As Jade passed into the portal she felt as though she were falling in
slow motion. The entrance zipped away
behind her, and after only a moment, another opening appeared on the horizon. It rapidly grew larger, until Jade
slammed back into reality. Her body suddenly returned to normal speed, and she fell forward onto a dirt road.
Jade looked up to see an elderly man standing in front of her. He looked to be about 50 with dark hair that was
graying at the temples. He wore gray pants and a blue tunic covered with silver braid over a white shirt, on his feet
were short boots; on his face was a look of extreme displeasure. Jade stood up and stuttered, "Uh.Hi! I'm Jade."
The man scowled. "You're late. Follow me." He turned and began to stride up the dirt path. He called back,
"Krel, get the gate."
Jade wondered what he meant until a young boy walked out from the shade of a nearby tree, were he had been
resting. "Aaaaaaa!" Jade screamed as she stumbled backwards and sat down hard. She stared at his head, where a
pair of fox-like ears poked out of dirty-blond hair. He wore a thin dark red vest and gray pants, and had bare feet.
He hurried forward and pulled a screen down over the portal, which was framed with what appeared to be glass.
He bolted the gate, and turned to follow the old man. As he passed Jade, he spat and it narrowly missed her feet.
He sneered at her "What are you looking at, human." He took several more steps before turning his head, "Well,
human, are you coming?"
Jade stood up and brushed herself off, staring at the red furry tail poking out from the back of his pants.
They had been walking for several hours, with the hot sun beating down on them. Jade was tired, sweaty,
and thirsty, and neither the boy nor the man had said a single word. Several times she had tried to ask questions
but they just ignored her. They trees had provided some shade, but with the noonday sun shining straight down on
the broad path, it was uncomfortably warm. The road had slowly been climbing upward, and as they came around
a curve in the trees, the forest ended, and the path ran straight onto a great plain. The plain stretched away to either
side farther than Jade could see, but only a couple of miles away, at the base of a chain of mountains, stood a huge
castle.
It took over an hour to reach the entrance to the castle, which had looked huge from far away, was absolutely
gargantuan up close. The castle had been right against the rock of the mountains and stretched upward into the
clouds. The outer walls were fashioned of gray granite, which was studded with bits of silver quartzite. Two
guards stood on either side of the path that led straight to an archway in the wall. As they approached, a third
guard came out of side passage set within the thick walls. As the old man drew near, all three guards saluted. Jade
noticed the guards, too, had dog-like ears. He stopped just short of the archway, and nodded. The guard who had
just arrived stepped forward and held out what appeared to be a thin strip of black velvet. "Cap'n Foucualt saw
you comin' an' figured you'd need one of these." He held out the cloth to the man and he passed it to Jade, who
asked, "What is it?"
The man replied tersely, "It will allow you to enter the castle, everyone here wears one, now loop it around your
neck."
Jade looked at the guards and saw they indeed have what appeared to be metal bands about their necks. A quick
glance at Krel (the boy) showed that his was dirty and almost the same color as his skin, which was why she had
had missed it at first. The man's neck was hidden by the high collar of his tunic. Jade looked at the strip of cloth
for a moment longer before doing as she was bid. As the ends came near each other, they melded together, and the
cloth drew tight until it was firm around her neck. Jade tugged at it, but it did not break. The guard nodded and the
man proceeded to walk through the gate; the boy followed him, and after a moment's hesitation, Jade brought up
the rear.
As soon as they passed through the archway left them and trotted off to another part of the castle. Jade
followed the man as he crossed the courtyard; more soldiers, as well as other people, all in uniforms of gray and
blue, turned to stare at her. Jade cringed, as she felt dozens of pairs of eyes bore into her neck and shoulders. As
she followed the man through a door at the other end of the courtyard, Jade felt their gaze fall away. The relief was
only temporary, however, because there were as many people inside as there had been outside. No one here
stopped and gawked, but Jade sensed the unapproving stares from every direction. Jade's guide paused briefly to
speak to another man, and then continued into a side passage. They traveled up staircases and own hallways until
Jade was thoroughly lost and thoroughly convinced the castle was twice as large inside as it was on the outside.
Finally, turned onto a wider hallway and approached a set of iron bound double doors, near which stood a single
guard; this one, however, had medals and epilates on his uniform. The guard smiled and greeted the other man,
"Good afternoon, steward Grennol, had a pleasant trip?"
Grennol replied, "The only pleasant part of this whole business is getting away from the castle, captain Foucualt."
He glanced at Jade, and Capt. Foucualt inquired, "This is the child, then?"
Grennol nodded, and posed a question of his own, "How is Lord Sriven?"
Foucualt drew a sword from its scabbard at his side. The blade was cracked and pitted, and looked as if it had been
scorched in a fire. "Still upset."
Grennol did not appear surprised, "What else can be expected?"
Foucualt shrugged, "You might want to take her in to see him before Lord Sriven works himself into another rage."
The steward reached out and knocked on the door. A loud discordant clang sounded from behind the door.
Foucualt muttered, "That's as much of a answer as you're going to get."
Grennol pushed open the door and led Jade into a large, rough-hewn room in which a burnt smell lingered. Many
blades of differing varieties hung on the walls, more than a couple lay about on the floor. Across the room, with
his back to them, stood Sriven. Grennol bowed low, murmuring, "M'lord." He slowly turned to face them, and
stared at Jade. His bright purple eyes seemed to focus on a point several inches inside her skull. He slowly
clenched and unclenched his fists several times. Jade's hair stood on end as static electricity filled the air. She
shivered slightly. Sriven appeared to relax a fraction, he sneered, "Stop quivering, I'm not going to kill you!"
Jade's hopes rose slightly, "You're not?"
Sriven answered, through clenched teeth, "No, the same thousand-times-be- dammed gods that say you must
perform "great service" for me, also so I must return you alive and more than less in one piece!"
Jade relaxed a fraction more.
Sriven's voice dropped to almost a normal tone, as he mused, "But I wonder." he took a small, machete-like
sword from the wall, ".how quick the would react." his voice suddenly changed to a roar, ".if I started
CUTTING OFF FINGERS!!!" The roof shook, and blades clattered against the walls.
Jade trembled, as he yelled, "Get her out of my sight!" Sriven swung the sword against a wall and it shattered into
hundreds of pieces.
behind her, and after only a moment, another opening appeared on the horizon. It rapidly grew larger, until Jade
slammed back into reality. Her body suddenly returned to normal speed, and she fell forward onto a dirt road.
Jade looked up to see an elderly man standing in front of her. He looked to be about 50 with dark hair that was
graying at the temples. He wore gray pants and a blue tunic covered with silver braid over a white shirt, on his feet
were short boots; on his face was a look of extreme displeasure. Jade stood up and stuttered, "Uh.Hi! I'm Jade."
The man scowled. "You're late. Follow me." He turned and began to stride up the dirt path. He called back,
"Krel, get the gate."
Jade wondered what he meant until a young boy walked out from the shade of a nearby tree, were he had been
resting. "Aaaaaaa!" Jade screamed as she stumbled backwards and sat down hard. She stared at his head, where a
pair of fox-like ears poked out of dirty-blond hair. He wore a thin dark red vest and gray pants, and had bare feet.
He hurried forward and pulled a screen down over the portal, which was framed with what appeared to be glass.
He bolted the gate, and turned to follow the old man. As he passed Jade, he spat and it narrowly missed her feet.
He sneered at her "What are you looking at, human." He took several more steps before turning his head, "Well,
human, are you coming?"
Jade stood up and brushed herself off, staring at the red furry tail poking out from the back of his pants.
They had been walking for several hours, with the hot sun beating down on them. Jade was tired, sweaty,
and thirsty, and neither the boy nor the man had said a single word. Several times she had tried to ask questions
but they just ignored her. They trees had provided some shade, but with the noonday sun shining straight down on
the broad path, it was uncomfortably warm. The road had slowly been climbing upward, and as they came around
a curve in the trees, the forest ended, and the path ran straight onto a great plain. The plain stretched away to either
side farther than Jade could see, but only a couple of miles away, at the base of a chain of mountains, stood a huge
castle.
It took over an hour to reach the entrance to the castle, which had looked huge from far away, was absolutely
gargantuan up close. The castle had been right against the rock of the mountains and stretched upward into the
clouds. The outer walls were fashioned of gray granite, which was studded with bits of silver quartzite. Two
guards stood on either side of the path that led straight to an archway in the wall. As they approached, a third
guard came out of side passage set within the thick walls. As the old man drew near, all three guards saluted. Jade
noticed the guards, too, had dog-like ears. He stopped just short of the archway, and nodded. The guard who had
just arrived stepped forward and held out what appeared to be a thin strip of black velvet. "Cap'n Foucualt saw
you comin' an' figured you'd need one of these." He held out the cloth to the man and he passed it to Jade, who
asked, "What is it?"
The man replied tersely, "It will allow you to enter the castle, everyone here wears one, now loop it around your
neck."
Jade looked at the guards and saw they indeed have what appeared to be metal bands about their necks. A quick
glance at Krel (the boy) showed that his was dirty and almost the same color as his skin, which was why she had
had missed it at first. The man's neck was hidden by the high collar of his tunic. Jade looked at the strip of cloth
for a moment longer before doing as she was bid. As the ends came near each other, they melded together, and the
cloth drew tight until it was firm around her neck. Jade tugged at it, but it did not break. The guard nodded and the
man proceeded to walk through the gate; the boy followed him, and after a moment's hesitation, Jade brought up
the rear.
As soon as they passed through the archway left them and trotted off to another part of the castle. Jade
followed the man as he crossed the courtyard; more soldiers, as well as other people, all in uniforms of gray and
blue, turned to stare at her. Jade cringed, as she felt dozens of pairs of eyes bore into her neck and shoulders. As
she followed the man through a door at the other end of the courtyard, Jade felt their gaze fall away. The relief was
only temporary, however, because there were as many people inside as there had been outside. No one here
stopped and gawked, but Jade sensed the unapproving stares from every direction. Jade's guide paused briefly to
speak to another man, and then continued into a side passage. They traveled up staircases and own hallways until
Jade was thoroughly lost and thoroughly convinced the castle was twice as large inside as it was on the outside.
Finally, turned onto a wider hallway and approached a set of iron bound double doors, near which stood a single
guard; this one, however, had medals and epilates on his uniform. The guard smiled and greeted the other man,
"Good afternoon, steward Grennol, had a pleasant trip?"
Grennol replied, "The only pleasant part of this whole business is getting away from the castle, captain Foucualt."
He glanced at Jade, and Capt. Foucualt inquired, "This is the child, then?"
Grennol nodded, and posed a question of his own, "How is Lord Sriven?"
Foucualt drew a sword from its scabbard at his side. The blade was cracked and pitted, and looked as if it had been
scorched in a fire. "Still upset."
Grennol did not appear surprised, "What else can be expected?"
Foucualt shrugged, "You might want to take her in to see him before Lord Sriven works himself into another rage."
The steward reached out and knocked on the door. A loud discordant clang sounded from behind the door.
Foucualt muttered, "That's as much of a answer as you're going to get."
Grennol pushed open the door and led Jade into a large, rough-hewn room in which a burnt smell lingered. Many
blades of differing varieties hung on the walls, more than a couple lay about on the floor. Across the room, with
his back to them, stood Sriven. Grennol bowed low, murmuring, "M'lord." He slowly turned to face them, and
stared at Jade. His bright purple eyes seemed to focus on a point several inches inside her skull. He slowly
clenched and unclenched his fists several times. Jade's hair stood on end as static electricity filled the air. She
shivered slightly. Sriven appeared to relax a fraction, he sneered, "Stop quivering, I'm not going to kill you!"
Jade's hopes rose slightly, "You're not?"
Sriven answered, through clenched teeth, "No, the same thousand-times-be- dammed gods that say you must
perform "great service" for me, also so I must return you alive and more than less in one piece!"
Jade relaxed a fraction more.
Sriven's voice dropped to almost a normal tone, as he mused, "But I wonder." he took a small, machete-like
sword from the wall, ".how quick the would react." his voice suddenly changed to a roar, ".if I started
CUTTING OFF FINGERS!!!" The roof shook, and blades clattered against the walls.
Jade trembled, as he yelled, "Get her out of my sight!" Sriven swung the sword against a wall and it shattered into
hundreds of pieces.