Author's Notes: I was a fan of Crusade right from the start, and wish they would bring it back someday. It's funny how old ideas can suddenly be found, and improved upon. I first wrote this story back in August 99, but it got burnt onto CD and lost. I recently found it again, and thought I'd share it. I've rewritten several parts, but the story is essentially the same as it was back then.
02. Myth and Legend
A comfortable silence had descended within the shuttle as the small team made their way down to moon, in order to find the mysterious Telepath. Gideon sat quietly beside Trace, wondering what they would find when they landed. He glanced over his shoulder, looking at Galen for a moment. The fact that the stranger had known a Technomage was onboard troubled him, and he was curious to find out whether there was a specific reason she had invited him. They flew low over the treetops, heading for the edge of the island, where the forest thinned towards the coast. Trace located a landing site easily, setting the shuttle down softly and powering down the engines. Matheson followed closely behind Gideon, Trace and Galen leaving the shuttle right on their heels. Each man looked around, trying to detect any sign of the stranded telepath, but finding no trace of a camp or other habitation. Several paths led into the forest, each appearing as if they had been used recently. Gideon was trying to decide which path to take, when they heard a slight rustling in the long grass at the edge of the forest. Galen knelt down beside the blades of grass that were moving slightly, his head cocked to one side and an expression of confusion on his face.
"Well, what have we here?" he murmured. He lowered his hand, placing it close to the ground. The others watched in amazement as a tiny figure stepped from the bushes and jumped up onto his open palm. He stood up, carrying the small creature over to the rest of the group.
"What is it?" Matthew asked curiously. The group looked closely at the creature in Galen's hand. It appeared to be a tiny woman, dressed only in a skimpy wrap that barely covered its figure. She would have been considered a good looking human woman, if it wasn't for her size, and the faint green tinge to her skin.
"Who are you?" Galen asked it.
"A pale imitation," she answered enigmatically.
"Of what?"
"Of whom," she corrected tartly.
"A pale imitation of whom?" he asked, his voice tense.
"Of the one who created me."
"This isn't getting us anywhere." A ball of flames appeared in Galen's hand as he looked at the tiny creature.
"Don't be foolish Mage," she chided, an identical fire ball appearing in her tiny hand. "Your fire cannot hurt me, all you would do is burn your own hand. My fire, on the other hand, can hurt you."
"Perhaps. Shall we test that theory?"
"I'd be happy to," she smirked, raising her arm. She was about to release the fireball she held when she stopped suddenly, cocking her head to one side as if listening to a voice only she could hear. A momentary look of rebellious annoyance crossed her face, but was gone in an instant as she complied with the silent orders she had received. "It appears that we will have to continue this discussion at a later time, mage. I have to take you to my mistress." Her tone made it clear that she would have preferred to finish off her demonstration. With another wicked smirk, she ran down the length of Galen's hand and leapt from the tips of his fingers. As the Technomage made an involuntary gesture to try and stop her falling, a pair of tiny wings appeared from her back. Flapping the gossamer wings gently, she rose up until she was level with Galen's face and flew off into the dense woodland.
The woodland seemed to close in around them as the four men followed the tiny winged creature deep into the heart of the forest. Gideon was beginning to think that perhaps they had been misled and were walking into a trap, when suddenly the trees thinned out and they entered a small clearing. The far side of the clearing came up against the side of a large hill, and in the face of the stone wall was a small cave. In front of the cave was a fair sized campfire, and there were several stones arranged around it. The small fairy darted over to the hooded figure seated in front of the cave entrance, and landed on the outstretched hand. Something unspoken passed between the figure and the fairy, then the tiny creature hopped down to the ground from the hand of her mistress and disappeared into the cave. The hooded woman got to her feet and pushed back the hood of the long black robe she was wearing. A thick mane of dark curly hair cascaded down her back as she lowered the hood, and ocean blue eyes regarded them calmly from a pale, delicately boned face. Strands of an intricate tattoo could just be seen above the neck of her robe; slivers of black ran part way up her neck, each strand intertwined with several others in the visible section of the design. Matthew noticed that Galen's attention seemed focused on the tattoo, the mage's face unreadable as he stared at the stranger intently. The captain had an uneasy feeling that there was more to this woman than met the eye, and that Galen knew more than he was letting on.
"Who are you?" Matthew asked, his tone slightly hushed. He could see, in his peripheral vision, the interest on the faces of his crewmen. He turned his full attention to the woman, wanting answers.
"I am Lenya, and I welcome you to my humble home," she replied, her voice soft and melodic.
"Matthew Gideon, Captain of the Excalibur." Turning slightly, he indicated Matheson. "My first officer, Lieutenant Matheson."
"The Telepath," she acknowledged him with a nod of her head.
"My pilot, Trace." Again, she nodded her head slightly in greeting.
"And this is Galen..."
"The Technomage." Her tone took on a slightly different note as she spoke the last word, and Matthew wondered what contact she could have had with the order in the past.
"Correct," Galen's voice was as cold as hers, his eyes hard.
"Please, make yourselves comfortable gentlemen," she invited, gesturing towards the stones arranged around the fire. She waited until they had seated themselves around the fire before she re-took her own seat, smiling slightly as they watched her with interest. "You must have many questions, so let me try to answer them for you..."
Just a short one for now ;-) More to follow soon, I promise :)