Disclaimer: Mediaworld's are theirs, this fic is mine, no money is being made, no copyright violation is intended.
Legend of the Promised One
Ancient Words
Neri was used to just swimming to the other side of the island and Jobah would have flown, but neither was confidant with the other's transport. So they compromised and walked.
The path went over the top of the island, a long climb. They stopped at the highest point to rest, and Neri looked down at the jagged beach below where rocks instead of sand met the water.
"This is the place to launch gliders from." Jobah said, "Dangerous though. If you fell from this height hitting water would be just like hitting stone."
Neri hadn't known this was possible.
"What are the cavedwellers like? I don't think I've ever seen one."
"They look... a little scary I guess. They have fur and they're big, taller than you. My friend Neanda has brown fur and Laziah has gray fur. They're all-all the cavedwellers I've met-all kind and gentle people."
"Oceanna gets more interesting every moment. But I wondered," He paused to step around a rough bit in the trail, "Why do the native peoples of Oceanna let humans rule them?"
"I don't know. The story goes, when Queen Tiara's mother came to the leaders of the three peoples to ask if humans could set up a small colony the leaders asked-insister-that many humans come and a human be the ruler."
"They asked to be invaded."
"I guess they did." Neri had never thought about it that way. Jobah was making her think about more new things than anyone she'd ever met before. A trill of approval reached her ears and Neri smiled. The sacred whale liked him too.
They found Neanda in the library, restlessly pacing between the shelves. He had a pile of books already out and open on a table, and Micro was carrying another one over. The dog dropped his mouthful of book and went to bounce around Neri.
"So that's where you went!"
"He is a great help. Apologies for borrowing him without permission."
"It's fine."
Jobah gave the dog a pat. "He's a mobile computer right?"
"Yes. A present to the princess from the mother world. You are the prince of Bandor aren't you?"
"Yes."
"I'm glad you've come. Neri needs a friend who is not blinded by the legend of the Promised One."
"I'm not blinded." Neri argued, but thought Miya was blinding enough as herself even without the legend. "Just uncertain. She's so mysterious."
Neanda closed a book. "You have seen the sacred whale. She is called Promised One. Be wary."
"I know."
"We will."
Neri only then noticed what Neanda was looking at. Old copies of older prints; the originals dated back before humanity's first landing on Oceanna. The legend....
The native peoples of Oceanna had known humans were coming, perhaps before the humans knew themselves. And they knew what would happen when the humans came. The simple pictures needed no explanation; the players barely needed names but Neri gave them. "That's Queen Tiara, my ancestor. That's Galiel."
"He looks different." Jobah said.
"He started out human. Did you see Galiel?"
"Once, for a minute just before he blew up the old palace."
"Blew up?"
"Destroyed. Like fireworks, Doesn't Oceanna have those?"
"Yes." Neri didn't get it.
Neanda huffed a chuckle. "The people of Oceanna pride ourselves that we have forgotten the violent roots of the mother worlds, but Neri is childlike."
Childlike? "We came because my uncle said he hasn't seen Laziah. Do you know if he's all right?"
Neanda sighed, "That is my worry also. Laziash stays in his home with locked doors and gives few words to anyone who comes."
"I'll go. He always talked to me." It was simply true; Laziah had been her parents' friend and since their deaths had been there for her in the times her uncle was too busy. "Neanda, come with me?"
"No. I have tried already, and I may find some clue here."
"All right." Neri got up to go and Jobah followed.
"I'd like to see all of this world." He explained.
The tunnels were wide enough for them to walk side by side.
"This place has legends coming out of the very ground."
"Not really." Neri said, "I lived my whole life until now without thinking about these things. Then Galiel came, Miya appeared, and everything went crazy. It's only been ten days." It felt more like years.
"Is this the cavedwellers' city or what?"
"I guess. They don't have buildings; it's an inverted city I suppose. But this is were the leader lives." They had come to a simple wooden door. Neri knocked and called out, "Laziah? It's Neri. Are you all right?"
"Neri..." There was something different in Laziah's voice, a growling undertone that pulled the word out of shape. "I am well. Go, please."
"Why? Open the door, I want to introduce you to Jobah."
"There is... a beast in these tunnels. You are in danger."
Jobah turned to face the way they had come, looking into the shadows of cross-passages. "There's nothing here."
"The longer you stay, the more danger you are in. Go." Said Laziah's warped voice.
It was not at all what Laziah would say. He would be concerned for his people, he would have ideas for dealing with the monster, he would not put himself in danger by staying or them in danger by locking them out... Truly frightened now, Neri rattled the latch. "You are not all right! Let me in!"
"Go..."
"Neri I don't think there's anything you can say to him."
"You don't understand, this isn't right! This isn't the way people talk."
Jobah was looking at her blankly. He really didn't understand. Different worlds, they were looking at each other across the distance between their worlds.
Neri sighed, "All right."
They had walked for five minutes and passed several passages when they heard movement behind them. A terrible smell wafted into the air.
"What is that?"
"The monster. Don't shoot it-let's just run!" They did, and made it back to the library without seeing the monster. Neri ran across to the speaker in the wall and shouted to everyone in the tunnels that there was a monster around. She heard a muted crash as a hundred doors slam shut and bolts slide into place.
"Don't you have a book of animals?" Jobah asked, trying to catch his breath. "These things can't really be unknown!"
Neanda had just calmly watched them burst in. There was nothing more they could do to warn the people so he took up the monster question. "I agree, they cannot be unknown. But those who knew did not tell."
"The oldest secret." Neri blurted, suddenly remembering. "The oldest secret of Oceanna is so painful the sacred whale didn't want to speak of it."
"Oldest... Secret." Neanda said thoughtfully. "I have not seen those words. I cannot tell."
He sounded so worried. Neri said, "We'll find out, I promise. But... Laziah knew the monster was there! He didn't tell anyone?"
"No."
"He isn't well, Neanda. Something's really wrong."
"That, I will try to find out. Laziah told me Galiel is on Oceanna, Galiel and the Lorelei."
"Galiel is here." Jobah said coolly, "All of Oceanna won't be well soon."
"Galiel..." Neanda rumbled, "We must find him, but what will we do then?"
Neri didn't know. Ancient pictures danced before her eyes. Galiel, pale and spidery, the crystals, Tiara. Tiara died... and Galiel came back. Would the Promised One have to give her life away as well? The idea flickered into image: Miya falling away into a violent storm. She would be gone, and Neri didn't want that. "We'll get the crystals back, we have to."
"What about Galiel?"
"Let's figure that out when we have to."
"Just remember someday we will have to. For now you humans should return to your own place for the evening meal."
"Is it that late?" Neri looked for a clock, "It is."
"Day's been more action than most months back home. Shall we go?"
"Yes... we'll see you later Neanda."
The palace was awhirl with its usual dinnertime cheer. Miya had returned at some point and was dressed up with silver ornaments over her white dress. She waved unenthusiastically when Neri and Jobah entered, and Jobah went over to talk to her. For a moment their faces, tilted together, looked alike. If Miya didn't have such icy pale skin....
Neri headed for the food. Meals in the palace were buffets, so everyone of every race could get what they wanted. There were small tables and chairs scattered around-solidly built chairs for cavedwellers, cushions for amphibians, and the perch like seats the fliers liked.
Shema's niece Mita was sitting with her best friend Ruki, their wings folded daintily. The other person at the table was a human girl named Emilee, who was visiting permanently from Earth. Her parents came and went from planet to planet writing news stories, but Emi stayed hear. She was fourteen years old and had a cheerful pug-nosed face. Neri waved, and went to sit with them.
"Who is that guy Neri? He's cute!" This was Emi.
Neri told them briefly who Jobah was and that he'd come to meet her.
"Ah you're too lucky!"
"She is the princess after all."
"You're welcome to the job if you want it." Neri said between bites.
"With monsters running around and that weird girl? No thanks!"
"We saw monsters!" Ruki announced.
"Two of them, in the sky. We stayed far away."
Neri shuddered, "Stay far away! Please be careful."
"No fear!" Emilee assured her, "I'm staying here in the palace until this is over or my parents come to take me back to Earth."
"Back to earth?" The two fliers chorused.
Neri was just as disturbed, "Emi, you can't just leave. I mean if people left a place because it has monsters nobody would live on Arcadia or Mirai or learn anything there."
"Are you saying I'd run away?"
"No...." Neri said, "It's just-"
"Yes." Mita interrupted solidly and bit a carrot stick to make her point. "Unless your parents make you. Then it isn't."
"Fair enough." Emilee admitted.
"Fair."
"Fair."
Emi still grumbled, "I just wish someone knew what the monsters were. It wouldn't be as scary if we did."
"The first one appeared..." When the crystal had been stolen. When Galiel took the first crystal the planet's axis had shifted and melted the icecaps. When the lorelei took the second crystal, monsters appeared-or would the axis shift again when Galiel took his prizes into space?
"You look like your head hurts, princess."
"It does. Too much thinking." Had Laziah known what his seeing glass really was? This day had been too long, if in good company. Neri finished her last bite and stood up, "I'm going to bed, my friends. Until tomorrow!"
"Good night princess!"
"Good night."
Neri stopped to say good night to Jobah, who was deep in conversation with the king and looking very diplomatic. Miya was eating flavored ice with the enthusiasm of someone trying it for the first time. She gave Neri a surprising joyful smile. Neri grinned back.
In her own room Neri took handfuls of water from the stream pouring down one wall and spilled it over her head. She was still thinking about the crystals. Tiara's daughters had hidden them, that was something to remember. They weren't just lost; they had been hidden by human hands. By human girls, Neri thought. By human hands....
Later and Elsewhere...
....
....
"Found it."
"Where?"
"The continent. Just there."
"Where they could be used, even crippled as they were. How like them. How predictable."
"Like... them? Is Neri too?"
"Did she give you that name you have such pride in?"
"No."
Legend of the Promised One
Ancient Words
Neri was used to just swimming to the other side of the island and Jobah would have flown, but neither was confidant with the other's transport. So they compromised and walked.
The path went over the top of the island, a long climb. They stopped at the highest point to rest, and Neri looked down at the jagged beach below where rocks instead of sand met the water.
"This is the place to launch gliders from." Jobah said, "Dangerous though. If you fell from this height hitting water would be just like hitting stone."
Neri hadn't known this was possible.
"What are the cavedwellers like? I don't think I've ever seen one."
"They look... a little scary I guess. They have fur and they're big, taller than you. My friend Neanda has brown fur and Laziah has gray fur. They're all-all the cavedwellers I've met-all kind and gentle people."
"Oceanna gets more interesting every moment. But I wondered," He paused to step around a rough bit in the trail, "Why do the native peoples of Oceanna let humans rule them?"
"I don't know. The story goes, when Queen Tiara's mother came to the leaders of the three peoples to ask if humans could set up a small colony the leaders asked-insister-that many humans come and a human be the ruler."
"They asked to be invaded."
"I guess they did." Neri had never thought about it that way. Jobah was making her think about more new things than anyone she'd ever met before. A trill of approval reached her ears and Neri smiled. The sacred whale liked him too.
They found Neanda in the library, restlessly pacing between the shelves. He had a pile of books already out and open on a table, and Micro was carrying another one over. The dog dropped his mouthful of book and went to bounce around Neri.
"So that's where you went!"
"He is a great help. Apologies for borrowing him without permission."
"It's fine."
Jobah gave the dog a pat. "He's a mobile computer right?"
"Yes. A present to the princess from the mother world. You are the prince of Bandor aren't you?"
"Yes."
"I'm glad you've come. Neri needs a friend who is not blinded by the legend of the Promised One."
"I'm not blinded." Neri argued, but thought Miya was blinding enough as herself even without the legend. "Just uncertain. She's so mysterious."
Neanda closed a book. "You have seen the sacred whale. She is called Promised One. Be wary."
"I know."
"We will."
Neri only then noticed what Neanda was looking at. Old copies of older prints; the originals dated back before humanity's first landing on Oceanna. The legend....
The native peoples of Oceanna had known humans were coming, perhaps before the humans knew themselves. And they knew what would happen when the humans came. The simple pictures needed no explanation; the players barely needed names but Neri gave them. "That's Queen Tiara, my ancestor. That's Galiel."
"He looks different." Jobah said.
"He started out human. Did you see Galiel?"
"Once, for a minute just before he blew up the old palace."
"Blew up?"
"Destroyed. Like fireworks, Doesn't Oceanna have those?"
"Yes." Neri didn't get it.
Neanda huffed a chuckle. "The people of Oceanna pride ourselves that we have forgotten the violent roots of the mother worlds, but Neri is childlike."
Childlike? "We came because my uncle said he hasn't seen Laziah. Do you know if he's all right?"
Neanda sighed, "That is my worry also. Laziash stays in his home with locked doors and gives few words to anyone who comes."
"I'll go. He always talked to me." It was simply true; Laziah had been her parents' friend and since their deaths had been there for her in the times her uncle was too busy. "Neanda, come with me?"
"No. I have tried already, and I may find some clue here."
"All right." Neri got up to go and Jobah followed.
"I'd like to see all of this world." He explained.
The tunnels were wide enough for them to walk side by side.
"This place has legends coming out of the very ground."
"Not really." Neri said, "I lived my whole life until now without thinking about these things. Then Galiel came, Miya appeared, and everything went crazy. It's only been ten days." It felt more like years.
"Is this the cavedwellers' city or what?"
"I guess. They don't have buildings; it's an inverted city I suppose. But this is were the leader lives." They had come to a simple wooden door. Neri knocked and called out, "Laziah? It's Neri. Are you all right?"
"Neri..." There was something different in Laziah's voice, a growling undertone that pulled the word out of shape. "I am well. Go, please."
"Why? Open the door, I want to introduce you to Jobah."
"There is... a beast in these tunnels. You are in danger."
Jobah turned to face the way they had come, looking into the shadows of cross-passages. "There's nothing here."
"The longer you stay, the more danger you are in. Go." Said Laziah's warped voice.
It was not at all what Laziah would say. He would be concerned for his people, he would have ideas for dealing with the monster, he would not put himself in danger by staying or them in danger by locking them out... Truly frightened now, Neri rattled the latch. "You are not all right! Let me in!"
"Go..."
"Neri I don't think there's anything you can say to him."
"You don't understand, this isn't right! This isn't the way people talk."
Jobah was looking at her blankly. He really didn't understand. Different worlds, they were looking at each other across the distance between their worlds.
Neri sighed, "All right."
They had walked for five minutes and passed several passages when they heard movement behind them. A terrible smell wafted into the air.
"What is that?"
"The monster. Don't shoot it-let's just run!" They did, and made it back to the library without seeing the monster. Neri ran across to the speaker in the wall and shouted to everyone in the tunnels that there was a monster around. She heard a muted crash as a hundred doors slam shut and bolts slide into place.
"Don't you have a book of animals?" Jobah asked, trying to catch his breath. "These things can't really be unknown!"
Neanda had just calmly watched them burst in. There was nothing more they could do to warn the people so he took up the monster question. "I agree, they cannot be unknown. But those who knew did not tell."
"The oldest secret." Neri blurted, suddenly remembering. "The oldest secret of Oceanna is so painful the sacred whale didn't want to speak of it."
"Oldest... Secret." Neanda said thoughtfully. "I have not seen those words. I cannot tell."
He sounded so worried. Neri said, "We'll find out, I promise. But... Laziah knew the monster was there! He didn't tell anyone?"
"No."
"He isn't well, Neanda. Something's really wrong."
"That, I will try to find out. Laziah told me Galiel is on Oceanna, Galiel and the Lorelei."
"Galiel is here." Jobah said coolly, "All of Oceanna won't be well soon."
"Galiel..." Neanda rumbled, "We must find him, but what will we do then?"
Neri didn't know. Ancient pictures danced before her eyes. Galiel, pale and spidery, the crystals, Tiara. Tiara died... and Galiel came back. Would the Promised One have to give her life away as well? The idea flickered into image: Miya falling away into a violent storm. She would be gone, and Neri didn't want that. "We'll get the crystals back, we have to."
"What about Galiel?"
"Let's figure that out when we have to."
"Just remember someday we will have to. For now you humans should return to your own place for the evening meal."
"Is it that late?" Neri looked for a clock, "It is."
"Day's been more action than most months back home. Shall we go?"
"Yes... we'll see you later Neanda."
The palace was awhirl with its usual dinnertime cheer. Miya had returned at some point and was dressed up with silver ornaments over her white dress. She waved unenthusiastically when Neri and Jobah entered, and Jobah went over to talk to her. For a moment their faces, tilted together, looked alike. If Miya didn't have such icy pale skin....
Neri headed for the food. Meals in the palace were buffets, so everyone of every race could get what they wanted. There were small tables and chairs scattered around-solidly built chairs for cavedwellers, cushions for amphibians, and the perch like seats the fliers liked.
Shema's niece Mita was sitting with her best friend Ruki, their wings folded daintily. The other person at the table was a human girl named Emilee, who was visiting permanently from Earth. Her parents came and went from planet to planet writing news stories, but Emi stayed hear. She was fourteen years old and had a cheerful pug-nosed face. Neri waved, and went to sit with them.
"Who is that guy Neri? He's cute!" This was Emi.
Neri told them briefly who Jobah was and that he'd come to meet her.
"Ah you're too lucky!"
"She is the princess after all."
"You're welcome to the job if you want it." Neri said between bites.
"With monsters running around and that weird girl? No thanks!"
"We saw monsters!" Ruki announced.
"Two of them, in the sky. We stayed far away."
Neri shuddered, "Stay far away! Please be careful."
"No fear!" Emilee assured her, "I'm staying here in the palace until this is over or my parents come to take me back to Earth."
"Back to earth?" The two fliers chorused.
Neri was just as disturbed, "Emi, you can't just leave. I mean if people left a place because it has monsters nobody would live on Arcadia or Mirai or learn anything there."
"Are you saying I'd run away?"
"No...." Neri said, "It's just-"
"Yes." Mita interrupted solidly and bit a carrot stick to make her point. "Unless your parents make you. Then it isn't."
"Fair enough." Emilee admitted.
"Fair."
"Fair."
Emi still grumbled, "I just wish someone knew what the monsters were. It wouldn't be as scary if we did."
"The first one appeared..." When the crystal had been stolen. When Galiel took the first crystal the planet's axis had shifted and melted the icecaps. When the lorelei took the second crystal, monsters appeared-or would the axis shift again when Galiel took his prizes into space?
"You look like your head hurts, princess."
"It does. Too much thinking." Had Laziah known what his seeing glass really was? This day had been too long, if in good company. Neri finished her last bite and stood up, "I'm going to bed, my friends. Until tomorrow!"
"Good night princess!"
"Good night."
Neri stopped to say good night to Jobah, who was deep in conversation with the king and looking very diplomatic. Miya was eating flavored ice with the enthusiasm of someone trying it for the first time. She gave Neri a surprising joyful smile. Neri grinned back.
In her own room Neri took handfuls of water from the stream pouring down one wall and spilled it over her head. She was still thinking about the crystals. Tiara's daughters had hidden them, that was something to remember. They weren't just lost; they had been hidden by human hands. By human girls, Neri thought. By human hands....
Later and Elsewhere...
....
....
"Found it."
"Where?"
"The continent. Just there."
"Where they could be used, even crippled as they were. How like them. How predictable."
"Like... them? Is Neri too?"
"Did she give you that name you have such pride in?"
"No."