Hey there! Its Sarra again! I have decided to post this next chapter along with the first, because 3 day weekends are good writing huh? Anyways, I would really appreciate some reviews, and if you think that the story is horrible, let me know! But however, please do not say that I am a horrible writer. Not only does it go against the protocol of Fan Fiction, it just makes the author feel bad. So, anyways, here goes the second chapter of Gods, Godesses, and Magical Mayhem.
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Sarra led Percy and Annabeth through the dirty streets of Corus to the royal palace. The streets were filled with muck and waste, but Percy and Annabeth never complained. After a good half-hour walk they arrived at the gates to the palace. Gordom, the man-at-arms stationed at the front gate nodded his head in reverence to Sarra. She nodded back, knowing that Percy and Annabeth must be wondering why Gordom was so…almost respectful to her. Sarra had been told the story of Percy and Annabeth's life pretty much, but had failed to give the two the rundown of her stature at the palace. They had no sooner walked into one of the main courtyards when a little black-haired boy of about 10 years of age came running to Sarra.
"Sarra Sarra there you are!" he shrieked. He was about to give Sarra a hug before he noticed Percy and Annabeth standing there. "Who are you?" he asked "and why are your clothes so funny?"
Sarra let out a small laugh. "It's fine, Rikash. This is Percy and Annabeth. I met them in the woods. Percy, Annabeth, this is my little brother, Rikash." Rikash had turned silent, and shy. Sarra nudged her brother. "Shake their hands and be friendly, Rikash. Da will be upset at you if you don't be polite to them." She watched as Rikash shook first Percy's hand, and then Annabeth's. "Speaking of, where is Da?" Rikash pointed to one of the many towers of the castle. "His workroom?" Rikash nodded, and then scampered off. "Mithros," Sarra muttered to herself. "He certainly didn't get my social skills."
"So," Annabeth said as the trio walked into the innards of the castle. "We are currently going to see your dad, who has a workshop?"
"Yes," Sarra replied "but it's not necessecarily a workshop. It's more of a workroom. He does many of his experemints in there." When her words were met with confused stares, Sarra sped up her words to explain. "He used to be the most powerful mage in the kingdom, remember what a mage is?" Two heads nodded simultaneously. "but even though he isn't the most powerful mage anymore, he still works on experiments with his magic in his workroom. His name is Numair, but he used to be Arram Draper, and…" Sarra stopped talking abruptly. "I'm rambling aren't I?"
"You are, Sarra," Percy answered "but that is OK." He nudged Annabeth's arm "'cuz Wise Girl over here doesn't talk in words I understand, whereas you do."
"But don't listen to Seaweed Brain," Annabeth jumped in "He's full of kelp. But who is the most powerful person in the kingdom now? Because I can just imagine people that have that magic roaming the streets of New York City. That's scary enough to think of." As she spoke, Annabeth noticed Sarra's darker complexion growing paler.
"It's me," Sarra whispered, her voice hardly audible. "technically speaking I'm the most powerful mage. But Da won't teach me all he knows, because he thinks im too young to know of these things. Anyways, his workroom is just a few flights above us, we might want to get out of the hallway." As they had been speaking, the three had stopped in a hallway crowded with nobility. Sarra opened a door, and started to climb up a flight of narrow, twisting steps.
"Is this really the fastest way up to his room?" Percy asked "It's really dark and crowded in here."
"Nonsense," Sarra replied. "Compared to the secret hallway in my room, this is like the Great Hall."
Finaly, after a few mintes of climbing, Sarra pushed on the wall, and it gave way into a small, dimly lit corridor. Percy and Annabeth followed her down the hall where she promply knocked on a wooden door.
"I'm busy," called a man's voice through the door "If you are a page, seek me out during break time tomorrow. If you are Jon, then come in. if not, I have no desire to speak with you. Goodbye." Sarra ignored the voice and walked on in. Percy and Annabeth followed.
A man was facing the other side of the room in a large velvet chair. There were papers and half-finished inventions spread out all over the room. The man rose up out of his chair, and turned to face them. To say the least, he was tall. He looked to be about six and a half feet tall, and had a crop of unruly black hair. His complexion was dark, and he had a slightly long nose. Despite his size and commanding air about him, his eyes were a soft, dark brown that seemed to show he had a kind personality. "Hello, Sarra," he said addressing his daughter. He then turned to Percy and Annabeth "and who might you two be?"
"Percy Jackson," Percy replied "and this is my friend Annabeth Chase."
The man shook both of their hands. "I am Numair Salmalin, Sarra's father. Now, you two look a little…unfamiliar. Your clothes are unusual. What country are you from?"
Sarra touvhed her father's arm lightly. "Well, you see, Da. You know your theory about wormholes…"
(A/N: I am leaving out the entire discussion about Percy and Annabeth telling where they are from just for the sake of time. They also explain about their parents, and how there are more gods, not just the ones that Sarra has grown up used to. Sarra and Numair also explain about their gods, and how their two worlds are different.)
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Percy and Annabeth both followed Sarra out of the workroom and down the corrider into a hallway that looked more civilized than the one they had used earlier. After lots of twists and turns and many different hallways, Sarra finally halted outside of a certain door thathad an intricate family shield on it. "These will be your rooms while you are here with us," Sarra began, slipping her hands over the wood, leading it tp open up without her even touching the doorknob. "There are two beds in here, and although the rooms are quite small, you have two bedchambers in this room," Sarra guestured to the left adjacent door "and to the right you have a small sitting area. It's the best we could do on short notice. Lots of nobles have decided to spend midsummer here, and so there are lots of people taking up rooms."
Annabeth looked around the room. It was small, but it was quaint, and very expensive looking. "It's fine, but I don't see how it is the 'best you could do on short notice.' Everything is so beautiful in here! I would like to see what you could do if you were notified."
Sarra looked pleased. "Im glad you two thnk so. And the door right outside the main door of these rooms to the right is my home. You can't miss it. ut has our family shield on it, except it's carved out and inlaid with paints. Do you need anyting?" she asked the duo.
Percy had already sat himself down on the couch. "I'm fine," he said, except that it is a little drafty in here."
Annabeth rolled her eyes before speaking to Sarra. "He seems to think anything out of the water is cold, although it snows every winter where we live. You would think he would get used to it."
"I understand," Sarra told Percy, "It snows here during the winter too, and I always am freezing." She glanced over at the fireplace and the logs in the hearth burst into flames.
"Wow," Annabeth said, already marveling at the power that Sarra had, having previously witnessed it during the Stormmwing attack. "I'd like to see what you could do in a war or some fight."
Sarra instantly grew rigid, like she was afraid of speaking too much suddenly. "No, you don't," she said quietly. "may Mithros bless you so that you may never have to witness me fight." And with that she exited the room, the main door closing behind her.
Out in the hallway Sarra paused before going into her family's quarters. She wasn't sure exactly what to think of Percy and Annabeth. She thought it was wonderful how Anabeth's mother was actually a goddess of wisdom. Although Sarra had never been wise and cautious in anything, it was a quality she wished she had. Sarra opened the door and walked into her quarters, glad that the sitting room was warm, and that nobody was yet home. Percy was the more interesting of the two, however. His father was Pos-something. She couldn't quite remember his name, but he was the god of the sea. Sarra thought that was amazing. She had always loved the sea. The sea and the ftrest were some of her favorite places to think. Sarra had also been born by the sea at Pirates Swoop. Numair had always said that wherever a person was born, they always held some connection to it. For those with the magical Gift, they would sometimes be able to manipulate the landscape. In Sarra's case, she could change some of the currents to fit her needs. She had used that power once to help a dolphin get out of a cove during low tide a few years ago. Sarra had always thought that anyone with the Gift could do such things, but one of her father's friends, Lindhall Reed had somehow convinced her otherwise.
As sarra sat there by the fireplace, her mind wandered to all the differences between Percy and Annabeth compared with the pople in Tortall. Sarra wondered if the three of them would ever have any adventures together. Probably not. She decided. Most likely they will one day disappear back to their homeland and I will never hear from them again. They will probably be gone sometime soon and my life will go back to normal.
Sarralyn Salmalin had no idea how wrong she was.