maneuvers going on in the training yard since we all were using different weapons, or combinations of weapons. I had my bastard sword, Jezz her short sword, and each of our guards had their own new weapons to get used to.

Lannah had been assigned a long metal staff as tall as she was, and both ends branched out into a pair of barbed blades which could easily impale an enemy, or snatch their own weapons from their hands with a good flip of her wrist. I thought the weapon was a good choice for her, as it would let her keep her distance from her opponents and give her multiple options in a fight. She seemed to take to it pretty well too, though she would need to learn to constantly be aware of those twin blades at each end. She was the one I worried about most amongst my guards, but Patar assured me that in a one on one fight, or even two on one, she would be able to handle herself well. He was planning on working with her on opening herself to her opponents’ thoughts so that she would know what they are doing before they do it.

Rozia was a different story. The white Jiquar girl was big, strong, and had already been training to be a palace guard before being Chosen. She was already growing proficient with her weapons, all four of them, and even had some ideas on how she could distract opponents during a fight with even her small thaumaturge abilities. Not that she would need much of an edge, with a pair of long swords in her upper hands and a pair of spiked maces in the lower ones. If any of my guards could handle themselves in a fight, it was Rozia.

Jonth had decided to use his Zenin speed and agility to his advantage. When the time had come to choose his weapon he decided on a pair of daggers which he would wear on his belt, and also a dozen throwing knives. One of the knives would go in each boot, and the remaining ten came sheathed in a harness for easy access. He also figured that, while his Wind Walker abilities weren’t strong enough to control the weather, he could generate enough of a wind to give thrown objects a little extra oomph and accuracy.

Irric had chosen a long, wickedly curved scimitar for his weapon. I was worried at first that the weight and balance might be a problem, but he seemed to have no issues with it once he started his drills. He admitted that the Rokin used similar weapons to fight the bandits that were a constant danger in the Great Sands. While he had been living with them, and recovering from his illness, he had been taught to use one as part of his recuperation. He had kept learning once he discovered he was stuck as a Rokin because he felt that as a trader he would need to be able to defend himself.

Michelle had given up trying to nap while Alex and the others were practicing. The practice yards were in a courtyard on just the other side of the wall, and it was hard to sleep with all that noise going on. The noise was beginning to die down though, and Patar seemed to be giving them all a lesson in combat tactics from what she could pick up of her Chosen’s thoughts. She looked at the castle wall that separated her from them and let out a sigh. Something felt off, but she just couldn’t place it, like there was some sort of disturbance in the force. She was a Drakan though, not a Jedi, and tried to push the thought to the back of her mind as just worry over Alex.

Her former twin had been through a lot recently, so there was a lot to worry about. Alex was too worried about becoming the perfect leader for her people to let herself just relax. The afternoon playing in the lake had been a nice break from that, but she knew Alex still had a lot on her mind and she would get flashes of memory of Halan touching her, followed by quickly suppressed panic and fear. Alex was trying to bury herself in distractions, to avoid dealing with what was really bothering her. It wasn’t the first time she had done this, and Michelle could remember many such times when they were growing up where Alex would throw herself into other things after a trauma, and now she was doing it again.

The book was the first distraction, then she had quickly latched on to going to the temple of Selune from there, and then the Gate business. Even playing in the lake was a distraction, although it was nice to have Alex somewhat relaxed. Now she was fully absorbed in her lessons. The deaths of Halan and his family had given her a bit of closure, but Michelle thought it might be a while before Alex would be comfortable alone in the presence of a man again. All Michelle could do for now was to wait and be there for her when she needed it.

She mentally cursed the annoying feeling of wrongness that seemed to nag at her. "Wait a minute," she thought, "it was over by the front of the castle before. It’s closer now, moving along the top of the wall. There, it stopped right up there, above me." She looked up and saw nothing. Then she opened her light senses, and saw a type of tear in the movement of light. Someone was bending light, and it wasn’t a Radiant Drakan. Radiant’s bent light in a way that seemed natural and a part of things, but this was like someone was using magical brute force to become invisible. She could see them now inside a painful looking tear in the flow of light, he or she was crouched on the top of the wall, and they were watching the practice yard.

Once drills were over, Patar had us all rest while he started teaching us about combat strategies and tactics. He wanted us all to learn how to think on our feet, and he had various ideas on how we could all fight as a group and cover one another’s weak spots. Then he decided that we all needed a 'get to know one another' session so that we could get a better feel for one another. Working and spending a lot of time together would be a lot easier if we were all friends. Suddenly Michelle’s voice popped into my thoughts. ~Don’t look, but you have a visitor atop the back wall. He’s using some sort of invisibility spell.~

~Shit!~ I cursed. ~Is he alone, or are there others?~

~He’s alone, believe me if anyone else but a Radiant is using invisibility I’ll be able to feel it. It doesn’t feel nice at all. I felt it when he left the city for the bridge, but I didn’t know what it was at the time,~ she responded.

~Can you make him visible do you think?~

I received a mental nod in response. ~I think so. At the very least, I can do something to show you where he is. Even if I can’t counter the invisibility, I can make the area around him light up like a Christmas tree.~

~Okay sis, thanks, but hold off until I give the word. I don’t want this person getting away,~ I replied. I continued smiling and nodding at the others like we were having a nice chat and said very quietly, “Everybody keep smiling and acting like we’re having a great conversation. We have eyes on the back wall. Michelle spotted someone using an invisibility spell. She thinks she can make him visible, or at least light up the area around him for us.”

Lannah was facing me, and away from the wall, and I could see her brow furrow in concentration. “I can hear his thoughts. He thinks we are all just chatting. He’s waiting for anything interesting to happen, and he is focusing mainly on you Princess.”

I nodded and smiled. “Great work Lannah, let me know if he starts to suspect anything. Anyone got any suggestions on how we can bring him down here for a chat once he’s visible?”

“I might be able to create enough of a wind to knock him off the wall, but it might not work if he has decent grip,” Jonth offered.

Rozia grinned at him. “Let me take care of the grip. I should be able to make the area beneath his feet slick with ice, if I can see him. It will be pushing the limits of my range though.”

I looked to Patar, who nodded in approval. “Okay everyone, on the count of three I’m going to have Michelle do her thing. As soon as you see him, Rozia make with the ice slick. Jonth, give her a count of two to get it done and then hit him with the strongest wind you can manage. Irric, as soon as he’s down, you and Patar make sure he’s not going anywhere. Everyone got it?” There was a chorus of nods, and I counted one… two… three!”

Michelle waited for word from Alex as she continued to watch the man on the wall nervously. Then Alex’s voice slipped into her mind. ~Okay sis, light him up.~

~You got it Alex,~ she replied with a draconic grin. She could see Grayle watching the wall, so she assumed Jezz had let her in on what was going on. She centered her attention on the person in the tear, and the way they were bending the light. It was wrong and went against the natural flow of light and, as such, the light was resisting. Could it really be that simple? She bent her will toward the light and it’s resistance and gave every ounce of power she could to creating an aura of light around him. The light seemed to magnify, and he became visible as Michelle countered his field of light with one of her own.

There was a bright flash of light atop the wall, and a whistling sound, as the man suddenly became visible. He was flickering, but he was visible. He started rubbing his eyes, flash blinded, and that was all the opening we needed. Rozia’s attention was on him and, with a gesture to the spot he was perched on, he began to slip. A half second after that, a gust of wind hit him from behind and he fell from the wall into Patar’s waiting arms. No sooner had Patar caught him than he dropped him to the ground, where Irric was quick to put that curved blade of his to the intruder’s throat.

I looked the spy over as he seemed to realize that he was caught. He was a human with brown hair, a goatee, and frightened blue eyes, and he wore a black tunic and hose. Lannah was looking at him even more intently than I was. ~His name is Donnel, and he’s an Empire spy Milady,~ Lannah’s voice spoke in my mind, ~and he’s very worried about what we’re going to do with him. It seems that they tell some pretty bad stories about ‘inhumans’ in the Empire.~

~Of course,~ I replied casually. ~The more their people fear us, the more willing they will be to make war on us.~ I sauntered up to the spy and smiled at him before saying, “You’ll have to excuse me. If I knew I would be having a guest from the Empire visiting, I would have dressed nicer.”

“How did you…” he began.

“I’m the Princess, and I know everything that goes on in Azure. So, Donnel is it? Why don’t you tell me exactly what you’re doing in my palace.” He just stared at me, unable or unwilling to say anything. “Well from your nifty little invisibility trick, I think it’s pretty safe to say you were spying. What you’re going to tell me is why.”

I had to give him credit for bravado. He looked like he was ready to wet himself and he still had the balls to say, “I’m not telling you monsters anything.”

I rolled my eyes and frowned. “Oh right, you’ve been told that we’re all horrible creatures that feed on man flesh, or some such. Listen Donnel, you mind if I call you Don? Anyway Don, we’re not everything that the Empire makes us out to be, they are using what’s called propaganda. Now listen, because this will be on the exam. Propaganda is when you use misinformation to gain a desired emotional response, and is often used to justify a war.” He was staring at me, watching my every movement like I was about to reach in and snap his neck. “You seem uncomfortable Don, can I get you something to drink? Or would you be more comfortable if I acted like the monster they portray all of us non-humans to be?”

“I.. uhhh…” the poor guy looked petrified.

“Okay, let me try to get in character, but keep in mind I’m only doing this for your comfort.” I put a menacing frown on my face and turned to Rozia with a wink. “Break his legs, and keep breaking bones until he talks.” His eyes widened in fear and I made a show of sighing. “Well that didn’t seem to make you more comfortable at all. You’re going to have to help me out here Don, I’m not a mind reader.”

Jezz had to cover her mouth at that to keep from laughing. I sent her a wink and she got the idea, quickly supplying, “M’ love ya are a mind reader.”

“Oh that’s right. Silly me, well that does make things easier, doesn’t it Don?” I asked him, not really caring if I got an answer. “The human mind is a funny thing you know. If you tell a person not to think about something, what do you think the first thing they do is?” He shook his head, speechless and I smiled at him. “Well, they think about it of course. The same thing goes if you ask them a question; they just think the true answer, even if they don’t want to say it. So what we’re going to do is ask you a lot of questions, and we’re both going to know what the right answers are, sounds fun right?”

It didn’t look like he had the same idea of fun as I did. “Wha…” he started to get out before I cut him off.

“You’re cute, but you need to learn to listen Don. We’re the ones who are going to ask the questions. You’re going to answer them. You’re probably going to try to lie, or give us false information, but we’ll all know what the truth is.” I grinned at him, and the show of my very pronounced canines made him swallow hard. “Now that we know the rules of our game, tell him what he wins if he plays the game right.”

Irric quickly suggested, “He getsss to live?”

“Ooh that is a good prize, don’t you think so Don?” From the way the color had left his face, I was guessing he didn’t much like that being the prize. “So tell me what they sent you here for Don.” I took Lannah’s hand in one of mine, and Jezz’ in the other, so that we could both be in the telepathic loop when Lannah and Patar were both reading his thoughts.

Don remained quiet but, as I suspected, his thoughts betrayed him. Lannah and I both smiled when we heard, ~Don’t say anything. They can’t make me talk. I can’t let them know I was sent here to find out about their defenses and what the new heir is like.~

“Very good Don, you don’t say much, but you play this game well. So you were sent to see about our defenses and to find out about little ole me?” I smiled at him again. “So what do you plan on telling them? I’m curious.”

~I didn’t think the castle had any defenses worth reporting, but how did they detect my invisibility spell? They may be more dangerous than the Emperor thinks,~ he thought, but remained silent.

“Oh I assure you Don, we are much more dangerous than you think, but we don’t really care for war. If the Empire leaves us in peace we will remain happily secluded here, but if you all decide to attack Azure then you will regret it. The land itself will rise against you, and I will not be amused. Trust me when I say that it’s much better to stay on my good side.” I paused for effect before adding, “Speaking of me, I’m a little insulted that you didn’t think anything about me just now. So tell me, what do you think of me, really?”

~This girl is insane. I heard she was just a Healer and an empath, she shouldn’t be much of a threat. Not as much as her parents, but she acts like she’s the one I should really be worried about. What in Pallo is she hiding?~ His thoughts were running rapidly through possibilities.

“Now Don, that’s not a very nice thing to think about me. I can be a very good friend; would you like to be friends? As a friend, let me tell you this, I am without a doubt the one that you need to worry most about right now.” I gave him another big smile. “Why is the Empire so concerned about our defenses?”

He remained stone-faced, but his mind was still open to us. ~What a stupid question to ask, of course we’re concerned with their defenses. We’re preparing our army to come and wipe them all out.~

“Well, that’s not very neighborly at all,” I said with a frown. “When does the Empire think that you’ll be ready to launch this offensive?”

~Good, I don’t know that, all I know is that it will be nine tenths before we have the resources for an all-out attack. The Emperor probably won’t launch an attack until we’re ready, unless these monsters attack us first. Why is she acting so calm about this? She’s crazy.~ I heard as he looked from me to my guards. ~I need to get out of here and report. They’re expecting me back at mountains in two suns.~

I gave Donnel a stern look. “Such a rude thing to think about me Don, I thought we were friends. I’m sorry, are we keeping you too long? Maybe once we’re done here, one of our Drakans can give you a ride to the mountains for your meeting. They can be a bit clumsy at times though, so I can’t guarantee they won’t drop you. Now, are you the only uninvited guest I have to worry about from the Empire, or should I be setting extra places at the dinner table tonight?”

~Of course I’m the only one,~ he thought proudly, ~I’m the only one of the Emperor’s Thaumaturges to master invisibility.~

“Yes,” I replied, “you mastered it so well that we detected and captured you. And you think I’m crazy. Well at least I only need to set one extra place at the table, how do you feel about roast Liddeck with stuffing and veggies? I rather prefer fish myself, but our cooks can do fantastic things with poultry.”

He looked at me like I was certifiably insane. ~That does sound pretty good though.~

“Okay Don, next question. What information does the Empire have on me at this time?” I asked with a smile. “Oh, and please don’t forget any of the juicy details.”

~Why does she think they sent me?~ the spy’s thoughts were tinged with confusion. ~The Empire has no information on her, other than she was recently made heir and is an empath and Healer. I’ll need to let them know she’s crazy, but she’s not giving me any information from talking to her other than that.~

I looked from Don to Jezz and said, “Call it a hunch, but I’m beginning to think that he thinks I’m crazy.”

Jezz giggled at that and replied, “Where could ya ha’ gotten tha’ idea m’ love?”

Patar’s voice slipped into my mind, ~We will need to make sure he doesn’t remember any of this and if possible send him home with inaccurate information.~

“Just some nagging thoughts,” I responded to Jezz while looking at the very distraught spy. I thought back to Patar, ~good idea, both of you get ready, I want us all three of us in on this to make sure we don’t miss anything important.~ Don looked very uncomfortable so I gave him another big smile. “Lighten up Don, would a joke cheer you up? I’m not very good with humor, but let me give it a try. How many telepaths does it take to mind wipe a spy?”

His eyes widened in fear. ~She can’t be serious.~

“It wouldn’t be a joke if I were serious, that’s the whole point of a joke,” I replied to his thought absently before pausing. “Oh right, jokes are supposed to be funny, I really need to work on that. This one really isn’t, but I don’t like to leave my audience hanging, so suppose I should tell you the punch line anyway: It’s one, but we’re going to use three.”

Patar, Lanah, and I carefully wiped Don’s mind of all memories of our encounter and had Runne place him on top of the wall above the courtyard that contained the Healer’s garden. Once he was in place, and Michelle had stopped countering his invisibility spell, Lannah nudged him back to awareness with the implanted thought that I was so boring that he must have fallen asleep. Jezz and I spent the next candlemark in the garden talking to Pounce, Chrissy, and the plants like they could answer us as he watched. Then we started kissing and cuddling and, just as things were about to get really hot, I stood up and exclaimed, “Oh! We need to go inside for dinner! I got the cooks to make little cakes in animal shapes for dessert!” Then I flounced off toward the main courtyard with Chrissy in my arms and Jezz and Pounce following along behind me.

Lannah was laughing as she sent me, ~He thinks you’re an imbecile, and that the castle has no noteworthy defenses, he’s heading back through the city and to the mountains now.~

~Our job is done then. Patar is having Gella and Iriden follow him like we planned?~ I asked. Patar had contacted the older Radiant pair while Jezz and I put on our show.

~Yes, they are watching him from the air as we speak Your Highness.~ I could still feel the humor in her mind as she responded.

I couldn’t help laughing myself; the afternoon had been fairly entertaining. ~Come on in for dinner then before you go back to Snow. Good work today Lannah. Please pass that on to the others as well, I’m proud to have you all as my guards.~

Lannah and the others met us in the dining hall, where Patar and my parents were already seated and he was regaling them with the story of my ‘interrogation’ of the spy. I thought my father was going to bust a gut laughing, and even my mother had tears in her eyes from laughing. I grinned at them all as I walked in. “Well if Lannah is right, Don now thinks I’m an imbecile and his report should reflect that the Empire has plenty of time to prepare for war. That should give us plenty of time to prepare as well.”

Mom nodded. “With any luck he will be out of the country soon. At least he will be out of the Capital before word starts to spread about the new Gate. It may be wise for us to post our few Radiants to border duty for the foreseeable future, in case he tries to re-enter Azure. Hopefully if Michelle can spot what he was doing, the others will be able to do the same. We’ll have to have Michelle somehow let the other Radiants know what to look for.”

I shrugged as Jezz and I took our seats, and I motioned for our guards to do the same. “Let’s hope so. It will be nice to know when their spies are coming and going so we can prepare. But we’ve set them on the wrong track for now, and as an added bonus he now thinks I’m an imbecile instead of crazy. At least I think that’s an improvement.”

~Only you would think going from being thought of as insane to being thought an imbecile is an upgrade,~ Michelle said in my mind with a laugh.

~I take my victories where I can find them,~ I replied with a laugh as I began to dig into my dinner.

Jezz and I were on our way back to my rooms when we almost literally ran into Tarn. “I’m sorry Yer Highness,” he quickly apologized. “Master Galan said he needed to talk t’ ya.”

I nodded and gave the nervous apprentice a smile. “It’s alright Tarn, please lead the way.”

“Yes Yer Highness,” he replied with a half bow before he started to walk toward the Royal Enchanter’s quarters. We followed him to the rooms and Tarn knocked lightly before entering and motioning for us to do so as well.

Galan looked up from his worktable to give us one of his jovial smiles. “Hello Your Highness, Lady Jezz, thank you for coming by on such short notice.”

“It’s our pleasure Galan, what can we do for you?” I asked.

“It is what I can do for you actually Your Highness,” he replied. “You asked about an easier way for you to get out to visit your Drakans now that they are outside the castle walls.”

I nodded. “Yeah, Jezz can just fly over the wall, but I can’t.”

Galan handed me what appeared to be a gold ring, inset with an emerald. “I enchanted this ring much like the Queen’s ring. This has two set locations in it, and you can move to either by thinking of them while touching the emerald. The first location is the living area of your room, and the second is the shore of the part of the island where your Drakans reside.”

I looked at the ring in my hand in interest. “What happens if something is in the area the ring is supposed to move me to? I would hate to appear half inside Michelle or Grayle.” The thought made me shudder.

“There’s a safety measure built in for that. If something occupies the area you would appear in, it will detect it and move you to the closest possible unoccupied space.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s good to know. Thank you very much Galan,I will definitely put this to use. Michelle and Grayle are sleeping at the moment, but I might pop there and back to my room just to make sure everything works right.”

“Very well Your Highness, just let me know if you need anything else,” he offered with a smile. “Oh, and Kardis should have a large sack of the regular ammunition for your weapons, so make sure to see him when you are in the practice yard tomorrow. He said to tell you that they are fairly easy to replicate, and since they don’t need enchantments you can just pick them up from him and let him know when you are running low so he can make more.”

“Great,” I replied with a grin. “Thanks again for all the effort you’ve put out for us Galan. If you require anything that I can help with, please don’t be afraid to ask.”

He nodded as he responded, “Of course Your Highness. You both have a good night and sleep well.”

“You as well Galan. And you too Tarn, sleep well,” I said with a parting wave to the boy who I could have sworn was blushing under his fur.

“Aye Galan. Ya both ‘ave a good rest as well.” Jezz said as we left his rooms. We headed back to my rooms and put our weapons away. Patar had brought them up for us earlier, but since Jezz and I were the only ones who could open the armory door he had left them on my table. Once the weapons were in their proper spots, we closed the door and I took a deep breath before rubbing the emerald on my new ring and thinking of the shore.

Much to my relief I appeared in one piece, less than a foot away from the water’s edge. I looked around and found that our Drakans were indeed asleep in their new stable. I slipped inside and put my arms around Michelle’s neck in a hug. “Thanks for everything sis. I don’t know what I would do without you here.”

~You would survive just fine,~ came her sleepy voice. ~I’m glad I’m here with you though. We’ve both changed since coming here, but I think it’s all for the best. We have each other and we’re both much stronger than we were before. Just please, don’t shut me out when you’re upset. You know that if you need me for anything I’m only a thought away.~

“I know,” I said with tears in my eyes. “You’ve had my back since you got here. I couldn’t ask for a better twin sister, or a better Drakan. Don’t worry so much, I’ll talk about it once I’m ready. I don’t like feeling like I’m hiding things from you, but sometimes I need to put some distance between myself and the bad things before I can unload on you. I know you’ll be there when I am ready.”

~I will always be there for you. And anyone who tries to hurt you, or get between us, will regret it.~

“The same goes for you. Anyone who tries to hurt you, or get between us, will find out the hard way just how crazy I can be,” I said trying to lighten the mood.

~You’re a rich Princess now Alex. You’re not crazy, you’re eccentric.~ She wrapped me in a mental hug. ~One thing though.~

“What’s that sis?” I asked.

~The next time you interrogate a spy, I want a front row seat. I was laughing my scaly ass off out here just picking up on your thoughts, I can’t imagine how funny it would have been if I were there to see the whole thing.~ She chuckled at the thought.

I started laughing too. “Do you know how hard it was to keep a straight face through all that? But it kept him off balance and we got a little information out of him. I wish it were you and me tailing him to his meeting though. I’m sure Gella and Iriden are good, but I wanted to see for myself just what shows up to pick him up.”

She nodded her great draconic head. ~Me too. I have a bad feeling it might be one of those ships you saw in your dreams.~

“They’re going to report to me as soon as they’re back,” I said in an attempt to reassure her. “It should be interesting meeting another Radiant pair. Patar has said good things about them. I’m worried it’s one of those ships too though. We may need to think about sending some spies of our own. I’ll have to start talking to Mom and Dad about this. They’ve been letting me handle a lot of this on my own, but I’m not the Queen yet.”

She snorted at that. ~Yes spies might be a good idea, hopefully ours will be successful. The Queen is letting you handle things because you’ve done a good job at it so far, even Patar is happy with the way you’ve handled things. But I’m sure she would appreciate you asking for her input.~

“Thanks for the talk sis,” I said giving her another hug around her neck. “I’ll let you get some sleep, I love you.”

~I love you too Alex. Good night.~ She closed her eyes and I touched the emerald in the ring once more, thinking of my rooms.

Jezz was waiting for me when I appeared beside the armory door. I took her hand and led her to my bed, where we both got undressed and under the covers. We laid there for a while just holding one another without saying anything, just curled up in one another’s arms and one another’s love. Finally Jezz asked, ~Did you have a good talk with Michelle?~

~Yeah, I did,~ I replied. ~it’s good to have some constants in my life, as crazy as things have been around here lately. I know she will always be there for me, and I know you and Grayle will too. With the business with Halan and his family yesterday, the journal, the new Gate that Selune decided she wants built, and imperial spies it’s been a rough couple of days. I’m lucky I’m not as crazy as that spy thought I was, with all that going on.~

She smiled at me and caressed my cheek before leaning in to kiss me. ~You’re a very nice kind of crazy my love, and I wouldn’t have you any other way. If nothing else you keep life around here interesting. I’m pretty sure everyone else feels the same way too.~

I giggled. ~Yeah I guess I do make things entertaining at least. I thought that poor Lannah was going to lose it and break down laughing a couple of times during the interrogation.~

~Me too,~ she admitted.~“Rozia had to look away from him a couple times because she couldn’t keep a straight face, and it’s hard to tell with Rokin, but I thought Irric was trying not to laugh when he told him the ‘prize’. And poor Jonth was looking away and pretending to stand guard because he couldn’t stop smiling.~

I nodded and rested my head on her breast. ~I think we’ve got a good bunch with those four. They reacted quickly, combined their skills well, followed orders, and they all realized pretty quick that I was putting on the crazy act.~

~I think so too. They are all good people and eager to serve and protect us. No matter how crazy things get here you will have them, me, and all of our Drakans to stand beside you.~ She kissed my forehead and wrapped her arms around me and we stayed like that, content in one another’s arms, until we both fell asleep.

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Author's Note: Here's chapter 11 of Alex in Wonderland. Thank you as always to all my readers for the comments, kudos, and thinking that my work is worth reading. Also thanks to the Big Closet team who work tirelessly to give us all a wonderfully supportive venue to read and post TG fiction ~Amethyst.
 

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Chapter 11: Tahrin

It was two suns after our uninvited guest and I was trying my best to concentrate in my morning Healing class. I was aroused, and it was bothering me. It wasn’t the arousal itself that was disturbing me; it was that it wasn’t Jezz making me feel that way, it was Trevas. I was glad class was almost over, so I could get a break from him. ~What’s wrong?~ Michelle asked, ~You’ve been distracted and horny all morning. It’s not corrune pollen again, is it?~

I gave her a mental shake of my head. ~No, after last time that was the first thing I thought, and frankly it terrified me, but I don’t smell any. It has a very distinctive scent. I thought maybe my sense of smell was off, but it actually seems to be in overdrive. I can smell people’s distinctive scents much better than normal right now. It’s just… Trevas smells good… really good, and it’s turning me on.~

~I thought you only had eyes, and a nose, for Jezz,~ was her reply.

~I know, so did I, that’s why this is bothering me so much. Thank Goddess class will be over soon.~ Class wasn’t over soon enough though, and I was really relieved to leave Trevas behind as Jezz and I walked hand in hand to the library for our other morning lessons with Patar.

~Are you alright my love?~ Jezz’s mind voice sounded concerned.

~Yeah, I think so sweetie, just something off with my nose I think.~ I tried to shrug it off.

~I noticed you looking at Trevas in class. You kept smiling, and then looking at him like you were confused.~ She gave my hand a gentle squeeze.

~That obvious, was I?~ I kissed her softly to reassure her. ~No matter what weird looks I may give Trevas, or any other male, you’re the only person I want.~ As if summoned by my thoughts, Tarn chose that moment to walk by. Then, as if it had been scripted, we both sniffed the air and turned to look at one another. He smelled really good too. I shook it off and we continued on our way. ~That was weird.~

~What was?~ my Cinole lover asked, sounding amused. ~The fact that you were looking at him the same way you were Trevas, or that he was looking at you the same way Trevas was earlier as well.~

I stopped and looked her in the eyes. ~Looking at me how exactly?~

She gave me a smile as she replied, ~Like a starving man at one of your mother’s formal dinners. Really hungry, but knowing very well that they had better be minding their manners if they want to eat. You really didn’t notice? It was written all over their faces, like desire and confusion was on yours.~

~Okay this is getting weird. I think I need to ask my mom about this. I’ll need to break our mental link to talk to her though. Let’s just keep heading to the library and hopefully I can talk to her as we walk.~ I gave her a kiss as I broke the mental link and reached out through the land for my mother. ~Mom? Do you have a moment?~

I could feel her wrapping me in a warm mental hug. ~I always have time for my daughter, Alexis dear.~

I returned the mental embrace as I spoke, ~Thanks Mom. I’ve been feeling really weird all morning, but I’m not sure if it’s a Zenin thing or if I should see a more experienced Healer about it, since Jezz doesn’t seem to know what’s going on either.~

~What’s wrong dear?~ she asked, her voice tinged with concern.

~I was having trouble focusing all through my Healing lessons. I kept getting distracted by Trevas.~

~What was he doing that was distracting you?~ she queried.

~That’s the thing, he wasn’t doing anything!~ I was sounding frustrated, even to myself. ~He just smelled really nice, and Jezz said he kept looking at me too, but I was too distracted to notice. And the same thing just happened with Tarn in the hall.~

Suddenly I felt her giggling in my mind. She must have felt my confusion, because she quickly apologized. ~I am sorry Alexis, it’s just that we have gotten so close over the past few sevensuns that I sometimes forget you weren’t born Zenin, or at least your mind wasn’t.~

~So it’s a Zenin thing then?~ I asked uncertainly.

~Yes,~ she replied, ~it’s the Tahrin. Like your moon cycle you’ll be going through this once every four sevensuns. It means that you are at your most fertile, and it typically lasts about three suns. During the Tahrin you will instinctively want to mate to conceive a child, so male Zenin will smell very good to you. You will also smell very good to male Zenin, and they will have the desire to mate with you. It can be bothersome, but you will get used to it and it does help to conceive children.~

~Oh just great. Why didn’t I notice this when I first got here? I know that was almost exactly four sevensuns ago. You’d think that I’d have noticed being easily distracted and super horny,~ I retorted.

~Think about it,~ she answered. ~Where were you exactly four sevensuns ago?~

We were almost to the library and Jezz gave me a look as I groaned at the memory. ~I was in the Frozen Wastes when I got here.~

~And how long were you there for?~ she pushed.

~I was in the cave and the valley for four days before Patar found me,~ I answered. And then it hit me. ~Oh! I think I get it! My body already felt strange and different to me, and I was focused on surviving. So with no male Zenin around to smell good I just didn’t notice it.~

~Exactly,~ she replied while giving me another mental hug. ~My advice is that if you don’t want to produce an heir yet, try to avoid too much time around male Zenin. The longer you’re with them, the more intense the desire will become in you both.~

~Thanks Mom,~ I said, mentally hugging her back again. ~I should get ready for my lesson and let Jezz in on why I’m acting so strange. I love you, and I’ll see you at dinner.~

~I love you too dear. I’m glad Itari allowed you to become Heir, it’s made us become so close these past sevensuns.~ With that we broke the connection and I breathed a deep sigh.

~So did your mother have an answer for you?~ Jezz asked curiously as we entered the library and her hand gripped mine tighter.

I groaned as we sat down. ~Yeah she did. Michelle is going to love this.~

~Do tell,~ spoke my Drakan’s mental voice, tinged with interest.

~It’s a Zenin thing,~ I reported with all the seriousness I could. ~It’s my other time of the month.~ Both Jezz and our Drakans were confused, so I elaborated. ~Once every four sevensuns I not only get my moon cycle, but also something called the Tahrin. It happens when my body is at its most fertile. My body decides it’s ready to procreate and it makes sure that I, and any male Zenin that are nearby, know it.~

Michelle chortled in our minds, ~You’re in heat! Oh that’s rich. At least you know when the best time is for you to become a baby factory. So are you planning on taking the plunge? You and Jezz would make good mommies,~ she teased.

I quickly shot back, ~We would, but I think we have our hands full with you and Grayle at the moment. More babies will have to wait.~ I gave her a mental raspberry as Jezz and I got comfortable and we waited for Patar to show up.

I was eating a picnic lunch with Jezz, Michelle, and Grayle behind the castle when Patar’s voice slipped into my mind. ~Your Highness, Gella and Iriden have returned from tailing the imperial spy. They should be over the palace shortly.~

~Thank you Patar,~ I replied. ~Could you all come join us out here? It will be more comfortable I think.~

~As you wish Your Highness,~ he responded before leaving me to my thoughts once more.

I leaned down and kissed Jezz, who was reclining beside me. “We’re about to get company sweetie.”

Moments later Runne landed at the water’s edge, accompanied by a massive Radiant Drakan. I had never seen a Drakan that large since coming here. ~If Iriden is any indication sis, you’re going to grow up to be a big girl,~ I teased Michelle.

Michelle snorted as we all got up to go meet the pair. ~It will just make me that much better at protecting you.~

We approached and I gave the unfamiliar Radiant pair a smile as Gella and Patar dismounted. Patar quickly grinned at me, as he gave me theslight bow that seemed to be a habit with him when greeting me. “I hope that you enjoyed your lunch Your Highness. May I present Iriden the Radiant, and his Chosen Gella.”

Gella was a human woman, probably in her early thirties, with long black hair held back in a braid and piercing blue eyes. She was a bit short and looked like she did well to keep herself in shape, but I wondered how she managed in combat with her large chest. I was having enough problems with my breasts being on the large side of average, but hers were huge. She was quick to give me a bow of her own, and a smile, as she was introduced and I noticed that Iriden was doing the same. It seemed like they were a good pair. “It is a pleasure to finally meet you Your Highness. I could not have been happier when I heard that you had been paired with a Radiant,” she said as she turned her smile to Michelle.

I thought I might never get used to people bowing to me. I returned her smile and replied, “Please rise, this is an informal meeting. I don’t think anyone could have been happier than me when Michelle hatched. It’s nice to finally meet another Radiant pair, though I guess there are only three of us, so there’s only one other besides you to meet.” I gestured to Michelle, Jezz, and Grayle. “This is Michelle of course, and her sister Grayle and my companion Jezz, Grayle’s Chosen. How fared your spying on the spies?”

Gella stood up straight, and I forced myself to focus on her eyes rather than her chest, as she began to speak again. “They never noticed us Your Highness. The man we were following met with a strange craft that picked him up and carried him back over the mountains. They seemed rather relieved to hear him report you to be an ‘imbecile’, as he called you. The craft they took him away on seems to be the first of its kind, and they are hoping for enough time to create many more of them, but larger and for carrying troops. From what they said the craft took a lot of work to build, and a good deal of kida to enchant it to fly.”

I frowned at that, “I’m not sure I like the sounds of that.”

She nodded her head. “Aye Your Highness, a lot of those craft carrying troops could easily attack from anywhere in Azure, even the capital.”

I shook my head as I looked at her. “I was already half expecting these crafts, or something like them, and I think countermeasures can be found. What I don’t like, is how they’re so concerned about me. I’m only the heir; if war came it would be my mother and father who would lead us, and they are both powerful Thaumaturges. Maybe the Empire knows something we don’t.”

Patar nodded grimly. “I will double the guards on the walls and the gate, and I will post guards outside both your rooms and the Queen’s rooms.”

I didn’t think there was much else we could do besides that so I nodded. “That sounds good Patar. Gella, do you think you could draw what the craft that they were using looks like?”

The Chosen in question looked to Iriden, and then back at me. “I think we can do much better than that Your Highness.” The large Radiant laid his head on the ground and seemed to focus on a spot in front of him on the lake’s surface. The air looked hazy and a shape started to form. A moment later there was a slightly translucent boat-like object, roughly twenty feet in length, resting on the water’s surface. It appeared to be mostly wood and of poor construction and three men sat in it, one of which I recognized as my good buddy Don.

I reached out tentatively to touch it, but my hand passed through it. “Wow, cool hologram.” Pretty much everyone except Michelle gave me strange looks at that and I quickly corrected myself, “I mean, that’s a nice illusion. I hope Michelle can learn to do that, it could come in handy. Are they always slightly see-through?”

Gella shook her head. “No, they can look as solid as you or me, but it takes more concentration for the Drakan, especially with something as large as this.”

I nodded absently as I thought about the possibilities. “This could definitely be useful. I take it from the size of the occupants that this is full size?”

“Yes Your Highness, as I said they seemed to be testing this one before moving on to building much larger ones for their army,” she replied.

“I see,” I said as I examined the boat, but I couldn’t seem to find anything scientific that might account for its flight. “So it will likely take them some time to construct the larger ships, and some time and effort to enchant each one as well.”

She nodded and signaled to Iriden and the boat vanished. “That is a reasonable assumption Your Highness, though it may be worth it to have me and Iriden, or Kalem and Parol, try to fly over and see if they have begun construction already, and possibly get some additional information if we can.”

I sighed as I considered that. “It would be good idea, but I’m not sure I’m willing to risk you yet. Michelle and I won’t be able to fly for a while which leaves only two Radiants we can use for border patrols and spying missions. Perhaps though, we could send in a Shadow pair for a night reconnaissance?”

Patar nodded, looking thoughtful as he replied, “That would be a good alternative. We have four Shadows that are flying and they should be able to remain undetected if they go in at night. If anything goes wrong they can escape quickly enough that people probably won’t realize they were there in the first place.”

“Okay then,” I replied, “let’s run the idea by Mom and Dad tonight and see what they think." After that was decided we talked for a bit longer and Iriden had Michelle display her invisibility skills. He seemed impressed with her development so far, and by the fact that she had noticed the spy’s invisibility trick. He did offer her some advice on creating illusions though, since she hadn’t begun to work with them yet. Once we were all finished talking, Gella and Iriden headed home to get some rest before going back out on border patrol and Patar pulled out a map of the continent of Gaje and began our afternoon lesson.

There were some survival tips involved in the lesson, but mostly we learned about the Lharusian Empire. From what he told us, the lands surrounding the Gate to Earth used to belong to the Zenin and was called Tarsa. Then when Humans started to arrive around three thousand years ago, those druids were just travellers and explorers and interacted peacefully with the local Zenin. But around a thousand years ago, more and more Humans came through the Gate, intent on settling in the Greylands and fleeing persecution from their own kind. The Zenin welcomed them and helped them to start a village, but the Humans kept taking more and more land and begin to expand as their population grew.

Then Lharus began giving those who craved power Gifts and the Gift War had begun. Great Thaumaturge battles were fought and Enchanted items were used as weapons of war. Humans began to see the other races of the Greylands as a threat, and we Zenin were forced to flee our ancestral home as the Humans took over and started killing non-humans on sight. We made our way north over the Great Sands and into Azure, as the Humans claimed what was once ours and began their expansion though most of the continent.

As I thought about that a nagging thought prodded me to reach into the earth and ask Itari. ~How can Lharus plan to use the Earth Gate if it’s no longer complete? I went to some of the Gate sites on Earth before I started college and they all seem to be either incomplete or damaged. I think the Gate that James O’Donnell used was probably the one at Avebury, as it was the most complete, but shortly after he left Earth the locals started destroying many of the standing stones there for religious and practical reasons.~

It was a moment before She responded and I thought that She might be considering whether telling me was interfering in the life of a mortal or not. ~Earth will likely be in chaos when the Gods and magic return and Danu will wish to restore order, but since She will not directly interfere, outside help may be needed. One of the first things that She will do is to restore knowledge of the Gates, and how to rebuild or repair them, to Her chosen followers.~

~And of course Lharus’ followers will be happy to help, just so they can get their foot in the door,~ I spat out venomously in my mind. ~They’ll make allies for their war against us and make the first step toward trying to take over both worlds. We’ll need to destroy the Empire’s Gate.~

~You already knew that, and intended to anyway Alexis, and I can tell you no more without interfering,~ She replied.

~Isn’t giving people knowledge of the Gates and other such things interfering?~ I asked.

~Some people are very close to the divine and certain Gods or Goddesses, and their link to us instinctually tells them what they need to know,~ She admitted. ~Or one of those has placed the knowledge somewhere for future followers of that Deity. You for instance bear a closeness to both myself and Selune, so you would be able to figure out a lot of the knowledge you have received from us on your own, or through your studies, so that kind of knowledge we could share with you. We will not however, tell you things you would not be able to manage on your own. Do not think that your precognitive Gift is Selune or any other God sending you visions. It is a Gift and we cannot control how it is used by you. These dreams are influenced by your subconscious, and your connection to the divine.~

~Okay, so putting my dreams aside, You are saying that it’s okay to interfere if it’s a close follower of Yours with innate knowledge or talent?~ I thought that was a bit shady. Apparently even the Gods’ rules have loopholes.

~It is a grey area,~ She agreed with my unspoken thought.

~Thanks Itari, I’ll talk with You later.~ I sent back, now as confused as ever.

I heard her respond, ~I will look forward to it Alexis,~ as I closed my connection to the earth magic and started paying attention to my lessons once again.

Combat practice was far too long during the afternoon. Not only were Jonth and I both distracted by my Tahrin, but the fact that we were both perspiring a lot seemed to make it even worse than it had been with Trevas earlier in the morning. I was using all my force of will just to keep on attacking the straw practice dummy in front of me. I caught myself looking at him again; his young yet handsome face, his feline grace, and the flexing of his muscles as he would toss a throwing knife. He smelled so nice and this was getting harder and harder to control. Dammit why wasn’t he wearing a shirt?! "Well that’s less to take off," the instinctive part of me said. I snarled as I slashed again at the dummy and tried to keep myself in control.

~Is something wrong Your Highness?~ Lannah asked in my mind.

~Everything is just peachy,~ I answered, trying not to snap at her. This wasn’t her fault. ~What makes you think that something is wrong?~

~Well, you and Jonth are both really distracted today, it’s not like you. Also, you just sliced that poor practice dummy’s head clean off.~ I looked back at the dummy in front of me and discovered that she was right. How had I not noticed that? ~Even if I didn’t have all that to go by, you’re not controlling your empathy as well as you usually do. We’re all feeling your emotions, and they are really chaotic. You’re switching from anger, arousal, discomfort, arousal, doubt, arousal, fear, arousal and joy in less time than it takes to blink.~

~You said arousal four times, I’m really that bad?~ I asked.

~Only to everyone in the practice yard,~ she replied.

~Well damn,~ I said as I looked at the decapitated dummy. ~It’s a Zenin thing. My body wants to get knocked up, and it’s conspiring to make me and Jonth want to jump each other’s bones.~ I received confusion at that and realized that I really have to stop using Earth phrases all the time. Especially in mind speech, since it causes the receiver to just get a jumble of confused ideas. People could think I’m crazy or an imbecile. I quickly corrected myself. ~My body thinks it wants to make a baby, and it’s making me and Jonth both smell really good to one another so we’ll do it. My instincts are saying hell yes, but I’m trying not to give in to them.~

~That would explain why Jonth hasn’t hit his target once today,~ she said with a mental giggle. ~He is pretty cute though, I certainly wouldn’t mind a toss in bed with him.~

~I’m not arguing that fact, but I think Jezz might get the idea I was being unfaithful if I showed up pregnant,~ I retorted. Then I realized what she said. ~Goddess! You’re sweet on Jonth aren’t you?~

I could feel a bit of embarrassment from her as she replied, ~Maybe a little. We’ve been talking while taking care of Snow and Xuth and he seems very sweet, and he is cute too. I don’t understand this uncertainty that you have about having more than one partner. It’s done in Azure all the time, and I don’t mind sharing him with you. Some people wed in groups of three or four. A lot of female couples take on a male partner for a while when they want to have children if they wish to remain just a pair.~

~Well my Mom and Dad are only a pair, so I guess I’m just used to that.~ It was the truth so I didn’t feel bad telling her that.

She gave a mental shrug at that and didn’t pry, but she did offer advice. ~Past Queens have had more than one Consort. They just choose one to be their official one so that people know who’s in charge in the absence of the Queen or heir. Don’t let the idea of being attracted to someone else bother you so much, especially if it is just your instincts taking over. Ask Jezz if she has a problem with it. You’ll need to think about it someday regardless, if you are going to produce an heir.~

I knew she was right and I sighed as I responded, ~I’ll talk to her. Thanks Lannah, you’re not just a good guard, you’re becoming a good friend too. And if I might offer some advice of my own, if Jonth is feeling anything like I am right now then it might be a very good time for you to have that toss in bed you’d like to have with him once we’re done here.~

I could practically feel her grinning at me. ~I’ll get right on that Your Highness.~

Mom and Dad liked the idea of sending one of our Shadow pairs into the empire and it was decided that Nisa and Toran would be the pair to go, since they had the most experience of any of our Shadows. They would leave the next afternoon so that they could make the empire by nightfall. They also approved Patar’s request for additional security and started to quietly send out notices to all the towns and villages that we would be training anyone willing to be soldiers for a possible invasion. Finally, they sent out word to Stone Drakan pairs that their tunneling abilities would soon be required to construct a mountain base. We spent a good portion of the evening after dinner poring over maps to look for a good site for such a base.

I was nervous through all this planning. We were actually preparing for war, and the thought bothered me. I also had a nagging feeling of dread hovering about the back of my mind. Why would the empire care about me when it was my mother who would lead us? They were planning something and I resolved to have a weapon close at hand while I was sleeping for a time. Finally though, we broke off our planning session and I returned to my rooms where Chrissy, Pounce, Jezz, and I all participated in a group snuggle. After practice I had been tempted to ravish Jezz, but the serious nature of our post dinner planning had killed any desire I had.

So we satisfied ourselves with kissing and cuddling, and stroking the fur of our animal companions. Finally I managed to bring up the topic we needed to talk about, and that was making me fairly nervous. ~Jezz sweetie, I’m nowhere near ready to have children yet, but Lannah convinced me that this is something we should talk about.~

~This Tahrin is really bothering you isn’t it?~ she asked. ~What’s so wrong about having children? You know you’ll need to produce an heir someday.~

I sighed as I looked into her eyes. She really didn’t see what my problem was. ~It’s not having children that bothers me. I love you, and where I come from it’s not normal for people to have relationships that are more than two people. Even relationships with two people of the same sex are often frowned upon. Lannah said people have committed relationships of more than two people in Azure all the time, but I don’t want you to ever think I don’t love you, just because I have a baby with someone else someday.~

~That’s what’s bothering you?!~ She started to giggle and it got so bad that she was wiping tears from her eyes. ~I’m sorry my love but it’s funny. Love is a gift that we give to those who are special to us, and it’s silly to think a person can only love or be attracted to just one person. I know you’ll be attracted to others, just like I will be. Speaking of Lannah, I find her almost as attractive as I find you.~

I groaned at that. ~Well that explains why Lannah said I should talk to you, and why she said she wouldn’t mind sharing Jonth with me.~

She giggled again as she kissed me. ~I think she might be attracted to us too my love. What I’m saying is that I know you love me and I love you, but if you wanted to bring a third or even a fourth person into our relationship, I have no problems with that so long as we both like them. It wouldn’t change the fact that we love one another. You really need to get over your Earth bred inhibitions. In case you have not noticed it, the Greylands are nothing like your home world, especially Azure.~

~This is a very strange place, but I think I like it,~ I said as I kissed her back, ~but I would like any place so long as you and our Drakans were there with me.~ She smiled at that and laid her head on my breast and we fell asleep like that in one another’s arms.

The next two days were even harder to get through than the first day of my Tahrin, as it seemed to get stronger each day that I didn’t try to conceive. Practice time was the worst, and neither Jonth nor I could seem to focus on what we were doing. The others seemed very amused by this, particularly Jezz and Lannah. Finally at the end of practice on the third day we finished up and everyone stopped what they were doing to hand Jezz two copper coins. Even Patar handed some coins over to her. In fact the only ones who didn’t were Jonth and I. I frowned and crossed my arms as I watched the exchange. “Okay spill it. What’s going on?”

Lannah grumbled, “Jezz won, and I was sure you wouldn’t be able to last until the end of practice.”

“Jezz won what?” Jonth asked. I tried not to look at him, since smelling him was bad enough.

“She won the bet,” Rozia said with a shrug. “I only gave you two half a candlemark before you found some excuse to go off on your own somewhere, I’m so disappointed.”

I blinked several times at that. “You had a betting pool going on how long we could focus on our practice?”

Patar waved that off. “No Your Highness, that would have been a fools bet. Neither of you was focusing at all.”

Rozia nodded in agreement before adding, “We were betting on how long it would take you both to make excuses and find a quiet place to… get to know one another better. Jezz was the only one who thought that you’d both make it all the way until the end of practice today.”

“An’ t’ the vict’r go the spoils.” Jezz grinned.

I knew that I was probably blushing under my fur at this point. “I can’t believe that you were all betting on how long it would take us to have sex.”

~To be fair,~ Michelle spoke in my mind, ~I would have totally been in on that action if I had known about it or had the coin to bet.~

~Et tu Michelle?~ I shot back with a groan. Then aloud I added, “Why in hell would you even hold a bet on something like that?”

“Becaussse we care of courssse,” Irric put in. “You’re our friendsss and you were both obviousssly needing to do sssomething about the sssexual frussstration. It almossst makesss me glad I’m not a Zenin right now.”

I shook my head. “I appreciate your concern, but really our sex lives are none of your business and I am not ready to be producing any heirs yet. Patar, I can’t believe you were in on this.”

Patar shrugged, I still think that looks weird on a guy with four arms. “Your mother wasn’t heir very long before you were conceived. The way you’ve been looking at one another the past few suns I figured it was going to happen sooner or later. I should have listened to Runne though. He said you would last almost to the end of practice.”

I groaned as I facepalmed. “Even Runne was in on this?”

~They’re teasing you Your Highness,~ Lannah’s voice spoke in my mind. ~Sure we made the bet in fun, but if we didn’t want you knowing about it we would have paid Jezz privately. We did so in front of you as a way to congratulate both you and Jonth for not giving in to your baser instincts. Only Irric really knows what it’s like for a Zenin male, and none of us know how hard it must have been for you, but this is our way of saying that we’re proud of you. You’re a very strong woman and if you show the strength of will in the future that you’ve shown for the past few suns you’ll be a great Queen for us someday.~

~Thanks Lannah, you’re all great. I guess I really have to get over some of my hang ups. Are you going to get to know Jonth better again?~ I teased back, feeling better now that I knew it hadn’t been meant to be offensive.

~Oh to be sure I am,~ she replied. ~You and Jezz are always welcome to join us if you like.~

~Maybe another time, I think I still need time to adjust to the idea of more than one partner. Once I do you’ll be the first to know,~ I sent back. ~Enjoy yourselves, and I’ll see you both tomorrow.~

~We will Your Highness.~ This was accompanied by a mental wink before she added, ~I’ll see you tomorrow.~

I nodded as I spoke aloud. “Okay everyone, Patar set us free so go back to your Drakans and we’ll see you tomorrow.” Then to Lannah I added, ~Oh and one more thing Lannah, call me Alex.~

After practice I had a talk with Alizia and my mother. Alizia told us that the Gate would take five tenths to complete, since she would have to have her Thaumaturges travel to obtain some of the materials necessary and creating the stones in the proper shapes would take a large degree of fine control. She was hoping it would be prepared in plenty of time for us to find allies for the upcoming war with the empire. I thought that would be good timing, since Michelle would be roughly seven months, or six tenths, old by that time and would be able to accompany me through the Gate on our searches for allies.

After dinner we had another planning session, and it was decided that the empire would most likely fly their ships in through Lannik Pass. The pass was treacherous on foot, but it was the only place with a gap in the mountains wide enough for a large amount of their ships to fly. The Brey Mountains were simply too high to easily fly over, since the air would be too thin to breathe properly at that altitude. We decided that we should build our base there to keep watch on the pass, and to have troops ready in case they did choose that path. It was also decided that we would have Drakans patrolling the coast and the edge of the Great Sands as well, just to be cautious. Finally, Nisa and Toran had reported in and they had found nothing yet to indicate any construction of ships or any military movement on the part of the empire.

When I finally got to bed that night I was exhausted and quite content to cuddle with Jezz as Chrissy happily hummed on the pillow beside me. We talked with Michelle and Grayle for a time and both of them teased me a bit about the bet. Jezz merely grinned and said that she knew I wouldn’t let my instincts get the best of me. Maybe it was something Jezz or Lannah had said, combined with my sexual frustration over the past three suns, but I had some very erotic dreams that night, and Jezz wasn’t the only person playing a part in them.

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Author's Note: Here's chapter 12 of Alex in Wonderland. Thank you as always to all my readers for the comments, kudos, and thinking that my work is worth reading. Also thanks to the Big Closet team who work tirelessly to give us all a wonderfully supportive venue to read and post TG fiction ~Amethyst.
 

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Chapter 12: Duty

The next morning I seemed to be over my Tahrin, as Trevas and I had no issues being in the same room during our morning Healing lesson. Now that I could think clearly though, I had a lot of questions I wanted to ask my mom about this. I also had the opportunity to do so since Patar would be away from the palace that day to scout out a good location for our base in Lannik Pass. Once our morning lesson was finished Jezz went outside to go join our Drakans in the mid-morning sun, while I headed to the throne room to find my mother with promises of joining her soon. Sure we probably could have talked telepathically, but sometimes a talk is much more personal when you’re with the person physically. Not seeing a person’s face when you’re talking with them creates a distance that makes it easier to disregard a person’s feelings. In that way, telepathy with no empathy is a lot like talking on the phone or online.

Mom was just finishing talking to a tall Zenin woman with tabby coloring when I came in. Not many Zenin had that coloring and that height so I figured that it was probably Isra Perewin. The Perewin family have been loyal vassals of the Misalet family for generations. I had met Isra’s parents, and most of their seven children, through palace functions in the past month. I think that Isra was the only one that I had yet to meet actually. She was only two passes older than me, but had proven herself to be a capable diplomat, so she had been spending the past two tenths in Syrnia on the other side of the Frozen Wastes trying to improve our relations with their newly elected High Council.

My mother noticed me coming in and waved me over to our thrones, so I quickly moved to sit beside her in my own. “Good morning Mother,” I said as I took my seat and waited to be introduced.

“Good morning Alexis,” she replied. “This is Isra Perewin. She just returned from ironing out a trade agreement and alliance with Syrnia. I am very pleased with her efforts and have decided to reward her.”

I smiled at the tabby Zenin before us. “It is a pleasure to meet you Isra, your family has always served ours well. I am glad to see that you continue that fine tradition.” I felt bad that I couldn’t say more. Her mother had told me that before Isra had been sent to Syrnia she had been very close to Visanee, almost like an older sister. I saw the confirmation of that in the sadness of her eyes.

“It is my pleasure to see you again Your Highness,” she replied. “I was saddened to hear of your memory loss, but overjoyed when I heard of your becoming a Chosen and of your Gifting.” I could sense the sisterly love, sadness, and pride coming off her as she spoke. There was something else too, guilt.

I looked at her confused for a moment and decided to just get this out of the way now. “You feel guilty about something Isra. Please tell me what.”

She looked pained and ashamed as she looked at the floor. “I fear that your condition may have been my fault Your Highness. I was told that you were found in the Frozen Wastes. I cannot see much reason for you to have been out there so close to your Giftsun, unless you were traveling to see someone.” Her guilt made it clear that she felt that was the case and that she was likely the one Visanee was going to see. “Even if that was not the case, had I been here I could have convinced you not to do anything foolish.”

I shook my head sadly. I didn’t think anyone could have discouraged Visanee and she certainly hadn’t been going looking for her friend. “I do not blame you Isra, the blame falls solely on me.” That was true. Had I not been the one who traded places with her, Visanee’s plan may have worked and she would still be alive somewhere. “I don’t remember anything of my life before, but I have heard we were like sisters, so please call me Alex. I hope that we can rebuild what we lost and become that close again.”

Her guilt faded, not completely, but a little. She even managed a smile at that as she replied, “I would like that Yo… Alex. I am sure we have a lot to talk about.”

Mom chose that moment to speak again. “You girls will have plenty of time to catch up and get to know one another since Isra will be staying with us while she learns to manage her estates. I thought that she might use Jezz’s rooms since Jezz is practically living with you anyway,” she said with a smirk.

I grinned in response. “Oh I don’t mind that, and I’m sure Jezz won’t either.” Then the other thing she said hit me. “Learns to manage her estates?”

Mom nodded. “I have decided to appoint Isra as the new Countess of Kamnis. She will be having a proxy run the lands for her while she learns more about managing an estate and makes contacts in Court.”

I thought it was great that she was giving the position to someone who was obviously loyal to the crown and worked hard for us. Then again anyone would have been a relief after Halan’s family. “Congratulations Isra,” I said with a smile, “from what I’ve heard you deserve it.”

I could feel pride and a bit of embarrassment from her as she replied, “Thank you Alex.”

Mom smiled at the tabby Zenin and said, “Would you mind waiting outside for a few moments Isra? I think Alexis would like to speak with me, and then I would like to discuss the trade agreement and your lessons on estate management.”

“Yes Your Majesty,” she said with a curtsy as she got up and left the throne room to give us some privacy.

Mom turned to smile at me once it was just us. “What did you need to talk about Alexis dear?”

I squirmed a bit in my throne and wondered if telepathically holding this conversation wouldn't have been better after all. “I was hoping now that I’m thinking clearly again, that you could answer some questions about the Tahrin.”

She nodded. “I thought it might be that. I’ll answer whatever I can. I should have talked to you about this when you first came to us, but it slipped my mind, and after that you were adapting so well that I forgot at times that you weren’t born here.”

“It’s no wonder it slipped your mind with all that was happening when I got here,” I admitted before I asked my first question. “This Tahrin is basically like when other felines go into heat. Most cats aren’t sexually active except at that time, but I have been feeling sexual desire in varying degrees since Jezz and I started getting close. Why do we have it if we can be sexually active at any time?”

Mom thought about that before answering. “We believe that we and other felines all have a common ancestor somewhere. We still have a lot of the traits that those ancient felines had and this is one of those traits. It may be redundant, but it’s a part of us that we get used to. Most of us see it as a convenient way of knowing when we can expand our families, even if the Tahrin itself can make things uncomfortable for us while we have it.”

“So like a built-in form of family planning?” I asked.

She nodded after a moment. “Yes, you could say that.”

“Okay,” I replied as I went on to my next question. “Is it always so difficult to get through without mating?”

She shook her head at that. “It is elevated during the teenage passes while your body develops and becomes that of a grown Zenin woman. Usually there is a lot more sexual desire during this period in general, and then when the Tahrin happens it elevates those feelings even more. Usually it becomes more bearable once we are out of our teens and not as… prolific.”

That actually made sense to me. High hormone levels during the teens isn’t surprising, just look at human teens. So it’s not that surprising that the Tahrin would be at a high level too until puberty is over and the hormone levels balance out. “So if I really don’t want to have children yet, what do I do if I’m worried I might give in?”

“Thus far you have done a fine job of controlling yourself my dear. A strong will and sense of self is what separates us from the neetays and other felines. We don’t need to let our instincts control us. You can just keep trying to get through that way or there are other ways.” I could feel that she was embarrassed by something and gave her a curious look. She looked back in my eyes and sighed, “I must admit that when you told me about the Tahrin a few suns ago that I was worried for you and took some precautions, just in case you could not manage without mating.”

What kind of precautions?” I asked.

“The tea that I had Felice include in your midday meals was made from bloodblossom leaves.” Seeing the confusion on my face she quickly explained. “Bloodblossom tea can be used to prevent unwanted pregnancies. I was hoping it would not be necessary though, since I know how uncomfortable you have been alone with men since Halan.”

I winced at that, but nodded. “Yeah that’s most of what kept me from doing anything. I don’t really know if I’m ready to be a mom yet, but it was the thought of going off alone with a guy, especially for that, which was really bothering me.” I didn’t even realize I had closed my eyes until I opened them when Mom put her arms around me. “Thanks Mom, I’ll be okay. I can’t believe how stupid I am though.”

“How so?” she asked, confused.

“I learned about bloodblossom in my Healing studies and I didn’t pay as much attention as I should have, since I didn’t think I would ever need to think about preventing pregnancy.” I made a face as I remembered the taste. “I was wondering why my tea was so bitter. I had to use extra loiku in it.”

She laughed at the look on my face. “I am sorry, I should have warned you. Did you have any other questions?”

I nodded, but hesitated a moment before finally saying, “I don’t want to bring up any possibly sore topics, but I need to ask. Most Zenin families I’ve met are really large, and that’s not surprising given the Tahrin and the fact that I now know that monogamy isn’t a big deal here. I was wondering why I’m an only child.”

I could see the flash of pain in her eyes and feel it in my mind as she answered carefully, “You were not. Visanee was born with her twin sister Aleen, but there was a problem during the birth. I could conceive no more children after that and Aleen did not survive.”

It was my turn to hug and comfort her. “I’m so sorry Mom, I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

“It is fine Alexis,” she replied softly from my arms. “It was a long time ago and now I have a beautiful, caring and strong daughter to be my heir. Grandchildren would be nice someday, but I will not ask you to produce an heir until you feel ready.”

“Thanks Mom,” I said as I hugged her tighter. “As hard as everything here has been to adjust to, I’m glad I could be your daughter. I have never met a stronger and more caring woman than you in either world.” We stayed like that for a short time comforting one another and just being a mother and daughter without all the extra baggage of ruling a country. Then the reality of the upcoming war hit me and I realized that I should probably try to have a child before that to continue the line, in case the unthinkable happened. I might not feel ready, but it was my duty to my country. So I finally asked, “How long does it take for Zenin to carry a child to full term?”

I guess my mother had been thinking along similar lines because I felt some relief and a touch of pride from her as she replied, “Six tenths. If you tried for one on your next Tahrin you could probably have it before hostilities begin.”

I did some mental calculations. Six tenths was about thirty weeks. Ten weeks shorter than a human gestational cycle, so about seven and a half months. I sighed, “I’m going to have to talk with Jezz about this, but I think she’ll understand. I’ll also need to figure out which lucky Zenin boy I feel comfortable enough with to father the child. You said I was a twin? How ironic is that? Are multiple births common among Zenin?”

“I understand my dear, and I’m sure that Jezz will as well.” She thought about my questions before nodding, “Multiple births are not uncommon. Single births are more common, but it is not uncommon for some Zenin families to have a long history of multiple births either.”

“Hooray for Zenin,” I said without much enthusiasm. “Thanks for the talk Mom, I guess I had better go get this talk over with. I’ll send Isra back in as I leave.”

Something was bothering Alex, Michelle just knew it. She had tried probing her thoughts, but it was like her Chosen was deliberately shutting her out. She did not like that thought at all. Maybe the whole thing with Halan and then her Tahrin was making her use avoidance techniques again. Maybe it was something to do with the discussion she planned on having with the Queen. Michelle just didn’t know, and not knowing bothered her a lot.

Pounce was napping under one of the yalk trees while Grayle and Jezz played a form of tag. Jezz would make flying passes and try to touch Grayle without letting her Drakan touch her in return. The pair had tried to get Michelle to play as well but the Radiant was too worried about Alex to get involved. She may not be picking up her Chosen’s thoughts, but she could still feel her emotions. The conversation with her mother had caused confusion, sadness, worry, and that sense of duty in Alex that she far too often of late let override her own concerns. She watched the wall of the castle hoping that Alex would come out soon.

I collected a picnic lunch, some blankets, and Chrissy before I planned to use my ring to teleport to Jezz and the others. A lot had been on my mind and I had been consciously keeping my thoughts from Michelle during, and since, my talk with my mother. It wasn’t that I was hiding things from her, it was just that I didn’t want her snickering in the background while I tried having a serious discussion with Jezz. I could feel her worry, and it bothered me, so I sent her some reassurance. ~I’m fine sis. I’ll be right out.~

~Never shut me out like that again. I’ve been worried sick!~

I sighed and touched the ring. ~Sorry sis, I just need to talk to you all about something, and I wanted to do it all at the same time. I didn’t mean to worry you.~ I put the picnic basket and the blankets down and went to hug Michelle tightly. Once Jezz and I had set up the blankets and laid our lunch out, I took a deep breath and took Jezz’s hand. ~We need to talk.~

~What did you find out from her Majesty my love?~ Jezz asked.

~Three things,~ I replied. ~I found out that I had a twin that died in childbirth, and the complications prevented Mom from having any other kids. I also found out that the Tahrin is only so bad because I’m still going through puberty. Elevated hormone levels make it worse, but it should be more bearable once I’m out of puberty. The third thing I found out is that horrible tea we’ve been having with our lunch the past few suns was bloodblossom tea. Mom decided to take some precautions.~

~Well that stuff is all good to know,~ Michelle put in sounding relieved. ~And it was good of your mom to take precautions. I know I may joke, but you are nowhere near old enough to be getting pregnant.~

~About that…~ I took a deep breath to calm myself. ~I need to try for a baby during my next Tahrin.~

A chorus of ~What?!?~ rang through my brain. This was quickly followed by Michelle’s voice mind yelling, ~Are you insane?!? What did I just say? You’re too young to be pregnant, what are you thinking?!?~

I groaned and rubbed at my aching head as I carefully replied, ~It’s not uncommon for girls my age to marry and have kids here Michelle. I am legally an adult now you know. As for what I’m thinking, I’m thinking that we’re going to be going to war in eight or nine tenths if our intel is right. Zenin gestation is only six tenths, so if I get pregnant during my next Tahrin I could have the baby and have a bit of recovery time before things get crazy.~

~You’re the one getting crazy! Why in the hell would you want to have children just before a war starts?!?~ Michelle fumed.

~It’s her responsibility Michelle,~ Jezz put in. ~She needs to do her duty and have an heir.~ She squeezed my hand tightly. ~I understand, and I support your decision my love.~

I breathed a sigh of relief, but Michelle wasn’t finished yet. ~Well of course she needs to have an heir someday, but can’t it wait until after? Bringing a baby into the world on purpose before a war is just cruel.~

~Fuck you Michelle! Do you think I really want to do this?!?~ I snapped. ~This needs to be done soon. Think about it. We are going to war, what if the unthinkable happens and both my mother and I die? If there is no heir this whole country returns to swamps, volcanoes, earthquakes, the works! This has to be done for Itari, for my family line, for the whole damn country! People need the reassurance that if I die that there is still an heir after me. The people of Azure need to know that, especially during the uncertainty of war! And I am the only person who can do it!~

I was shaking now, and my outburst had caused us all to go quiet, both physically and mentally. The only sound was my sniffling as I cried out my anger, hurt, uncertainty, and fear. Jezz held me tight, caressing my back to try to soothe me. Finally Michelle’s mental voice broke the silence. ~I’m sorry Alex, that was uncalled for. I know you better than that, and I should have known you had a good reason for doing this. This decision was probably hard enough for you to make without me making things worse.~

~You’re damned right it was uncalled for! You have no idea how hard it was to come to this decision!~ Jezz continued to try and calm me down and Chrissy moved nervously around my throat, picking up on my agitation. After a time I managed to calm down enough to address Michelle more calmly. ~I’m sorry for being bitchy sis, but that really hurt. I love you and I don’t want to fight with you, especially over a situation that only has one solution.~

I could feel her mental nod and her regret for what she had said. ~I’m sorry too Alex, you’re right. You don’t have much of a choice in this.~

~She doesn’t have any choice in this,~ Grayle corrected.

~Not true,~ Michelle answered. ~Sure she needs to have an heir soon, but she does have one choice. She can choose the father. So tell us Alex,~ she teased to try and lighten the mood, ~What lucky Zenin boy is going to get to bone the princess?~

There was some confusion from both Grayle and Jezz at her choice of phrase, but I could feel my lover’s head nod as she held me. ~She’s right. Have you decided on someone yet my love?~

I shook my head. ~All that I know is that I don’t want to shut out the father, I want him involved in the child’s life. And it’s not going to be one of the jerks from the nobility that think fathering the child of a naíve princess will give them the throne. You will be my Consort Jezz, nobody else… that is if you want to be.~

I could feel the warmth and the love from her mind as she answered, ~I would like nothing more my love, if that is your wish. So we will decide together on the father and whether we want to add them to our relationship just long enough to father the child, or permanently. If you want them to be involved it should be someone we can both agree on to add permanently.~

~I’m still not really sure how these multi-person relationships work here Jezz,~ I replied with a sigh.

~It’s simple my love,~ Jezz answered. ~We would wed first if you wish for me to be your Consort and primary spouse. After that we can add people to our relationship on either a temporary or permanent basis, so long as we are both agreed to it. Most family groups don’t have more than four permanent spouses, though I have heard of some. If we decide to permanently add another person or couple to our relationship they need to be added in additional ceremonies.~

I swallowed the lump forming in my throat. ~Jezz, do you even like men like that? Enough to add one in to our relationship?~

She smiled and kissed me. ~I am like you my love. I am attracted to both genders, but I prefer to make my choices based on feeling a connection with the person. I am hoping that our similarities and closeness will make it easier to choose someone who we both like to add to our relationship and father a child. We only have four sevensuns to choose someone though, if you’re serious about getting pregnant during your next Tahrin.~

I kissed her back softly. ~Well that does make things easier. I know Trevas is interested in me, but I think things would be awkward with him and he’s not really my type. Neither is Tarn, and I really don’t know many Zenin guys our age that aren’t nobles trying to get an arranged marriage with me. I’d rather have someone loyal who wants us for who we are, and not our connection to the throne. Are there any Zenin guys that have caught your eye?~

~Jonth is pretty cute, and loyal, though he’s shy so we would have to get to know him a bit to see if he’s a good match. He does seem to like us though. It’s obvious he’s attracted to you, even without the Tahrin my love,~ was her reply.

~I think Lannah and him are interested in each other though.~ I answered with a giggle. ~She was taking advantage of my Tahrin to ‘get to know him better’. Though she did offer an invitation for us to join them,~ I added.

Jezz’s first response was a throaty giggle as she kissed my neck. ~Yes my love, I think Lannah is attracted to us too. If they are a couple it could make things interesting, not to mention fun. I like her. She’s got a nice sense of humor, she’s sweet, and she’s attractive. Even if she’s not interested in more, I think we will be good friends.~

I snorted at that. ~I’m pretty sure she’s interested in more; she doesn’t want to push it though. Remember dear I am an empath. I didn’t want to take her up on her little offer because I didn’t want to make complicate both of our relationships, and I’m still used to Earth’s relationship customs.~

~So what do we do then?~ she asked. ~If Lannah and Jonth are both interested, it could be fun seeing if we could make it work with the four of us. It is a bit uncommon to have a Human, a Cinole, and a Zenin all in the same relationship though.~

I was about to reply when Michelle started mentally giggling. ~That sounds like the start of a bad joke. ‘A Human, a Cinole, and a Zenin walk into a bar…’ Anyway if you two plan on putting the moves on them, you’re going to have to work quickly. What is the general feeling on pregnancy before marriage here Jezz?~

~It happens sometimes, especially with Zenin, but it is not really frowned upon,~ she replied. ~Usually the heir is wed beforehand though. Due to the need for female heirs the royal family in Azure normally wed young, often within a pass of their Giftsun if they find a compatible person. Royal weddings are always a big event and they give people almost as much hope for the future as the birth of a princess.~

I kissed her softly and smiled. ~We should get to work on that then Jezz.~

Her eyes opened wide as we kissed. ~Are you asking me to wed you? We’ve only been together for a tenth.~

I grinned at her. ~We are in one another’s minds. We know each other better than anyone, and we both know that we love one another. The feelings in our minds and hearts can’t be wrong and I can read both on you Jezz. I know you feel the same way about me that I do about you. So yes, I am asking you to marry me, will you do it?~

I could feel her joy and her love wash over me and it was beautiful. ~Of course I will! You said it yourself that what we both feel can’t be wrong. We will need to inform Her Majesty about this my love. She will want to start planning and there isn’t much time if you want to do this before getting pregnant.~

~I think she suspects as much already, since she told me you could live with me in my rooms now. We will talk to her about this at dinner. Now what do we do about the whole getting pregnant thing? I’m a little uneasy about just coming out and asking Jonth to do that,~ I said a bit nervously.

~Well duh! He hasn’t even bought you dinner yet,~ Michelle joked.

~Very funny sis, but I was being serious,~ I retorted.

Jezz snuggled up close to me. ~Let’s get together with him and Lannah and get to know them both a bit better when we all get free time. We will give it a bit of time and if we both feel it is right we will pursue it. That way there is no pressure until you know whether you are comfortable with and like him enough to ask it.~

I nodded and kissed her again. ~We do have the afternoon free, how would you girls feel about a swim to go play with Snow and Xuth after we eat?~

~That sounds like a fine idea,~ Grayle responded. ~It will be nice to get off the island and play with someone other than Michelle. Not that you are boring or anything Michelle, it will just be a nice change of pace.~

Soon after that decision was made one of the older Drakan pairs delivered lunch for Grayle and Michelle and Jezz and I ate our own meal. Once we had finished, and I had returned the basket to the castle, Jezz and I rode our Drakans as they swam across the lake to the land I had deeded to our four protectors. Jonth and Xuth were playing in the water and pretty easy to find and it looked like Lannah and Snow were watching from the shore. We waved as we approached, and soon we were sitting on the shore with the other Chosen pair as our Drakans all played in the lake under the hot afternoon sun.

Jonth was the first to speak when we were all more comfortably arranged. “I sense that you are feeling better now Your Highness. It is nice to be able to think clearly around you again. I am so glad that’s over.”

I nodded in agreement. “Yeah it’s so good being able to think again, and not being set off by every male Zenin around. The past three suns were pretty rough.”

He leaned back against a tree and sighed. “I know exactly what you mean, that was pretty bad. That was the first time I’ve ever felt it from this side…” He quickly shut his mouth as if he just realized he had said the wrong thing. I felt his usual nervousness around me spike and there was fear and sadness as well.

All three of us turned to look at him intently. “What did you mean by that Jonth?” Lannah asked.

The fear and nervousness increased as he realized that we had indeed noticed what he said. “It’s not important,” he tied brushing it off.

I frowned at that. “Jonth, I need to be able to trust you and I know that there is something you are hiding, something that bothers you a lot. Please, you can trust us; we’re supposed to be friends. I could order you to tell me, or Lannah or I could read your mind, but I would rather you just feel comfortable enough with us to tell us on your own. I really need to know if this could be something that could cause us all problems or danger in the future.”

The grey Zenin sighed and looked at us all with fear in his eyes. “Please promise me that this will just be between the four of us and our Drakans. It’s not anything dangerous, just personal.” After we all had nodded in agreement he swallowed hard and began speaking again. “The Giftsun is a big sun for a lot of people. Some people’s lives are changed by getting powerful Gifts, others are just changed. I was told by the Priestess of Selune that my gift would be a minor one, so I wasn’t really expecting my life to change all that much when she gave me my Gift. It changed more than I ever thought. Before my Gifting my name was Jannith.”

We all stared at him for a long moment. Jannith was a common girl’s name. “You were a girl?!” Lannah blurted out.

He nodded slowly as he answered, and I could tell that he was embarrassed by the admission. “Yes I was. I didn’t get much of a Gift, but sometimes Gifting can cause physical changes in addition to a person’s Gifts. Usually the changes are small, like hair or eye color or different markings. The priestess said that changes this extreme do not happen very often. So you see Your Highness, I know what you felt like going through your Tarhin. That is why I was trying very hard to just do my training, and not bother you by adding myself to what was probably a long line of men wanting to mate with you.”

I tried giving him a reassuring smile. “I appreciate that; it must have been hard having your gender changed like that.” I meant it too. I had enough trouble of my own adjusting, and I had wanted to be a girl.

He nodded sadly, his head hung low. “It was. There was a boy I was thinking of wedding someday, but he is not attracted to men and I no longer am either. Everyone started treating me differently too. To tell the truth, I was glad to be Chosen just so I could leave home and get away from all that. I was a bit afraid that all of you would treat me differently too if you knew I used to be a girl.”

Lannah took his hands and smiled at him. “Jonth, it does not matter to me what you were before. All that matters to me is who you are now. I’m sure that Jezz and Her Highness feel the same.”

“Ya, it dun matter t’ me if ya were a girl afore. Yer a cute an' nice man now, an’ gender has ne’er been tha’ important t’ me,” Jezz put in quickly.

I snorted in a very unladylike manner and tried not to laugh. “Believe me when I say that I am the last person who should judge a person who’s gone through something like that.” Both of my guards gave me curious looks at that, and I considered whether I should tell them or not. Jonth had trusted us with his secret and I knew both he and Lannah were trustworthy and loyal. I also felt that if we were going to try convincing Jonth to help get me pregnant that he deserved to know the truth, they both deserved it. With a long sigh, and a good scratching of Chrissy to help calm myself, I felt around with my empathy to make sure we were alone. Finally, I gave them a serious look. “What I am about to tell you, you can’t tell anyone. You must swear to take this secret to your graves.”

Both seemed a bit taken aback by this, but I could feel that they were determined to do so. They would not betray me, or the trust that I was showing them. I could tell from the feelings radiating from them both as they quickly said, almost in unison, “I swear Your Highness.”

Once those words left their lips I nodded and began relating the story of how Visanee had traded places with me, and then as she lay dying sent Michelle here to stand by my side. Neither of them interrupted as I spoke, they just listened attentively, though the awe and respect in their faces and emotions said quite a bit. Finally I finished the story with, “So you see Jonth, before I was snatched from Earth I was Human, and male. I may have wanted to be a girl, but that doesn’t make adjusting to a new gender much easier.”

Jonth shook his head with a smile. “I thought I was the only one, it’s such a relief to know I am not alone in this. You are adjusting well Your Highness, I never guessed you were anything but our Princess. You have managed to get through your first moon cycle and Tahrin so you’re through the worst of it now I think.”

Lannah was giggling and smiling. “That explains why your speech and mind speech is so hard to understand sometimes, I was wondering about that. It also explains your difficulty with multiple partner relationships. He is right though Alex, you have done a great job so far.”

“Thanks you two, but please Jonth, call me Alex. I am trying my best to be a good Princess for Azure and to learn everything I’ll need to know,” I replied. “I’m working on the whole poly-amorous relationship thing too.”

Lannah winked at me and grinned. “I know you are deeply in love with Jezz, but if you need any help with the relationship issue, you and Jezz would be more than welcome to come join us for more than just talking any time you like, right Jonth?”

Jonth nodded and gave a grin of his own. “Of course they would. I may not have wanted to pressure you during your Tahrin Alex, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t jump at the chance to share a bed with you. You and Jezz both are beautiful, smart, fun, and incredibly kind people and I would be a fool not to be interested.” He didn’t even mention the fact that I was the princess, it just didn’t seem important to him. I liked that.

I smiled at the pair. “Thank you both. I would like to get to know you both a bit better first, but if Jezz and I both like you as much as I think we will then it’s a very good possibility that we will take you up on that offer soon.”

We all talked about ourselves for a while after that. I told them about my life on Earth and how Michelle and I were adjusting. Jezz talked about growing up in a small farming village with not many Gifted around. Lannah talked about growing up in the capital, and how she had felt pressured to do great things just because she was born on the same day as Visanee. She also worried about being in the shadow of her parents, who had been citizens of the empire before helping to free thirty-two non-human slaves and get them to Azure. Jonth told us about his life before his Gifting, and since, and how he was coping with it all. He was getting more comfortable and confident with us and even told some off color jokes. The change was nice to see in the normally quiet and shy Zenin.

Finally we just started having group discussions on things like our wonderful Drakans, our hobbies and interests, and life in Azure. They were able to teach me a few things that couldn’t be found in books and that had slipped Jezz’s mind. Jonth and Lannah even offered to teach Jezz and me how to play Kaltok, a strategic board game, when we got a chance. Overall they both were good people, and I thought that the talk brought us all closer together. Finally we talked about our Gifts, and creative uses we had found for them, at which point Jezz just had to point out about my empathy and the best kiss ever.

To say that Lannah and Jonth were intrigued would be a gross understatement. Eventually, after a bit of cajoling from Jezz, I consented to give them a demonstration. I was worried it wouldn’t work if they or I didn’t enjoy the kiss enough to start the feedback loop. I kissed Lannah first and we both enjoyed it, a lot. Jonth was next but I also worried with him that I just might not enjoy kissing a guy, or that I might get panicky, and I warned him ahead of time. I needn’t have worried. Jonth was a good kisser and he made me feel wanted and respected rather than violated like I had feared. It could have been the emotions coming from him, the fact that he was a friend, or the fact that Jezz and Lannah were there in case anything happened but I did enjoy the kiss and I made sure that he did too.

Once Jonth, Lannah, and all three of our Drakans were lying down with looks of bliss on their faces matching the one I was sure I wore myself, Jezz joked about feeling left out. I should have known that she was just trying to get a best kiss buzz of her own. I was just glad I was getting better control of my Wilder empathy enough to block out the animals or Pounce and Chrissy would feel it too. I gave her what she wanted though, and once she and Grayle had joined us in the ranks of the blissed we all laid down together for a time just enjoying the company until it was time to head back to the palace for dinner.

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Author's Note: Here's chapter 13 of Alex in Wonderland. Thank you as always to all my readers for the comments, kudos, and thinking that my work is worth reading. Also thanks to the Big Closet team who work tirelessly to give us all a wonderfully supportive venue to read and post TG fiction ~Amethyst.
 

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Chapter 13: Union

To say that my mother was overjoyed that I was prepared to do my duty and produce an heir before the war came would be an understatement. Add in the fact that Jezz and I both wanted to wed before I attempted to produce that heir, as was custom, and I didn’t think she was ever going to come down from whatever cloud she was riding. The next three sevensuns were a flurry of activity as the Queen planned the perfect royal Union Ceremony. I had very little say in any of it, but I wouldn’t have known what to plan anyway so I was happy that she and Jezz were both taking charge.

That’s not to say that I was uninvolved. Oh heavens no, I was constantly being shuffled from gown fittings to planning sessions, and to Priestesses of both Kanae and Mynde to discuss the ceremonies and preparations. Between that and training, Jezz and I were both exhausted more than we weren’t. I made sure to set aside time for our Drakans as well, and to get to know both Lannah and Jonth better. Once Jonth had gotten over his shyness about his gender he was a lot of fun to be around, and I had to admit that he was very attractive. I shared some mutual attraction for Lannah as well, and she was fast becoming my best friend other than Jezz. We shared the same birthsun, had similar issues with our Gifts, and Snow and Michelle both had a tendency to tease us mercilessly.

So all in all I was getting comfortable in my new life and enjoying sharing it with people who understood, respected, and cared for me. Azure had finally become my home. It was less than a sevensun before the big day and, in a rare moment of solitude, I was laying in the grass beside the lake with my head resting on Michelle’s side. Grayle and Jezz had been sent across the lake so Grayle could work her magic at helping the plants in the lakeside garden to keep healthy. At two tenths old, both Michelle and Grayle were starting to get big with Michelle as the larger of the pair approximately twenty five feet long with a wing span of nearly twenty feet. Those wings were currently stretched out to shade me from the early summer sun. ~This is nice,~ Michelle commented. ~I’m glad you’re getting a bit of rest, you’ve been pushing yourself too hard lately.~

~Mom thinks so too, she pretty much ordered me to take the afternoon off and relax with you,~ I replied as I lazily petted Chrissy, who was dozing in my lap.

~I’m not going to complain. Does this have anything to do with you snarling at the dressmaker during this morning’s fitting?~ she jibed.

~I didn’t snarl, I groaned. I swear she was trying to cut me in half while measuring my waist with that cord,~ I complained.

I could feel her mental wince as she replied, ~Well she did have to get an accurate measure, and that’s hard when you’re bloated from your moon cycle. You’re moody enough without adding that to the mix.~

I nodded in agreement. ~Thank Goddess it’s almost over, until next tenth at least.~

~Think of it this way Alex, if you do manage to conceive you’ll get a six tenths reprieve,~ she offered. ~Though you’ll probably get morning sickness, tender breasts, backaches, general tiredness, and feel like a blimp until it’s time to go through hours of excruciating labor.~

~Thanks a lot sis, I feel so much better about this now,~ I retorted sarcastically. ~I’ll be sure to remember how comforting you’re being when you lay your first eggs. I heard that you Radiants can lay as many as a dozen at a time. I guess that’s one benefit of being big and shiny. You’ll probably have a lot of possible suitors ready to plow your fields. You’ll probably be at least as popular with the guys as I am during my Tahrin.~

Michelle gave a snort behind me as she thought back, ~Well at least I’ll only have to go through it every three passes. I wonder if I can just go invisible and avoid the whole thing.~

~Hey, if I don’t get to get out of this baby-making business neither do you. You have a duty to your own kind, after all you’re an endangered species here in the Greylands. Speaking of invisible though, the seamstresses dropped off something this morning. It seems they finally had enough usable skin from your last growth spurt to finish two sets of clothes for me.~ I gave her a mental grin as I added, ~we should try it out.~

Michelle mulled it over a minute before agreeing, ~We should, it’s a pain in the ass trying to keep you invisible while you’re moving or not in line of sight. Iriden says when you’re wearing scales from my own body it will be much easier.~

~Because they redirect light easier?~ I asked.

~That’s one reason,~ she admitted. ~He also said that since they are my scales, and we’re inherently magical creatures, that the scales still have a bond to me and can be used as an extension of myself almost as easily as the scales still attached to me. I should feel them better when worn by my Chosen and that, and our mental connection, should allow me to make you invisible as easily as I do myself. Now I’m eager to give this a try.~

~Me too sis. I’ll go get changed and be right back. It might be interesting to see if I can take a leisurely walk through the palace and not be seen. I’d be much more effective as an invisible spy if I didn’t have to worry about staying in your line of sight.~ I gently picked up Chrissy, giving her a loving scratch as I activated my ring. Then I placed her on my bed so I could dress and she could finish her nap. Once I had removed my clothes, I quickly dashed into my bathroom to change my brae moss pad. My period was almost over and my flow wasn’t very heavy, but I still didn’t want to risk getting blood on my shiny new clothes.

Clad only in my panties and bra, I began to get dressed. First I stepped into the form fitting body suit that would even cover my tail. Getting that tail into the sleeve for it was awkward, and uncomfortable, but it was better that than some Lharusian accidentally catching sight of a disembodied tail moving around and deciding to chop it off. I had grown rather fond of my tail, you could say I was attached to it. Once I had managed to get all five limbs properly sorted out, I looked at myself in my mirror. The bodysuit was skin tight and If I hadn’t been wearing panties and a bra under it people would have known it. ~Tell me again sis how this catsuit is supposed to keep me safe,~ I muttered in my mind.

Michelle seemed to be trying her best to sound reassuring. ~My scaly skin is damn hard Alex, and a bodysuit gives more ease of movement than armor. Trust me; we’ll have no problems with you dressed in that. It should stop swords, knives, and arrows easily and, while you’ll get bruising from a well swung blunt weapon, it should dull the blow quite a bit. I’m just glad we’re the only ones with guns in the Greylands, as I’m not sure if it could stop bullets. I can’t be sure how it will hold up against magic, but it should offer a little protection there too.~

I tried to shrug off my concerns as I put on the gloves and boots, leaving my entire body below my jaw covered in silvery scales, it was an impressive sight. Next came the belt with special sheaths for my sword and dagger, and a holster for my pistol. It was our hope that the Drakan hide they were covered in would help keep them hidden as well as the suit would my body. There was also a three point harness for my sniper rifle that would allow me to keep it slung over my back while not in use, and quickly swing it into a shooting position while needed. Over all that went a mask that tightly covered most of my face above my muzzle that had a bandana-like flap hanging down to drape over the exposed parts of my muzzle and jaw. Finally I tied my hair back before adding the cloak with the large hood that would keep it and anything I carried on my back out of sight.

I looked at myself in the mirror once again and was hit with a mix of awe and amusement. ~I look like I belong in a comic book sis, but I’m ready to give this a try when you are.~

Michelle waited for Alex to give her the sign that she was ready and, once she received confirmation, she practiced looking out through the eyes of her Chosen. She giggled once she saw the reflection in the mirror. ~You’re right Alex, you even have the utility belt. I can see why yours took so much longer to make than Jezz’s. She didn’t have the cloak or the other little extras you needed so we could keep everything invisible.~

~Not to mention she’s only four feet tall and Grayle has been giving almost as much skin as you. She almost had enough for Jezz’s two suits from her first shedding,~ Alex retorted.

~That’s true, still it’s not fair that your sidekick Greenwing got her costume before you Invisi-Girl,~ Michelle joked. ~Do you have a symbol to drive fear into the hearts of evil yet? Or should we wait before we get Galan to build the invisi-signal?~

Her former twin groaned at that, but gave as good as she got. ~Oh very funny sis, but you’re putting the cart ahead of the horse. We should make sure Invisi-Girl’s invisibility power works before firing spotlights with a giant “i” into the sky. So let’s make with the invisibility.~

~As you wish Princess, keep your cape on and let me work my magic.~ Seeing out Alex’s eyes was actually part of the process that Iriden had suggested. She could feel like Alex and the scales she was wearing were part of her easier that way. It was easy too. It just snapped right into place when she thought of making herself invisible. She knew she was invisible and at the same time Alex, who was currently like an independent extension of herself, became invisible as she did.

There were a few things visible when she looked in the mirror through her Chosen’s eyes, such as those green cat eyes, but Michelle had to expend hardly any effort at all to correct that once she got used to how bits of Alex that were not covered by invisibility felt to her. There was a slight tugging sensation in the scales around an area when some part of Alex, or something she was wearing, was visible and once she learned to sense that it was easy to cover those parts as well, since even though they themselves weren’t covered by scales they were at least surrounded by them. ~I think I’ve figured it out Alex, and I don’t have to concentrate much at all doing this. I think I should be able to keep exposed things like your sword hilt or rifle invisible without too much trouble, especially with that cloak on. Invisi-Girl is a go.~

I couldn’t see myself at all in the mirror now, but I could see myself, or the things that I was wearing, when I looked down at myself. ~Okay sis, I don’t see myself in the mirror, but I can see myself when I look down, why is that?~

~Iriden told me that while nobody else can see us while we’re invisible we can see one another if we want to because we’re connected,~ Michelle explained. ~I’m looking through your eyes to make it easier keeping you invisible, so you’re getting a sort of bleedthrough of my sight from our connection. Also you’re aware of your own body and where it is at any given time so you’re probably subconsciously compensating so you don’t bang into things. The reason we don’t see you in a mirror is because it’s a reflection so it’s like looking at whatever is there or not there, and I’m making sure that you’re not there by bending light around you. So we both know you’re there, but the mirror won’t reflect anything that isn’t reflecting light to be visible.~

~Thank you professor,~ I retorted. ~I’m glad you know what you’re doing, even if it makes my head spin. Shall I take a walk to experiment?~

~Oh please do, It’s better to test this under controlled conditions,~ the Radiant Drakan replied eagerly.

We discovered a few things as I moved around the palace. One was that it’s hard to go unnoticed when you make noise in a mostly empty room, but at least I had some natural stealth as a Zenin. If I put my mind to it I could be as silent as I was invisible. Secondly, we discovered that the farther I was away the harder it was for Michelle to keep me invisible. We seemed to do alright anywhere in the palace, but I was worried about situations where we might have to spy with Michelle unable to be close enough to maintain my stealth. Finally, I learned that my mom had sent me to relax and Jezz with Grayle to the lakeside garden so that we were out of the way while she planned a little surprise.

When I found her, Mom was in the sunroom in the northwest tower instructing Felice and some of the other palace servants as they set out a small banquet. The door had been left open due to the heavy traffic going in and out and I managed to slip inside easily. I was glad that the boots that I was wearing were more like moccasins than boots as they allowed me to walk comfortably on the balls of my feet without having a heel that could make a lot of noise. That was good forethought on the part of my seamstresses. Lannah and Rozia were there as well, chatting as they helped move some chairs into position at the table that had been set up.

Mom smiled at the pair. “Thank you for coming to help girls, we’re almost ready for them. Lannah could you please contact them and tell them we need them here for another fitting or something like that?”

Lannah returned the smile as she closed her eyes for a moment, then I felt her presence in my mind, sort of knocking at the door before asking, ~Alex do you think you could come up to the sunroom?~ Then I felt her surprise as she realized where I was. ~You sneaky Zenin, how long have you been here.~

~I just got here actually,~ I admitted. ~Michelle and I wanted to run some tests on our stealth capabilities.~

~I would say the invisibility works well and I do not think anyone else has picked up on you being here. I wouldn’t have either if I hadn’t been trying to contact you specifically telepathically. You might as well stay here until Jezz arrives, and then you can give a little surprise of your own,~ she replied with a giggle. Then she opened her eyes and looked back to my mom. “Jezz just got back and she’s on her way up and Alex has been wandering around the palace working with Michelle on something. They should be here soon your Majesty.”

~Maybe sooner than she thinks,~ I sent with a mental giggle of my own to Lannah and Michelle.

It was a small gathering and the occupants of the room were all women that Jezz and I were close to; Larane, my mother, Isra, Alizia from the temple of Selune, Lannah, Rozia, Felice, Kiryn, and some other palace servants we had bonded with, including some of the seamstresses. Michelle and I waited patiently while Lannah informed them of Jezz’s arrival and they all called out “Surprise!” as she entered. She was surprised, and then she was convinced to join the others in surprising me when Lannah said I should be there any time.

I quietly slipped behind the group and grinned as I had Michelle cut the invisibility. Then while all of them were focused on the doorway I yelled, “Surprise!” Several of the women, my mother included, jumped as I called out from behind them and then they all turned to stare at me in my Invisi-girl get up. Rozia had thrown the goblet she’d been drinking from into the air and turned in a guard position and the goblet landed on her white-furred head. I grinned at Carra, the seamstress who had delivered the clothes earlier. “I guess this means it works.” Then Lannah and I both promptly began laughing our collective asses off.

The party was a lot of fun and was basically the Greylands version of a wedding shower, where the women in the life of the bride(s) would offer advice for the new life ahead before the union ceremony, and try to prepare them for the surprises that new life may have in store for them. They would tell of their own experiences, some revealing very personal things about themselves and their own relationships in an attempt to shock the bride(s) and other guests the most. A lot of those things were not fit for print so I’m not going to go into them.

When the heir is the one getting hitched, the surprise contest takes on another aspect. The one who delivers the biggest shock during the party gets the honor of preparing the heir for the union ceremony, and spending the day before the ceremony with her performing the rituals at the temple of Kanae. I am the only heir to ever win the honor of being my own handmaiden. Since that just wouldn’t work, it was decided that Lannah would be my handmaiden since she was the one who had caught me and encouraged my little surprise.

At Dawn on the morning of the day before the union ceremony I was awoken by Felice and given a large meal to eat, as after that I would be fasting until the ceremony as I stayed the day and overnight in the temple of Kanae. It was traditional for the heir to do this as I sought the favor of the Goddess of Fertility, the Harvest, and Birth in my future attempts to produce an heir of my own. After I had eaten and was dressed in a lavender robe, I was escorted to the main courtyard where Lannah was waiting by the carriage. Lannah was wearing an identical lavender robe, as that was the color of Kanae, and we would be allowed to wear nothing else while in her temple until it was time to change for the ceremony. We were bringing our clothes for the wedding in a small case.

~I don’t like the idea of being away from Michelle for so long,~ I griped to Lannah as we both entered the carriage hand in hand. ~And I don’t like depriving Snow of her Chosen for over a sun either.~ Once we were seated, the carriage was underway to Kanae’s temple in the city under the watchful eye of Patar’s most trusted guards, as well as my own guard contingent.

~Don’t’ worry so much Alex,~ Lannah replied, squeezing my hand and smiling at me. ~Jezz promised that she would take care of Michelle and she and Grayle will both keep her company, and Jonth and Xuth will be doing the same for Snow. Besides it’s not like we can’t speak with them, they’re always in our minds. Now stop being so nervous, I’ll be right by your side the whole time.~

~I know, I’m being stupid.~ I let out a soft sigh. ~This whole thing would be easier to take if they would tell me what exactly these rituals we’re going through will be. I don’t like going into things blindly.~

Lannah squeezed my hand in hers and gave me a reassuring smile. ~Relax, I’ll be going through the same rituals as you, and I don’t know much either. Usually women who want to conceive just go to the temple for a ritual cleansing and prayer to Kanae. When the heir or Queen is involved though, there’s a little more to it.~

We were quiet for the remainder of the trip to the temple square, just holding one anothers hands as we tried to remain calm for what may lay ahead. When we arrived, we were escorted inside to the temple’s main hall where we were met by High Priestess Kasmin, who greeted us both with a smile. “Princess Alexis it is good to have you in the temple to give us hope for the future. And you must be Lannah, her handmaiden until the union ceremony.”

“Thank you Priestess Kasmin," I replied with a nervous smile, “It’s good to be here. I must admit to being a bit nervous though. I really have no idea what we’re supposed to be doing here today.”

The priestess nodded. “You are being wed tomorrow, so a case of the nerves is understandable. As for what you will be doing, the pair of you will work as temple servants until the sun sets. This is meant to teach an heir humility, and it is symbolic of the duties that you are taking up. As a bride you care for your spouse as you do for yourself, as a mother you will nurture your children and care for their needs, and as Queen you serve your country and people. Azure’s needs must come before your own, and your bride-to-be will be learning that same lesson in Itari’s temple today.”

My eyes widened at that and I squeezed Lannah’s hand, ~I didn’t know about that! Who’s going to watch Grayle and Michelle and take care of their needs?!~

~Calm down Alex. Patar and Runne are here with us now and have promised to spend all day with us,~ Michelle’s voice broke into my panic.

I calmed myself down a bit. “Okay, I can see the point of that. So what happens after the sun goes down?”

“That is when you will be going through the cleansing rituals and praying to Kanae to bless you with an heir,” she replied. “Now we will have you begin by helping with the morning meal in the kitchen. Remember though, that neither of you are to eat until after the ceremony tomorrow.”

With that, Lannah and I began our day of working amongst the lavender robed initiates of Kanae. We helped make meals, clean the temple, assisted the Priestesses with various tasks when asked, and as a Healer I was brought in to assist with three births that day while their regular Healer was busy. The mothers weren’t really sure how to react to me in an initiate’s robes as I coached them on what to do and mixed an anesthetic from vilae root, padith, and loiku, which I had them drink mixed with rillfruit juice. The first birth was the most difficult, as I worried about doing something wrong, but my training seemed to take over as I focused on the task while giving the mother and Lannah instructions.

Let me tell you, childbirth is simultaneously the most beautiful and the most disgusting thing I have ever seen, but holding that baby girl as she was taking her first breaths was an incredible experience. It made me glad that I was a Healer, as any fool can take a life, but giving it and nurturing it is the most wonderful feeling in the world. I checked the child over for any of the signs that I had been warned to look for by Larane, but the girl was healthy and strong and such a beautiful baby. As I handed her to her mother I thought, having a baby is best for Azure, but does it have to be just my duty? I want this, I want to hold a baby of my own in my arms. For the first time I wanted to be a mother.

The first mother was a young human woman with black hair and I’m sure she was quite pretty when not in pain and physical distress from birth. She named her new daughter Alexis and I was flattered, if a little embarrassed. The other two births were a Jiquar and a Zenin, and both births were much easier after I had the first one behind me, though I was beginning to wonder if the temple Healer was really busy, or if this was just a way to show me what I would be in for soon myself if Kanae blessed me with a child. I was also beginning to wonder how popular variants of my name were going to be with Azure’s next generation, as the Jiquar boy was named Lex and the Zenin girl was named Alis.

Finally sunset came along and Kasmin came to fetch Lannah and me. “You both did well today,” she offered. “Now let’s get to the cleansing room so the two of you can begin.” She led us through the temple to a pair of sturdy pine doors which she opened to reveal a small room bereft of any windows, and lit only by candles. At the back of the room was an altar to Kanae with padded lavender cushions set before it. The room was dominated though by the pair of Jacuzzi sized pools of steaming water in the very center of the room, with lavender-colored rillfruit blossom petals floating on the surface.

We were both encouraged to remove our robes as Kasmin did the same and explained. “Lannah, you will be cleansed first by myself. Once you are properly cleansed in the eyes of Kanae, you will join Princess Alexis in her pool and cleanse her as I did you, while instructing her in her duties as a wife, mother, and future Queen of Azure.” We both nodded and each were directed into a pool, and then the cleansing began. Once Lannah was finished she switched pools and began to thoroughly clean my body, fur, hair, and pretty much all my most personal places while telling me all about my duties.

It was strange and more than a little bit of a turn on having someone I liked and was attracted to bathing me like that. I was having a bit of trouble focusing on what she was saying, but I forced my desire down and made myself listen. It helped a bit when I reached out with my empathy and discovered that Lannah was having as much trouble as I was. At least I wasn’t suffering alone. Once she had finished the cleansing ritual, Kasmin instructed us both to leave the pool and kneel on the cushions in front of Kanae’s altar. We were to pray to the Goddess for fertility for a healthy female child until the candles burned out, and then we would be escorted to a room to sleep for the night.

Kneeling there naked and doing nothing but praying to Kanae was very difficult. We weren’t allowed to talk to one another, or use mind speech to talk to anyone else, as our focus needed to be solely on the prayers. It was cold, my fur was wet, and I was sure that Lannah was feeling similar discomfort. Still, we both did our best to concentrate only on Kanae and our prayers for fertility and a female child. Time seemed to take an eternity to pass, but eventually the candles burnt out and Kasmin returned to hand us our robes and guide us to the bedchamber set aside for these occasions that we would share that night.

We stayed there for a while together in that large bed where I would rest with my head in Lannah’s lap as she knelt on the bed and kept a silent vigil until I awoke the next morning. While we were forbidden from physically speaking until the next morning as we silently contemplated the miracles of pregnancy and birth, mind speech was allowed. ~This is not how I pictured the first time we would be in bed together,~ Lannah joked.

~I know how you feel. Just laying still and thinking about female babies and the future of Azure wasn’t what I had in mind. We’ll make up for it next time,~ I offered. ~Though Jezz has dibs on me tomorrow night.~

~Of course,~ she replied. ~I’ll be wanting one more night alone with Jonth, before you steal him away to make an heir once your Tahrin starts in a couple suns.~

~Enjoy yourself, after I’m done with him I’ll make it up to you.~ I answered with a mental grin. ~And I’m sure Jezz can think of some way to distract you while I’m hogging him. Though to tell the truth, I’m a bit nervous about being with him. I like him, and I’m attracted to him, but I’ve never been with a man before. I guess the Tahrin will make it easier, but I’m a bit scared.~

She caressed my cheek reassuringly. ~You’ll be fine, and if anyone can understand what you’re going through its Jonth. And Jezz and I will be there if you decide you need us, we’ve been talking about it. If it’s easier for you, we could make it a foursome the first time so you have Jezz and me there too if you get nervous. For now though, you should sleep, tomorrow is a big sun.~

~Thanks Lannah, I’ll let you all know how I’m feeling once my Tahrin comes along. I appreciate your being here and I know staying awake all night and not being able to eat until after the ceremony tomorrow isn’t going to be easy on you. It means a lot to me that you’re here with me doing it. Good night. Good night to you too Michelle and Snow.~ Soon I drifted off to sleep my mind swirling with thoughts of babies and the ceremony to come.

The next morning was bright and sunny and I awoke looking up at Lannah’s tired looking face smiling down at me. "Good morning Alex, how are you feeling?”

“Nervous,” I replied, “but I should be the one asking you that, you look exhausted Lannah.”

“Don’t worry about me Alex, I’ll be fine until I can sleep,” she replied. “We need to get ready, the ceremony starts in less than three candlemarks and people are already starting to gather outside in Temple Square.” She sat me down in the chair in front of the room’s dressing table and began to brush out my hair. Once she had it brushed and styled into an elaborate up-d,o held in place with silver barrettes, she replaced all of the gold earrings in each of my ears with silver ones. After that she worked on her own white hair and we got dressed in our underclothes.

Once we were both in our panties and bras, Lannah pulled my gown out of the case and began the arduous task of getting me into it. The dress was a long lavender gown with a silver beaded corset, low neckline, a hem down to my feet, and silver clasps on the shoulders which held in place a sheer lavender cape. The cape was twenty feet long, and Lannah would follow me all day carrying the hem and keeping it off the ground. Sheer sleeves matching the cape ended in silver beaded bracers on my forearms.

Silver is the color of Mynde, the Goddess of Unions, and is always present in the clothes of anyone being wed. Since I was appealing to Kanae for a child and heir I would wear primarily lavender though. Jezz would wear hunter green, as she was appealing to Itari to approve our union and her place as my Consort, but other than that our dresses essentially matched. As my handmaiden, Lannah would also be wearing lavender with small silver accents. After we were both properly attired, and Lannah had seen to using berries to redden her lips and shaded her eyelids with a blue powder, we both left the room to find High Priestess Kasmin.

~I wish you were here sis. It doesn’t feel right, us getting married without you and Grayle here.~ I told Michelle while Lannah and I waited for the signal for us to leave the temple of Kanae for the square outside.

~Don’t worry Alex, Grayle and I will be with you both in spirit if nothing else,~ she replied, and I could sense a bit of a smirk there.

~What are you not telling me?~ I asked.

We were interrupted by Lannah’s voice in my mind. ~It’s time Alex.~ With that, the doors were opened and I followed Patar and Irric as they led the way through the path that had been kept clear from the temple of Kanae to the temple of Mynde. On the opposite side of the square Jezz would be following Jonth and Rozia as they led her from the temple of Itari. The square was filled with people hoping to get a look at Jezz and I on our big day, and I even saw people watching from the tops of some of the buildings. It was as busy as it had been on my Giftsun, and I was a bit nervous walking along the path with all those eyes on me as Lannah followed bearing the hem of my cape.

Finally our paths met and I gasped at the sight of Jezz in her green and silver gown as we turned to face the temple of Mynde. As we met, Jezz and I both turned and made our way toward the temple of Mynde with the royal banners hanging from its great silver balcony. And there, standing proudly below the balcony, were Michelle and Grayle with the midmorning light reflecting off their scales. I almost cried right there, but managed to control myself as I shot to Michelle, ~Here in spirit my ass.~

~Your mother wanted it to be a surprise,~ she replied with a mental grin. ~And you should know there is no other place that we would be.~

I smiled as I walked the rest of the way along that path and through the throngs of people to the temple. With each step I could feel my heart beating faster, until we were at the twin staircases leading up to the silver balcony that overlooked the square. At the bottom of the left hand staircase Jezz’s father took her hand to lead her up, as each of my parents took one of mine and led me up the right. We each walked up the spiral staircases and across the balcony at the top to meet in the middle, where Mynde’s High Priestess stood waiting with the High Priestesses of Itari and Kanae.

“People of Azure!” the Priestess spoke above the hushed crowd in the square below. “We gather here today, in the silver embrace of Mynde, to join together two people. Our Princess and heir Alexis Misalet comes before us, clad in the colors of Mynde and Kanae, not just to wed, but in hopes of having an heir and assuring the future of Azure! Does Kanae approve this union and give Her blessing?”

“Kanae gives Her approval and Her blessing,” answered Kasmin.

The Priestess of Mynde nodded and continued. “Jezz Highwind comes before us, clad in the colors of Mynde and Itari, to wed our Princess and to help lead our people. Does Itari approve this union and give Her blessing?”

The ground seemed to tremor in approval as Priestess Zarla replied, “Itari approves and gives Her blessing.”

“Kanae and Itari both approve, and Mynde gives Her blessing for this union as well. Alexis and Jezz, is it your true wish to be bound for all time before the people of Azure, and to be untied as one to serve Azure and its people?”

“It is,” we answered as one.

The Priestess nodded to the Priestesses of the other Goddesses and each stepped forward. A large silver circular object was handed to me by Kasmin as Zarla handed a similar one to Jezz. “Then be bound to one another.”

Jezz and I stepped toward one another and each placed the silver choker around the other’s throat. Once they were in place, the spell imbedded in them caused the choker’s to seal shut around our throats, where they would stay for the rest of our lives. Each choker had a small emerald set in it and, should we choose to add others to our union, a new stone would be added for each person. As the chokers sealed shut and we kissed, the applause in the square became deafening.

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Author's Note: Here's chapter 14 of Alex in Wonderland. It's been a while and it's good to be back in the saddle. Things might be a bit slow for the next few weeks because my computer is still acting glitchy despite the new hard drive and I am working on a project for Nanowrimo, but I will post nw story chapters as I finish them. Thank you as always to all my readers for the comments, kudos, and thinking that my work is worth reading. Also thanks to the Big Closet team who work tirelessly to give us all a wonderfully supportive venue to read and post TG fiction ~Amethyst.
 

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Chapter 14: Celebration

Jezz and I stepped toward one another and each placed the silver choker around the other’s throat. Once they were in place the spell imbedded in them caused the choker’s to seal shut around our throats where they would stay for the rest of our lives. Each choker had a small emerald set in it, and should we choose to add others to our union a new stone would be added for each person. As the chokers sealed shut and we kissed the applause in the square became deafening.

The High Priestess of Mynde stood there smiling and waited for the applause to die down to a dull roar before raising her hands for attention once more. “And now, Her Majesty would like to say a few words.”

“Thank you High Priestess Girwen,” my mother said with a smile as she stepped up to address her people. “As you all know, almost two tenths ago my daughter lost her memory. You may all wonder why I choose to bring up such an unhappy memory on such a joyous occasion, as in a sense I lost my daughter that day and there are still days that I mourn that loss. Since then I have watched as a new daughter took her place, learning all that she had lost, devoting herself to her country and her people, and becoming a better heir than I could possibly hope for, given the circumstances.”

She paused a moment to wipe a tear and collect herself before continuing. “Alexis has become a fine heir; she is strong, fair, and she works hard to overcome all obstacles placed in her path. During that time I have come to know Jezz as well, as she has been a constant, loving, and loyal companion to my daughter. I have come to care for her almost as much as I do for Alexis herself.” At that point she motioned for one of the guards to step forward. The Zenin guard was holding a small silver tiara with tiny emeralds imbedded in it and she took it with a silent nod of thanks before turning back to her people once more. “Jezz and Alexis, please step forward.”

I could feel the nervousness emanating from my new bride, and I gently squeezed her shaking hand to reassure her as we stepped forward. ~Don’t be so nervous Jezz, you only have to say six words, you’ll do just fine. You knew very well when you agreed to marry me that ceremonies like these would be required.~

~I suppose it’s not any worse than your Giftsun,~ she replied as she returned the squeeze. “Yer Majesty,” she addressed my mother as she knelt down on one knee.

My mother gave Jezz one of her reassuring smiles as she spoke again. “Do you vow before Itari, myself, and the people of Azure to stand by my daughter’s side no matter what comes? Do you vow to be her guiding light in the darkest of times, and to show the same love and devotion to this land, and it’s people, that she herself has? Do you vow to be not only her bride, but also her Consort?”

“I do so vow Yer Majesty,” she answered firmly.

The Queen placed the tiara on her head and gently said, “Then please rise.” She turned back to the people in the square below and opened her arms wide. “I give you Princess Alexis Misalet and her rightful Consort, Princess Jezz Misalet!” There was applause then as, not only the crowd, but the land itself rumbled in approval.

We were then escorted down the spiral staircase and into market square as Lannah followed behind, still bearing the hem of my cape. The royal carriage waited for us and the three of us made our way toward it, through the crowd of well-wishers who threw salt at our feet. The salt was apparently to protect the path of our future together from evil. If the married couple got salt in their shoes it was considered a good omen.

I had expected the carriage to be pulled by machuls or white horses or something, but when we got to the carriage I was in for a surprise. Michelle stood there in some sort of improvised harness with the carriage hooked up to it. Behind the carriage stood Grayle, and Jezz and I both stopped for a moment to stare at them. ~What in the world?~ I thought as I stared at the two Drakans and the carriage.

~Majestic way to travel in a parade isn’t it?~ Michelle replied. ~It was your mom’s idea, she thought it would be nice for us to be involved, and nobody will try anything funny with a Drakan pulling the carriage and another one guarding your rear, even if we aren’t fully grown.~ Then she gave an exaggerated mental sigh, though I could tell she was preening from all the attention she was getting. ~The things I do for you Alex.~

I laughed as Jezz and I climbed into the carriage and Lannah joined us. ~You know you’re enjoying yourself Michelle so shut up, look majestic, and let’s get this underway.~

The post wedding parade was mercifully short and soon we arrived at the lakeside park where the union feast would be taking place. We had considered holding the feast in the palace, but it was the height of summer and the Wind Walkers had assured us that the weather would be perfect. This would allow Jezz and me to celebrate with, not only our guests, but with all the people of Azure who had come to the capital to celebrate our union.

Tables and benches had already been set up for the nobility, and the royal cooks were beginning to roast Liddecks and Luarn on the cooking fires that had been built. There were also booths set up by local entrepreneurs selling baked goods, cold drinks, foodstuffs, and souvenirs to honor the day. Between that, the various games, and Drakan pairs offering rides to those who wanted to experience flying, the whole celebration had a developed a carnival atmosphere. I couldn’t help but smile as I took it all in. There might be war in our future, but for now everyone had managed to put that out of their minds and seize the day.

I was sitting at the head table with Jezz and Lannah, as Jonth, Irric, and Rozia stood guard behind us and our Drakan’s played and generally showed off for the crowds of people. We were watching Chrissy and Pounce playing together nearby. The pair had managed to gather a large crowd of children who watched the pair raptly as they played, giggling at their antics. I sighed contentedly as I leaned back in my chair. “Mmmm, It is so great to be able to relax and enjoy a good party, and everyone else seems to be enjoying it too. There are so many nice emotions out there; it’s nice to feel that.”

“It is also nice to be able to eat something,” Lannah put in. One of the bakers had brought a platter of pastries to the table so that Lannah, Jezz and I could have something to tide us over until the feast was prepared. None of us had eaten since a very early breakfast the day before and we were all gratefully nibbling at the welcome treats.

“Ya ‘Lex, I dinna expect t' be fastin’ an’ spendin’ tha day at tha temple o’ Itari yestersun, so I only had a small breakfast. ‘Tis nice t’ have sumthin in ma stomach t' hold me ‘til tha feast.” She turned to look back at our guards, “Y’all sure ya dun wan’ sum o’ these pastries?”

Jonth just shook his head as he spoke for all three of them. “No, we all already ate a good breakfast, we’ll be fine until the feast starts at midday. And since it’s going on until midnight, we’ll have plenty of time to go off and eat when we feel the need. We’ve decided that we will not be drinking, and only one of us will eat at a time. With the festivities, and both the two of you and Their Majesties out in the open all day today, this would be a good day for the empire to try something.”

“I appreciate it guys, but really this is a celebration of our union and we’d like our friends to be able to enjoy it too,” I put in with a sigh. “Lannah? How about you? Are you going to celebrate?”

“As much as I can Alex,” she responded with a smile, “but I do have my duties as your handmaiden. I’ll be walking behind you all day bearing the hem of your cape whenever you leave the table. That works out pretty well though, it keeps me close to you and if anyone tries anything I’ll be right there. I might not have my weapon with me today, but at least I can send a telepathic shout to the others if it’s needed.”

The humming of the land entered my mind followed by my mother’s thoughts. ~It will be midday soon and time for the gift giving. Once that is done, we can begin the feast and relax for the rest of the day.~

I groaned at the thought. ~Gift giving? I hope that doesn’t mean we have to wait, while everyone in the country gives us presents.~

My mother mentally chuckled. ~No dear one, the people who wish to give you gifts will have until midnight to approach you and Jezz. This is a chance for any of the Gods who wish to bless your union and give a gift to do so before us mortals. Usually only Itari does so, but all the Gods must be given the opportunity. This is also the time for your Champions to swear their oath to you before all the Gods. A large circle has been drawn in the earth by the lake and you and Jezz must kneel side by side at the center.~

I broke the link and shared the update with the others, and then we walked together toward the lake and the large group crowded there. Jezz and I walked hand in hand, with Lannah following behind bearing the hem of my cape, while the others formed a loose triangle around us. People parted before us, clearing a path that led straight to the circle. Finally we stood before a circle of empty space about thirty feet in diameter and Jezz and I walked to the center and knelt while the others remained behind, my cape stretched to almost it’s full length as Lannah held the hem at the circle’s edge.

Surrounding the circle and facing us stood the High Priests and Priestesses for each of the major Gods, save Lharus, so eleven in total with Itari’s High Priestess Zarla in the center with five to each side of her. Zarla called out, “Which Gods bear witness to this event?” Each in turn spoke out the name of their patron God or Goddess, ending with Zarla herself speaking for Itari before looking at the scroll in her hands. “I call forth Lannah Odale!”

“I hear your call and step forward,” Lannah replied as she stepped into the circle, gathering my cape as she approached, and knelt behind me.

Zarla watched Lannah take her position before speaking again. “Lannah Odale, do you swear before all these Gods to serve as Champion to Alexis and Jezz Misalet? Do you swear your loyalty and fealty to them for the rest of your days? Do you swear to honor, defend, and serve them and Itari come what may?”

“I do so swear!” Lannah replied without hesitation.

Zarla referred again to the the scroll in her hands. “I call forth Jonth Tidare!”

“I hear your call and step forward,” Jonth spoke as he stepped into the circle and knelt behind Jezz.

“Jonth Tidare, do you swear before all these Gods to serve as Champion to Alexis and Jezz Misalet? Do you swear your loyalty and fealty to them for the rest of your days? Do you swear to honor, defend, and serve them and Itari come what may?”

“I do so swear!” Jonth answered seriously.

The next name on Zarla’s list was Irric. “I call forth Irric Pawin!”

“I hear your call and ssstep forward,” Irric said as he joined us in the circle and knelt to Lannah’s right.

Once Irric was in place Zarla asked. “Irric Pawin, do you swear before all these Gods to serve as Champion to Alexis and Jezz Misalet? Do you swear your loyalty and fealty to them for the rest of your days? Do you swear to honor, defend, and serve them and Itari come what may?”

“I do ssso ssswear!” Irric hissed.

Finally it was Rozia’s turn. “I call forth Rozia Whitemantle!”

“I hear your call and step forward,” Rozia said as she joined us in the circle and knelt to Jonth’s left.

Zarla waited once more until Rozia was in position. “Rozia Whitemantle, do you swear before all these Gods to serve as Champion to Alexis and Jezz Misalet? Do you swear your loyalty and fealty to them for the rest of your days? Do you swear to honor, defend, and serve them and Itari come what may?”

“I do so swear!” Rozia replied and I could now feel the pride, joy, and protectiveness emanating from each of our guards and it made me beam with pride of my own.

“Then in Itari’s name, before all these Gods, I name you four Champions, and guardians of the future of Azure!” Zarla’s words were met with a round of applause and she had to wait until the crowd had calmed before she spoke again. “We now offer all the Gods gathered here a chance to be the first to bestow a gift upon the Heir and her Consort. Which Gods have a gift to offer?” I could feel the shock and confusion in the crowd as Kasmin, the High Priestess of Kanae; the High Priest of Gund, the God of War; and the High Priest of Drek, the God of Misfortune all raised both hands to the heavens, but Zarla did not. Even the priestesses and priests themselves seemed a bit shocked by what was going on.

The High Priest of Gund, a massive black furred Jiquar in the red robes of his calling spoke first, his voice a deep, booming bass. “Gund bestows a gift in Itari’s place.” The murmuring of the crowd increased in both volume and intensity at the proclamation. When it had died down a bit the Priest said, “Gund grants the gift of physical prowess.”

The High Priest of Drek, a pale human with black hair and dark eyes and wearing black and orange robes spoke next in a chilling voice that sent cold shivers down my spine. “Drek bestows a gift in place of Selune.” Again the crowd was hushed, but the priest’s next words caused a collective gasp. “Drek grants you each the gift of a single smile. Use them when your circumstances are most dire.” The priest stepped forward and handed both me and Jezz a single silver coin with a smiling face on it.

Drek is actually the God of Luck, but centuries ago He became mostly known for bad luck, which is why His name has become widely used as a curse word. It was once said that when Drek smiles on you, misfortune befalls your enemies, but He stopped smiling when Selune, the woman He loved, wed Lharus and was betrayed by Him. Having Him grant the gift of a smile was rare enough, but Him giving such a gift in place of Selune was going to be the talk of the town, and probably the whole country, for quite some time.

Finally Kasmin spoke in a soft matronly voice, “Kanae grants you and your Champions the gift of vitality.”

I felt a slight energy rush, but it didn’t seem to be anything major other than the pale lavender glow that surrounded us. I shrugged and squeezed Jezz’s hand as I thought at her, ~Well that was anti-climactic, after those first two gifts I was expecting something bigger.~ My attention was diverted from her reply though as another collective gasp sounded from the direction of where Michelle, Grayle, and the other Drakans were watching the gift giving. The same lavender glow surrounded each of our six Drakans, and it looked like they were getting a little more than an energy boost. ~Is it just me or are they…~

~They’re getting bigger,~ Jezz agreed, her mind full of shock and awe. ~Definitely getting bigger.~ As we watched, all six Drakans continued to grow and shed their skins rapidly, until each of them was the size of a fully grown Drakan of their type.

Michelle watched the gift giving ceremony from the lake with Grayle and the other Drakans. It was moving to see each of Alex’s four protectors step forward and take their oaths, and she tried to watch patiently through the gift giving itself. The once-human Drakan thought it odd that Itari had no gift to give as the Goddess seemed to favor her Chosen. What did it mean if the God of War was giving the newlywed couple a gift in Her place? War was coming, that much was certain, and despite Their vow not to interfere in the lives of mortals, Itari had used loopholes before so that She could interfere, at least indirectly. Had the Gods decided to openly choose sides in a mortal war, or was something else up?

Drek giving a gift in place of Selune was something of a miracle, from what she had learned of the pair from Alex’s studies. It only made her more concerned that this potential war was getting bigger than the mortals fighting it, though other than Itari and Selune, Drek of all Gods probably had a reason to support those who fought against Lharus’ human empire. She was so lost in pondering what the hell could be going on that she almost missed Kanae’s gift to the couple. "Vitality," she thought, "what in hell could that mean?"

She felt a sudden rush of energy, like she had just drunk a barrel of espresso, and the ground ,and Alex, seemed to be getting further away. No, they weren’t getting further away, she was getting bigger. She was also shedding her scaly skin like nobody’s business. Glances to either side showed that Grayle, Snow, Xuth, Forte, and Thorza were growing as well. Finally they all seemed to stop growing and Michelle looked back down at her Chosen, who was gaping up at her. ~Holy shit Michelle! You’re as big as Iriden.~

~Heh, you look so tiny now Alex… hmmm I wonder if this means…~ She began to rapidly beat her wings and used her powerful hind legs to launch herself into the air. She quickly processed what her Drakonic memory had available on flying and was able to put it into practice. After getting a feel for how her wings pushed against the air, she propelled herself higher into the air as the steady beating of her large iridescent wings helped her to gain altitude. She was flying, and soon the exhilaration of that action pushed all other concerns aside.

The exhilaration in Michelle’s mind washed over me as my former sister flew for the first time. She wasn’t alone either, as Snow, Xuth, Forte, and Thorza all joined her in flying circles far above the lakeside as they all explored their newfound freedom. I was still staring up at them when Mom’s thoughts brought me back to earth. ~Alright Alex, it’s time to thank the Gods for the gifts given and then we can officially begin the celebration.~

~Okay Mom, thanks for reminding me,~ I replied. Then I quickly added, ~and Itari, when I have some time, I think you have some explaining to do.~

~I have no idea what you are talking about,~ the Goddess answered, in what I assumed to be mock innocence.

I tried to put it out of my mind for the moment and focused on what needed to be done. “Gods and Goddesses, my Consort and I humbly thank You for Your presence here today and for the gifts that You have bestowed upon us. May our guests, Divine and mortal alike, partake of the celebration and eat, drink and be merry.” With that, the celebration was officially underway and the feast could begin.

Soon my companions and I were sitting back down at the head table eating, talking, and watching the Drakans flying above us while Grayle stood guard nearby. The Earth Drakan was quite the imposing sight now, and I doubted that anyone not native to Azure would come too close with her there. The Drakans’ shed skins were gathered by palace staff and loaded on a wagon that would take it all to the palace where tomorrow the seamstresses would start making clothes out of them for the Chosen. Michelle’s scales would also be used to make her riding harness and safety belts so that they would turn invisible whenever she does.

“I wonder how it feels to suddenly go from being an infant to being a full sized adult,” Lannah pondered aloud.

“We were already mentally mature when we were hatched,” Grayle reminded her in a silken voice. “Kanae’s gift just helped our bodies catch up faster, and I can’t help but wonder if the gift was really meant for us Drakans.”

I nodded in agreement. “I’ve been thinking the same. She said it was for me, Jezz, and our Champions, but we are magically bonded to our Drakans, or so I've been told. I kind of feel bad about having your youth taken away though, and I wonder if we were aged as well.”

“I think that She aged us only enough to get us full grown, so that we could be of more use to you now and when the war comes,” the Earth Drakan responded. “It’s possible that you aged too, though a pass of growth doesn’t cause much change at your ages. And one pass of life may have brought us to our full size, but it isn’t really much to a Drakan, we are inherently magical creatures and live for hundreds of passes, barring accidental death or murder.”

I think that we were all staring at our green scaled companion at that point. “Hundreds of years? How does that affect your Chosen if we’re all magically bonded to you?’ Rozia asked.

The Drakan seemed to ponder the question for a long moment before answering, “It’s hard to say, we’ve only been doing the bonding to a Chosen for what twelve passes?” At my nod she added, “That’s not very long, and probably not long enough to see any changes even in the aging process of even the first Chosen.”

I thought about all of the Drakan pairs that I had met. “I think the oldest pair that I’ve met aside from Patar and Runne are Gella and Iriden, and both pairs have been together for over ten passes. Gella seems very healthy and looks to be in her mid-thirties, but I've been told that she's well into her forties. That could just be due to genetics, or the fact that Chosen tend to keep fit due to their duties. Patar is as old as Gella is and, while he does act his age, he doesn’t really look it.”

Jonth nodded as I made my points. “You’re right, neither really seems to look as old as they are, but it could just be coincidence. Still, we may want to look into it, once we don’t have the possibility of a war hanging over our heads.”

“You’re right Jonth,” I agreed. “There’s other questions I’d like to have answered now anyway. Someone shake me if any more gift givers come to the table while I talk with Itari.” I focused my thoughts through the singing in the back of my mind that was the power of the land. ~Itari, what happened to Gods not interfering in the lives of mortals?~

The tinkling of bells sounded the Goddess’ laughter. ~Is that any way to thank the one who petitioned the other Gods on your behalf? Besides We are not interfering, We are restoring balance.~

~What do You mean You’re restoring balance?~ I asked. ~Is this about what our spies in the empire have been turning up the last few sevendays?~ According to humans we had sent into the empire to keep tabs on things, there had been an unusually large number of powerful Gifts granted in the empire recently.

~Yes, Lharus is beginning to make His move,~ she confirmed. >~He sees you and your people as a threat, and has bestowed powerful Gifts with far more frequency than what should occur naturally. Selune has been giving Gifts more frequently, and of larger scale, to counter it, but most people just aren’t attuned enough to magic and the divine to use a Gift without dire consequences. Lharus is not doing those people a favour by giving them Gifts. We still cannot interfere directly, but the gift giving today has provided Us with what you would call a loophole.~

~And you just can’t resist a good loophole can you?~ I retorted dryly.

~I use them on occasion if they are necessary,~ the Goddess admitted. ~Quite cleverly in this case, I must admit. The other Gods feel that Selune and I favour you too much, and feared what We might gift you with so they offered a compromise: If We did not give gifts of Our own We could choose another God to give a gift in Our place. We chose Gund and Drek since what They could give you was limited to their domains, but could be extremely useful to you in the days to come. Gund’s gift has heightened all of your physical abilities to their maximum, and when you toss the coin onto the ground Drek will grant you good luck for a time.~

~What about Kanae?~ I asked. ~Super-sizing our Drakans wasn’t exactly subtle.~

A musical giggle preceded her reply. ~A fine use of a loophole on Her part, gifting you with life energy to physically mature the Drakans that you are bound to, and none of Us suspected it until She did it. I really must commend Her on that. I suspect that Kanae supports Our stand on the matter of Lharus, and was awaiting an opportunity to assist one of Her own chosen children against Him.~

~You, Selune, and now Kanae, just how many of you Gods are going to take an interest in my life?~ I thought with a roll of my eyes.

Itari laughed once again. ~Oh please, this is not all about you dear child. You are not one of Kanae’s chosen children, your consort is. Still, Kanae is going to hear from the other Gods about that one. Selune and I will support Her though. Your Drakans need to be ready for the war as well. This will give you time to train with them at full power before the empire is ready to move a large force.~

When I brought my awareness back to the real world, Chrissy was snuggled up in my lap sleeping, but other than that the world was pretty much as I had left it. ~Enjoying flying sis?~ I sent to Michelle, who was still high above us.

~You bet I am,~ came her reply. ~Though I think my energy buzz is wearing off, and I’m getting really hungry.~

~Well you’re a big girl now so you can do some hunting. Make sure that the other’s eat too and bring something back for Grayle if you can.~

~You make it sound like I’m going on a fast food run Alex,~ she replied with a mental chuckle.

~Aren’t you?~ I retorted as I felt an elbow in my ribs. ~Anyway don’t be too long, it’s no fair you’re going flying for the first time without me.~ I opened my eyes to see Patar approaching our table, carrying a huge wrapped package with a smaller one sitting on top.

“Your Highnesses, I come bearing gifts!” he exclaimed with a bearish grin. “You both are like my own kin, and I thought you deserved something special today.”

”Patar, you do so much for us already, you didn’t need to get us anything,” I complained.

“Ah, but there is a story behind each of these gifts,” he said as if he hadn’t heard me and placed the large one in front of me. “For you, Your Highness.”

I opened up the plain paper wrapping and found myself looking at a large bundle of white fur. “Umm Patar, I don’t know how to break this to you but I already have fur.” I took out the bundle and found that is consisted of a long fur jacket, boots, hat and fur trimmed gloves, then realization hit me. “Wait a minute; is this what I think it is?”

His laugh answered my question before he even replied. “When I met you, you were out in the Frozen Wastes. You weren’t dressed for the weather, and you were fighting the biggest kythir I’d ever seen with a burning stick and a dull dagger. When we came back here and you were off getting Chosen and making things very interesting around here I sent another Frost Drakan pair back to fetch the kythir for the meat. Then I thought that it would be a shame if all that thick fur was wasted, so I had these made to keep you warm during the winter, and remind you of the day we met.”

Frankly I wasn’t certain right then if I should feel weird or sentimental, but seeing as Patar seemed to be feeling the latter I decided to go with that. “Thanks Patar, this was the last thing I was expecting, but its perfect. That was the first of many times you saved my ass since I’ve come here, and it means a lot that you’ve stuck with me all this time.”

Patar actually leaned forward and wrapped me up in a big hug. “It has been my pleasure Princess. Back then I said you were possibly the bravest or stupidest person I had ever met. You have proved that you’re far from the stupidest, but I am fairly certain that you are the bravest.” I could feel tears running down my cheeks as he let me go and gave the smaller gift to Jezz. “And this is for my favorite niece.”

Jezz opened the package to reveal a silver chain, with a pendant shaped like two crossed swords. Immediately her eyes started getting teary. “Unca Patar…”

“You remember this aye?” he replied as he hugged her too. “We first met when you were five passes old. You had just lost your mother, and your father was beside himself with grief, so you both came to live with me for a spell. You were trying so hard to be brave when we met and you saw this hanging around my neck. I told you that it was a symbol my clan gives when a cub has proven themself a warrior and is ready to seek out adventure. Every time you went out playing with the Jiquar children you’d come home with some sort of injury, because you were so eager to prove that you were as strong and fearless as they were so you could get one of your own. You may not be big and strong, but you have always had a warrior’s heart. This day is the start of your adventure Jezz.”

Jezz buried her face in his chest for a time as she cried happy tears. “Thank ya Unca Patar, I’ll do ya proud.”

“You always have Jezz.” It was strange seeing the usually stoic Patar all choked up, but he collected himself quickly. “Alright, now on to business you two. Given the fact that your Drakans are now fully grown, we need to discuss the arrangements for our trip tomorrow morning.” The plan for our honeymoon had originally been for Runne and Patar, and four other Drakan pairs, to fly us to the Port city where we would spend a sevenday at the family beach house on our honeymoon, with Patar and our guard contingent as our bodyguards. Once the seven days were up, we would hold court for one day in Draden. Then we would fly to five cities and towns between Draden and the capitol and hold court at each of them for a day. The fourteenth day of the trip would see us flying home and holding court in the palace.

“Okay, so what’s the change in plan Patar?” I asked.

“It will just be me and your own guards accompanying you, and each of you will by flying on your own Drakans,” he explained. “Iriden, Runne, and some of the other Drakans have offered the use of their spare harnesses for you all to use, until you return and yours can be finished.”

“What about Grayle?” I asked. “She can’t fly, and I would feel bad leaving her here while we’re all off having fun in the sun.”

“I was talking with Pharen and Jade, and they assure me that a full grown and healthy Earth Drakan can make the trip to Draden in eight candlemarks, which is twice as fast as a machul. They may not be fliers, but Earth Drakans have a lot of stamina and are excellent runners and climbers. So long as we don’t fly full speed, we should be able to keep an eye on Grayle from above and we can stop for a rest and a meal at midsun.”

“Tha’ sounds good if Grayle thinks she kin keep up tha’ kind o’ pace,” Jezz agreed.

“Don’t worry about me Jezz, I can handle it,” the Earth Drakan replied.

It had been a long celebration, and it was well after midnight when we returned to the castle. I had called a halt to our part in the festivities when I noticed that poor Lannah, who hadn’t slept at all the night before, was falling asleep in her seat while trying to remain on guard beside me. At that point I had Jonth take her back to her small cabin and put her to bed, while Jezz and I said our goodnights to the guests under Irric’s and Rozia’s watchful eyes.

We returned to our rooms in the castle drowsy from a long day, too much food, and too much wine. Still, neither of us was ready to sleep yet, as this was our wedding night and we wished to make the best of it. We barely noticed Pounce and Chrissy scampering in after us as I carried Jezz rather unsteadily through the threshold and fumbled my way through the living area to the bedchamber, where I placed her on the bed lovingly and kissed her softly. We managed to place our tiara’s on the bedside table and fumble our way out of our clothes without damaging anything, and soon soft kisses were just the beginning.

We kissed, cuddled, and made slow love to one another for a time, exploring one another’s bodies more than we had attempted to in the past, for fear that we may have been rushing things. That didn’t matter now though, because she was mine, I was hers, and we shared our minds as we shared our bodies. We both made some mistakes in our efforts to satisfy one another, but we learned from our errors and our successes until we both finally fell asleep contentedly in one another’s arms.

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Author's Note: Given that this is a honeymoon it shouldn't be surprising that sex should be at least referenced in this chapter. I don't write sex scenes much and in this case I have tried to make it not smutty but rather an expression of love and have it flow within the natural progression of the story without focusing too hard on it. Thank you as always to all my readers for the comments, kudos, and thinking that my work is worth reading. Also thanks to the Big Closet team who work tirelessly to give us all a wonderfully supportive venue to read and post TG fiction ~Amethyst.
 

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Chapter 15: Draden

Despite the late celebrations on the night of our wedding, I awoke early the next morning. For several minutes I just laid there smiling as dawn painted the sky outside, while I drank in the naked form of my new bride. Finally I decided to wake her and I whispered in her ear, “Time to wake up sweetie.” I followed that up with a soft lick behind her ear and she giggled and opened her eyes. I had discovered the night before that having a cat’s tongue can make things very interesting in the bedroom, especially when it’s applied to the erogenous zones.

“Ya do realize tha if’n ya start wit’ tha again we’re goin’ ta be in bed fer candlemarks,” Jezz replied breathily. “I thought we were plannin’ on an early start.”

I had moved down to begin licking her right nipple, but I abruptly stopped at her words. “I suppose we’ll have to wait until we arrive at the summer house then,” I teased.

She let out a soft groan as I stopped and said, “I s’pose we ‘ave a few minutes.”

“I thought you might say that,” I replied with a grin, before getting back to where I had left off. It was over a candlemark before we had had our fill of one another’s bodies for the time being and decided to call Felice and Kiryn to bring breakfast and help us get prepared for the day ahead. The pair had packed our bags for the trip the night before, so all we had to do was to eat and get dressed for the trip. Once we had finished a filling breakfast of broiled lake fish and potatoes, scrambled liddeck eggs, toasted sweet bread, and rillfruit juice we both got changed into our drakan-hide riding gear.

I had my entire outfit on, in case we ran into trouble on our journey to Draden and I would need to do some scouting. I also had my rifle in its harness and my weapons belt on with my sword, dagger, pistol and several extra clips. Jezz had followed my lead and had all of her weapons on as well. We were hoping for an uneventful trip, but one can never be too careful, especially since our honeymoon trip was common knowledge throughout Azure by now. Once we were completely dressed and equipped, I sent out my thoughts to Michelle. ~Good morning sis, are you ready for our trip?~

~Ready and raring Alex,~ came her cheerful reply. ~We’ve got our harnesses on, your baggage in the saddlebags, and it’s a beautiful day for flying. I can’t wait to get up there.~

~Me either,~ I agreed. ~Are Snow and the others ready too?~

~Yep, we’re just waiting on Your Highnesses’ to join us. Lannah still looks tired, but I’m sure she’ll wake up once the adrenaline from her first flight hits her.~

~We’re on our way now sis,~ I replied as Jezz and I headed out the door and made our way to the courtyard, where Patar and Runne waited with Michelle and our guard contingent. Everyone was mounted and ready to go, but I was a bit confused by Grayle’s absence. ~Where’s Grayle?~ I asked my wife as I squeezed her small hand in mine.

~She decided to get a head start while we were otherwise engaged,~ the Cinole replied. ~She wanted to give the others a chance to fly flat out for a bit before having to slow to match her pace. And this way I’ll get to ride with you for a while.~

~Well I won’t complain about that,~ I sent back with a grin as I released her hand. We placed Pounce and Chrissy into one of the bags on the harness and made sure there was an opening to give them some air. Then I leapt scrambled up Michelle’s back with feline agility and then made my way onto her shoulders and into the safety straps, which I made sure were well secured. Jezz flew up to join me and wrapped her arms around me from behind causing me to sigh happily. “Okay Runne and Patar, we’re ready when you are,” I called out once we were both comfortably settled in place.

Runne leaped into the air and all five of our Drakans followed suit. Soon we were high above the castle and making our way westward over the farmlands and lush forests of Azure. Flying again, and experiencing both Michelle’s and my own feelings of exhilaration at doing so, had me on cloud nine. Within roughly half a candlemark we had caught up with Grayle and slowed to a more sedate pace, so that the Earth Drakan could keep up.

The sun was high in the sky when we took a break for the midday meal in a small clearing. Everyone was in high spirits from our first official flights and we all talked merrily about it, and the trip, as we ate the picnic lunch that the palace chef had prepared for us all. While we talked and ate, Pounce and Chrissy enjoyed the sunshine and a meal of their own and our Drakans hunted and ate their own meals before returning to join us in conversation. Finally Patar got us moving again and it was back into the sky and onward to Draden, though this time Jezz rode Grayle on the ground.

I could see the ocean on the horizon, and as we made our way closer I began to discern buildings and streets, but nothing prepared me for the sight of Draden laid out beneath us. The city was massive, almost twice as big as our capitol city of Velheim, and at the center was a large array of brightly colored tents, with throngs of people walking between them as they checked out all the various goods in the marketplace or looked for something specific. To the northwest were the docks, where boats of every shape and size from row boats and fishing boats to large trading vessels sat amongst the flurry of activity common to any major trade destination.

Once we had reached the city, Irric and Lannah broke formation to land and have Snow and Forte run alongside Grayle, ensuring that she and Jezz were well guarded as they made their way around the outer edge of the city. Patar had us following him to the southwest where soon a large house, or perhaps a small palace, sat overlooking the beach. The grounds were fenced and well-tended for from the looks of the short grass and the beautiful gardens with a fountain at the very center. A cobblestone path led from the gates to the front entrance of the large stone house, passing through the gardens and encircling the fountain. We flew over all of it and landed in the inner courtyard while Grayle, my bride, and their escort made their way along the path to join us.

As soon as we had all left our Drakans’ backs the house servants were there to take our baggage to our rooms, under the expert supervision of a pure white Zenin with blue eyes and long curly hair blonde hair that was nearly as light as her fur. She looked to be in her mid-twenties and, once she had sent all the servants off with our baggage, she approached our group and gave a low curtsey. “Your Highnesses, it is a pleasure to have you here. I am Laila, I run the house, and I will be more than happy to see to whatever needs you may have while you are here.”

“Thank you Laila it’s a pleasure to meet you,” I said with a genuine smile as I looked around. “This is a lovely home you have here.”

“It is your home Your Highness, whenever you have need of it. I merely manage it for you, as my mother did before me,” she replied with a smile of her own. “I haven’t seen you since you were a kitten and my mother still ran the house. I was only ten then, but I used to take you to play on the beach and change your diapers. You have grown into a beautiful young Zenin and I heard great things about you from your parents when they were here earlier this pass, they are very proud of you, you know, all of Azure is.”

I could feel myself blushing under my fur. “I’ll do my best to be worthy of all that pride.” Then I hurried on to introduce everyone.

She seemed fascinated by our Drakans and finally said, “They are beautiful, I love how pretty Michelle is with the setting sun reflecting off her scales. I was told that you were only Chosen a few tenths ago, but these Drakans look to be fully grown.”

“We got some surprise wedding gifts yesterday. Kanae decided to gift us with vitality, so that our Drakans could grow to their full size. Even after the other gifts, that one was a bit of a surprise,” I informed her with a laugh. “We can tell you all about it over dinner if you’d like.”

“I would love to hear about how the ceremony and the celebration went,” she agreed. “Dinner should be ready in half a candlemark, so I will give you a tour and then show you to your rooms so you can all clean up a bit before we dine.”

The house, if you can call something that big a house, was made of solid stone and thick yalk wood and was designed to remain cool in the summer and warm during the winter rains. It wasn’t near as big as the palace, but it was very comfortable and boasted a large rooftop patio, twenty guest bedrooms, a lounge, stables, ballroom, formal dining room, and all the amenities required to live comfortably. The heir’s bedroom suite that Laila showed Jezz and I to was similar to our quarters in the palace, and we quickly changed into more casual clothes. Jezz and I had left most of our weapons with Michelle and Grayle for safe keeping, but we kept our pistols on us and as hidden as possible in case of emergency.

Dinner was a casual affair, and as we ate we told Laila about the union ceremony and everything that had happened after. She seemed very interested in it and I felt a little bad that someone who served the royal family so loyally and well hadn’t been able to be there. After that the subject changed to Drakans and Gifts, and what we should do while in Draden. Laila had no experience with either of the former as she wasn’t Gifted herself, but for the latter she had a number of suggestions for us.

First, she suggested taking us on a tour of the city whenever it could be arranged. I suggested doing a preliminary tour from above on Drakans to avoid the crowds and she seemed really enthusiastic about the possibility. Next she suggested spending some time just relaxing on the beach and enjoying the sunshine. Lastly, she thought that we should go to the marketplace to do some shopping. Draden had the biggest marketplace in Azure and carried items imported from all over the Greylands. They had prickleberry brandy from the Great Sands, satins and silks from Torma, spices and delicacies from Syrnia, fine weapons and armor from the greatest Jiquar smiths in Hirn, and even rare herbs, tapestries, and perfumed oils from the fabled Dacotis Islands.

The last part really caught my attention. “The Dacotis Islands? I thought that the Kyran are extremely isolationist.”

“They are,” Laila agreed. “They don’t trust outsiders much, but they are practical and they have needs that we can supply. We have a half-Kyran living here in Draden and, since her looks are all Kyran, they’ll trade with her when she goes to visit her father. I’m surprised you don’t know about her actually, her name is Visanna and she’s the Chosen of Arina.”

With the sole exception of Patar, every jaw at the table dropped at that revelation. I gasped and stared at her as I remembered my history lessons and replied, “They were the first Drakan and Chosen pair, and it was Visanna who discovered that Drakans could bond to other species. They helped my mother to reclaim her title of Heir and become Queen during the Shadow War eighteen passes ago. And it was them who gathered all the remaining Drakans, led them to Azure, and convinced them to start the Choosings. But I didn’t know she was half-Kyran, and I thought she left Azure.”

“She left for a time,” Patar explained. “She went to the islands to visit her father and then she and Arina decided to facilitate trade between our two nations, since they were going back and forth anyway. She still loyally serves the royal family by doing a lot of our ocean scouting, to make sure the empire doesn’t send an army this way by sea. She and Arina have a beach house not far from here actually.”

“Do you think we could add a visit with them to our itinerary?” I asked, suddenly eager to meet the first Drakan/Chosen pair.

“I shall see if it can be arranged,” Patar responded with his bearish grin. “If she is back from the islands before we leave I would not think she would mind seeing her Jikkune again. She has not seen you for several passes and likely would have been at the Union ceremony if the timing were better, but there was some sort of emergency among her people.”

I blinked several times as I stared at the Jiquar, not sure if I had heard him right. Jikkune meant goddaughter in Zenin with godson being Jikkun and godparent being Jikkara or Jikkar depending on the gender. It was usually an oath sworn before one or more Gods within the first few days after a child is born, to watch over and protect them should anything happen to their parents. It wasn’t something that was done often though, because since most Zenin families have multiple parent figures there is no need. “She’s my Jikkara?”

“Aye, your mother trusts Visanna and Arina as much as she does me and Runne, possibly more,” he said with a sigh as he reminisced. “When you were born I was still new to being your mother’s protector, and Visanna was like a sister to your mother. The Sea God Orin always calls to Visanna so she does not like being too far from the ocean, but she did not want to leave your Mother, you, and Azure unprotected when she left. So thirteen passes ago, before she left to return to her people for a time, she and Arina gathered all the Drakans they could find in the Greylands, brought them to Azure, and helped to forge the agreement between them and your mother, which led to the nest breakings and the Chosen.”

We had planned to hit the beach the next day, but our plans needed to be changed for two reasons. The first reason was that when we woke that morning it was to the sound of heavy rain pouring outside. The second reason, we didn’t discover until after Jezz and I had a morning romp to both relieve our desires for one another, and for something to do while we were stuck inside by reason number one. Afterwards we had headed downstairs for a late breakfast in the dining room, where the others were waiting and already half finished their own morning meals. I had barely sat down when I was hit by a wave of desire and the realization that someone smelled very good.

Jonth seemed to realize it at the same time, and I could see the desire in his eyes warring with other emotions as we stared at one another. Lannah was of course the first to notice the looks that we were giving one another, and her voice slipped into my mind with a mental grin. ~So, it’s that time is it? I would suggest you eat something before you drag Jonth off to your rooms though, you’ll be needing the energy.~

I tried to busy myself with helping myself to the morning banquet that had been laid out for us as I considered both my desire for the handsome Zenin, and the fact that this would be my first time with a man of any sort. Between my nervousness and my need to do something about the desire, my hands were shaking as I loaded up a plate. I made a conscious effort to more tightly control my empathy as I began to slowly eat. ~I know I promised myself, and my mother, that I would produce an heir, but I’m not sure I’m ready for this. I’m a bit nervous about being alone in bed with Jonth, what if he doesn’t enjoy himself? I mean, I really like him, but this could change our whole relationship. What if I enjoy it with him more than I do with Jezz?”~ I sent back to the other telepath.

~Calm down Alex, it’s only sex.~ she tried to reassure me. ~It’s meant to be enjoyable by all parties involved. You love Jezz, anyone can see that, and she knows that you need to produce an heir. You need to get over this monogamy hang-up you have. You’re free to love more than one person, and to have sex as an expression of that love or even just to have a child. You and Jonth are not cheating on me and Jezz as you seem to believe. How do you feel about me and Jonth?~

I thought about that for a while before answering. Thinking would have been easier if I wasn’t so horny, but eating at least gave me an excuse to be quiet. ~I really care for both of you. I care for Irric and Rozia too, but with you two it’s different. Jonth and I have the whole gender swap thing in common, and he’s attractive and a sweet guy who respects me as a person and not just because I’m the princess. Most guys would want to produce an heir with me just to get an in with the royal family, but not him, he considered my needs first. If I had wanted to make things easier on myself by marrying a Zenin male instead of Jezz, he’d likely be the one I would choose. And you…~

~And me…~ she urged.

~We have a lot in common too; we’re both telepaths, we both come from families where just being born put high expectations on us, and we were even born on the same day. You’re sweet, funny, attractive, and once you got over your nerves and saw me as a person rather than the princess, I think we formed a really strong bond. I think I’m in love with both of you, but not in the same way as with Jezz, you’re different people and I love you for different reasons. I don’t want to hurt either of you and that, plus growing up on a world where non-monogamous relationships were frowned upon, makes me think that I would be betraying you and Jezz by sleeping with Jonth.~

~I think there will be a lot more than sleeping going on,~ she joked. ~You’re not on your old world anymore and you can’t let it hold you back from being happy. The four of us have formed a wonderful relationship since we met and we all care for one another deeply. This is just taking that relationship to the next level.~

~She’s right you know,~ Michelle interrupted. ~We’re not on Earth anymore, so you don’t need to conform to what’s acceptable there. You let that hold you back from transition for years, don’t let it hold you back now when it’s not even an issue. You’re my sister and my Chosen, and I want you to be happy. I’m the only other person from Earth who will ever know about this, and I say that you need to go native.~

~Jezz and I will be there with you the first time,~ Lannah offered. ~We’ll help you relax and enjoy yourself, and then hopefully afterwards it won’t be so much of an issue for you.~

Once we had all finished eating I was escorted back to the Heir’s Suite by Jezz, Lannah, and Jonth. I was a bit nervous about this, so I was a bit slow at undressing, and I was pretty sure that I had a full body blush going on underneath my fur. The others didn’t seem to have my reservations as Jezz seemed only too happy to get undressed again. Lannah wasn’t just getting naked, she was flaunting her body and it was turning me on even more than I was before. Jonth too had no qualms about undressing in front of Jezz and I and, once he had dropped his pants, I discovered that he was… obviously very enthusiastic about the current situation.

Jonth seemed to notice my nervousness and the way I was staring at his naked form and said, “I know you said that you want to use this Tahrin to have an heir, but we have time to take it slow if you need to. We can wait until tomorrow.”

I appreciated his concern for my needs and my feelings, it was one of the things that I really loved about Jonth, but I needed to do this sooner or later and we were already here, so it might as well be now. I carefully peeled off my underclothes and took a deep breath to calm myself. “It’s okay Jonth, I can do this. I need to do this.” I tried not to focus on my own nakedness, and the fact that my Earth-bred inhibitions were screaming at me to stop this, by focusing on Lannah and Jonth. I had never seen either of them nude before and I had to admit that both of their naked forms were very pleasing to the eyes.

Lannah was even more slender than I had originally thought, with very nice curves, and while her breasts were not large they were perky and firm and looked very nice on her frame. And apparently when she changes her coloring she changes it all, as the current white hair she was sporting was matched by the nicely trimmed bush between her legs. I had seen Jonth shirtless before, but this was totally different, I hadn’t noticed before how muscular he was under that grey fur, or that little patch of white on his lower belly.

The three of them guided me to the bed and insisted that I just lay back and let myself enjoy it this first time around. Usually in my very limited sexual encounters on Earth and with Jezz I tried to make sure that my partner was enjoying the experience as much as possible, while my own pleasure was a secondary concern, so this was a bit difficult for me, it made me feel selfish in a way. Those thoughts soon faded though with the pleasure I was experiencing. Lannah and Jezz both were taking turns kissing me while caressing me with their hands and whichever one wasn’t kissing me was licking or sucking at my breasts. That on its own would have been amazing, but then I had Jonth between my legs showing me exactly how my own cat’s tongue must have felt when I used it on Jezz. He could have just taken me and had his pleasure while I was distracted by the girls, but he wanted me to enjoy myself before he got his own pleasure, and frankly knowing that relaxed me even more than the pleasure I was receiving.

When he finally did enter me, he warned me first as he took his own turn at kissing me deeply. There was a brief stabbing pain, but it soon subsided and I was once again immersed in pleasure. Part of that was of course from the two beautiful women doing their best to tease me into slow orgasm after slow orgasm, but I also found that the feeling of being entered, having a man that I genuinely cared for inside me making slow love to me was a pleasurable experience in itself. I was nowhere near wanting to swear off women, and I couldn’t be sure it wasn’t the fact that the man was Jonth rather than someone I barely knew, but the thought that I could feel this good with Jonth making love to me made me feel much better about giving into my Tahrin like I was.

It felt a little strange when Jonth finally came inside of me, but it was a good strange. I knew that I both needed and wanted a child, and if I could choose any man I knew to give me one it would be him. We continued to all kiss and tease and give one another pleasure for a while after that. Finally we all collapsed together into a huge snuggle fest that made me feel so loved and wanted that I thought I might have trouble ever sleeping alone again as one by one we drifted off for a nap.

For all three days of my Tahrin we spent much of the days in that bedroom making love, whether it was all four of us or just Jonth and I… because of course we wanted to be sure that I would be pregnant, and this was the best time and all. I had mostly gotten over my hang-up and realized that all three of my lovers were right, this wasn’t Earth and while a foursome relationship might not be acceptable there, here in Azure it wasn’t uncommon, and it was something that we all wanted. It was a nice time for me and, with the last of those Earth-bred inhibitions gone, I was finally beginning to feel completely at home in my new life.

Not all the time was spent in bed though, since Patar was making sure that we all got our daily combat practice in. During those practice sessions we all noticed a marked improvement in both Jezz and myself. The pair of us had more stamina, strength, agility, speed, and better reflexes than we had ever displayed before. Jezz could now pull off some mind blowing aerial manoeuvres and whereas my balance, flexibility, and climbing skills were good before, now they were amazing. It would seem that when Gund gives a gift he doesn’t skimp.

The day after my Tahrin ended we went for an aerial tour of the city at first light. Laila rode Michelle with Jezz and I, while other servants who knew the city well were chosen to ride with Lannah, Rozia, Jonth and, Irric. It was a lot of fun and, although I couldn’t see her face to know that Laila was enjoying herself, I could feel the joy and excitement coming off the white Zenin in waves as she pointed out areas of interest, told us a bit of the history, and helped us to decide on what places to go to when we were in the city rather than above it.

At the end of our Drakan-back tour we followed Runne toward a large stretch of beach, where the Drakans landed and took a morning nap while we all headed into the city. First we visited all of the temples and then Jezz and I spent some time visiting Varun, the Earl of Draden, before going to check out the marketplace. If I had thought that it looked big from above, it was absolutely huge from the ground. Everywhere I looked there were colored tents with friendly merchants hawking their wares. I didn’t buy anything, but there were some very nice clothes and jewellery, and some well-made weapons and armor. I didn’t think anything could compare to the weapons that Kardis forged at the palace, but these came pretty damn close.

Patar and Laila led us past various tent-shops to a large blue one and we all entered. The inside was filled with the most interesting scents, and well lit by kida lamps, so I assumed that the shop owner was wealthy, had connections, or ran a good business. There didn’t seem to be anyone around, so I began to look at one of the tapestries while Patar waited for whomever it was that ran the shop. The weavers had done an amazing job of the seascape and the colors were so vibrant. I could hear talking, but I was so engrossed in looking at the tapestry that I wasn’t paying much attention to who was talking or what was being said.

Suddenly a high-pitched voice shouted, “Jikkune!” I turned just in time to see a blue and green blur before I had the air knocked out of my lungs by some sort of kamikaze tackle hug. Then the person’s lips were to my ear as she nuzzled my cheek and said softly, “I heard you were going to be here, but I wasn’t sure if you would have time to see me. I am sorry that it has been so long since we have seen one another.”

“Umm… that’s okay,” I said uncertainly to this person, who was apparently my godmother and had no sense of personal space. “I guess you’re my Jikkara, Visanna?”

She nodded and continued to nuzzle my cheek with her own before seeming to realize what she was doing. “Oh! Right, Nisa did tell me when she was here that you had lost your memory. I am glad to see you healthy and whole, I have not seen you in passes, and I’ve missed you. I am sorry if I took you by surprise, I forgot that you might not know me. My people show our affection through physical contact, and I’ve gotten into that habit as well spending so much time with them. Let me get a good look at you sweetling.”

She got off me and took a few good steps back so that we could look one another over. She wore only a bright yellow wrap around her waist and a bikini style top of the same color, and she was humanoid with long powerful legs and arms with large webbed hands and feet. Her skin looked to be composed of very tiny scales, ranging in shades of blue and silvery grey. Her dark green hair was currently tied back, revealing flared fin-like ears that resembled clam shells and she had large purple eyes. She was about a tayr (close to a foot) shorter than me and had these strange slits along the outer part of her ribs which I thought might be gills of some sort.

Despite all this, I think what surprised me the most was that she didn’t look a day over eighteen. I had been told that she was sixteen when she and Arina had formed their lifebond, and that was well over eighteen passes ago. There was no way she should still look that young. She smiled as she looked me over. “You have grown sweetling, you’re taller than me now, and you’re so beautiful.” She let out a sad sigh. “I am so sorry that I could not be at the Union Ceremony, but we had the mother of all windstorms hit the islands and there has been a lot of damage.”

“Do your people need any assistance? Azure would be more than happy to offer you any aid you might need,” I offered. If a hurricane had hit and done a lot of damage then they could probably use all the help they could get.

“You are very kind, thinking of us like that, just like Nisa, She must be very proud of how you are turning out. I would be glad to take any aid you can give to the islands. Perhaps with your show of generosity, the elders might see fit to allow more personal relations between our two nations.”

I blushed at that, “Thank you, I’m just trying to be a good person, I think I need to do that before I can be a good leader.”

She nodded in approval. ”You know, Arina is going to want to see you. We had been talking about coming to see you after you had your Giftsun, and taking you to see a bit of the world. You were always so eager to see new places and find adventure, but I gather you have found some of that on your own sneaking out and going to the Frozen Wastes of all places. You could have come seen me, I probably would have taken you home, but we would have had some adventures along the way. And I hear that you have a Drakan of your own now, and a Radiant of all things, Arina and I look forward to meeting her. But first I must meet this Consort of yours,” she said with a grin.

Introductions were made all around and then Visanna showed us some of the more interesting items she had brought from the islands. There were the tapestries, scented oil lamps, and she gave Jezz and me some seeds for a healing herb they called Kala. The large leaves were supposedly incredibly good at preventing infection in wounds. She also had us all try something they make on the island called battu. It was named after the tree it came from, which only grows on the islands. The tree is really sappy and bark grows very quick. They shave off the bark and grind it into a powder, which they mix with the sap and ground loiku to add sweetness. The result was a dark purple substance that tasted a lot like chocolate. There were two things I missed from Earth, chocolate and coffee, so with Michelle insisting she wanted a taste too, I quickly bought all that she had and resolved to definitely start better trade relations with these people.

Afterwards we talked about what kind of aid her people might need, and how quick we could get it there. By boat it would take a week and with Drakans we might not be able to carry as much, but we could at least get it there with a flight of roughly six candlemarks. With Arina, Runne, Michelle, and my four guards’ Drakans, we had seven flying Drakans between us. I quickly sent Patar out to arrange for medical supplies, food, and other supplies that we thought they might have need of that could be carried by the seven Drakans. I figured that if we got the supplies that afternoon, and left sometime very early the next morning, that we could be back before Jezz and I had to hold court in Draden in less than three days.

When we were finished with the preparations, and Patar had arranged for the goods to be delivered to the royal family’s summer house that evening, Visanna closed up shop and we returned to the beach where the Drakans waited. Laila and the other house staff returned home to supervise the unloading and eventual packing of the supplies. Visanna had Arina join us at the beach, and the Water Drakan was as excited to see me as her Chosen had been. I’m really glad she didn’t tackle hug me too; I doubt I would have survived it. She too felt the need to chastise me about not coming to her and her Chosen when Visanee had run away to find a replacement. The pair seemed to care for me a lot, and I was starting to see where Visanee had gotten her need for adventure and exploring from.

The pair seemed very welcoming not only toward Michele, Jezz, and Grayle, who eventually joined us, but to all of my guards as well. They wanted me happy and safe and felt reassured that I would be, with so many loyal friends and protectors, so they treated them as family as well. We had a cookout at their beach house that evening after Visanna taught us humanoids to spear fish and Arina introduced Xuth to the joys of deep ocean hunting. As we sat around the fire that night the first Drakan/Chosen pair told us stories of their adventures and even how they had first met my mother. We all enjoyed just relaxing, listening, and being content in one another’s company until it was time to return to the summer house to get some sleep.

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Author's Note: Thank you as always to all my readers for the comments, kudos, and thinking that my work is worth reading. Also thanks to the Big Closet team who work tirelessly to give us all a wonderfully supportive venue to read and post TG fiction ~Amethyst.
 

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Chapter 16: Need to Know

We awoke before sunrise the next morning and, after dressing in our Drakan-hide gear and having a quick breakfast, we loaded all of the relief supplies on our Drakans. Visanna and Arina showed up as we were doing so, and the half-Kyran wasted no time in loading up her Water Drakan as well. As we loaded the Drakans, I kept glancing at my Godmother. I couldn’t explain it, but for some reason since the moment I had first met her I had felt an intense sense of closeness to her. It was almost like when I was speaking to Itari, but not near as intense and instead of just being present when speaking to her it had been ever-present, almost like it had always been there and I just hadn’t realized I was missing it, until she had hugged me during our first meeting.

I tried to shrug it off, since I would have a long flight with plenty of time to try to puzzle it out. As soon as the Drakans were loaded up with all the supplies we all placed our weapons in the saddle bags attached to the Drakans’ harnesses. While I wanted to be prepared for anything, this was a peaceful mission and I didn’t want to offend the Kyran by us openly wearing weapons.

Soon we were all mounted up, with Jezz joining me on Michelle. Since Grayle wouldn’t be able to join us, Laila had promised to keep her company while we were gone and take care of her needs. The white Zenin seemed excited at the prospect of caring for a Drakan, even if it wasn’t one of her own, and she and Grayle seemed to get on fairly well. As we said our farewells and took to the dawn-lit skies I could feel a rush of worry and sadness from my new bride.

I didn’t need to be a telepath to know what was wrong. As she wrapped her arms around me, and Michelle circled to a higher altitude, I tried to reassure her. ~Grayle will be fine, she’s a big girl now, right Grayle?~

~Of course I will; this place is bristling with guardsmen, I will have my very own Zenin lackey the whole time you’re gone, and I intend to take full advantage of it. You’ll be plenty safe with Alex, Michelle, and the others to protect you,~ the Earth Drakan agreed, trying to soothe her Chosen.

~But we’ve never been this far apart before, or for this long,~ the Cinole lamented. ~We don’t even know if we’ll still be able to communicate that far apart.~

~You’ll be back tomorrow afternoon or evening at the latest. Go, have fun, and if we can’t communicate while you’re there, then just tell me all about it when you get back. This is a big opportunity. Not many people can say they’ve visited the Dacotis Islands and spent time with the Kyran. And by helping them in their time of need they may consider an alliance with Azure, especially if it’s the two newlywed princesses delivering that relief,~ Grayle sent back to my beloved. I could feel the appeal to Jezz’s sense of duty, and her curiosity about the Kyran, conflicting with her need to care for her Drakan as we followed Visanna and Arina out to sea.

The trip was going to be a long one, with the only scenery being the ocean beneath us. I was worrying about how to pass the time when I felt the pull of the land and Itari’s voice entered my thoughts. ~You must be cautious Alexis, you are leaving My domain and My ability to protect you from Lharus will be diminished. You must all stay near the Kyran, Visanna is one of Orin’s favored and He will not allow Lharus to harm her. Orin has remained neutral until now, but the recent attack on the Dacotis Islands, His domain, has brought him to our side regarding Lharus.~

I frowned at that, Itari was openly sharing information about the Gods choosing sides. ~l was wondering if the hurricane might be Lharus’ doing.~

~It was,~ the Goddess replied. ~He is beginning to make His move. He cannot reach you while you are in My domain so He hopes to weaken any possible allies before the war begins.~

This worried me immensely. ~You’re outright telling me this, no hinting or suggesting where I might look for information this time. What’s changed?~

~Much has changed in the days since last we spoke Alexis, with Lharus’ attack on Orin’s domain and Kanae’s gift on the day of your Union. For the first time in centuries there is a divide amongst Us. Selune, Orin, Kanae, and I feel that Lharus must be stopped. He flouts Our laws and has gained far too much influence in the mortal realm. Janus, Jos, Pallo, and Tirrik are adamant that We must not interfere in mortal lives, while Drek, Mynde, and Gund are undecided on whether We should take action. We are still forbidden from directly influencing your actions, but We will share what information We can. What you do with that information is up to you.~

~Shit,~ I cursed. ~Thank you for telling me Itari. I know that I probably haven’t been the easiest heir ever to put up with, but I do appreciate what you’re trying to do for me and Azure.~

~You are not the easiest no, but you are certainly the most entertaining,~ she said, wrapping me in the warmth of her mental embrace. ~Lharus will send similar storms against other non-human nations. I have told your mother, and she is having telepath’s contact her diplomats in those nations. I worry about having you leave My domain, but I feel that you can make allies of the Kyran. Still, you must remain cautious, the children must be kept safe.~

~The children? Are you saying I’m pregnant?!~ I asked in a rush.

~Yes, Kanae has blessed you with twins. She sends her congratulations to you and Lannah both. All three of your children will be close to the Divine, and must be kept safe.~ I was so stunned by the pronouncement that I was actually pregnant, and that apparently Lannah was as well, that I almost missed what She said next. ~Kanae also asks that you pass on a message to your bride. Tell her to seek out Her priestess among the Kyran and tell her, ‘I am a bud, seeking to blossom’. The priestess will know what it means. Please be cautious Alexis.~

I could feel Jezz shaking my shoulder, ~Are you alright my love?~

~Let me guess,~ Michelle interjected, ~Itari wanted to have a chat? She’s been quiet since the Union celebration, which is odd for Her, usually She’s ‘not interfering’ with you at least once every day or two.~

~I think the fact that there’s a possible civil war brewing amongst the Gods may be keeping her busy,~ I quickly retorted as I sent out an empathic sense of need toward Lannah.

~Well that was an interesting way to get my attention,~ Lannah’s mind voice said as she slipped into my mind.

~I needed to bring you into this conversation, and since you weren’t in range for me to talk to or touch I had to make due,~ I answered with a mental shrug.

~Okay, what did you need to talk about?~ the human shifter and telepath asked.

I gripped the riding straps tight as I replied, ~I just talked to Itari and we have problems. She said something that concerns you as well, so I thought you might want to hear it. Also I’m going to need you to forward this information to the others telepathically, since we’re nowhere near landing yet.~

I quickly summed up the divide between the Gods, and what had led up to it, and when I was done Michelle gave a mental grimace. I could feel my Drakan grumbling both mentally and physically as she said, ~So the upshot is that Itari still can’t tell you what to do, but at least now She’s giving you all the information. The war hasn’t even started yet; but it’s already bigger than us, the mortals that will be the ones fighting it. Did She say anything else?~

~She wants me to be careful while we’re outside Her domain, and She passed on some messages for Lannah, Jezz, and I from Kanae.~ I admitted.

~Why would Kanae ask Itari to pass on messages to us?~ Lannah asked, a bit dumbfounded.

~I’m bound to the crystal fountain, and Itari, so She has a direct line to me,~ I explained. ~Anyway Kanae wants Jezz to find Her priestess among the Kyran and tell her ‘I am a bud, seeking to blossom’, apparently she’ll know what it means. As for you and I Lannah; Kanae just wanted to pass on her congratulations. She said to congratulate us both, and mentioned our three children being close to the Divine. So, since I was told that I’m having twins, I guess we’ll get to be moms together.~

I had expected happiness, and possibly celebratory squeals, from Lannah and Jezz, but all I got was confusion and shock. Lannah’s mind felt sort of numb to me as she thought, ~but that’s not possible…~

~Excuse me, but didn’t you have nearly as much sex with Jonth as I did? And you did go through the same ritual cleansing and prayer at Kanae’s temple that I did. Why is this so surprising to you?~ I asked in confusion.

~Think about it Alex,~ Michelle quickly jumped in. ~The only mixed species person we’ve ever met here is your godmother. I haven’t seen any half-Zenin’s running around and, given the various family types we’ve seen, it makes me doubt that human and Zenin, or any other species, are even biologically compatible.~

~We’re not,~ Lannah responded, her mind still full of shock. ~At least, we’re not supposed to be. Visanna is the only half-breed of any species to ever be born, or conceived to my knowledge, and I thought she was playing with us when she said that. The Gods just don’t allow it.~

~Kanae is the Goddess of the harvest, fertility, and birth, if anyone is able to circumvent that rule it would be Her,~ I pointed out. ~With Visanna She may have used a loophole, since she said her mother was human and her father was a Shifter pretending to be human at the time. These Gods have a thing for loopholes, or at least They did until recently. Now They’re openly defying one another, and Kanae has already blindsided the other Gods once while blatantly breaking their rules, when She gave us that wedding gift. It’s becoming apparent that not all the Gods agree on what the rules should be, or how to enforce them anymore.~

~Could it be somebody else’s baby?~ Michelle asked uncertainly.

~Of course not!~ Lannah snapped. ~I’m the same age as Alex, and Jonth was the first and only man I have ever been with!~ She was angry at the insinuation, but more than that she was scared, and worried. ~The Gods had reasons for not allowing mixed births, what if the baby is born deformed or something?~

~I think if Kanae was going to break the rules again, so quickly and in such a blatant way, She would make damn sure that it was for a good reason. Also, if She has such an interest in our unborn children that She had to send a personal congratulations along, I’m pretty damn sure that they will be born healthy and whole. Part of the message was that they needed to be kept safe. Besides, Visanna seems perfectly healthy,~ I reminded her.

Michelle was brooding as they flew. It was times like these when she really missed Earth. While she loved being big and powerful, and being able to fly, keeping Alex safe for the foreseeable future was looking more and more difficult each day. She would of course do her best, and of course Alex had abilities and resources of her own to help toward that end, but this whole situation was spiraling out of control. This upcoming war was a Gods’ blood feud, pure and simple, so why should mortals have to fight and die in it.

"If the damn Gods actually followed and enforced their non-interference rules this situation would never have happened," she thought. Life was so much simpler on Earth where the Gods were either absent or just didn’t give a shit. She believed that Itari wanted Alex and Azure kept safe, but there were other Gods up there. The whole problem was that They either didn’t want to interfere or They did and were positioning mortals to do Their dirty work for them. At least Itari was sharing more information now, and letting Alex decide what to do with it. She knew that her Chosen resented being moved about like a queen in a game of chess, almost as much as she herself did, and maybe that would stop now that they knew what needed to be done and had more information available to decide on how to do it.

Living in a fantasy world was not everything that she had hoped it would be. It was amazing in so many ways, but things like the Gods being so involved, and an inevitable war, scared her more than she was willing to admit to Alex or the others. She had come here to protect her twin and she had amazing abilities, but could she protect Alex through everything that was coming their way? Sometimes she even worried that Alex didn’t need her protection.

On Earth, Alex’s ability to make sound decisions was questionable at best. She had taken up smoking, hadn’t told her twin that she had Cancer, sacrificed her true self on the altar of conformity, and generally avoided problems rather than dealing with them. Since Alex had come to the Greylands though, she was like a butterfly coming out of a cocoon. Instead of hiding from challenges she faced them head on, she accepted help when it was needed, and for the most part her decisions were well thought out, using all the resources at her disposal. She was becoming the leader that Azure would need her to be.

Alex had more confidence now than Michelle had seen her have their whole lives on Earth. Where before despair was a part of who she was, and she had just given in rather than fighting what she thought fate had in store for her, now she fought against the plans of Gods with every fiber of her being. There were times where there were no choices open to her, like with needing an heir before the war, but she accepted those situations gracefully, even when Michelle herself couldn’t, and faced the challenge head on. And yet, while she accepted no choice situations, she no longer seemed to believe in a no-win situation. It was inspiring, but given what they seemed to be up against it also scared the hell out of the Radiant Drakan.

We had been flying in silence for quite some time, with Jezz starting to get depressed from being out of telepathic range with Grayle, when Michelle noticed the large shapes in the water below and pointed them out. The dark purple creatures looked vaguely like whales, but it was hard to tell from our current altitude. I wanted to ask Visanna what they were, but Michelle was flying in the middle of the formation where it was safest, while Visanna and Arina were well ahead in the lead and Patar and Runne brought up the rear. It was a few moments later that Lannah sent, ~Visanna says we are close to the islands now. We should start seeing the largest island on the horizon any time now, that’s the one where most of the Kyran live. There’s a small island she wants us to land on just up ahead though.~

We all landed on the beach on the small atoll and dismounted to stretch our legs a bit while Visanna addressed us. “I will need you all to wait here while Alexis and I go on to the island alone. My people will not welcome a large group of non-Kyran without approval from the council of elders, so we will explain that we are here to help and hope that they will listen.”

Rozia crossed her four white furred arms in annoyance. “I do not feel good about letting Alexis go there with only one person to protect her. She is a non-Kyran, what if they react badly to her presence?”

“I will not allow anyone to harm her,” Visanna responded sternly. “You must trust me on this. I have made it well known among my people that I have sworn the oath, before Orin and Itari, to accept an outsider as my own child. I will introduce her as my Jikkune, and by our own laws they will have to accept her as my daughter, and part of the tribe. I would bring Jezz as well, but Alexis needs to be accepted as one of us before I can introduce her bride.”

“These are her people, she knows how they think, and if my mother trusts her with my life than so do I We will do it her way,” I stated after a moment’s thought. “I guess this means that you will want me to leave Michelle behind as well?”

“Orin’s balls, no!" she replied with a grin. “We want you to impress them immediately. Drakans were an extremely rare sight here until I brought Arina here. My people believe that they are the manifestation of a God’s favor. When I first showed up here looking for my father, an unknown Kyran on a Water Drakan, they thought that I was Orin’s own messenger. It has been nearly sixteen passes and I still cannot convince them that Arina is not proof that I am Orin’s chosen one. Michelle is much bigger than Arina, and extremely shiny. You showing up riding her will work in our favor.”

“I guess we will do it your way then, so long as Michelle can go,” the Jiquar relented. “Please keep her safe.”

“I will,” Visanna insisted before turning to me. “My people will expect me to have told my ‘daughter’ at least some things about our people before bringing her home, so I will tell you a few of the basic things now: Our chief food sources are fruit, fish, shix, battu and cythirr meat; we are ruled by a council of elders, one from each of the tribes on the islands; and disputes are settled through battles of honor, so be careful not to offend someone. Any questions?”

I knew what shix was, it was type of grain commonly grown all over Azure, but the word cythirr eluded me. “What exactly are cythirr?”

“Those big purple creatures you probably saw in the water are cythirr,” she explained. “We hunt them for food, and for their thick fat which we use to make the scented oils we use in our lamps. They only eat piska, it is a fast growing seaweed that only grows near the islands. The oil they provide is very important. Since there are not many Enchanters here to produce Kida lamps, we rely on oil lamps for light.”

I nodded as I thought about it. “I haven’t seen lamps like those in your shop in Azure before. Usually those who can’t afford kida lamps use torchlight. They provide good light and smell nice, so I’m pretty sure there would be a good trade market for them, even if just for the novelty.”

“Most of the things I sell in my shop are things I thought would appeal to the people of Azure. I’ve been hoping to show both or our countries that trade could be beneficial for both sides. I often bring things from Azure that we can’t get locally back to the islands as well,” she admitted. “We’ll let Arina and Michelle rest for a short time, and then you and I can be on our way.”

~Bullshit you’ve never seen lamps like those, they’re old tech on Earth and we saw lots on our trip to London and through the English countryside after we graduated,~ Michelle mentally chided me.

I gave my Drakan a mental smile as I stressed, ~I said I’ve never seen lamps like that in Azure. Besides these ones smell nicer.~

~Yes, I caught that,~ she responded testily as she craned her long neck around to give me a glare. ~You’re getting good at telling the truth, while not revealing everything; maybe you’ve been talking to Itari too much. Are you going to tell her the truth about us? She and Arina care for you, or rather Visanee, they deserve to know.~

~I really want to, you know how much I hate living a lie to those who care about us, but I’m worried about how she might take it.~ I did hate living a lie. I had even told Irric and Rozia the truth a few days before the Union ceremony. Irric thought that it was hilarious for some reason and it didn’t change his opinion of me. Rozia, though she had started to become a bit more protective of me, thought that I had done well for myself and Azure since Visanee and I had traded places.

~I know it’s tearing you up inside, that’s why you need to tell them,~ Michelle insisted.

She was right and I knew it. I hated living a lie with most people on principle, but with Visanna it was worse because I felt a closeness to her that I just couldn’t explain. I let out a sigh and, after I let Chrissy out of her saddlebag to take her usual place around my neck, I walked over to the half-Kyran who was now walking knee deep in the ocean with her Drakan. “Visanna, there’s something I that really need to talk to you about… I’m not who you think I am.”

To my surprise she let out a sigh of her own. “See Arina, I told you that she wouldn’t be able to wait long before telling us. The bond is as strong as ever.”

“What?” I asked, dumbfounded.

“You were going to tell us that you’re not the same girl I took as my Jikkune; that the body is the same, but the soul inhabiting it is not,” she stated simply.

I continued to stare at her in confusion. “Did Mom tell you?” I finally managed to ask.

“She did when she visited, but I knew before that,” she said as she leaned against Arina and turned to face me. “I knew the moment that you and Visanee traded places, less than a sevensun before your Giftsun.”

“How could you know that?” I asked.

“The ceremony that bound us as Jikkune and Jikkara is not unlike the ceremony used to bind Heirs of Azure to the land, Itari insisted on a specific ceremony, so that I could find and watch over you if anything happened to your parents. A small shard of the crystal fountain was used to draw blood from our chests, close to the heart, and I swore the oath while holding you in the waters of the ocean outside Draden, with Orin, my patron God, and Itari, your patron Goddess, witnessing it. Since we were bound by blood and magic I could always feel your essence, but on that day the feeling of your essence changed. We were still bonded, but you felt different to me,” she explained.

“If you knew, then what was up with your reaction when we first met in your shop?” I wondered aloud.

“I lost myself in the moment. It was nice seeing you, and I really did forget that you might not know me. After I calmed down, I decided to act as if everything was normal and let you tell me in your own time. I did not think you would take long, from what Patar said when he came by to arrange our meeting.”

“You’re talking about me like I’m Visanee, but I’m not. I may have her body, but it’s my soul in here not hers. Doesn’t that bother you?” I asked nervously.

“I mourned for Visanee the day you switched places. I knew that I lost my Jikkune that day, and I still feel that loss at times, but I also gained a new Jikkune and I look forward to getting to know her.” Seeing that I wasn’t really convinced she added, “Visanee chose the timing of her plan well, you know.”

“Well if she had waited any longer she would have been bound to the land and committed to being Heir,” I pointed out.

“There was that, yes,” she agreed, “but doing it so close to her Giftsun made the change easier mentally, for those of us who were close to her.”

“I would have thought losing her, and having her replaced by a stranger in her body, so close to her Giftsun would make it harder on you,” I replied, not quite sure where she was going with it.

The Kyran shook her head. “No, in fact it’s the opposite. Here in the Greylands you can never be sure who’s going to be Gifted until their Giftsun. Some families have long lines of Gifted while others have none, but even in those there’ is always the chance that it could happen to someone. Gifting can change a person in so many ways. Some people like you get power, and power itself can change how a person sees the world. Some change physically like me, I took after my mother’s human side of the family before my Gifting, but now I’m a normal Kyran. Some though change mentally; their tastes, goals, and even their personality could change from that brief contact with the Divine, and those changes are more likely in those who get Gifts than those who do not.”

“So you’re saying that Visanee could have become an entirely different person anyway if she had stayed?” I asked uncertainly.

“In a sense, and with her coming from a long line of Gifted those of us close to her prepared ourselves for that as her Giftsun got closer. That is why we change names after getting our Gifts and becoming adults, it represents the person we are now, rather than the person we were as a child. It’s also why Heirs of Azure are not crowned and bound to the land until after they have had their Gifting, Itari needs to get a sense of who they are and will be, not who they were.”

“That explains a lot,” I replied with a groan. “I was wondering though, if you knew Visanee had changed, why didn’t you come looking for me?

“Knowing you are alive and feeling your essence does not mean I would know where you are at any given moment, though the bond does get stronger the closer together we are. I think it’s possible Itari had the same problem, that is why Patar and the others were sent out to search,” she answered tentatively.

“I’m still getting used to the idea of Gods having actual power over mortals, so you might have to explain that one to me,” I retorted with a frown. “I kind of figured that Itari was omniscient, I mean She always seems to know what’s going on with me.”

My Jikkara seemed to think about it for several minutes before her face lit up. “Oh that is a good way of putting it!” She pulled me along out of the water and back to the beach, where she bent over to pick up a heaping double handful of sand. “Take this sand in your hands and I’ll explain it.”

I let her pour the sand into my cupped hands and asked, “Okay now what?”

“Think of yourself as Itari,” she told me. “You’re in the Divine Realm and have to pay attention to what’s going on around you, but you also have your area of influence to manage. Itari is the Goddess of Earth, and all the plants, animals, and people that live on or in it. Let us say that sand in your hands is Azure, your domain, where you are strongest and it is easiest for you to focus your attention and use your power. The rest of this entire beach, that’s the rest of the Greylands. Do you understand so far?”

“I’m following you,” I agreed.

She smiled at me and pinched a bit from my pile of sand between her thumb and forefinger. “Now you know the general area where Visanee is, since she was supposed to be kept safe in the castle, so she’s one of these grains of sand here. You have a lot of other matters to attend to and people vying for your attention and, since you have a good idea where she is, you can take your attention off her for a bit.” Then she smiled, pointed off to sea and yelled, “Look at that ridiculous outfit Jos is wearing!”

To my shame my head snapped around to look and I blushed as I saw nothing. Hey, she pointed and yelled. When I turned my head back I realized that she no longer had that pinch of sand. “Where…” I began to ask.

“Oh I just flicked that sand somewhere on the beach… or maybe I just dropped it back in Azure there. No problem though, surely you know which one is her. You can probably find her if you look through all the other grains of sand, many of which look nearly identical. It will be easier and quicker for you to find her in Azure, so you look there first, and then if she is not one of those grains of sand you will have to look out there.” She waved broadly over the beach as she added, “Only out there is a lot bigger, and there is so much of it that it is hard to find one small grain in all of that and keep your attention in the Divine Realm as well.”

“Okay, so Itari needs to focus to see specific people or places and affect them, and even more if they aren’t in her seat of power,” I conceded.

“If you really wanted to keep track of important grains of sand, what would you do?” she asked, still smiling.

“I guess I would make them stand out somehow,” I said with a shrug before the reason Itari was always able to keep track of me sunk in. “I would bind them to me through my source of power, so that they were always attuned to me and I could focus on them a lot more easily. That’s why She binds us to the land when we become Heir, only She can’t do it until our Giftsun so She knows if we’ll be a good Queen and manage Her domain responsibly for Her.”

“Correct, you are connected to Itari, so She will always know what is going on with you, but Her ability to sense other things varies on how far from Azure they are, and whether She is focusing on that area or specific person at the time. That was how your uncle Naddim nearly managed to succeed in getting his daughter named Heir during the Shadow War. He lured your mother out of Azure before she became Heir, sent her out to sea to be killed, and did all of his planning from Syrnia while having his brothers do anything he needed done in Azure to take suspicion off him.”

I had been wondering how Naddim had come so close to succeeding, it was one of my history lessons that just hadn’t made sense to me, because I had assumed Itari was omniscient. I nodded and asked something else I had been pondering. “Does that sand analogy work for the rest of the Gods too? That would explain why Lharus didn’t just swat us out of the air on the way here.”

“Yes,” she supplied with a nod, “though for Orin those grains would be fish, Kyran and anything else in the ocean, Lharus would be anything flying at the time, and so on depending on the Gods’ area of influence. In all cases it is hard to single out just one or even a few. Each God has a source of power too, and their domain is centered around it; Lharus’ is somewhere in the western part of the empire, and Orin’s is in the sea beneath the islands.”

“How did you figure all this out,” I asked in puzzlement.

“Orin told me while we were in the water,” she explained. “That is my Gift; I am a Diviner and I can sometimes sense things that are happening, or going to happen, when I am in the water. Orin speaks to me through the water as well.”

I mulled over everything she had just told me, but something was bothering me and after a moment I realized what it was. “Wait a minute, you said that a shard from the crystal fountain was used to make the bond between us. Even when separated from the fountain it would retain some of Itari’s power. We have to drip our blood on the crystal fountain itself and swear the oath to Itari to be bound the land, but shouldn’t a shard when used in a magic ritual like that not only bind the two of us, but also make us stand out a bit more from those other grains of sand?”

“I was only explaining how Orin told me the Gods’ awareness works; I never said that Itari did not know where you were,” she said as she too considered it. “She could not outright tell anyone, including your mother, where you were without it looking like She was interfering in mortal affairs though.” Then she grinned at me as Chrissy nuzzled my cheek and hummed affectionately. “Maybe She was just looking for the right grain of sand to watch over you until help could arrive.”

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Author's Note: Thank you as always to all my readers for the comments, kudos, and thinking that my work is worth reading. Also thanks to the Big Closet team who work tirelessly to give us all a wonderfully supportive venue to read and post TG fiction ~Amethyst.
 

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Chapter 17: Diplomacy

The plan was for Visanna and me to fly Michelle and Arina to the largest of the islands and for Katir, the largest of the towns. We were doing this for several reasons; almost half the Kyran on the islands lived there, that was where the council was, and it had been hit the hardest. Visanna had told me that the other towns had taken very little damage, but Katir had taken a beating. She was pretty sure that Lharus had aimed the storm right at the town, possibly to make an example of it.

When we arrived we would try to convince them to accept our help. If they did so, we would all be on our best behavior while there. Helping them was our main reason for being there, and I was hoping to show them that the people of Azure were friends in waiting. If non-human countries continued being isolated then it would only make it easier for the empire to destroy us. We all needed allies if we were to survive. Until we got the okay to bring the others it would just be the four of us, though Lannah would keep a mental link open to me. She wouldn’t be following my thoughts, but she would hear me if I sent my thoughts directly to her.

It didn’t take long for Arina and Michelle to fly us to Illuka, the largest of the five tropical islands that the Kyran made their home on. When we got close enough to see Katir from the air through Michelle’s long range vision I could see what she had meant. It was much worse than I ever could have imagined, the whole town looked like a war zone with all the damage and destruction. I couldn’t see a part of the town that hadn’t been pulverized. Buildings were damaged or completely toppled, trees had been hurled around and were either snapped like toothpicks or sticking out of damaged buildings, and the beach was teeming with injured Kyran, and those trying to treat them.

~Holy shit, I knew it was going to be bad, but I didn’t think it would be this bad,~ Michelle said in my mind, echoing my own thoughts. ~They are going to need a lot more help than we’ve brought.~

I shook my head sadly as I replied; ~It’s going to take years for them to recover from this, and those people need medical attention. We need to get them to listen to us and accept our help.~

~How are we going to do that? Visanna said they don’t trust outsiders, she might not even be able to get them to trust you, and you’re her daughter by their laws.~ I could feel that she wanted to help them as much as I did, but from what Visanna had told us it seemed unlikely that they would take that help.

~We do what Visanna suggested and try to impress them,~ I responded, and then as an idea popped into my head I grinned. ~We need to show them the light.~

Michelle knew it was bad as soon as she was close enough to see the town. She almost hadn’t wanted to let Alex look through her eyes, but she was going to see it sooner or later. Those people were going to need real disaster relief, not just supplies carried by seven Drakans. She also knew that her Chosen agreed with her before she even did so through the mind link. Alex wanted desperately to help these people, that was just the kind of person she was, but how in hell were they going to get them to accept that help?

When she pointed that fact out to her former twin both their thoughts were filled with a dark sadness and a feeling of helplessness. Alex thought that impressing them somehow would work, but they knew very little about these people, much less what would impress them. Visanna thought that they would be impressed by Michelle since she was a big shiny Drakan, but they would need more than that to override centuries of isolationism. What was more impressive than a big shiny Drakan?

She sensed the eureka moment in Alex’s mind, but she wasn’t sure what had inspired it. What did she mean by ‘make them see the light’? She chuckled as she peeked into her Chosen’s thoughts and discovered her idea. ~Oh you devious Zenin, I love it.~

Alex sent her a mental image of the Cheshire cat’s grin. ~I thought you might sis, so let’s get to it. Will there be enough light? It’s pretty cloudy.~

~There should be enough ambient light to make it work, and it being cloudy will actually work to our advantage, it’ll be a lot more noticeable,~ she said after getting a feeling for the available light. Then she advised, ~We’d better let those two in on it though.~

On her back Alex called out to Visanna, “I have an idea! Just go with it!” Michelle only barely noticed that though as she was concentrating on the late morning light reflecting on her scales, both those on her and those that Alex’s clothes were comprised of. Then she took that light and bent it around them to make them both vanish.

Michelle chuckled once again as she saw the sudden confusion on the faces of Visanna and Arina. Then the confusion on the Kyran’s face was replaced with a very big grin. She must have informed Arina, because the Water Drakan nodded and gave a draconic smile as she turned her head back to the island and led the way.

Soon they were directly above the town and, as they hovered above the center of town, Arina gave a mighty roar that caused the Kyran on the ground to look up. ~Do it sis,~ Alex encouraged, ~but not too bright, we don’t want to blind them, just get their attention.~ Michelle stopped bending the light around her and instead magnified it, turning herself and her Chosen into a beacon and bathing the town below them in light.

Nearly every Kyran in sight was looking up and pointing, mixed expressions of confusion and awe on their faces. Arina winged down for a landing and I had Michelle follow suit and, once we were on the ground, the Kyran formed a circle around our two Drakans and we were approached by seven Kyran elders. Visanna bowed to them and said loud enough for anyone close by to hear, “Council members, people of Katir, I would like to introduce my Jikkune Alexis; Heir to the throne of Azure, Itari’s Favored One, and Chosen of Michelle the Radiant.”

There was a lot of talking amongst the crowd as Visanna’s words were repeated and passed along. I could feel waves of confusion, surprise, awe, and even a little hope emanating from those around us. The elder that I thought might be the leader of the Council gave Visanna a long, tired look. “We acknowledge your child Visanna, but why have you chosen to bring your Jikkune before us now, while our homes are in ruins and our people have no strength?”

I bowed my head as I got to one knee and looked up at the silver-haired Kyran, a gesture intended to show respect. “Forgive me honored elder, for speaking out of turn, but I do not see it that way. I see strength aplenty. Not the strength which swings a sword or knocks down an opponent, but true strength, the strength to bear a great burden and keep standing proudly. That storm was sent by Lharus, intending to make you falter and lose that strength. You still stand proudly though, rebuilding what was lost, and you bear this burden by dividing it upon the shoulders of all your people.”

Visanna was smiling at me and I could feel her pleasure at my choice of words. I let those words sink in a moment before I continued. “You are a proud and noble people, I know that you can bear this burden, and become even stronger by doing so, but you need not do so alone. Let me help you carry this burden and add to the strength of your people... our people.”

His face was stony as he contemplated my words, but beneath the surface his emotions were conflicted. Finally he let out a long wheezing laugh. “This is most definitely your soul-daughter Visanna, like you she is brazen and possesses wisdom beyond her years.” He turned to me and asked cautiously, “How would you help our people young one?”

I breathed a small sigh of relief; at least he was willing to listen. “Honored elder, our Drakans are loaded with relief supplies for you and we have five more Drakans with more supplies waiting. I would ask that you allow these Drakans and their Chosen to bring those supplies here. My bride is with them, and I would trust all of these people with my life. Should you wish that they just drop off the supplies and leave they will, but I ask that you allow us to help you however we can.”

“We do not trust outsiders,” he said uncertainly and a number of the other men nodded their heads in agreement.

“Honored elders, I do not ask that you trust them, or even me, immediately. I believe that trust is something that should not be given, but earned, allow us to earn yours,” I told them, pushing empathically with my desire to help them. “Please, give us until sunbreak. While here we would obey your laws and assist you however we can.”

There was more discussion and the head of the council finally asked Visanna, “What are your impressions of these people who your daughter wishes to bring to the island?”

Visanna looked thoughtful for a moment, but I could feel the sense of satisfaction emanating from her. “Elder Manake, I have spent the last sun with the people she would bring here. They have shown themselves to be courteous, honest, and good people who are concerned for our current plight. I believe that they truly wish to help us, and will do us no harm. Alexis herself is the favored of Itari. Itari and Orin guided her to us to help in our time of need.”

Manake looked thoughtful, but after a moment he nodded. “We will allow them to come here and assist us, but only if your Jikkune herself is on the island. Also, they must not go to any of the other islands and if we ask that they leave before sunbreak they must comply.”

“That is fair honored elder,” I replied with a nod. “May l contact them and let them know that they are permitted to join us here?” When he gave his approval I bowed my head slightly. “Thank you honored elder, I will do so then.” Then I thought to Lannah, ~Okay Lannah, we’re good to go, you and the others can come join us for now. Hopefully if we’re helpful and well behaved they won’t ask us to leave again when we’re done unloading.~

~Okay, we’re mounting up now, we should be there soon,~ she sent back in reply.

~We’ll see you when you get here then.~ I paused in my thoughts a moment, uncertain whether I should ask what was on my mind. ~How are you? You were still pretty out of it when we left you.~

She was quiet for a short time, and I could feel her uncertainty before she finally responded. ~I’m fine Alex, I am just trying to get used to the idea of being a mother I guess. When I started this relationship with Jonth I kept telling myself that it would never happen, and that I was okay with that, but now the impossible has happened and I think I’m just in shock over it.~

~I know how you feel,~ I retorted dryly. ~Things I figure are impossible have been happening to me with frightening regularity ever since I found that hole in the ice on Christmas Eve. I’ve learned to just accept it. These things can be good or bad, it’s all up to us to find the best in the situation.~

There was a mental nod, more of a feeling of affirmative than anything as she replied, ~I guess you are right. I did want to be a mother someday, it’s just that I was never expecting it. I guess we should let the others in on our news when we have a free moment then. I just hope Jonth takes the news well.~

~I don’t see why he wouldn’t, he’ll probably react much the same as you did, though he was kind of expecting to be a father with me, so that might dull it a bit. I’m a bit shocked myself you know, I was only just starting to get my mind used to the idea I would be having children someday, I didn’t expect to have it confirmed so soon,~ I told her honestly. ~Anyway we’ll see you when you get here, I think Visanna wants to introduce me to some people.~

Visanna spent the next little while introducing me to the other members of the High council. As I thought, Manake was the head of the High council and represented the island of Illuka. The other members of the council seemed to be of like mind concerning me and my offer of help. Because they had very little choice they were willing to give me the benefit of the doubt, but only because Visanna was my Jikkara, and I got the very distinct feeling that they didn’t trust me yet.

They weren’t rude or hostile or anything, they were just a huge mixture of emotions that was hard to follow. My entrance on Michelle had most definitely impressed them, since there was this feeling of awe and respect coming from them, but they were also reserved and concerned, probably about my motivations. I couldn’t really blame them for feeling this way, after all they had been isolated from other peoples and cultures for centuries and one of the first things I asked them was to let strangers into their home, I’d probably be unsure about my motivations too in their position.

I tried to ease those feelings by being as respectful as I could, trying to find out what kind of help they would need most, and assuring them that we would try to address those needs. Things could have been a lot worse if not for the Kyrans’ emergency plan for hurricanes. As soon as they know one is coming the alarm bell is rung. When they hear that bell they all drop everything they’re doing and head for the east beach, and the deepest water they can get to. Most of the Kyran had managed to get to the safety of deep water before the hurricane hit ground, but some hadn’t gotten deep enough or far enough out and had suffered injuries as a result.

The three biggest problems were the damage, the injured, and the fact that there were still people missing. One of their two Healers on the island had been killed, the other was seriously injured, and even after a sevenday of searching through rubble there were still eight people unaccounted for when they took a census, including two children. As they explained the situation I told them what skills my people had to offer and suggested ways in which we could assist. I left the final decision up to the council of course, but they seemed to agree with my ideas so a plan was set in motion.

Once the others arrived, and very brief introductions were made, we quickly got to work. Jezz and I set off to the beach with our medical bags, where we would care for the wounded gathered there while the others unloaded the relief supplies from the Drakans. Visanna took Lannah for a tour of the city, so they could try to locate any of the missing people who may not have gotten out of the town before the storm hit. Once the Drakans were unloaded, all seven of them, with the help of Patar and Rozia, began moving the worst of the debris that had been too large for the Kyran to move on their own. Meanwhile, Irric and Jonth began moving the supplies into the relatively undamaged Council Hall until they could be put to use.

Even Chrissy and Pounce were busy. The Kyran had never seen a neetay or kihr before and the two were very popular with the children. They kept the children occupied and their minds off what had happened, which was probably a good thing for everyone involved. We spent until dark working on our various tasks, only pausing to eat when our Kyran hosts offered us a meal around midday. Even then we ate quickly so that we could return to our tasks.

Jezz and I managed to do what we could for the worst of the injuries. The Kyran had done a good job of treating minor injuries, staunching bleeding, and preventing infection, but the beach was still largely occupied by those who had been injured. There were some who needed stitches or broken bones set and there were a few with concussions or internal injuries. Even though we weren’t fully trained, we did the best that we could for them. In most cases basic treatments were enough, with a bit of magic from our Healing Gifts to speed up the healing. Anyone who had been mortally wounded had already died long before we arrived, though some were in bad shape and required a huge effort, through both conventional means and use of our Healing Gifts.

I think my most unusual patient of the day was an injured soku, one of the gigantic black turtle-like creatures that are only found near the Dacotis Islands. Soku grow to roughly twenty feet tall, twenty five feet from head to tail, and weigh up to 4000 pounds. They have very thick armored shells, and the rest of their bodies are covered with crystalline scales that make them very tough to damage. They are also very strong and move quickly in the water, so the Kyran tend to use them as beasts of burden. While Jezz continued working on those on the beach I accompanied Manake to the ruined market area, where the poor creature was thrashing around in pain.

“Elder, please have everyone stay back and allow me to handle this,” I told him as I began to approach the massive creature and used my Wilder empathy to project calmness. After several long minutes of doing this as I approached slowly, step by cautious step. It was somewhat calmer and soon I was close enough to examine it, and find the broken tree branch wedged between some of the scales in it’s left hind leg. I considered the problem and gently placed my hands on the creature’s crystalline scales. “Rest my friend, when you wake you will feel better,” I told it as I used all the empathy I could muster to project calm and a desire to sleep.

Once I was sure it was asleep, I used my Healer Gift to keep it from feeling any pain as I slowly removed the sharp broken end of the branch and any slivers that might remain. Then I used more of my Gift to encourage the wound to heal quickly, placed some large kala leaves over it to prevent infection, and bandaged it as best I could. I breathed a long sigh and leaned against the soku’s large shell when I was finished. I wasn’t used to using my healing Gift this much, and doing it while trying to keep the creature calm and put it to sleep had been somewhat draining. Finally I stood up and smiled tiredly at the stunned-looking group of Kyran present. “He will sleep for a candlemark or two, but he will be feeling better when he wakes. It wasn’t a serious injury, only painful.”

Elsewhere in town Lannah and Visanna had been successful in finding the eight missing people as well. With the help of her telepathy, Lannah had located them in a partially collapsed two story building and she had gotten the Drakans to clear the rubble enough to help them get free. One had died when some stonework collapsed on him, but the rest were alive and, when she sent them to the beach for us to look over, most of them were relatively unharmed. They were all dehydrated, suffering from malnutrition, and a few had injuries to be cleaned, disinfected, and stitched, but we felt they would all be fine with some food, water, and rest.

By the time the sun set we were all exhausted, even the Drakans. The Kyran were in far better spirits than when we had arrived though, and things were starting to look a lot better overall. As we ate dinner with our hosts that evening we were introduced to some of the key members of their town such as the High Priest of their temple of Orin, their High Priestess of Itari, and their High Priestess of Kanae. These three Gods were the most widely worshipped by the Kyran and, while Orin had his own temple, Itari and Kanae shared a temple devoted to life and healing. The other Gods weren’t really a part of the everyday life of the Kyran like they were in Azure and other places, so they shared a third temple that was really more of a library of sorts from what Visanna had told us.

Doran, the High Priest of Orin had just excused himself to speak with my Jikkara when Manake brought the High Priestesses of Itari and Kanae over and introduced us. “Alexis, this is Tsinoda the High Priestess of Itari and Gerue the High Priestess of Kanae.”

Gerue was short even for a Kyran and had dark blue hair and eyes while Tsinoda was almost as tall as me with coral colored hair, golden eyes, and a seemingly perpetual smile. “It is always a pleasure to meet a member of Itari’s order, and Kanae’s as well,” I told them with a smile while lightly jabbing my new bride in the ribs.

Apparently Jezz didn’t need the hint though as she too smiled. “As m’ love said, ‘tis a pleasure t’ be sure. I was bid bring ya a m’ssage Priestess Gerue. I was told t’ tell ya, ‘I am a bud, seekin’ to blossom.’ Was told ya would be knowin’ what it means.”

The blue-haired Kyran’s eyes widened at that and her face wore a shocked expression, but she quickly recovered. “I knew that one would come to me bearing that message, but I was not expecting it to be an outsider. I had thought it would be one of the older youths ready to serve Kanae. So She wishes that for you then? Come with us to the temple then.”

The temple of Kanae and Itari had been badly damaged in the storm, but it looked like the initiates who lived and worked there had managed to clean up all but the worst of it. Gerue gave Jezz a lavender robe to wear, Tsinoda found a hunter green one for me, and the pair led us through the temple, to the garden in the rear courtyard. The garden had taken a bit of a beating, but it was being carefully tended and the damage was being repaired even now by initiates of the temple. This was all fairly familiar to me after the day I spent serving at Kanae’s temple at home before my wedding, except for the mix of lavender and green robes rather than just lavender. At the center of the garden, just like at the one I had served at, was a willowy tree with lavender bark and silvery leaves.

“This is the Nilla tree,” Gerue told us, “the tree of life. It is holy to Kanae and they only grow at places that have special meaning to Her. There is one at every one of Her temples. They only bear fruit when Kanae wishes it, usually when a new High Priestess is to be chosen. This one bore a single fruit yesterday and Kanae told me that it was for one of Her chosen mortals, and that the chosen one would carry a specific message. Please Lady Jezz, pick the fruit and eat it.”

Jezz flew up to one of the lower branches where a single golden fruit sat. It was small, about the size and shape of a plum, and when my wife landed she took a tentative bite. Then she smiled and quickly finished it before licking the juices off her finger. It probably should have seemed odd to me that Kanae made such a big deal just to get Jezz to eat a piece of fruit, but this was the Greylands and it was probably a magic fruit or something. Nothing here surprised me anymore. “Was it good?” I queried.

“Aye, ‘twas very sweet ‘Lex. I wonder why…” she trailed off in confusion before her eyes went wide in surprise. “Oh!”

“What?” I asked in concern, but there was no answer and she had a blank expression on her face.

“Do not worry,” Gerue tried to reassure me, “your bride is speaking with Kanae. It can be a little overwhelming the first time, but she will be fine.”

I breathed a sigh of relief, and a mental one from Michelle told me that she had been watching through my eyes and had been worried as well. ~The fruit must be how Kanae binds Her chosen mortals with her, like Itari does with a person’s blood and the crystal fountain,~ I told her.

~I guess that makes sense,~ she agreed. ~What’s to keep just anyone from taking the fruit and eating it though? Like one of the people tending the gardens.~

I thought about it for a minute before replying, ~She probably takes steps like she did here, and lets the High Priestess know who it’s for, and it is a holy tree so most initiates would be more likely to report when a fruit appears than to eat it themselves. They wouldn’t want to piss off Kanae in the first place; She could make them barren for life or something. If the wrong person does pick it and eats it, She would probably grow a new one for the intended party and the devourer or the first one would have a very unhappy Goddess in their head. I imagine that wouldn’t go too well for them.~

A mental shudder was Michelle’s response. ~It would be bad enough just having a voice in your head, but having one that actually wanted to punish you would be horrible. I can handle what we do because you were my twin and we’ve always been close, but having a stranger in your mind all the time, I’m not sure how you manage it Alex.~

~She’s not so bad really, Itari cares and just wants to see me healthy and happy and make sure I’ll be a good Queen. At least with Her my contact is for short periods, and mostly consensual, but it could easily drive a person insane if the deity in question was constantly there and making an effort to make them suffer. I gotta know though sis, do I get that dopey look on my face when I talk to Itari?~ I chuckled at the vacant expression on my wife’s face.

~Yup,~ the Radiant Drakan replied with a chuckle of her own. ~Every time you talk to her it’s like the lights are on but nobody is home. You zonk out when you talk to Queen Nisa that way too. I wonder though how Itari binds others to Her though, since you and your line are the only ones who have access to Her crystal fountain.~

~That’s a good question,~ I thought back to her and turned my attention to Tsinoda’s smiling face. “Priestess, I have a question if you don’t mind.”

“I do not, what is it you wish to ask?” replied the cheery Kyran.

I pondered my question for a second before finally figuring out what I wanted to say. “I’m assuming that the fruit is how Kanae binds her chosen mortals to her, but how does Itari bind Her High Priestesses and other mortals of interest? I was bound to her in the manner of Azure royalty, but that method is not available to anyone outside the royal family.”

Her reply was a chuckle. “Itari told me that that would be of interest to you when She warned me yesterday of your coming.” The priestess removed a medallion from beneath her robes and allowed me to look over it. It was a simple circle of stone with a tiny crystal at its center and I could feel it brimming with Itari’s power. “This medallion was formed from the earth when the temple was dedicated to Itari and Kanae. Every temple of Itari has one; they are passed from High Priestess to High Priestess, and bound to us by blood and oath.”

“I see,” I replied with a nod and a chuckle of my own, “that sounds like Itari alright. Thank you for telling me.”

“You are very welcome. Do you have any other questions we might be able to answer?” she asked.

“Well…” I began hesitantly before deciding to just come out with it. “I was told that there were only two Healers on this island before the storm, and that now there is only one. In fact I haven’t met many Gifted Kyran at all today, and I couldn’t help but notice that Selune doesn’t have her own temple here…” I trailed off uncertain whether the question would be rude or not.

“You are wondering if we do not get Gifts here as you do because we do not follow Selune,” the shorter of the two priestesses offered. “In reality it is the opposite. Most Kyran have little or no connection to the divine, so we choose to follow only those Gods that affect our lives the most. When one of us does show Gift potential it is a thing to be celebrated and we hold a celebration to thank Selune for Her kind offering. It is seldom that we have a divine connection to any of the Gods, but the three who affect our lives most. It is possibly due to our connection to the land and sea, or because we are not originally of this world.”

Seeing the look of surprise on my face Tsinoda decided to explain her fellow priestess’ comment. “The legend is that we came to this world through one of the world gates hundreds of passes ago. Ours was a world of vast oceans and tropical islands with great mountains. It was a paradise until a great shadow appeared in the sky and blocked out the sun. We believe that the God of Darkness became jealous that we worshipped the Goddess of Light instead of Him and thus He slew Her and punished us. Then the land shook itself apart, the seas became wild, fire spewed from the mountaintops, and the very air slowly became a poisonous vapor. Some of us fled through one of the worldgates and arrived here, but when our people later tried to go home they found that they could not.”

~That sounds more like an asteroid strike then one God murdering another,~ Michelle commented in my mind. ~Probably a planet killer or extinction event from the sounds of it. They were lucky they had a gate.~

Meanwhile Tsinoda was continuing her history lesson. “We tried to live among the other species we found here and learned as much as we could about this new world, and for a time it was good. We were not suited to the vast lands of the continent though, and the sea called to us. When the humans began to slay or enslave non-humans and forced your people to flee their rightful homeland and cross the great sand we too fled. We heeded Orin’s call, found these islands, and decided to keep ourselves apart from the other races.”

I shook my head sadly, “I respect your choice to keep yourselves apart, but Lharus and the humans who serve Him will never be satisfied until they rule all, and all non-humans are either dead or enslaved. They will come for your people, the storm was just a prelude to that, and without allies you only make yourselves an easier target.”

Once Jezz had finished communing with her patron Goddess for the first time, we made our way, in the company of the two priestesses, to the damaged council chambers. All seven members of the High council were already seated on cushions around the discussion table with Doran and Visanna. Visanna turned as we entered the chamber and gestured for me to sit beside her. “Alexis, we have seen to making your entourage and Drakans comfortable for the night, but the council wishes to speak with you before you retire for the night.”

Manake waited until we were all comfortable before he spoke. “Doran and Visanna both tell me that Orin wishes for us to discuss an alliance with your people. This is very unusual, never before have the Gods attempted to change our ways.”

“We live in difficult times,” I responded with a sigh. “The Gods have never tried interfering directly in anyone’s lives until now, but war is coming, to both us and the Gods. If we are to survive we need to prepare ourselves, not just hope that it will pass us by if we stay quiet enough.”

“Itari and Kanae wish for us to make the alliance as well,” Gerue added as she gestured to Jezz and me. “We believe that they both sent their favored mortals here for just that reason.”

“We came here because we heard you were in need,” I quickly corrected her, "but I can’t deny that I believe an alliance could be beneficial to both our nations. Trade at the very least, military support if needed.”

I could feel the war of emotions inside Manake as he interjected. “You have impressed our people much today. You have proven yourself as Itari’s chosen and as a member of this tribe. I believe you are sincere in your desire to help us, but we also have hundreds of passes of tradition and our own laws to consider.”

I really didn’t want to spit in the face of their traditions, especially since they were such a proud people, but I couldn’t give up on a potential ally either. I needed to think of a way that both needs could be satisfied. “Perhaps there is a way for us to have an alliance, but still adhere to your laws. What exactly is the policy about contact with outsiders?”

“Only Kyran or those bound to the tribes may set foot on our islands,” one of the other council members answered. “We only allowed your comrades because they are under your direct command, and you are daughter to Visanna and the favored of Itari.”

There was much discussion after that, but finally a loose agreement was made. The only Kyran town we would be allowed contact with would be Katir, all trade must be done there, and no people of Azure would be allowed on the island unless I was personally there to take command of them. Trade vessels would have to remain anchored offshore, or at the dock that would be constructed, and trade goods would be loaded and unloaded by Kyran only, while the ship’s crew remained aboard the ships. Mutual military support would be discussed at a later date, when Visanna would bring a Kyran representative to the royal palace in Velheim to iron out the minute details of the treaty and trade agreement.

When the discussion was done I was officially inducted into the tribe as Visanna’s ‘daughter’ and given a small grotto that I could build a home in should I wish it. I doubted I would have much time for that, but I did have to admit that the islands may be a nice place to have a vacation home. I slept well than night, snuggled up with Jezz, Michelle, Chrissy and Pounce in the grotto. It had been a productive day; we had helped the Kyran as much as we could, established an alliance of sorts, and the next day it would be back to Draden to hold court the day after.