Finally! We get to the part about that hot sexy blond we all love to love!
Go Joren, go Joren, go, go, go Joren!
* = italics
~Chapter Three: The Black God's Realms~
As far as the eye could see the terrain was rocky and gray. The sky was dark, lit by some stars and a dim moon. It was cold and very windy, and Kel shivered. After careful searching she had found shelter from the wind, a large cave that, though damp, also provided a retreat from the cold.
For the life of her she could not figure out where she was. She had never heard of a place such as this, and cursed that Numair for whatever he did. All she wanted was to go home, and she was actually scared that would never happen. What's worse, her last words were "I hate you" to her friends, who she may never see again.
"Where am I?" she moaned. "How can I get home?"
"You can't," a cold voice said.
It was a voice Kel knew all too well.
"What-What do you mean, I can't?" she asked stiffly.
"This is the Black God's Realms," the voice said coolly. "My, Mindelan, I never would have thought you would die so soon."
"I'm not dead," Kel snapped quickly. "I'm just . . . a little lost."
"A little lost?" Joren of Stone Mountain smirked. "You always had a way with words, Lump."
"Back to that, Joren?" Kel said warily. "I would have thought being dead changed people."
"Obviously, you thought wrong," he said. "To me, being dead in this Realm and living in the next isn't really that much different."
"Whatever you say, Joren," she said. "Just tell me how to get out of here."
Joren cracked up. "Get out of here? Mindelan, you're dead! You're stuck here for all eternity!"
~*~*~*~Meanwhile, in the Realm of the Living~*~*~*~
"Kel?"
There was no answer. A bit louder, "Kel?"
"Shove it, already, Kennan, she's gone."
Cleon glared fiercely at Garvey of Runnerspring.
"Numair, what did you do?" Daine said shrilly.
"I, uh, I think I messed up," Numair said, his face stark white.
"Obviously!" Alanna shrieked. "Oh, Goddess, this is just like Thom. Only reversed. Poor Keladry, she's going to be so scared . . . Where the hell is she anyway, Salmalin?"
"I believe, instead of bringing back someone from the Black God's Realms, I kind of, well, sent someone there."
"You fool," Jonathan said in quiet awe. "We warned you, did we not, but noooo you just had to be the best."
"I can fix it," Numair said defensively.
"You better hope you can," Alanna hissed, her face as red as her coppery curls. "Or I will kill you! Do you hear me, Salmalin?! KILL YOU!"
"Jeez, lady, chill out."
~*~*~*~In the Black God's Realms~*~*~*~
"What the fuck do you mean I'm stuck here for eternity?"
"Mithros, do you need to get your hearing checked. What I mean is, you're dead. Okay? You're dead. Being dead means you're sent to the Black God's Realms. These are the Black God's Realms."
"Are you sure?"
"Did I die or not?"
"Okay!"
"You don't need to yell."
"Damn it, I'M NOT YELLING!"
She had never been one to curse, but recently, living in a city with practically nothing but boys (and another lady knight that spoke practically nothing BUT foul language) had taken its toll on her.
"Whatever you say, Mindelan."
"Joren, just tell me how to get out of here."
"For the last time, Mindelan, you *can't*"
"Why not?" she whined childishly.
"Because . . . I don't know! You just can't!"
"Have you ever tried?" Kel asked sweetly.
Joren paused. "Well . . . no, but that doesn't mean you can!"
"Doesn't mean you can't, either."
"Bitch."
"Just shut up, Joren, and-"
-Keladry?-
Kel jumped at the sound of the eerie, unnatural voice and looked around. "Who said that?"
-Behind you-
She wheeled around. A circular window was suspended in midair. Alanna's face peered out of it. Vaguely she was aware of Joren moving up beside her.
"What are you doing?"
-It's a long process that I won't explain right now. Are you all right?-
"Yes but . . . what happened?"
Alanna snorted. -Numair added too much such and such chemical to another and sent you to the Black God's Realm-
"Can I get back?" Kel cried, on the verge of hysteria.
-We think we have a way. Gods, is that Joren of Stone Mountain?-
"It is," Joren replied smoothly.
-Perfect. Do you know a place called the Transition Point?-
"I've never seen it, or heard much about it, but I know where it is."
Alanna's non-voice was soft. -Not many do. It's the only place in the Black God's Realm where you can come back to the living. It's like a portal, and it lets out in the Royal Gardens. It hasn't been activated in thousands of years, so very few know about it. Strange you would know of it, when you've only been there a few years-
Joren shrugged nonchalantly. "One of the dead that had been here forever told me about it."
-Is he or she still there?-
"No," he said quietly. "The Black God picks particularly bad people and gives them to Chaos to become her minions. The guy who had known about the Transition thingy was picked." He decided not to mention the fact that he suspected he himself would be chosen soon.
-How horrible. Since you're the only one right now who knows about the Transition Point and its whereabouts, could you, possibly, take Kel there?-
"NO!" they both shouted at once.
"I will *not* go *anywhere* with that prig!" Kel squealed.
"And *I* won't go anywhere with a slut!" Joren snapped.
-Kel, if you don't get to the Transition Point within a week, you'll disappear!-
Stunned, Kel stared up at Alanna's solemn, sad face. "What?"
-Whatever makes up a living person doesn't mix well with whatever makes up the Black God's Realms. Eventually, the Black God's Realms stuff will sort of eat at what makes up the living person, until the molecule things will start to disappear and everything else too-
"Oh," Kel whispered.
"Poor Kel," Joren said sadly. "Oh well," he added brightly.
"Joren," Kel screeched. "You have to take me to the Point!"
"Why should I?"
No reason why could be found. Joren smirked sweetly. Then something clicked.
"Could a dead person be brought back to life?" she asked suddenly.
-I think so. If Roger was brought back, then anyone else should be able to. Wait. Yeah, Numair just said you can, but only if the dead person has a hold on something alive. It's weird that a dead person can survive in the living world, but a living can't survive in the Realm of the Dead-
"Alrighty, then. Joren, I'll make you a deal. Take me to the Point, and I'll let you come with me back to the Living Realms."
Joren pretended to ponder this, even though he knew the answer. His time to be a slave to that freaky Chaos woman Uusoae was drawing closer.
"Well," he drawled. "I suppose being with you won't be but *so* bad. Okay, then. I agree."
Shooting a glare at him, she looked back at Alanna. "And we only have a week?" she asked.
-At the most-
"Okay. How is the Point activated, anyway?"
-Hold on, I'll ask Numair-
Her face disappeared. As soon as it did, Neal's face appeared.
-KEL! ARE YOU OKAY? WHAT-
-Sorry-
Numair knocked Neal away.
-Let's see here . . . The Point is activated by a very ancient spell that hasn't been used in about seven thousand years. I won't go into a detailed discussion about it, but I will say some woman named Liaden invented it to rescue her love. Touching tale, is it not?-
Joren yawned. Numair's face flickered as the window shrunk a little.
-I need to go. The spell is wearing out. We'll contact you in five days to see where you are-
"Okay. Wait, Numair!"
Only Numair's eyes could be seen. -What?-
"Tell my friends I don't hate them," she yelled, but the portal closed. She slumped.
"C'mon, *Lump*," Joren sneered. "We should get going now."
Silently Kel nodded. She hoped they would make it to the Transition Point before she disappeared.
Joren hoped they would get to the Transition Point before he fell into the hands of Chaos.
Neither one of them realized it right then, but their fates had been sealed in each other's hands.
~*~
Woohoo! I am finished with Chapter Three! I still hurt from the fiancée thing and the book rejection, but thanks to some reviewers and my brother Chris (who had introduced me to one of his hot college friends named Julian) I'm better! And I'm writing another book, one that I think is actually pretty good! Anyway, thank you reviewers who have read my fanfic. I promise I will have the next chapter up shortly. Oh, and I've started a new fanfic called Fearless. You should read it!
* = italics
~Chapter Three: The Black God's Realms~
As far as the eye could see the terrain was rocky and gray. The sky was dark, lit by some stars and a dim moon. It was cold and very windy, and Kel shivered. After careful searching she had found shelter from the wind, a large cave that, though damp, also provided a retreat from the cold.
For the life of her she could not figure out where she was. She had never heard of a place such as this, and cursed that Numair for whatever he did. All she wanted was to go home, and she was actually scared that would never happen. What's worse, her last words were "I hate you" to her friends, who she may never see again.
"Where am I?" she moaned. "How can I get home?"
"You can't," a cold voice said.
It was a voice Kel knew all too well.
"What-What do you mean, I can't?" she asked stiffly.
"This is the Black God's Realms," the voice said coolly. "My, Mindelan, I never would have thought you would die so soon."
"I'm not dead," Kel snapped quickly. "I'm just . . . a little lost."
"A little lost?" Joren of Stone Mountain smirked. "You always had a way with words, Lump."
"Back to that, Joren?" Kel said warily. "I would have thought being dead changed people."
"Obviously, you thought wrong," he said. "To me, being dead in this Realm and living in the next isn't really that much different."
"Whatever you say, Joren," she said. "Just tell me how to get out of here."
Joren cracked up. "Get out of here? Mindelan, you're dead! You're stuck here for all eternity!"
~*~*~*~Meanwhile, in the Realm of the Living~*~*~*~
"Kel?"
There was no answer. A bit louder, "Kel?"
"Shove it, already, Kennan, she's gone."
Cleon glared fiercely at Garvey of Runnerspring.
"Numair, what did you do?" Daine said shrilly.
"I, uh, I think I messed up," Numair said, his face stark white.
"Obviously!" Alanna shrieked. "Oh, Goddess, this is just like Thom. Only reversed. Poor Keladry, she's going to be so scared . . . Where the hell is she anyway, Salmalin?"
"I believe, instead of bringing back someone from the Black God's Realms, I kind of, well, sent someone there."
"You fool," Jonathan said in quiet awe. "We warned you, did we not, but noooo you just had to be the best."
"I can fix it," Numair said defensively.
"You better hope you can," Alanna hissed, her face as red as her coppery curls. "Or I will kill you! Do you hear me, Salmalin?! KILL YOU!"
"Jeez, lady, chill out."
~*~*~*~In the Black God's Realms~*~*~*~
"What the fuck do you mean I'm stuck here for eternity?"
"Mithros, do you need to get your hearing checked. What I mean is, you're dead. Okay? You're dead. Being dead means you're sent to the Black God's Realms. These are the Black God's Realms."
"Are you sure?"
"Did I die or not?"
"Okay!"
"You don't need to yell."
"Damn it, I'M NOT YELLING!"
She had never been one to curse, but recently, living in a city with practically nothing but boys (and another lady knight that spoke practically nothing BUT foul language) had taken its toll on her.
"Whatever you say, Mindelan."
"Joren, just tell me how to get out of here."
"For the last time, Mindelan, you *can't*"
"Why not?" she whined childishly.
"Because . . . I don't know! You just can't!"
"Have you ever tried?" Kel asked sweetly.
Joren paused. "Well . . . no, but that doesn't mean you can!"
"Doesn't mean you can't, either."
"Bitch."
"Just shut up, Joren, and-"
-Keladry?-
Kel jumped at the sound of the eerie, unnatural voice and looked around. "Who said that?"
-Behind you-
She wheeled around. A circular window was suspended in midair. Alanna's face peered out of it. Vaguely she was aware of Joren moving up beside her.
"What are you doing?"
-It's a long process that I won't explain right now. Are you all right?-
"Yes but . . . what happened?"
Alanna snorted. -Numair added too much such and such chemical to another and sent you to the Black God's Realm-
"Can I get back?" Kel cried, on the verge of hysteria.
-We think we have a way. Gods, is that Joren of Stone Mountain?-
"It is," Joren replied smoothly.
-Perfect. Do you know a place called the Transition Point?-
"I've never seen it, or heard much about it, but I know where it is."
Alanna's non-voice was soft. -Not many do. It's the only place in the Black God's Realm where you can come back to the living. It's like a portal, and it lets out in the Royal Gardens. It hasn't been activated in thousands of years, so very few know about it. Strange you would know of it, when you've only been there a few years-
Joren shrugged nonchalantly. "One of the dead that had been here forever told me about it."
-Is he or she still there?-
"No," he said quietly. "The Black God picks particularly bad people and gives them to Chaos to become her minions. The guy who had known about the Transition thingy was picked." He decided not to mention the fact that he suspected he himself would be chosen soon.
-How horrible. Since you're the only one right now who knows about the Transition Point and its whereabouts, could you, possibly, take Kel there?-
"NO!" they both shouted at once.
"I will *not* go *anywhere* with that prig!" Kel squealed.
"And *I* won't go anywhere with a slut!" Joren snapped.
-Kel, if you don't get to the Transition Point within a week, you'll disappear!-
Stunned, Kel stared up at Alanna's solemn, sad face. "What?"
-Whatever makes up a living person doesn't mix well with whatever makes up the Black God's Realms. Eventually, the Black God's Realms stuff will sort of eat at what makes up the living person, until the molecule things will start to disappear and everything else too-
"Oh," Kel whispered.
"Poor Kel," Joren said sadly. "Oh well," he added brightly.
"Joren," Kel screeched. "You have to take me to the Point!"
"Why should I?"
No reason why could be found. Joren smirked sweetly. Then something clicked.
"Could a dead person be brought back to life?" she asked suddenly.
-I think so. If Roger was brought back, then anyone else should be able to. Wait. Yeah, Numair just said you can, but only if the dead person has a hold on something alive. It's weird that a dead person can survive in the living world, but a living can't survive in the Realm of the Dead-
"Alrighty, then. Joren, I'll make you a deal. Take me to the Point, and I'll let you come with me back to the Living Realms."
Joren pretended to ponder this, even though he knew the answer. His time to be a slave to that freaky Chaos woman Uusoae was drawing closer.
"Well," he drawled. "I suppose being with you won't be but *so* bad. Okay, then. I agree."
Shooting a glare at him, she looked back at Alanna. "And we only have a week?" she asked.
-At the most-
"Okay. How is the Point activated, anyway?"
-Hold on, I'll ask Numair-
Her face disappeared. As soon as it did, Neal's face appeared.
-KEL! ARE YOU OKAY? WHAT-
-Sorry-
Numair knocked Neal away.
-Let's see here . . . The Point is activated by a very ancient spell that hasn't been used in about seven thousand years. I won't go into a detailed discussion about it, but I will say some woman named Liaden invented it to rescue her love. Touching tale, is it not?-
Joren yawned. Numair's face flickered as the window shrunk a little.
-I need to go. The spell is wearing out. We'll contact you in five days to see where you are-
"Okay. Wait, Numair!"
Only Numair's eyes could be seen. -What?-
"Tell my friends I don't hate them," she yelled, but the portal closed. She slumped.
"C'mon, *Lump*," Joren sneered. "We should get going now."
Silently Kel nodded. She hoped they would make it to the Transition Point before she disappeared.
Joren hoped they would get to the Transition Point before he fell into the hands of Chaos.
Neither one of them realized it right then, but their fates had been sealed in each other's hands.
~*~
Woohoo! I am finished with Chapter Three! I still hurt from the fiancée thing and the book rejection, but thanks to some reviewers and my brother Chris (who had introduced me to one of his hot college friends named Julian) I'm better! And I'm writing another book, one that I think is actually pretty good! Anyway, thank you reviewers who have read my fanfic. I promise I will have the next chapter up shortly. Oh, and I've started a new fanfic called Fearless. You should read it!