“Yeah, that seems a bit extreme,” Darius said. “Why can’t we hide in the Beckson Duchy for awhile? No one will find us. There’s a civil war going on there.”
Eclair paced around the station. He needed to get his point across before it was too late and his voice quavered with emotion. “None of you were in that room when they talked about arresting you. It was a forgone conclusion that you would be found, arrested and convicted. We can’t go anywhere where the Council, or anyone determined enough, could follow us. That only leaves off-world.”
“Wait, this is crazy,” Dyla said. “No one goes off-world! We can’t seriously be thinking of doing this?”
“I am,” Eclair answered, turning to Trinity, “and I know there’s only one address in the logs. A team went through and some came back to tell the tale.”
“You’re serious?” Darius asked. “Off-world, for real? How do you know about this place anyhow?”
“In school. We learned about the off-world portal and the expedition team. I think we have to try it, but we’ll have to make it look like we’re still on Otharia to throw them off.”
“I can’t believe you want us to travel off-world,” Dyla said, shaking her head.
Eclair stopped pacing and faced the twins. “Look, I know this is a drastic step, but one thing you both taught me during the competition is to believe in myself. Now I’m asking that you do just that. Trust me.”
The twins looked at each for a long moment. It was true that they had encouraged Eclair to trust in himself, and he had grown by volumes as a result. If they didn’t trust him now, they would be nothing but hypocrites.
Dyla nodded to Darius.
“OK, let’s do it,” Darius said.
Trinity began to scan through the data logs for the address of the off-world portal. Tense moments ticked by until she looked up from the console.
“I found it,” she said. “I can send you to the same location that the original exploration team went to, but I don’t know what you’ll find there. No one has gone back there for a very long time. But one thing is for sure, no one will look for you there.”
“Where is this place?” Darius asked.
“It’s a planet called Earth,” Trinity replied. “Our ancestors had a colony there, but the place was officially quarantined after the exploration party was lost in some kind of disaster. No one really knows what actually happened.”
“Great! Sounds promising,” Darius said sarcastically. “What’s this place like and, more importantly, how do we get back?”
“There’s no real description of the planet, and I’m afraid the only way back is to find the old colony. They would have had traveling crystals with them. I can’t give you the one in this station, because its loss will be immediately noticed. Find the crystal on Earth, and you’ll be able to open a communications portal back to me. I’ll be able to lock on to your coordinates and open the traveling portal to bring you back home.”
“Why can’t we use our personal crystals? I have a strong one,” Eclair chimed in.
“Not strong enough, Eclair. It would take a 10K crystal, at the very least.”
“How long ago did that expedition team go to this planet Earth?” Dyla asked.
“The log entry indicates about 1500 years ago.”
Dyla slapped the console table.
“Are you kidding? We have to find a traveling crystal that’s been missing for 1500 years?”
“Yes, but that’s good news for you. No one will look for you there because it’s been quarantined all this time.”
Eclair turned to Trinity.
“We’re out of time. You must open that portal now. Once we go through, erase the entry and open a portal to the Beckson Duchy so that destination is recorded in the log instead. Can you do that?”
Trinity nodded briefly and started the sequence to open the off-world portal. Within moments the portal started to form. Darius approached Trinity.
“Trinity, I need you to do something for us.”
“I’ll do whatever you want, you know that.”
“Good. Keep your eyes and ears open, and learn all you can. Someone is trying to get rid of us, and we need to find out who it is and why. Go to Ty as soon as possible and explain everything to him and, whatever you do, stay away from Avikar. Take no chances with your safety.”
“I’ll be careful. If I don’t hear from you sooner, I’ll open a return portal to the same coordinates, at exactly this time, one month from now. These long distance portals drain crystals quickly, so I won’t be able to keep it open for long.”
“OK, but hopefully we’ll be able to contact you before then. We can’t afford to be gone for too long, or we may not have a home or a throne to come back to.”
Trinity nodded, tears welling in her eyes.
Dyla stepped around the console to hug the young woman.
“Take care of yourself, Trinity. These people are dangerous and I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
“You be careful too. I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to you.”
“We’ll be careful.”
Dyla walked back to her brother wearing a brave smile. “Looks like we’re in for another adventure, huh? You ready?”
“I was born ready.”
Dyla rolled her eyes and turned to Eclair, placing her hand gently against his chest.
“Eclair, I know you want to come with us, but you can’t. We’re the ones the Council wants and I won’t risk your life on something this dangerous. Stay here, get well, and help Trinity. We’ll see you again soon.”
“Yeah, and thanks for the warning earlier,” Darius added.
“OK. I’ll see you two soon,” Eclair replied.
Eclair stepped back from Dyla, turned and winked at Trinity. He was going with the twins, but didn’t want to argue with them now. They needed a strong telekinetic to make contact for a return portal, and he was the only one for the job.
The twins adjusted their packs, took a deep breath and stepped through the stabilized portal. Unseen by them, Eclair moved forward, and followed them through. After a few moments, the portal winked out.
Trinity quickly erased the off-world signature from the portal log and opened a portal to the Beckson Duchy, holding it open for ten seconds before closing it down.
Staring at the empty space, she was overcome with dread. She sighed and opened a communication link to Ty.
“Trinity, how are you doing?”
“Ty, I need to tell you something.”
Excerpt from The Chronicles of Otharia during the reign of the First Vacancy:
Division I – The Rule of Otharia
Subsection IV – The Gypsy Nation
The Gypsy Nation is a break-away band from the traditional rule of Otharia. It started as a sea faring duchy, but its citizens revolted and set up a loose collective of clans and chieftains. These chiefs rule via a parliament that meets to discuss trade and commerce. This type of government was purposely formed to serve the people, not any royal family. Upon its inception, the nation was immediately outlawed by the Grand Council, to discourage its radical ideas from becoming the norm. The Grand Council made a paltry attempt to overthrow the new government, but was decisively defeated in the first naval battle of that conflict.
Chapter 21 – Lilliana
“Woman, where’s my food!” Sardel Kell yelled.
He sat down at the stout wooden table. The fire in the hearth flooded the main room with warmth. It was a pleasure coming home for the noonday meal. Before Lilly entered his life, any meal prepared by Sardel had been an adventure. He was a terrible cook.
A clang of pots from the kitchen answered him.
“You sit there and wait a moment,” Lilly said. “Yelling about it isn’t going to make it cook any faster.”
A smile crept across Sardel’s face as he thought about how much his life had changed in the past year. He was a coarse man, but had shown an uncharacteristic soft spot for the woman he had rescued fro
m the devastating warehouse explosion in the Telkur Duchy. That soft spot had set off a sequence of events that had already changed his life. Mostly for the better, he thought, as he smelled the mouth-watering aromas coming from the kitchen.
When Lilly had first opened her eyes, Sardel told her that she’d been hurt and not to move. Being the stubborn woman she was she had tried anyway. From the grimace on her face, he knew she instantly regretted it. He explained that she’d been in an accident, but she stared at him with blank eyes, remembering nothing about it. He would soon learn all her memories were gone, and his hope of discovering what happened that dark night, when his comrades had died, was dashed. He had hoped that calling her Lilly might spark some recognition from her, but no memories surfaced. Sardel was a patient man, and figured in time she would remember. In the meantime, it was not such a hardship to have the woman in his home.
When she was sufficiently healed, Lilly took up the duties of housekeeper: preparing Sardel’s meals and cleaning his clothes. It was a mutually beneficial relationship for both of them. Lilly had nowhere to go, and Sardel was a mess of a man.
Day after day Lilly stayed, learned the ways of the gypsies, and prayed for her memory to return. She sensed something missing deep within her, but was powerless to discover what it was. When she looked in the mirror, she saw a strange woman with raven hair and stark, blue eyes staring back.
Today, however, she planned to change the course of her life.
Carrying the tray of food, she walked into the common room toward the hard-looking man seated at the table. Sardel was a large man, with arms as stout as tree trunks. He had a mass of unruly black hair on his head and his face was covered with a full, shaggy beard.
“Here’s your food, Sardel. Next time, practice a little patience.”
“Yeah, yeah, woman. I hear you.”
Sardel greedily grabbed the bowl and began stuffing his mouth full of the savory stew. He tore off a large chunk of the warm bread, soaked it in the broth, the added it to his already full mouth. With cheeks puffed out like a squirrel gathering his winter nuts, his appearance told Lilly how much he enjoyed her cooking.
Lilly sat down at the table, and watched him eat. Once Sardel finished his noontime meal, he would be off to the docks again and may not come home until late in the evening. He usually told her when he would be out to sea for more than a day, but not always. Not knowing the details of his daily routine bothered her. It made her feel like an outsider, no matter the kindness he extended her.
He noticed her watching him, and finally put his spoon down.
“What?”
“Sardel, when are you going to take me with you?”
“Lilly, we’ve been over this before,” Sardel mumbled. “I know you want to learn the trade, but it’s dangerous work, and you have no experience. Besides, your leg is still healing.”
Lilly snorted. “My leg is longed healed, so don’t use that excuse. I’m willing and able to do any kind of work. You’ll say anything so I’ll continue to cook your meals and clean your house. I do appreciate all you’ve done for me, but I need more than being your housekeeper. Give me the chance to try. If I don’t prove myself worthy, then I’ll come back quietly and tend to your home.”
Sardel sat pensively, thinking over Lilly’s proposal. She was a capable woman who would fit in naturally with the rest of his crew, but, memory or not, she was still the Duchess of Telkur. He could never forget that fact. Every ship in the gypsy fleet had its share of women as part of the crew, so that was not an issue. She was royalty, and someday she would remember her heritage. She was becoming restless, and he didn’t want her to find any trouble of her own. Scant few of the gypsies knew of her presence here, and only one other knew her real identity.
Better I watch over her than someone else, he thought.
Sardel banged the table with his fist.
“Very well, woman, I’ll take you with me tomorrow and you can start training with my crew. And don’t worry about proving yourself, because if you fail, you’ll most surely die.”
Sardel watched the gleam in Lilly’s eyes when she smiled.
Yes, she’s a capable woman.
He wondered if Lilly would ever regain her memory. He had questioned her numerous times, and her answer was always the same. She didn’t remember anything before waking up in this house. Unfortunately, the answers to his comrade’s deaths were locked inside Lilly’s mind. Perhaps, if she saw familiar surroundings, it would help her regain her memories and they could finally learn the truth.
Sardel pushed his chair back from the table and stood up.
“You understand the nature of the gypsy trading business, right?”
Lilly chuckled. “Yes, I understand black market trading when I see it.”
“I knew you were a smart woman, but this will make you an outlaw on the mainland. Are you willing to assume the consequences of that if the ship is captured?”
“We won’t be captured. You have the fastest ship in the fleet.”
“Good answer. I like your style. You’ll begin tomorrow at first light, but you’ll still be responsible for my meals. Agreed?”
“Agreed, when we’re in port.”
It was Sardel’s turn to chuckle. She was already showing the gypsy tendency for bargaining. She would make a fine crewmember.
“Agreed.”
Lilly watched Sardel walk out the door. She gathered up the plates and headed back to the kitchen, eagerly looking forward to tomorrow. Today couldn’t go by fast enough to suit her.
The next morning, she awoke earlier than usual. In no time, she had braided her hair and changed into the clothes Sardel had left for her. She would finish her daily chores before Sardel got up. No sense in giving him an excuse to make her stay home. She was fit and ready for anything that Sardel threw her way, or so she thought.
The two ate breakfast in silence. Lilly cleared the table, rinsed the dishes and returned to the common room.
“You ready?
“All set.”
Sardel left the house with Lilly trailing behind him. He was unusually silent, but she didn’t let that deter her. They arrived at the dock and went directly to Sardel’s ship, the Black Raven. It was a sleek ship, built for speed, large enough for an ocean-going venture, yet shallow in its draft. It was the perfect ship for entering any harbor and getting away quickly when circumstances warranted. The crew was in the process of unloading the ship’s cargo from a recent foray to the mainland. Sardel boarded his ship and talked with his first mate before motioning Lilly to come aboard.
Lilly approached the burly sailor.
“Lilly, meet the first mate. He’ll be your boss from here on out,” Sardel said, nodding to the man beside him.
The first mate eyed Lilly up and down. The last time he had seen her was when he helped Sardel carry her from the warehouse. She looked completely different now, standing in from of him, waiting to take on the world. He smiled sardonically at her.
We’ll see what she’s really made of.
“Name’s Took and I run things on this ship for the captain. You’ll follow my orders to the letter. I won’t ask you to do nothing that I wouldn’t do myself, and I treat everyone fairly, as long as they do their share of the work. Understood?”
“Yes, sir.”
“What do you know about ships and sailing?”
Lilly knew better than to lie about her abilities. She answered as truthfully as she could.
“I don’t know if I know anything about ships or sailing. I have no recollection of my life before I came to this island, but nothing here sparks any memories for me.”
“How ‘bout fightin’? Can you handle a blade?”
Took drew out a wicked-looking knife from his side and tossed to Lilly. She snatched the blade from the air, swiveled it in her hand, and gripped the handle so that the blade ran along her forearm, a position only someone trained in close-in fighting would use for defense.
“Well, that’s a start,�
� Took said. “Handlin’ a knife is one thing, handlin’ a ship is something else. You’ll start at the bottom like everyone else. Go find a bucket and mop, and start swabbing the deck.”
“Yes sir.”
Lilly returned the knife to Took and went off in search of a mop and bucket. She was glad that Took hadn’t sent her away. She was eager and willing to learn any skill that came her way. There were many other women aboard, perhaps as many as half the crew, so she knew she would have the opportunity.
It was the gypsy way of life. Everyone, both men and women, had a job to do and they all seemed to contribute to the common good. It felt right to Lilly, although she didn’t understand why. All she knew was that she was finally out of the house, and she was content with that for the moment.
Excerpt from The Chronicles of Otharia during the reign of the First Vacancy:
Division I – The Rule of Otharia
Subsection V – The Red Alliance
The Grand Council consisted of the sitting Dukes for all the recognized duchies. Each had an equal say, and vote, with issues that came before the council. Disagreements among the council were commonplace and led to the formation of like-minded groups. One such group was the Red Alliance, formed clandestinely to maintain the status quo of the royal hierarchy. Any movement toward the erosion of the royal power base led the group to take secretive actions to subvert the motion. The actions of the Red Alliance were not limited by any constraints of legality or morality.
Chapter 22 – The Red Alliance
Lucas Jortac glared at the messenger beside him.
“What do you mean you can’t find them? We know they went to the Beckson Duchy. It shouldn’t be that hard to track them down.”
“My Lord, the civil war is making it difficult for us to find them,” the messenger replied. “We’ve already lost two teams to local violence.”
“I don’t care if you lose every team you have,” Lucas raged. “That’s why I pay you, to sneak around and find things for me. I want them found now.”
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