Author's Notes: This is what being sick does to you. You have nothing but the TV, computer, and your own thoughts to entertain you as you lay/sit around like a diseased lump. So what do I do? I write. It passes the time and keeps me going.

But enough about me...

Temple of the Black Sun

Chapter 2- Six Young People

Dick raked a hand back through his long black hair as the wind playfully tossed the locks about his face. As he pulled his hair back and tied into a ponytail with a leather thong, the ocean breezes contented themselves with fluttering his baggy black shirt and trousers. The ship gently rocked with the waves as the sun set behind them, and he watched from the aft castle as the cliffs of the Stone Coast become a blur on the horizon. He was lucky to be chosen. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. And it was probably his only chance to escape his past in Gotham.

Dick turned and looked out over the deck, observing his fellow passengers for the first time. Among all the sailors were the chosen colonists. There was a typical assortment of laborers, hunters, farmers, and soldiers. But among them, some unusual members stood out. Dick's eyes first traveled to a large young man with dark skin. He was easily two heads taller than most of the sailors, but what made him so interesting was the fact that most of his body was metal. He must have been from Jump, the technological heart of the empire. People there sometimes had lost body parts replaced with clockwork machinery, though Dick had never heard of anything so... extensive.

His eyes then moved onto a cloaked figure at the bow of the ship. He couldn't tell any details because the hood and cloak were drawn up and the figure had their back turned, but Dick recognized the cut, color, and craftsmanship of the cloak as that of a Shadowlands sorcerer. Very interesting.

He then turned his gaze to another unusual figure. A young girl dressed in the loose-fitting protective garb of the desertfolk from the Sea of Fire. What was interesting was that her skin was pale, her eyes blue, and her hair a golden blonde. That was exceptionally rare. Only one in every thousand children among the desertfolk was born a Child of the Oasis, as they so called it. It was considered a blessing from the gods. It was highly unusual that with such a "gift" she would ever leave her homelands.

Dick's gaze slowly roved across the deck to settle on yet another bizarre character. This one was a slender young man with a mop of dark green hair and light green fur on his body. His ears were pointed and a single fang stuck out of his lips. He dressed lightly in earth tones. Dick watched him a moment before the green man abruptly morphed in a very swift and fluid move into a large green crow and fluttered up into the mast. A Verdanian shapeshifter. They seldom ventured outside of their province anymore. A talent like that would have limitless applications on the Kain Islands, so it was no wonder he was selected.

Dick looked back down at the deck to see a figure in a brown traveler's cloak approaching him. As the cloak parted, he saw the feminine figure in plain traveler's clothes. She pulled back the hood and smiled. Dick only blinked as he tried to keep his face schooled to a mask of quiet reservation. She was gorgeous. She was about the same height as he was. Her skin was a strange gold-orange tan, her hair was long and red like fire, and her eyes were large and a luminous green. The old blood of Tamaran must have ran in her veins, as no other lineage could grant one such features. Dick had seen such Tamaranians before, but never one in which the old blood was so pure.

"Hello, friend," she said in a soft voice that reminded Dick of chiming bells. "Why do you stand here alone?" There was a peculiar cadence to her voice, as if she were testing and savoring every word as it rolled off her tongue.

Dick merely shrugged lightly and answered, "I just wanted a moment to think."

She nodded and her smile faltered slightly. "I apologize if I have disturbed you..."

"Don't. I haven't had a chance to talk with anyone since we boarded." Dick bowed his head. "My name is Dick Grayson of Gotham."

She bowed in return. "It is a pleasure to meet you Dick Grayson. I am called Starfire of Tamaran." An unusual name. But she went on before Dick could question it. "Is it true that Gotham is haunted by the spirit of a dark knight who punishes the wicked?"

Dick couldn't help but smile softly. If only she knew... Oh well, best to keep the legend going. "Yes. I've seen him before. A man who rides on the winds and can see his enemy's moves before he makes them. He wears the guise of a bat so that he may fly through the night without folly and track down evildoers."

Starfire looked like a small child hearing her favorite fairy tale. "He is real, I knew it!" She clasped her hands in front of her chest happily. "Tell me more about Gotham. It sounds like such a wonderful city."

Dick couldn't stop the smile from reaching his cold blue eyes. There was a purity to this girl, Starfire. He didn't think he could have hated her if he tried. Dick leaned back against the railing and began to tell her of Gotham, the second oldest city in the Tamaran Empire.

-x-

Starfire listened with unfaltering attention to Dick's stories. He seemed very flattered that anyone would ask him such things. He seemed so honest that it actually made her feel a little guilty about having lied to him about her name. But she had made her decision and it was too late to change now. If the colonists found out who she really was, her adventure would be over before it even began. So for now she would just have to lay low.

At least in Dick she had a friend. She caught herself admiring his good looks before blinking the thought away. They would be on this vessel for two weeks, and probably on the islands for the rest of their lives. This wasn't an opportune time to be thinking this way about a man she just met.

"Quite an interesting crew we have, eh?" Dick asked.

"I beg your pardon?" Starfire asked curiously.

Dick just smiled and pointed toward the deck, pointing out the various people he described. "Take a look. A clockwork man from Jump, a Shadowlands sorcerer, a desertfolk girl, and a Verdanian shapeshifter. The Stone Cliffs this morning were probably the only place in the empire other than the capitol where you'd see such a gathering."

"I think it is a wonderful thing that people are coming together for such a fabulous journey," Starfire said happily. She looked over at Dick who had his eyes cast down and to the side. Despite his serene expression, there was obviously something troubling him. "Friend Dick, what is the problem?"

He merely sighed and looked back up into her eyes. "Don't be so certain everyone has such good intentions. Think about it, Starfire. This discovery means a lot of people are going to be starting new lives. There are a lot of reasons people would want to do that."

"Like what?"

Dick seemed genuinely surprised by the question and cleared his throat. "Some people may have had nothing to lose back home. This is a chance for them to start over. Others may think that imperial authority won't be as tight, so they can get away with more. Others... others are probably leaving home because there's something there that they want to get away from." His voice softened at the last sentence. "What better to do that than to put an ocean between them and it."

Starfire stared at Dick for a moment. There was something he wasn't telling her. But she wouldn't feel right prying about it considering she wasn't about to tell him her own secret just yet. Best to wait until they both felt comfortable opening up to one another. Starfire only hoped that day would be soon.

-x-

Gar hopped down from the masts and reverted to his humanoid form. This was so great! He couldn't believe so few of his people wanted to go. Who could pass up an opportunity for such an adventure? He breathed deeply of the salty ocean air to calm his excitement. These were the fastest passenger ships in Tamaran, but it would still be another two weeks before they reached the Kain Islands.

Dinner wouldn't be for another couple of hours, so Gar decided to mingle with his fellow passengers for a minute. There was no shortage of interesting people to talk to. There was the metal man helping with the rigging. But he looked busy. Probably shouldn't bother him right now. And that cloaked figure at the bow looked like they really wanted to be left alone. His eyes finally settled on a pretty young girl about his age with golden hair and pale blue eyes. Actually, pretty wasn't the word. She was beautiful! Gar smoothed his unkempt hair and strode over to her. She was leaning on the railing and staring out into the ocean in awe. "Great view, huh?" he started conversationally.

The girl gasped and turned to face him before smiling softly. "Sorry. I've never seen the ocean before."

"Where are you from?" Gar asked, leaning on the railing beside her.

"The Sea of Fire," she answered. "My name is Terra of the Sahl Clan."

"You're desertfolk?" Gar arched an eyebrow. He thought desertfolk were swarthy, rugged people. This girl looked like she had been born into nobility.

"I know I don't really look like it," Terra giggled. "I was born a Child of the Oasis. It's a rare blessing to be born fair-skinned."

Gar nodded slowly in understanding. "Your parents must have been pretty happy."

Terra smiled sadly and looked off to the side. "Actually, I never knew them. They died when I was a baby."

Gar felt as if he had just swallowed a stone and contemplated repeatedly banging his head off of the mast. "I'm sorry. I know how you must feel though. I'm an orphan, too."

Her smile was a small comfort. "You never told me your name," she said as if the last moment of the conversation had never happened.

"Call me Gar. I'm from Verdania."

"Oh, you're one of the shapeshifters?" Terra asked excitedly.

"Yeah. Any animal I see I can become," Gar boasted with a fanged grin.

"I've heard a lot of stories about your people," Terra said with a tilt of her head. "Is it true you feed on the flesh of those who defile your forests?"

Gar's jaw dropped. People were still telling that lie? "No!" he cried in disgust. "For one thing, that's an old wives' tale. My people never did anything like that. For another, I don't eat meat at all." Gar was never comfortable with the idea of killing, no matter the reason. He could subsist perfectly well on fruits, vegetables, nuts, and other such foods. He didn't need meat.

"That's a relief," Terra giggled. "I was hoping the stories weren't true. I can't imagine a people so close to the land being so dangerous."

"Dangerous?" With that, Gar morphed into a squirrel much to Terra's surprise then skittered up her leg, up her side, and onto her shoulder, proceeding to nuzzle the top of his head against her cheek. "Could something this cuddly be dangerous?"

-x-

Terra laughed at Gar's antics and gently scratched behind his ears. It was good to know she had someone to talk to now. That was her greatest worry in coming to this new land. She was not treated like an equal at home due to her blessing. Everyone saw her as some sort of divine object instead of a person, and being so distanced made her feel alone. She only counted herself lucky that she had made it to the Stone Coast without the clan tracking her down to bring her back.

Gar hopped off her shoulder and reverted to his humanoid form with a dramatic bow. She clapped and smiled, able to forget for a moment that she was surrounded on all sides by more water than she had ever thought existed. That was short-lived however as the ship rolled suddenly, upsetting her balance. Terra felt a wave of nausea and gripped the railing. She hadn't expected the journey to be like this. Every time the ship rolled, she worried that she was going to fall overboard.

"You alright?" Gar asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm just not used to boats," Terra explained.

"I thought desertfolk had flying sandships," Gar wondered with his brow furrowed in curiosity.

"Yes, but they don't rock and pitch like this thing does," Terra said as she place a hand to her stomach in a vain attempt to calm it. "Besides, if you fall out of a sandship, the worst that can happen is you break an arm or leg. Here... I can't swim. I've never seen so much water in my life."

Gar nodded as he caught on. "If you want, I could teach you to swim when we get to the islands," he offered with a nervous smile.

Terra smirked at him. "And what would I wear for swimming lessons? I certainly wouldn't want to spend the day in wet clothes."

"Well..." Gar let that lone word trail off as he looked off with an impish grin as if daydreaming.

Terra laughed when she realized what he was implying and playfully slapped his shoulder. "You're incorrigible!" It had been a while since she could really laugh and enjoy herself. Gar seemed like the type who wore his emotions on his sleeves and was always having fun. It seemed the trip wouldn't be so bad after all.

-x-

Victor wiped the sweat from his brow with one mechanical arm. It had been over a year since the machine accident that brought his father to graft these devices to Victor's body, but he still hadn't gotten used to the fact that he could still feel with these appendages. It was as if his arms had never left him. Of course, it was the mechanical implants that got him on this voyage so he really shouldn't question his gift too much. The recruiters thought that a man with such great strength and knowledge of science would be a valuable asset to the other colonists. Which was exactly what Victor wanted.

"Mister Stone," came the voice of the first mate, Thomas. "Take a break. You've earned it."

Victor bowed his head. "Thank you, sir." With that, he strolled around the deck to watch the goings-on for a minute. He wanted a good idea of the kind of people he would be working with in the near future. A quick look around him proved that he was not the youngest crewmember. At the aft castle was a dark-haired young man in the black clothing that was the style in Gotham lately. He was talking with an old-blooded Tamaranian girl.

On the other side of the deck was a young blonde girl in light, baggy clothes. Victor knew he had seen that sort of outfit before, but he wasn't sure where. She seemed to be playing with a squirrel that was... green? Suddenly, it hopped off her shoulder and transformed into a gangly green young man. So the Verdanians really were shapeshifters, eh? Victor had been wondering if it was just a legend.

At the bow was a cloaked figure. Victor thought for a moment and realized that they hadn't moved since the ship left port. Upon closer observation, he noted that the wind didn't seem to touch the figure's cloak. A sorcerer? It was starting to look that way. Whoever they were, it was probably best to let them go for now.

Seeing little other opportunity for conversation, Victor decided to head below deck to stake out his bunk and check the kitchen to see what was being cooked up for dinner.

-x-

Raven continued staring out into the seas ahead. Her empathic sense delicately skimmed the ship. There was a predictable pallet of emotions. Anxiety, excitement, nervousness, pride... though there were a few exceptions. Like five beacons in the drab sea of minds, she picked out individuals who for one reason or another stood apart like diamonds within a lump of clay. Hmm...

At last curiosity got the better of Raven, and she muttered a soft mantra that would be inaudible to even one standing beside her as the most delicate ocean breezes were enough to carry it away. She gently reached out to skim these unique minds a little more. She was hardly a telepath like some of her peers. But her empathy not only gave her the ability to sense surface thoughts and emotions, but to extract vague images that sometimes provided an insight into one's mind. Like flexing a muscle, it was a power developing with time and use, but it was still weak and needed to be exercised more.

Forests... trees everywhere... deciduous groves, cypress swamps, conifers on snowy mountain slopes... wildlife everywhere... Very interesting.

The burning sun... open sky and rolling sand as far as the eye could see... cities built around giant oases... flying ships catching hot winds in their sails... Another easy mind to read. A Verdanian and a desertfolk. Very curious, since neither of the two people were known for being very outgoing. Try another one...

Pain... physical pain... steam and oil... a city built on perfect geometric logic... Ah, this one must be from Jump. The first images were puzzling though. Raven decided not to push any deeper though. She'd find out for herself when she met this person. Now for the other two...

A great loss... an old castle... foggy moonlit nights... desire and passion mixed with regret and uncertainty... This one was a challenge. The images were unclear. They revealed very little. Whoever this person had a strong, disciplined mind. But what of the other...

Great wealth and opulence... a feeling of suffocation... fleeing through streets in disguise... a childhood nickname... Raven's eyes snapped open. Koriand'r. The Tamaranian princess was on board this ship in disguise. She was running away. Raven let her eyes close again. She couldn't tell why the princess had fled. She had a few clues, but nothing certain. She would have to find out in time.

Raven didn't know how she knew this, but something in the back of her mind told her that there was more to this than met the eye. It was no mere coincidence that all these people should be destined for the same place at the same time. The gears of the universe were turning and slowly setting the tumblers. When they fell into place, something big was going to happen. And though she wouldn't admit it out loud, it irritated Raven to no end that she couldn't even begin to guess what.

-x-

Author's Notes: These last couple of weeks, I'm on fire. I don't get bursts of productivity like this very often, but when I do I have to milk them for everything they're worth.

sapphirepink: Thanks. The tone and ambience of a story is something I always agonize over.

Lady Katreina: You were right about them not having met before. As for the rest of the plot, you'll just have to wait and see.

VainRhinosCarDen: Now that we're getting to our cast and the actual storytelling, what do you think? Still show promise?

Cringe: Yes, it is AU. I don't know, but I have a real thing for that sort of writing.

Black Th0rn: Well for the time being, you can look forward to some steady updates. It's not like I'm doing anything else, for better or worse.