jeanmor jurneys

first borns


"This is stupid, Dama. Your mother's going to kill both of us." MIcheal a'Seer whispered urgently.
His always overly active imagination creating multiple scenarios in which Dama a'Kena's mother, the queen of Jeanmor,
Elana A'Kena tortured them both. At fifteen he was a gangling. Tall and thin with limbs that seemed morre in the way
than of any use, but with the promise of future power. His one redeeming feature were a pair of emerald green eyes that
always saw too much. "This is not the proper activity for a princess." He said looking for any argument that would turn
his companion from her current adventure. The statement given and received with no hope of changing Dama's mind.
She never changed her mind once it was set on a purpose. It and his heavy sigh went unacknowledged by the child
woman that lay on her stomach in the tall grass beside him. At fifteen she already had the maturity he lacked. The
thewes she wore showed more of her athletic build than he was comfortable with and the red gold braid that trailed down
her back invited twining with an arm.
"Only if we get caught. Which we will if you don't shut up. The object here is stealth, Mic. That sort of implies silence."
Dama said absently as she watched the warrior dance through his paces in the practice yard. He was younger than she
had expected. At 19, just coming into his full growth, but years of martial training made that maturity a song of fluid
motion. He was Dracon a'Touc. Firstborn of the Touch clan and visiting with his father The Prime Touch. She
could not say that he was handsome. His features were too rugged. A face carved by battle and the elements.
Testament to a life in a warrior clan. "Now look at him. Tell me what you see."
Mic slowly raised his head and looked at the warrior. "He is black with flecks of gold. Powerful and focused."
Dama reached out to him with her mind. A gentle probing that she used most often because it was the least
detectable. Most people weren't even aware that she was reading, but Dracon stilled immediately. She wasn't sure if
her own surprise yanked her back into herself or if he threw her out. She smiled. He was awake and a guardian.
That's what she'd come to find out. "Time to go, Mic."
"Thank the Five" He said on a sigh." They crawled away on their bellies until they were far enough from the
practice fields to stand and walk unnoticed. "Why exactly were we risking our hides for a glimpse of muscle man and
how are we going to get back into the castle without being seen? It's full light so we won't have the shadows to
befriend our passing. With The Touch visiting all the guards are on full alert. We'll never get in the way we got out."
Dama laughed. "Sooner or later you're going to have to trust me Mic. In how many of our adventures have I not
had a plan?"
"None, but that doesn't mean that one of your hair brained schemes won't get us killed one day"
"Mic, I'm hurt that you think so little of your future queen. If I can't win the faith of my most trusted friend how am i
going to win that of the people?"
Instantly he was a mass of horrified embarrassment. His words falling over themselves in their denial of faithlessness
and begging her forgiveness. If she hadn’t laughed he would have gone on endlessly. The laugh made him realize
that once again she'd gotten him. He wanted to be angry, but always he would happily play the fool for the music of her
laughter. It seemed to brighten the whole world.
"Take my hand." she said reaching for his. As he clasped it she said "Now no matter what don't let go until we get
to my apartment." Then she turned and walked back to Mortton Castle. Pulling him reluctantly along. "Also do not say
a word or we are caught." They were only a mile from her garden gate. 20 minuets and they would be safe, but they
had to go through the Touc neighborhood. The homes of the imperial guard and their families.
MIc's heart fell to his stomach as the sound of hoof beats came to his ears. He closed his eyes and looked
behind them. "Mr. Mucsle is coming back to the castle as well. we are undone."
"No. Watch and be quiet." Dama said, but stopped walking and stood perfectly still. The rider came abreast o
f them and paused. Aware that something had triggered his senses, but unable to identify that trigger he continued on his way.
"It was like he didn't even see us." MIc said in amazement.
"He didn't, but he knew something was there. I didn't know they could do that." Another surprise she would
have to investigate.
"When did you get this new skill and why didn't we use it on the way out." His amazement turning to cunning.
What could they accomplish with this new skill she had. The rest of their journey back to Dama's apartment was a
triumph of the uneventful. No one saw them. they came within a hand span of people who knew them by sight and
that their current location would get them a lot of trouble. In less than the 20 minuets she'd predicted they were closing
the door to her rooms.
They were huge these rooms. A person could easily get lost in these three rooms. The sitting room, bedroom,
and bath contained everything a young royal needed to entertain herself and her friends. Furnishings that had served
10 generations of a'Kena princesses in elegance and practicality. The a'Kena's were very practical. There was beauty,
but that beauty also had to serve a purpose beyond aesthetics.
She could not remember a time when there were not lessons on the purpose of a princess and one day a queen.
To be responsible not just for her own actions and self, but for the actions and selves of a world. Jeanmore's living light.
For 2000 years Her Family has been the uniting force of Jeanmor. A bridge between the five clans.
The Touch known for their mastery of pain and pleasure trained their entire lifetimes in the arts of war and pleasure.
So too, were they the keepers of the peace, the dispensers of justice and their athletic prowess was unmatched by all
the other races except the Kena. The Seers trained in prophecy and art. The planet's historians, architects, artisans
and planners. The List developed not only music but even the least of them could hear a cow bell a mile away. They
gathered intelligence from all part of the land. No matter how insignificant an event the, the List knew every nuance of
it's happening and it's ramifications. The Scent were highly adept at identifying the ingredients of anything by smell
alone and could track a year cold trail. They became the scientist. The inventors and Scent chefs were actively
sought with a vengeance. The Tongues were the foundation of the society. It was said that a Tong could talk or sing
any living thing into doing their bidding, so most were farmers, they were also the creators of the language. The teachers
and merchants. Too bind them, to weave their individual skills into a functioning civilization there were the Kena.
A clan able to see and manipulate all the skills and motivations of all the previously warring clans.
Everyone knew when the first a'kena started to take power. The only records not lost to the ravages of the thousand
year wars, when whole cities were lost to obscurity. The clans were only grateful that the atrocities stopped at the
assention of Ilun A'Kena to the Emerald Throne. The man who had united their Gods.
Oris God of the Seer and of air. She could see every thread of the pattern. Every individual life that was the
universe and every consequence to every decision. The God of war and water was Fingal. His people the Touch.
The Tounge's God was Licund. he was the keeper of all the Akashic records. The God of knowledge and earth.
The fire God's name was Earl. To her belonged the List. Strole, God of science and magic, weaver of the pattern.
The Kena had Herkel speaker of the word. The conduit for all that was, is and will be.
It was believed that Harkel spoke into being The Elements in the form of five gods. He then set them to the creation
of his design. Then he left the Heavens to walk amongst creation. In his absence the five began to create in their own
image and humans were born. As these new creatures grew, guided by their god, they began to see the security of
power. When these different cultures met, each believed their god should take precedence. Unbeknownst to the
five, Harkel's walkabout was the seeding of his own creation, the Kena. When the wars began the kena were, too,
few, too isolated and disorganized to stop them. The pockets of peace they maintained were limited to the lands they
inhabited and few wanted to become involved with the wars of others. Spurred by their militaries, technology grew as
did the wars. Until, after a thousand years, a male child was born to the Kena and they called him Illum. At the age
of 15 Harkel came to him. Took him on a journey of a thousand years and a single moment. Then gave him the
Word and returned to Heaven and bound his children gods to the Word. Illum arrived at the final battle and bound
the people to the Word. The Kena abandoned their isolation, spread out and began to rebuild the world.


Dama a'Kena had more immediate concerns than the the adventures of her illustrious ancestors or the inner workings of her society. Someone was in her room. A presence she would always recognize. She had to get rid of Mic and quickly. "You know Mic I'm really tired after all this. I think I'm going to take a nap. I'll see you in the great hall for mid-meal. "With this barrage of words Mic suddenly found himself standing in the hall outside her door in the middle of a seeing. ............"The lessons of the first will be greater than the last and the seed of the seeds are in the star ones’ past."

As she closed the door she said to the woman behind her, "He is young, mother, are you sure he's ready?”
"As ready as you, my daughter. As ready as anyone could be for a mission so crucial. The visitors will need
every one of you to understand us."
"Do the others know yet?"
"No. Since you will be the mind on this mission we all thought it best if you briefed them. Other than his
youth what else did you find out about him?"
"He's awake. Are any of the others?"
"No just you and he. We had hoped that Mic's awareness would respond to your procsimity, but he has not
overcome his anxieties with authority figures."
"And my constant flaunting of authority has brought them to the surface. Where does this fear come from?
Was he punished severely as a youngling?"
"No just the opposite. Both his parents are very accomplished. They have great responsibility and seem to
handle it with ease. He is afraid that he would never fill their shoes. He has not yet found his center and after
meeting you he has become comfortable riding your shirttails. Normally in a case like his we would separate you,
but the mission is too important."
"How will I know the Seer's thread?"
"You are the only one who can answer that. You have all the information I can give you. You must find the
elemental children and with them form the circle."
"Yes, but I don't know what the circle is or how I am to form it."
"But you do have the first clue and you should find the second one there." She raised her hand to forestall
any more questions her daughter might have. "Calm yourself my child. Tonight you will meet the others. Then
tomorrow all of you will connect with the Seers. All of you will know as much as I then. Right now though we need
to dress and entertain our guest. The First Five and their families are here to present their firsts to the Crown.
Your father will be upset if we do not awe them. I am told that Adena a'Ton is counted the most beautiful person
in the world. You would not wish her to outshine you, would you?"
"I only hope she can charm the stars from the sky."


Dracon tried to disguise his excitement with a stoic expression, but although from a distance he wore the
same ennui as his father, one had only to look into his eyes to see the wonder he felt at the opulence of Mortton Castle
. He took the time to study it as the queen formally greeted the ministers and Prime Touch. It was a complete contrast
to the austerity of his home Brun Fortress. His home was designed to produce warriors and courtesans so all beauty
was restricted to the pleasure schools.. In those places where it was useful.
He did not think that he could live in a place such as this. Everything was soft and designed to make a man soft.
There were no hard edges to hone the awareness. No sudden ambushes to refine the instinct. They even had people
bring them their meals. As if they were too lazy to get it themselves. His father had said that it was a sign of prestige
and social consequence, but he could not see how prestige was gain through having someone feed you like a five year
old.
With cobalt skin and hair of the truest black, and eyes in all the shades of water, The Touch could become the night
when stalking. There was no such thing as a fat Touch. Their lifestyle created a people of exceptional beauty and
power. At the age of five a child was initiated to the two disciplines. Gen qundo a martial art based on water and
Kama Sutra the art of pleasure. After 5 years of study the child was allowed to pick their own discipline. More of a
natural flow of their own skills into excellence. The studies were not gender based so the ratio of male and female as
warriors or courtesans was equal. Although the greater number of complaints for unnessicary force were against the
females. They tended to be more ruthless than their male counterparts.
Despite the opulence of the Great Hall, Dracon was more interested in the people. For the most part they
outshone their surroundings. Even the E's and I's made spectacle their appearance at this gathering of society.
The debut of the First. The presentation to the people of their future rulers.
Ledra a'List - daughter of Minister of Intelligence was presented first. She seemed uncomfortable in her finery
in an absentminded way. Not that the ceremony and people made her nervous, but as if her mind were a thousand
miles away. He imagined that on normal days that she was a mouse of a girl who'd rather converse with reports
than people. A voluptuous girl with emerald skin, fiery eyes and hair, although the hair was cut very short in the
fashion of those who did not want the task of dealing with hair.
On the other hand it was obvious that Micheal a'Seer , son of the senior prophet, was very nervous about his
presentation. His eyes could not help but reveal the fear that was pounding in his heart, although his demeanor was
everything his father could want. It was said that if you looked deeply enough into a seer's eye it would drive you insane.
True or not the idea had created a nomadic race that was greeted with fear by all. Knowledge of the thread changes it's
direction. If you looked into Mic's eyes, you would only see impending doom. Unbeknownst to Mic his father worried
endlessly over that look.
Adena a'Ton, daughter of the Minister of industry and education was by all accounts the most beautiful
person in the world. A golden orchid in a garden of roses. Many a merchant had underestimated her youth and
beauty to their misfortune. In the year since their maturity she and her male twin, Odeno, had amassed
a considerable fortune on their own.
No one had any knowledge of Doreno al a'Scent - son of the Minister of Science. Any effort to find information
on him was met with everything from a blank wall to forcible rebuff. Few were interested in penetrating a mystery that
seemed to have no influence. He looked a average young man. Brown hair and brown eyes made him someone who
could not be picked out in a crowd, but Dracon knew that there was much more there than met the eye.
Dama a'Kena daughter of the king and queen of Jeanmor was fiery and regal. Every inch the princess.
Dracon wached her as much as he could without seeming obvious. She would one day be his queen and as her future
PrimeTouch it was his job to know her as well as he could. He intended to be her new best friend, including or inspite
of Mic. Gently he reached out his awareness to her. He wanted to believe that it was only his surprise that allowed her
to capture that tendril and tie it to herself. He could not disconnect unless she willed it, but hers was the mind that had
probed him that morning. She showed no outward sign of what she did, but every passing moment bound him tighter.
After only a few of those moments he could find no reason not to give her all she sought so he opened his soul to hers.
He was rewarded with the look of surprise that infused their first eye contact and the small smile they shared was only
remarked upon by their parents.
He was the last of the first to be presented and as he resumed his seat the queen rose from hers. Ladies and
gentlemen I give you our Firstborn." There was a thunderous applause, which did not surprised Dracon. "As you know,
In order for them to succeed us they must go out into the world for a year among the people. It is our belief that the best
way to rule is to serve the wishes of the people, and the only way to know those wishes is to talk to the people. For the
first 6 months they will travel separately. Each given a different direction and rejoining destination in the farthest reaches
of our world. From this unknown place they will travel as a team back to here where they will participate in the ruling of
Jeanmor. Tomorrow they will visit the Seer Hall where they will be given their direction. May The Five give you wisdom,
strength, and understanding and may Harkel bind your futures in the Light. Tonight, though, we celebrate you." She
finished to more applause and the entrance of a feast.
Dracon watched the progress of his fellow First. Looking for their connections. Mic stayed as close
to Dama as he could without touching her. As if he too were tied to her. The chances were high that he was.
He watched as Adena presented herself to Dama. From his position he could read both their lips.
"Good evening your highness."
Adena said as she started to sink into a curtsy and almost fell when Dama said "Stop that." Mic's hand was there to
steady her as she came eye to eye with her future. "My name is Dama. This is Mic." She turned to look Dracon in
the eye and said "He is Dracon he will join us now." As the others turned to him he started to make his way to them.
At thier surprised looks she laughed and said. "I didn't do it he reads lips."
As he approached he noticed Doreno, Ledra, and Odeno were also making their way to Dama as well. A smile
spread across Adena's face as she said. "And the other three?"
"Obviously they just have excellent timing."
"Dama, you and I are going to have a great time together." Adena said on a laugh
Some watching from above would have thought that the circle of first that formed was choreographed. Each
searching the eye of the others. Dama's voice broke the magic for a moment. May I suggest we all adjourn to my
rooms?" Many eyes watched as they left the great hall and many minds wished they were flies.
As they walked to her rooms Dracon fell into step with Dama. "How deep does this bond go?"
"As deep as you want it to go for as long as you want."
"Does that mean that I still have free will?"
"Always." Then opened the doors to her rooms. The others filed in and began to explore as she said. "Make
yourselves at home". All but Mic who made his way to the refreshment cabinet which was disguised as an armuor.
Dama watched as these strangers investigated her life. She knew they would never find the truly secret places. Her
mother had trained her well, but the small things that made up a person's life were usually the most telling about their
character. They all noted the small things. The small things they noted told Dama as much about them. That these were not spoiled rich kids. These people understood and accepted their responsibility. After a moment their
curiosity turn towards each other. Individual lions measuring the strengths and weaknesses of their new pride.
"We are the best of the best." She said, drawing all their attention. Tomorrow we will begin the next step in our
education on how to rule. I'm sure we all know what that mission is, but there is a secondary mission we must
accomplished as well. Our parents have made first contact with a star faring race." Dama expected a barrage of
question at this news and was greatly surprised and impressed when all she received was an intensely curious patience.
"It will be our job to unify all the magic races with ours. Then we will go to their ship where we will educate them about
our world and they will educate us about theirs. For the moment all we know for sure is that they are humanoid.
They abandoned their gaisha for technology many centuries ago so they do not believe in extra-sensory perception or
magic. We must reintroduce it to them without inciting their fear and /or aggression. They seem a peaceful race,
but their ship has very powerful weapons capable of decimating our world if they considered us a threat. The seers
say that they want something from us, but they don't know what that something is, or how far their willing to go to obtain
that something. MY mother says that these Earthling, as the call themselves, have given her the knowledge that there
are many spacefaring races. Some of them are friendly and some of them are not, but they have all aligned themselves
into four different empires. Jeanmore's galactic location put her in The Democratic Alliance, but we still have a choice of
whether or not we will join them. It will be our responsibility to find out if this alliance will be in Jeanmor's best interest,
what it is that so interest them about our world, and what they are willing to do
to get it.
"What happens if we decide we don't want to give them what they want?" asked Ledra the current situation
capturing her undivided attention.
"It is up to us to discover their weaknesses in case we need to stop them."

Donall A'Seer glided down the hall leading to the king's chambers. A feat that should have seemed
impossible for a man of his size. At well over 7 feet tall his movements bespoke a lanquid grace that sometimes gave
the impression of floating. This coupled with the pale characteristics of the a'seer gave the impression that one was in
the presence of an otherworldly being. Currently his thoughts were very worldly. Althelus A'Kena awaited him for a
report on the strengths and weaknesses of the firsts including his son, Micheal.
He knocked confidently on the ornate double doors and pushed them open when a voice from inside bade him
enter. The king's chambers was a home within a home. Six rooms of pure opulence and not one ghant spent on any
of it. It was considered high praise and a somewhat like winning the lottery for the king of the world to find beauty in a
craftsman's work. 'In the king's room' was such stellar advertisement that craftsmen gladly gifted the king with anything
that captured his attention. This tradition had been so much part of a part of Jeanmor society that even when certain
kings had tried to pay for the items they wanted it was flatly refused. The fact that the rooms weren't filled from floor to
rafters was a testament to the mentality of Jeanmor's kings and queens. They had the best of the best to choose
from, but those choices were tempered by practical minds.
"Donall come in. come in sit down." Althelus call as he came in. In his youth Althelus had studied many
years with the a'touc and had maintained the disciplines of that early education the rest of his life. Even now in his
later years he still had a fine tuned body that many found very attractive. He moved with a warriors grace. He was
not a large man, but there was a presence about him that belied his size. He always seem to fill up a room. He had
given up trying to explore as a common man, because there was nothing common about him. It was as though his
personality had weight and mass and even if he were dressed as an i or o people would always be aware of his
presence.
Donall sat in the straight back chair facing the office fireplace. What he mentally referred to as the less formal,
but still serious area. He watched as Althelus poured two glasses of his personal favorite drink. pineapple setiva
tea from the Terrace Mountains. It's light and refreshing taste completely disarmed you for the kick of the mule it
contained so he only took a small sip when Althelus handed him the glass. He set the rest aside as Althelus began to
speak.
"So Donall let's get this over with. Tell me what you've seen so far."
"Al I have to tell you that the treads from this day on multiply astronomically. Less than half of them reach
positive conclusions for Jeanmor and only 3 of them resolve without out-world domination of our world. Only 1 leads
to Jeanmor without any alien influence, but whether that is positive or negative is still an unknown."
"What or who is the crucible?."
"That's just it Al they all are. The reason so many of the treads end in disaster is because each of the first
have some weakness that could undermine this mission. They must, each of them overcome these weaknesses
in order for one of those 3 resolves to manifest and I'm afraid that Micheal's weakness is the greatest threat."
"What is his weakness?"
"He can follow multiple threads more smoothly than any seer I've ever tested, but only after the first step."
Donall quickly looked away and down with embarrassment. "He is afraid that I'll stop loving him if he fails. Some of
those threads resolve into my having to denounce him. It has made him indecisive."
"Have you seen any of those threads?"
"Yes. Many of the treads resolve in this manner. You must understand we are sending our children out into
the world alone. What we will get back will be men and women. I sometimes wish my father were alive so that i
could ask him if he'd felt this way.
" Do you remember our journey?"
"Yes." Donall said with a reluctant smile.
"Do you think we could have ruled this world without the wisdom we gained away from our parents?"
Epiphanies came suddenly to Donell's face right before it relaxed into a seeing...................
"The lessons of the first will be greater than the last and the seed of the seeds are in the star ones’ past."
Long years of experience allowed Donell to recover from the vision almost as smoothly as he slipped in.
The wonderment on his face gave Althelus pause. He'd never seen this expression on his friend's face before.
"What is it? Tell me what you've seen."
"We must have faith in our children and their destinies."
"Tell me something I didn't know Donell. Have you talked to my daughter recently? The only thing she
needs to run this world as well as i do is a little seasoning. Exactly what the journeys are all about."
"Forgive me Al, the message was for me not you. We have given them the best of our knowledge,
but sometimes a parent's worry overcomes even facts."
"Maybe your worry is feeding Mic's fears."
"I had not thought of that, but he has such great potential. I only want him to realize that potential."
"I'll tell you something my father once said to me. He said that on the day that i was born he had great hopes
and dreams for me, but as I grew he came to realize that those hopes and dreams were his not mine. Dispite how
much he wanted them for me, I had to find my own. Yes I would be king, but the nature of that rule would be the
essence of my hopes and dreams not his. Now i have a daughter. She is more than I could hope for in a child.
She is indigo, born awake and never gone to sleep. Gifted in ways I could never have imagined. Headstrong and
bold. Beautiful and intelligent. Yet, like you I worry over issues of which I have no control. She could be the
greatest ruler this world has ever seen or the greatest disaster we've ever known. I must have faith in her, because at this
point my hands are tied and so are yours."
"Yes, my KIng."
There was a knock upon the door and at the king's bidding the rest of the kings staff came into the room.
There was no room in their minds for small talk. They had known each other too long and the subject of their meeting
was to important. Small nods and smiles were the order of the day as they arranged themselves around the fireplace.
When all were seated Althelus began. "Tomorrow we send our future out into the world with the hope that they will
return to us men and women capable of ushering in a new and prosperous reality for us. As our parents and their
parents did we too must find a talisman to gift our children at the final goodbye to remind and assist them in their journey.
I, as I know you have, have thought about this gift since the first time I looked into my child's eyes. Something that
would be her strength in her greatest hour of need. Many time I'd thought I'd had the perfect item only to find she'd
found that strength within herself. It was only at last night celebration that I knew what to give her. I know that some
of you have made your choices and some of you have not. All of you know this castle and it's contents almost as
well as I do, please, if you know of some item contained within these walls that will serve this purpose take it. I don't
care what it is. If you feel that that item will best serve the future of Jeanmor, take it with my blessing.




































Chapter 1

Ledra a’List walked slowly down the hall. Trailing behind the others as they made their way
towards the seeing chambers. She did not see why she had to endure this. She believed in cold hard facts not the
generalities of the seers. Always they spoke in riddles that only became clear after the event they spoke of was
over. What good was intelligence you couldn’t use? But her mother insisted that this was vital as well as traditional
part of the ascension. So, here she was going to hear about her destiny in words she wouldn’t understand until her
destiny had arrived. Useless.
Athelus A’Kena placed each of them in front of a door as their parents watched. Each door was a eight foot,
single piece of weir wood containing each individual clan’s crest. She faced the symbol of her families honor. A
diagonally bisected shield behind a rampant elephant. Beyond that door was the first step to her future. She wanted
to refuse to go through it. She only agreed to do it to keep the peace. Oh, she’d argued with her parents and Althelus
himself over the necessity of a seeing, but even though they all agreed with her reasoning, they still insisted she
had to go through with it.
“Through those doors lay your destiny. On the other side of the chamber there is another door that will place
you at your journey’s beginning. When we see you again you will be ready to take the reins of leadership.
Place your hands upon your crest and enter. Good luck my children.”
She place her hands on the elephant and the door opened. She stepped into a room that also contained her
Family crest. This one was on the floor and seemed the only illumination in an otherwise pitch black room. She started
when a disembodied voice said “ Stand on the crest of your house and know thy fate.”
“Well there’s no reason to be all creepy about this seer. We could just as well have done all this in my rooms.”
“Stand on the crest of your house and know thy fate.”
“Alright, already. By Earl this better be worth it.” She whispered under her breath as she stepped forward onto the
crest. Suddenly the room exploded into flames. She cried out in surprise and fear, but there was no heat to the flames.
Only undulating flame and molten lava. Slowly a form emerged and condensed into a woman who was fire. She approach
Ledra with her right hand outstretched. In her hand she held a stone that shone with a golden flame.
She said “This is the heart of the fire. The holder can weld the fire and perceive the passions that motivate.
Take it and know the will.”
Ledra reached out and took the stone. It was warm and it’s heat traveled through her entire body. “What am I to
do with this? “
“On the steps of fire she welds the liquid flame.” The fiery apparition spoke.
“That means nothing to me.”
She was returned unanswered to the room of seeing. She became aware of another door as her eyes readjusted.
She turned and realized that the way she’d come in was no longer there. She approached this new door, opened and
stepped through into a place that should have not been there. She stood at the base of a mountain she knew was on
the other side of the world.


Doreno stepped into the room and immediately stepped onto his family crest. He’d made a study of this
room in his early teens. He knew the contour of columns and fresco, the scent of age. No furniture interrupted the flow
of artistic design. The symbols and faces contrived with events that made up his family history in colors to dazzle the eye.
As a scientist he understood the tenuous grip science had on magic’s coattails. He also knew that none of his studies
would matter when that room was shrouded in darkness and the only visible thing would be his family crest on the floor.
He closed his eyes. They would not help him here. The floor beneath him suddenly transformed and his nose brought
him the salty sweet smell of sand. The scents of transient winds in wide open spaces enveloped him.
Suddenly he felt another presence in the room. Life had the smell of an electrical current. He opened his eyes,
and saw no one, but then someone touched his arm. “Who’s there?”
“I’m Gust.”
“That’s not a name. That’s a wind.”
“I am, I am.”
“What do you here?”
“In the land of air he is first of the winds.”
“What does that mean?” he asked, but forgot the question when suddenly a pair of calf high boots appeared on the
crest in front of him. He could see that they were beautifully made with the feathers of many birds. He knew that they
were for him so he cast off his own boots and slipped them on. The moment he stood upright again he felt lighter, as if
he could throw himself at the sky.
“Now give yourself to the wind.”
“How?”
“Let go.”
“Let go of what, I’m just standing here.”
“Let go.”
“I’m not holding on to anything.”
“Let go.”
He did not utter more queries, because suddenly he was back in the lighted room. The smells he remembered
came back to normal and he was amazed at the small sense of loss that formed in his heart. He locked the feeling
away for future examination and turned towards the door he come through. The rare occurrence of two surprises in
one day intrigued him. He spun and found a door he’d never known existed on the opposite side of the room.
“Truly a miraculous day.” He whispered to himself as he headed towards it.

He opened it, walked through and found himself in the scruffy weeds of The Low Desert. I am going to have to study
those doors.” He said on a laugh. A sound more rare for him than the surprises.


Adena and her brother Odeno entered the room with barely controlled anticipation. It had taken a great deal
of talking to convince the Heads that the two of them worked better as team. That the bonds forged in the womb were
the foundations of all their successes and indeed her future administration would be in concert with her brother.
They had agreed and now the two of them walked eagerly through the door.
She grabbed Odeno’s hand as the closing of the door blocked all the light, except the crest on the floor.
“Step onto the crest and know thy fate.”
Silently they stepped forward onto the crest. They became breathless as suddenly they were transported to a
cliff high on the walls of a vast cathedral like cave. The transportation was so surprising that it took them a moment
to notice the gnome leaning against the podium in front of them.
“Bout time you two showed up. Well let’s get to it. I ain’t got all day. I’m to take a gander at ya sos I’ll
recognize ya the next time we meet.” He approached and did a thorough inspection of them both. “A right comely
pair you be. Knew I was getting the worst of this deal.”
These words snapped Adena out of her tharned state. “Why you butt ugly little pebble. You have the nerve
to call us comely. I don’t suppose you know what a mirror is do you?”
“There’s a good girl. What of you boy have you nothing to say?”
“Pardon sir, I was simply overwhelmed by the vulgarness of your person and speech.”
“Ooo prissy and proper insults. Ya wounded me youngling right and proper.”
“Yes, the red orange of your hair does decidedly clash with the grime on your britches and is there something
living in that beard of yours? I’m sure I saw movement.” This began a litany of insult that would have done a
merchant sailor proud. First Odeno and then the gnome started to snicker, which grew into guffaws. They might
have laughed themselves right over the cliff edge, if she hadn’t noticed the ornate book that rested on the podium.
“Oh my great Licund. Could it be? Say that such a treasure has not been stored in this unsavory place.” She turned
to the gnome and said “What is your name.”
Between laughter slowly winding down, she heard him say. “Cliff.” Which prompted more laughter from
Odeno.
“On a cliff with Cliff.” He sputtered.
Sending both of them into another round of laughing hysterics.
With a heavy sigh and a shake of her head she turned away from ‘the boys’ and approached the podium. Two steps
and her eyes feasted on opulent gold leaf and lazuli blues as background for the title. Hand illustrated in antique
gold and written in the language of the ancients. The Book of Illumination. She reached out to touch it, but before
her hand connected Cliff stopped her.
“Now before you go gettin’ all grabby and the like, there’s somethin’ I must say to ya. Knowledge be a powerful
thing, but understanding be it’s purpose. For you a first for the first of iron. “You’ll have to know.”
In concert the twins replied “Know what?” But as the words left their mouths, they were suddenly standing
on their family crest. Odeno reached up to identify the slight, new weight in his chest pocket. Thin and flat it was.
About the length and width of his hand, but half as thick. He pulled it out and found a brown leather bound book,
who’s title read. The Book of Illumination. He stared at it for a moment, unsure. This small thing bore no relationship
to the heavy tome they’d seen in the vision. He opened it randomly, and Adena leaning over it read aloud.
“Beyond life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, your truths are not mine.” They shared an amazed look as
a third voice joined their mental conversation. Odeno replace the book in his pocket as the headed for the door that was
now opposite from where they’d entered. Neither of them found this illogical, nor that they found themselves at the base
of the Conjure Mountains on the other side of that door.




Dracon felt panic rise in his throat as he opened his eyes. He still stood on the crest of his family, but it stood
as the only stable ground in the middle of the endless sea. None of his skills as a warrior were useful here. Jeanmor had
but one great continent and his father’s kingdom lay in the middle of it. He knew how to swim. His home had many rivers,
but this was outside his experience. The sea had a presence, a consciousness that could be felt. The waters around him
were calm, but still there was movement.
As he looked more closely at the waters he realized that there were creatures beneath the depths. He knelt to
see more clearly. He’d read of these creatures, but few had actually seen them. The Mer, they ruled the sea and few
would dare their wrath. Merchant and fishing ships need only circle the continent for their livelihood. In his life he had
not met anyone who’d been to sea, nor knew anyone who had met someone who’d been to sea.
He fell backwards onto his butt as one of them rose swiftly towards him. He lay in awe as she arched from the water
to soar over him and then back into the sea. He rolled over and watched, in anticipation, the spot where she entered.
Soon her face appeared above the waters. Her wet red hair contrasted beautifully with her sea green eyes. He felt
mesmerized by them.
She swam closer to him, then pulled herself onto the disk of the crest. He was so caught up in her presence
that he didn’t notice that the disk did not give under her weight and movement. She dwarfed his seven foot mass by at
least 100 pounds. Her abalone colored tail swirled idly in the water as she said “Well met prince.” She said.
“Well met lady. What know you?”
“I know all the endless sea and I know you.”
“What know you of me?”
“That your strength comes from your skill to control your environment. That skill does not serve you here, but here
you must explore.”
“What do I seek here?”
“The voice of silence.”
“The sea is vast. I could search 3 lifetimes here and never find what I’m looking for. Can you not tell me where
to search?”
“Within and without the all sea sees the waters daughter.”
“ That means nothing to me.”
“You must hear the silence behind the words.” She said as she lifted a shell necklace from around her neck and
handed it to him. “This will help you. Put it on when you reach the sea.” With that she dived back into the sea.
As her tail vanished he found himself back in the room he’d entered. Only now the room was lighted, although he
could not tell from where the light came. He faced a door that was opposite from where he’d entered and looking behind
he found the one he’d entered gone. He turned eagerly towards the exit. With anticipation heating his mind and heart
he passed through and found himself on the western shores of the All Sea. He stood on the end of a jetty, almost
a ¼ mile from the land.
He looked at the necklace in his hand. It was only then that he saw the stone that dangled there. It was the color of
the sea itself. A diamond so clear he could see through it, yet vivid colors flashed beneath it’s surface. He put the
necklace around his neck and instantly lost all breath in his lungs. He could not pull the life giving air in. The
absence dropped him to his knees, strangling him. His hands fumbled with the removal of the necklace and in the
process he fell into the sea.


Micheal knew what was coming. He’d seen the moment. His hands broke into a sweat and he wiped
them absently on his thews. He stood there transfixed by the blackness through the opened doorway.
“Mic.” The sound of his father’s voice startled him. He started forward with a little jump. He glance backward
at his father with a self-conscious smile and found an encouraging one returned.
He moved through the portal with a cautious gait. His family crest seemed to glow from within. A swirl of multi-
colored lines that emanated from a central point. They circle outward connecting and disconnected creating patterns
that seem to have a life of their own. It was said the crest of the Seer never look the same for any two people. That
a seer could see the crucial moments, but not the path led to them.
To his credit he only hesitated an instant before stepping upon it. The vision was straight from his seeing. A mouth
that encompassed everything he could see. Teeth as tall as he was closing around him. Prepared to scream he
closed his eyes and waited for the rending pain about to engulf him. The scream transformed into a hiccupping laugh
as instead he found another presence in his mind.
“Greetings Mic. I am Brial.”
“Uhhh……………, hey. Why,……….how is it that you’re in my head? Was it necessary to scare me like that
I thought you were going to eat me. What is it you want of me? Who are you? What are you? I’m not comfortable
with someone else inside my head. How can I get you out of there?” he said in a rapid fire barrage.
“I can infuse others with my presence and I need your help. Didn’t realize that was so scary. That’s just nasty.
Humans taste like crap and all that stuff they put on gets caught in my intestinal tract. Now a cow, that would be tasty.
I want you to save me. I am Brial protector of the Weir Calienda. I am a dragon. I know and it causes resistance
to our bond. I’ll be your Sword. We’ll still be linked just not so intimately. Brial responded with the same barrage.
“Where will I find you?”
“In the heart of the Weir, bound in ice a fire rages.”
“No human has ever returned from the Calienda.”
“Yes it can be a dangerous place for such a frail species. I might not like the taste of you, but there are other
things here who will. You must dare the most dangerous place on our world in order to save it.”
“But I’m no hero. I thought this was supposed to be a meet and greet of the people. Not some epic heroic ad-
venture. I am so in the wrong story. I don’t think I can do this. I’m seer not a warrior.”
“Then our world is lost. Conquered by the star people. The people of this world reduced to slaves. Magic
will die a cold, bitter death, and your father will forever see you as pathetic weakling not fit for succession.”
“Well when you put it like that, I guess I don’t have a choice.”
“There is always a choice. One does as one must. Choose between right and wrong.”
With that the room lightened. He could still sense presence of the other, only it wasn’t in his head anymore.
“I’m down here.” A voice from below him said.
He looked down and saw a sword in scabbard at his feet. He picked it up and attached it to his waist. He’d known
that the doors would move so he didn’t bother looking behind himself when he saw the one in front of him. He walked
forward with nervous resolve. Through the door he found himself in an encampment of the Cali Seer on the border of
The Weir Calienda.


Dama stepped forward with eager anticipation. This was the adventure she’d been waiting for her whole
life. Trained and suffered for it. Most of her waking hours were in preparation of this moment. Her future reign as
Queen of Jeanmor would be defined by this adventure. It took all she had not to run through the door, but she had to
maintain a seemly pace. For those who would be watching.
She stepped into the room. Her whole attention focused on the A’kena crest. Of all the crest it was the most
ornate. It encompassed all the other houses in an intricate and fluid design representative of the blending that
the Kena used to unite their world. The pattern had been imprinted on her psyche at the moment of her birth. This
was her destiny. She stepped forward onto the disc and found herself in the most beautiful place she’d ever seen.
She stood on the branch of a tree. A tree so vast it seem to touch the very sky. The branch she stood on could
easily hold the entire Morton Castle. The limb held a courtyard, a garden, and buildings that seemed to be woven from
the tree itself. A fountain’s structure rose 10 feet and spray that rose another 5. When she looked into it’s pools, she
found a continuous system that seemed to encircle the whole tree.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
She spun at the voice. The voice belonged to one of the fair folk. He was tall and sinewy of build. Topped by
hair the color of bright gold. His eyes, bright green, seemed to bore right through her with the condescension of a
superior.
“Yes it is. Who are you and why am I here?”
“ I am Marlion prince of the fairies. You are here to touch upon the magic’s heart for the road to heaven you will
start.”
“What does that mean?”
“That even though you have studied the science of how to marry the clans for you to succeed you have to learn
to surrender to the magic .”
“But the marriage is formed with control.”
“But you have to surrender to the magic.”
“You mean they’re not the same?”
“Physic abilities are a skill that can be cultivated by many creatures. Magic is created by Jeanmor herself and
gifted by her to certain individuals.”
“How do I get her to do that?”
“Every person’s path to the light is different. How I reached it will only be metaphoric for you.”
“That doesn’t really help.”
“Maybe this will.” A pale green ball, attached to a chain, dangled from his outstretched hand. “Find yourself
and you will find Jeanmor.” With that he was gone, along with the tree. She stood once again in the room of seeing
upon her family’s crest. She hurriedly place the necklace around her neck as she hurried through the door. It was
only as she found herself at the headlands where the Crest Weir met the great sea that she became aware of a feeling
of being outside herself


Chapter 2

Captain Richard Anderson sat in the captain chair facing the view screen of the Starship
Wayfarer. Seemingly oblivious to bustle of activity around him, he read the report of the planet now featured on the screen
Just handed to him by the ships councilor Lieutenant Benson.
It was a g type M class planet with a sentient populations of just under 1 billion humanoids. First contact had placed the
evolution of the population at preindustrial feudal. Was considered primitive, because A. an adherence to a social structure
base on class of birth. B. A perceived hyper awareness to their connection to the planet and an aversion to industrialization
based on the levels of toxic output of industrial machinery. All experimentation on said machinery was closely monitored
and considered unusable until such time as they could be proven to have no ill effects to the people or planet. There
seemed little progress in this field. C. A unanimous belief in what was considered to be fantastic creatures. i.e, fairies
gnomes, dragons, and other assorted magical manifestations.
He turned to Benson with an incredulous expression and said. “Are they serious? Magical creatures? Fairies?”
“Yes sir. When prompted they report a population of these beings equal to their own.”
“And do they interact with them?”
“Only minimally and accidentally for the most part, Although there is a ritual, a rite of passage, performed by the first
born of the ruling class in which they seek out these entities. Other than that the individual species are segregated. They
contend that the magical creatures have a tendency to feed on human emotion thereby rendering that human apathetic.”
“I see no documentation of first contact’s interaction with these magical creatures. Was there any attempts made to
ascertain the validity of this?”
“No sir. When pressed on the issue the Jeanmor contingent insisted the only opportunity do so would be at the return
of the first born. Considering the dangerous nature of the magical creature they decided it was the safest course of
action.”
With an incredulous shake of his head he went back to reading the report.