The Fenimeldiyaan: Rogue Time - Chapter 9

River opened one eye. She didn't have the strength to open two yet. The first thing she saw was a man with a large moustache sitting across from her, his arms folded and his eyes closed, as if sleeping. Around her, others slept. A man with purple hair lingered near her, and she recognized him as the man she had first met with green hair--Iereth. Dorrie snored not far from her.

Slowly, as she regained her strength, River sat up, the blankets falling from around her shoulders. The man with the moustache opened his eyes and smiled at her. "Hello, River."

Uncertainly, she returned the smile. Her mind was in a turmoil. Vaguely, she remembered something--a vision of a memory--but she couldn't find it in her mind. Nor did she care to. Whatever it was, it was probably better off gone.

Moving carefully, River traced words in the dirt, looking at the man pointedly when she had finished. "Hello, Andreas." How she knew it was him, she didn't know. But it was--it had to be. She just knew it.

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Two Grand Healers fussed around the Rajah, one of them chanting and sprinkling his wound with a sparkling green powder, while the other one pressed his hands together in prayer. Jaek, still in the form of the adviser, hovered nearby, watching them while she decided what to do. A few minutes later, she had made up her mind. “It’s not looking good for him” she pronounced, invoking a spell to weaken the ailing Rajah and send him on his way to the Beyond. “My medical knowledge may be limited but I’m no stranger to sword wounds. I’m going to inform his children so that they can be prepared for the worst”.

The two healers continued with their work, showing no sign that they had heard her. Giving an irritated sigh, she strode from the Rajah’s bedchamber and hurried along to the apartment where his eldest daughter lived.

Darshana had been sleeping, but came awake quickly on hearing an insistent pounding at the door. She grabbed a thin silk robe to cover her nakedness and rushed to see who was disturbing her at this early hour. She opened the door and saw one of her father’s trusted advisers there, a worried expression on his wrinkled face. “I bring most unwelcome news, Jewel Darshana” he said, bowing low before her. When he straightened from his bow, he told her about the foreign sorcerer’s assassination attempt. “The Grand Healers are with your father now, but he is fading fast. I believe it will be necessary to enact the Succession Protocol”.

“Where were his personal guards?” Darshana asked, her voice quiet with an underlying hint of menace. “Why did they not protect him? They are sworn to give their lives to keep him safe”. “Honoured Jewel, they stood no chance against such a mighty sorcerer” the adviser explained. “He attacked with flames and burned them before they had time to do anything”.

“Take me to him now!” Darshana ordered. The adviser bowed again and they strode along the white marble corridors of the palace to where the Rajah’s apartment was located.

The Grand Healers looked up, then bowed to Darshana. “Humble apologies, Honoured Jewel” one of them murmured. “We did all we could but we believe the weapon used on your father must have been enchanted. The blood did stop flowing for a while, but he has lost too much and won’t recover. His time is near. Have mercy on us, we beg of you”.

Darshana stared at them, then brushed past them and leaned over her father’s bed, trying to keep the tears from falling, as she had no wish to show weakness in front of the adviser and the healers. “Honoured and beloved Father, may your passage to the Beyond be a smooth and gentle one. May the sacred lotus bloom forever and may your soul be reunited with our honoured ancestors. I have loved you, honoured Father, and I will do my best to be a worthy ruler of our people”. She planted a kiss on his third eye and stroked his dark hair tenderly. His breathing grew shallower and a few minutes later, his last rasping breath left his body, along with his vital essence.

The adviser came over to her and whispered “Jewel Darshana, we must prepare for the Succession Protocol immediately. I will see to the arrangements for your honoured Father’s funeral pyre”.

Darshana nodded and followed the adviser to the throne room, where the Succession Ceremony would be held.

The green crystal throne felt cold beneath Darshana’s thin robe. “I had not expected to become Rani so soon” she told the adviser. “My honoured Father was yet young, too young to pass, and I feel unprepared to take his place as ruler of Hindustan”.

“Fear not, Jewel Darshana” the adviser said in a soothing tone. “I will be at your side to advise you, as I did for your honoured Father”. Jaek allowed herself a small grin before adjusting the equations and manipulating the time stream, causing the Rajah’s eldest daughter to vanish instantly. She then invoked a transformation spell on herself, taking the form of the tall, elegant Rani-to-be.

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“I be sorry, Morgan, but we can’t go home just yet” Andreas said. “First, we gotta rescue Gerald, then we need to find the rogue Chronomage who’s been causing all the trouble”.

Morgan’s eyes flashed red for a moment and he felt the darkness stirring within him, calling to him with its seductive allure.

Andreas gave a heavy sigh and shook his head. “Ah, no, ye didn’t use yer dark powers, did ye?”

Morgan lowered his head in shame. “I didn’t want to. But the woman with the white hair, the Chronomage, she tricked me. She told me that you and Gerald were being kept imprisoned here and were due to be executed. She told me other things too, things which I don’t want to believe”.

“I’ve been in Albion all this time” Andreas stated. “I only came here to find ye and Gerald. Speaking of Gerald, he ain’t in a good way. The Rajah’s Grand Inquisitors have had a go at him and their work ain’t pretty, if ye get me meaning”.

“Oh, not dungeons again!” Morgan complained. “Somehow Gerald always manages to end up in dungeons!”

Andreas brought out a map from his rucksack and unfurled it on the ground so that Morgan could see it. “Prison block be here, behind the palace and across from the parade ground where I found ye. Right now there be thousands of Hindustani warriors patrolling. The whole place be on high alert, so we’ll have to go invisible. Don’t worry, I’ll do the spell for both of us. In fact, I’d best cast all the spells for the time being. I’ll have to draw on yer powers if we need to defend ourselves, for the Chronomage has been draining me powers since I arrived on this planet. I ain’t firing on all cylinders, ye understand”.

Morgan gave a weak nod.

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Andreas nodded encouragingly at River. “Aye, tis me. But I sense something different in ye. Ye be younger than ye were when we first met, and more vulnerable. A long way from becoming Queen of Corttann. Twould seem that the rogue Chronomage has set yer equations back to an earlier time in yer life. Yer memories be different too. Yer real ones, I mean, not the ones from me that she gave ye. But don’t worry. Once I’ve dealt with the Chronomage, I’ll get ye back to Corttann”.

River’s face creased in confusion. “I don't know where I come from” she wrote, again using her finger to draw in the dirt.

Andreas gave a peculiar chuckle and shook his head. “Ah, I get it now. Quantum theory. Multiple versions. Ye be River Meer, but not the one I met on Corttann. That explains the difference in yer memories. What a twisted woman that Chronomage be!”

River’s finger traced more words. “She said she would help me get my memories back”.

“Listen, me dear” Andreas said, patting her arm in a comforting manner. “She only be about helping herself. What her game plan be, I don’t know, but suffice it to say that she can’t be trusted. After what she did to ye, I expect ye be feeling confused. Merge with me and I’ll help ye understand”.

He initiated the mind merge, opening his private thoughts and memories to her, keeping nothing back. Again, she saw the two bullying boys, but this time in their proper context. It was Andreas on the floor being beaten and kicked instead of her. He also sat on the lap of the plump, kindly man, watching the flickering images on the screen. “Me Pa, Lord Adriano Castiglioni” Andreas’s gentle voice spoke within her mind. “An honourable and decent man, unlike me despicable half-siblings who ye met earlier. Anyways, I’ll teach ye how to transmit telepathically. Twill be much easier than having to write”.

It was exhausting trying the mental projection exercises and soon River felt waves of tiredness coming over her. “Tis enough for now” Andreas said. “We’ll try again when ye’ve rested”.

He then turned his attention to Elaine. “I got news for ye from me other self about Gerald and Morgan”. He then went on to inform her of the events which had taken place in the Hindustani Capital. “Twill be a tough challenge getting Gerald outa the Rajah’s prison. Since the assassination of the Rajah, security has been ramped up. If things get tricky over there, I’ll have to go along and help Morgan and me other self. For now, tis a waiting game. Sometimes waiting be harder than acting”.

Elaine nodded. “I know what you mean. I’ve done nothing but wait since I’ve been here. I wish there were more I could do”.

“There may yet be” Andreas pronounced mysteriously. “But for the time being, let’s all get some rest. I’ve set a low-intensity sorcery ward around us, so I’ll get advance warning of any danger”. He switched from speaking aloud to projecting within her mind. “Word of warning — Dorota Cadogan always has her own agenda. So far she’s done nothing suspicious. In fact, she’s been of great assistance to us. But be aware that she could turn on us at any time”.

Elaine gave a regretful sigh. “I don’t think I can sleep, especially not after what you’ve just told me, but I’ll try anyway”.

He gave her a brief smile before laying down and closing his eyes.

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Elspeth lay awake, arms stretched out on either side. She grimaced, adjusting her body's position on the cold, dank ground. "Ah, bugger," she muttered to herself. After all that had just transpired, the elderly dragon couldn't fathom how the others could possibly be sleeping.

There was something called a rogue Chronomage bumbling about, and she had been messing with Elspeth's companions a fair bit. Elspeth thanked the First Dragon that she herself hadn't been messed with. Or maybe she had... Elspeth shot upright, massaging her sore scalp.

Suddenly a pair of brown eyes peeked out from the surrounding darkness. It was the girl... what was her name again? Some body of water... Ocean? No, River. That was it. Elspeth bit her lip, peering down at the girl.

"What're ye lookin' at?" She whispered harshly. But River didn't seem to hear her. After a few seconds of awkwardness, Elspeth realized that River was not, in fact, awake at all. She was having a nightmare.

Elspeth rolled her eyes as the girl began to shake. The dragon had never understood the concept of nightmares. What was there to fear, after all? She frowned, envying River for having been able to fall asleep in the first place. If only Ramsey were here, safe and sound, maybe Elspeth could rest. With a pang, she realized there was something in life she feared: losing her husband of forty-eight years. But she would never admit such a thing, not even to Ramsey himself. Besides, he already knew it.

"Blasted ground," Elspeth snarled, fluffing up the moss beneath her. She ignored the creaking of her old joints as she turned onto her side. If only there were something she could do to fall asleep. She could count sheep, but that would just make her hungry.

Elspeth scanned the area, and her eyes rested on a faint purple glow. The old woman snickered, remembering how the boy Iereth and the young woman Elaine had turned their hair purple. With this thought in mind, Elspeth drifted off into a deep - and quite entertaining - dream.

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Ramsey stared down at the snake-man's outstretched hand. Or Lias, as he'd said his name was.

"Ah, nice to meet ye, Lias. Me name's Ramsey." The elderly dragon clasped Lias' hand and shook it a little too vigorously. He could tell Lias was excited, and his own senses easily picked up on it. To Ramsey, happiness was more contagious than Dragon Pox.

Lias smiled widely, showing particularly pointed teeth. Ramsey wondered if Rachel had seen these teeth before she'd decided it'd be a good idea to come back for the fellow. Well, no matter. He was here now, and he was growing on Ramsey.

Glancing down at Rachel's sleeping form, the dragon said, "I'm just waiting fer young Rachel to wake up. She took out all these soldiers single-handedly. Well, single-mindedly. Well...ye know what I mean. She used magic."

Lias raised his eyebrows. "She's more powerful than I thought."

"That she is," Ramsey sighed, examining Rachel's face. "An' I hope she wakes up soon. We'd best be getting out o' here."

The snake-man glanced around at the Hindustani guards. "I agree. There may be more of them." Lias wrinkled his nose at the sleeping men.

"Oh, I hope not," Rachel's voice broke in.

"Rachel! Ye're awake!"

"Yes," the young woman sighed, struggling to lift herself up.

"Let me help ye there," Ramsey offered, but Rachel didn't seem to need his help after all. She really was strong, that one. "Oh, you found him," she smiled, glancing at Lias. "Thanks for helping to save me. And your name...?"

"Lias," the snake-man stated proudly. "I'd like to accompany the both of you," he said, glancing at Ramsey with what might have been admiration, though Ramsey couldn't be certain.

"Well, we'll need all the help we can get," Ramsey frowned, glancing up at the sky. It was still fairly dark, and he hadn't gotten much sleep. But his friends were still out there, so now wasn't the time for rest. "Have ye ever flown?" Ramsey asked the other two, a mischievous grin on his face.

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"Have ye ever flown?" Ramsey asked with a grin.

Lias's eyes widened. "Flown?" He looked up through the trees at the darkening sky. "Never!"

"Well there's a first time for everything." Lias watched in amazement as the man turned into a red dragon. The dragon moved his clothing onto his back along with the sleeping girl. He then cocked his scaly head to the side and said, "Climb on, an' keep a hold of the girl."

Lias nodded, but still hesitated. A shapeshifting dragon was before him, and the dragon was wanting him to ride him! Lias thought of allowing a human to ride on his own scaly back and shuddered. The very thought made him want to shed his skin.

But, the girl was already on his back, and she seemed to have not a trace of cold blood running through her veins. Nodding to himself, Lias climbed atop the dragon's back, staying close to the sleeping girl. They took flight.

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"Come on now. They won't bite!" Ben called.

Will took a step away from the wagon, in particular, the skeletal horses set in its reins. "Are you sure about that?" Will asked.

"Yes, I'm sure," Ben said. He stepped up to one of the houses and reached out to pet its nose. Instead, he felt its teeth bite down and heard a sharp crunch. Ben winced and felt his hand go numb instead of the blast of pain any normal person may feel. He looked back at Will and smirked. "Just don't pet them."

"Yeah, don't pet them," Will said. He tiptoed around the horses while Ben pulled his hand free from the monster's mouth. Once Will was in the carriage, Ben joined him and said, "Off to Albion!"

The carriage rocked and creaked in response, taking off.

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That evening, exhausted from the spells he had cast and energy drained by Dorrie, Iereth slept like a rock.

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After Will's initial dislike of the skeletal horses, a spark of mischievous amusement crept into his mind. If Reth didn't like regular horses, what would he think of dead horses? It would be good revenge after Reth's mistaken spell had sent him to the graveyard. He leaned back in the wagon, considering all the ways he could get back at Iereth. Maybe if he was sleeping, Will could put him on the horse's back. Or maybe he could stop the horse right next to him. Or maybe ...

Will fell asleep.

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Rachel was not overly fond of heights. She stared at Ramsey's back, trying not to imagine the open air between her and the ground. Lias seemed comfortable enough, and she could see him watching her, probably to make sure she didn't tumble off the dragon's back. She appreciated the gesture, but the snake-man had unusually big teeth. It made Rachel a tiny bit uncomfortable.

The wind tugged at her blonde curls. It was difficult to believe that only the day before she had been living in her mansion, careless and maybe even thoughtless. Now she was flying on the back of a dragon with a man who turned into a snake. In spite of herself, she smiled a little. If only Ewan were here--he would be even more excited than she was.

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King Randolph struck the messenger in the face. "What do you mean, they all escaped?" he roared. "Find them! Bring them back here, with or without their heads! And don't come back into my sight until you have them." The man, bowing and scraping, quickly fled from the throne room. Another man replaced him, watching the king pace and waiting for the inevitable question. Randolph turned on him. "Tell me, why is Rachel Andric not here yet?"

"S-sire, she ... she ran away," the man stammered.

"Ran away?" Randolph yelled. "Why in the name of heaven would she do that?"

"We told her you requested her presence in the war, and ..."

The man got no farther. Randolph punched the man in the nose. "Idiot! I don't want her to fight in the war! I want to marry her! Go and find her. Bring her here. And if she doesn't want to come, drag her to me. Like it or not, she will be my wife. Find her!" The man ran off to do as his king commanded.

One of his soldiers entered, bowing. "Sire. I bring news of Hindustan."

Randolph turned, raising an eyebrow in interest. "The Rajah, Darshan Yadav, he's dead. Murdered," the man explained. "His daughter Darshana is to become the Rani."

"Good. A woman is not a proper ruler for a country." Randolph smiled in satisfaction. He patted the man's shoulder. "Gather the army. We will attack Hindustan before Darshana is crowned as the Rani."

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Cliff was stubborn. Gerald found that out the hard way. The thief was pulling at the chains--in an incredibly futile way, in Gerald's opinion--as he tried to free the mercenary. Gerald, for his part, was trying to get Cliff to go away. Not because he cared what happened to him, but because the sight of him reminded Gerald too much of his shadowy past. A time that he felt great shame from.

Finally, Cliff pulled away with a sigh. "I'm not strong enough to unwrap you from these chains."

"No kidding," Gerald answered sarcastically. "Get outta here, mate. I don't need yer help."

"You're just being stubborn," Cliff said. "You need a lot of help."

Well, Gerald couldn't argue with that, but he didn't want any help from his wife's ... what did he call the person Elsa had fallen in love with, Gerald had murdered, and then proceeded to lie to her and tell her Cliff had abandoned her? Gerald didn't know, and he didn't care to find out, either. "I don't need yer help," Gerald snapped. "My friend'll be here for me soon. There's no need for ye t'get yerself killed while yer here."

"I will figure out how to get you out of here," Cliff insisted. The door to the dungeons opened, and Cliff turned his wide eyes on Gerald.

The mercenary rolled his eyes unsympathetically. In his opinion, the thief had already died; whatever horrors the Hindustanis could bestow on him would make little difference to Gerald. "I did warn ye," he said.

The Hindustani guards seized Cliff and dragged him off to the "Rani". Gerald could have sworn it used to be the Rajah. Whatever the reason, they did whip Gerald across the face, scratching it and making the blood seep into his eyes. He blinked. He was really tired of getting tortured.

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As Morgan trailed after Andreas, he tried to think of something--anything--he could say to him that might make him stop this mad attempt at a rescue of someone who probably wouldn't even care. The only thing he could come up with was, "The Chronomage, Jaek, she's here. She kept messing with me, testing me. She wants me to use my darkness. Andreas, can she best you if she's draining your powers?"

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The nightmare was plaguing River. It was the memory from the tower, more potent and just as frightening as it had been back then. She woke with a start, sitting up abruptly. Sweat poured down her forehead, mingling with the tears streaming down her cheeks.

She had murdered her own brother. How could any of the people around her stand being around a killer? What would they do if they found out what she had done? Staring down at her hands, she wondered if she should leave them. Then she became aware of Andreas's eyes on her face. Hastily, she averted her gaze. Did he know?

But if he did ... he probably wouldn't be so friendly with her. Would he be?