Author's Note: That's right, I"M BACK! Truth is that I never left; this story is so important to me that plot ideas have bubbled and broiled in the back of my mind the entire absence. I am pretty psyched to be back too, because in the last week of polishing this chapter I've come up with several new ideas that I feel vastly improve how this story will progress. Ideas that may have never come if I'd written this chapter months ago.
Nevertheless, the massive fan-love during my hiatus leaves me feeling like I owe you all an explanation. And here it is; this year has been LIFE CHANGING. The biggest and most influential distraction holding my creativity from this story has been the fact that as of this November, I have become a husband, and the taken the creator of the Rowan, Alia, and Tasha persona's you all love as my wife. Weddings, like Rome, are not built in a day, and I am not the man who sits back and merely watches things that involve me. So, I got involved in the planning process. As such, I got distracted from this fanfic.
Another reason was this chapter. This is Trouble in Paradise 2.0, truthfully, as Kane's segment was originally much longer and much more action-packed. But I was finding the scene too out of touch with the rest of the chapter, and too clumsy to write. It all felt so awkward and wrong that I began to view the chapter as a chore. But I just couldn't think of a good way to continue, or replace, the scene. Until last week. I don't know why, but something clicked, I had the idea, Kane's bit got rewritten, and his ship-bound scenes are now being stretched across the chapters. After I got the problem scene dealt with, the rest just fell into place.
On another note, I now have a forum up for the Adventurum Gang (that's these guys) and a Poll to find out who amongst them is the reader favorite. Please be honest, and leave a forum post after you vote describing why you chose who you did. I am interested in seeing how my characters look through your eyes, especially as they change through this story. There will be another topic up in the forum for general discussion. This is my first forum so I'm curious to see where it will go. I honeslty have no idea how to link you all to the forum though.
I am very excited now that this chapter is done, as the scenes in the chapters to come have been brewing in my mind for months and I am eager to get them put into words. And while I fear the Holidays may delay the next chapter, I am confident the New Year will bring a new chapter in the epic Wizard101 drama that is 'From the Ashes'. Please enjoy this chapter and don't hesitate to review; I long to know how well my writing has held up to my vacation.
Trouble in Paradise
(1 week, 3 days Post-Incident)
There was a sharp rap upon the aged wood of his cabin door, interrupting Kane's contemplative meditation. He opened one violet eye to glare at the door.
"I thought I made it clear; I am not to be interrupted," He commented with enough force in his voice to carry his words through the door like a charging Minotaur.
"Yes, yes, it was quite clear, Master Wizard," the intruder shot back with a snide and equally powerful response. The voice belonged to the Captain of a Sky Ship known as the 'Enterprise'. It once served under the Royal Navy of Marleybone, the naval arm of the Royal Expeditionary Force, traveling the Skyways of the Spiral to contact new worlds and establish trade routes and/or colonies. Now, however, it was commanded by Tiberius, a Rottweiler pirate with a bark that Kane reckoned could be heard for several miles.
"Nonetheless, as I am being paid according to your safe and secure," Tiberius put an amused emphasis on those words, "arrival in Mooshu, I thought it best to inform you that we will be reaching the Stormgate within the hour. I advise you make preparations; she's a Sky Ship, but the Enterprise is not the newest model."
"Consider me warned," Kane replied, the edge in his voice softening. "The update is appreciated. Carry on." Kane dismissed the Captain, thinking nothing of it. On the other side of the door, however, Tiberius' sand-colored eyebrow rose in bemusement before the Captain made the wise decision to not press the matter. This wizard was paying them a good sum, after all. And one should never argue with a large coin purse.
Kane focused like a hunter on the heavy footsteps of the captain, waiting until he was certain of the canine's absence before continuing his contemplations. The interruption was, in fact, warranted though, as the Stormgates did not sound like the sort of portal one wanted to travel through unexpectedly.
In truth, this was not Kane's preferred method of travel. It was most definitely the longest, as it would take nearly a week of sailing through the Skyways, even in a strong Windlane, before they would reach Mooshu. If he had taken the Spiral Door, or used one of his own teleportation spells, he would have been there three days ago. But that is what his 'friends' would have expected him to do, and it is what they would do if they try to search for him. So Kane took a more mundane route.
It wasn't as though sailing was a new thing, something unheard of in the wizard community. Rather, it was a simple matter of choosing the unexpected choice; in a world of magical conveniences, why would any wizard choose the old and difficult ways of travel?
Before the spread of modern wizards across the Spiral and the discovery of the Spiral Doors, it had been the only method of travel between worlds. Since ancient times the Stormgates –strange swirling vortexes of magic that connected the skies of nearby worlds- had been used to transport small vessels of cargo for trade. But it was a long and dangerous journey, as the Skyways of every world were filled with monsters and the Stormgates themselves were treacherous. But then the Valencians invented the Sky Ships, magnificent vessels that could transport more cargo faster than any ships before, and sturdy enough to survive any Stormgate. The discovery ushered in a Golden Age for sailing the Spiral.
But like any Golden Age, it came with its own problems. The rise of piracy had led the more magically inclined folk to seek out more magical means of transport; means his fellow wizards would no doubt expect him to use. Only Miguel would consider the possibility of travel by ship, being a native of Marleybone. But Kane knew that Miguel would also be the only one likely to respect Kane's desire for privacy.
Kane frowned at that thought. He didn't like that his most elusive means of escaping them was entirely dependent on Miguel being trustworthy enough to leave him alone. But he could think of no other way to throw them off his trail. Kane set those thoughts aside and began preparing his belongings, so a random weapon wouldn't hit him if the ride got too bumpy. As he did he turned his thoughts back to Rowan, and Death, and the problems they posed for him.
"Should've never gotten involved with that woman," Kane muttered, strapping his sword onto the bedpost. "Should've just studied necromancy alone."
"So Zeus just shot through your window in the middle of the night and dropped this on your head?" Tasha asked, reading over a note scrawled in an erratic script upon aged parchment.
"The jar the note came in, actually," Alia corrected, rubbing the three-day-old injury as if it still hurt. "Scared the heck outta me too; thought he was a bat or something." The black dragon glared at her from his perch at the head of the large lounge chair Alia sat in. They were 'enjoying noon tea' in the sitting space of the second floor of the Spellblade's mansion, a fresh fire crackling beside them as they discussed Alia's new pest.
"Maybe you should close your windows at night then," Tasha remarked absently, focused on reading the message. She was sitting properly on an exquisite settee, a mahogany table separating them. Alia opened her mouth to retort, decided it wasn't worth the trouble, and snatched her cup of tea off the table.
She'd gulped down half of it before Tasha finally put the parchment down, picking up her own cup. She briefly looked at Alia, eyes narrowing, then mentioned calmly about proper manners at tea time as she stirred in some sugar.
"When have I ever?" Alia responded.
"Remember our childhood tea parties?" Tasha replied with a small smile that looked more at home on her twin's face. Alia frowned and straightened a bit, though still gulped her tea. "So, the note seems genuinely Rowan's, and she seems rather distressed given how bad the handwriting is, so why is visiting her a problem?"
"It's a problem because I'm conflicted Tasha," Alia revealed, sighing, "I do care about my sister, of course. But I'm also furious that she ignores me for a whole week, never coming to visit, yet has the nerve to ask me to come visit her when I'm busy fixing the damage she caused."
"How is Talon doing, by the way?"
"He's healing alright, but it ain't easy. I've got his jaw and ribs healed enough that he can speak, but not for long. His breathing is regular again though, so I feel comfortable leaving him now and again, when necessary. Don't worry, I've got Falmea working with Professor Balestrom so I still get my school work done," Alia added in response to Tasha's concerned look.
"Well that's good to hear," Tasha smiled, "but I think you should go see Rowan. Maybe there is a valid reason for her not coming to visit, so you are getting angry over nothing. Or maybe there is no reason. But you won't know until you go," Tasha told her.
"You sound like mom," Alia commented, rolling her eyes. "Always right."
The front door opened and a familiar accent announced the arrival of the man of the house, who made his way up the stairs to find his woman with company today. Always the gentleman, he didn't miss a beat despite the surprise. "Ah, buenos días mi cuñada. To what do we owe the pleasure of your company?"
"It's right there on the table," Alia replied, pointing to the parchment. "Rowan has the nerve to ask me to visit her at a time like this." Miguel took the note and looked it over, not taking as long to read it as Tasha had. His time with ancient texts made scrawled handwriting not very challenging. "Tasha says I should go, at least to see if there is a valid reason for her absence for a week and a half."
"I agree," Miguel proclaimed, setting the parchment down. "She hasn't visited us either, and we're in-world, so I suspect she has a valid reason. Besides, her words do show genuine concern."
"Why am I not surprised you two are in agreement?" Alia looked between them and folded her arms before groaning. "Alright, fine, I'll go." And I'll be sure to give her a piece of my mind while I'm there, she added mentally.
"Now that this is settled, may I speak with you concerning my sparring equipment, Alia?" Miguel inquired. Alia returned with a quizzical gaze.
"Isn't that more Kane's department than mine?"
"Kane is missing," Miguel replied, standing behind the second lounge chair.
"He's just on one of his research trips," Alia assured him, waving the comment away. "I saw him off by breaking up with him." The couple's eyebrows rose, and Alia just shrugged. "According to him we weren't even an item to begin with and after all that's happened," She brushed imagined sand off her hands and then threw them forward, "I'm done dealing with him."
"I'm happy to hear that, sis. He was not right for you anyway," Tasha beamed.
"As proud as we both may be for you moving on," Miguel interjected, "it's not just a research trip. He's taken leave from the Royal Expeditionary Force, claiming 'family troubles' so no one knows where he is."
"But I thought he ignored his family," Tasha was confused now, and looked to Alia, who shrugged.
"Never even spoke of his family around me."
"Therefore," Miguel concluded, "you are the logical choice to assist me with this business. May I borrow tu hermana, mi amor?" Tasha did not object, sending Winston, their wood golem butler, off to get her more tea. Miguel and Alia headed for the nearby door to the cellar, where Miguel kept his sparring equipment. A concerned look from Tasha followed them.
Talon stared up at the thatched roof of Alia's bedroom, amber eyes wandering through the reeds. He'd awoken some time ago –he wasn't sure when since Alia had no clock in the room- and was completely bedridden, so his options were limited.
Thankfully, Alia had gotten him healed enough that breathing didn't hurt; so long as the breaths were slow and shallow, of course. He was certain she had used some localized pain-numbing spell on his leg, too, because he couldn't even feel it, let alone wiggle a toe. He had called out for her a few times, but when he got no answer he assumed she'd left.
Probably to talk with Tasha about Rowan's note, Talon figured. For the last three days his spans of consciousness were growing to the point where he could be awake for a solid hour or more before slipping back into slumber. He wasn't sure how much of this Alia had noticed; she had yet to provide any reading material for his periods of wakefulness. As a result, he was very intimately familiar with her ceiling.
Can't fault her for not noticing though, he thought with solemn eyes, I've been such a strain on her magic it has begun to physically stress her as well. She's sleeping almost as much as me. He'd help her if he could; though this pain and agony of being bedridden was only the beginning of what he deserved for his actions, it wasn't right that Alia should have to suffer his punishment with him. But he was completely incapable of anything beyond the simplest magic, as his condition was so fragile the energies could tear him apart mid-cast.
The quiet, activity-less periods also gave him immeasurable spare time –Seriously, who doesn't have a clock in their room? Talon thought on many occasions- to reflect on his prior actions. He didn't have the clearest recollection of that night, but what flashbacks he suffered through told enough of a tale to confirm what he had feared the moment he'd enrolled in Ravenwood.
I've become my father…
"We're not here to discuss fencing, are we?" Alia asked as the two wizards entered Miguel's sparring room, a small cellar devoted to the arts of war. The floor was packed sand, loose enough to cushion a fall but dense enough to provide sure footing, and stored against the far wall beneath a Scotland Yard plaque were several canvas mannequins fashioned to resemble cats. Miguel had been heading for his weapons, stored behind a bar counter, but stopped when she spoke. Hesitantly he looked at his sister-in-law, both hands resting on the smooth wood of the countertop.
"Sí, sí," Miguel admitted, "What was the clue?"
"Not to smudge your character, bro," Alia replied, resting her own hands on the counter and giving him the look a mother gives to a child failing to see the obvious. "But you're a traditional Marleybonian man, wizard or not. A woman is the last person you would seek concerning weaponry." Miguel sighed, taking off his hat to run his fingers through his bangs. He set it on the counter, brown eyes glancing back at Alia.
"Spill it," she ordered, crossing her arms now. "What secrets are you hiding from my sister this time?"
"It's with good reason," Miguel began hesitantly.
"What reason could there possibly be for you to keep a secret from Tasha?" Alia replied, "You two are always so honest with each other, and that's what makes your relationship so great compared to mine, or Rowan's, or anyone else I know!"
"It is, in fact, Rowan," Miguel interjected, "because something is muy, muy mal about her, cuñada. And I worry it would devastate Tasha."
"What do you mean," Alia inquired as her tone and body language softened. Miguel looked increasingly unsettled, which was very unusual for the Sorcerer.
"I have been ordered by su Majestad to investigate el cementerio propiedad, Rowan's mansion," Miguel explained.
"I thought they didn't know Rowan lived there," Alia commented.
"They don't," Miguel confirmed, "but the place was rumored to be haunted before she bought it. La mansión y el cementerio were given wide berth, but things have gotten worse since last week. People are so afraid of the property, whole blocks nearby are abandoned. Scotland Yard tried to investigate, but no one would go near the property, even Señor Bones." Miguel's caramel complexion paled, as though remembering a nightmare.
"Have you tried to find out anything yet?"
"Muchas veces, lo lament," Miguel responded with obvious shame, wiping cold sweat off his face, "with no success. I cannot get past the iron gates." His eyes fell to the floor and his body shuddered.
"You can't seriously be telling me you're scared too," Alia teased, but the smile fell from her face when Miguel nodded. "Seriously? Come on, Miguel. We've fought Malistaire, skirmished with Morganthe, and taken down countless horrid creatures."
"I know," Miguel growled, turning to the mahogany counter and slamming shaking fists into the wood. "And I try, try to maintain composure and control. Even shielded myself from Death magic with the strongest spells I can find in mi padre's studies. But the moment I open that gate, I can't continue. No puedo." Miguel shuddered again and looked at Alia. "Last time I tried thinking of mi boda, the wedding, and how beautiful Tasha looked in her icicle gown. But the moment I crossed the threshold…" His voice faded and he seemed to choke on his own memories of the incident.
Alia moved towards her brother-in-law, arms reaching out to do… What? Alia wasn't sure what she wanted to do at the moment. Hug him, hold his hand? He looked like he needed comforting but that was Tasha's job, not her's.
"The memory became a corrupt nightmare," Miguel said softly. If Alia hadn't moved closer to him, she possibly wouldn't have even heard him. "Mi boda became too horrible for words, and it all seemed to be right in front of me, as if I were taking vows in el cementerio." Miguel slumped over the counter. "I ran, and couldn't stop, couldn't even think, until I was blocks away from the place. Whatever it was, it robbed me of my reason, my courage…"
A knot formed in Alia's throat. She'd seen Talon and Tasha run from enemies; even she'd fled a horrific beast or two. But Miguel was one of the brave ones of the group. He was always with Kane and Rowan despite any dangers, retreating only strategically to come back fiercely. She had never seen the Marleybonian Sorcerer reduced to this.
What could possibly cause such a powerful repulsive force? What kind of magic was Rowan practicing in that house?
"You have been given an invitation, cuñada," Miguel turned to face her, changing subject to the present task, and regaining some composure, "because Rowan wants you to visit her. It may be the only way to enter that mansión maldita and find out what has happened." Miguel grimaced; he didn't cherish the thought of failing his queen, and having to rely on Alia because of his weakness. He moved to stand in front of her, grasping her hands pleadingly.
"This is too dangerous to let petty argument keep you from your sister," he insisted. "You're our only hope of finding out what unholy powers have made a home there."
Alia's eyes reflected Miguel's previous terror. She wasn't so sure she wanted to see her sister ever now. I'd sent her home to calm down, not raise hell in Marleybone! But Miguel was right; if she was pleading for Alia to visit, Alia was very unlikely to encounter this repulsive aura Miguel was unable to dispel. And if Miguel didn't investigate this problem, his reputation (heck, his whole career) could be in jeopardy. This little tea time visit with Rowan was suddenly way more imperative than she liked, but she nodded anyways. If there was a serious problem threatening Rowan, Alia wanted to know about it, even if she was on bad terms.
"One condition though," Alia stipulated, freeing herself from Miguel's grasp to put a finger in his face. "You tell my sister the truth, or I will tell you nothing that I learn from the visit. I agree it could devastate her, especially if Rowan has become as dark as Malistaire or Morganthe, but it is her sister, Miguel. She deserves to know!"
"Very well, mi cuñada," Miguel's heart sank. He was not looking forward to his afternoon. Alia turned to head upstairs but stopped short of them, looking over her shoulder.
"And don't pull anything funny," Alia added. "I'll know when you told the truth." Miguel looked perplexed for a moment, then decided he might not want to dwell into the mechanics of how she'd know and silently followed.
Tasha smiled when they returned to the settee, setting down a likely third cup of tea to ask how it went. Miguel hastily explained that Tasha had been correct; his new Grizzleheim blades were supposed to have such a thick, jagged edge.
"See darling, I told you," Tasha proclaimed.
"I think he just wanted to hear it from someone who actually uses weapons," Alia jeered, motioning for Zeus to follow her and picking up the note. "Well, I've decided to go and visit her now. Talon should be good alone for another hour, I think. Plenty of time to check up on the big sis," she glanced over at Miguel with an expression that was briefly stern and commanding. "I'll keep you updated on what I find out," she looked to Tasha this time, before giving the Thaumaturge a parting hug.
As she left, Tasha looked over to her worry-faced husband. "Is there something troubling you Miguel?" She had a feeling there was trouble for a few days now, as he seemed to come home with a heavier sigh and less ecstatic composure. But this was the first time he'd been truly obvious about it, and she was hoping he'd finally tell her.
"Look, mi amor, there's something I should tell you… about Rowan."