Part VIII. Together
April opened her eyes. The tower and its world were gone. In its place was a realm
of rosy light with a large disc for a floor, like the floor of the Sentinel Enclave. At
the four cardinal points were the Draic Kin in human form. North was April; east
was Cortez. West was Jacob McAllen, unconscious from the backlash of his
mental battle. South was a tall man with a long black beard, whom April had never
seen before, but whom she knew was the Blue of the Kin in human guise. In the
center was Gordon Halloway, his sane self once again, but dazed.
"When the time comes for the worlds to be united, the Kin will gather together
one last time," said Cortez with a smile.
"Cortez! You're OK!" gasped April.
"Si, senorita. McAllen and I had weakened each other so much we both shut down
almost to nada, unable to hold physical shape. We gradually revived. I had taken
the worst of the battle and I was still too weak to stop him, but you have prevailed."
Blue spoke in a rumbling voice, "The Day of Ascension has come. We have
meddled in the affairs of mortals long enough. The world is now whole and ready
for their use. We shall return to the stars. I will become the vessel to transport us
to the home world. Our siblings the Maerum and Alatiens will come with us as we
promised them. New White of the Kin, you must come with us as well."
"I think I'd rather stay here, " said April. "This is the world I know. My friends are
here, everyone I care about, even old Crow. I'd miss them. Besides, I've lost my
'immortality', so I wouldn't be able to keep you company for long, would I?"
"What? This means the loss of a Mother, a terrible tragedy," said Blue. "It is most
unfortunate you will not have time to mature sexually as a Draic Kin, or we could
find a mate for you on the home world, and you could lay your egg in time."
"Really, I don't need you to do that," said April, blushing. "I'd much rather stay
here."
"You are right, you should remain near here," said Cortez. "This place in which we
stand holds the essences of your Mother and yourself. The world is the disk and
the disk is the world. Come here often to refresh your spirit, and you should have a
long and full life, humanly speaking. And from here you may venture out to any
place and time you like. Like the Guardian's Realm, this place is outside of all
worlds."
"It feels like a big piece of me is here. I've lost part of myself and I think the pain
of that will be with me forever. Do you think I could I build a home here? I'd like
that," said April.
"Si, no problemo," said Cortez. He gestured into the air and a cottage sprang into
being around them.
"Hey, I've seen this place before!" said April. "It's the House of all Worlds. Where
I met Lady Alvane..." she trailed off, realizing.
"Better make a note in your diary, senorita. The day will come when the April
Ryan of the past will need a refuge. Remember to leave a door open for her."
"I guess I should fix a few things for her, like the patched rubber duck and the gold
ring under the couch, huh?"
"It might be wise," said Cortez with a grin.
The Draic Kin took their leave, with Cortez and the Blue supporting McAllen
between them.
"I-I'll miss you, Cortez. You've been a good friend, a good... brother." She gave
him a big hug.
"Vaya con Dios, hermana. Remember there are the voices that whisper, voices you
can trust. Our voices will still reach you here."
After they had gone, April turned to Halloway, who had been staring in stupefied
silence at the gathering of the Kin.
"C'mon, Gordon. Let's go look at the brave new world we made."
With a thought the door of the cottage linked to Marcuria/Newport. It was
something like Venice, something like Marcuria, and something like Newport with
a good scrubbing. The air and water were clean, and the sun was bright. People and
magical creatures were wandering around, amazed and confused. In an open
square, two vendors were setting up shop.
"Maps! More or less still good, going cheap! The worlds have been joined just as
the Vanguard promised us, and progress will abound! Maps!"
"Come one, come all! Try your skill at a game of cups! The hand is quicker than
the eye. Try your skill and win a prize! I'll accept anything of value you want to
lose, er, barter!"
"Thank you for all you've done for me, April," said Gordon Halloway, "I've got to
try to find my relatives now. They haven't heard from me in years, ever since I was
kidnapped by the Vanguard."
"All right Gordon, take care. I'm glad you didn't have to stay in that dead-end job
1000 years."
"I hope the Border House is here, or something like it," thought April. With a
good idea of the layout of both cities April was finally able to locate it. There were
real plants growing around the walls where the mural had been. Charlie was sitting
on the park bench in front. April ran up and hugged him.
"Guess what, Charlie! I'm human. I'm going to grow old and I'm going to die!"
"Hey, why so morbid, April?"
"I'm not. It's something I'm learning to accept. I'll tell you the whole story later."
She kissed him.
"By the way, Charlie, I'm changing my name in case there's remnants of my police
reports around. I think the bad guys are going to be disrupted for a real long time,
but I can't be too careful. Call me... Alvane Drake, OK?"
"Um, Alvane, I bet you know something about this change that's happened," said
Charlie. "It's good, I think, but I'm worried. How are people going to cope with the
changes?"
"I know a lot about it. I think I should travel around for a while as a teacher and
storyteller, to set the record straight and help people adapt. I have a way to go any
place in the world I want to; it's a house with a front door on anywhere. Like to see
it? I think it's big enough for three."
"Three? You mean..."
"Not what you think. I have an old friend I don't want to leave behind again." She
got out her flute and blew the calling notes.
Suddenly there was a rustle of feathers and Crow landed on her shoulder.
"I'm glad you finally remembered me," said Crow. "You still owe me a year's
flea-plucking, you know."
"I'm happy to do it, old friend," said Alvane.
Epilogue
---------
Lady Alvane's Diary: August 6, 2289
I've been reading the old diary I kept way back then. I've decided that today is the
day I'll open my door to young April Ryan and give her the benefit of my "mystic
wisdom" (ha-ha). I'll tell her to trust her friends and herself, all the things I heard
so long ago that I now know are true. I could have opened that door any day these
last few years, but I've decided on today, eighty years from the day it happened. I
did the other little errands for her when I was younger, but I've been saving that
day we talked to now.
I've outlived Charlie by 13 years, but I've been all right. With a dragon's longevity
I would have had to keep losing all my friends over and over, or give up on human
company altogether, like Blue. I have many old friends and young students to fill
my life. Two different species couldn't have children together, but we adopted
Patrick and Beth, both wonderful children. And Crow's been my faithful friend all
these years. What a character! We've been on many adventures together.
The new world hasn't been perfect, of course. There have been plenty of problems,
human nature being what it is. But it has worked out well enough, better than what
Stark or Arcadia by itself could have done.
So today I'll give my regards to the young April Ryan: so tough, so innocent, so
vulnerable, and so unsure of herself. Poor thing! Not really. I love her as she was,
too.
--------
The End
April opened her eyes. The tower and its world were gone. In its place was a realm
of rosy light with a large disc for a floor, like the floor of the Sentinel Enclave. At
the four cardinal points were the Draic Kin in human form. North was April; east
was Cortez. West was Jacob McAllen, unconscious from the backlash of his
mental battle. South was a tall man with a long black beard, whom April had never
seen before, but whom she knew was the Blue of the Kin in human guise. In the
center was Gordon Halloway, his sane self once again, but dazed.
"When the time comes for the worlds to be united, the Kin will gather together
one last time," said Cortez with a smile.
"Cortez! You're OK!" gasped April.
"Si, senorita. McAllen and I had weakened each other so much we both shut down
almost to nada, unable to hold physical shape. We gradually revived. I had taken
the worst of the battle and I was still too weak to stop him, but you have prevailed."
Blue spoke in a rumbling voice, "The Day of Ascension has come. We have
meddled in the affairs of mortals long enough. The world is now whole and ready
for their use. We shall return to the stars. I will become the vessel to transport us
to the home world. Our siblings the Maerum and Alatiens will come with us as we
promised them. New White of the Kin, you must come with us as well."
"I think I'd rather stay here, " said April. "This is the world I know. My friends are
here, everyone I care about, even old Crow. I'd miss them. Besides, I've lost my
'immortality', so I wouldn't be able to keep you company for long, would I?"
"What? This means the loss of a Mother, a terrible tragedy," said Blue. "It is most
unfortunate you will not have time to mature sexually as a Draic Kin, or we could
find a mate for you on the home world, and you could lay your egg in time."
"Really, I don't need you to do that," said April, blushing. "I'd much rather stay
here."
"You are right, you should remain near here," said Cortez. "This place in which we
stand holds the essences of your Mother and yourself. The world is the disk and
the disk is the world. Come here often to refresh your spirit, and you should have a
long and full life, humanly speaking. And from here you may venture out to any
place and time you like. Like the Guardian's Realm, this place is outside of all
worlds."
"It feels like a big piece of me is here. I've lost part of myself and I think the pain
of that will be with me forever. Do you think I could I build a home here? I'd like
that," said April.
"Si, no problemo," said Cortez. He gestured into the air and a cottage sprang into
being around them.
"Hey, I've seen this place before!" said April. "It's the House of all Worlds. Where
I met Lady Alvane..." she trailed off, realizing.
"Better make a note in your diary, senorita. The day will come when the April
Ryan of the past will need a refuge. Remember to leave a door open for her."
"I guess I should fix a few things for her, like the patched rubber duck and the gold
ring under the couch, huh?"
"It might be wise," said Cortez with a grin.
The Draic Kin took their leave, with Cortez and the Blue supporting McAllen
between them.
"I-I'll miss you, Cortez. You've been a good friend, a good... brother." She gave
him a big hug.
"Vaya con Dios, hermana. Remember there are the voices that whisper, voices you
can trust. Our voices will still reach you here."
After they had gone, April turned to Halloway, who had been staring in stupefied
silence at the gathering of the Kin.
"C'mon, Gordon. Let's go look at the brave new world we made."
With a thought the door of the cottage linked to Marcuria/Newport. It was
something like Venice, something like Marcuria, and something like Newport with
a good scrubbing. The air and water were clean, and the sun was bright. People and
magical creatures were wandering around, amazed and confused. In an open
square, two vendors were setting up shop.
"Maps! More or less still good, going cheap! The worlds have been joined just as
the Vanguard promised us, and progress will abound! Maps!"
"Come one, come all! Try your skill at a game of cups! The hand is quicker than
the eye. Try your skill and win a prize! I'll accept anything of value you want to
lose, er, barter!"
"Thank you for all you've done for me, April," said Gordon Halloway, "I've got to
try to find my relatives now. They haven't heard from me in years, ever since I was
kidnapped by the Vanguard."
"All right Gordon, take care. I'm glad you didn't have to stay in that dead-end job
1000 years."
"I hope the Border House is here, or something like it," thought April. With a
good idea of the layout of both cities April was finally able to locate it. There were
real plants growing around the walls where the mural had been. Charlie was sitting
on the park bench in front. April ran up and hugged him.
"Guess what, Charlie! I'm human. I'm going to grow old and I'm going to die!"
"Hey, why so morbid, April?"
"I'm not. It's something I'm learning to accept. I'll tell you the whole story later."
She kissed him.
"By the way, Charlie, I'm changing my name in case there's remnants of my police
reports around. I think the bad guys are going to be disrupted for a real long time,
but I can't be too careful. Call me... Alvane Drake, OK?"
"Um, Alvane, I bet you know something about this change that's happened," said
Charlie. "It's good, I think, but I'm worried. How are people going to cope with the
changes?"
"I know a lot about it. I think I should travel around for a while as a teacher and
storyteller, to set the record straight and help people adapt. I have a way to go any
place in the world I want to; it's a house with a front door on anywhere. Like to see
it? I think it's big enough for three."
"Three? You mean..."
"Not what you think. I have an old friend I don't want to leave behind again." She
got out her flute and blew the calling notes.
Suddenly there was a rustle of feathers and Crow landed on her shoulder.
"I'm glad you finally remembered me," said Crow. "You still owe me a year's
flea-plucking, you know."
"I'm happy to do it, old friend," said Alvane.
Epilogue
---------
Lady Alvane's Diary: August 6, 2289
I've been reading the old diary I kept way back then. I've decided that today is the
day I'll open my door to young April Ryan and give her the benefit of my "mystic
wisdom" (ha-ha). I'll tell her to trust her friends and herself, all the things I heard
so long ago that I now know are true. I could have opened that door any day these
last few years, but I've decided on today, eighty years from the day it happened. I
did the other little errands for her when I was younger, but I've been saving that
day we talked to now.
I've outlived Charlie by 13 years, but I've been all right. With a dragon's longevity
I would have had to keep losing all my friends over and over, or give up on human
company altogether, like Blue. I have many old friends and young students to fill
my life. Two different species couldn't have children together, but we adopted
Patrick and Beth, both wonderful children. And Crow's been my faithful friend all
these years. What a character! We've been on many adventures together.
The new world hasn't been perfect, of course. There have been plenty of problems,
human nature being what it is. But it has worked out well enough, better than what
Stark or Arcadia by itself could have done.
So today I'll give my regards to the young April Ryan: so tough, so innocent, so
vulnerable, and so unsure of herself. Poor thing! Not really. I love her as she was,
too.
--------
The End