Grennol hastily bowed and hurried from the room, pulling Jade with
him. The doors slammed shut behind
them, as they hurried away from the room. Several corridors away, Grennol slowed, and Jade almost bumped in to
him. He glared at her once more, then turned and started down a flight of steps. After another set of twists and
turns they arrived at a green door along one of the wider passageways. Grennol pushed to door open, and stepped
into a neat and tidy entrance chamber, with several doors leading off from it. There were several pegs near the
door, a bench, and a single wooden armchair, which was occupied by a girl who looked to be two or three years
older than Jade. She wore a gray dress with blue sleeves. A pair of cat- like ears rose out of straight brown hair
that fell to about halfway down her back. The girl rose as soon as they entered, her amber eyes glancing up and
down Jade, before swinging to meet Grennol's.
He acknowledged her and said, "I'm glad Turnis was able to find you, did you get my message?"
The girl nodded, and her eyes glared briefly at Jade.
Grennol continued, "Then take Jade to your room, and get her cleaned up."
The girl nodded again, and looked at Jade, "Come with me."
Together they left the room and walked along another set of passageways. Jade was beginning to think this place
was nothing but corridors and staircases.
She picked up the pace for a few steps, drawing almost even with the other girl. "Do you all dislike me, or is it just
that no one ever smiles here?"
The other girl gave Jade a bemused look, then her gaze softened. "No, it's just that Lord Sriven has been in a foul
mood of late, but it's only partly your fault."
"Only partly?" Jade was confused, "I just banished.sent him back here yesterday.or, this morning, whichever it
was."
The other girl shook her head, "It seems that way to you, but time usually flows differently between the pla?n?s."
Jade was still confused. "What do you mean?"
"The portals bend and stretch time, don't ask me how I can't explain it, but the point of it is that Lord Sriven has
been back for several days now."
Jade thought about his for a moment, then asked, "Why else is he angry?"
The girl began speaking, then stopped. She turned to Jade and said, "I apologize, I never introduced myself, my
name is Melliea." She went on to answer Jade's question, "The other reason is that Lord Sriven's mother and
father are coming tomorrow. He's always upset until they arrive then is better for several days after they leave."
The implication took a moment to sink in, and then Jade exclaimed, "Sriven has parents?!"
Melliea replied, "That's Lord Sriven, unless you want to attract his anger, and yes, even the immortals must come
from somewhere."
As they continued to walk in what Jade thought were circle, she asked her guide about the seemingly endless
hallways and staircases.
Melliea replied, "Just be firm of purpose and you'll get were you're going."
Jade still didn't understand, and said so.
The older girl sighed, "Well, the most of the rooms and halls, like the entrance hall were you came in, are anchored
pretty firmly, but the passageways move around fairly often, sometimes you just have to keep trying until you get
to the right place."
Jade was about to ask another question, but Melliea shook her head, "I can't explain it any better than that, but if I
have time tomorrow I'll show you around and then maybe you'll understand."
The two walked for a few more minutes, before Melliea turned off the main corridor and down a much narrower
one. She stopped at a small door, saying, "This leads to my room, the rest of my family uses the front entrance, but
they're usually busy in the evenings anyway."
Melliea pushed the door open and stepped through, into a room similar to the passageway they had just left, except
that four doors led off of it, two on the right, one on the left, and one at the far end. She led Jade through the door
on the left, and into a nice but small room with a fireplace, a desk, a small table and three chairs, a wardrobe and a
bed. Melliea uncovered a lamp by the door, and Jade noticed that the light was not from a flame, but a small chip
of crystal. She crossed to a door on the other side of the room, which opened into a bathroom. There was a stone
bathtub cut into the rock, and hot water rushed out when a valve was opened; she informed Jade that it ran from hot
springs deep in the mountains. By the time Jade had scrubbed away the dust and dirt of the days travel, Melliea
had brought Jade dress like hers, though less ornate, and had fetched dinner from the kitchens.
As they ate, Melliea told Jade more about the castle. "Lord Sriven rebuilt it after it had been destroyed, and
reworked much of the existing area. The outer walls you see now are actually much smaller than when the castle
was first constructed, because there are fewer immortals and insiyni living here."
Jade did recognize a word and asked, "What are insiyni?"
Melliea gestured to her ears, "I'm an insiyni, all the servants and guards are. In fact, unless some elves stop by,
you'll be the only mortal here."
Jade was surprised, "You mean your immortal?"
Melliea laughed, "No, but what's lacking here is understanding. When I say immortal I'm talking about what you
call.what's that word.gods! We insiyni are mortal.or rather, we can be killed."
Melliea's comments about words caused Jade to realize something that had been bothering her all day. "Why do
you all speak English here?"
Melliea frowned, "You ask question with difficult answers, Jade, but the simplest way to put it is that, we're not.
The language of the immortals carries great power, so they do not teach it to any but their own. And rather than
learn the thousands of mortal languages they would need to speak, the immortals simply made it so that everyone
in these pla?n?s speaks the same, it's your mind that's telling you you're speaking English."
By now they had finished dinner, and Melliea stood up to gather the dishes. "Jade, you look tired, go to bed now,
and in the morning we shall talk of lighter things."
Jade drifted off to sleep, one last thought played through her mind, "Elves."
them, as they hurried away from the room. Several corridors away, Grennol slowed, and Jade almost bumped in to
him. He glared at her once more, then turned and started down a flight of steps. After another set of twists and
turns they arrived at a green door along one of the wider passageways. Grennol pushed to door open, and stepped
into a neat and tidy entrance chamber, with several doors leading off from it. There were several pegs near the
door, a bench, and a single wooden armchair, which was occupied by a girl who looked to be two or three years
older than Jade. She wore a gray dress with blue sleeves. A pair of cat- like ears rose out of straight brown hair
that fell to about halfway down her back. The girl rose as soon as they entered, her amber eyes glancing up and
down Jade, before swinging to meet Grennol's.
He acknowledged her and said, "I'm glad Turnis was able to find you, did you get my message?"
The girl nodded, and her eyes glared briefly at Jade.
Grennol continued, "Then take Jade to your room, and get her cleaned up."
The girl nodded again, and looked at Jade, "Come with me."
Together they left the room and walked along another set of passageways. Jade was beginning to think this place
was nothing but corridors and staircases.
She picked up the pace for a few steps, drawing almost even with the other girl. "Do you all dislike me, or is it just
that no one ever smiles here?"
The other girl gave Jade a bemused look, then her gaze softened. "No, it's just that Lord Sriven has been in a foul
mood of late, but it's only partly your fault."
"Only partly?" Jade was confused, "I just banished.sent him back here yesterday.or, this morning, whichever it
was."
The other girl shook her head, "It seems that way to you, but time usually flows differently between the pla?n?s."
Jade was still confused. "What do you mean?"
"The portals bend and stretch time, don't ask me how I can't explain it, but the point of it is that Lord Sriven has
been back for several days now."
Jade thought about his for a moment, then asked, "Why else is he angry?"
The girl began speaking, then stopped. She turned to Jade and said, "I apologize, I never introduced myself, my
name is Melliea." She went on to answer Jade's question, "The other reason is that Lord Sriven's mother and
father are coming tomorrow. He's always upset until they arrive then is better for several days after they leave."
The implication took a moment to sink in, and then Jade exclaimed, "Sriven has parents?!"
Melliea replied, "That's Lord Sriven, unless you want to attract his anger, and yes, even the immortals must come
from somewhere."
As they continued to walk in what Jade thought were circle, she asked her guide about the seemingly endless
hallways and staircases.
Melliea replied, "Just be firm of purpose and you'll get were you're going."
Jade still didn't understand, and said so.
The older girl sighed, "Well, the most of the rooms and halls, like the entrance hall were you came in, are anchored
pretty firmly, but the passageways move around fairly often, sometimes you just have to keep trying until you get
to the right place."
Jade was about to ask another question, but Melliea shook her head, "I can't explain it any better than that, but if I
have time tomorrow I'll show you around and then maybe you'll understand."
The two walked for a few more minutes, before Melliea turned off the main corridor and down a much narrower
one. She stopped at a small door, saying, "This leads to my room, the rest of my family uses the front entrance, but
they're usually busy in the evenings anyway."
Melliea pushed the door open and stepped through, into a room similar to the passageway they had just left, except
that four doors led off of it, two on the right, one on the left, and one at the far end. She led Jade through the door
on the left, and into a nice but small room with a fireplace, a desk, a small table and three chairs, a wardrobe and a
bed. Melliea uncovered a lamp by the door, and Jade noticed that the light was not from a flame, but a small chip
of crystal. She crossed to a door on the other side of the room, which opened into a bathroom. There was a stone
bathtub cut into the rock, and hot water rushed out when a valve was opened; she informed Jade that it ran from hot
springs deep in the mountains. By the time Jade had scrubbed away the dust and dirt of the days travel, Melliea
had brought Jade dress like hers, though less ornate, and had fetched dinner from the kitchens.
As they ate, Melliea told Jade more about the castle. "Lord Sriven rebuilt it after it had been destroyed, and
reworked much of the existing area. The outer walls you see now are actually much smaller than when the castle
was first constructed, because there are fewer immortals and insiyni living here."
Jade did recognize a word and asked, "What are insiyni?"
Melliea gestured to her ears, "I'm an insiyni, all the servants and guards are. In fact, unless some elves stop by,
you'll be the only mortal here."
Jade was surprised, "You mean your immortal?"
Melliea laughed, "No, but what's lacking here is understanding. When I say immortal I'm talking about what you
call.what's that word.gods! We insiyni are mortal.or rather, we can be killed."
Melliea's comments about words caused Jade to realize something that had been bothering her all day. "Why do
you all speak English here?"
Melliea frowned, "You ask question with difficult answers, Jade, but the simplest way to put it is that, we're not.
The language of the immortals carries great power, so they do not teach it to any but their own. And rather than
learn the thousands of mortal languages they would need to speak, the immortals simply made it so that everyone
in these pla?n?s speaks the same, it's your mind that's telling you you're speaking English."
By now they had finished dinner, and Melliea stood up to gather the dishes. "Jade, you look tired, go to bed now,
and in the morning we shall talk of lighter things."
Jade drifted off to sleep, one last thought played through her mind, "Elves."