Telling Stories
Rainie's story began about 40 years ago. Back then, the people of the village still had their immortality, and larger size. Peace reigned in those days, because the Zeikians had just lost their best general, and were attempting to regroup their forces.
~ ~ ~ ~
"Elder, what are we doing?" asked one of his commanders, "If the Zeikians see us out here in the woods, they'll surely attack us."
"I know, but I must make sure that they don't have any little surprises planned. You never know if their backing off is due to us or just a cleaver ruse," Rainie replied.
They walked on through the forest for nearly an hour. No Zeikian patrol had been seen in that time, and Rainie was beginning to believe that they'd actually won the war at long last. But as they were turning back, he spotted something lying in the bushes.
Rainie yelled, "Come over here, I've found something."
His commander trotted over to him and took a look as well. "Why, it's a human. We haven't seen one of those since, gosh. . .it's been nearly three millennia."
"She looks hurt," Rainie told him, "Unconscious, and she's got a wound on her shoulder. Wonder if the Zeikians did this to her?"
"We can't just leave her," begged the second man.
Rainie stated, "I'll carry her back to Hiadas. You will make sure we're not attacked, and if we are, I give you permission to fight back."
So they carried the wounded woman back with them to the village. Rainie brought her to his place, and lay her on the bed. He called a doctor, and treated her wounds. That night, the woman took Rainie's bed, and the elder slept on the couch, so she could have some comfort.
* * *
The next day, the woman woke up with a start. She realized that she was in a place that was unfamiliar to her, and her raven hair stuck to her head because of the sweat. Her violet eyes showed signs of terror. Thoughts began to swarm through her head at once. 'Where am I? How did I get here? And who brought me here in the first place?'
Her questions were answered sooner than she thought. At that moment, Rainie entered the room to check on her. Big mistake, she freaked at the sight of the seven-foot man entering the room, and threw a book she'd found on the dresser at him.
"Ouch, that wasn't very nice," he said, "After all the trouble I went through to save your life. You would have died if you didn't get medical attention."
"Better I had died. My own family rejects me, there's nothing more for me in this world. No one will ever know the pain I'm going through," she cried.
Rainie whispered, "I understand. The people of my village were cut off from our entire race in ancient times. Now the two halves of the race are at war. It appears that you've been caught up in it too, by walking through these woods."
The woman looked shocked at his confession. "What did your ancestors do, to have themselves cut off from their entire race?"
So Rainie told her all about the Rainians and the Zeikians. He reiterated the very story that Rex had told Annie, Irv, and Alley when they'd first arrived, and the one that Zed had told when the four arrived at the village. When he was done, the girl was touched.
"Well, thank you for saving me Rainie," she said, "And my name is Adrian. I come from a place far away, but I wouldn't mind staying for awhile."
* * *
Things were peaceful for some time. Rainie and Adrian became very close to each other. In fact, the two became lovers after about a month. It was thought that the two would wed, but then, as often happens, fate stepped in and stated otherwise.
Adrian became sick with a deadly disease. Everyone immediately knew it had to have been the Zeikians, as it looked like it was curse spread. Rainie began to panic over his beloved's condition. When medicine failed, he turned to an ancient altar to the Guardians - - constructed by his people after they came to live in this forest.
"Oh great and powerful Guardians, hear my plea. My beloved lays dying of an enchantment, laid upon us by our enemy. No medicine can save her, but I know that you all powerful Guardians can do something," he prayed.
A voice suddenly rang out, "I will help you, those who abandoned your evil ways to live in harmony with our humans. But in return, you must pledge something of great power. You and everyone living in your village will become mortals. Is that your wish?"
Rainie wasted no time agreeing. He felt energy flowing out of him and into the Guardian Alter. When he returned home, he found Adrian was felling much better.
~ ~ ~ ~
Ranie looked at the children. "And that is how we lost our immortality, and have attained a more human sized stature. All except Boomerang and Zed, who were not in the village, and later traded their powers to save Rex. We still kept our metallic bodies though, and if one of us is wounded, you would be able to see what we really are. But the story doesn't end there. Of course, we confirmed that the Zeikians had sent the curse. It was a spell that would make any human or half human it targeted sick to the point of death. I sent Adrian away, hoping to save her life. Later, I heard rumors that she'd given birth to a child, my child. But when I set out to look for her, I was too late. The Zeikians attacked and killed the whole village she'd been staying in. I found her body lying in the ruins of a building, and brought it out here to bury, as I couldn't trust the humans to find her. But I never found the body of my child, or even confirmed that I had one. So I'm still searching for that child, hoping to at least meet him or her once. I guess I thought you to be the ghost of my kid, you look so much like Adrian."
Annie began to think. Could her mysterious father, the one who died in the accident, have been that child? No, her mother would have never gone for anyone who could be classified as a demon, reformed or not, Kanon still bore scars of her. . .wait a minute! Didn't her mother live through such a destructive event on her hometown? Could it be possible, that after all these years of hating demons, that her mother could be one herself?
- - - -
Next chapter will deal with what happened when Kanon and Ashley go to visit Tim. Lotta suspense and intrigue in this chapter.
Rainie's story began about 40 years ago. Back then, the people of the village still had their immortality, and larger size. Peace reigned in those days, because the Zeikians had just lost their best general, and were attempting to regroup their forces.
~ ~ ~ ~
"Elder, what are we doing?" asked one of his commanders, "If the Zeikians see us out here in the woods, they'll surely attack us."
"I know, but I must make sure that they don't have any little surprises planned. You never know if their backing off is due to us or just a cleaver ruse," Rainie replied.
They walked on through the forest for nearly an hour. No Zeikian patrol had been seen in that time, and Rainie was beginning to believe that they'd actually won the war at long last. But as they were turning back, he spotted something lying in the bushes.
Rainie yelled, "Come over here, I've found something."
His commander trotted over to him and took a look as well. "Why, it's a human. We haven't seen one of those since, gosh. . .it's been nearly three millennia."
"She looks hurt," Rainie told him, "Unconscious, and she's got a wound on her shoulder. Wonder if the Zeikians did this to her?"
"We can't just leave her," begged the second man.
Rainie stated, "I'll carry her back to Hiadas. You will make sure we're not attacked, and if we are, I give you permission to fight back."
So they carried the wounded woman back with them to the village. Rainie brought her to his place, and lay her on the bed. He called a doctor, and treated her wounds. That night, the woman took Rainie's bed, and the elder slept on the couch, so she could have some comfort.
* * *
The next day, the woman woke up with a start. She realized that she was in a place that was unfamiliar to her, and her raven hair stuck to her head because of the sweat. Her violet eyes showed signs of terror. Thoughts began to swarm through her head at once. 'Where am I? How did I get here? And who brought me here in the first place?'
Her questions were answered sooner than she thought. At that moment, Rainie entered the room to check on her. Big mistake, she freaked at the sight of the seven-foot man entering the room, and threw a book she'd found on the dresser at him.
"Ouch, that wasn't very nice," he said, "After all the trouble I went through to save your life. You would have died if you didn't get medical attention."
"Better I had died. My own family rejects me, there's nothing more for me in this world. No one will ever know the pain I'm going through," she cried.
Rainie whispered, "I understand. The people of my village were cut off from our entire race in ancient times. Now the two halves of the race are at war. It appears that you've been caught up in it too, by walking through these woods."
The woman looked shocked at his confession. "What did your ancestors do, to have themselves cut off from their entire race?"
So Rainie told her all about the Rainians and the Zeikians. He reiterated the very story that Rex had told Annie, Irv, and Alley when they'd first arrived, and the one that Zed had told when the four arrived at the village. When he was done, the girl was touched.
"Well, thank you for saving me Rainie," she said, "And my name is Adrian. I come from a place far away, but I wouldn't mind staying for awhile."
* * *
Things were peaceful for some time. Rainie and Adrian became very close to each other. In fact, the two became lovers after about a month. It was thought that the two would wed, but then, as often happens, fate stepped in and stated otherwise.
Adrian became sick with a deadly disease. Everyone immediately knew it had to have been the Zeikians, as it looked like it was curse spread. Rainie began to panic over his beloved's condition. When medicine failed, he turned to an ancient altar to the Guardians - - constructed by his people after they came to live in this forest.
"Oh great and powerful Guardians, hear my plea. My beloved lays dying of an enchantment, laid upon us by our enemy. No medicine can save her, but I know that you all powerful Guardians can do something," he prayed.
A voice suddenly rang out, "I will help you, those who abandoned your evil ways to live in harmony with our humans. But in return, you must pledge something of great power. You and everyone living in your village will become mortals. Is that your wish?"
Rainie wasted no time agreeing. He felt energy flowing out of him and into the Guardian Alter. When he returned home, he found Adrian was felling much better.
~ ~ ~ ~
Ranie looked at the children. "And that is how we lost our immortality, and have attained a more human sized stature. All except Boomerang and Zed, who were not in the village, and later traded their powers to save Rex. We still kept our metallic bodies though, and if one of us is wounded, you would be able to see what we really are. But the story doesn't end there. Of course, we confirmed that the Zeikians had sent the curse. It was a spell that would make any human or half human it targeted sick to the point of death. I sent Adrian away, hoping to save her life. Later, I heard rumors that she'd given birth to a child, my child. But when I set out to look for her, I was too late. The Zeikians attacked and killed the whole village she'd been staying in. I found her body lying in the ruins of a building, and brought it out here to bury, as I couldn't trust the humans to find her. But I never found the body of my child, or even confirmed that I had one. So I'm still searching for that child, hoping to at least meet him or her once. I guess I thought you to be the ghost of my kid, you look so much like Adrian."
Annie began to think. Could her mysterious father, the one who died in the accident, have been that child? No, her mother would have never gone for anyone who could be classified as a demon, reformed or not, Kanon still bore scars of her. . .wait a minute! Didn't her mother live through such a destructive event on her hometown? Could it be possible, that after all these years of hating demons, that her mother could be one herself?
- - - -
Next chapter will deal with what happened when Kanon and Ashley go to visit Tim. Lotta suspense and intrigue in this chapter.