Disclaimer --- While I do wish that I had a hand in writing up the Tortallan universe, we all know that the ever-fabulous Tamora Pierce was its sole creator. So yeah, I don't own these characters. At all.

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Chapter 2
Changes

There was no end to the amethyst glare that Alanna was now giving to the two men with her. "I don't suppose they could just take the time to explain what we're all supposed to be doing here."

"I suppose not," Numair scratched his head and looked out again, whistling. "Well, this is quite grand, if I do say so myself."

"Unbelievable! You don't seem to be phased by all this?!"

Numair's eyes narrowed. "It's not really my place to question the gods, Lioness. Remember, I've only just escaped captivity by someone who thinks of himself as a god. Questioning the real ones would no doubt be worse."

"I am just wondering," George interjected, snapping Alanna out of her rage. "Why are all of us here? I mean, I don't mind bein' able to keep an eye on my wife, but if this is a competition between the Chosen of certain gods…"

"I don't suppose I would know that. Truthfully, you and I shouldn't be here, George," Numair replied.

"The Lioness needs friends to help her, no?" a figure materialized beside Numair. "Besides, as wonderfully skilled as any of the gods' Chosen are, they're going to need a lot of help up here."

"Thom!"

The demi-god bowed. His purple eyes twinkled with laughter. "Funny seeing you here, sis. I was hoping I wouldn't get to until, oh…your mortal life actually ended."

"Funny," even with the slight agitation she felt from being yanked out of the mortal world, she still had to smile after seeing her twin. "You're doing well, at least."

"Well enough," he hugged her and turned to the men near her sister. "Now, George, I've got to speak to you in a moment. Privately. And Arram, I believe the rules have now changed since I last spoke to you."

Numair looked quizzically at his mentor. "Oh?"

"It seems that the Great Mother and Mithros have allied themselves with each other. "Expect to be working closely with Mithros' Chosen as well."

There was a sinking feeling in Alanna's stomach. "Mithros only lavishes his favors on the Crown of Tortall. You can't mean…"

Incoming! George stepped out of the way.

With a slight thud, an all too familiar figure clumsily materialized where the baron had been standing. Numair sighed. "I think you're right, Alanna."

"What in the mortal realms am I doing in Pirate's Swoop?"

"Immortal realms," Numair replied, helping the King of Tortall on his feet. "Hello, Highness."

George shook his head. Things truly were going to get interesting from now on, with two of Tortall's most important figures kidnapped by the gods.

"Alanna, George...Numair!" the Tortallan king was perplexed. "What's the meaning of this?"

King Jonathan's champion jabbed Numair in the stomach. "Ask the expert here. I am not amused."

Thom and Numair exchanged looks. The demi-god began his explanation and was interrupted when a silver mist rolled from outside and into the room. As the mist condensed to form a sort of shape, the figure of a woman emerged, white eyes burning with power. Alanna's brother took a deep bow. "My goddess."

The woman kept her gaze at Thom. "There are tests to be had, Chosen. For that I make you mortal."

"Wait," Thom's head snapped back up. "Who are you using as the connector?"

"Your closest kin," Shakith's gaze moved towards the lady knight.

Alanna's brother paled. "No, goddess—"

"It has been decided." Silver mist covered the goddess' body once more and slowly dissipated out of the room. The room's occupants watched in silence until no trace of the mist could be seen.

George frowned. "Thom, what did you mean about connectors?"

Thom turned to the former Rogue with a grim expression. "If I die again, my closest kin goes down with me. Ancient divine magic calls for the use of a 'connector' in order for a god to pass by into the mortal world. Should the god's mortal body be destroyed, the connector's body will also perish."

Jon and George had jumped towards Thom with the hope of wringing the rest of the information out of him. Alanna was faster, however, and all they saw was the little woman's hand quickly coming down towards Thom's cheek. "You...and your gods...need to stop playing with my life as they see fit!"

"Look," Thom nursed his wounded skin. "This was not my idea! Do you honestly think I want you to leave the mortal realms now? It's too soon for that!"

"You idiot!" Alanna clenched her fists and took a deep breath. Her twin prepared for a more serious injury.

"Enough, Alanna," Numair said gently, placing himself in front of Thom. "If you kill him now, your life's over too. He's most likely mortal now, if he's already feeling your physical wrath."

George held Alanna around the shoulders protectively. "And this is why the dead should stay so. Nothing ever comes out well from it."

Tortall's king turned his attention to the balcony. "This is a mess. Do we know exactly why our lives are being toyed with now?"

The lady knight rolled her eyes. "We should probably start moving. If you have noticed, we're all unarmed. There has to be something around this Swoop replica that we can use to defend ourselves."

"Oh, besides using our Gifts?" George was still glaring at Thom.

"George, stop fretting," the baron's wife said, freeing herself from his hold. "We can cover more ground if we split up for now."

"Good. I'm staying with you, then," George Cooper nodded his head at the Lioness. "And so is Thom. I have no choice but to keep him alive as well."

Alanna, however, had other plans. She smiled. "I trust you will keep Thom alive, love. That's why I'm going with Numair and Jon. Numair and I can't stay with Thom, it would be pointless if we can't communicate with each other. No, you're better off with him."

George was about to protest. "And Jon's not leaving my sight. If I do die, the king of Tortall needs to get back to the mortal realms."

"She's right, George," Numair replied. "Thom and I are better off apart, we can communicate easily that way. And Thom's connector should probably be elsewhere, I'm actually not sure if the reverse happens if Thom is killed."

"Nor am I," Thom said sullenly.

The baron of Pirate's Swoop groaned. He hated this arrangement. After both groups parted ways, George grabbed Thom's wrist and gave him a warning growl. "You better make sure you use your magic to keep yourself alive at all costs. I'm not about to lose a wife so soon."

The sorcerer stared at his twin's spouse. "Honestly, Cooper, do you think I'd be happy to see my sister as a permanent fixture in the Immortal Realms? Believe me, it's not my intention. No, she's going to die of a ripe old age in the mortal world."

"I hope you're right, Thom," George eased his grip and walked alongside his brother-in-law. And he prayed that the gods weren't that brutal.

Prepare yourself for the worst, Chosen.

George quickened his step.

Chapter 2

Changes

There was no end to the amethyst glare that Alanna was now giving to the two men with her. "I don't suppose they could just take the time to explain what we're all supposed to be doing here."

"I suppose not," Numair scratched his head and looked out again, whistling. "Well, this is quite grand, if I do say so myself."

"Unbelievable! You don't seem to be phased by all this?!"

Numair's eyes narrowed. "It's not really my place to question the gods, Lioness. Remember, I've only just escaped captivity by someone who thinks of himself as a god. Questioning the real ones would no doubt be worse."

"I am just wondering," George interjected, snapping Alanna out of her rage. "Why are all of us here? I mean, I don't mind bein' able to keep an eye on my wife, but if this is a competition between the Chosen of certain gods…"

"I don't suppose I would know that. Truthfully, you and I shouldn't be here, George," Numair replied.

"The Lioness needs friends to help her, no?" a figure materialized beside Numair. "Besides, as wonderfully skilled as any of the gods' Chosen are, they're going to need a lot of help up here."

"Thom!"

The demi-god bowed. His purple eyes twinkled with laughter. "Funny seeing you here, sis. I was hoping I wouldn't get to until, oh…your mortal life actually ended."

"Funny," even with the slight agitation she felt from being yanked out of the mortal world, she still had to smile after seeing her twin. "You're doing well, at least."

"Well enough," he hugged her and turned to the men near her sister. "Now, George, I've got to speak to you in a moment. Privately. And Arram, I believe the rules have now changed since I last spoke to you."

Numair looked quizzically at his mentor. "Oh?"

"It seems that the Great Mother and Mithros have allied themselves with each other. "Expect to be working closely with Mithros' Chosen as well."

There was a sinking feeling in Alanna's stomach. "Mithros only lavishes his favors on the Crown of Tortall. You can't mean…"

Incoming! George stepped out of the way.

With a slight thud, an all too familiar figure clumsily materialized where the baron had been standing. Numair sighed. "I think you're right, Alanna."

"What in the mortal realms am I doing in Pirate's Swoop?"

"Immortal realms," Numair replied, helping the King of Tortall on his feet. "Hello, Highness."

George shook his head. Things truly were going to get interesting from now on, with two of Tortall's most important figures kidnapped by the gods.

"Alanna, George...Numair!" the Tortallan king was perplexed. "What's the meaning of this?"

King Jonathan's champion jabbed Numair in the stomach. "Ask the expert here. I am not amused."

Thom and Numair exchanged looks. The demi-god began his explanation and was interrupted when a silver mist rolled from outside and into the room. As the mist condensed to form a sort of shape, the figure of a woman emerged, white eyes burning with power. Alanna's brother took a deep bow. "My goddess."

The woman kept her gaze at Thom. "There are tests to be had, Chosen. For that I make you mortal."

"Wait," Thom's head snapped back up. "Who are you using as the connector?"

"Your closest kin," Shakith's gaze moved towards the lady knight.

Alanna's brother paled. "No, goddess—"

"It has been decided." Silver mist covered the goddess' body once more and slowly dissipated out of the room. The room's occupants watched in silence until no trace of the mist could be seen.

George frowned. "Thom, what did you mean about connectors?"

Thom turned to the former Rogue with a grim expression. "If I die again, my closest kin goes down with me. Ancient divine magic calls for the use of a 'connector' in order for a god to pass by into the mortal world. Should the god's mortal body be destroyed, the connector's body will also perish."

Jon and George had jumped towards Thom with the hope of wringing the rest of the information out of him. Alanna was faster, however, and all they saw was the little woman's hand quickly coming down towards Thom's cheek. "You...and your gods...need to stop playing with my life as they see fit!"

"Look," Thom nursed his wounded skin. "This was not my idea! Do you honestly think I want you to leave the mortal realms now? It's too soon for that!"

"You idiot!" Alanna clenched her fists and took a deep breath. Her twin prepared for a more serious injury.

"Enough, Alanna," Numair said gently, placing himself in front of Thom. "If you kill him now, your life's over too. He's most likely mortal now, if he's already feeling your physical wrath."

George held Alanna around the shoulders protectively. "And this is why the dead should stay so. Nothing ever comes out well from it."

Tortall's king turned his attention to the balcony. "This is a mess. Do we know exactly why our lives are being toyed with now?"

The lady knight rolled her eyes. "We should probably start moving. If you have noticed, we're all unarmed. There has to be something around this Swoop replica that we can use to defend ourselves."

"Oh, besides using our Gifts?" George was still glaring at Thom.

"George, stop fretting," the baron's wife said, freeing herself from his hold. "We can cover more ground if we split up for now."

"Good. I'm staying with you, then," George Cooper nodded his head at the Lioness. "And so is Thom. I have no choice but to keep him alive as well."

Alanna, however, had other plans. She smiled. "I trust you will keep Thom alive, love. That's why I'm going with Numair and Jon. Numair and I can't stay with Thom, it would be pointless if we can't communicate with each other. No, you're better off with him."

George was about to protest. "And Jon's not leaving my sight. If I do die, the king of Tortall needs to get back to the mortal realms."

"She's right, George," Numair replied. "Thom and I are better off apart, we can communicate easily that way. And Thom's connector should probably be elsewhere, I'm actually not sure if the reverse happens if Thom is killed."

"Nor am I," Thom said sullenly.

The baron of Pirate's Swoop groaned. He hated this arrangement. After both groups parted ways, George grabbed Thom's wrist and gave him a warning growl. "You better make sure you use your magic to keep yourself alive at all costs. I'm not about to lose a wife so soon."

The sorcerer stared at his twin's spouse. "Honestly, Cooper, do you think I'd be happy to see my sister as a permanent fixture in the Immortal Realms? Believe me, it's not my intention. No, she's going to die of a ripe old age in the mortal world."

"I hope you're right, Thom," George eased his grip and walked alongside his brother-in-law. And he prayed that the gods weren't that brutal.

Prepare yourself for the worst, Chosen.

George quickened his step.