Disclaimer: All characters and other names belong to David Eddings.
Personal Comment: This is my first try at a David Eddings fic. I have only written Star Trek and some X-Men so far, and although I have read both Belgariad/Malloreon and Elenium/Tamuli multiple times, it still might happen to me that the people are a little out of character. Please tell me if this occurs. If any of this story sounds familiar, know that I am trying not to copy anything (in fact, I only open the Eddings books for research into questions that I have as I go along, and I have not read a fanfic with this topic. Should there be one, be assured that I did not know about it). Please bear with me, and criticize in a constructive manner. Furthermore, know that English is not my first language, so it happens here and there that I am at a loss for words. If there are problems, please tell me, and I'll be more than happy to fix the problem.
CHAPTER 1
Damp darkness enclosed the two individuals as they made their way through the cavern. Their steps echoed from the basalt walls, and a steady dripping sound came from ahead. Then, a splash was to be heard, and one of the figures muttered a curse.
"This better be as serious as you said, Old Wolf."
The other figure answered: "Aldur himself sent us, Pol. I'd guess that makes it important. He contacted both of us last night, alarming us about some strange force gathering life energy from all living beings in the vicinity. He wouldn't have done so if it wasn't serious."
A sigh. "You're right, father. It's just that Durnik was planning for us to teach the twins to change their shapes this afternoon, and I hate to disappoint him."
They continued on their way through the grotto, and slowly but surely, a faint glimmer of light began to seep into the narrow passage. Ahead of them, the way seemed to broaden. A man with gray hair and a close-cropped beard stepped into the weak light, a woman whose dark hair enclosed a lock the color of pure snow at his side - Belgarath and his daughter Polgara, disciples of the God Aldur.
The sorcerer straightened his shoulders. "Well, then let's not disappoint him – we'll find out what is happening here, and if there is ample time left to fix it, we'll just go back and fix it tomorrow."
"You were always a master of procrastination, father – naturally, since you have literally all the time in the world to sort things out. I am still wondering how mother copes with you", Polgara replied amused.
Belgarath gave her a steady look. "Be nice, Pol."
They walked on and saw their path leading into a small chamber. The source of the light they had seen earlier was apparent now: A formless blob of greenish-yellow light blossomed on the wall opposite the hallway.
The sorcerers stepped closer, concentrating on the shining anomaly. "What is it, father?", Polgara asked as her father harrumphed angrily.
"I don't know," he replied, his face showing signs of frustration. "I have never encountered anything like it – and I can't tell how it does... what it does."
He willed a gnarled tree branch into his hand and carefully shoved it into the general direction of the wobbling light, which painted a wave pattern on the walls as the wood penetrated.
A minute later, Belgarath pulled the branch back and inspected its end. "I can't detect any difference."
He stared at the light, and suddenly stepped forward to thrust his forearm into it. When he pulled it back out, no change was visible.
"Father!", Polgara cried out and rushed to his side. "Are you alright?"
"I am, Pol, I am," he replied calmly and flexed his fingers. "At least as far as I can tell. I did not feel any sensation when I reached into it. No heat, nothing. And nothing happened to my arm while it was inside."
He looked at her. "The next logical step would be that one of us immerses himself completely into this thing, while the other one anchors him here in the cave."
"No, father, that goes too far! We don't know whether it is dangerous!"
A hint of steel entered Belgarath's voice. "Dangerous enough to make Aldur nervous - and we already know that we won't find anything out about it any other way. Now take my hand and stop fidgeting."
Polgara gave him a cold glare. "As you wish, father," she said as she extended her hand towards him.
The old sorcerer took it and slowly stepped into the light. A moment later, nothing but his arm remained outside of the light. His daughter held his hand; it calmed her that she did not feel a difference in his grip, no clamping down on her fingers that would indicate he was in pain or any other trouble.
Suddenly her father's arm jerked her forward. Polgara had barely time to register that his hand vanished in the glowing light before she herself got sucked in.
When Belgarath came to, he found himself lying beneath a group of trees. Polgara started stirring right next to him. A small river gurgled by somewhere behind them, and a road wound itself through the grassy hills in front of them.
He frowned as he helped his daughter to sit up. She looked around and a similar frown wrinkled her smooth forehead as he voiced both their thoughts: "Where are we?"
Her father shrugged. "It doesn't look familiar. It could be Algaria, Arendia or a part of Sendaria..."
Polgara shook her head. "It doesn't...feel right, father. I think we should change shape and take a careful look around before we do anything. Maybe I'm wrong and we just travelled to Arendia or Algaria – but I don't think so."
Belgarath thought about this and nodded. "You might be right. Let's change."
He formed the familiar picture of the gray wolf in his mind – but when he tried to undergo the next step of flowing into the image, he did not feel the familiar sensation of melting. He tried once more, then he looked at his daughter in alarm. She stared back in a similar fashion, then she stretched out his hand, pointed it at some dead wood and ordered: "Fire!"
Nothing happened.
On the road, two riders galloped along. They were clad in armor, just like Mimbrate Arends, but their faces did not appear Arendish in the least, and their black overcoats bore unfamiliar heraldry.
Polgara looked at her father. "I think it is safe to say that we are very far from home, Old Wolf."