Prologue
There would be another four, or five, depending on your view. The news reached Christopher, April, Jalil and David fairly quickly. The gods had felt the presence of another witch. In the real-old-world, of coarse. So they put together their fortuneteller people [as Christopher jokingly called them, quacks] and made them find out what was up. And they found the witch. And a small prophesy with it. Four normal humans and the witch would come to Everworld. They weren't sure when, or how. Maybe it would be the same story over again. Maybe not.
It was three years after everything. After Christopher, April, Jalil and David disappeared from the real world. Three years after April killed Senna. They were twenty or twenty-one years old now. And they had lives in Everworld, too. Jobs, or as close to real world jobs as it could get in Everworld.
The four had gone to Olympus after leaving Hel's nice, cozy home and the sweet, pretty castle of Baldwin. Now David was Athena's soldier/general. The war against Ka Anor was still going on. The others suspected that Athena and David had gotten closer than they wanted the others to know. The others had no real evidence, though. Mostly, they didn't care much.
Christopher hoped, or rather prayed heavily, for Etain to be freed from King Baldwin's grip. Sure, she was treated very well but Christopher only wanted her treated well with him. He was still so in love with her. He, at first, had no longer gotten drunk at all. Now he drank little. He could have picked several women but he picked none. He was wanted nothing to make Etain rethink coming back if she could. But she was with her first child. So he tried to see other women the way he saw them before. But he couldn't, for his love. He wished his life weren't some bad movie. Especially his love life. He found nothing better to do but help David in his battle with Ka Anor. Usually he got into such a killing frenzy to forget about his problems. He earned the nickname 'Blood'.
Apirl was an entertainer, but of a kind new to Everworld. She acted, sang, ect. She did some fighting but also stayed at the hospital and was a nurse that entertained the patients, instead of going with the others to plan the next attack. She missed her life in the real world more than the others did. She missed her parents, her friends, maybe even the guy who could have been her boyfriend. You know, the collage guy. But she got used to life. What else was there for her to do?
Jalil was getting rich. He was like an Everworld architect and now charged. He helped with weapon design and with building better protection for the places where the important stuff was stored. He was a god among architects. He mourned the loss of his family and Miyuki, yes, who wouldn't? His life was OK, anyway. The others owed him piles of money over their heads, but he had enough so that he didn't miss it.
When they all heard that other real world-ers were coming to Everyworld, they were excited. April needed new material. She couldn't sing the same things over and over. Jalil needed new science ideas. If he stopped, who would his friends have to 'borrow' from? David hoped they might have some new war expert for them to work with. None the others believed as much. Christopher hoped for a babe to fall in love with. Anyone. But soon the excitement simmered down. What were the chances that these people were going to be what they needed? Little, that was for sure. But they hoped nonetheless.
~*~*~*
Gwen was sitting in her room, alone. In one hand, her book, Christina's Ghost (by Betty Ren Wright). On the table, her laptop, which was open to IE. She was surfing the Net, one of her favorite pastimes. After reading and listening to music, that is.
It was February 2001 and she was 10 years old. She liked being alone. Mostly, anyway. She didn't need anyone else to have a life. So that's how it was. She had friends, but only two she was really close to.
Her best friend since second grade, Acy Areganda. Acy was slightly hyper most of the time and stubborn once she got on something. She was usually sure she was right, or at least that anyone else was wrong. She was wanna-be punk. It didn't fit her well at all though.
Acy had long brown hair and eyes, like Gwen except that Gwen's was thin and Acy's hair wasn't. Acy was slightly taller than Gwen. Gwen had glasses, Acy did not. Acy was an average student, Gwen was a straight A student. But they were close anyway.
Gwen was close (not as close as with Acy but.)with Camyrn. Cam was slightly shorter than Gwen and had Gwen's frissy brown hair. Gwen's was frissier but still. Cam's brother, David, was two years old than her and was despised by Gwen. Acy, on the other hand, had a crush on him. But Acy had a crush on everyone, so it didn't really count. Gwen's crush was Josh. He had brown hair, blue eyes and was a little bit short. He was smart and funny. Man, he was perfect. She fell for him. But how little she actually knew about him she had no idea.
There would be another four, or five, depending on your view. The news reached Christopher, April, Jalil and David fairly quickly. The gods had felt the presence of another witch. In the real-old-world, of coarse. So they put together their fortuneteller people [as Christopher jokingly called them, quacks] and made them find out what was up. And they found the witch. And a small prophesy with it. Four normal humans and the witch would come to Everworld. They weren't sure when, or how. Maybe it would be the same story over again. Maybe not.
It was three years after everything. After Christopher, April, Jalil and David disappeared from the real world. Three years after April killed Senna. They were twenty or twenty-one years old now. And they had lives in Everworld, too. Jobs, or as close to real world jobs as it could get in Everworld.
The four had gone to Olympus after leaving Hel's nice, cozy home and the sweet, pretty castle of Baldwin. Now David was Athena's soldier/general. The war against Ka Anor was still going on. The others suspected that Athena and David had gotten closer than they wanted the others to know. The others had no real evidence, though. Mostly, they didn't care much.
Christopher hoped, or rather prayed heavily, for Etain to be freed from King Baldwin's grip. Sure, she was treated very well but Christopher only wanted her treated well with him. He was still so in love with her. He, at first, had no longer gotten drunk at all. Now he drank little. He could have picked several women but he picked none. He was wanted nothing to make Etain rethink coming back if she could. But she was with her first child. So he tried to see other women the way he saw them before. But he couldn't, for his love. He wished his life weren't some bad movie. Especially his love life. He found nothing better to do but help David in his battle with Ka Anor. Usually he got into such a killing frenzy to forget about his problems. He earned the nickname 'Blood'.
Apirl was an entertainer, but of a kind new to Everworld. She acted, sang, ect. She did some fighting but also stayed at the hospital and was a nurse that entertained the patients, instead of going with the others to plan the next attack. She missed her life in the real world more than the others did. She missed her parents, her friends, maybe even the guy who could have been her boyfriend. You know, the collage guy. But she got used to life. What else was there for her to do?
Jalil was getting rich. He was like an Everworld architect and now charged. He helped with weapon design and with building better protection for the places where the important stuff was stored. He was a god among architects. He mourned the loss of his family and Miyuki, yes, who wouldn't? His life was OK, anyway. The others owed him piles of money over their heads, but he had enough so that he didn't miss it.
When they all heard that other real world-ers were coming to Everyworld, they were excited. April needed new material. She couldn't sing the same things over and over. Jalil needed new science ideas. If he stopped, who would his friends have to 'borrow' from? David hoped they might have some new war expert for them to work with. None the others believed as much. Christopher hoped for a babe to fall in love with. Anyone. But soon the excitement simmered down. What were the chances that these people were going to be what they needed? Little, that was for sure. But they hoped nonetheless.
~*~*~*
Gwen was sitting in her room, alone. In one hand, her book, Christina's Ghost (by Betty Ren Wright). On the table, her laptop, which was open to IE. She was surfing the Net, one of her favorite pastimes. After reading and listening to music, that is.
It was February 2001 and she was 10 years old. She liked being alone. Mostly, anyway. She didn't need anyone else to have a life. So that's how it was. She had friends, but only two she was really close to.
Her best friend since second grade, Acy Areganda. Acy was slightly hyper most of the time and stubborn once she got on something. She was usually sure she was right, or at least that anyone else was wrong. She was wanna-be punk. It didn't fit her well at all though.
Acy had long brown hair and eyes, like Gwen except that Gwen's was thin and Acy's hair wasn't. Acy was slightly taller than Gwen. Gwen had glasses, Acy did not. Acy was an average student, Gwen was a straight A student. But they were close anyway.
Gwen was close (not as close as with Acy but.)with Camyrn. Cam was slightly shorter than Gwen and had Gwen's frissy brown hair. Gwen's was frissier but still. Cam's brother, David, was two years old than her and was despised by Gwen. Acy, on the other hand, had a crush on him. But Acy had a crush on everyone, so it didn't really count. Gwen's crush was Josh. He had brown hair, blue eyes and was a little bit short. He was smart and funny. Man, he was perfect. She fell for him. But how little she actually knew about him she had no idea.