Chapter 3- The strange family
It was a very strange sleep for Zera. Images of her father and late mother, Graveheart and Pyrus, and the rest of her friends flashed through her mind. Suddenly she was awake in a hard lumpy cot. As a princess, Zera was used to luxury and wasn't about to put up with such an uncomfortable mattress.
"Excuse me!" She demanded of the rooms beyond this one. "I would like to be moved to a more suitable bedroom!"
There was no answer. Zera suddenly recalled what had happened in the last couple of days and realized with a gasp she had to get out of here!
She was halfway to the door when a young girl opened it up.
"Hello," She said cheerfully. Zera didn't respond, instead she darted past her and into what appeared to be a very small lobby of some kind where a man she recognized from last night sat with Linne. They were both blowing soap bubbles.
"Well, you're up!" Linne said cheerfully. "Want to blow some bubbles?"
It occurred to Zera that perhaps she had gone insane. What other explanation was there?
"We have weed soup, if you're hungry," The man said kindly.
"No thank you. I need to get out of here!"
"Without introductions?" Linne said reproachfully. "This is my good friend Keller. He used to be a cop on Fire until he ended up here."
Zera was distracted. "You're from Fire?" She asked, fascinated.
Keller nodded. "Necia is my daughter. She was just a baby when she and I ended up here. You must have met her in your room."
"Please, can I go?" Zera asked. "Maybe you don't get it, but I need to find Pyrus. He's the king of Fire, so it's very important that we get back and fight the Beast."
Keller looked thoughtful. "I don't think so. I want to turn this into a terminal for weary travelers and I want you to clean up, keep the beds made and the stove hot. Also-"
"DIDN'T YOU HEAR ME?" Zera yelled. "I have to go back! It's a matter of life and death."
"You need some bubbles, Zera." Linne said. "They're relaxing." she handed her a wand.
Zera put it in her pocket absently. "I'm going, whether you like it or not!" She exclaimed. Keller heard the determination in her young voice and knew there was no one stopping her.
"Fine. I'll give you whatever you need...as long as you take Necia."
"Why should I take Necia? Whoever that is. I thought you needed her help."
"I could use it but she's my daughter. If you ever find your way back I want her to return with you. Maybe this way she can find her mother. I'm far too old and settled to make the trip, but she has her whole life ahead of her. At least this way she may be able to grow up somewhere where the time isn't crazy."
Zera thought about it.
Some time later Zera and Necia were loaded down with packs of food and water, Necia also had a blanket, for her fire body was too warm to handle whatever cold weather lay ahead.
They walked for sometime before Zera spoke up.
"So...do you remember Fire?" She asked curiously.
Necia shook her head. "I do not, but I'm sure it's beautiful. My father used to talk about it all the time. It was home to him. I can't wait to get there! Have you been there?"
"Yes...but I'm originally from Ice, so..."
"Where?" Necia asked, puzzled.
"Ice. It's a planet made from a glacier. It's home to me."
"Oh. I knew you were from someplace else but I never heard of Ice. Is it pretty?"
Zera's eyes shone as she thought about it.
"It's beautiful. It's always so blue and crystalline. I never realized how much I would miss it."
Necia smiled at the thought of her own planet, the one she had never seen. She could form a picture in her head of it's majestic beauties.
"Zera, when we get back, can I see your planet too?"
"Sure, if there's a planet left," Zera said glumly.
"Why- what do you mean?" Necia asked.
"See, one reason I need to find Pyrus and get back quick is because we're fighting a great evil. It's called the Beast, and it's a planet of creatures that eat other planets and their resources. Unless we get back quick, they may win."
Necia looked puzzled.
"Do you mean that you and Pyrus are in charge of all of this? But you're no older than me!"
Zera smiled.
"I'm more mature than I look, you know. All the other fighters need us, or they will be terrible upset and their morale may drop. Pyrus is the king of Fire so he definitely-"
"Pyrus is the king of my home planet?" Necia exclaimed. "Wow! I can't wait to meet him!"
Zera tried several times to tell her more about the war but Necia was so star struck about possibly meeting a king that it was to no avail. Telling her she (Zera) was a princess didn't impress her the same way; after all, it was a different planet, pretty as it was.
****
Sorry this chapter is so short but I was anxious to get it up. I just want you all to know that I took a break from writing when something was going on in my life, and I wasn't sure if I was going to write any more at all. Turns out I was wrong. :)
I'm so glad to be writing more to this story and I'll have much more up in the next week. I just want you all to know that I did not give up on this story!
It was a very strange sleep for Zera. Images of her father and late mother, Graveheart and Pyrus, and the rest of her friends flashed through her mind. Suddenly she was awake in a hard lumpy cot. As a princess, Zera was used to luxury and wasn't about to put up with such an uncomfortable mattress.
"Excuse me!" She demanded of the rooms beyond this one. "I would like to be moved to a more suitable bedroom!"
There was no answer. Zera suddenly recalled what had happened in the last couple of days and realized with a gasp she had to get out of here!
She was halfway to the door when a young girl opened it up.
"Hello," She said cheerfully. Zera didn't respond, instead she darted past her and into what appeared to be a very small lobby of some kind where a man she recognized from last night sat with Linne. They were both blowing soap bubbles.
"Well, you're up!" Linne said cheerfully. "Want to blow some bubbles?"
It occurred to Zera that perhaps she had gone insane. What other explanation was there?
"We have weed soup, if you're hungry," The man said kindly.
"No thank you. I need to get out of here!"
"Without introductions?" Linne said reproachfully. "This is my good friend Keller. He used to be a cop on Fire until he ended up here."
Zera was distracted. "You're from Fire?" She asked, fascinated.
Keller nodded. "Necia is my daughter. She was just a baby when she and I ended up here. You must have met her in your room."
"Please, can I go?" Zera asked. "Maybe you don't get it, but I need to find Pyrus. He's the king of Fire, so it's very important that we get back and fight the Beast."
Keller looked thoughtful. "I don't think so. I want to turn this into a terminal for weary travelers and I want you to clean up, keep the beds made and the stove hot. Also-"
"DIDN'T YOU HEAR ME?" Zera yelled. "I have to go back! It's a matter of life and death."
"You need some bubbles, Zera." Linne said. "They're relaxing." she handed her a wand.
Zera put it in her pocket absently. "I'm going, whether you like it or not!" She exclaimed. Keller heard the determination in her young voice and knew there was no one stopping her.
"Fine. I'll give you whatever you need...as long as you take Necia."
"Why should I take Necia? Whoever that is. I thought you needed her help."
"I could use it but she's my daughter. If you ever find your way back I want her to return with you. Maybe this way she can find her mother. I'm far too old and settled to make the trip, but she has her whole life ahead of her. At least this way she may be able to grow up somewhere where the time isn't crazy."
Zera thought about it.
Some time later Zera and Necia were loaded down with packs of food and water, Necia also had a blanket, for her fire body was too warm to handle whatever cold weather lay ahead.
They walked for sometime before Zera spoke up.
"So...do you remember Fire?" She asked curiously.
Necia shook her head. "I do not, but I'm sure it's beautiful. My father used to talk about it all the time. It was home to him. I can't wait to get there! Have you been there?"
"Yes...but I'm originally from Ice, so..."
"Where?" Necia asked, puzzled.
"Ice. It's a planet made from a glacier. It's home to me."
"Oh. I knew you were from someplace else but I never heard of Ice. Is it pretty?"
Zera's eyes shone as she thought about it.
"It's beautiful. It's always so blue and crystalline. I never realized how much I would miss it."
Necia smiled at the thought of her own planet, the one she had never seen. She could form a picture in her head of it's majestic beauties.
"Zera, when we get back, can I see your planet too?"
"Sure, if there's a planet left," Zera said glumly.
"Why- what do you mean?" Necia asked.
"See, one reason I need to find Pyrus and get back quick is because we're fighting a great evil. It's called the Beast, and it's a planet of creatures that eat other planets and their resources. Unless we get back quick, they may win."
Necia looked puzzled.
"Do you mean that you and Pyrus are in charge of all of this? But you're no older than me!"
Zera smiled.
"I'm more mature than I look, you know. All the other fighters need us, or they will be terrible upset and their morale may drop. Pyrus is the king of Fire so he definitely-"
"Pyrus is the king of my home planet?" Necia exclaimed. "Wow! I can't wait to meet him!"
Zera tried several times to tell her more about the war but Necia was so star struck about possibly meeting a king that it was to no avail. Telling her she (Zera) was a princess didn't impress her the same way; after all, it was a different planet, pretty as it was.
****
Sorry this chapter is so short but I was anxious to get it up. I just want you all to know that I took a break from writing when something was going on in my life, and I wasn't sure if I was going to write any more at all. Turns out I was wrong. :)
I'm so glad to be writing more to this story and I'll have much more up in the next week. I just want you all to know that I did not give up on this story!