MagicSeeker

 

A short story by Enterprise1701_d

 

 

Annika sulked as she tapped away at her laptop’s small keyboard. Why did I have to come along on this stupid trip? She asked silently as her nimble fingers added line after line of text in the report she was due for school after the holidays. I can work so much better on a REAL PC… connected to the REAL world of the Internet, instead of being stuck on this stupid boat…

The 17-year-old threw a stray strand of rust-colored hair away from her field of vision with a practiced ease. Looking rather plain, and with no make-up, Annika satisfied every part of the stereotypical nerd-look, if not for the fact that the thick glasses were absent. With slight overweight, lack of make-up, and a one-track mind that wanted to explore, she didn’t have many friends, not even among her family. 

And now her mother and father had decided on going on this stupid boat trip for the holidays. They’d be away all week. All week! Annika scowled slightly as she typed the last period and finished her report, saving it and a back-up on a second location with a practiced motion of her nimble fingers dancing on the touchpad of the portable.

Great. Day one, hour… three, she thought as her eyes settled on her wristwatch. Three hours, and I’m already done with all my schoolwork. NOW what am I going to do? She crossed her arms, and stared at the wallpaper of her laptop. Displaying a picture she had found while surfing the web one day, the wallpaper was a kaleidoscope of colors flowing together in non-descript patterns. Most people would go nuts from looking at it for too long, but for Annika, the design held something. I can’t spend all week doing nothing on this stupid boat with my stupid parents and my stupid brother…

She sighed, and leaned forward, starting the solitaire game. Oh well… I’m sure I’ll find something to do… I hope.

“Annika? Come on, dear. You can’t spend the entire trip behind that computer.” Annika rolled her eyes, and shut down the game. Anne, her mother, held the sweetest voice, and it annoyed the 17-year-old to no end when it was used to lecture her in some way or other, usually on Annika’s working habits.

“I’m coming, mother!” the redhead yelled back, throwing one last look at the oddly comforting design on the screen before closing the lid and throwing the device into stand-by mode. Standing up, Annika drew a last breath, and stepped out of the cabin that would be her home for the next week.

That was the plan, anyway.

Arriving on deck, Annika spotted Peter, her father, and Johan, her brother, talking enthusiastically about something or other. For a few seconds, she stayed there, watching the two enjoy themselves, her father’s hands on the rudder. For a moment, she wondered why she and her mother didn’t have a bond like that.

“I brought you a bathing suit, dear,” her mother interrupted her thoughts, holding out one of the ugliest pieces of material Annika had ever laid eyes on. For a moment, old black-and-white pictures of the turn of the 20^th century came to her mind. Annika closed her eyes, and turned to the railing, leaning on it to stare melancholically out over the vastness of the waves.

I asked why we didn’t have such a bond? Now I know, Annika thought coldly. The woman is an airhead!

Annika wasn’t a person to remain on a hateful trail for long though, and soon, her mind wandered to her studies. Granted, under any other circumstances, a boat trip in the gulf of Florida would have been a nice diversion, but not when she had a lot of work to do back home… work she couldn’t take with her on the trip. Annika sighed. That would mean an all-nighter when she got back home. True, she had time to spare, even with the trip, but Annika wasn’t the type of person who could have work lying around. She needed to know her work was finished. All her work had to be finished.

Leaning over the railing, looking out over the water, and where the boat’s nose cut through the shining surface, Annika’s eyes spotted the plaque holding the boat’s name. Heaven’s Dream, her thoughts supplied from her memories. She vaguely remembered her father and her brother talking about the name, enjoying the overstatement to its fullest. Annika sighed. Why anybody would name a bunch of timbers riveted together, she’d never understand.

Sure, she could understand the need to identify uniquely every ship out there, but why people didn’t just use license plates or ID numbers… the redhead sighed. Humanity made no sense to her at times. Closing her eyes, she let her thoughts drift out like a piece of driftwood on the waves.

“Anybody have any idea where we’re going?” Annika asked, turning to look at her family.

“We’re going south-by-southwest,” her smart-ass 14-year-old brother answered with a grin.

Annika sighed, threw a look at her wristwatch, and looked up at the sun. “At three-thirty in the afternoon, I could have deduced that from the sun, smart-ass,” she answered. Looking down again, she added, “I meant that destination, not our heading,” she emphasized.

“For now, we’re just cruising around,” Peter answered his daughter, pretending not to notice his daughter’s cold tone, or her attitude toward her brother.

“Great,” Annika answered flatly, turning to the ocean again. “Just cruising around in the Bermuda Triangle. All we need now are some ghosts,” she added in a low whisper.

Just as she finished her words, the skies turned black, causing the redhead to stare up. “Huh?” Dark clouds hid the sun from view. “Where did those clouds come from!?” she demanded more of herself than her surroundings as a cold wind came up, and rain-drops started falling.

“They came out of nowhere!” he father screamed as he pulled on the rudder. “I don’t know what’s happening, but there’s a huge current pushing us sideways!” he added, even as Annika could feel the direction of travel not matching the direction the nose was pointing. As the sea-current increased in strength, the boat’s nose changed headings, seemingly ignoring her father’s orders.

“Cool…” she whispered as the waves’ height swept up, foam on their tops, riding like surfers. “Some excitement,” she added as the boat followed the orders of sea and wind. Then, she frowned, as fog seemingly rose out of the water, obscuring the surface of the sea that was supposedly still carrying them. “Now that… is a scientifically interesting phenomenon,” she whispered.

“Oh, shit…” her father cursed, and Annika looked up from the curious fog with a frown on her face. Her father never cursed. She saw him and her brother staring, slack-jawed and with wide-open eyes, staring at something. Turning to look out over the nose of the ship, Annika too, felt her jaw open.

To the best of her abilities, what she saw could only be described as a tornado, flat on its side, aiming its broad head at the nose of the ship, sucking it in at ever-increasing speed.

“That… that’s impossible,” the redhead whispered, feeling fear paralyze every fiber in her being. “That… that can’t be…”

The boat shook and shuddered as the vortex swallowed it whole, and Annika’s hands clenched shut on the railing with such force she was sure that it would snap at any given time. Somewhere far, far away in her mind, a thought-process whispered that human muscles were at full power only in times of emotional overload or during seizures. That same process also determined that she was not having a seizure.

Annika’s consciousness, however, was unable to process the information as the terrified 17-year-old stared directly into the blue vortex, the wind tugging on her rust-colored hair, white t-shirt and blue jeans. Had she been able to think straight, Annika would have been glad she hadn’t changed into that bathing suit her mother had brought.

The Heaven’s Dream groaned and moaned as stresses exceeded the design specifications, and Annika’s fear increased further, now convinced that she wouldn’t only die by this horrible horizontal tornado, but also by the boat disintegrating, and rowing in what were no doubt the most turbulent seas imaginable by a human mind!

Then, suddenly, the vortex abruptly changed color to an opaque darkness, cutting off all means of sight as the light simply vanished. The next moment, a feeling of falling overcame the four people on the deck of the boat, as if the ship had been lifted out of the water and was now falling back down. Noise of ship hitting water-surface broke through the fog that was lodged between Annika’s ears, and her hands, white with the forced she used and cramped by the endurance test, came unstuck as the boat was now utterly calm.

“What… happened?” she asked, slowly looking around as light slowly returned.

Her mother screamed, and Annika rolled her eyes as her little brother rushed into his mother’s arms, screaming his head off along with her. Annika looked up at her father, to see how he reacted. At least he wasn’t screaming, even though his complexion indicated something that was like shock than utter panic. Annika sighed, climbed the stairs and stood on the bridge next to her father, trying to determine where they were.

The GPS received was blank. The compass was spinning madly, causing Annika to frown slightly, before determining they were probably in a region with lots of metal in the seabed or something. The rudder was blocked, probably damaged by the freak storm. The engine, as far as she could determine, wouldn’t start. A bright flash of light caught her eye, and she squinted into the sunrise, casting its illuminative rays down upon the intrepid vessel and its motley crew. The screaming by mother and brother stopped as the sun cast warmth and light, and even her father’s complexion bettered.

Annika smiled slightly, before looking out in a full 360° circle, trying to get a visual lock on something. She frowned as she looked out over the back. “Dad… how long ago did we leave land?”

“About three hours,” he replied, turning around and looking in surprise. Anne and Johan turned as well, finding land greeted them off the back, and the boat was seemingly floating backward, aiming straight for it.

“Whatever that was… it brought us somewhere,” Annika replied. “That’s maybe Cuba…”

“I doubt it,” Peter answered his daughter. “We weren’t going for Cuba…”

“Well, then, where do you think we are?” Annika asked, sounding a little peaked. “The US, which we left three hours ago? The Caribbean? South bloody America?”

“I will not tolerate such a tone, young lady!” Peter screamed back.

“Yelling isn’t going to help!” Anne interjected, shutting up both father and daughter.

“Whatever that place is… we’ll find out soon,” Peter said on a level tone. “We’re still floating backward, and there’s no control in the boat.”

“I don’t like the look of the compass,” Annika grunted. “And no matter where we are, we should be getting GPS coordinates.”

“Not if the receiver’s damaged,” Peter replied, secretly glad he could catch her with a less-thought-out statement.

Annika shrugged. “True enough. But even if the GPS is damaged, explain to me why the compass is doing that.”

Peter grumbled something under his breath as he stared at the compass rotating first one way, then the other way, before switching yet again. Annika wasn’t about to let him in on magnetism, or the possibility of magnetic deposits in the seabed. He should figure it out for himself… that’d teach him for trying to second-guess her. Annika turned, leaning against the back railing, staring out to the land-mass that was fast approaching.

As she leaned her head in her hands, her gaze dropped to her watch. It too, had stopped. Tapping it, she frowned at the odd occurrence. The glass hadn’t cracked, she hadn’t bumped into anything, it should be working just fine… so why wasn’t it? “Hey, are you guys having problems with your watches?” she asked, looking over her shoulder.

Everybody looked down at his or her watch, and they too, had to admit their watches were faulty. Guess we know why the GPS isn’t working… Annika bit off a curse under her breath, and stormed into the boat. Her family shrugged. Annika wasn’t an average kid.

Ten seconds later, Annika cursed as she leaned over the remains of her laptop, which had fallen off the table she had left it on. The fall had beaten the electronics-disruption effect to the punch, as the casing of the laptop had cracked, and a fissure ran all the way across the fragile liquid crystal display. She bent a paperclip, and used the manual eject button to pop the tray of the CD-RW drive. Thankfully I saved my work on this little baby, she thought to her self as she put the rewriteable disc in a case, popping it into her inner pocket.

“Annika! Come quick!”

Annika stood up at her mother’s call, sparing her ruined portable one last, sad glance. Farewell, my friend. She turned and was about to open the door. Jesus, how sad is that? That laptop was one of my best friends, she added as a bitter afterthought. Sighing one final time, she opened the door and climbed to the deck, where the view of a natural harbor greeted her. The boat’s nose was aiming straight for it, and with their current unexplained speed, they wouldn’t take long to get there.

Annika resumed her post at the bow of the ship, and squinted her eyes to make out further details. “There’s… people there,” she whispered, not expecting anyone to have heard her. But, apparently, they had, as she was soon joined by her brother and her mother, who, thankfully for Annika, remained silent as they joined her vigil.

“I wonder what they want…” Johan finally broke the undeclared silence.

“Probably here to greet us,” Annika replied calmly, logically. “Either that, or they’re here to kill you and dad, and sell me and mother as slaves…”

“Way optimistic, Sis,” Johan growled to her. She shrugged in reply.

“Just being realistic. There’s no telling what they’re here for until we actually dock… if this whatever it is that’s propelling us lets us dock,” she answered calmly.

As it turned out, the force that had driven the ship inexplicably forward ever since their arrival had precisely that in mind. Steadily, the ship slowed down, to finally come to a stop next to the dock that had a lot of people standing on it, apparently waiting for them.

“They look friendly,” Annika said as her family gathered, preparing to disembark. When Johan relaxed, she couldn’t help but add, “But that could be a deception, of course… the moment we disembark, they might just have us for dinner.”

Johan paled, and Annika smiled slightly before relaxing even that. Her eyes went over the people, noting their medieval-style wear, and the genuine friendly looks on the people. Or, at least they seemed genuine. She also noted a lot of anticipation. More and more curious. Who were these people?

“Well, let’s go…” Peter suggested, climbing down the couple of stairs to the dock. The people already present hushed, drawing back as if to give them space. Annika shrugged; followed her father. Boldly they rode and well, into the Jaws of Death, into the Mouth of Hell, Annika’s mind whispered morbidly. She grinned at her own attempts at scaring herself.

Mother and Johan followed, a little timidly, but strengthened by the lack of actions taken against Peter and Annika.

“Eh… hello?” Peter tried to establish communications with the medieval-clad locals. Annika looked around. The small city reminded her of the drawings she had seen in the history books: wooden homes, leather clothing. On the other hand, the streets were wider than she had imagined, cleaner, too. The horrible stench she had imagined was absent.

It seemed as if Peter’s attempts fell on deaf ears, as nobody really responded, except for looking anxiously among each other, chattering in some strange language that sounded totally alien to Annika. It irked her. She, who loved learning, knew at least one language in every major group… including Russian, French, Spanish, Italian, Latin, Arabian and enough of the Aboriginal language to get some hot food in her mouth… so why didn’t she know this language? Worse… why wasn’t there a single word she recognized?

“Annika?” Peter asked. She shook her head. NO, she didn’t know any of the words, and it was bad enough without drawing attention to it, damnit. Finally, the group of greeters pulled apart, and an elderly lady in strode forward. Dressed in linens rather than the rough leathers most others wore, she appeared to be more important than most.

“Hello…” the woman said, in strangely lyrical intonations. “My name is Armandia… And you are on Trisia. Welcome to our humble world, travelers.”

“Trisia?” Peter asked, frowning. “I have never heard of that place…”

Annika frowned as well, but didn’t want to admit that she, too, was stumped. “That is because Trisia is like…” the woman held up her hands, so one cast a shadow upon the other. “A… shadow, correct?”

Annika nodded. “Yes, a shadow… but how is Trisia a shadow?”

The woman, Armandia, continued. “Trisia is a shadow-world of your Earth. Sometimes, we get visitors, like you. But that has not happened for many, many years. The last visitor was a person in a flying machine of some kind… we found out that his machine couldn’t operate on Trisia.” The woman fell silent, apparently gathering her thoughts. “On Trisia… magic has taken the place of your machines. They can not function here, as magic can not function on your world… Earth, was it not?”

Annika nodded once. “Yes… Earth… but what’s this about magic? That’s impossible!”

Armandia smiled, spread her hands and whispered something. Twin fireballs appeared, one settling in each hand. She closed her hands, dispelling the balls. Before she could say anything else, Annika huffed. “That’s a nice trick… but not magic.”

Armandia smiled motherly at the redhead. “I am old and low on power, child… but for the non-believer, perhaps Master Valerius could change your mind. But first,” she motioned back, and the crowd parted like the Red Sea before Moses. “It would be my honor if you would accompany me to my abode, so I can better explain what your situation is.”

“There’s only one thing we need to know,” Peter interrupted, quite rudely, or so Annika thought. Apart from the obvious delusion of magic, this place seemed quite interesting to Annika, and she would gladly listen to the lady’s story. It could be interesting in some psychology research back home…

Armandia looked sadly at him. “I was attempting to bring it gently… but there is no going back,” the elderly lady whispered. “The portal that brings from your world to mine… it is intermittent, as well as one-way. Many have tried, over the centuries… all travelers, like yourself. None ever succeeded.”

Peter grew pale. Johan buried himself against Anne, both crying. Annika merely lifted an eyebrow. “As you said… the last traveler came years ago,” she said confidently. “Many events have transpired since then on our world… maybe we find a way back where others have failed.”

Armandia smiled motherly once again, and motioned for the town once again. “You are most welcome to try; of course… objects from Earth bring in a lot of money on Trisia, even if they do not work, so it is doubtful you will have to worry about money. And please, tell me more about recent events on your world.”

 

Annika found the old lady to be a good conversationalist, even if her notions about this… Trisia… were clearly delusional. Armandia possessed a sharp mind and even sharper wit, and soon Annika found herself answering a ton of question about recent events on Earth. Apparently, the last ‘traveler’ from Earth had told her about the Cold War, and now Annika was explaining how it came to an end. She could see that her parents, and her brother, were obviously getting agitated over this… they wanted practicalities, finding a way home, NOW.

Finally, Annika sighed, and looked Armandia in the eyes. “I must apologize, but I must insist you tell us everything you know about these… events… that bring people here,” Annika replied in the strange ritualistic manner she had so easily adopted from Armandia.

The old lady sighed, and looked at the rough tabletop in her home. It was a large medieval-style building, constructed out of mud-brick and a wooden skeleton, three stories tall. Obviously, Armandia held higher status than most people that had come out to ‘welcome’ the new arrivals.

“About two thousand years ago, there was a powerful wizard who could see through the barrier that separated Trisia from Earth,” she began her story. “So, he set about creating a portal that would connect us with you. Unfortunately, something went wrong, the wizard was destroyed by the spell he himself had created, and the portal never came about… connecting in random intervals to your planet, whisking people and objects away to Trisia, one way. There is no known way to get back, and the best and brightest of magic-users have attempted to breach the gap both ways. It is of no use… Earth does not support magic, and it is entirely possible that the wizard’s spell drains all of Earth’s magic, little that it has, over a given period of time, and then discharges it in a portal that brings people over to Trisia. The magic is depleted and the cycle starts anew… unfortunately, we can not open a portal to a place that does not have the magic to sustain it…”

Annika once again shook her head. “Magic isn’t real…” she looked at Armandia. “Please… you’ve got to tell us the truth.”

Armandia smiled sadly. “What I tell is the truth, child…” the old lady glanced at someone in the other room, a housekeeper of some sort. She spoke a few words in the strange lyrical language that was common here, and the housekeeper disappeared. The old lady turned back to Annika. “Master Valerius can prove to you that magic is real… and I also asked to see if the last traveler is available. He can help you accept what is the truth, here on Trisia.”

Annika leaned back in her seat. “We have accomplished magicians on Earth, too, lady Armandia. But it is all a trick, an illusion. Magic isn’t real. It can not be real. Impossible.”

Armandia smiled mysteriously. “As I said, I am low on power, Annika… but Master Valerius will convince you, as he has those who came before you.”

A tapping came at the front door, then. Armandia called in the native language, and a man with graying hair entered, spoke a couple of words in the same tongue.

“This is John McCormick… he used to be a captain in what I believe is called the ‘Air Force’… his flying machine came through the portal over thirty years ago,” Armandia said. “Like you, he did not believe in magic, or the fact that he was stuck here. He attempted for weeks to repair his machine, to no avail.”

McCormick nodded, and sat down when Armandia motioned to an empty chair. “There was nothing wrong with the airplane. The battery was good, as far as I could tell, there was fuel in the tank, everything should work… but it didn’t. I finally gave up. Electricity doesn’t work on Trisia. I am not a scientist, I don’t know how. All I can tell you is what I saw… the electric circuit was either fried without visible damage, or electricity doesn’t work on Trisia. And with everything I’ve seen, I’m betting on the latter.”

Annika had drawn pale. “You’ve got to be wrong,” she whispered. “It’s impossible… if there’s charge in the battery, then you can complete a loop. Did you test it? See if there was a spark…”

“I tried everything,” McCormick interrupted. “Everything I could think off. No use… electricity didn’t work. Even my watch had stopped.”

Annika glanced down at her wristwatch, still frozen on the exact moment they had entered Trisia. “But… but…”

“Master Valerius shall convince you of magic,” Armandia said on a comforting tone. “And listen to John… he tried unsuccessfully to repair his machine.”

“We’re on a boat!” Johan screamed. “We don’t need electricity! Just same paddles. We’ll row back!”

John nodded. “When I gave up on the plane, I sold some stuff out of it… and bought me a sailboat. The people of this city were nice enough to offer me to go with me. I refused… didn’t want to take them to Earth with me, where they’d be in the position I was in here… they taught me to sail, and I sailed around for months. Never found a portal.”

Johan grew paler. “You… you’re wrong… that can’t be… I have to get back! I’ve got football practice! I’ve got friends!” he burst out crying, and buried himself against his mother, who held him to her chest as he wept.

Annika was staring at the tabletop. What was she missing? Her computer? No, not really… friends? No, she didn’t have any. Family, then? She thought over her relatives, dismissing them all. She wouldn’t miss any of them… She looked up, around this house. On the other hand, she was in a new world, one she knew nothing of. She could explore to the end of her days, learning something new every day… how many got that opportunity? She closed her eyes, and shook her head.

She couldn’t think like that. Trisia wasn’t home. Earth was. As cold and distant as others were, it was still her home. She wanted back…

A knock came at the door, and once again, Armandia called out in the native tongue causing the door to shuffle open, pushed by an elderly gentleman who leaned heavily on a walking stick with his right hand, at the same time that he was supported by Armandia’s housekeeper under his left elbow.

“Master Valerius,” Armandia said respectfully as greeting, standing up from her chair. “It is my honor that you would come here.”

Valerius smiled gentle, making his wrinkled face wrinkle even further. “It is my honor and my pleasure to be here as introduction for our new guests, Armandia.”

The small family exchanged glances. This was Master Valerius? This man would show them the magic? Valerius slipped down onto the chair, and looked thoughtfully over the table at the new arrivals. “You all desire proof of magic,” he stated calmly, not deterred by their scrutiny of him, nor insulted by the fact that they hadn’t believed anyone on the subject so far.

It was Annika, unofficial spokesperson, who replied once again. “Where we are from…”

“… there is no magic, I know,” Master Valerius interrupted her. “It was the same with the others. Very well… I shall prove it to you.” Valerius closed his eyes, and the next moment, it seemed as if he grew in his chair, the air in the room tingling with energy, making the hairs on their arms stand up straight.

The interference, Annika realized. It’s like magnetism… it screws up electronics and electrics, but doesn’t harm the body, which has an electromagnetic field of its own as protection! This… magic… whatever it is… obviously generates some form of magnetism… Her eyes opened as Master Valerius whispered a word under his breath.

Immediately, the light seemed to diminish, and the family looked up as clouds grew under the ceiling of the home, which soon started dripping rain.

“Huh,” Annika whispered. “That’s a cool trick…” She closed her mouth, her mind kicking into overdrive.

“He really does know magic!” Johan cried. Annika turned sharply to her younger brother, and corrected him sharply.

“It’s some form of smoke, and a sprinkler. Even without electricity, it’s easy to do! It’s probably set up way in advance,” she snapped at him, turning to Valerius. “We are lost, and confused… please do not try to take advance of that confusion. Some of us still have the presence of mind to think.”

Valerius sighed, and shrunk back in on himself, the clouds and rain dispelling. Annika looked up. Damn, that’s fast… must be a high-powered fan of some kind… but I can’t see one. Strange… She looked back to Valerius. But it’s still a trick. Can’t be anything else…

“Rarely have I encountered a human child so headstrong in her convictions,” Valerius grunted under his breath, not angry, but rather, more determined, as if it had just become a matter of his mind against hers. He shuffled the chair back from the table, and stood up, pressing his walking stick firmly into the ground as he lifted himself to his feet. “Do not mistake me from some mere conjurer of tricks, Annika! I am Valerius the Wise, Prime Student of Variun the Great! I shall show you what magic is capable of!” He looked at the floor, and started to draw a circle with his stick. Annika stared at him as he drew.

How… how did he know my name? She blinked; shook her head. The housekeeper probably told him. She scowled slightly as he continued to draw. Keep thinking, Annika… don’t let yourself be impressed by cheap magic tricks…

Johan, meanwhile, he shuffled away from the table as well, and was intently watching Valerius draw on the floor. The elderly man glanced up at the boy, even as the tingling sensation returned, along with the feeling of the hairs standing up on their skin. “Magic on Trisia is based on the four prime elements,” he stated in his old, cracking voice. “Earth, Wind, Water, and Fire,” Valerius had completed a double circle by now, and had inscribed some sigils in between the two concentric circles. “For a spell of this magnitude, you need to carefully balance the elements, which is why an incantation will never do.”

Annika hid her irritation, even as Johan slipped from his chair, standing at the other side of Valerius’ magic circle. “This is the containment circle,” the man said, motioning for the concentric rings and the sigils. “Now, I must balance the elements…” he started drawing again, picking up strength as he did. Once again, the man seemed to inflate as ‘magic’ worked its way through him. “Earth,” Valerius whispered, drawing a sigil in the west quadrant of the concentric circle. Intricate it surely was, and Annika too, felt herself oddly drawn to watch.

Valerius glanced from the boy to the girl, smiled slightly and turned back to his drawing. By Ymir, God of Magic… both of them have a high magic potential, and they’re off-worlders. The boy’s about even with me… he glanced back to Annika. But the girl’s higher. Definitely higher… if I could train her, she could be even with Arkôm the White…

He broke his thought as his hands drew the next sigil on their own accord. “Wind,” he stated, his own voice sounding for away to him as his hands completed the sigil in the east quadrant. “Water,” he whispered as he continued to the north. “And Fire,” he finished as he drew the final sigil. He looked up at Johan, and enthusiastic audience, even as his parents were looking at Valerius himself with mixed emotions raging across their faces. He glanced to Annika… yes, she was still watching, as if she were being forced by something. Valerius swallowed in a dry throat. The magic definitely has her in its thralls. By Ymir, her connection must be truly large.

“Now I have inscribed the four Elements,” the man explained to Johan. “Now I must balance them in the exact necessary proportions for the spell I wish to cast. He started drawing lines, connecting the elements to each other, before inscribing more sigils in between the sections the crossing lines demarked. “There… the necessary balance for a dimensional-capability spell.”

Annika sat back down; whatever had held her in its thrall finally releasing her. “Dimensional capability, huh? Would this be the kind of thing that brought us here?”

“On a smaller scale, but yes,” Valerius replied, standing straighter than they had ever seen him, Armandia looked on nervously. “It is an important connection to make; one I never dreamed you’d realize, Annika.”

She scowled at his use of her name in such familiar tones, but remained silent. Valerius turned back to his circle, and motioned to it with the head of his walking stick. “By the Power of the Four Elements, I invoke thee!” he intoned, and the air seemed to warp in the sigil-engraved center of the containment circle. “NOW!” Valerius intoned, jerking his stick to the ceiling. The containment circle broke.

At the same time, the air in the room warped, and Annika found it hard to breath as walls, floor, ceiling, windows and doors vanished from her perspective of vision, to be replaced by a viciously evil-looking amber-brown. She slammed her hand in front of her mouth to keep herself from screaming as an eye opened in the dark air directly next to her.

Apparently, her mother didn’t have that strength of will, as she did scream when a mouth appeared in front of her. Annika, meanwhile, just stared at the unblinking red-glowing eye that seemed to gawk at her. Her inner turmoil was hidden very well, but that didn’t take away the fact that it was still there, inside of her.

Annika felt scared.

For the first time in her life, she felt fear. And, somewhere, deep within her subconscious, the notion settled that magic was real. As soon as that realization hit her, she knew she’d never get home. If magic was real, than everything else that had been telling her about was true as well… the electricity, the one-way street…

She glanced up at Valerius. He was grinning at her. Anger boiled in Annika’s heart, and it displaced the fear, grabbed the notion of magic and chucked it out the door. “This is a neat trick, but it’s nothing that can’t be done with smoke and mirrors!” she shouted at him, turning to the unblinking eye next to her. “For instance, if this were :real, then this guy would now be in a world of hurt!” She poked the eye with her finger.

The unblinking eye blinked, and something grabbed Annika’s arm, making her scream out in pain as it felt as if her arm was being ripped off. Valerius got a startled look on his face, and shouted a couple of words of power.

They returned to the room, and Annika cradled her arm, a vicious gash across the length of her arm was bleeding profusely. “What… what in hell was that place?”

“The nine warped demonic vortices,” Valerius answered calmly as he shuffled to her. Johan glanced at the floor. The circles and sigils had vanished. Valerius, meanwhile, had crossed to Annika, and now held out his hand.

“Let me see your arm, Annika… I’ll heal that for you. But, a note of warning. Next time you see a huge demonic eye, don’t poke it,” the old wizard, for he could be nothing else, said on a gentle tone.

Annika swallowed; nodded dumbly. Magic is real… that can’t be… means we’re stuck here… Obviously, the others had come to the same conclusion, as Johan was now wailing loudly, held in his mother’s arms. Peter had his arms thrown around his wife and his son, as Valerius healed Annika’s arm. She felt alone, suddenly, not being considered for support… She closed her eyes.

“I am sorry for doubting you,” she whispered. Valerius smiled at her, and shook his head.

“There was no permanent harm down,” the wizard said as he released her arm, giving Annika the chance to test it out. Even if the demonic realm hadn’t convinced her, this simple feat of magical healing would have.

Annika nodded thankfully at him, and looked at Armandia, standing not far away. “Is there… is there someone in this village who could teach me about Trisia?” she asked. “I… I want to learn about this world…”

And so Annika began her studies under Fay, a gentle brunette of sharp mind and sharper wit of about 25 years of age. Even thought her parents where still determined on finding a way home, and as such very much against their children settling in, both Annika and Johan had found what they wanted to do… and under pressure, their parents had finally relented.

Yes, Johan, too, had found what he wanted… for he was now studying under Master Valerius, who found an eager pupil the young teen. Annika had merely smiled it off, glad to see her usually fluttering younger brother find something he was good at… and at the same time, it had come in handy for her, as BOTH their children had turned against Anne and Peter, and they had seen no other option but to relent.

 

“This is the plant called Careusis… together with the last two, the extract of these three plants comes in handy for us women when traveling,” Fay explained as she bent down and picked a purple-flowered plant off the ground. Annika accepted the planet, turning it over, cataloguing it in her mind.

“Such as?” Annika asked, looking up from the plant to her teacher. She looked back to the plant… the purple flower smelled gently, a sweet scent that would have worked Annika’s mood… if only she HAD a mood at the moment. As always when she was learning, Annika didn’t really feel anything, merely noting and cataloguing in her mind.

“When you drink the extract every two to three days, it stops that time of month,” Fay replied with that gentle tone of voice of hers. Annika looked up in question.

“That time of the month?” she asked, not really believing it, and rather asking for confirmation. Fay nodded.

“As I said, it comes in handy while traveling… or for any other purpose you would want to halt the natural cycle of your body,” her teacher explained, retaking the plant. Looking sharply into Annika’s eyes, she added, “we have been going over plants for five hours now. Somehow, I don’t think you remember the earlier ones.”

Annika would have smiled, had she held a mood… but I already explained that. “The first plant you showed me held a red flower with a yellow heart. The stem is triangular and slightly furry; the leaves are slightly oval in shape with sawed edges. You called it Asisme, and when you boil down its extract until it’s syrupy in consistency, you can smear it on an open wound to protect it against air, dirt, and water, while at the same time promoting regeneration of the skin.” Annika let out the rest of her breath, drew another and continued. “The second plant has no flower at this time, sharp triangular leaves and a rectangular stem. You called it Vidolnacic. The roots, when boiled, are edible, yet produce a relaxing sensation. The extract from the leaves is a potent sleep-inducing drug.” Once again, the redhead let out her breath, and was about to continue when Fay’s hand came up, interrupting her.

“By Ediel, Annika… I have never heard of someone who can hold such data meticulously after only one time…” Fay whispered in stunned astonishment, invoking Ediel, the deity of learning. “Your mind… it must be incredible!”

Annika’s mood returned now that she was constantly learning, and smiled slightly, shaking her head gently as she did so. “No, Fay… it is the way I grew up…” She sighed, and looked at the sun in the sky, rather enjoying the sensation of warm sunlight hitting her skin. Spending as much time indoors as she had done, she never really appreciated the outdoors. “I was smarter than most…” she turned to her teacher. “And that includes my teachers back home, too. I always enjoyed learning… for rather selfish reasons, too. At first… I wanted to be the best. To be number one… to always have flawless scores, to be the one who knew more, understood better…”

She smiled slightly to herself as she dredged up memories. “So I learned. I studied. Read book after book after book.” She turned to her teacher. “You see, Fay… I studied so much, that I trained my mind without realizing it. Now, I read a book, or I listen to the teacher, and I remember what’s important, the straight facts, stripping everything that’s not relevant.”

Fay smiled gently, still did. “Yes… but do you also understand what you learn? Memorizing facts is one thing… understand them is another.”

Annika dipped her head. “So I found out a while ago,” she replied. “Knowing facts is one thing. Memorizing the straight-up is easy. Understanding those facts is another when you’re dealing with more difficult matters.” She sighed when she recalled those painful months that all her learning had produced no results. “I adapted. I learned to understand… look beyond the facts, understand the underlying philosophy.” She smiled slightly. “Change is never easy, but sometimes, it is forced upon us. And every time… we come out stronger.”

Fay nodded in appreciation. “I know people twice my age who still haven’t mastered that lesson, Annika. To hear it from someone younger than me… it’s refreshing.” The duo was silent for a few moments, both enjoying the scenery of the fresh meadow just outside the walls of Oceanum, the city the newcomers had arrived in. “Tell me, Annika… is that why you so readily adapted to life in Trisia? Most people, like your parents, look for a way out for a couple of weeks at least.”

Annika dipped her head, once. “When I was confronted by the facts, I deduced people weren’t lying. I was forced to accept the fact that the laws of electricity work different in Trisia, seeing the watches had stopped, the boat had lost all its power, the compass was going haywire, and with the testimony of Mr. McCormick, I deduced it was unlikely we’d ever get off Trisia, certainly not if we stay where we were.”

She sighed once. “Fay… do you know what makes magic work?”

Fay laughed. “So that’s where you’re going… Annika, you should ask Master Valerius, like your brother.”

The slightly overweight redhead shook her head. “No… Master Valerius will attempt to teach me how to use it, like he does with Johan. I merely want to know what lies beneath it. Where does the energy come from? And, more importantly, why does it obey our commands? It is energy… it shouldn’t adhere to human will.”

Fay remained silent. “I can understand your point… but, unfortunately, I can not teach it to you, for I do not know the answer to your questions either. Perhaps you should ask Master Valerius anyway. I am sure that he will listen to your request, and that he will be more of help than I am.”

Annika nodded, and a plan formed in her mind. “Perhaps I will do so… but first, let’s finish our lesson on botany… and then, I want to know all about the different regions and cities on Trisia.”

Fay frowned, but in those few days she had known Annika since her arrival, she had learned not to question her student’s thirst for information.

 

“Gee, sis… you should have at least let Master Valerius teach you a couple spells… you know he thinks you’ve got the same potential as me,” Johan told his sister as he released the hug. She sighed, and rolled her eyes.

Annika, having wormed her corpulent body in traveler’s leathers, stepped back from him. “I don’t want to learn how to use magic, bro… he’s taught me everything he knows about how magic works, even shared with me some assumptions he’s made… but he’s a magic-user, not a scientist. What I want to know just isn’t for him to teach, and so he’s sent me on my way.” She nodded a final time to her parents, who stared at her with tears in their eyes. Annika turned, and clasped hands with Fay.

“Fay… thanks for everything. This wouldn’t be possible without you… you’ve taught me more than everything I’ll need to know to survive on this journey,” the redhead whispered to her teacher.

“It was my pleasure, Annika. I can say that, without a doubt, you are my finest student… and you’ll always have a home here.”

Annika nodded gratefully. “I might be back one day… but only after I’ve found the secrets of magic. Until then, I’m afraid this is farewell.”

Fay shook her head. “No, never farewell, Annika; merely goodbye. I’m sure you’ll succeed, and I am also sure that you will return one day.”

The redhead nodded, and smiled, stepping away from her teacher, and turned to the horizon. “Goodbye everybody,” she said over her shoulder to the people she had come to know here on Trisia, as well as those from Earth: her parents, her brother, Armandia, Fay… After that last glance, she resolutely started walking, her feet protected by the leaves of the Dabi-plant in her boots, preventing her from getting blisters. And sweaty feet, too.

The people present watched her go, until such a time when she had vanished completely over the horizon, and the sun shone bright red, making its way to follow her.

 

The years slid by, and Annika traveled the length and breath of Trisia, discovering how the entire planet wasn’t much larger than the Asian continent on Earth. She learned much and gathered much knowledge. 

Fifteen years slid by in what seemed like an instant as Annika voyaged across Trisia, gathering knowledge and skills, continuing her search for the source, the heart, of all magic. She had picked up plenty, and knew she was getting closer and closer… yet she was still not there yet.

Annika walked on automatic, her legs long-since used to marching for hours on end, her body a walking machine that required little fuel and maintenance, thanks to the plants she had learned from Fay so long ago, and new plants she had gotten to know on her many travels. Her eyes still stood bright, but no longer innocent, the sights they had seen changing them forever, but never extinguishing the fire that had fueled them from the start. Rather, the sights had changed her, tempered her, focused her.

Now, the redhead approached a large castle, perched high upon a hilltop, overlooking the surrounding countryside. The drawbridge was down, as these bridges always were during the day during peacetime. She passed by the two guards, unnoticed in the crowds that entered the large stone building. As was the case with castles, they were the center of activity of the entire surrounding area, and people came and left in a buzz of activity. A buzz that hid Annika just fine, her long travels having accustomed her to remaining inconspicuous

But, Annika was here for a well-defined purpose, not for sight-seeing or looking for a roof and a hot meal… and as such, she left the courtyard for what it was, and slipped past a heavy wooden door when nobody was looking. Letting out her breath as the heavy activity died out upon the closing of the door, Annika resumed her walk, soft leather boots making not a single noise upon the cold, hard, stone floors.

I wonder… Annika looked around the stone walls, trying to orient herself. Where would he be? She didn’t smile; continued walking. Main hall… She had been in enough castles like these to be pretty good at determining where her contact would be and, as such, she took a left turn when the option presented itself to her, and immediately after, she turned right, pushing open a set of large double doors, not one, but both doors at the same time.

The guards’ reaction was immediate, and Annika remained stoic, her eyes locked upon a man dressed in expensive clothing sitting on a carved wooden chair sitting at the head of the table. “You summoned me, Lord Danza,” she spoke, calmly, as if the guards were not even there.

“I did?” Danza asked, running his fingers through his full, black, beard, rubbing the sauce off at the coarse hairs at the same time. Annika felt her stomach protest its emptiness at the sight of the feast on the table. Yet, she forced herself to keep staring at him, not sparing a single glance to the guards or the food.

“My name is Annika,” she elaborated. It wasn’t the first time, and probably wouldn’t be the last, that she was forced to identify herself. There were few who knew what she looked like, and most had only heard of her reputation. She had been summoned on that reputation alone, as usual.

“The MagicSeeker!” Danza crowed, shooting out of his chair, a single hand motion making the guards scurry out of his way as he raced toward her. “Finally, the MagicSeeker has arrived!”

Annika dipped her head. “It is a long travel from the North Mountains to here, Lord Danza,” she told the man, who was now dragging her to the table, sitting her down in his chair.

“Please, please, eat!” he intoned, motioning for the feast as he drug up a lesser chair, and plumped himself down in it, directly facing her. “And let me explain why I asked you to come…”

Annika dipped her head gratefully, and graciously took a piece of boar off the large plate, and started eating. Danza took that as his cue, and started telling. “My daughter… Marian…” he sighed, looked down. Annika could feel where this was beading. It wasn’t the first time. “She’s not like most women,” Danza continued. “She prefers to run with the men than the women, taking her pleasure in learning the arts of combat. I was stupid enough to encourage her…” he looked up at Annika. “She’s my only child. I love her… so I let her.”

The redhead halted her eating, and looked at the man when she heard the self-recriminating tone. It was unusual for a lord to be like this… normally; she would be summoned, told the problem and ordered to solve it… for a price, of course. Danza didn’t seem to notice her inner confusion, and went on. “Last month, she was out with some of my men, having disobeyed me. I told her not to go out on patrol… but she snuck out, joined them anyway. And then the Tranghuit Raiders…”

His speech cut off when he saw Annika’s mouth open, her skin drew pale and hr eyes glittered strangely. “The Tranghuit Raiders have your daughter?” she asked. He nodded dazedly.

“You know the chances of me finding her unharmed…”

“Are slim, yes, I know,” Danza answered her. “But please… please, Lady MagicSeeker. She’s my only child. I need you to find her, bring her back… or, at least, give me and my wife peace… peace of knowing…”

She interrupted him, sparing him the pain of voicing his darkest thoughts. “You know that my price isn’t…”

Now, Danza managed a small smile. “I have something I think you might find interesting. It’s a sealed cave, nobody’s been able to open it… but it has strange writings above it.” He slipped her a piece of parchment. “Nobody understands it…”

Annika’s brow frowned. “These are magical sigils…” She looked up at him. “Why hasn’t anybody else decoded these?”

Danza shook his head. “It’s impossible… nobody knows what to make of it, not mages, not wizard, nobody… but I thought it might interest you.”

Annika dipped her head, and pushed the remainder of the meat she was holding down her throat. “You’ve got a deal, Lord Danza. I shall return with your daughter… or news of her… and you will show me this cave.”

Danza didn’t have time to say anything as the MagicSeeker turned and walked out of the room, amber-brown leathers tight around her body, ancient sword flowing gently with her movements, attached to her left hip.

Once outside, Annika surveyed the view from the vantage point of the caste-hill. Drawing a breath, she felt herself relax, and closed her eyes. Deep within her, something shifted. She ignored the presence that caused the shift, focusing instead on her own biorhythm. The presence settled down along with her, relaxing as she did.

Her eyes opened; yet did not see. Slowly, her lips moved. “Annika MagicSeeker known as the Swordbearer is of the land… and is asking Oroglali, lesser spirit of Earth, are you listening?” Only she felt the tremor that passed through the soil beneath her feet. She had contacted the lesser spirits that dwelled within the ground. Focusing on what she knew, her lips seemed to ask of their own accord. “I require your assistance, Lord Orogali… I need to track this person.”

Again, the soil vibrated magically beneath her feet, and knowledge focused deep within her mind, and a small smile crept up on Annika’s face. Releasing her breath, she felt the trance slip away; yet the knowledge remained, and Annika set in a run. She would need to get there fast…  the Tranghuit were dangerous people. Magic-users and weapon-masters alike, the group was a small army, and virtually indestructible. Many had tried. Tried and died.

And Annika knew what they did to captured women. Granted, it was the first time she would come in contact with them directly, but she had seen the results first-hand.

 

Annika knelt down behind a bush, managing nothing more than the sight of the shapes around the campfire, far away from her starting point of this particular quest. She had tracked them for the last three days, neither eating, nor sleeping, on her relentless quest. She could see their captive… unharmed… yet tied tightly, sitting in the middle of the four men, so each could keep an eye on her.

Annika appraised them; making sure to keep her own presence as far down as she could. There was no sense in alerting the men to her presence unless necessary. We’re in luck…she was captured by a marauding party… they don’t contact the main party for months, sometimes. Although I wonder why they didn’t contact the main force…

The presence in her mind shifted; drew nearer. What is your expression? ‘Do not look a gift horse in the mouth’? the presence asked. Annika dipped her head once.

Right, she answered calmly. She drew a breath; let it out slowly. I’ll need to fight them, will I?

WE will need to fight them, the presence corrected her. And it certainly looks that way… all of them are sword masters. I can feel it… The presence shifted. Anyway… I doubt we can talk them out of it. These are Tranghuit Raiders.

Right, Annika replied, closing her eyes. I’ll ready some magic, just in case… She opened her eyes, feeling the familiar stillness of heart and soul settle upon her mind and body. Her lips moved, barely producing sound. “Annika MagicSeeker known as the Swordbearer is of the fire… and is asking Saeguror, lesser spirit of Fire, are you listening?” The dance of the flame of the camp-fire changed abruptly for a moment, making the raiders cheer at the sight.

“Lord Saeguror… I need your help.” The fire danced once again, and the raiders cheered and hollered. Annika’s eyes glowed red in the eerie light of the dancing flames. Her hand closed on the handle of the old sword, and drew it. Even though the blade was dull and rusty, light still refracted in strange patterns off it. Her hand tightened around the bare-metal handle.

They’ll never know what hit them, Annika’s mind thought grimly. Sword… let’s go to battle.

The presence within her mind shifted, not even giving a verbal response.

 

Marian squirmed slightly as the flames started dancing. The robes had just been retied around her arms, and they felt stiffly uncomfortable. But, after a month of this treatment, of being constantly tied up and dragged around the countryside, she had gotten quite a bit of experience being tied up. She knew the robes would give way a bit over the next couple of hours, allowing her to at least have a decent circulation.

She watched the four men enjoy themselves. She startled as the fire seemed to explode with hidden strength. That wasn’t normal… she glanced at her four captors. They had ruthlessly killed her traveling companions, patrolling the borders of her father’s estate, but they had captured her. And she knew what fate awaited her the moment she was brought to the main encampment. Why they hadn’t done so before, she could only guess at. The raiders were laughing at the erupting fire, not feeling in the least bit concerned.

Of course not, Marian thought icily. They’re Tranghuit. Nobody dares oppose them…

The fire erupted a second time, and Marian’s frown deepened. What was this? Fire didn’t usually do this… what was this wood they were burning? Then, something moved in the shadows, just beyond the corner of her eye, and Marian looked.

A figure with fire-red hair doomed up from the twilight, red-glowing eyes in perfect synchronicity with her fiery hair. In her right hand was a silver-glowing sword, one that could only mean one thing. Marian’s breath stuck in her throat. Unbelievable…

The four raiders let out angry curses, and shot upright. Four blades seemed to come down at the same time at the figure, which moved with a beauty and grace Marian had only seen in the movements of the sword-masters at her father’s castle.

The figure crouched down, lashing out with the silver-glowing sword, striking at one raider’s defense. The free hand of the figure came up, making a motion for a second raider.

The campfire exploded.

A ball of fire struck down from the skies, burning the man to a crisp where he stood, making the remaining three raiders take a step back in consternation for just a moment. Marian bit off her startled yell, and refocused on the figure. Now that the fire had died down, the red-glowing eyes of the figure were gone as well, and the entire spectacle was illuminated by nothing other than the silver glow coming from the sword.

 

Annika turned and engaged the remaining three raiders, her magic gone now that she called her one favor from the lesser fire spirit. She felt Sword’s presence burn within her mind, and geared toward combat magic, funneling her anger and rage, usually contained deep within her heart, into the silver-glowing weapon. It started glowing a bright red, casting ghostly shadows across the battlefield.

Her stance changed, her legs spread wide apart, second hand locked down upon the handle of the silver-glowing weapon, seemingly molded for her hand. She brought the Sword up, leaving red after trails, halving the man from the groin up to the top of his head, slashing through armor and sword-steel alike. Before his comrades had a time to retaliate, Annika’s upper body turned, bringing the Sword, now up above her head, down upon the third man. He managed to bring his sword up to block, and Annika’s charge struck steel dead-on.

Her face scowled, and a deep, guttural growl sounded from her throat. Jerking her Sword away, she inverted it in the same stroke, stabbing under her armpit at the man behind her, who had his own sword up for a strike to her head. Her let out a groan as the weapon penetrated his chest. Annika’s eyes remained locked with those of opponent number three, however; and he could read nothing but coldness in them. It was as if he was faced with Death incarnate, not caring what he tried, for he was dead the moment he had laid eyes upon her.

“Sword… bearer…” he whispered as she jerked her Sword from his companion’s chest, whipping it around, and jerking it up in a slantwise fashion, not even allowing him the grace of a shout as her Sword and her magic tore into his flesh, blasting his two halves back, blackening his skin. Annika jerked around, cold, dead, eyes settling upon Marian.

Sword’s glow had died down, and it reverted to its inconspicuous state. Bringing the weapon up, then down, Annika freed the one that hadn’t been free in a month.

“Can you run?” Annika asked, voice level, as she sheathed the weapon.

The girl jerked to her feet. “I’m sure going to try,” the 16-year-old girl-warrior promised. Annika dipped her head, turned, and set in a run.

“We need to get away as far as we can… I don’t know when the rest will find them,” Annika grunted as the girl didn’t manage a run, but did manage to keep up with a medium-speed jog. Better than nothing.

“I know,” Marian whispered, not sounding happy about her protesting muscles. After a month of being tied up, her arms felt like dead weight, and her legs felt like lead after a month of walking across the plains. “Are you… are you really her?”

“Who?” Annika asked.

“You know… the Swordbearer?” the young girl asked.

Annika sighed. “Yes. I am Annika MagicSeeker, the one known as the Swordbearer… but we can talk later. Now we need to put some more distance between us and them.”

Marian nodded, gritted her teeth and tried to force some more speed out of her protesting legs. Now that she was free, her legs were slowly starting to come back to normal, and she soon managed quite a decent speed.

Half an hour later, Annika finally relented and allowed the rescued girl to rest. Letting Marian start a campfire, Annika disappeared into the shadows of the dark night, searching for something to eat. Ten minutes later, both women were watching the fire snap and crackle as the two hares roasted.

Or rather, Annika stared into the fire, while Marian stared at Annika.

“You’re really the Swordbearer…” Marian finally whispered, making Annika look up; golden shadows dancing across her sharply defined face.

“Yes,” the redhead acknowledged. “I am.”

“Is it… is it true what people say? Your sword is a magical weapon that’s undefeatable?” the girl asked, rather intimidated by the cold stare of her companion.

“People say a lot of things,” Annika answered calmly, returning her gaze to the fire.

“But I saw it glow!” Marian said, strengthened by the fact that her rescuer hadn’t killed her. “And that magic… what was that? I’ve never seen magic like it before!”

Annika sighed, rubbing some sweat off her forehead. She shuffled a little further away from the fire. “It wasn’t magic. Not the likes you know, anyway…” she answered, voice trailing off as she stared into the fire. “I am, first and foremost, the MagicSeeker. I want to know the secrets of magic, what makes magic work. And I have learned much. One of such events has taught me the names of the Twelve Spirits of the Prime Elements. But, before I was allowed to learn their names, the spirits demanded harsh tests of me… mind and body.” Annika looked up at Marian; the dancing flames making her eyes stand out like orbs of sheer ice. “I can not reveal those names to you now, for they would be meaningless to you. Rather know their result: I can invoke the twelve Prime Elemental Spirits, and be granted aid.”

Marian stared at the woman who had rescued her, and knew when not to press. If the MagicSeeker didn’t wish to divulge the names of the spirits, then that was just fine. Marian wasn’t a magic user… they would be useless to her anyway. “What kind of aid?” the girl asked.

Annika shrugged. “A fireball. Or help in tracking down someone… as I used to track you down so fast.”

“A-and the sword?” the girl then asked, unable to tear her mind’s eye away from the glowing sword that cut through sword-steel and armor-plate alike.

Annika let out her breath, and stared deep into the fire. After long seconds, Marian thought she’d never get an answer, when Annika suddenly opened her mouth, and said, “It was ten years ago… I had been on the road for five years, traveling the length and breadth of Trisia, when…”

 

Ten years ago, the castle perched on top of a large mountain in the Northern Mountain Range.

Annika blew hard on the horn, signaling her willingness to enter through the drawn drawbridge. The horn’s sound was hollow, reverberating through the monstrous building. Annika felt chills run down her spine… the building looked as if it had been designed by some master necromancer; the walls decorated by demonic heads hewn from stone, and the entire surrounding countryside was as barren as dull rock.

Annika swallowed; blowing on the horn once more. She hoped to get her assignment, and get out of here as soon as she could. Why she had been summoned by someone so obviously of the dark arts was beyond her, but the last thing she could afford right about now was to chicken out. This was her first real lead in months!

There was a time, five years ago, when she had first set out on her quest, when she wouldn’t even have come near this place. But now… five years had changed her. She had experienced many things, and had witnessed many more. She was still intimidated… but no longer would she let her fear drive her away. Five years had transformed an insecure girl into a confident woman, and if she had to enter this necromantic lair, then by Ymir, so be it!

The bridge started lowering then; slowly coming down on well-oiled chains and pulleys. When it touched the ground, Annika started walking, hiding her fear from her face. This was going to be an interesting experience!

Ten minutes later, she stood before the stereotypical Necromancer: short, pale, bald, dressed fully in black. He had a small hump on his back, and waggled as a means of propulsion. But there was no doubt in Annika’s mind that she would be dead in an instant had it satisfied him, and as such, she remained quiet, and waited for her ‘host’ to explain his problem to her. He had summoned her. There had to be something she could do for him…

“A dragon has stolen the True Orb of Ice, which was in my possession,” he spoke in a lilting, melodically-sounding voice. “I wish it returned.”

Annika swallowed at the sound. “Of course, My Lord. What does this True Orb of Ice look like?” she asked subserviently, trying to pose as little threat as she could.

The necromancer, who still hadn’t bothered to introduce himself, held up a hand, palm tilted to the ceiling. Suddenly, a blue-white glowing perfect sphere appeared above it. Annika looked carefully at the apparition. The necromancer dispelled his illusion. “I can not retrieve this item personally, for I would have done so already. But you will do.”

Annika dipped her head then and drew a steeling breath. “My Lord, about my reward…”

“Ah, yes. The MagicSeeker who seeks knowledge concerning magic. You may retrieve one item from my treasure room. Plenty of items in there,” the necromancer lilted.

Annika was about to turn away, but decided against it. A necromancer was one of the greatest forces on Trisia… she would never sleep safely again, for a necromancer was a master of the Night. “My Lord…”

He must have heard the hesitation in her voice, for he shuffled to a door. “You haven’t seen my treasure room yet, Annika MagicSeeker. This way…”

Five minutes later, Annika’s eyes were watering as a heavy door had been thrown open in her face, and a fierce glitter threatened to blind her. “One item, MagicSeeker,” the necromancer intoned, pointing a bony hand into the room.

Annika slowly shuffled inside, half-expecting some traps to be set in motion. When nothing happened, she ventured deeper inside. Treasure upon treasure… but she held no interest in riches. If she had desired riches, she could have stayed in Oceanum, and gotten rich off of selling the items from the boat. For a moment, Annika halted, and remembered her old laptop. And the PC back on Earth… she had missed having a computer around, but as always, she had adapted. Her mind had become even more formidable in its ability to retain knowledge, and now she no longer needed one.

Her eyes had adjusted, and the redhead stared through the room. She felt magic everywhere, indicating there were more than just a few magical items present. Suddenly, her eyes fell on something… something that was totally out-of-place in this room full of glittering treasure of bright-glowing artifacts. An old and rusty sword stood in the far corner, half-buried under a pile of gold pieces.

Curiously, she closed her hand on the handle, and relieved it from its prison of gold. Something wasn’t right about this sword… She turned to the entrance, where the necromancer seemed to enjoy watching her trolley through his riches. “What’s so strange about this sword?” she asked respectfully. “There’s something not right with it… I can feel it…”

“It is said to be unbreakable, MagicSeeker. It’s been in my family for as long as we can remember, but we necromancers have never been in need of a sword. Take it, if you want.”

Annika looked at the poor sword, all rusted up, and as dull as a piece of stone. She tried flicking it around, as she had seen sword-masters do, but it fell horrible out of her unpracticed hands. It clattered on the stone floor, without damaging. She picked it up with an apologetic smile on her face, and nodded. “An unbreakable sword… it might come in handy. With some polishing, I think it’d be as good as new…”

The necromancer made a decisive motion. “It’s yours, then. Now that I have concluded my part of the bargain, I expect you to hold up yours.”

Annika nodded. “Of course. I shall track down the dragon immediately…”

“No need. It was a black dragon, and my spirit-guide provided me with an exact location. I can not leave this castle, so it up to you,” the necromancer grunted, pulling a map from under his robes. “This has the location marked. I will be expecting you…” the air seemed to change around her, and when it came back into focus, she found herself out in the open, facing a drawn drawbridge.

The old sword was still in her hand. Looking at the dilapidated weapon, she felt even sorrier for it now than in the treasure room. “Sorry I can’t fix you up right now… but as soon as this is over, I’ll find you a good blacksmith.” A curious tingle shot up her arm, and she smirked at it. “Impatient little thing, aren’t you?” she asked with a grin as she carefully put the sword in her belt.

She opened the map, marked her direction, and started walking, the rusty sword in her belt bouncing with her every step.

Twelve or so hours later, she stood at the base of a huge mountain, a large cavern stretching out into darkness before her. Annika bit off a curse. This must be the dragon’s lair… she hated caves. So easy to surprise someone in a cave…

She made a torch out of a branch of a nearby tree, and some resin seeping out of the bark for fuel. She hoped it wouldn’t die down before she had concluded her business.

The darkness was all around her. How long had she been following this cave, deeper and deeper into the mountain? Must have been for a long time… she had lost all knowledge of time and space in this eternal darkness, the shine by her torch providing the merest glimpses of cavern wall and floor. Finally, the cavern wall shifted, turning sharply to the right. As she turned to follow, she saw strange shadows dance out in front of her, shadows not provided by her meager torch, but rather by something else… for they came and went.

Annika snuck forward now, not wanting to be surprised, but rather, to be the one that would do the surprising. She eased herself around the corner, and she couldn’t subdue a sharp intake of breath, for before her…lay a HUGE black dragon, sleeping, on top of a pile of gold. As the animal breathed rhythmically, flames shot out of its nose, providing the ghostly shadows Annika had seen earlier.

Can get out of the castle my ass… the old bastard’s afraid of this thing, Annika thought coldly. Remaining where she was, she looked the cave through, what little she could see of it, anyway. Thankfully, the dragon’s rhythmic breathing provided ample lighting.

There! The True Orb of Ice lay perched upon a small outcropping of rock, obviously where the dragon had put it for better view of its jewel. Annika was still forced to look… for there was no way she could get to it. There was no ladder, no stairs, and she was a lot smaller than the dragon. Slowly, she inched along the wall, attempting to find the base of the outcropping.

Thankfully, she noted that the walls weren’t as smooth as she had first thought they’d be, and when she finally reached the base of the outcropping, she could see cracks and nooks into the rough rock. Enough… that she might… climb. Annika swallowed, then berated herself for making noise. She glanced at the sleeping dragon. It remained at rest, and she slowly and inaudibly let out her breath. She looked up. It wasn’t more than five or six meters… high enough to be out of her direct reach. High enough to seriously hurt something if she fell down. And high enough to give her fear of heights a nice workout.

She berated herself silently for ever starting to accept these kinds of tasks in return for information. True… it provided some of her best clues… but sometimes, it just wasn’t worth it!

She put her one hand as high up as she could, and started the climb. Somehow, she managed to get herself up on the outcropping, and tucked the ball of light into her leathers, making sure it would remain safe. She turned, preparing to let herself slide over the edge, when the place she was holding on to broke off, sending her tumbling down with a startled scream, only to catch herself with her free hand and a startled ‘ooff’.

The dragon’s breath changed, and one yellow-glowing eye opened. Annika was directly in its field of vision. Biting off a curse, Annika threw herself against the wall, scrambling for a hold, going down the wall like a human spider, letting herself drop from hole to hole, only to fall the remaining meter and a half altogether.

The dragon roared out in anger, and Annika found the way out blocked by a huge black dragon the size of a small mountain. Cursing audibly now, the MagicSeeker was sure her final days had come. She stepped back, eyes wide-open in fear. When her back hit the wall, the dragon gave its version of a grin.

Her hand reached for the sword. Unbreakable, they say… let’s hope it is. Lashing out like a trapped cat, swinging the sword from left to right, Annika attempted to either scare off the dragon that towered above her, or to hit it, and drive it off. Neither option worked, as the dragon was totally unimpressed by the human’s movements, or the fact that the attacks bounced off its deep scaly hide.

“I’m so dead…”

For generations I passed from dark hand to dark hand! Finally… a pure hand once more! Annika heard in her mind, and she almost dropped her last and only defense from freight, a scream escaping her lips.

“Who said that!?” she finally demanded, as the dragon kept observing her, apparently amused by the tiny human’s attempts to keep it at bay.

My name is Sword. You are holding me… but right now, we need to get out of this.

“Tell me something… umph!” Annika’s words were cut off as she was forced to dodge away from the dragon’s strike. It had decided it was tired of waiting, and went for her. The redheaded girl ducked under the horizontal swipe, and rolled clear of the dragon. “HOW!?” she demanded.

Trust me, and do as I instruct, Sword told her mind. And think to me… it’s faster than merely talking.

Okay, she thought back. Get me out of here!

The dragon suddenly got a scare of his life, when the small human stopped dodging, the rusty sword in its hand glowing a bright silver. The creature felt the magic ooze off the weapon, and that made it step back.

And when the blade started glowing a bright red, the creature was more than sure that this was something unnatural…

Dragon Strike, Sword taught into Annika’s mind the moment rage and fury threatened to overwhelm her. The calm voice kept her from losing control, and she let out a blood-curling scream the moment she swiped at the dragon with the blood-red-glowing weapon.

Annika’s mood shattered under the onslaught of bright red energy discharging from the weapon in her hands, the semi-crescent blast-wave hitting the dragon straight in the chest, catapulting it back against the cavern wall, bleeding from a horrible wound on its chest. The heavy animal panted deeply as it lifted its head, the vibrant eyes half-closed.

Under the tutelage of the Sword in her hands, she reversed her grip, and prepared for a death-strike, directly for the creature’s open chest. It was wounded now. It no longer posed a threat.

“Please… let me live,” the dragon whispered with a horrible list, the voice gurgling as if there was fluid in its lungs. Annika’s hold on the Sword wavered.

Wha… it can TALK? She thought to the weapon in her hands.

A dragon is a creature of magic… yes, it can talk. And now it is asking for mercy. The weapon replied calmly, as the dragon eyed the tip of the glowing weapon turn and twist in mid-air as the girl struggled to keep her raging nerves under control. She forced herself to ignore what she had just done, focus instead on the present… What should she do?

Should I… should I let it live? She asked. CAN I let it live?

Why are we fighting this creature? Sword then asked. I awoke mere moments ago, in your hands, fighting this creature. Why did we come after it?

It had stolen an object… I merely wanted to return it, letting sleeping dragons lie, Annika answered, not knowing where she found the presence of mind to stay calm.

Her eyes refocused on the wounded animal. “If I let you live… will you let me leave?” Annika asked, holding out the True Sphere. “I wanted to return this to its rightful owner.”

The dragon eyed one of its treasures. “It was an object that foolish necromancer just had to take outside while I was getting some air,” it hissed. “Dragons can not resist shining objects… it is our weakness.”

Annika eyed the sphere. “If I leave here, with this sphere, I can let you live. I never wanted to hurt you, merely retrieve this object,” she said, stumbling slightly as she tried to put Sword back in her belt. It shifted back its inconspicuous state of rust and dilapidation, and she almost dropped the weapon in surprise.

“My… you don’t know your companion, do you?” the dragon asked, holding one claw over the wound in its chest. “That is the One Sword… Dragonkind has thought it lost.”

“One… One Sword?” Annika asked, looking down at the weapon in her belt. “I was given this as reward for returning the Sphere… the necromancer believed it to be a sword that was unbreakable. He never said anything about a One Sword.”

The dragon looked Annika in the eyes. “What foolishness to let the knowledge about the One Sword be lost to mankind,” it hissed darkly. “Young One, that is the One True Sword, forged by ancient Gods in the fires of creation, the first Sword ever created, with the knowledge and abilities of swordsmanship! It is said that the one who the Sword chooses to be its bearer can not be defeated in swordplay…”

Annika gulped, and stared at the handle of the weapon sticking out of her belt. Is this… is this true?

The voice of the Sword take a couple of moments, then replied with its heavy masculine bass. More or less… I can identify every sword-technique that is used against us, know its strengths and weaknesses and tell you how to counter it. My abilities also extend to the region of what you would call magical martial arts, a fusion of martial arts and magic. What you saw earlier was a very poorly controlled attempt at such force. Under full strength, the Dragon Strike could have blasted that dragon through the walls of its cave, taking most of the mountain with it.

Hey! WE are in the mountain! Annika protested, looking up at the dragon, who was watching the human stare into space with a slight draconic grin on its lips.

It has been eons since I have been active, Swordbearer. My power is nowhere near maximum and, suffice it to say, you are not well-versed in the arts of combat magic.

Annika swallowed at the Sword’s tone. Sorry...

She looked up at the dragon. “I’ll be returning this, then…” she told the creature.

“And when you are done, return here. I have some knowledge that may aid your quest, young Annika MagicSeeker,” the dragon told her. As she frowned in confusion, and before she could ask her question, the dragon explained, “We are creatures of honor, Young One. You saved my life even though you could have taken it. I am in your debt, and that mere glass orb you are holding is nowhere near sufficient to buy a dragon’s eternal life.”

Annika smiled slightly. “I’m sorry about that wound.”

The dragon shook its head. “We assumed the other was hostile. Now… let me be, so I might close the wound, and regain my strength.”

 

“I let the dragon live… since that day, it’s kinda like my contact address. If you want me, go to the dragon in the northern mountains. It’ll know where to contact me,” Annika said, staring into the fire.

“So it’s true… you are carrying the One Sword!” Marian shouted. Annika nodded once.

“It’s time to catch some sleep,” the red-haired warrior whispered. “We have to do a lot of marching tomorrow. It’s a solid two-day trek to your father’s castle. His troops will protect us from the Tranghuit… I know they’ll come after us, it’s only a matter of time.”

Marian nodded. “Just one more thing…”

Annika was about to stretch out near the fire, yet turned back to the young girl. “Yes?”

“You said you started fifteen years ago,” the girl-warrior said, somewhat shy. “But… you don’t look over twenty.”

Annika chuckled, stretched out on the hard ground. She no longer felt it, so used was she to sleeping on the hardness of bare flooring. “I don’t look a day over 22,” she corrected. “Sword has been holding my age ever since the two of us got together.”

“Oh, wow,” Marian whispered, impressed, as she too, stretched out.

Before closing her eyes, Annika drew Sword, and put it over her chest, both hands on the hilt so the tip was facing toward her feet. Only then did she close her eyes, and slip into the meditation-trance. “Annika MagicSeeker known as the Swordbearer is of the sky… and is asking Mefriel, medium spirit of Air and Wind, are you listening?” A gentle wind rustled the nearby branches, and made the campfire dance. “Lord Mefriel, I need your help in protecting this sleeping spot.”

Unbeknown to Marian, who had fallen asleep as soon as she had closed her eyes, Annika’s elemental magics worked their way on the campsite, erecting an invisible dome of hardened air over the two females’ sleeping arrangements.

 

Annika and Marian’s luck was about to change, as a veritable army rode up to the spot where Annika had freed Marian from the clutches of the Tranghuit guards. The leader, a big, tall, broad man named Barkhos, rode at the head of his army of Tranghuit raiders, and was thus the first to see the carnage among his four men. He descended from his pitch-black steed, surveying the damage at ground level.

“What happened here?” he demanded harshly, seeing a halved man charred to the bone, two who might as well have been cut in half, a man with a hole the size of a small rock in his chest. He blinked, and rushed to the man with the hole in his chest, who spluttered up blood.

“Healer!” he demanded. “Healer, get yourself down here NOW!” he turned to the wounded man, prepping up his head. “Be at ease, the healer will come,” he grunted roughly, looking at the deep wound that went through the man’s chest. He was no healer, but even he could see that this man was dead anyway…

“Magic… Seeker,” the man spluttered. “Freed… the woman…”

Barkhos frowned. “What woman?” he asked.

“Woman… captured… was going… good price…” the man gurgled roughly, coughing up blood. The healer knelt down, his magics already lashing out at the wounded man, trying to knit bone and tissue together. Barkhos could see from the look on the healer’s face as he worked that it was a losing battle.

“The MagicSeeker did all this?” Barkhos asked the man on the ground. “To free one wench!?”

The man nodded, then slowly brought his arm up. “That way… on foot…” the coughed again. The cough turned into a fit, and the man grabbed his leader’s arm. Barkhos remained like such, staring at the dying until all trace of life had left him.

“You, you, and you, bury him,” Barkhos demanded harshly of a couple random underlings. “The rest of us… we’re going after these two. I’m sure someone will pay a handsome price for the head of the MagicSeeker. She’s pissed off the wrong crowd this time.”

The stomping of hoofs vanished into the night, as three people remained behind; digging graves with the rough tools they had available to them.

 

Annika awoke, her sharp instincts going in overdrive, causing the MagicSeeker to bolt upright. Sword still in hand, she turned around, trying to survey the surroundings. Her sharp instincts had warned her into awakening… and even now she knew that something was wrong. One didn’t spend 15 years traveling the length and breadth of Trisia without knowing a thing or two about personal defense. Her breath stopped as horses burst through the trees from all sides, torches held high.

“Oh, crap,” Annika cursed under her breath. Marian awoke from the stomping of hoofs, and dazedly sat upright, brought from the first solid sleep she’d had in a month.

“Damn,” the girl cursed.

“Annika MagicSeeker, my mages warn me that you have a solid shield around the campsite!” A broad man on a black horse rumbled. “I am warning you a first and last time. Drop the shield, and you and your companion will not be harmed… much,” he stated the latter with a cold sneer.

“Heh,” Annika snickered. “You don’t expect me to fall for that, do you!?” She brought up Sword, connecting her fighting magics to the ancient weapon. The rusty blade shifted to the silver-glowing ancient version of itself, illuminating the soon-to-be battlefield. Some of the Tranghuit obviously looked uncomfortable at the sight of the silver-glowing sword.

“That’s the Swordbearer,” a man whispered loudly to his leader.

“She’s ALONE!” the leader barked back. “Even the Swordbearer can’t defeat 150 men!”

Annika wanted to curse. She knew he was right… but she also knew that she wouldn’t go down easily. Scowling, she dropped into a combat stance. “I’ll get you a sword as soon as I can,” Annika told the girl. “I know you can handle it.”

Marian nodded, and lifted her fists. “If I don’t have one by then, it’s a deal,” the girl-warrior promised. “I’m not going back!”

Annika nodded sharply. “The shield stays up. If you want us, come and get us!”

The leader made a sharp motion, and four men strode forward. One look at them, and Annika knew they were battle-mages, skilled the arts of combat magic. Against them, her minimal airshield would be useless.

The four men lifted their hands, and Annika started the invocation of the fire spirit. If she had time… the air-shield burst as the four mages cast their magics. Damn! She didn’t even get halfway there! It was the last thought Annika had time for, as the man charged her, most of them on horseback. Sword’s glow intensified, changed to the blood-red it always held when connecting to Annika’s internal magic-reserves.

The first flash went horizontally through a horse, making its legs march on while the top, with its rider, fell to the ground. The Sword came around, striking through a man, his sword and his armor. Her instincts warned her, and she flashed round to catch a strike by a man who tried to attack her unprotected back. She destroyed his weapon as it struck her Sword, and she immediately planted her foot in his face, kicking him back into two more men behind him. She landed, striking out at the man that had crawled upright, away from the corpse of his horse.

Annika’s scowl deepened as she charged more into her Sword. Efficiency and grace went out the door as she struck on pure instinct and speed, left to right, back to left, horizontal swipes, cutting flesh, steel and leather. But it couldn’t last… the flat of a blade struck her head, and Annika saw stars for just enough time for some men to tackle her to the ground and wrest the Sword from her hands. Then, everything went dark as a fist the size of a small mountain smashed into her face.

Thankfully for her, she never felt the kicking and punching that followed for almost a minute after that, until Barkhos sent back his men, ordering them to tie up the MagicSeeker and the girl that had been their captive.

 

“She’s a tough bitch, isn’t she?” Annika heard as she wrested one eye open. Her entire body hurt… shat had they done to her while she was unconscious? She bit back a groan of pain, and looked down. She was tied to a post, her entire body covered with rope, from her feet up to her neck. Her hands were behind her back, in an extremely uncomfortable position.

“Oh, yeah,” a second man replied to the first, making Annika look up at the duo with her one good eye. “After such a beating, only out for ten minutes…”

“Hear that, girly? After we fix you up, you’ll fetch a nice price. The virginity of the MagicSeeker will bring us quite a few nice gold pieces,” the first man drawled to her. Annika felt blood rush to her face in pure rage. “Yeah… the healer checked,” the man said, causing both man to laugh. She wanted to snarl at him, if only her mouth hadn’t been gagged. Fiercely gagged.

“Your companion’s not so lucky, though,” the second man growled to her. “I think it won’t be long now… she’s going to pay us all back for bringing you down on us. Those men you killed for her… she’s going to repay us for them.”

Annika’s face deepened in color, now a vicious purple in the light of the huge campfire that had been started, and was still being fed into ever-larger flames. As her two guards had stated, Marian was dragged out from the tree line somewhere, before being brutally shoved to the ground, and tied down spread-eagled on the ground to four posts driven into the rough ground just for that occasion.

“No!” the girl whimpered as the leader let his hands trail down her shapely body, pinching her breasts, diving between her legs. As his knife slowly started its trail on removing the girl’s clothes, Annika closed her eyes. For the first time since long, she felt pure anger. Purity of emotion, one of the strongest states in the human body.

Her body reacted by producing adrenaline in large quantities, followed by endorphins that blocked the pain the beating had caused in her body. She closed her eye, and started her invocation. If those asses thought she needed to speak like ordinary mages to cast her spells, she’d teach them otherwise. Annika MagicSeeker known as the Swordbearer is of the Fire, the Volcano and the Meteor, and is asking Ercharthaetuli, MAJOR spirit of Fire, are you listening? She opened her one good eye. Lord Ercharthaetuli, help me! By the Alliance of power between me and you, I demand your help!

The campfire died down that moment, as if the wood had suddenly lost the ability to combust. For just a second, the entire camp was in total darkness, even the torches having extinguished. During that one brutally dark second, nobody spoke a word, nobody dared move, even Barkhos’ knife had halted on its path to sever its victim’s clothing.

Then, fire flickered back, as if nothing had happened. And nothing had happened, except that Annika would have been seen, grinning madly, under the rag that tied her gag in her mouth. She felt her body reacting. Fire pumped along her veins, and it felt painful. She closed her eye, and bit down hard in the gag, her face twisting in pain as the headman continued to cut the clothing of his victim.

“That was mighty strange, boss,” one man told his chief.

“Probably some mage playing with Fire, boss,” a mage replied calmly. “Don’t worry, we have everything under control.”

Barkhos nodded, and once again continued his cutting.

Sword, Annika thought. Sword, are you there?

Annika… MagicSeeker. We are… separated… Sword’s voice sounded weak. Don’t know… how much longer… We’ll be able… to communicate…

Both of Annika’s eyes opened, and the skies lit up. Her eyes were glowing fiercely, and her face radiated a cold anger that was not soon to be matched. The campfire flared; then vanished. The torches flared too; and vanished along with the big fire of the camp. Annika erected herself, slowly standing up, shattering ropes as if they did not exist. She had bitten through her gag during the merging of her physical body with the Pure Embodiment of the element of fire’s spiritual Presence. The rags fell to the ground.

Annika opened her hand. “Sword.”

The Tranghuit that had given her the first blow to her head let out a startled scream as the sword he had been holding as a trophy vanished from his grip. It reappeared, glowing the red of blood, in Annika’s outstretched hand.

“The girl!” Annika demanded, her voice so deep and black that it made the ground tremble. “The girl!” she repeated.

Barkhos jumped up from his victim. “Get her!” he snarled to his underlings, motioning wildly to Annika, whose eyes had rolled back in their sockets, baring their whites to the masses. Her one black eye had healed, and the numerous bruises present all over her face and body discolored rapidly, before slowly vanishing. The first to respond to their leader’s call where the two men who had been Annika’s guards.

Her right hand clenched on Sword’s handle, making energy shoot off with the force of its connection. The two men never saw her move; all they witnessed were razor-thin waves of energy flashing toward them, before the world turned dark as their bodies fell apart.

Annika’s body never took its glowing-white eyes off of Marian. “Give me… the girl!” the dark and ominous voice commanded of the Tranghuit leader. He snarled viciously, drawing his sword, and started chopping at the ropes that bound Marian to the ground.

“Get her! We’ll reconvene at the keep!” Barkhos shouted to his men, knocking out Marian before putting her over his shoulder. Annika started to step forward, when a dozen men charged her. The whites of her eyes were glowing a deep, evil red now, and the MagicSeeker engaged her foes, even as the entire Tranghuit force stood between her and the person she was to guard.

Sword had not felt like this is a long time, when Annika’s grip tightened on its handle, pumping more power than it had felt since the Ancient Days. As Annika’s grip tightened, the blade cracked, just above the handle.

The 22-year-old body stood there, in the middle of a charging army, surrounded on all sides. Dragon strike, she growled under her breath, Sword, a force to be reckoned with, in her right hand. As the tip cut through the air, the speed was enough to ignite the very air, leaving fiery trails behind as the Ancient Weapon flashed to the right. Two dozen men vaporized instantly.

Barkhos, white with fright, dumped the girl on his horse, jumped up himself, and charged out of the encampment. Annika felt her charge disappearing. She growled, low in her throat, seeing the next batch of men approach.

She prepared a new strike, charging a second Dragon Strike to teach these cockroaches they should be getting out of her way before being stomped on. Suddenly, four men, dressed in the blackest of robes, stepped out of the twilight.

The four mages of the Tranghuit Raiders.

They raised their hands, and collectively charged their spells. Annika scowled and aborted her Dragon Strike, opting instead to start spinning her weapon around, in a perfect circle, once again igniting the air, now no longer at the tip, though, as the entire leading edge of the weapon caught fire, producing a perfectly circular shield of sheer fire in front of the MagicSeeker as she slowly strode toward the four mages. Unseen to all, the cracks in the blade expanded as the unbreakable weapon started to break.

Four spells struck harmlessly against her fiery protection. “Your magic is weak,” she grunted darkly, the Fire Spirit’s voice making the ground tremor beneath her feet. The four men drew back pale, charged with new magic, again striking harmlessly against her Fire Shield. The men had started to scatter by now, afraid of the might they witnessed, but a couple especially brave men charged her supposedly unprotected back. The Swordbearer felt them come.

This is taking too long, the enraged soul within her commanded. Annika’s spirit, merged with the element of Fire, clenched her second hand on the hilt. I release the limitations placed upon you by the ancient gods that created you. I, Annika MagicSeeker known as the Swordbearer, am allowing it.

The men stopped their charge when they saw the unbreakable blade of Sword crack, then shatter in a billion pieces, exploding outward under the influence of sheer power. Full force! Annika thought to her companion. Within her, two voices sounded in unison as the strike-charge built. Meteor Strike.

Energy of Fire appeared out of the sheer rock of the subsoil, flashing in four bright beams around the warrior-presence, igniting a flaming blade of red-and-yellow fire on sword’s handle. Annika jumped, the energy lifting her high up into the air, before she turned around, and descended toward her target, Flaming Sword held high above her head, charging continuously, even as she cut through the air at speeds beyond measure, beyond comprehension, igniting the very oxygen in a bright red ball of fire.

 

Barkhos felt the ground tremor beneath his horse’s feet, and he pulled hard on the reigns when the frightened animal neighed, mounting dangerously on its hind legs, trying to throw off its riders and vanish into the night. Barkhos was an excellent horseman, and managed to control his animal. He turned the reins, and stared at the war zone.

The shaking of the ground increased in strength, and he could see a dull red glow come from the encampment, right before an even bigger, stronger light drowned it out. He looked up, seeing a fireball descend from the skies.

“By the gods…” he whispered, his grip tightening on the reins of his horse, keeping the animal under control as the fireball exploded against the encampment, literally blowing everything away, making the Tranghuit Leader close his eyes and turn his horse to escape the devastating effects of the resulting winds. He felt the earthquake. He felt his horse panicking, running ever further out of his control. And that was just fine with him… he needed to get away. Away from the MagicSeeker, even if she had survived. Which was improbable, but then again, you never knew…

Finally, after what seemed like forever but what was in reality only ten to fifteen seconds, he reined in his horse, forcing the animal to a standstill as the winds passed them and the ground stopped shaking.

He looked back at the raging fire that used to be his army; his encampment. Marian had regained consciousness, and was now forced to watch helplessly, bound tightly to the horse of the Tranghuit leader.

“The MagicSeeker is nuts… she blew herself up with my army,” the headman grunted, his voice a mixture of revulsion and anger as well as some awe. He couldn’t help but admire the enemy that was willing to take herself along to hell with her enemies. It was a rare treat.

But then, his face paled. His entire body grew rigid, shaking slightly as his eyes went wide-open, showing whites all around his pupils.

For, out of the raging inferno, walking, unharmed, Annika MagicSeeker, known as the Swordbearer. Her eyes had still rolled back, the whites glowing a fierce white. The Sword in her hands, flaming blade a bright yellow, stood just as angry as the girl whose hand it was in.

Barkhos snarled in anger, turned his horse and made it run, as fast as the animal could hope to go. Annika stood there; and watched.

Spreading her arms as if they were wings, they suddenly became as wings, The Element of Fire still not having played out its role, two bright, flaming wings forming on the girl’s back. The first strike lifted her off the ground. The second strike catapulted her beyond the speed of sound in pursuit of the man that had captured her charge. Her charge. It was her duty to protect the girl, and this beast had dared to interrupt that.

The Element of Fire, strong, and fierce in battle, was the one enemy you did not want. It would never relent, never give up. It was a fierce enemy and a loyal friend… and once crossed, it would annihilate you.

Annika’s body thumped to the ground in front of Barkhos’ raging horse. She outstretched one hand.

Barkhos may be an excellent rider, but not even he could control a horse that was spooked by one of the Prime Elements. The horse nearly got a heart-attack, threw its riders and charged off into the darkness. Annika let it go, didn’t drop her left arm, right hand still locked upon the flaming blade.

Barkhos knew this was a battle he couldn’t win. But still he drew his blade, and charged his magic martial arts school. Annika didn’t bother to ask her companion about the school. His magic struck against her magic blade, sending energy and jets of flame flying as he somehow blocked her strike.

Spurred by what he perceived as a chance, the headman started to speed up his movements, charging more and more of his combat magic. Annika struck at him, shattering his sword and blasting him backward, relatively unharmed. He was an excellent warrior, but insignificant when compared to the One True Sword and its bearer.

Annika’s scowl deepened, and the flaming blade changed, the flames lightening in color as its temperature soared. Yellowish white. Bright White. Bluish White. Blue. Her blade now a blue flame, she charged. Barkhos crossed his hands, and charged a shield of some sort.

Annika jumped up, Sword high above her head. The Sword’s blade exploded in fierce intensity, turning the vicious opaque blackness of flames of ultimate temperature. Barkhos saw his death coming down from the skies, and closed his eyes. Moments later, it was all over, his shield not having aided in the slightest against the unleashing of the Prime Element of Fire.

Annika erected herself, staring at the charred hole in the ground, before turning to Marian, still bound, where the horse had thrown her. The jet of black flame solidified, rematerializing a blade. Annika’s eyes rolled back momentarily, and the MagicSeeker lashed out with the blade, shattering the ropes that held the victim bound.

“Are you okay?” she asked with her regular voice, now weak and frail-sounding.

“I’m fine…” Marian said, looking up with slightly fearful eyes at the MagicSeeker, who nodded, gave a small smile and fell flat forward. The girl dove for her rescuer, managing to catch her. “Oh, gods…” the girl whispered, feeling Annika’s burning-hot forehead. Sword had fallen to the ground, and where it had fallen, the earth was smoldering and smoking. It was then that Marian noticed the heavy burns on Annika’s hands.

“Water,” Marian whispered. “I need to give her some water…”

 

Annika panted; opened her eyes. Even though her journey had been on the metaphysical plains, her body still hurt. She looked at the dragon. “Did I… did I pass?” she asked, voice broken and weak.

The dragon looked at her. “Only you can determine that, Annika MagicSeeker. The elemental spirits react only to the strongest of souls, those whose magic knows no limits. They are as close to the Source of Magic as I know. If there is anyone who can help you, its must be them.”

Annika rolled on her back, away from her fetal position, and stared at the ceiling of the darkly illuminated cave. “It was horrible,” she whispered.

“No doubt,” the dragon replied honestly. “To be honest, I am surprised you survived with your sanity intact… that rite is known to shatter the lesser of dragonkind. For a manchild such as yourself to come out alive and sane… you truly possess tremendous heart and soul.”

Annika chuckled once; dryly. “Stop sucking up, Dragon… you warned me. Or tried to, at least.”

“I am not sucking up, Human,” the dragon answered with its version of a toothy grin. “First of all, dragons do not ‘suck up’, and second, we detest dishonesty. What I said is the truth.”

Annika smiled slightly, and felt the muscles in her face contract painfully. She probably screamed out loud during the ordeal… “Did I make a lot of noise?” she asked.

The dragon chuckled. What this manchild thought of in times like these! “You made as much noise as could be expected from you,” the dragon replied enigmatically. “Of course, as a dragon, my ears are a lot stronger than those frail ones you humans have. For your kind, I think you made considerable noise.”

“Gee, thanks,” Annika grunted, feeling her body slip. “I… I think I’ll get some sleep…”

The dragon watched her; its interest peaked at the sight of this human, sleeping comfortably on the cold floor of a dragon’s cave. She trusted it completely, and for some reason, the dragon felt quite good about that. Cupping some of the treasure of its hoard, it carefully covered the manchild under the gold pieces.

“Rest well, Young One,” the dragon whispered, curling up on its hoard and falling asleep itself.

 

Annika groaned; Marian was near her in an instant, pressed a cold cloth to Annika’s forehead. “Are you okay?” the girl-warrior asked gently.

Annika groaned again, feeling her body protest even her breathing. “I… I’m fine… I think.”

“You’ve been asleep for two days. I’ve only managed to get some water into you,” Marian apologized, turning away. She started doing something over the campfire, but Annika couldn’t determine what it was. Her ears still roared with the force of the major spirit in her soul, her sight was severely hampered by the tears that kept forming in her eyes. In other words, she was defenseless.

Sword…

I am here, my Swordbearer.

How am I doing? Really? She asked, slightly surprised that her mental voice didn’t crack as much as her real one did.

Annika, your muscles are ripped to shreds, you’ve broken bones in your hands and arms from gripping me too tightly, as well as your feet from the rough landing when you caught up with the horse. Your magic is at an all-time low, so low that I can’t even feel it’s there anymore. Your soul is damaged; your spirit is weak, and your body torn to shreds. All in all, I think you got off lightly. You summoned the Prime Element of Fire, damnit! Are you stupid?? It could have killed you!

But it didn’t, Annika replied. It didn’t…

She reopened her eyes when Marian sat down next to her once again. “I’ve got some soup… it’s really light, so it should go down easily…”

Annika smiled painfully, and grimaced when she lifted her arm. Her fingers tingled as she tried to take the spoon the girl held out for her. As soon as she gripped it, pain shot through her entire arm, and it fell roughly to the ground as Annika bit off a scream of pain.

“Damn… I broke my fingers…” she then grunted, staring at the skies. “I really did a number on myself…”

Marian swallowed silently, then gently lifted Annika’s head. “Come on… don’t worry. They’ll heal.” Annika could smell the broth on the spoon the girl held out. Annika just didn’t care anymore. Letting go of whatever pride she had, she satisfied her bodily urges, and let the girl feed her. It didn’t take long for Annika to finish the bowl.

“Want some more?” Marian asked.

Annika tiredly shook her head. “No… thank you.” She looked up at Marian. “Thank you.”

The girl smiled slightly. “You saved my life twice… nearly getting yourself killed. This is the least I can do.”

Accepting the answer, Annika just fell back, and let herself succumb to sleep as Sword’s magic went to work on her. Now that she had some nutrients, the weapon’s ancient magics were able to start her healing process. The light broth didn’t contain much; however, but it was enough to at least get the headache out of the way, and knit some of her muscles together.

A couple of hours later, Annika awoke decently for the first time. This time, she didn’t like the fact that Marian had to feed her. She hoped there was some calcium in the broth… those broken fingers needed to heal, and soon, too.

 

Annika let herself fall to the rock with a sharp breath. Even though mot of the damage to her body had been healed, she still walked with a decisive limp, and pain to accompany it. Stretching out her legs to let the aching muscles relax, the redhead looked at the rock wall in front of her. She had returned Marian… or rather, Marian had returned her… a week before and the Lord had kept his word, and had given her directions to where this ‘entrance’ was.

To Annika, it didn’t look like an entrance at all… merely the outline of a door that had been chiseled into the hardy rock, and various magical symbols inscribed around it. Possibly they were directions of some kind. If only she could decipher them.

Involuntarily, the painful trek here came back to her mind. How long has it been? Almost two weeks? And still I haven’t recovered…

Sword answered her thoughts. Of course you still haven’t recovered. You summoned the major Spirit of Fire! Sword’s voice in her mind calmed down slightly. At least your magic is back… stronger than ever. You could get away with just using brute-force, as long as the enemies aren’t too skilled.

Annika sighed. I don’t want to think about enemies right about now, she berated her companion for ten years. She refocused on the rock. I want to know what THAT means.

Sword remained silent, itself pondering the question. Those look like wards of some kind, it then offered. But neither of us is a magic user in the ways these people are. I don’t think we can figure them out…

Neither can THEY, or they would have already, Annika replied. It’s said nobody can decipher these… but they must mean something… Annika thought, her emotions leveling off, as they always did when she slipped into research mode.

True… Sword thought back. Perhaps they hold a meaning, but it is also likely that they don’t necessarily indicate anything. It might just be a work of art, left behind by ancient peoples…

Annika grunted out loud. That’s the LAST thing I need… a prank, she thought bitterly, and closed her eyes. I’m going to try something. Give me a moment. “Annika MagicSeeker known as the Swordbearer is of the land… and is asking Oroglali, lesser spirit of Earth, are you listening?” The small tremor beneath her feet told her that the minor spirit was listening to her requests.

“Lord Oroglali… I need your help. Can you tell me what the meaning is of the inscriptions upon this rock?”

The ground vibrated again, and Annika could feel the world turn black as the spirit left her and knowledge remained behind, deep inside her mind. Annika’s eyes opened, and a small smile played on her lips. Painfully, she hoisted herself to her legs, and hobbled to the wall of rock.

She placed her hand on one of the signs around the door, and closed her eyes once more. “Annika MagicSeeker known as the Swordbearer is of the land, the air, the water and the fire. She is pure of heart, mind, body and soul, and is seeking for the last secrets of the Ancient Gods. She intends no harm, and respectfully requests entrance to this, the last sacred temple,” she stated in a calm and level voice, her tone rising and falling ritualistically.

The ground beneath her feet vibrated once again, and a force of magic the likes of which she had never felt before went through the entire mountain, right before the interior of the outlined door started sliding back, grinding horrible over the rock surface, before sliding out of the way, permitting her entrance. Taking a last, deep breath to satisfy her nerves, Annika shot a look to the light outside, before resolutely stepping inside the dark cave. 

The rock-door slid closed behind her, taking away the light that entered from outside. Annika’s breath stopped as she was plunged into total darkness, and she extended her arms to try and find a wall to hold on to. But before she had taken her first shuffle in what she hoped was the right direction, torches exploded into action all around her, illuminating the cave in dazzling games of light and shadow.

The cave she was in was rectangular, and totally barren, safe for the torches that hung high on the walls, casting their illuminating rays throughout. Annika looked around, noting how the cave’s walls stood perfectly perpendicular to the roof and the floor, but seeing nothing else. She grunted, and hobbled further, to the far side of the cave, in the hopes of seeing something new there.

As she approached, she once again felt the magic of this place reach through her, and Annika shivered involuntarily at the contact. As suddenly as the magic had gripped her; it released her, and Annika just knew she had passed some kind of test. But what test, and how she had passed it, she didn’t know, and that concerned her. What would have happened had she failed?

The far walls seemed to liquefy, and Annika felt the magic work on it now, rather than on her. She stared in wonder as the wall’s composition seemed to alter, flowing back, revealing something. Annika just stared as the wall ‘flowed’ into the walls to the side and only then did she look further. The room behind the former far wall was as dark as the first cave had been, but Annika felt no fear. Somehow, she knew she would be alright… and so she stepped further, crossing the boundary between light and dark, exactly where the wall had been. It was as if the torches couldn’t cast their illumination beyond the boundary the wall had denoted.

She crossed from light to dark instantly, and just knew the wall behind her had reformed instantly. Once again, she held her breath, and waited. The flashing of new torches still caught hr by surprise, and Annika slowly adjust to look at the new room she was in.

It was almost identical to the one she had left, if not for the gentle amber-brown of the walls instead of the rather harsh gray in the anteroom… and the fact that there was an elaborate inscription on the floor. Annika turned around it, looking at it from all sides, feeling the magic ooze out of the drawing. Thirteen circles were present: one large, center circle with a sigil inscribed in the exact center of it. Then, around it, located in the four corners of the wind, were more circles. Directly adjacent to the center circle stood four smaller circles. Adjacent to these stood four smaller circles, and then, finally, four outer circles, which paled in size in comparison to the huge center circle.

Annika had some ideas what it could all mean… but none of them she wanted to test right about now. She drew a breath, and crossed the outer boundary of the huge center circle, stepping up to the center to take it in from a central point of view. The moment her pained legs came to a stop on the center sigil, she felt the magic wash over and through her once again, and Annika closed her eyes and braced herself to counter the bout of vertigo that befell her.

Somehow… she knew she had passed another test. And she knew what she had to do. Sitting down, crossed her painful legs, Annika drew Sword, driving it into the soil directly in the sigil. “Annika MagicSeeker known as the Swordbearer is of the air, the land, the water and the fire. She has the allegiance of Oroglali, lesser spirit of Earth, Alniel, lesser spirit of Air, Hatu, lesser spirit of Water, and of Saeguror, lesser spirit of fire!” The cave’s torches extinguished; and the ground shook.

In the four outer circles, the smallest ones, four elements appeared, a small fire to the north, a small piece of rock to the west, a miniature tornado to the south, and the ground pulled open in the east, to reveal a small puddle of water. The outer circles started glowing brightly, and Annika felt power rush through her, as if the magic itself was encouraging her. She felt Sword tremor in her hands, and when she looked down at it, could see the blade glowing bright silver.

“She has the allegiance of Iaertu, medium spirit of Earth, of Mefriel, medium spirit of Air, of Haturori, medium spirit of Water, and of Thegulkari, medium spirit of Fire!” The ground shook harder now, and the four lesser elements obviously fought to remain present. It was as if the bigger brothers were appearing, drawing in energy from their smeller, lesser brethren. The second circles filled; a large fire appeared to her north, a boulder was pushed up from the soil to her west, a tornado was contained within the circle to her south, and the water from the outer circle to her east was pulled up from the puddle, drawing into the second circle and settled down as a water-spout, leaving the outer circle with a slowly refilling pool.

Annika looked down at Sword; and saw his blade was a bright red. She held on to the powerful weapon with both her hands now, and she closed her eyes, forcing herself to remain calm. She knew what she had to do. Magic itself was urging her on. Energy welled up from the large center circle now, spinning up around Annika as the MagicSeeker released her energy fully; opened her eyes, and cried out in a mixture of ecstasy and pain.

“She has the allegiance of Rothauguror, Major Spirit of Earth! She has the allegiance of Omkiel, Major Spirit of Air! She has the allegiance of Havaurcantutha, Major Spirit of Water! And she holds the allegiance of Ercharthaetuli, Major Spirit of Fire!”

It was as if the cave was exploding with the release of so much magical energy within it, and Annika screamed out as harsh magic burned around her. She managed to open her eyes, and survey the scene. Before her stood the Major Spirit of Fire, unbound, in the large circle directly adjacent to her own, center circle, A huge, bulking man built up out of fire, holding a magical flaming sword.

To her left, her west side, stood the Spirit of Earth, a rock golem bearing shield and iron blade, as tall as even more hulking than the Fire Spirit. Behind her, to her south, stood the Spirit of Air, a beautiful, gracious woman made up out of the most beautiful winds and dressed in gracious garments. To her right, built up out of crystal-clear water, stood a second woman, only the contours of her beautiful body visible thanks to some disturbance in the pure waters that made up her body.

The tremors in Sword stopped; and Annika stared down at it, and her breath halted in her throat. Sword’s blade… had disintegrated, only to be recreated in purity of energy, flaming like fire, hard like steel, light like air, adaptable like water. This was Sword’s true form; the form hinted at when Annika had channeled the full force of the Fire Spirit a mere week and a half before.

She sighed, smiled slightly and closed her eyes. Magic gripped her psyche, taking her on a new journey, explaining to her, the one deemed worthy after fifteen years of hardship, to know the secrets of magic.

Her spirit looked down upon her physical body, sitting cross-legged in the center of the twelve spirits Dragon had taught her to contact, a decade ago. She, sitting in the center… the elements arranged around her. Could it…?

The magic pulled her away, letting her see more. She felt how magic connected everything and everybody, how it was not just a source of energy… rather, the source of energy. The only source of energy.

Annika’s spirit blinked. Magic… it was the energy… the energy… that connected the universe, the power source… the one power source of the universe. She was taken back to the room, and once again stared at herself from above. She understood now. She was the magic, sitting in the center. Around her, fueled from her, were the elements. She fueled the elements…

Annika shook her spiritual head, and stopped referring to herself. She wasn’t vain enough to believe that she was magic. Rather, only the drawing made sense… Magic was the fuel source of the universe… depicted by the huge center circle. Closest to it were the Major Elemental Spirits… then the medium spirits… and finally the lesser spirits. To her surprise, Annika’s spirit drew back, revealing more. The outline of the cave was different then she thought…

She could contact the elements directly, thanks to the dragon’s tutelage. Ordinary mages, using spells, were outside that… Annika understood now… beyond the lesser spirits stood the mage’s spells. They had a long, long way to go. She, thanks to the dragon’s tutelage, had managed to bypass the stage…

Annika returned to the inner sanctum. Magic reacts to will; as do the elements… she sunk back into her own body. One by one, she thanked the spirits, before dispelling them. Slowly, she got to her feet, feeling herself healed from all aches. She felt better than she had ever felt. She looked at Sword, again its inconspicuous self. She put it in her belt, and drew a breath.

Now she knew. Magic was the fuel source of the universe… and it reacts to will. The will of every living creature, of every rock, of every drop of water and every gust of wind. And, at the same time, Magic reacted the strongest to a sentient will that could give it purpose. The mages with their small incantations. She, by channeling the elemental spirits themselves, closer than anyone to the source of magic.

And now… now she could channel magic directly.

She walked out of the cave, and motioned to the door. Annika MagicSeeker… she smiled. Seal.

The door slid shut, the edges lightning up brightly, fusing the door and the rock together. She looked up at the sun. “There’s something I must do now.” She drew a breath. “But first, I have to go back to the castle.” She closed her eyes, and vanished.

 

Annika stood still on the mountain top, looking down at Oceanum in the distance. “Fifteen years… it’s been fifteen years,” Annika whispered.

“I’m sure they’re still here,” Marian replied, in the same revering tone Annika had used. The MagicSeeker had finally relented, after the young girl continued to beg and plead to let her come. After all… Marian was only slightly younger than Annika herself had been when she had given up the relatively easy life with her parents to go on her quest. And even though she only looked 22, she was aware of the fact that she was 32 now, and that she had spent almost half of her life searching for the source of magic.

“I’m sure they are, too,” Annika replied, calmly, started her trek down to the city. “I’m merely wondering what I am going to say to them.”

Marian nodded. “I wouldn’t know what to say either… after fifteen years.”

Annika remained silent, deep in her thoughts. Marian walked silently at her side.

 

In Armandia’s relatively spacious house, a number of guests had assembled, something they had done ever since the family had stranded on Trisia. Joahnwas, of course, sitting directly next to his master, Master Valerius, who was still instructing him in the uses of magic. Peter and Anne, Annika’s parents, were sitting side-by-side, while Armandia was sitting at the head of the table.

“Sometimes I wonder,” Anne whispered during a lapse in the conversation. “What happened to Annika?”

Peter and Johan nodded. “There’s no real way of knowing,” Johan finally said, for the umpteenth time. “At some point, she started blocking scrying spells… nobody can find her now. Sometimes I wonder how those people who are rumored to ask for her help contact her.”

“It’s said that you need to go visit the Dragon of the Northern Mountains,” Master Valerius answered with his now really-old voice. “Somehow, I do not think it true.”

“Dragons are ferocious,” Johan added in. “It’s not wise to disturb them in their cave…”

Armandia nodded in agreement, while Annika’s parents just accepted the explanation. Over the course of fifteen years, they had learned to accept that fact that their only daughter might never return.

A knock sounded on the door. Armandia replied that the door was open, upon which the heavy wooden door slid open, almost timidly.

“Hello everyone… guess what I found?”

 

The End.