by Phil Stern
Thoughtfully staring out at the wondrous view when they arrived, the Coven Leader now slowly turned about. “My dear, do sit down.” Nodding a dismissal at Norine, Eleanor curtly motioned to a seat before her desk. “We must talk quickly, as I have another meeting in ten minutes.”
Sliding into an open chair, she watched the elderly woman slowly take a plush seat behind the desk. Her stomach tightening even more, the young witch realized this was her first private audience ever with the Coven Leader.
“First of all, I very much regret that we haven’t had an opportunity to chat before now,” Eleanor began. “But do know that, even if you might have assumed otherwise, I’ve been following your progress quite closely these past several months.”
“Eleanor, please know that I’ve been trying very, very hard to live up to your expectations.”
“Of course, dear,” the Coven Leader smoothly replied, even as she laid a foreboding manila folder on the desktop. “But keep in mind that in life we must live up to our own expectations. Wouldn’t you agree?”
Wincing, this last comment all but confirmed Caylee’s worst fears. No doubt the folder contained orders sending her home in disgrace. “Eleanor, let me just say that I know I screwed up yesterday.” Sliding forward, her hands were tightly clasped. “I was surprised, I admit. Especially coming out of my final! Which, you have to at least consider, was an awfully stressful thing…”
“Caylee.” Gently bringing the young girl up short, Eleanor now idly spun the folder about with one finger. “Whatever are you babbling about?”
“Amanda, and the chase. And being caught.” Almost helplessly, the teenager shrugged. “You know.”
“I see.” Easing back in her chair, the Coven Leader’s earth stone seemed especially dark and mysterious. “So you think you did poorly in the unannounced training exercise?”
“I failed it completely.”
“Really? Have you failed anything else I should know about?”
“Um, the final, I’m guessing?”
“By the stone.” Almost wearily, Eleanor rubbed her forehead. “You girls never cease to amaze me.”
“But I’ll do better.” Trying to project a confidence she certainly didn’t feel, Caylee pushed aside a stray lock of blonde hair. “I really will, even if it means…”
“My dear girl, just listen.” The senior sorceress paused a long moment. “As I said, time is short and we have much to discuss.”
“Sure, but if…”
“Quiet, please.”
Nearly blushing, Caylee looked away.
“First of all, you didn’t ‘screw up’ yesterday.” Allowing herself a small smile, Eleanor nodded. “The fact is you responded beautifully to Amanda’s provocation. Almost textbook. You didn’t waste time, you weren’t confused or frightened, you just acted. Bravo.”
“Really? Wow.” Hardly believing her ears, the neophyte witch stared in utter amazement at the Coven Leader. “But to be honest, I was a little scared.”
“Of course. But your emotions didn’t impact your actions, which is all that matters.” By contrast, Eleanor’s measured gaze easily rested on her sorceress. “Many others have done far, far worse.”
“They have?”
“Yes. And truth be told, you actually did loose your pursuer when you jumped from the taxi. Apparently, that took Amanda completely by surprise.” A dour frown now creased Eleanor’s face. “As it turns out, she just blundered into you on the ground a bit later in a desperate attempt to reacquire.”
“Really?” Clearly, the expectations for this little exercise had been higher for the hunter than the hunted.
“Yes, really.” The older woman paused to pull an invisible thread from her sleeve. “Good luck for her, and bad for you. Not every variable can be controlled.”
Caylee thought about that a moment. “So you’re saying I passed?”
“It’s not pass/fail, dear. Actually, in the real world, it’s more like live or die.”
“Right.” Now Caylee felt herself begin to relax. “So you’re saying…”
“But next time, fully clear the area before stopping to play with that electronic gadget of yours.” Distastefully, Eleanor flicked her fingers in the air. “I hate those things. One day I’ll loose a girl because of one.”
“Got it. Fully clear the area. I’ll never make that mistake again.”
“Speaking of grades, though…” Eleanor intoned, now flipping open the folder on the desk.
Uh oh. Despite herself, the youthful sorceress began squirming in her seat.
It took the Coven Leader several seconds to find the right line on the paper before her. “You got a B plus on your final,” she finally announced. “Not bad, actually, considering that this is your first formal schooling.”
“A B plus!”
“Indeed,” Eleanor confirmed. “In this dimension, young lady, should you maintain that level of success, you’d automatically qualify for even better schools and greater resources.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really.” Uncharacteristically, the older woman now enjoyed a brief, unguarded smile. “In fact, this has all been a great success. At least so far.”
“You mean, having us attend school and all?”
“Yes. But in a broader context, I was referring to having several new girls stationed here with me, in Vail.” Slowly, Eleanor nodded. “The Coven has to change, my dear. The universe isn’t what it used to be. Just training candidates in Haven and then kicking them out to gallivant about the universe on their own is simply too dangerous. And tempting.”
“Oh.” Frowning, Caylee thought quickly. “So being here is part of some larger plan?”
“A test program, you might say. To foster higher thinking and greater maturity. Not to mention cohesion and unity for the Coven as a whole.” Despite herself, Eleanor stiffly looked away.
After Tiffany Smith led a mission into Zarth to steal the ruby witches’ midate and bring the rival coven to bay, a traitorous plot was unveiled within Haven itself. A small group of older witches intended to unseat Eleanor and withdraw from the universe-at-large, ceding magical supremacy to the Zarth coven.
This had brought about sweeping changes to the Coven as a whole. The old biddies had been banished somewhere, of course, and told never to come back. There had also been leadership changes and reassignments in over a dozen dimensions, bringing new talent and strength to the fore.
Yet the whole thing still clearly rankled the Coven Leader. An awkward moment went by, then another.
“Look, if there’s anything I can do to help, just let me know,” Caylee hopefully began. “As you know, I’ve already been tested out in the field…”
“I know, dear. Which brings us to the business at hand.” Briskly bringing out a small box, the Coven Leader placed it on the desk. “Take a look, please.”
It was simple cardboard, about four inches square. Caylee carefully undid the tucked-in top, then pulled out the brass device she found inside.
It was an old analog gauge, like those found on an Industrial Age steam engine. Dented and cracked, the round face still had some dirt on it. The small tube that obviously connected it to some larger machine was twisted and bent, almost as if violently ripped off.
Looking more closely at the numbers on the face itself, Caylee didn’t recognize the units of measure. “Where’s it from?”
“It was found in Lysandy.”
“Lysandy?” Frowning, the young blonde looked up. “But that’s a fully natural world, isn’t it?”
“It’s quite magical, yes.”
“And people?”
“Very sparsely populated. A few villages. They seem peaceful enough.”
“But no technology, right?”
“Correct. Just flowing plains and savannahs. No buildings, other than a hut or two, as far as we know.” A twinkle came into Eleanor’s eye. “Which is where you come in.”
“Me? How?”
“Quite simply, there’s a myster
y to solve. How did this device get into a fully magical, utterly non-technological dimension?”
“Someone took it there, I suppose.” Holding the broken gauge up in the light, Caylee watched the occasional sun beam reflect from it’s surface. “Or maybe it just popped in from somewhere?”
“Things don’t just pop from one dimension to another, dear. Someone, or something, must have conveyed it across vastly differing dimensions.”
Caylee found herself becoming intrigued. “Was it found by a Boundary portal?”
“No. In fact, this device was discovered by Michele over a full day’s ride inland from the nearest portal.”
Wow. It sounded like Lysandy had pretty spotty Boundary access. “And Michele just stumbled on this thing in the grass or something?”
“Actually, a battle hawk found it and brought it to her. Michele was already overdue back in Haven, so she couldn’t investigate herself.”
“And now you want me to investigate?” Caylee found herself getting excited. “By myself?”
“You’ll take a horse, unicorn, and two battle hawks,” Eleanor briskly instructed. She’d clearly already worked this all out. “Invite one of the mature female unicorns. They’re just as good as a Coven-mate, sometimes even better. You’ll be fine.”
The blonde sorceress tried not to groan. This was the “Mommy Uni” scenario, where some bossy equine was supposed to keep her out of trouble. “What about a Coven Stick?”
“No Coven Stick,” the Leader firmly pronounced. “I won’t let those things become a crutch for you girls. And besides, they’re best suited to fighting human and human-like opponents. That shouldn’t be an issue in Lysandy.”
Caylee tried not to look disappointed. “But…there are lots of magical animals, right?”
“Which I expect you to talk to, not to fight. Your SA should be very useful in that regard.” A buzzer went off on Eleanor’s desk. “I’ve got to go, dear. Just take a sweep inland, see what you can find out, and then come back.”
“But, what if I actually do find something? Am I supposed to…”
“Just observe and report back,” Eleanor sternly commanded. “This is a pure reconnaissance mission. Don’t try to change anything. Or even worse, fix anything! In fact, keep interactions to an absolute minimum. Your job is to provide the Coven with information. That’s all. Are we clear?”
“Yes. Completely.” Suavely nodding, she clutched the alien device in a tight fist. “When do I leave?”
“Today. Follow all protocols on leaving a domicile dimension. Then go directly to Haven. Spend a night in your own bed, collect your companions, and then cross directly into Lysandy.” Eleanor stood, the interview obviously having concluded. “And good luck, my dear.”
Rising herself, the younger witch shook Eleanor’s hand across the desk. The older woman’s grip was surprisingly strong and sure.
Then, turning about, Caylee strode across the wide office. She was trying very, very hard not to rush out, as if she was super anxious to get started. After all, this sounded like a very minor mission, something that…
“And Caylee? One more thing.”
“Yes?” Pausing by the door, the teenager forced herself to calmly glance back.
“This shouldn’t take more than three days, four at most if it gets interesting.” Still standing, Eleanor bestowed her with a dour frown. “Don’t make me send anyone looking for you.”
“I won’t!” she promised, grinning despite her best efforts to look serious.
Rolling her eyes, Eleanor dropped heavily back down into her chair. “Dismissed.”
“Yes! Thank you!” Slipping from the Coven Leader’s office, Caylee found herself almost skipping down the hall.
*****
Still nearly glowing, Caylee breezed past Eleanor’s receptionist in the outer office area. There were two other witches waiting on the Coven Leader, but thankfully, Norine wasn’t one of them. She just didn’t need that kind of negativity right now.
Actually, she suspected that if left to her own devices, the “chief of staff” would have chosen Yandi for this assignment, or maybe even Lilly. Anyone else, really, who hadn’t helped Tiffany Smith last spring. Coven politics could be kind of annoying sometimes.
Not that Caylee had really done much. In fact, she was a little embarrassed at how Tiffany had to help her along at times. In retrospect, her experienced Coven-mate had been very kind.
Well, she certainly wouldn’t need any hand-holding this time around! Still smiling, Caylee took a lift downstairs to the car port, where a company vehicle whisked the young sorceress back to her city apartment.
Thirty menlars later, having carefully inspected her pad for even the slightest magical residue or foreign objects, she was back downstairs once more. In a light jacket and backpack, the blonde coed appeared like any other student taking off after finals. Her elderly doorman gave a friendly nod, wishing Caylee safe travels.
As if the man had any idea how far she’d actually be going! Politely thanking him, then checking her mail slot for anything important, the sorceress was soon out on the street again.
Of course, for junior witches such as herself, transiting in and out of Vail was tricky. Skill and stealth were needed in great abundance, lest anyone catch onto the existence of magical beings within their very midst. Often one had to feint about to throw off any potential pursuers, then slink off to some remote location where the Boundary could be safely accessed.
Thus, Caylee first strolled about for a while before ducking into a mall. Satisfied she wasn’t being followed by any government or other mundane agents (one could never be too careful), she then caught a cab to the intra-solar system bus depot. However, the Coven operative merely walked past the rocket pads and out of the building again before darting down into the nearest subway station.
The subways on Vail were pretty intense, traveling at three and four times the speed of a typical mid-tech dimension. They were also planet-wide, making it easy to zip about in relative obscurity.
For mid-morning, the car was very crowded. Standing and swaying in the midst of a large group, she politely smiled at several men pointedly making eye contact. One guy even tried to talk to her. But of course, the last thing she wanted to do was pick up any friends on the way out of town. Politely shoving her way to the other end of the car, she just stared out the window as the train surged above ground once more.
Slipping off at the next station, she then walked around some small town for a bit. Then, again checking to make sure she wasn’t being followed, Caylee re-entered the station and got on another train. Promptly plunging below ground again to whisk underneath a small ocean, they eventually popped up within a rugged municipal park on another continent.
This was a remote place where heavy clouds always hung halfway down the mountains, allowing hikers the odd experience of walking up into the dense fog. Quixotic in it’s own right, the natural conditions also provided perfect cover for surreptitiously accessing the Boundary.
Intriguing or not, however, this particular route could also be a tiring, time-consuming pain in the ass. Slowly conquering the steep slope, Caylee eventually encountered the drifting cloud line. Another stumbling quarter-mile up, and the sorceress’ warming earth stone finally indicated the proximity of a Boundary portal.
Gratefully pulling the magical talisman out from underneath her shirt, the green energy soon caused the inter-dimensional opening to form. Within the cloud bank, you could barely discern the glowing mist of the portal itself from the naturally foggy conditions. Even if anyone stumbled upon her at the last moment, they’d suspect nothing unusual.
But even so, Caylee was quite alone. As soon as the portal reached full cohesion, the sorceress simply walked into the Boundary. Within moments it collapsed and disappeared, leaving none the wiser.
CHAPTER THREE
OF COURSE, time and space had no meaning within the Boundary itself. But to Caylee, it always seemed that a trip back to Haven from an outlyi
ng dimension was shorter than the other way around.
On one unfortunate occasion she actually tried asking the glowing hummingbirds whether they just naturally took a more direct route when a sorceress was going home. But the whole concept of definable, measurable distance within the shifting inter-dimensional rift greatly confused them. Caylee was forced to sooth the Coven’s Boundary guides with thoughts of love and gratitude for a full menlar before that particular trip could continue.
Ever since then she just mentally shut up and meekly followed the tiny airborne guides, their wings madly whirling about, without question. Special Ability or not, Caylee was clearly expected to act like any other sorceress. Excess talking just got in the way.
As usual, a pathway obediently formed before her in the permanent twilight, the mutable landscape flowing and receding all about. Furtively glancing behind her, Caylee saw that the path immediately fell away into nothingness after she passed. Obviously, the pure, natural magic saturating this entire realm was immense.
However, not every creature needed a personal walkway to get about. A regal unicorn paced her through the brush and light trees to one side, fulfilling their ancient duty of protection and comfort. This was more than just a formality. One often heard the howling of Boundary wolves in the dark, even catching occasional glimpses of their malevolent, red eyes.
And while the great equines clearly had the advantage within that shadowy domain, a sorceress still needed to be careful. The mad wizard Lord Gensrow once incited a wolf attack upon two witches as they exited the Boundary in Jain. Whatever else, the nefarious creatures clearly had no love for the Coven.
After some while the hummingbirds led her directly to a sparkling rend just hanging in space. Directly facing the portal, Caylee’s last few guides urged her straight forward, then chirped a goodbye before flying off. Confidently walking ahead, the Boundary twilight brightened into an iridescent mist, which in turn blew off to reveal Haven.
