Morrowind
Disclaimer: Same as before, and add the fact that the movie Atlantis: The Lost Empire is not mine as well as any other recognizable franchise.
Prue sighed as she leafed through yet another book in Lady Chatterjee's study. Not a single reference to the word Morrowind in any language. She had been at this the entire night.
"Damn it Nigel." Prue grumbled, "Why not tell me what or who the hell this Morrowind is?"
"Seek and ye shall find, my dear." Nigel said as he orbed into the room, "But it's late, you've been at this all night and you're exhausted."
"I don't understand." Prue replied, "This is your fault...You gave me this cryptic clue and I can't find a single reference to it anywhere..."
"Information will come to you, if you allow it." Nigel replied.
"This is about Anora, isn't it?" Prue replied.
"You should realize that knowledge is power." Nigel replied, "But I'm afraid that too much power gained to quickly leads to ruin. My charge was knowledgeable but too confident in her power, and in my shortsightedness I deemed her ready to face Ansem. By the time the battle had ended, I was unable to heal her."
"She was more than a charge to you." Prue countered.
"Perhaps. However, there is a different matter to attend to. I do believe you should get some rest." Nigel replied.
"I'll be fine." Prue replied.
"You can't help your sisters if you wear yourself out." Nigel countered, "Get some rest, I promise the answer will make itself known, when you are ready for it."
Prue tiredly walked up the stairs to the room she shared with Daphne to grab a few hours of sleep. This latest Whitelighter she had met was puzzling. Nigel seemed every bit the calm, cordial and professional English gentlemen evidence of his past life, which Prue had discovered during her feckless search for the Morrowind. But there was something underneath, what felt like a mixture of regret and fear. She had seen this somewhere before, but she couldn't quite place it.
Not quite a priority right now. Prue thought, as she heard Daphne's snoring from the other bed. I gotta get some sleep.
With that Prue fell asleep, wondering just what Nigel was holding back.
"Dr. Poole." Merrick said, as he walked into the hospital the next morning, "Is Mr. Kumar ready to be placed into common custody?"
"I'm not so sure about his ribs." Poole replied, "The swelling on his face has gone down, but his legs are still in shit state. If you're worried about him escaping, your fears are unfounded."
"Is he in a state to be questioned?" Merrick asked.
Not the way you seem to question suspects these days. Poole thought, saying, "I'd wait until the end of the week. Perhaps the other gentlemen you brought in would be more forthcoming."
Daphne came out of the recovery ward just then, a clipboard under one arm. "You've made your rounds?" Poole asked.
"Yes Doctor." Daphne replied, and with a cordial nod she said, "Captain."
"I'd have thought we were more than mere acquaintances, Daphne." Merrick replied.
Why won't Hari say what happened to him? It's obvious he's worse off than when he was brought into the lockup, I'm certain of it. Daphne thought. He claims that his other injuries are the result of the other four chaps in lockup roughing him up some more over the fact that he was educated in England, but I know he's holding something back.
"Constable Donalbain." Merrick began, as he approached the guard with an envelope, "Give this to Lieutenant Godfrey at the end of your shift."
"Yes sir." Donalbain replied.
Godfrey had just finished filing the patrol reports that had been coming in when he walked out into the town to make his rounds. He could see O'Malley and Rees filling in a rifle pit on the British side of the bridge and nodded in acknowledgment of their greeting.
The Union Jack fluttered in the breeze, having been raised at sunrise as per custom. It always filled Godfrey with not a small measure of pride to know that the sun never set on Britain's area of control. It gave him a greater measure of pride to know that he had helped preserve Britain's reign from a hostile foe.
He was surprised to see Donalbain running to catch up and he turned to meet the man. "Good Heavens man, what's your rush?" Godfrey asked.
"Sir," Donalbain said, "From Captain Merrick."
"Thank you, Mr. Donalbain." Godfrey replied. The Welshman walked back to his home, for some much needed rest.
Godfrey opened the envelope and saw the letterhead of the Mayapore Constabulary. The subject infuriated him. It read: Letter of Instruction. Recipient: 1st Lieutenant Alan Thomas Godfrey. He knew what it contained. Allegations of insubordination and incompetence, just as Merrick had threatened. He crumpled the paper into a ball and flung it into the nearest gutter, walking away and unaware that a hand had picked it up.
That was until the person to which the hand belonged spoke: "I see things are becoming more hostile, Mr. Godfrey."
He turned to see Major Waverly standing there, with an enigmatic grin and the crumpled letter of instruction. Godfrey had always detested Merrick's use of his position for personal gain, his self-made smugness, his superior attitude but now he realized that he had crossed the line.
"When do I begin?" Godfrey asked.
"As soon as you take the oath and sign the paperwork assigning you to the Royal Indian Engineers. It's already taken care of, it just requires your signature." Waverly replied.
"When do I begin?" Godfrey asked.
"Right away." Waverly replied.
Prue sat at a table in the hospital café, waiting for Daphne when a man approached her saying, "I understand you're doing research on fakirs."
She sized him up, seeing an obvious academic. He was somewhere in his early thirties, with brown hair, thick, round eyeglasses, and a slender build. She remembered her cover and said, "Yes, I am."
"So am I." the man replied, "Oh, where are my manners. Milo Thatch."
The man extended his hand and Prue took it with one of hers, "Prue Halliwell."
"I was wondering, have you ever heard of the term Morrowind before?" Milo asked, hoping he had the right person.
"No." Prue replied, "And first off, how did you know my name?"
"My research." Milo replied, "In the marketplace, they talked about some woman doing some research regarding fakirs in India. Your name came up."
"Listen, Thatch." Prue began, "I don't really have time..."
"I'm sure you wonder what the Morrowind is." Milo said, "I've actually stumbled across it in my research."
Prue's demeanor changed, "So what is it?"
"Well, you obviously are familiar with the Heartless." Milo replied.
"Yeah, they kinda attacked this place." Prue replied, sharply.
"I can tell." Milo said as two less seriously wounded constables stood in line for food.
"The British succeeded in driving them off." Prue replied.
"A friend of mine can explain more about the Morrowind." Milo began.
"Where is he?" Prue asked. Better still, who is he?
The two walked outside and they saw a swarthy man, of Native American descent with a strange tatoo on the left side of his face standing outside the door.
"Milo." Kolopak asked, "Did you find her?"
"Yes." Milo replied.
"Who are you?" Prue asked.
"I believe you seek the Morrowind." Kolopak began.
"Yes. If I knew what it was..." Prue said, keeping an eye on both Milo and Kolopak, in case either of them happened to be affiliated with the Heartless. Not likely, but the fact was she was on her own, save for a Whitelighter who would be the perfect role model for a cheesy spy movie boss.
"What would you say if I were to tell you that you've found your answer?" Kolopak replied.
"I'd say you could be right. But then again you could be warlocks...Or Heartless, or whatever Ansem's cooked up..." Prue replied.
"Trust me, I'm far from affiliated with Ansem." Milo replied.
"As am I." Kolopak replied.
"How do I know you're not leading me up a blind alley?" Prue asked.
"Our worlds were destroyed by the Heartless." Kolopak replied grimly.
"It will be much easier to explain later." Milo replied.
"But first there is another matter we must attend to." Kolopak added, "You are welcome to accompany us, if you aren't entirely sure."
Warily, Prue followed them to the school building that the Royal Indian Engineers had commandeered as an HQ.
"State your business." An Indian soldier demanded.
Kolopak said, "I do believe Major Waverly's expecting us."
The Indian soldier pointed towards the building and said, "Through there."
The three of them headed to a school room where the major was sitting. He was talking to another man in the room as well.
"Sir," the Indian orderly said, "Mr. Kolopak is here to see you."
Both men turned to see the trio of Kolopak, Milo, and Prue standing there. Prue recognized Godfrey right off the bat, but there was something different about him. What Milo said next confirmed it, "When did you join the Indian Engineers?"
"As of fifteen minutes ago." Waverly replied, "The Emergency Recruitment Act is in effect. A lot of blokes are being put into the Army from the Indian Constabulary Service."
"Major Waverly, who are these two?" Prue asked.
"Seal the door and you're relieved of duty for the moment." Waverly ordered.
"Yes sir." The Indian orderly replied.
"I might ask the same of you." Waverly replied, turning to face Prue, "You show up here in the middle of the night. Encountered by a night watch led by Mr. Godfrey while they were pursuing a Heartless. How am I to be certain that you aren't somehow associated with the Heartless?"
Prue opened her mouth to protest when Waverly continued, "Of course you're not a Heartless. There is the matter of some actions you've taken in the defense of Mayapore. According to Mr. Godfrey's report, you saved his life during the battle. I know you're from some other world, like Kolopak and Milo. I trust these gentlemen."
"Allow me to explain," Kolopak said, "Meet me outside in an hour. Milo, go with her and explain a few things."
"Kolopak." Major Waverly began, "This is Lt. Godfrey, formerly of the Mayapore Indian Constabulary, now..."
"He's one of your guys, isn't he?" Kolopak asked.
"Still perceptive as usual." Waverly commented, not missing a beat, "I want to ask a favor. Do you think you can make room aboard the Morrowind for him."
"I suppose the Allied Intelligence Bureau wants to put a liaison on my ship." Kolopak asked.
"Well, you've gotten me a lot of valuable intelligence over the years we've known each other." Waverly began.
"Let me guess. Your superiors want more." Kolopak asked.
"Yes." Waverly replied, "In fact they insisted on placing an operative aboard your ship, to provide us with specific intelligence that the AIB requires."
"And what is it that I would gain from this relationship." Kolopak asked.
"The continued use of our supply depot." Waverly replied.
"Why deny it to us?" Kolopak asked.
"Honestly, your information is serviceable, but the upper echelons want more specific information and information through one of our officers." Waverly replied.
"Agreed." Kolopak replied, "Welcome aboard, Mr. Godfrey."
"Thank you, sir." Godfrey replied. The two men shook hands and walked outside.
"So let me get this straight," Prue began, "Your world was destroyed by the Heartless. And you built this ship called the Morrowind."
"Right." Milo replied.
"Before that you were a linguist and cartographer." Prue continued.
"That's right." Milo continued.
"And you translated a volume called the Shepherd's Journal, were attacked by a weird undersea monster that happened to be some kind of robot defense, found the lost city of Atlantis, where you met your wife, and shortly after the Heartless attacked your world." Prue continued, "And then you and the survivors built the Morrowind and escaped."
"You didn't miss a thing." Milo replied.
"Forgive me, but you've led a very interesting life." Prue replied.
"Oh and like your life story isn't?" Milo asked, and then added,"First you found out you were descended from a long line of witches with weird magical powers, fighting demons of all kinds in secret. You had any number of incidents, such as turning into a man and then a dog, becoming some demon's bride, getting launched back in time and then forward in time. And to top it all off you were killed by a demon who controls the wind, resurrected here in time for the invasion of Mayapore. Who's saying who had an interesting life?"
"Point taken." Prue replied.
Kolopak left the building just then with Godfrey in tow. "So what's his story?" Prue asked.
"Well, you should know, you've known here for the past six days." Milo added.
"Very funny, I already know Godfrey." Prue replied.
"Oh, Kolopak." Milo said, "Shortly after we left our world, we ran into this place called Traverse Town and we found him being attack by two Heartless and we saved his life. And he's been the prima donna of the Morrowind ever since."
"So why me?" Prue asked Kolopak.
"Because the Sky Spirits told me that one of great power, blessed by them, would be the key to helping us fight Ansem." Kolopak replied.
"Sky Spirits?" Prue asked.
"My people were under the threat of extinction. The Spaniards had decimated our tribe through disease and outright murder." Kolopak replied, "The Sky Spirits removed us from the world, many centuries ago. They bathed us in blue lights to another world where my people were free to live their lives for another seven hundred years. I became a chieftain of my village, loved and respected by my people. But the Heartless destroyed all that we had."
"How did you get to this Traverse Town?" Prue asked.
"One of the Sky Spirits came to me, after my village was destroyed and I meditated atop a hill, wondering whether to take my own life. He told me that my life was not to end atop the hill, but that I would find one charmed and that she would help us to fight the Heartless." Kolopak replied.
"I need to take a walk." Prue replied, "I have to process all this."
"Prue?" Milo said.
"Let her go." Kolopak replied, "It's an awful lot to take in."
"But will she come with us?" Milo asked.
"Time will tell." Kolopak replied.
"Nigel!" Prue began.
"I gather you discovered the Morrowind." The Whitelighter said, as he orbed in.
"When you said Morrowind you never mentioned some kind of weird ship full of people " Prue replied.
"Well," Nigel replied with just a touch of irritation, "How do you expect to fly from world to world? Flapping your arms?"
"I'm sorry." Prue replied, "It's just so much for me to take in. It's..."
"Almost like when you discovered your powers for the first time." Nigel replied.
"How...?" Prue asked.
"How did I know?" Nigel said, "It's elementary my dear Prudence. A dear friend of mine was a Whitelighter for a coven of witches even before they realized their powers."
Prue's eyes widened, "Leo? You know Leo?"
"We are acquainted." Nigel replied.
"So I was brought here to help Kolopak fight the Heartless." Prue replied, "What about Daphne and her baby? Isn't that the innocent..."
"That innocent has a new protector." Nigel replied, "Your task for the greater good is now to help Kolopak."
"Who's protecting Daphne?" Prue asked.
"Come forth, my friend." Nigel replied.
Bahrat stepped forward, from the nearby alleyway. "The innocent is mine to protect."
"Nigel, honestly I'd feel better if I knew that Bahrat..." Prue began.
"You worry my powers may not be strong enough to protect the innocent..." Bahrat replied as he levitated himself, sitting in midair.
"Would you care for a small demonstration?" Nigel asked.
"I'd feel better if I knew that a powerful witch protecting Daphne and her unborn baby." Prue replied.
"I'll take that as a yes." Nigel replied, and took a match from his pocket, striking it.
Bahrat gestured with his hand and sent a long stream of fire flying down the alleyway, stopping it short of the nearest wall.
"Bahrat's power is pyrokinesis, the power to move fire." Nigel explained.
"I know what it is." Prue replied.
"Satisfied?" Nigel asked.
"Yes." Prue replied, "Look, Nigel, I have to be going..."
"A young man taken in the prime of life. He gave his life for those he loved." Father Caldwell began, his eulogy for Lieutenant York, "Gallant to the end, he died defending Mayapore..."
The service concluded and the pallbearers, members of the Mayapore Indian Constabulary bore the casket solemnly out of the chapel. Godfrey stood in the line of mourners paying their condolences to the York family.
As Prue took her walk, she could see the church doors opening and the procession of a funeral walking out. I've seen my share of those. Including my own. Prue thought to herself. She walked closer to the edge of the crowd, and saw Godfrey approaching the grieving couple who had to be the parents of the deceased.
"My condolences, sir." Godfrey said, shaking hands with Kenneth York, the grieving father.
"Thank you, Mr. Godfrey." York replied.
"Ma'am," Godfrey replied, approaching Mrs. York, "My..."
Godfrey felt the shock more than the sting of the slap. The short, plump Mrs. York's eyes were bleary and bloodshot from much crying, "You promised me that you'd look after my son when he joined the Constabulary Service! You promised you'd take care of him!"
Godfrey felt the urge to grab and shake the woman and shouting his thoughts. How can someone expect to look after another person on a battlefield. I had sixty-one other men to worry about aside from your son! He fought that down, barely.
As the crowd headed for the cemetery, Prue followed, catching up to Godfrey. "You don't have to go." Prue said to him.
"I owe it to them." Godfrey replied.
"After that?" Prue asked.
"Yes." Godfrey replied, "It's my duty..."
"Godfrey, for crying out loud, you're not welcome there." Prue replied.
"It's still my duty to go." Godfrey replied.
"Look, I've got to find Daphne and..." Prue replied.
"...I'll inform her at the burial, she'll be there too." Godfrey replied.
"There's an important piece of news I want to tell her." Prue replied.
"Alright." Godfrey replied, "She'll be at the burial as well."
"We've got a burial party to catch." Prue replied.
At the cemetery, everyone stood as three volleys were fired by the riflemen as Lieutenant York was laid to rest with full honors. Daphne Manners spotted both of them and walked over, feeling faint as she did so. Prue ran over to her side catching her right arm. Godfrey followed a couple seconds later, catching Daphne's left side.
"Are you alright?" Godfrey asked.
"I'm fine." Daphne replied, "I've just not been feeling well of late."
"You're pregnant." Prue stated.
"What?" Daphne replied, "How did you know that?"
"Dr. Poole told us." Godfrey lied.
"Please, don't tell anyone else." Daphne replied, "The consequences for me..."
"We won't." Godfrey replied.
Just then, Mrs. York walked up to them, "May you die on the front, Godfrey." she hissed angrily, "May you fail yourself the way you failed my son!"
"Mrs. York," Daphne said, "Mr. Godfrey helped fight to protect our town..."
"Silence you!" Mrs. York replied, spitting, "I can't believe that you are carrying a half-breed child! You should remove that abomination from your womb at the earliest opportunity."
Prue lost it just then, "Listen you! I'm sorry that your son died. I'm sorry you have to grieve. I know you're feeling angry. But to blame Godfrey for all this is ridiculous!"
"Proper ladies always deferred to their betters when I was growing up." Mrs. York replied, "And never went out at night alone."
The woman stalked off and Prue said to Godfrey, "Look, I'm going over to the Morrowind and get the lay of everything after I drop Daphne off at Lady Chatterjee's."
"I'll meet you there." Godfrey replied, "I'd best get my affairs in order."
In an unknown location, in a room lit only by the glow of a crystal ball atop a table surrounded by a gathering of several people.
"How did Mayapore hold out against the might of the Heartless?" Oogie Boogie, a fellow that resembled a stitched up burlap sack with eyes, nose, and mouth, asked.
"Such an insignificant little outpost of Britain should not have been able to ward off an assault." Jafar agreed.
"The Allies have been a thorn in our side, stalling our takeover of worlds, driving off assaults, recapturing some worlds..." Hades replied.
"Our drive into India was stalled by this." Jafar replied.
"What of this latest threat? This witch that appeared in Mayapore?" The Wicked Queen asked.
"Pfeh!" Oogie Boogie spat, "One witch can't possibly be a threat."
"Yeah." Hades agreed, "What makes you think that a witch can be a problem?"
"Remember the fact that Mayapore should have been an easy conquest." the Wicked Queen added.
"But she is but one witch." Jafar said, "She faces more dark magic than she realizes..."
"She is one of the Charmed Ones." the Wicked Queen replied.
"The power of three was destroyed by the death of Prue Halliwell." Oogie Boogie replied, "The Charmed Ones are no threat without this power of three."
"You forget that a fourth sister exists. Paige Matthews." Jafar replied.
"The power is weaker." Oogie Boogie insisted.
"But it has the potential to grow stronger." Jafar argued.
"That may be true," the Wicked Queen replied, "But our more immediate threat is this Prue Halliwell."
"One witch?" Hades said, skeptically, "This whole meeting was called over one witch?"
A new voice interrupted, it belonged to a tall woman wearing a long black cape, with a headdress consisting of two black horns, "Ladies and gentlemen. I believe that Prue Halliwell is the subject of this meeting."
"Maleficent, may I ask why this meeting was called over a mere witch?" Oogie Boogie argued.
"As was said before, Oogie Boogie." The Wicked Queen bristled, "She is no mere witch. She is one of the Charmed Ones."
Jafar stepped in and said, "Our most immediate threat is Prue Halliwell. Especially if she meets Sora and his party. Many powerful demons from her world were destroyed by she and her sisters."
"Never underestimate the power of good witches." Maleficent replied, "Hades, you don't seem worried..."
"I'm not." Hades said, "To fight an enemy of any sort, we have to know her weaknesses. I did some snooping around and I think I might have the perfect lure..."
Hades produced an object just the size of an overlarge marble that glowed a faint yellow. "I believe a certain soul is what she seeks..."
"Her heart is our way in." Maleficent said, "Excellent, Hades."
Prue walked into the club, she had asked for Godfrey to meet her at seven-thirty that night. It was 8 PM and there was no sign of him. She asked one of his constables and they told her that was where he could be found. She saw him sitting at the bar, his cap underneath the stool and the top button of his olive green shirt unbuttoned. A shot glass was nestled between his hands.
Prue approached the bar, purposefully, "There's nothing here for me now." Godfrey replied, "For years I served these people and they repay me with ingratitude..."
"Are you drunk?" Prue replied, "Wait, don't answer that."
Prue gestured to Mr. Chaudhuri not to give him another shot. "Don't bother, I just bought the whole bottle."
"This isn't the Godfrey I remember." Prue replied.
"Well, I've had the final straw." Godfrey replied, "A town I've loyally served and protected has chosen to ostracize me almost entirely. There's nothing for me now."
"There are other worlds out there Godfrey, you know that." Prue replied, "There's so much out there, maybe it's time for you to move on."
"Oh well, bollocks to them, I'm off to the Morrowind." Godfrey replied, standing up shakily.
"At least you can walk this time." Prue quipped.
"I may have had one or two too many. But something tells me I'll feel this tomorrow."
"I told you whiskey wasn't your poison." Prue replied as they headed out of town to the Morrowind.
TBC