Chapter 2: The Queen Returns

Chrono awoke in a flash, lying on the ground. Well, he never truly awoke, because he never really slept – but he felt like he was awakening from something. His mouth, tongue, and lips were dry, but he guessed that was due more to shock than fear. Really, now that the portal was shut, he felt quite fine, and couldn't understand why he had even felt nervous.

All of a sudden the reality of the situation hit him – "Oh no," he groaned. "The portal is shut – there is no way back! Once Lucca gets here, she'll be stuck with me!" Involuntarily he put his hands to his chest. "What's this?" He felt something on his shirt – the pendant. That's right. I never took it off. – Wait! Lucca won't be able to even follow me without it. Ah! Why was I so stupid? I should have gone for help instead of playing hero.

He sighed rather loudly and rose to his feet. "Now, where did the portal take me?" His first impression was that of a forest. A forest on a hill. He also seemed to have lost several hours to the portal – it was already nighttime! Marle could be miles away by now! I'm not going to find her as long as I stand here. But which way do I go? There was so much undergrowth around him that his vision was severely limited.

But, before he could take a step, he heard a faint rustling in the bush nearest to him. He froze in caution. Okay, relax. Lots of animals live in places like this – he took another step. And then another. No gelatinous monsters had oozed out of the bush yet, so Chrono figured he was safe. Still eyeing the bush, he backed a few paces.

That turned out to be quite foolish, he found out. He turned his head just in time to see that he stood over a forty-foot drop into a river. Across the river he could see a vast plain with some lights dotted in one end. That was good – light meant people, people meant civilization, civilization meant questions and answers. Chrono knelt along the edge of the underbrush and craned his neck in both directions. No easy way down as far as he could see.

He slowly backed away from the cliff. If there was no way down here, he would walk around and look for another way. Before he could make his move, though, he bumped into something small and hard. Chrono whirled around to face the most bizarre creature he had ever seen in his life.

He… it… the thing, was short, only up to Chrono's waist. It was humanoid in form, but its skin was bright blue all over. The creature had no hair anywhere. It wore civilian-type clothing, but there was no way it would be mistaken for a human. Chrono didn't find the creature threatening. Bug-ugly was a better description, he thought.

The two shared a moment of shock. Both seemed to be surprised to see the other, but soon, the creature's look of surprise became one of anger. It bared its short, but more than likely sharp, teeth at Chrono. All right. What did I do to anger him? Great, I'm between him and a cliff. He looked behind him at the drop. That creature doesn't look too tough, but boy does he look mad.

Chrono braced himself for a charge. What's he going to do? Gnaw my knees off? But the creature also seemed prepared for an attack. Chrono hesitated. Maybe he only feels threatened by a stranger. Maybe I could – that's as far as his thoughts went before the creature leapt at his face, knocking him to the ground.

For such a little creature, the thing was heavy as a boulder. He pinned Chrono's head hard against a tree root while pummeling the boy with tiny fists. To say Chrono got irritated would be like saying the sky is blue – he got downright infuriated. In a burst of strength, he threw the creature off to the side, and whacked him on the head for good measure. "How's that," he hissed, standing shakily.

He began to trudge away, but the creature had other thoughts. Chrono felt the thing latch on to his back. That might not have been so bad had the creature refrained from using claws. But the thing's claws dug into his bag, insuring that nothing on earth would unlatch it. Chrono grunted and shook wildly, trying to remove the creature, but it was just too persistent. Finally, in a last ditch effort, Chrono threw himself backward onto the hard earth. Stunned, the creature loosened his grip long enough for Chrono to roll away, but it wasn't finished yet. It jumped on him again, hoping to claw at the boy's eyes.

But Chrono was ready for this. He planted his hands firmly on the creature's chest and shoved it into the air… backward, over behind his head – and down the cliff. It let out one final defiant growl as it disappeared from sight. Chrono crawled to the edge of the cliff in shock.

There, at the bottom, the blue creature lay, definitely dead. And he had killed it. Suddenly Chrono felt a pang of guilt wash over his stomach. He actually killed something. I didn't mean to – kill it. He carefully rose to his feet and backed away from the cliff.

He walked as he thought. I didn't mean it. But that thing was trying to kill me, I'm sure! What would anyone else do? Yeah, it was self-defense: I had every right! But why do I still feel so guilty? – But I'm glad the creature is dead. I'm actually happy he's not around to bother me anymore… what does that mean? I'm not a sick person. Really I'm not! But at least he's – it's – not here anymore. Ha! Take that! You mess with me, that's what you get - - - dead.

Slowly he put his head in his hands. What is happening to me? He had no time to answer his question, for he finally saw his way down the cliff side. It distracted him enough to forget all about the blue creature for a moment. In a flash, Chrono ran down the path to the river, unaware that the forest above had sprung to life with a hundred creatures, watching the human escape to the village.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

No, I think he may have just been strange.

Two men sat next to each other at the counter, finding time to talk privately amidst the din of the inn. Perfect – the lights were low, not so much to be suspicious, but enough for seclusion.

All Magus's spies are strange! That's why he was so dangerous.

The first man took a swig of ale and returned to the conversation. Just because a man is different, it doesn't make him evil.

That is true, the second conceded, dipping his head, but we cannot allow for that chance.

So, do you say we should kill every stranger?

No – but each one should be tested, for sure. It's a war of deception. Who's on our side? Who's on his? Even some of our own people could be spies. It's impossible to tell from sight.

You are absolutely right. But a spy will be no good around here unless he is allowed to escape…

The men were interrupted by the entrance of a particularly loud-stepped visitor. All eyes in the inn went right to him. To say he stood out would be disrespectful as well as understatement. He seemed to come from a place far away from Truce, farther than anything on this continent.

His dress gave the inn-goers their first distasteful impression. Not that they disapproved of fur – but to them, a wearer of fur was rich or a fool, or both. This stranger was covered head to foot with dead animal. One look at his face and all would assume the man had never heard of shaving, bushy brown hair protruding from facial crevasses that still hadn't been named. All in all, though, he kept good upkeep of himself – surely he washed and bathed… once a month. Of course, his dirty appearance could be blamed on his long, hard toil across distant lands, but nobody had the eyes to see that. He was sure no one would mess with him. After all his hard life, he had grown used to toil and suffering, and took take out ten men with one blow if need be – and he looked it.

The man sat down at an empty stool, and the townsfolk nearby squirmed in discomfort. "I need something good, quick! Whaddya recommend?"

The bartender stared the stranger down for a moment, then hurried to the cellars. Moments later he returned, rolling a barrel to the counter. "So, Toma, what brings you here now? I heard you were on the other side of the continent in search of your next paycheck." He bent down and produced a fresh glass of ale. "Or did you finish?"

"Aha!" the stranger laughed, "you mean that shell they're all talking about down in Dorino. No matter where I look, I can't seem to find it."

"Tough luck, friend." The bartender leaned on the counter. "So, why are you here? It's not about Leene, is it?"

"Matter of fact, it is!"

"The king hired you to find her, of course."

"Hired!" the stranger let loose a guffaw. "He begged me to find her on his knees!" The stranger glanced both ways suspiciously for a moment, then continued in lower tones. "I suppose that's only funny because it's the first time anyone, a king no less, threw himself at my feet."

"Good thing you found her, then. The king was near suicidal without her."

"I found her? When did I do that?"

"You didn't find her?"

"Would I be here if I found her? If I found her, I would take my pay and leave – you know that much."

"Yes, Toma, you never stay in one place for very long."

The two men shared a congenial laugh, then the stranger spoke again. "All right, so tell me. Who found the Queen? I was only hired last night, and I know I'm not good enough to find her in my sleep."

"I don't know who found her, but she's back. Apparently she was up north, in the mountains. Good thing they found her so soon – there's mystics up in the forest. Lots of them. They're the little kind; you could kill about twenty of them in a couple of minutes and not break a sweat. But, Leene? You know she's a strong and able woman, but she's incapable of defending herself."

" - Why the King was so desperate."

"Yes. We were worried Magus had found her and had locked her away. You know what he does to prisoners."

"I've heard horror stories, but I don't believe a word. I mean, I've heard everything from torture stories to cannibalism." The stranger winked. "I'm sure Leene is a delicious thing, but she's not that tasty."

The bartender didn't laugh. "Oh, she's a gorgeous one. But at least she was unharmed. The strangest thing is, what on earth was she doing in the mountains?"

"I haven't any idea. I would have guessed she had gone west. She always heads to that one cathedral to pray, right? I would have bet my life and my left lung she was ambushed and captured somewhere over there. Are you sure they really found the Queen in those hills?"

"No. I never saw her – I just hear word. With all the strange folk coming in, I hear lots of words."

Just then the craziness of the inn was interrupted by the entrance of yet another stranger, and this time, everyone stopped their conversations to look.

Not even Toma was as strange as the boy who walked in. He seemed lost, searching back and forth for any sign of familiarity. Nobody could really make out his features while he stood in the doorway, but they were sure he wasn't from Truce. This boy might be from another world. Compared to the earthy grays, browns, and greens of the villagers, this boy's clothes belonged with the rich – hints of red, blue, orange. And even though nobody in this inn bothered to style their hair, the boy looked as though he had purposely stuck in straight up and allowed it to fall in any direction it wished.

The boy staggered to the front desk. At his approach, the lady behind the counter took two steps back. Then the boy started talking to her, but nobody could hear what he said. He looked beaten, as if he had come from a fight. Not one person showed any concern, if they even cared inside, but everyone wondered what brought the bruised boy in. Before anyone could create a satisfying answer, the boy reached into his pants, produced some money, and limped upstairs to bed.

The bartender was the first to return to normal conversation. "Well, Toma, there's an interesting fella. Friend of yours? You two seem like you could get along."

The first stranger put his ale back on the counter. "It's been nice to return, but I have to go. Seems I'm not the stranger anymore. I can't stand being out of the center of attention. Well, I'm off." He pushed the stool back and strode out of the inn.

More strangers? What did I tell you?

It's a sad day when we have to track our brother's every move.

What about the red-topped boy? He doesn't look suspicious to you? Well, I'll tell you one thing, he's not escaping as long as I'm around.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Chrono lay in the bed on the verge of sleep. I still don't know where I am. The nice lady at the counter had told him this was Truce Inn. Truce Inn? That's impossible. I live in Truce – and this is definitely not my home. This has to be a dream – a nightmare. Or, I was pulled into an alternate reality. After all, these people look like real people – only different.

He sat up. There was no way sleep would come easy. I wonder why the lady let me stay so cheap. Fifty silver coins for a night? No way she can make a profit with that kind of price. I mean, it cost me two gold coins for this bandana. Unconsciously he removed the bandana and placed it at the bedpost. I am going to wish I had brought a change of clothing real soon. I wonder if this place even has a bath. – Oh well, I guess I'll have to get used to being dirty for a while. He began untying his vest and removing his shoes. Oh, shoot! I forgot to lock the door! Just imagine if someone snuck in here. In one motion he leapt from the bed to the door. What is this? No lock? What am I going to do about this? Chrono scratched his head, his face contorted in confusion. Suddenly he had an idea.

He sprang to the bed. Good. It wasn't nailed down. As tight as he could, he gripped the bedpost and pulled with all his might. Slowly but surely the bed began to move across the floor. Just a few more feet and the door would be blocked. There! Good, now I'll have some privacy. He removed the rest of his clothes and hopped under the safety of the blanket. Now if I could only get to sleep.

Chrono kept trying to get some rest, but every time he closed his eyes, his brain exploded with this disastrous situation. There's no way back home. There's no way for Lucca to follow me or find me. The girl is gone – with her personality, she won't last a day – and I am lost. For the first time that day – night – Chrono felt personal responsibility for this girl. After all, he was the one who agreed to lead a stranger around (or be led by a stranger); he was the one who showed her Lucca's invention. In fact, had he simply ignored the girl, Lucca's Telepod show would have run smoothly, and nothing awkward would have happened. And Chrono did not feel any better knowing be had been a gentleman and followed the strange girl into the portal. The right thing! The right thing! Ah! Who cares if it was right or wrong? The situation still sucks.

After an hour of dizzying thoughts and revelations, Chrono finally nodded off – but he could have sworn he heard footsteps pacing outside his door.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Only one person had followed Toma's lead. Of course, neither had met the other, but both were alike in that they both were smart enough to learn the truth. Leene was here, he was sure. She had come here a week ago and was never seen since. Oh yes, searches were conducted, teams organized, and so on and so forth. But they never found anything. These abductors were too smart for that.

Like a shadow, he crept up to the door. There was no way he would enter through it – too obvious – but it was nice to know which end was the front and which end was the back. He glanced both ways, watching every shadow. For even the shadows were watching him as the stole up the wall. Nearby an owl let loose a great hoot. He froze – not even the owl could know he was here. Slowly he regained the confidence to move. Inch by inch, he crawled to the highest window.

He grappled the edge of the window. There was no way this side of the kingdom this thing would open by natural means. He let one hand off the sill for a moment, pulling a dagger-like object out of his cloak. With the stealth of night, he slit the window four times – whoosh! – and pressed gently against it. Triumphantly he smiled as his eyes spied little cracks appearing. He was in!

He made sure than when he pushed out his little hole, the glass didn't fall all the way to the floor. People would hear that shattering all the way in Truce – not to mention in the building. First one foot, then an arm, poked through the window into the rafters. Next his other foot, another arm, the whole body. He made the initial mistake of looking down to gauge his height. All he could say was that he was high enough to cause some serious bodily harm if he fell.

Now would come the boring part. Waiting. Eventually, someone, somewhere, would have to come through these doors. These ladies here weren't of interest. But soon, something would come through – he knew it. There was a secret somewhere in the building, if not this very room.

Ladies came and went for an hour – still no sign. What was it? A secret switch on the wall? A button under the seat or behind the –

The organ! That was it! That had to be it – why were all these ladies up in the middle of the night? – And playing the organ! One of those tunes she was playing was a password. If he could only get that tune in his head. If he could memorize every last note! Then he would play it all as soon as they left. Somewhere in that melody was a combination of notes that unlocked a door somewhere.

He crouched down in the rafters. This would be an extremely long night…