Chapter 2: Of Chats and Deeds: A New Perspective
The girl paused, think over his request. "What's your name?" A simple enough request, but which name? She could tell him her real name, or the one she was born with. She decided that he did deserve to hear it, and besides, he would find out soon anyway. She opted for the one she was born with.
She looked over her shoulder to reply to him.
"It's Jenna."
Quickly she dissolved the dream-scape, letting him return to his normal sleep patterns; and the awakening he was about to get.
Jenna opened her eyes, and quickly looked to her silent companion. He was still sitting on the floor, Indian style, his mind in the dream-scape he had created, in trying to contact the former seeress, the one called...what was it? Oh, yes, Cyradis.
She watched him for a few moments, softly singing under her breath.
Heaven bent to take my hand
And lead me through the fire
Be the long awaited answer
To a long and painful fight...
The song was by this singer, Sarah something or other. At the moment, Jenna found it very appropriate. Usually she wouldn't sing something so dreary, but circumstances...
Truth be told I've tried my best
But somewhere along the way
I got caught up in all there was to offer
And the cost was so much more than I could bear
Damn Him! She thought viciously. If it weren't for Him, they wouldn't all be in this mess, and none of this would be happening.
Though I've tried, I've fallen...
I have sunk so low
I have messed up
Better I should know
So don't come 'round here, and tell me I told you so...
At this moment, her companion opened his eyes. They were a hard, clear gold. He stood up from his position on the floor, and stretched. He wasn't very tall, only just over 5 feet. Jenna was a good 4 inches taller. He only appeared to be about 12 years old, but Jenna knew better.
"Well? Were you able to get into contact with him?" he said in a deep voice that made you wonder just where it was coming from.
"Yes, I made contact and delivered the message." she replied in her low voice. "I mean, it isn't that hard to do afterall, Teran."
((AN: He he he, you had your warning, TERAN'S HERE!!!))
He shrugged, fingering the pendant at his neck. It was on a strip of leather, and set in a base of wood. In the center of the wood, was a flat stone, almost disk like, the color green. The stone it self was called the Cenjourn ((AN: pronounced: sen-shourn, with a 'z' sound mixed with the 's' in 'sen' and 'shourn' like you're breathing out. Try it.)) It was the center of all the power of the Spirit Teran was connected to; the spirit that had claimed Teran as its Child.
Jenna had a similar pendant, only she kept it on the end of her ever present chain. The chain was bronze, the base in obsidian. The stone in hers though, Honou Tsukarite ((AN: pronounced: Hon-ow su-ka-right)), was more like a gem, instead of a stone. Of course, it wasn't either, but there really wasn't a way to describe it well. It was red though, and seemed to have an inner flame that you only saw if you looked at it long enough, and even then, only to certain people.
Teran brushed his black hair out of his face, golden eyes thoughtful. "How do you suppose all this is going to turn out?" he asked softly.
Jenna silently held her pendant, studying it. Finally, she lifted crimson to gold, and said just as softly, "I don't know."
Geran stood stock still in the entrance of the royal gardens, staring at his Grandmother. His Grandfather stood beside her, while Mother and Father stood together by their trees. The three new comers were just a few feet away from them, but now he was only aware of the apprehension that had seeped into the already tense air.
"A situation?" Geran asked, his heart sinking. Well, there goes just shrugging it off as a dream... he thought.
"Yes, a situation, but its not as bad as it sounds, really!" Eriond said earnestly. "But how about we go somewhere more...private, to discuss this."
"Agreed. To the royal Apartments!" His mother seemed to have shaken off her shock at that moment, and was trying to lighten the mood by putting on a cheerful façade. She wasn't doing a very good job; everyone could hear the fear in her voice, as it shook.
"But how are we going to explain your presence?" his father interjected, looking at Zaketh, Cyradis, and Eriond.
Zaketh shrugged. "Don't." he said simply.
Father looked at him strangely, then sighed and shrugged. "What ever, we'll just hope that not very many people are about." It was still only a bit past sunrise, after all. How many people could be up?
Geran then remembered that he was supposed to tell Grandfather about the dream. "Grandfather, I need to tell you something, but I think I'll wait until we get back to the rooms."
Grandfather scowled, "Is it important?"
Geran got an uncomfortable look on his face, "I think it may be connected with what's going on now."
"WHAT?!" Ce' Nedra screeched, while every one else just muttered and stared at Geran like he had broken some unwritten rule. Eriond just stood silently with a thoughtful look on his face, while Poledra, of course looked like she had known all along; knowing her, she probably had.
After a few moments of this going on, Poledra took the situation in hand. "Would this not be better discussed if we were not babbling like birds?" she asked.
That stopped them.
Zaketh cleared his throat. "The lady Poledra is, as usual, correct. Besides, if we want to get there with the minimum amount of people seeing us, we had better do it quickly. The day is waning."
Silently, they made their way to the royal apartments.
It was dim, there were only a few candles lighting the room. The room itself was like the sermon room in a very old cathedral. There were however, some key differences.
For one thing, there wasn't a cross like there was in Christian churches. Instead there was compass rose like star, each point a different color and inscribed with a language long lost to all but the Order of the Universe. In order of north to north-west, going clock wise, the colors were: white, red-orange, tan, light blue, black, green, brown, and dark blue. Another difference was that while in a church there were pews, here, there were just pads made into the floor for worshipers to kneel on. The ceiling looked like that in an observatory, able to open to see the sky.
There was only one person in there at the moment. It was a girl, and she was wearing a brown robe, monk-like. Her blue hair was uncovered, but braided and was long enough to reach her waist. She seemed to be about the height of a ten year old, but obviously older, and had an air of maturity and calmness around her, so in actuality, maybe 20 years old. Around her neck was a chain long enough to reach her navel. It was a silver chain, with a pendant on it. ((AN: I think you are beginning to see a pattern here, ne?)) It had a dark blue stone on it, that seemed to change and shift to different shades of blue, and was set in a grey river stone frame. It was called the Amanikian ((AN: pronunciation: amen-nee-kee-an)) She was kneeling on what would be the 'west' side, and seemed to be praying.
A tall man looked in the room, saw her, and walked quietly in. He had short blonde hair that was spiked upwards, and was wearing the same type of robes as the girl did. He, too, had a chain and pendant, but instead of a chain, he had a cloud white string, and a sky blue stone, set in what appeared to be ivory. His was called the Soyokaze ((AN: pronunciation: So-yo-ka-ze)). Although there were no windows in the room, with the man entered a soft wind. Said wind wafted over to the girl and wrapped around her in greeting, before heading towards the man, to whirl around him, and dissipate.
The man walked in, trying not to disturb her, and sat on a cushion on the 'east' side, just across from hers.
"Derrick." The girl greeted him, not moving from her position. Her voice was low and soothing, like water in a river.
"Rainy." He greeted back. His voice was deep and lighthearted.
The girl opened her eyes. They were amazing, a blue-ish gray; the color of the sky after a hard rain. She turned to look at him, her face serious. "Did you pack your things?"
The man looked at her mirthlessly. "Yes, I'll be ready to go when the time comes. I just wish we didn't have to go. This is going to cause their world to fall around their ears..." He murmured.
The girl sighed somberly. "I know, but it is Necessity. This must happen, the balance must be restored."
"I know, but all those people..." he trailed off.
"Will live, and safer than they are now. They can adjust. If they want to stay sane." She muttered at the end. She sighed again. "But it doesn't matter if we want to or not anymore. Teran and Jenna have already made contact with the Seeress and the Child of Light. Its happening today, and we have to go along with it, to make sure it succeeds. It is Necessity that dictates this, and it will happen whether we will it to or not."
The boy closed his wide blue eyes for a moment, before saying, "Its almost noon, we have to get going."
Rainy nodded, and together, they walked out of the room, to do as Necessity bidded.
"Now, what is it you wanted to tell me?"
Belgarath was looking at his grandson. By some miracle, no one had seen the three extra companions. Although, he mused, I have a feeling an old friend had something to do with that. He was getting to old for this, it was supposed to be over when Garion killed Torak, but no, they had to become globe trotters, and make their Choices in the presence of the Sardion and the Orb.
"Well...it was a dream." Geran started. "I was running, and then suddenly there was the strangest looking girl I've ever seen!"
Belgarath inwardly groaned. He was distinctly reminded of Geran's and Garion's distant ancestor, and his son-in-law. The last time he had had a conversation about dreams with a girl in it, it had been pointless. Riva did try to tell me it wasn't important though when the subject came up.
He began to describe the dream, starting with the running, then going through it until the very end. "...then she just dissappeared, and I woke up." He finished, shooting an annoyed look at Wolf, who just laughed in his own way.
Ce' Nedra looked thoughtful. "I wonder how she got her hair that way..." she got a calculating look in her eyes.
"Your hair is fine, dear." Gerion quickly said.
She widened her eyes innocently. "What ever are you talking about?"
"That's all? Are you sure? Nothing else happened, right?" Belgarath asked intently, ignoring Garion and Ce' Nedra
Geran shook his head. "That's all."
"Well, one down, one to go. Your turn, Cyradis." Everyone turned to look at the empress.
Cyradis looked at them, took a deap breath, let it out, then begain her story...
There was a house, it was large, a mansion almost. A servant came to the door, and let her in. He said, "Welcome, we've been expecting you." He led her through the house, passing many doors, though several stuck out in her memory. One was bathed in fire, another in water, one covered in vines, another the veiw of a mountain top, wind howling around it. Eventually the servant led her to a room, opening the door for her, and closing it behind her.
There was a one man in there, hands clasped in brooding silence. He sat at a small table, a chess set on it, the white piece check-mating the black king. The chair across from his was upset, as though the person had stood up hastily. There was two doors there, one onyx in color, bolted down with chains all on it. From behind it was a wailing sound; the crying of a girl. The other door was directly behind the upturned chair, this one also locked, though to more extent than the other. It, curiosly, didn't have any color at all, nor black or white. It was as if all the color had been sucked out of it, leaving nought but a void. The door was being pounded upon, creaking at the hinges, chains groaning from the stress.
Suddenly the door burst open, monsters of all shapes and sizes running through it, a never ending tide of them, destroying all in their path. The man and she were engolfed by them, and there was a moment of sightlessness and pain. She saw flashes of places all over the world; Sendaria, a barren wasteland; Mal Zeth burning to the ground, the screams of men, women, and children almost drowning out the sound of the fire; People being eaten by those same monsters, still alive; a mother crying over her dead child and husband; and the final image, a humanoid like being in the throne room of the Rivan Citadel, holding the Orb of Aldur and four other stones on chains, cackling like a mad man, lightning thundering out side constantly.
Then suddenly it lifted, and she was back in the front of the house, only instead of the servant, there was a small boy there, maybe in his prepubescent time. He was wearing a green shirt, and a brown leather jerkin over it, with loose leather pants on. He had brown hair with strange highlights. He had golden eyes, the kind that delved into your soul and saw your heart. He then spoke in a voice that belied his age:
"You have seen some of what will happen should the Balance remain the way it is now. You have been warned. Act or perish, the Choice is yours, and you haven't much time to make it."
He then looked at her once more, and vines grew from the floor, covered him completely, then retreated, nothing there, as though he had never been.
The room was silent. Cyradis' story had left a silent pall over all of them, none of them seeming to have the ability to break it.
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
Geran looked over to where the sound was originating from. It was something called a water clock, a new invention out of Melcene, a gift to the queen of Riva.
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
He could just imagine what the drips were saying.
Hurry, hurry, hurry. Don't waste time, there's none to spare. With time comes change and change will either be the making or the end of you.
AN:
Well, how was it? I just came up with a brilliant plan, and will be working feverishly on both my fics, although, like I said, I won't be posting the other one up yet, at least not until I'm half way through it. For those of you that weren't paying attention, its a YYH fic, and, frankly, I'm having an easier time writting that one than this one. he he, guess that just the way it goes.
School just started today, ridiculasly early in my opinion (its August 10, for petes sake!), and they just started some new schedual system, thats a hybrid off the normal 7 periods and block (4 periods a day, 90 mins each), and lets just say an hour and 1/2 of English II is NOT my idea of fun, but I digress. The point of me putting this here is to inform the few people that are actually reading this fic that updates will be even less often than predicted. Normally I would just ignore school, and work on my story, put theres this little bet with my Mom...I WILL get that $50!!
One note about the story:
Cyradis Vision: for those of you that have read The Rivan Codex, you'll know that I took a page out of that for the whole house thing, only...tweaked a bit, you know? I also seem to have misplaced my copy of said book, so if theres something wrong with it, reveiw and tell me, and I'll try to fix it (I DO accept annonimous reveiws)(yes, I know I butchered that word)
Well, Ja ne!