"So," Sirius said after everyone had appeared on the Lorena side of the wormhole, "I think we can all Apparate there, aside from Hermione and Mage Sari." He looked at the Achnid in their party. "Mage, what is your last name? I feel awkward addressing you by your first."
"Chinsen," Sari replied. "I appreciate the formality." She didn't expect to be on informal terms with any of them until she had been on Lorena for longer than ten seconds. She knew they didn't really trust her, even though she'd taken the Unbreakable Vow, and she didn't really trust them either.
"Mage Chinsen, if you will consent to Cally's Apparating you to the Bernien headquarters?" Sirius asked. He knew the Preliums wouldn't like it if they brought Sari straight to the Prelium building. Not that it was any secret as to where their meetings were held – what was more of a secret was the wards and so on surrounding the building. They wanted to keep that part to themselves as much as possible, and Sirius would have to tell Chinsen about the wards if he wanted her to help them in that endeavor. No, it was best if he kept her out of the loop altogether.
He looked at Cally and glanced down at his hand. She got the message and watched as he used the special sign-language their team had developed. They'd built it off of what the Berniens used on missions when they weren't under their invisibility cloaks. From the simple 'go left' and 'go right' or 'stay here' of the mission signing, they'd added 'Don't trust' and 'he's crazy'. Essentially the team could have an entire conversation with just their hands. Right now, he was telling Cally that he didn't trust Chinsen – a tap of the index finger on the thumb – and to keep an eye on her – an enclosed fist with the thumb tucked inwards.
She blinked once to show she understood, signaling that she'd be in her office with Sari at headquarters. "Let's go, Sari." She gripped the woman's shoulder, and with the Achnid's nod the two Apparated away.
"Alright. Now that Chinsen isn't here, let's go to the Prelium courthouse." He gripped Hermione's shoulder and waited until the others had Apparated before Apparating himself and his friend just outside of the Prelium building.
When they reappeared, Hermione was blown away by the size of the building they now stood in front of. It was easily as big as Sirius had described, and just as imposing as she'd imagined it. The building looked like a giant rook, not too dissimilar from the Lovegood residence. The only differences she could see were the facts that the building was about twice as tall and made of deep brown bricks instead of black. A pair of double-handle doors marked the only visible entrance to the fortress. This entrance was guarded by two men dressed in long brown robes.
Looking about, she spotted Marcus and Kleit to her left, while Sirius remained on her right. Marcus was striding up to the entrance to talk with the guards. As he discussed their business there and validated who he was with a Wizard's Oath, Hermione thought of what she'd seen exchanged between Sirius and Cally. He'd obviously been telling her something with his hands, though what it could have been she had no idea. Before she got the chance to ask him, Marcus strode back over to the three he'd left behind. He looked at Hermione and said, "You will need to register your wand with the guards, but they will let you in. Provided, of course, that you swear a Wizard's Oath to validate your identity."
Hermione nodded, understanding. "That's no problem. Let's go." Sirius and Kleit checked in, and the guards had Hermione give a Wizard's Oath that she was who she said she was. They also asked Hermione for her wand. One spouted off the core, the length, and the wood of the wand while the other one wrote down the information onto a piece of parchment. When they were done the parchment disappeared, and the guards let Hermione, Marcus, Sirius, and Kleit into the building.
The first floor was a large, circular room decked in goldish-browns. The tile floor looked like some first year had thrown paint splotches over it during a roughhouse session. On either side of the room were two spiraling stairwells leading to the higher levels of the building. They were five feet across and were lined with golden brown handrails. Hermione figured that the smaller stairwells Sirius had been talking about would appear on the higher floors.
At this point, Marcus turned towards his companions and said, "I will now Apparate ahead of everyone and brief the other Preliums on the situation." He left them standing on the first floor.
Marcus rematerialized at the Apparation point on the top floor of the building, extremely happy that he didn't have to walk up all those stairs. Very few Lorenians had the right to Apparate within the Prelium tower. He now stood in front of two oak doors, decorated elaborately with patterns of leaves and other flora.
Before opening the door, Marcus reviewed their situation in his mind, and what he would respond to each of the questions the Preliums would ask. He knew them all well, or at least well enough to predict what they would say and do. He imagined the room, where each person would be sitting, and put the words they would say in their mouths.
Ersa Balkror of Tralla would sit on the far left of the arch. She was an intense witch, firm in her beliefs and her works. She would get all the information she could out of him before voicing an opinion on the matter. If Balkror had been educated at Brooklan, Marcus was sure she'd have been a Sorcien.
To Balkror's right would be Wallis Endu of Darben. He was a slimy character that Marcus didn't like very much. Wallis was educated in Darben's school of magic, but he'd have been a Sorcien, too. Except, unlike Balkror, Endu was more of the cunning and ambitious type than the curious. He'd try to discredit what Marcus was saying, undermine Marcus's authority.
Coreil's Prelium, Rehs Maren, was about as different from Endu as one could get. Where Endu would plot and scheme against Marcus, Maren would work for him and help his cause. Rehs would have definitely been a Harien if he'd attended Brooklan. Marcus knew he could count on Rehs's support.
Netra Yatuli was Ethilia's Prelium. She was only four feet tall, but her heart was bigger than any he'd ever met. She was generous, kind, caring – essentially everything her political opponents scoffed at. Netra was fiercly loyal to Lorena, but especially to Ethilia. The fact that Darien had betrayed Lorena would not sit well with her, and Marcus was sure she'd side with him in his call for action.
Gregory Starslite of Frigia was one of Endu's allies. Marcus knew the cold, serious man would think his chances of gaining political power would be best by Endu's side. To him, Marcus was weak, far too headstrong for his own good. Starslite reminded Marcus of his father, who'd often said the same thing to him. No, Starslite wouldn't be in favor of a battle.
Marcus next considered Rux Bentel, the Prelium of Opherxies. Rux was another who would have been a Harien. He had been a Bernien of Opherxies, and, like Yatuli, Marcus was positive the fact that a Bernien had betrayed his people wouldn't sit well with the Opherxian.
Marcus didn't even need to think about what side Onya Betreck, Zard's Prelium, would take. She was practically a sister to Maggie. Maggie's family was very close to the Betreck family; in fact, Maggie's mother and Onya's mother were sisters. Onya would listen to his tale, and then trust Marcus's judgment in the final vote.
Now the Yukari and Biundi Preliums were unknown factors. Both cities put big emphasis on Seer prophecies, especially those of Merlin. Both Yukari's Densu Jikara and Biundi's Setma Kish were not exactly Marcus's political allies. Sometimes they sided with Endu and his crowd, and other times they sided with him. He was sure once Sirius got there to tell of his role in this whole mess, they would follow him to the grave.
Marcus pushed the door open and stepped into the room. He thanked his lucky stars that everyone was there already and no one had taken a day off. Marcus needed six votes to get the alliance approved, eight to get the battle approved. Counting the votes as he expected them to go, he knew he would get the alliance approved; no one in their right mind, when presented with true Brotherworlders, would refuse such an alliance. The battle, though, was another story. Marcus thought he could convince Maren, Betreck, Yatuli, and possibly Bentel to vote his way. Sirius could probably swing Jikara and Kish their way. That meant he had seven of the eight necessary votes for approval. Balkror was the only one he wasn't sure of. The woman normally strayed from war, but he might be able to convince her of the need for this battle with Sirius's help.
"So glad you could join us, Ventrius." Endu sneered from his seat near Balkror. "We were about ready to begin."
"Hold your tongue, Endu." Marcus warned. "You are not Prolium." He stepped up to the podium one used to address the Prelium Court. "Today, my fellow leaders, I come to you with news both good and bad. Darien Doren has betrayed Lorena to the Achnid and Wraith."
"What?" Yatuli screeched, outraged. Bentel's eyes grew cold and dangerous. "Achnid and Wraith, did you say?"
Marcus nodded once. "They have partnered together. Machien Forst was taken hostage, along with Cally Derv. She has since escaped and provided us with a valuable spy within the Achnid Empire. But more about that later." He moved in front of the podium.
"Is that your good news, Ventrius?" Starslite questioned him. "That one of the two hostages escaped? How did this happen?" The others started nodding in agreement.
"Certus Calhoun and his team were sent to infiltrate the Achnid/Wraith base. On Doren's watch, the traitor helped capture two of his teammates. Certus and Kleit barely escaped with their lives." Marcus explained. "They shall be arriving shortly with a… guest, a diplomat from another group fighting the Wraith. She will wish to forge an alliance with us."
"What has she that we do not?" Jikara asked suspiciously. "We have been able to hold our own before now."
"Before now the Wraith and Achnid forces were separated." Bentel countered, speaking for the first time. "Trust me when I say that together they will be much more difficult to defeat." He seemed to be almost shaking in anger, probably over the betrayal of the Bernien to Lorena's enemies.
"You spoke of good news, Marcus." Betreck pointed out with a look towards Starslite. "What is the good news? This new diplomat and her people?"
"She is part of it." Marcus said. "But first I must explain primarily why I am here. Not long after Certus and Kleit came to see me, Darien's Patronus entered the room. It told us that we had five days until the Achnid Empire was upon Lorena."
"How do we stop them? What did they want?" Kish demanded.
"Myself and Calhoun," Marcus answered smoothly. "With the help of this diplomat's people, I have no doubt we can head off an attack on Lorena."
"Who exactly are these people you speak of, Ventrius?" Balkror asked, her blue eyes narrowing slightly. "You talk as if they can solve all of our problems. What have they that we do not?"
Marcus knew he couldn't wait any longer before explaining who Hermione's people were. The others were growing weary of his dodging questions. "They live in the Ancestral City of Atlantis, but they are not of the Ancestors."
"Who are they, then? And what right do they have to the Ancestral City?" Kish asked sharply. "The Ancestral City has been lost to us for thousands of years."
"They rediscovered it, Kish." Marcus said. "Their people have been slowly rebuilding it and repairing it. They have fought the Wraith and won several times."
"Who are they, Ventrius?" Endu asked, annoyed. "You have yet to tell us who they are."
He eyed Endu and smiled evilly. "They are Brotherworlders. And we have found our Protector."
That got everyone's attention. Balkror, Endu, Starslite, Jikara, and Kish wanted proof. Bentel was silent, thinking. Maren, Betreck and Yatuli were shocked, but offered no protest to his statement. Those three trusted his word exclusively. If he told them the sky was falling, they'd believe it.
"You have no evidence to show us." Balkror declared. "You cannot prove what you say is true."
"Balkror is right, Ventrius. We can't know for certain that what they say is true." Starslite agreed. "How foolish to expect us to take your word for it."
"His word is better than yours, Starslite." Maren growled, rising from his seat.
Marcus put a placating hand up, telling Maren to remain where he was. "That was not necessary, Maren." He gave the man an exasperated look, but didn't even attempt to hide his smile from him.
The sound of the oak doors slowly opening silenced the hall. Marcus turned, grinning at his companions. "Perfect timing, Certus. My esteemed colleagues were just informing me that they found my expectations of them foolish."
"What were your expectations, Marcus?" Sirius played along, smirking back at his friend and crossing his arms. He stopped halfway to the podium.
"That they would trust me." Marcus answered. "Now we must waste valuable time proving to them that what I say is true."
"Shame. Though I'm not entirely surprised." Sirius commented, walking the rest of the way to the podium. "Where were you?" Kleit and Hermione were close behind him.
"I had just told them of our new friends from Earth, and the fact that we now have our Protector." Marcus answered. "I have not filled in the rest of the details yet."
"Who is this, Marcus?" Endu motioned towards Hermione. "She is not someone I recognize."
"If you listened, Endu," Bentel snarled, "then you would realize that she is the diplomat of the Brotherworlders."
"She can't be. She looks Lorenian. Possibly from Tara, even." Starslite declared, peering at Hermione. "Though what she is wearing I have no clue."
Hermione decided that her time to introduce herself had come. "I am Hermione Granger, and what Marcus has told you is true: I represent a group of people from Earth living in the Pegasus Galaxy. We wish to fight with you against the Wraith and the Achnid." She ignored the comment about her outfit, not wishing to alienate anyone from their cause. "I'm prepared to do anything you require of me to prove who I am."
Silence. No one quite knew what to say to that. Bentel spoke first. "Do you have evidence to support your claim?"
Hermione nodded. "I do. I am a witch, so any magical means to prove myself are acceptable. Veritaserum, a Pensieve, an Oath, whatever you like."
"Veritaserum." Endu demanded, making a small vial of the potion and its antidote appear from thin air. Hermione figured he'd known where both objects were and had simply summoned them.
"Before she takes that," Marcus interrupted, "we should discuss what we're going to ask her."
"Why?" Endu questioned. "We should just get it over with."
"Because if we don't ask the right questions," Bentel turned towards him, "then she can get out of it quicker. That and by the way you're acting I doubt Marcus trusts you enough to stop at the information you need to know."
"I move that Bentel does the questioning," Kish said, with a quick second from Jikara. Bentel nodded to his colleagues while Endu sputtered in outrage.
Endu's face was growing red. "That's out of order."
"A motion like that is never out of order, especially when it has to do with the business we're dealing with." Marcus disagreed. "All those in favor?" A chorus of Ayes showed that only two – Endu and Starslite – voted against the motion. "I think it's safe to say the motion passes. Bentel will question Ms. Granger." He walked forward and picked up the Veritaserum while Bentel moved out from behind the table the Preliums occupied.
"What do we need to know?" Yatuli asked her colleagues. "Obviously full name and place of birth."
"How she got here." Endu added.
"Why she's here." Jikara said simply.
"Whether or not her people truly live in the Ancestral City." Maren contributed. Betreck nodded her agreement.
"And if she knows who the Protector is; if that's a yes, then ask for his name." Kish said thoughtfully. The addition wasn't surprising to Marcus, Sirius, or Kleit, all of whom knew Kish and Jikara's fascination with the old prophecies.
"I will formulate the questions as I see fit." Bentel declared. "Remember that I was trained in interrogation with Veritaserum – I know its effects, and I can tell when someone's getting around them." He said that both as a warning to Hermione, who merely nodded, and as a placatory statement for his colleagues who'd wanted Endu to interrogate her. Truth be told, all of the Preliums realized that, aside from Marcus himself, Bentel was the best qualified to lead the interrogation.
Once handed the vial of Veritaserum, Hermione swallowed it in a single gulp. She immediately felt the potion take effect and knew from the books she'd read on the subject that her eyes were clouded over at the moment.
Bentel looked directly at her and asked, "What is your full name?"
"Hermione Jean Granger."
"Where were you born?"
"London, England." Endu started shuffling his feet – it wasn't a town any of them knew, so she hadn't been born on Lorena and she hadn't grown up in Tara as he'd suspected.
"That isn't a town we recognize. What planet are you from?"
"Earth." This caused more of a stir from the other Preliums. Jikara and Kish's jaws were both slackened, their eyes wide. Maren, Yatuli, and Betreck were all nodding in satisfaction. Endu and Starslite were livid. They both believed that there was some sort of mistake.
"Why are your people in the Pegasus Galaxy?" Bentel asked next.
"We wish to explore the City of Atlantis and the rest of Pegasus." Hermione answered smoothly.
Bentel looked towards Maren. "That answers your question, I think, but I'll ask it anyways." He turned back to Hermione. "Do your people live in Atlantis?"
"Those of us in the Pegasus Galaxy live in Atlantis. The rest of us live on Earth."
Bentel inclined his head towards her. "Why are you, specifically, here on Lorena?"
"I am here to offer an alliance with the people of Earth to the people of Lorena." Hermione said clearly.
"And why do you want to offer such an alliance?"
"My superiors have asked me to offer it."
Bentel frowned, suspicious. "But you do not believe in having an alliance with us?"
"I fully believe an alliance would be a good thing for both our worlds."
"Why?"
"There's a saying on Earth that goes 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend'. Your people and my people are both enemies to the Wraith and all who choose to partner with them. We could help each other in our goal to stop the Wraith from overtaking the galaxy." Hermione elaborated.
"And she's done." Sirius declared, worried about what they'd ask next. They were finishing the agreed-upon questions and he was concerned that Bentel would start fishing for information they didn't need, information that Hermione could tell them of her own free will.
"No, she's not." Kish disagreed. "She still has a few more questions yet."
"He's right, Calhoun." Bentel confirmed. "We've yet to discover who the Protector is."
Sirius threw up his hands in defeat. "Fine. Ask her that, but don't ask her anything more. She can explain further after you give her the antidote."
"Sounds like someone has something to hide." Endu commented to Sirius. "What are you playing at?"
Sirius glared at Endu, but Marcus backed him off. "Certus is simply concerned for Ms. Granger's privacy, that is all. He has had poor experiences with misusing Veritaserum in the past."
"If I can continue?" Bentel asked impatiently. His feet were nearly numb for standing so long. "Let us finish this." The others agreed, and he went on. "Are you aware of Merlin's prophecy concerning the Protector?"
"Yes, I am." Hermione confirmed.
"Do you know who the Protector of Lorena is?"
"Yes." She declared. Kish and Jikara were nearly fainting now. The Protector had arrived! There was no way they wouldn't vote for an alliance with the Brotherworld if the Protector was involved.
Bentel shot a glance at his colleagues, who nodded him on. He looked towards Sirius and Marcus, who both waved him forward. "Would those of us in this room know who the Protector is?"
"Yes."
"What is the Protector's name?"
"He has two full names." Hermione said, causing Sirius' eyes to shoot upwards in surprise. He must really be more of a Lorenian than he thought he was, but he obviously hadn't quite given up his Earthly heritage yet.
"Do different people know him by different names?"
"Yes."
"Then tell us the name that the Lorenians would know him by." She remained silent, so Bentel rephrased his statement. "What is the name the Lorenians would know him by?"
"Certus Calhoun."
A/N: Yes, I do realize I'm terribly evil for leaving it at that spot, and I do know that it is a cliffhanger. I simply couldn't resist, especially considering that I'll be updating again over the weekend. Thanks for reading and please review!