It was a peaceful night, chirps of crickets and other nightlife a low, pleasant murmur in the background. The slim crescent of the moon hung like a piece of white gold on the sparkling deep blue tapestry that was the night sky. Much farther below it, people slept, people rested.
Or they could be staring at the flickering, changing colors of a campfire. Few researchers have bothered to learn what exactly it was about a campfire that made it so very interesting. In substance itself, it differed little from any other fire. Nor did it, or the materials commonly burned in it, have any hypnotizing properties.
In this case, there were two people caught in the fire's bewitching effect, the third having fell asleep long before and was sprawled out with arms and feet flailing in and out of his bedroll. The young wolf pup curled up at the foot of the bedroll didn't seem to mind, as long as its friend stayed up near his end of the sleeping roll.
"Quite a handful isn't he?" Terisa snorted as Zelgadiss tucked Lin back into his sleeping roll for the third time tonight. "Just how long do you plan on carting him around?"
"He isn't a piece of luggage, Terisa," Zel corrected, unconsciously smiling faintly as one of Lin's small hands curled around his. "And as I recall, he doesn't need to be re-tucked in half as often as you did."
"Oh, shut up," the mostly blonde huffed, falling back onto her own roll and refusing to look at her brother. "Like you would know when you needed to be tucked in. Arthur probably did it all the time for you. Speaking of which, have you heard anything about him?"
"Kelvan didn't say anything?"
"Should he? He didn't have any information on either of you when I saw him...guess it was several years ago. Unlike someone I know, he's grown up quite fine. At least he knew enough to seek me out."
"How did you meet him again? And what is he doing in that Avalon place? Why is there an 'Academy of Magic' that neither my friends or I have ever heard of?" Zel wanted to appease his curiosity but he also didn't want Terisa prying into his inquiry about Arthur. It would be better if he told the bad news with everyone present.
"You probably wouldn't have. The only reason we ever went there was because the flying ship needed some maintenance. Apparently the person who had helped them last time had moved to an obscure backwater town. It's right on the border between the Elmekia Empire and the Kingdom Saillune. Since the ship carries a lot of the carnival's rides and supplies, we all went there."
"I didn't remember Kelvan, not at first. But he had heard from the other troupe members about my 'talking spirits' and me. So he came to talk to me in my tent." With her back to him, Zel didn't see the sad smile that touched her lips. "He kind of did the same thing I did to you, jog my memory of him with illusions. Kelvan has become quite a powerful mage now."
"If he's so powerful, why didn't he look for any of us?"
"He never knew about the fire. When he did finally pass by home on his way to Avalon, it was years later. No one could tell him what happened and he didn't have anything to magically locate us. Naturally, no one thought to look for you as some blue-skinned walking statue."
Zelgadiss bristled. "That was entirely Rezo's fault alright! You think I liked being a magically created freak of nature? Apparently, Rezo had no problems keeping track of me since given the way he works, it wasn't by chance that he chose me as his pet guinea pig."
"So you've harped on and on day and night," Terisa waved a hand at him. "Yes, yes, the world knows now that you were just a helpless innocent lured in by Rezo's honeyed words. It wasn't your fault. I mean, just because you wanted to get power so much that you'd jump at the first opportunity presented to you, without considering the consequences or asking for specifics, doesn't reflect badly on your character. I mean, who in their right mind wouldn't behave in the same self-centered way? No, all the fault and blame falls on Rezo."
"...gee thanks Terisa. What would I do without your biting sarcasm to set me straight? So much for the much vaunted sibling commiseration."
"Any time."
Silence fell between them. Not like a wall but more like a curtain, an obvious separation but one that is easily removable. Okay, so perhaps he had ranted about Rezo enough to beat the subject sixteen feet into the ground. But he had only wanted Terisa to understand, or at least see a glimmer, of what had happened to him. Yes, it was more over-rationalizing on his part as why he didn't look for her but... They say that family will always love you no matter what. Of course, 'they' probably weren't thinking of a chimera such as himself at the time.
Acceptance by friends, weird as those friends may be in his case but friends nonetheless, had kept him from falling into the dangerous thought patterns of sociopath. As much as their antics and habits annoyed him to the point of growing gray hair, if that was possible, it was only with them that he was most relaxed. Okay, maybe not really obviously relaxed but just a little, enough for him to notice if no one else.
But with family it was different. Not a blank, smooth slate, but a road filled with bumps and smooth turns. There was the history that had to be worked with, memories of a time past of how he had been, how he had looked, all there for comparison with how he was now. Rejection from the people from whom it would hurt the worse would be -
FWAMP
Yes, a pillow makes a rather funny sound when it hits one in the face. Zelgadiss pulled it off and glared, when doesn't he, in the direction it came from. Terisa waved over her shoulder, already in her sleeping roll.
"I gave you a pillow but a good night kiss is absolutely out of the question so go to sleep already!"
He smiled, remembering back when they were young. Terisa often stole his pillow and they'd get into a big, and loud, fight over it that always needed both of their parents to stop. Young Zel had absolutely refused to share a room with his little sister but Terisa was afraid of sleeping alone. She must have been able to see spirits even then, no wonder she was scared. His father always said Terisa wanted Zel's pillow so she wouldn't feel so alone.
Not that he really needed or could use a pillow now. But Zelgadiss slept well that night with it under his arm.
Their path ended in the water, literally. Furball yipped indignantly because its paws had gotten wet and it now ran around in circles around everyone, trying to dry them off. You'd have expected it to be the first to notice but ever since they started traveling through the light mist, the pup had been acting strangely. Or so Lin said.
"Terisa, are you sure this is the right way?" Zelgadiss asked, discomforted by the dampness, which was a result of the mist. True they had to travel uphill but it wasn't that high and besides, sunrise had been hours before.
"I know where I'm going," she replied crossly, either because of her brother's implied skepticism or because she was naturally feeling cross. Zel wondered if this was how their mother was behind closed doors.
From her travel sack, Terisa pulled out a simple flat silver whistle. Putting it to her lips, she blew one single clear tone that somehow echoed without diminution in tone. Zelgadiss watched her as she waited, staring straight ahead into the mist that completely clouded the surface of the dark waters several feet beyond where they stood.
"Okay, let's go."
"Go? Go where? Terisa!" Zelgadiss gasped as his sister stepped forward into the fog and water and kept on walking. The thick mist enveloped and swallowed her. "Terisa!!"
Terisa's head, for lack of better word, popped back out of the fog, irritation and amusement warring on her face. "Oh come on, Zel. I've cleared you two," Furball barked, "three to go in. So start moving. In case you forgot, you put one foot in front of the other. Just be sure that you follow me or you'll fall in."
Gesturing for Lin to stay back, the chimera cautiously lay a step above the dark waters of this high altitude lake. It rested firmly on something that wasn't water.
"Lin, pick up Furball," Zel couldn't believe he just called that wolf pup by that silly name, "Pick him up and come to me." He lifted them both up into his arms before continuing slowly toward Terisa on the invisible bridge or whatever it was. Zel didn't want to risk either of his charges falling into the water.
"We don't have all day you know," Terisa teased, her head disturbingly just hanging on the solid wall of fog. "Now come on!"
Ready for something, Zel braced himself as he stepped through the 'wall'. It was like a chilling wind that tore everything away down to the bone. His arms curled even tighter around the boy and pup.
Then it was gone. The harsh wind now replaced by a soft warm zephyr that tousled Lin's hair, tickling his nose. There were sounds now, sounds of water lapping against stone and wood, cloth flapping in the wind, sounds of people enjoying the day.
"You can open your eyes now. And release that death grip you have that poor boy and wolf in." There was a touch of smugness in her voice. "Welcome to the Isle of Avalon, brother."
Zel's eyes opened, finally seeing the gentle sunshine that illuminated this place beyond the wall of fog. They were standing at the far end of a peach bridge lined with lampposts not unlike those in Neo Sairaag. He could see at least two more bridges, one on each side, that lead to other locations on the lakeside or even to other islands. He never imagined the lake was this big.
It no longer looked dark and menacing, but a mixture of blues and greens that sparkled clearly with the sunlight. Out on the waters were people in boats of various sizes, making such noise that he was surprised that he hadn't heard them before. Zelgadiss looked back but the way he had come was gone, well, it didn't look the same anymore. The mist and fog were gone, revealing the lush green that had been hidden.
Furball disliked being squashed between two humans and wriggled his way out, giving himself a steadying shake before leaping to the stone bridge. Not to be out done, Lin also tried to escape but his effort was less since Zelgadiss put him down. Immediately, the two children ran to the railing of the bridge, eager to look at all the water.
"Hey, Furball! There are fish down there, see? A blue one and a orange one and a gray one and another orange one and..."
"There'll be plenty of time for that later," Terisa told them, pushing the two along down the bridge. "You'll need to get checked in and vouched first."
"Checked in and vouched?"
Terisa could feel the questioning probes digging into her back. He was probably standing there, arms crossed, eyes narrowed. She looked, yes he was. Quite predictable, her brother. Paranoid too.
"Oh it's not much. You know, they just want to get to know you, how to get in contact with you, the best way to subdue you should you become hostile...Come back, Zel, I was joking about the last one."
Zelgadiss didn't look convinced.
"And Kelvan is the best bet you have in freeing your girlfriend in the book - "
"She isn't my girlfriend!"
"She's a girl, and she's a friend, that equals?"
"Girlfriend!" Lin answered, not really understanding what was going on. But this place looked like a lot of fun and he wanted to go play with the fish. "Nii-chan, hurry! Can we go out on one of those later?" Lin was pointing at a boat.
Zelgadiss tugged on his hood. "There's no way I'm going to be able to get through if they're running a check. I practically scream suspicious."
"Especially with the hood and mask on," Terisa agreed, tugging the hood off. "So let's go. We're expected. And it's impolite to keep your host waiting."
He knew this was a mistake but Terisa was right. This was the only way to free his...friends. He would much rather have the hood on but knowing Terisa's obstinate attitude, it would be an on-and-off thing all the way up the bridge and that would attract even more attention.
He prayed he wasn't walking to his crucification, stoning, hanging, or whatever form of capital punishment this completely stunning place had.
And it was stunning, the architecture unlike anything Zel had ever seen before. Unlike other cities, this one had plenty of greenery that wasn't limited to windowsills. There were several towering trees rivaling sleek smooth towers that rose to steeple points in the skyline. The buildings he could make out individually were gaily decorated with painted accents around corners and portals. There was no appearance of crowding, a common problem in other places, even with the obvious number of buildings.
He was brought back down to the stone bridge he was crossing as they reached the gate. Of course, it was more of a metalwork archway than anything else, the city didn't even have a defense wall built around it. The guards though still looked as sharp and business-like as ever.
"You were the one who blew the whistle?" questioned a guard, looking Terisa up and down. He nodded when she produced the whistle and requested that she blow it again. Whatever that was supposed to do, if anything, satisfied the guard and he gestured for them to continue. "At the risk of repeating something you will hear often today, welcome to the Isle of Avalon."
Zelgadiss, if he was prone to fits of comedic relief, would have dropped his jaw and gawked. No suspicious or fearful looks, no nervous fidgeting with a weapon, no screams for torches and pitchforks. Did they even notice he was standing here?
"Come on, Zel," Terisa called already several meters past the gateway. "Kelvan is waiting for us and your two little bundles of trouble are running amok."
Zelgadiss shook his head and crossed the metal arch. There was definitely something strange, but in a awe-inspiring, positive kind of way, about this Avalon.
Book 3, Chapter 2 | Story Index | Fanfiction