Chapter 3, part 2

Please continue to enjoy! Look back at my other submissions for the story so far, and please leave feedback!

When she finally came to her senses, she tried to quickly shut the door, but somehow the stranger was already inside. Hlao glanced frantically from the now-closed door to the stranger and back again.

"How did you..." she spluttered, but her mysterious houseguest had already glided away coweled head raised slightly as if scenting the air. It moved silently toward the library. Mutely, Hlao followed behind, eyes wide with apprehension.

Unerringly, its steps led it to the ancient grandfather clock, leaving no doubt in Hlao’s mind why it had come. Somehow, it knew about the book she had stolen. Perhaps this book belonged to the mysterious visitor, and it was just reclaiming its rightful property.  Pausing before the stately clock for a moment it raised its hand, long boned and slender with skin as white as new fallen snow, and the door slid silently open on its hinges.
            Hlao, standing in the doorway to the library, watched transfixed as the book floated up and came to rest in the stranger’s outstretched hands. She thought she heard a breezy sigh, but it was so faint she couldn’t be sure she’d heard anything.

"Hlao? What are you doing? If mom and dad catch you up this late you'll be in big trouble," a sleepy little voice said from the stairs.

Snapping out of her stupor Hlao looked over and saw Collin, brown hair tousled from sleep, rubbing his eyes. Hlao ran over to him, grabbed him by the shoulders and propelled him forcefully back up the stairs.

"Col, get back upstairs right now," she hissed frantically. Collin didn't miss the note of urgency, bordering on panic, in her voice.

With typical childish curiosity and disregard for authority, Collin tried to peer around his sister to catch a glimpse of what was downstairs, a cheeky grin on his face.

"Why? Hah, you’ve got a beau over haven’t you?"

"Shut up, Col. Now do as you're told and get back to bed," Hlao told Collin in her best big sister voice, giving him one last push. She shook her head, hoping fervently that he would stay put.

As she turned and headed back down the stairs, Collin stuck his tongue out impudently at her back and sat down petulantly at the top of the stairs.

When Hlao had disappeared into the library, he made up his mind and began to creep after her. After all, she hadn't told him to stay in bed. He darted into the library and hid behind one of the large armchairs, poking his head around to get a good view of what was happening.

The cloaked stranger hadn’t moved from its position in front of the clock. It just stood there, staring down at the cover of the book it held in its pallid hands. At least, Hlao assumed that it was staring at it; the hood was angled down in the book's direction. It was as if the stranger was silently communing with it.

"Who are you and what are you doing in our house?" Hlao demanded, trying her best to sound braver than she felt. The hood turned toward her as if noticing her for the first time, the stranger’s hidden eyes seeming to rake Hlao’s face from beneath the cowl. Hlao tried valiantly not to look away, but she felt like the stranger was staring right through to her soul. Something the stranger saw must have answered some unspoken question. Satisfied, the stranger finally spoke. It had a low, musical voice, definitely female. Her accent was unfamiliar.

“I have waited long for this day, Hlao.”

“H-how did you know my name? Who are you?”

“My true name is not important, but if you wish you may call me the Traveler. I have known you since you were naught but a babe. You certainly have grown my dear girl. I knew your parents, Tressor and Celandria.”

“You must have me mistaken for someone else, ma’am. My parents are Derek and Myra MacKellan,” Hlao said with wave of her hand.

Hlao felt rather than saw the Traveler’s gaze sharpen at that statement as she set the book down on a nearby desk.

“I assure you, I am not mistaken my child.” Then her voice softened as she continued, “The good people who raised you never told you how they found you? A foundling, not three months old?”

Hlao shook her head, unable to speak. She refused to believe it.

“Your parents gave you a medallion shaped like a dragon. Do you still wear it?”

Hlao’s hand went automatically to her breast, drawing out the pendant from under the neck of her nightgown. The clear stone in the center sparkled in the dim candlelight, throwing a rainbow of colors across the bookshelves.

“How did you know about that?” Hlao asked hoarsely

“Before your parents sent you away, I told them to give you this to keep you safe. It is an ancient and powerful magic, a single tear from a unicorn. It protects the wearer from all harm. I suspect it was the magic of the pendant that called Myra and Derek to you.”

 The Traveler reached out a hand to touch the pendant, but drew back slightly when Hlao flinched away.

“If I may, Hlao. Perhaps I can clear things up for you, show you the truth. If your parents truly followed my instructions, there should be a memory locked away in this stone.”

Reluctantly, Hlao reached up and slid the cord from her neck and dropped it into the Traveler’s waiting hands. The Traveler accepted it with a grateful nod. Holding the medallion in one hand, she passed the other over it, chanting softly in a tongue that Hlao didn’t recognize, but whose words set the air humming with a strange power. The stone began to glow a deep blue, emitting a high pitched whine. Then, before Hlao could pull away, the Traveler reached out and pressed the stone to her forehead.

Hlao gasped as her mind was assailed by images; a handsome man, tall and dark-haired; a dappled silver horse, neck arched proudly; a massive dragon with scales the color of emeralds; and finally an incredibly beautiful woman with thick raven hair and sparkling silver eyes. With a slight start, Hlao realized that the woman had the same slight point to her ears and the same almond shape to her eyes that Hlao herself had.  This last image didn’t flash past as the others had. The mysterious woman’s face hovered before Hlao’s eyes, a face filled with love and sadness. Suddenly the face was accompanied by a voice, soft as the wind through the trees. “My Hlao, my little night rose. I wish I could see how you’ve grown. But in all likelihood I will never see you again. There isn’t much time, so I must be brief. I assume that if you are seeing this the Traveler has deemed it time for your return. She has asked me to leave this to you so that you might understand all that’s happened.” The woman’s face took on an expression of heart wrenching tenderness and tears came into her eyes. “You must be sent far away, to another world, to keep you safe. The Shadow wanted you, wanted to kill you. That is why we sent you to a place where they could not find you. I still don’t understand why they wanted to kill you in the first place, but that’s the Traveler for you, always mysterious. But she is wise beyond our comprehension, so you must heed her words. Know that your father and I love you, will always love you, no matter what happens. May you return to Syldraga, your home world, soon. May light shine upon you always, my daughter.”

The image faded, leaving Hlao’s eyes stinging with tears. The absence of the image- her mother’s image- left her feeling strangely drained so that she had to brace her self against the stand holding the large model globe in the center of the floor.           

The Traveler moved behind her, placing her hands steadyingly on Hlao’s shoulders. The Traveler’s hands were unusually warm, just like the book.

“Are you alright, child?”

It took several moments before Hlao could speak around the lump in her throat.

“That was Celandria? My mother? Please, what was she like?”

The Traveler nodded slowly, taking Hlao’s chin in her hand and gently turning her face.

“She was an incredibly brave young elf, and I consider myself fortunate to have known her. You look incredibly like her, dear.”

“An Elf? I don’t understand. They’re just fairy tales,” Hlao exclaimed, her hand going unconsciously to her ear.

“My dear, you must learn to broaden your horizons,” the Traveler replied mildly. “They may be just fairy tales here, but on Syldraga, they are a native species.”

“Syldraga,” Hlao repeated the strange word, rolling it around on her tongue. “Celandria mentioned it; she said something about me returning there someday. Where is this Syldraga, exactly? Is it a new continent, like America?”

“Well, it’s a bit further abroad than that.”

“Then where is it?” Hlao asked with forced patience.

 Looking up once more, the Traveler didn’t answer Hlao’s question, but let out a breezy sigh (which almost made Hlao want to utter an exasperated sigh of her own.)

“Come out here, young man. Shouldn’t you be in bed?”

Collin slunk out from behind the armchair, clasping his hands behind his back sheepishly.

“Yes Ma’am, I know I ought to be. But please let me stay, I’ll be quiet. I promise,” he pleaded. “I want to know where Sylg- Sylda…”

The Traveler chuckled.

“It’s Syldraga, small one. What say you Hlao? He is your charge.”

Hlao glared at her brother (adopted brother, she was forced to remind herself), furious with him for disobeying her. But she soon relented under the lad’s pleading, round gaze.

“Oh all right. You’ve already heard everything else.”

 Collin let out a cheer, and then covered his mouth hastily. He skipped happily, but quietly, over to his sister.

“Why did you call mother Celandria? That’s not her name.”

 “We’ll talk about that later Col. Now then, madam Traveler or whatever your name is tell us about this Syldraga.”

“I can do even better than that. I can show you.” When Hlao and Collin both gave her an incredulous look, she nodded at the once chained book. “Why don’t you start by opening that book there.”  

Hlao did as she was bid, holding her breath in excitement. Finally, she would get to see what the big mystery was. She leafed through the pages to discover that every page was blank. Hlao suppressed a huff of disappointment.

She had been expecting something a little more than blank parchment. The moment she had set eyes upon it, she had sense a hidden power stored between the covers.

“I don’t understand. This is just a blank book.”

“Ah, but is it,” the Traveler answered mysteriously, wagging an admonishing finger.

“Er, maybe I’m missing something, but there’s no writing here,” Hlao said acidly, trying to control her quickly rising temper. She was getting tired of the Traveler speaking in riddles, and wanted straight answers. For once, she got one.

“Correct. There is nothing on these pages at the moment. But watch closely.”

The Traveler placed one hand on the first page of the book. Colored ink spread, like tendrils of mist, from her palm and across the page. When it reached the edges, it faded as quickly as it had come.

Just as Hlao was beginning to feel that this was very anticlimactic, a vivid picture began to bloom onto the page. And most incredibly of all, the picture moved. It was like looking at the view from the back of a hawk as it flies.

The picture showed a beautiful panorama of a lush landscape, with rushing rivers and deep jungles. Hlao and Collin both gasped, leaning foreword to get a better look. They had never seen anything like this before.

“This is incredible! How did you do it? Is this magic?” Hlao asked wonderingly. She reached out to touch the page, but some hidden instinct warned her against actually making contact with the paper; instead, her fingers hovered just over the parchment.

 “You could say that it’s magic. Dear ones, what you are looking at there is a World Book. It is an ancient magic, so old that it is nearly lost. This is one of the few remaining World Books. I sealed it away here long ago, knowing the day would come when it would be needed.”

“What’s it do?” Collin chimed in, voice high with excitement. Again, the Traveler seemed to smile.

“It functions as a gateway, allowing you to travel between worlds in an instant.”

Hlao’s eyes grew wide, reflecting the continuingly moving picture before her. “Are you saying that Syldraga is another planet?” Hlao asked her voice hushed with awe.

“One of a countless number protected by the Travelers, my people, as worlds supporting sentient life. It’s more crowded out there than you might think. Why, there’s this moon orbiting a gas giant in the Sagar sector, the natives call it Shirrin’la, with an atmosphere so toxic a human would perish in seconds. But the dominant species have these special gills that filter the toxic air and… oh dear, there I go rambling off again. You must forgive me; I do tend to get a bit carried away. My dear, you’ll certainly catch flies in your mouth if you leave it open like that.” This last was addressed to Hlao, who had been listening to this remarkable speech with her jaw agape.  Hlao immediately snapped her mouth shut, her eyes locked once more on the mystical landscape in the book. The more she looked at it, the more she felt that there was something undeniably familiar about the place. Her hand kept straying towards the page with longing, answering some silent call that resonated deep in her soul.

“And I’m from here,” her quiet voice echoed in the silent library, ringing with certainty. “This is my home.”

“Yes, child. As I am sure your mother informed you, your life was in grave danger. I saw this, and informed the head wizard of Wyrenguard, the city where you were born. Look, there it is.”

The picture was now passing over a forest, a towering mountain with white stone walls wrapping around its face, obviously some sort of city, looming in the background.

“To continue, I gave Silvestern and your parents strict instructions to use the Wyrenguard World Book to get you to safety. The shadow has no power here, not yet, so we knew that the Sister Planet would be safe. Here you could grow until you were ready.”

“Ready for what?”

“To return… and make your mark on history.” When Hlao opened her mouth to ask what was meant by this cryptic statement, the Traveler raised a hand to silence her. “I am sorry, but I cannot explain any further. It is against the code of my people to interfere in the affairs of mortals. I have already done too much as it is saving your life. But the consequences of letting you die before you were meant to, outweighed those of breaking a few rules.”

Hlao had no choice but to accept this explanation, though her mind burned with a hundred other questions. But out of all those questions, there was one thing that Hlao was absolutely certain of. She would go to Syldraga, or rather go back. It was what she was meant to do. It was home. She looked up at the Traveler, the light of excitement dancing in her eyes.

“Alright, so how does this portal work?”

The Traveler sighed in profound relief, and if Hlao could have seen her face she was certain that the strange being would be smiling from ear to ear.

            “I knew my Sight could not be wrong about you. All you need to do is touch the page. Don’t fight it; just let it carry you along. But I must warn you. The world you are about to enter is not as kind as this one. The power of the Shadow there has grown stronger in the fifteen years since you left, and they will be searching for you. As soon as you step through to the other side, make for Wyrenguard, do not delay. It is the last city of light, and you will be safe there. This will also be a one way trip. Once you step through, there will be no turning back. The darkness that surrounds Syldraga prevents any outgoing portals.”

            “What about my parents? Can I please leave them a note before I leave? They may not have given birth to me, but they have always been good to me, loved me like their own,” Hlao said beseechingly.

            “I’m afraid not, child. You must cut all ties with Earth. You do not belong here, but on Syldraga. Your parents, and the boy here, will have all memory of having an adopted daughter erased. I am sorry, but it really is best this way,” the Traveler replied, gently laying a hand on Hlao’s shoulder.

            “Don’t go Hlao!” Collin spoke up for the first time, finally breaking his promise of silence, tears streaming down his round cheeks. “I don’t want to forget you.”

            Hlao knelt in front of her adopted brother, taking his much smaller hands in hers, tears misting her own eyes. “Be brave, Col. I have to do this. The Traveler’s right, I’ve never belonged here. Now, you be a good boy for mum and dad, promise?” Collin nodded, too choked up to speak. Hlao smiled, and kissed him on the forehead. As she stood up, she ruffled his hair fondly. Taking a deep breath, Hlao turned to the Traveler.

            “So I just touch the page?”

            “Yes, dear one. Remember what I said, make straight for Wyrenguard, no delays.”

            “Aye, ma’am.”

Hlao reached out for the book and time seemed to slow. Her hand brushed the smooth parchment, and kept going. She watched in astonishment as her fingers sank through the page. She tried to pull free, but it was as if her hand was stuck in tar. Some invisible force began to tug at her wrist, so that her arm began to be swallowed up. Faster and faster, parts of her disappeared into the book. Her surprise quickly turned to horror and fear.

“Help, help me! It’s pulling me in!” Hlao screamed. In a blind panic, she began to thrash around, trying desperately to dislodge her arm.

“I know you’re frightened, child, but don’t fight it! Let go!” the Traveler’s voice sounded as if it was coming to her through a long tunnel, but Hlao took a deep breath and forced herself to be calm. It was actually quite a pleasant sensation, what Hlao imagined being lapped by the warm waves of a tropical sea felt like. As more and more of her body disappeared, the last thing she saw was Collin, face ashen, but no sign of the Traveler. Hlao had no time to ponder this before her world disappeared.  

Collin stood there, frozen in shock and fear, not sure what to do. How could Hlao be leaving? She was his best friend in the whole world! Without thinking, he reached out just as her other hand disappeared into the page.  

Pretty soon, all of Hlao’s body was submerged in an ethereal darkness. Pinpoints of colored light shot through the blackness. Hlao found it all very beautiful, and looked about in wonder as her body drifted though the mists. But she didn’t feel the pressure as her hand was seized.  

Collin’s hand, then his elbow, then his whole shoulder were sucked in after her. Hlao finally realized what was happening. Stupid boy! Why couldn’t he just do as he was told?

“Collin, let go, let go right now!” Hlao tried to shout, but it was as if a cottony gag filled her mouth. She couldn’t make a sound.

Next she tried opening her hand, to give Collin some chance of escape, but her fingers wouldn’t budge. They were stuck together. 

Then with a sudden rush, they began to fall down, down through the never ending darkness, picking up speed. Hlao wanted to scream; it was one of those nightmares come to life, forever falling, unable to wake up. What had once been pleasant suddenly turned terrifying.

Collin however was beginning to enjoy the experience. If he had been able to make any noise, he would have been laughing.

Hlao couldn’t take it any more; she shut her eyes, waiting for the end she was sure would come.

Something hard and solid abruptly came up against her back, knocking the breath out of her lungs. The shock made her open her eyes as she tried to gasp in air.

She was lying on a carpet of fallen leaves, looking up at a leafy canopy of trees. But the shapes of the leaves and the color of the bark were unfamiliar. There were strange, towering ferns almost as large as trees, giant trumpet-shaped flowers, and a hundred other plants too strange to describe.

Bright sunlight shone through the branches. Birdsong hung sweet in the air. And rising above it all… a huge mountain with a white walled city wrapping around it. The Traveler had called it Wyrenguard, the city of her birth. This was impossible; they really had traveled through the book to another world. They had made it.

A rush of relief washed over Hlao. Once she had her breath back a little, she sat up and pinched herself to make sure that the last hour hadn’t all been a dream. Ow, no definitely awake. Looking over, she saw Collin not too far away, also trying to get his wind back. Hlao helped him sit up and rubbed his back gently until he could breathe again.

“Where are we?” he wheezed after a while.

“We are on Syldraga. You’re a bloody fool, Collin MacKellan! Why did you do that? You heard the Traveler say there was no way back. Do you have any idea what this will do to mum and dad when they find you gone?” Hlao snapped in a sudden flare of anger. Collin was taken aback by this outburst, but not for long.

“Well, why didn’t you think of that yourself? You were going to leave us forever, and we’d never remember you ever being there. How could you do that to us?” he hollered back. Hlao sighed, burying her head in her hands.

“I know, I’m sorry, but I had to do this. I don’t expect you to understand.”

“Yes I can,” Collin relented, his voice softening as he slid over next to her and laid his head against her arm. “You think people couldn’t see how sad you were, but I did.”

Hlao didn’t know what to say to this, so she just stroked Collin’s hair fondly. Well, she thought to herself, if he’s trapped here with me I’m going to do my bloody best to keep him safe.  

 There was a flash of light and the World Book hurtled out of the sky to land next to them with a dusty thump. Scowling, Hlao stood up and gave it a good kick, just to show the book exactly what she thought about it. Several colorful phrases came to mind, but she wouldn’t say them in front of Collin. If the thing still worked, Col wouldn’t be in this mess right now. She could just send him home and continue on her own way.

The book just flopped limply over; making Hlao’s venting much less satisfying. With a sigh, Hlao bent and picked it up, turning to the first page, where the moving picture was. Or should have been. True to the Traveler’s word, the page was blank, with no sign that it had been anything but white parchment. Hlao sighed. It was worth a try.

            She looked up at the sky to see what time of day it was and saw something that made her blood run cold.

            The sunlight streaming through the trees didn’t light the whole sky. Everything within about a five mile radius, Hlao guessed, was bathed in morning sunlight. But the rest of the land was covered by an inky cloak of darkness.

            And these were no friendly nighttime skies either. No stars or moon pieced the blackness. Collin shuddered and pressed closer to Hlao, who wrapped a protective arm about his shoulders. The only sign of civilization within the light was the mountain city.

             Suddenly, the peaceful sounds of the forest were shattered by a horrible cry, half shriek half growl. The ferns rustled, and two sleek black heads emerged. The beasts were vaguely wolf-like in appearance, but with twisted ugly muzzles and burning red eyes. The hair on their bodies was jet black, short and wiry, except for a mane on the back of the neck. Their tails were whip like, with a sharp spike on the end, and a row of similar spikes ran down their sloped backs.

            With deadly purpose, the creatures prowled toward the huddled children, fangs bared as they exchanged a series of high pitched yips and cries as if speaking to each other. Hlao could smell the stench of death on their fetid breath, and too late remembered the Traveler’s warning against staying out in the open.