CHAPTER FOURTEEN
At heart, Shani was possibly the most determined warrior Otho had ever seen. She wasn't the biggest, or the strongest, but when a job had to be done, she could be the scariest. Otho cherished that he had the opportunity to know her, and now he was enjoying the opportunity to serve the Nasserian people alongside her. He relished the thrill of battle, despite the fact he had never been in one. He had seen traitors die, of course—executions were commonplace in most war-ridden worlds—and he himself had sent hundreds into the Void, reserved mostly for nobility turned criminal, yet spared the humility of death while being forced to suffer the humility of exile.
To be a Keeper of the Void was to embrace exile.
The dwarf-mage chose a quiet place on the rooftops of Gotham City in which to prepare his search for the Gem of Ages. Importantly, the sacred stone was in the hands of someone he knew, someone he thought he could talk to if the situation should show itself. In fact, Otho had known Numara for quite some time before his unexpected betrayal. He knew under the circumstances, the boy really hadn't had a choice in the matter. That was just the kind of sinister evil that Rancor could wield.
The two didn't speak as Otho studied the signs of this strange world. Shani kept watch, a silent sentinel with deadly intent in her dark eyes. The dwarf had never told her he thought the world of her, though in all truth, he did. They had met when she was a little girl and her father, Dumai, advised Lord Argo in the governing of Dubane. Some often said that Argo would have given the city to Dumai when he died. Now that both men were dead, that day would never come. Dubane still lay in a state of grievance over the horrible atrocities brought about by Rancor's wrath and brainwashed minions, and it would until the Gem of Ages was found and restored to its rightful place, in the temple of the Nasserian Goddess of Wisdom, Albara.
How it had gone missing was still a mystery. Numara certainly hadn't possessed it when he had been sent to the Void—Otho would have detected it—but somehow, while trapped between the dimensions, he had obtained it. That much was clear. Otherwise, the boy would never have managed to escape. It was impossible. Only a dwarf-mage, or a possessor of one the power-crystals, could have opened the portal required for escape.
Otho was troubled by a greater demon. He realized, had the Gem of Ages been missing from the Albara Temple at all, he would have been notified by the Priestess. Why hadn't Mikali sent word the moment it had been lost? Why was Shani the one who had come with word of its disappearance? If there was an answer, she didn't have it. When he had asked her, all that she could tell him was that word had come to her from Albara. No one, save the military leaders who had taken charge of Dubane had come or gone from the temple in the time following the bloodshed. Why he, a Keeper of the Void and a master of a power-crystal, had not been informed of state of Albara, he did not know. If he ever found out who was blocking the flow of information, heads would have to roll.
"Any luck?"
Otho did not look up from his work. "The gem is here, in this city. The archives indicate that this place is called Gotham City, though the world itself is relatively uncharted by the Keepers. The planet is called Earth by its inhabitants."
"Earth," Shani repeated, glancing about.
Otho smiled at her unimpressed tone. "A pity there is not more time to explore. I am certain that this city does not do the wonders of this dimension justice."
"Perhaps not. Maybe one day you should chart it yourself."
"Perhaps I will. But right now we have a job to do." He peered down to the symbols and tapped the end of his staff lightly against the one closest to her, a broad, curved line with three narrow lines running perpendicularly through its center. "You do not know what this symbol indicates, but I can tell you at present that it indicates something intriguing."
The girl's brow rose and she stared blankly at him.
"It is a dimensional curve, meaning that somehow, nearby, there is a fissure between the dimensions."
"So?"
"It means that someone here has broken the dimensional plane. It is very rare. Not dangerous, by any stretch, but intriguing nonetheless. A typical curve has just one line slicing through the center. All worlds contain a dimensional curve. A plane with more than one break that indicates the barrier has been crossed by someone other than a possessor of a power-crystal."
"But how is that possible? I thought only a keeper–"
"Power-crystals are not the only authority capable of commanding the Void, my dear. Perhaps the Keepers are the most skilled, and the most common, which is why most worlds only contain a curve with one line—we are the only ones who have been there— but there are others who have the gift. After all, the Gem of Ages is not a power-crystal, yet it commands the void just as easily."
"That is why we must recover it."
Otho nodded. "Agreed. And soon. I sense although it is here, it is not yet in Rancor's possession. We must find Numara and recover the jewel, no matter the cost."
Shani knelt to investigate the symbols at her feet, including the dimensional curve. She had seen some of these markings before, but most were very foreign to her. The ones she did recognize were used during rituals of banishment. She thought of them as magic runes with the ability to command the Void. Though she didn't know the whole truth, Otho's explanation of a dimensional curve seemed to indicate that she was correct.
She traced her finger around the outside of a second symbol, an oval shape with a break on either end, connected by a wavy line. This was the symbol on the Albara Temple, so it was well known throughout Nassera, especially in Dubane. She glanced up and peered into the dwarf's eyes.
"The mark of stability," Otho said. "It means that the veil between this world and the Void are stable."
Shani nodded. "So what next?"
"We wait. It won't be much longer."
"All right." She rose again and headed for the edge of the rooftop. "Don't go anywhere, Otho. I'm going to scout about a little."
The dwarf looked to her. "Just stay out of sight, okay? We do not know how the people here would respond to our presence. I would prefer it to stay that way."
The girl smiled and then dropped out of sight over the edge of the roof.
* * *
As the water drained from the tub, Kara pulled on her robe and poured another glass of wine. Listening as Alison Krauss sang "New Favorite," one of the novelist's favorite songs, she grabbed her blow-dryer and sat in front of the mirror. The alarm clock on the counter read ten after one. She yawned, ran a brush through her jaw-length red hair, and turned on the blow-dryer.
Kara was refreshed after her bath, and the thought of Bruce Wayne didn't rattle her as it had before. She had made the choice to leave, not him, so why should she let all those troubling thoughts get to her, and why should they trouble her at all? That certainly didn't make a hell of a lot of sense. Kara had to laugh at her own immature self-pity.
She took a sip of wine and turned on the radio. A late night news program that she tried to listen to on occasion was on, and the reporter was going off about a damaged city block in New York City, something about a giant green monster terrorizing the people there. Five years ago, that would have been big news, but not in this day and age, in the day of the superhero. Ever since Superman had come down from the stars to comfort the fragile people of Earth, strange things, whether wonderful or terrible, were not a rare occurrence anymore. It seemed the Teen Titans had handled the situation in New York with ease, according to the reporter.
The Teen Titans. What on Earth—or beyond, for that matter—was the world coming to? The Titans were apparently a younger version of the Justice League, led, in fact, by the apprentice of Batman, the local member of that organization of superheroes. Kara sighed and sipped her wine.
When she was finally finished with her hair, the young woman drained her glass, shut off the radio, and headed for the bedroom. As cramped as her space was, Kara had managed to make it very cozy with the help of some of the furniture and familiar odds and ends from the farm back home, things her grandmother had been able to part with. The kitchen had the family dining room table, and her mother's oak desk that she had inherited as an infant, her laptop setting atop of it, beckoning to her. She smiled, but fought the urge to sit down to work. She was tired, and it was well past her bedtime. In the bedroom, her deceased grandfather's desk sat in the corner with a desktop that she had recently purchased, but seldom used. After all this time, she still preferred the familiar old laptop from high school. Paintings and photographs decorated the walls, all friendly reminders of her past life.
Kara yawned and headed over to the dresser. She slipped out of her robe and lay it over the back of the rocking chair, another cherished memento from back home. She slid open the top drawer and pulled out her unmentionables. With a smile, she started to dress.
She never saw the tiny green bug climbing to the top of the nightstand behind her.
* * *
That's her.
Beast Boy peered through spider eyes at the naked woman across the room, and suddenly wondered why he was here. The others would be missing him, and if he knew Robin, they would already be on their way. How could he possibly explain what had become of him, and how could he expect them to believe him?
The gentle breeze on his back reminded him of the open window. Beast Boy stopped grieving to himself long enough to consider a quick escape. He could change into a bird and fly away, return to Titans Tower on the island back home, where he could admit his mistakes to his friends. He had so much to get off his chest.
For one, he owed Starfire an apology.
[Cut the sentimental crap, Beastie. You have a job to do.]
The shape-shifter froze, and then shuddered. The voice in his head was familiar. Where had he heard it before? It was twisted, a sinister voice belonging to a devious mind. Beast Boy's mind raced, trying to remember where he had heard the voice before.
[Don't confuse yourself. We're old buddies, remember? I'm just here to make sure you hold up to your part of the bargain.]
The changeling would have changed to his human form, but something warned him against it. He remembered the young woman in the room with him, and realized that he would only cause more trouble by revealing his presence. He turned and headed as quickly as possible toward the window.
[Where do you think you're going?]
Beast Boy ignored the voice pounding in his head.
[You little brat. Stop right there.]
When he got to the edge of the nightstand and prepared to leap through the window. He jumped, headed for the night.
Before he could escape, the window slammed shut. He found himself crashing into the glass, and tumbled down between the bed and nightstand. Beast Boy changed, taking human form. He groaned, placing his hand to his head.
The woman, across the room, dropped her pajamas over her head, and froze in place. A soft gasp of surprise escaped her lips.
Oh crap.
The woman spun around to look for the intruder.
Uh, move, Beastie.
She stared directly into the spot where he had been sitting. Nothing.