La Dolce Vita
By Seniya
N is for Nerissa
Created by Shakespeare for a character in his play 'The Merchant of Venice'. He possibly took it from Greek (Nereis) meaning "nymph, sea sprite", ultimately derived from the name of the Greek sea god Nereus, who supposedly fathered them.
December 15th 1973
"Nerissa Black."
The bodiless voice floated upwards from the mirrored sides of the massive room. The place seemed empty, but it was an illusion. There were hundreds of beings crowded into the stadium, watching her on cushioned seats with a mixture of disgust and hatred as she lay spread-eagled and shackled to the dome's shining floor.
"Father, unknown. Mother, Lala Black. Deceased."
Now, the whispers began but were snuffed out after mere seconds. The Nerissa in question was clothed in rags, her hair was stringy and unwashed; as was her skin. Her stomach growled its discontent. Care hadn't been the Oracle's priority when he'd had her arrested.
"You, Nerissa, former Guardian of the Veil, three hundredth Keeper of the Heart of Kandrakar and Wielder of its Blade, have been brought before the Council of Kandrakar to answer to charges of treason, conspiracy and murder."
She flinched at the words, particularly the last and couldn't quite control the acid that burned the back of her throat when she finally found the ability to raise her eyes to the stand where the Oracle stood, staring at her as he read the charges from a scroll. The bastard. She wanted to wring his neck. Nerissa knew he could hear her thoughts and so, she repeated it, "I want to wring your neck."
She saw him frown. "How do you plead to the charge of treason?"
Her dry lips parted and a word rumbled forth, "guilty."
He hadn't flinched. "The charge of conspiracy?"
"Guilty."
Now, his faded blue eyes rose to meet hers. The anger grew hot in her bones. "How do you plead to the charge of murder?"
Nerissa suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. How else could she plead? They'd never even let her wash Cassidy's blood off of her hands.
"Guilty."
And the room dissolved into whispers again.
Present Day
"Morning Will!
Hay Lin was far too cheerful for someone who'd just spent the entire day alternating between scrubbing pots and calculus. Now, she was onto another chore. Clad in a holiday sweater she bustled down the basement stairs with a basket filled with leftover stir fry, humming to herself, before kicking in the door to their newly renovated guest room.
Truly, it was the Silver Dragon's famed stock room, turned library sometimes spell room, now sick room to house the comatose leader of the Guardians, who'd been there for the past week.
Upstairs, Christmas carols played over the jukebox, much to her grandmother's dismay. Yan Lin hated Christmas. Hay Lin suspected it was because no one craved Chinese food between November and February.
"Well, I guess it isn't morning," Hay Lin conceded, "but I did just get your breakfast."
Will didn't twitch. She hadn't moved since a brief turn last week when Irma thought she'd farted. Well, honestly, it was probably Irma who had passed gas.
The patient was wrapped in several blankets on the small cot in the corner. Her head and arms were bandaged, just like all the girls' had been for the first few days. Yan Lin had packaged several bundles of soothing herbs and potions, and they were arranged in a circle around Will's head, like a halo.
Despite the picnic basket, Will couldn't eat. Yesterday, Lucia had come and cast a sustenance spell on her after Yan Lin's attempt had failed. But today, Hay Lin brought food anyway because Will had a guest.
Hay Lin set the parcel down on the spell book covered table before she tapped the room's other occupant on his shoulder with her shoe. "Hey Caleb."
He jumped up from his spot on the mat immediately, as she'd expected. Actually, it was strange that he hadn't risen as she'd come down the stairs. Her stomach clenched, poor guy must be exhausted. She grabbed a Styrofoam box from inside the basket. "I brought you dinner."
"Pray, tell me that this is not the sewerage your grandmother made yesterday," Caleb muttered groggily.
"Aw," Hay Lin frowned, "well no …" she felt worse as the former rebel leader sniffed the rice. "You need to eat, even if it is gruel. Get some fat on your bones."
After disappearing for five days, Caleb had popped up on the doorstep of her family's restaurant two days ago, missing several pounds. No one had seen him since the battle and he hadn't offered any explanations of where he'd gone. Now, he obeyed, even using the chopsticks, just like she'd shown him, to stuff the sticky food into his mouth.
"When next you come to Meridian, I shall treat you to hoogoong steak, then you will see how the Gods eat."
"You betcha!" Hay Lin grinned and settled on the mat next to him. "Has she moved?" she asked, even though she knew the answer.
Caleb swallowed. "No."
The rebel leader hadn't left Will's side for more than a few minutes since he'd come. That one time he'd vanished, he'd gone to summon Lucia, in fact. Not that he'd been the only one keeping guard. They'd all been taking turns, even Cornelia, when she wasn't in Meridian with Elyon.
"I think she's looking better today." Hay Lin bit into a piece of broccoli at least, she thought that's what it was. It could have been fungus. "Much more Will like."
Caleb nodded thoughtfully. "Hay Lin, I have a question."
His counterpart was shocked, Caleb hardly ever contributed to the conversation, much less asked questions. This must be important. "W-What is it?"
"It is a question about a human custom … I am … uncertain of what it means."
Upstairs Elvis crooned about having a "Blue Christmas" and Hay Lin nodded encouragingly."Sure Caleb, what is it?"
"What do humans mean by pressing their mouths together?"
Hay Lin dropped her chop sticks, "I don't get it."
"Such as this," and he moved towards her so quickly that the teen barely had time to jump away before their noses touched.
"What!" her face was beet red."Caleb, you can't just go around kissing people!"
"Kissing!" He seemed puzzled despite the clarification. "That is what it is." And then, he returned to his dinner, munching thoughtfully.
Hay Lin's transition was not so easy. "Where … where did you learn about kissing?" She had a sinking feeling that she knew what Cornelia's visits were about all of a sudden.
Caleb seemed unwilling to divulge the information, but after a few moments, he mumbled. "Will."
"Say that again?"
"Will. She kissed ..."
"Will kissed you!" Hay Lin squealed. "On your mouth!"
Caleb frowned, "I do not understand your happiness. When she did it, I felt weak and sick."
"That's what's supposed to happen!" Hay Lin was overjoyed, she had jumped to her feet started doing a victory jig across the floor. Imagine, Will kissing someone. Will kissing Caleb. She smiled again. "At least that's what it says in Cosmo."
Naturally, Hay Lin had only been kissed by her parents and one shady cousin from Hong Kong. "Tell me more!"
Caleb frowned even more, but the girl's happiness was infectious. "I found her in the cell. She was harmed from her own foolishness and I told her such. She began spewing her usual nonsense but my good sense prevailed ..."
"Caleb, this is the least romantic thing I ever heard."
"Romantic?" Caleb's green eyes seemed puzzled, "I do not know this word. What has it to do with kissing."
"Because Caleb,"for the first time in her life Hay Lin felt incredibly mature, "when a girl kisses a guy on the mouth, it means she likes him."
"Likes him?" Caleb thought about that, "this is false, Will does not ..."
"But she kissed you."
"Yes," there must be more to this, but for a moment, he let the warm pleasure of the thought invade his bones. "Yes, she did."
December 17th 1973
In the months and years during the Vietnam war, the country had seemed to hold its breath. Brothers, sons and fathers were missing from grateful homes. There was tension, stemming from an apparent national outrage and the winds of change that were blowing. But this year, was different.
Peace, at least the first whispers of it, had come. For the first time in years, there would be a real Christmas. Americans weren't just excited – they were optimistic.
The joy seemed inescapable, carols hummed in living rooms and on verandahs, embedded the sentiment into all within listening distance, "Merry Christmas".
Well, everyone except a group of three girls from a small town in North Carolina called Heatherfield, who had just lost two of their closest friends.
A few weeks ago, there had been five Guardians of the Veil. Now, there were three.
"I reckon I hate the holidays." Kadma muttered, as she tugged her wool scarf tighter around her neck. It would be a cold winter, Temperatures were much lower than in '72 and that year, several coloured families had frozen to death in the slums down by Hale Pond.
She and her two closest friends sat huddled together in Cassidy's old tree house. It was a silly thing; small and drafty. But, it was where they had held their first meeting on that bright spring day when they were told they were Guardians almost five years ago and for that reason – it was a comfort.
"It isn't the holidays you hate." Halinor muttered, then she bit her lip before blurting out. "How could she do it?"
Yan Lin had been sitting miserably in the corner tugging at her sweater snorted, "I fucking know how she did it. She fucking told Cassidy she was pregnant!"
"For heaven's sake Lin!" Halinor snapped, her hand darted towards the gold crucifix she constantly wore around her neck, "your language is … is ..." she squinted as she decided what it was, "ungodly."
"Fuck that!"
Kadma intervened before that conversation could descend into chaos. "Stop it, both of y'all bicker like cats and dogs." Then she sighed, "when they took the blade from her, it destroyed her."
Halinor sniffed, whether she knew it or not, a wave of self righteousness permeated her words, "you can't be defending her."
Kadma paused, "I ain't but I mean ..." she trailed off allowing Yan Lin to grumble, "well, I'm not blaming her."
Halinor's eyes narrowed, "you can't be serious. She killed Cassidy! You said it yourself that she planned the whole thing! She tried to take over Kandrakar!" And then, obviously worried that they'd be overheard she whispered, "she's crazy. Just because you were friends with her doesn't mean we can overlook that she was power hungry!"
Yan Lin jumped to her feet, comically swaddled in a woollen poncho, "yeah, she's a bitch, we all knew it. Do you understand me, we all knew it."
Kadma lowered her eyes but remained silent. The floor shook slightly as Yan Lin started pacing. Outside the winds howled.
"The Oracle knew this would happen."
"Yan Lin," Halinor's eyes pointed skyward, "that's treason."
"No! It's the truth! You're right, everyone knew how she was. How could he take that sword away from her? And then flaunt it in front of her face?"
"How could he not take the sword away from her? And how could he know she'd kill Cassidy?" Halinor hissed.
"He's the fucking Oracle!" Yan Lin screamed, "he knows everything. I bet he knows what I'm saying right now."
Now, Kadma spoke, "Yan Lin, sit your ass down!"
"Nope!" she started jumping, "Hey! Can you hear me mother fucker? You killed Cassidy you dumb shit!"
"I'm out." Halinor dusted off her pants, threw the air guardian a dirty look and turned to Kadma, "look, I've got work tomorrow, I gotta get home."
Kadma nodded and opened her mouth to speak but Yan Lin interrupted, "you can't ignore this Halinor! What's to stop him from targeting Kadma next, or me, or you." Halinor narrowed her eyes but didn't speak, just hustled down the treehouse steps into the snow. She never climbed those steps again.
"You know what your problem is Yan Lin?" Kadma snapped, "you like to poke too much. You're always prodding at people because you don't care about anyone else's feelings or thoughts!"
"Kadma, Halinor needs to get off her high horse." Yan Lin quipped.
"Maybe." Kadma dusted of her jacket and stood as well, "but you need to get on a horse. Of any height. Get some god damned respect. I'm going home too, got some cousins staying with us. Night." She too climbed out the tree-house.
Yan Lin stayed, stewing in her thoughts for almost an hour more before she finally went home. It was later that night that the Oracle had her arrested on charges of treason. By Christmas Eve she'd been permanently banned from Kandrakar and their interpretation of the Guardians of the Veil had officially been dissolved.
"I have news." Hay Lin chirped gleefully later that evening when Irma and Taranee came to visit the restaurant. She'd been waiting on the pair like an eager bird, pressing her nose against the glass every few seconds before flitting back to the kitchen. Naturally, she'd been anticipating them before they'd even made it through the doorway.
Irma started, "me too," she grinned, "Will's astral drop is strangely popular."
Strange would be an understatement. The Lin family had stitched together a poorly constructed astral drop to replace Will while she was out. While they'd managed to get the face and body almost perfect, the personality was – lacking.
"She's running for class president." Taranee said in an annoyed voice.
"Weren't the elections in September? And didn't you win?" Hay Lin asked, and Taranee's face darkened. "They were and I did."
"So then …"
"She's been impeached!" Irma snorted to which Taranee rolled her eyes and Irma dissolved into laughter, "you should have been there Hay Lin! She broke out into this terrible rendition of Bye Bye Bye … how could we resist?"
That was the true flaw in astral Will. The fact that the vessel had been socialised through the exclusive use of Tiger Beat and teeny pop CDs circa 2001, had resulted in the creature possessing an unparalleled knowledge of outdated pop culture.
"This is a joke! I actually have the school's best interest at heart!" Taranee snapped, "is the real Will up yet? Let this nightmare be over."
"Um, no, actually," Hay Lin smiled, "that's the news I have." She had no clue about dramatic effect, God bless her, and so after taking her friend's coats she dragged them to the scarcely used spice rack and blurted out, "Will kissed Caleb."
"How? Isn't she asleep?" Taranee was such a killjoy.
"No! When we were at the castle!"
"So while we were downstairs getting our asses kicked. They were making out?" Taranee grumbled, clearly her feelings towards astral Will were spreading to real Will.
Hay Lin paused, she hadn't looked at it like that.
"Taranee, you're missing the point," Irma was grinning, "let's just agree to let me tell Cornelia."
"Where is Cornelia anyway?" Taranee folded her arms, truly her mood was terrible.
"She went to see Elyon, as they begin the slow, arduous task of rebuilding their friendship after one killed the other." Irma rolled her eyes,"I think Elyon should be locked up."
"There's a court in Kandrakar," Taranee seemed to agree, "I'd be surprised if she didn't face some charges, but I guess her brother would be the real culprit. Well, that's how I'd argue my way out of it, if I were her."
"A kangaroo court you mean," the girls jumped as Yan Lin shuffled inside the kitchen. She looked particularly foul, in a Grinch sweater and threadbare house slippers with her traditional yellow rubber apron. In her hand, she carried a bottle of gin. The alcohol permeated her skin and breath. "If you're not stir frying, maybe you girls should leave."
"Nana, do you think you should be drinking so early?" Hay Lin's ecstasy had disappeared, replaced by concern.
Her grandmother stared at her with glassy eyes before smiling and dumping the contents of the bottle into a saucepan. "Nana, that's the sweet and sour sauce!"
"Get out!" Her voice was like ice; Hay Lin stilled – chilled to her core.
Irma and Taranee exchanged looks but obediently exited the room, Hay Lin stayed. "Nana, every Christmas ..."
There was a crash and the sound of glass breaking before Hay Lin ran outside and the doors slammed shut in her face. She was gasping for breath and there were tears in her eyes but she smiled when she said, "you guys wanna see Will? She's a lot more Willish today."
Irma seemed to bite her tongue, Taranee, couldn't, "your grandmother can't throw glass bottles at you Hay Lin. That's against the law."
"She didn't throw it." Hay Lin was still smiling but some tears slipped out the corners of her dark eyes. Irma frowned and put her arms around the smaller girl's shoulders. "It slipped."
"It did not slip." Taranee pressed but stopped when Irma shook her head.
"She just hates Christmas." Hay Lin was sobbing openly now, "you guys don't understand but she gets like this every year."
"Makes sense that Scrooge would hate Christmas. It's probably the charity part that pisses her off." Irma tried to sound light hearted but couldn't quite dismiss the uncertainty she felt about seeing the emptiness in Yan Lin's eyes.
The rebuilding of Meridian got under way immediately. Although the progress was pitifully slow. The rebels were unwilling to work with anyone in the palace and Cedric's leftover army was on the run. Elyon had yet to be accepted by her subjects, and as the rubble cleared, she'd been imprisoned by her own people, who were in the process of electing an interim government.
The palace was nearly completely destroyed. Only one wing had survived and the rebels had moved into that, bringing looters and strays that spread through the rubble like fleas.
Cornelia had literally begged the rebels to let her visit her best friend. And even then, her visits were conducted only under heavy guard with Elyon chained to the remnants of a dungeon wall.
During her fourth visit, Cornelia snapped at Aldarn, who she'd recognized as Caleb's friend, "you could unchain her. She's not a dog!"
He seemed not to understand the reference, but shook his head none the less."Nay. I think not." With moss green fingers he indicated the crumbling ruins around them, "it is to be understood that she, not her brother, was responsible for the damage."
Cornelia frowned but did not reply. She did not want to seem hostile, in case her visitation privileges were revoked. Despite her begging she knew that she'd only been given the opportunity because of a letter written by Caleb swearing that she was trustworthy. Also, there was comfort in the knowledge that the Guardians of the Veil were virtually powerless without the Keeper, who had not moved an inch in days.
"Could you give us some privacy at least?" she frowned at Aldarn and his two burly friends.
Aldarn nodded and literally moved an inch.
Cornelia rolled her eyes. "Men." Turning her attention to her friend, she tried to put on a bright face. "Hello Elyon, how are you today?"
There was no reply. Cornelia was not certain that she was surprised, Elyon had not spoken on any of her other visits either. "We … we're re-electing our student council at school if you can believe it." She could scarcely see into the dark dungeon, the only light came from a foot long crack in the wall which revealed a dark, moonless night. But there was a tiny blonde head in the corner, she'd seen it trying to fold into itself when she first came in. "Yan Lin … I don't know if you remember her, that miserable Asian lady from the restaurant, she made this clone thing of Will … because … well the real Will isn't … anyway, the thing is so popular our fellow school lemmings want her to rule them."
Cornelia tried to laugh, but the sound died on her lips.
"Leave."
It was just a whisper, and Cornelia hadn't heard Elyon say anything in so long she almost missed it. At first she jumped, turning to meet Aldarn's uninterested eyes. "Did … Did you say something, Elyon?"
"I said, go!" and with the last word, the heavy iron bars began to rattle. Immediately, Cornelia's guards jumped into action. For the first time, the earth guardian noticed one held a sword, she moved to grab his arm. "Don't! She's harmless. I'll leave. She'll be fine if I go."
"Needs her neck chopped off." Aldarn breathed.
"Try it." Cornelia replied. "See if I'll let you get away with it."
Aldarn seemed ready to reply but a sudden flash of white light distracted him. It was so vibrant that it illuminated the corners of the crumbling palace, until it centred in the middle of the dungeon. Suddenly, there were four other persons inside Elyon's cell. Cornelia rushed forward, "Hey! What are you doing? Get out of there! I mean it!"
The figures, also surrounded in that unnaturally white light, ignored her. One spoke, his voice was eerily calm and felt as though it resonated for miles. "It is hereby decreed by the Council of Kandrakar, that you, the Princess Elyon, daughter of Aphrodite and Ares, and heir apparent to the throne of Meridian, have been charged with the crimes of attempted murder, wilful endangerment of the people of Metamoor, treason and crimes against Kandrakar."
"What? No!" Cornelia shook the bars. Damn! She wasn't transformed, she faltered, she had no power. She couldn't help. Aldarn grabbed her arm and tried to pull her away but she fought him off. "Elyon!"
"You are to be tried by the Oracle and his Council in a trial held at Kandrakar on the morrow. And, you are to be held at Mount Thanos until then."
Then, they vanished.
"Elyon!" Cornelia screamed again. "Elyon!"
But it was no use, her friend was gone.
It was more than a little cramped in the Silver Dragon's storage room with four guardians and the rebel leader fitted inside. Even though it was snowing heavily outside and the Lins were known to skimp on the indoor heating, it was blisteringly warm in the room.
"Is it healthy for Will to be this warm?" Taranee frowned. Not for the first time since the battle, she was prepared to launch into a rant about why the girl most likely required professional care. Surely, comas could not be helped by a woman who could barely season chicken.
"I thought it was a spell on her? That's what Lucia said, isn't it? She'll wake when she's ready." Irma replied while fanning herself. "Sorry Hay Lin, I'm gonna have to leave. Spending the night with my evil little brother and the step monster is actually better than being boiled alive in here."
Taranee perked up, "yeah, I'll head out too. Hey, Hay Lin can spend the night with me if you want. My parents are really cool about stuff like that and you can have my brother's room."
Hay Lin had lost much of her spunk but still managed to flash an award winning smile. "Nah, I'm OK. I've got Caleb to keep me company."
Caleb was dozing in the corner.
"As you two were trading make out tales, did he happen to tell you where he'd been, or why he looks like he fought a werewolf?" Irma whispered.
Hay Lin shook her head, "but Caleb doesn't talk much."
There was a sudden rattle on the stairs outside that caused the fluorescent lights to flicker in the basement room. Taranee turned to the door, her eyes narrowed,"did you guys feel that?"
There came a second thud and this time, the lights went out. Caleb started awake. "Magic," he murmured in a way that made the girls realize that he had probably never been asleep. Turning his attention to Will, he said sharply, "move her."
Irma started forward but was blocked by the appearance of four white clothed men, surrounded by a blindingly white light.
"The fuck?" Irma whispered, her heart was racing.
One of them spoke, his voice a low roar. "Wilhelmina Chanel Vandom, three hundredth and second Keeper of the Heart of Kandrakar and Wielder of its Blade, you are hereby charged with facilitating the escape of the criminal, Nerissa Black, from Mount Thanos. You are to be tried by the Oracle and his Council on the morrow. And confined to Mount Thanos until the hearing."
And then, they were gone, taking Will with them.
"N-Na Na!" Hay Lin was scrambling to her feet and rushing upstairs.
Irma turned on Taranee, "what was that?" The other girl's eyes had widened during the ordeal, her hand had risen to grasp the collar of her sweater, but now the hand dropped lifelessly to her side. "Those were members of the Council of Kandrakar. Will's to stand trial ..."
"Yeah, I got that. Because Nerissa broke out of jail." Irma's tone grew steadily more accusatory, "why didn't you tell us?"
"I-I didn't know." Taranee frowned,"honestly, I didn't. I haven't seen Halinor since the battle. I swear!"
Irma didn't look as though she believed her. Taranee sighed, "they won't harm her."
"No," Irma grumbled, "just lock her up." She ran a hand through her hair, focusing instead on Caleb, who had his hands clenched at his side. "Caleb ..."
"I am going to fetch Lucia." He said finally before he too ran up the stairs.
"This doesn't make sense." Taranee said moments after, "Will has been out for days. How could she help Nerissa?"
A low laugh captured the girls' attention. Hay Lin had returned with her grandmother. Who was holding a bottle of gin and grinning widely. "Merry fucking Christmas."
Nerissa was uncertain how long it had taken her to navigate the caves and tunnels leading to the River Styx, the barrier between the living and the underworld. Days, she imagined, but with her impatience it seemed like months. Regardless, she was here now.
Years of waiting, planning, plotting, had culminated in this very moment. Well, nearly this very moment. She had a meeting to attend, and she could not be late.
"Charon." She smiled at the hooded faceless figure, who merely extended his skeletal hand for payment. She reached in her pocket for the two coins, "listen, I'm expected. I don't think I should be paying you at all." He didn't reply. She didn't think he could speak.
Nerissa shrugged and entered the raft, grasping the sides as a few ungrateful souls attempted to tug her into the murky river. "Could we hurry, I can't be late." She readjusted her cloak and attempted to make herself comfortable. "Really, I can't understand why Hades could not come get me himself ..."
Her voice trailed off when out of the corner of her eye, she saw something – someone – familiar. A flaxen haired wench, tall, aloof, muddy. In the Underworld? Land of the dead?
"Wait, Charon. I think I see someone I know."
The hooded figure paused from his rowing and turned his head towards the shore. He shook his head slowly, and outstretched his skeletal fingers towards her.
Nerissa seemed insulted. "Well, obviously I'll pay for her to cross. I can't let the Earth Guardian stay here and rot."
Author: Let me first say, it is good to be back. Sorry for the hiatus, life gets in the way sometimes. I've been at school. In Canada. Bleh.
I'm still working out some details for the Nerissa arc, trying to get away from some plot holes, so my updates may be irregular for a bit but I'm determined to see this through. Next is O is for Omnipotent. Happy holidays all!