Ambrosia Software Web Board: Cythera Chronicles: Dark Legacy - part III - Ambrosia Software Web Board

by cache22 and Moonshadow

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Perchance, to Dream

Back at the zeppelin, Jadia's impatience began to get the better of her once more. "This will be far too slow; isn't there some faster way we could get there?"

Kurt smiled. "There just might be," he replied cryptically, as he freed the two cylindrical bundles from the sides of the basket. In a short time, he had the first bundle unwrapped and assembled.

The device consisted of several interconnected poles with a broad, triangular piece of silk stretched across them. Suspended below this was another trio of poles, forming another triangle at right angles to the first; a small platform, suspended by wires, for a person to lie on; and a sort of loop at the back for them to tuck their feet into.

Sideline stared at the contraption, and shook his head in bewilderment. "What is it?"

"It's a glider," Kurt replied, as he assembled the second machine. "In the right conditions, they can fly much faster than the zeppelin can cruise. The problem is they each carry only one, and we only have two of them."

"I'm taking one; it's my father we're looking for," Jadia stated firmly. No-one felt they had the right to deny her.

"And since they're my invention, I'm the only one with any experience in flying them," Kurt added.

Katze shook her head, resignedly. "I don't like it, but I can see we can't stop you. Be careful, you hear? I don't want to be the one to have to tell either of your mothers, if something happens to you."

Sideline spoke up, as Kurt and Jadia picked up their gliders. "I can see one more problem; how are you going to get them off the ground?"

"Leave that to me," Kurt smiled broadly.

Katze and Sideline stepped back, as Kurt and Jadia moved out into the clearing. Kurt half closed his eyes in concentration. Sideline watched in amazement as winds began to blow from all directions, meeting where the gliders rested, and turning straight upward. It gathered strength until the gliders lifted off the ground, wafting high into the air.

Sideline cleared his throat, and glanced at Katze. "I had no idea anything like that was possible!"

"Jadia's not the only one to inherit abilities from their parents, it seems" Katze commented with a grin. "That was Sylph magic, if I'm not mistaken; few people have seen the ancient elemental magic at work."

Sideline nodded, still following the progress of the gliders high above. "I'd heard rumours, and I saw Flynn use some Undine magic once," he said.

"One of us should get news of events to Moonshadow and the Ronin," Katze said after a moment's silence. "Will you do that? I could then take the zeppelin, and follow Kurt and Jadia."

"You can fly that thing? I'm impressed! OK, I'll stay behind and deliver the message."

Katze quickly scrambled up into the basket and cast off. Slowly, the zeppelin began to rise, and moved off after the departing gliders.

Sideline stood and pondered for a moment. Assuming the Ronin had correctly predicted where Jadia and Kurt would go, then by this time they should have reached Cademia; the only question was, where?

They would split up to search, he decided, and probably meet later at some central point. There were only two likely places he could think of: the first was the old barracks; that could probably be ruled out, since he, Katze and the youngsters had been there until a short while ago. The second possibility was the Alraeican Tavern.

Sideline shrugged. He had to start looking somewhere, and the tavern was as good a place as any.

--------------------------------

Stepping through the tavern door, Sideline noted with satisfaction that he'd been correct; Trinias was sitting at a table in the corner, looking depressed. Sideline noticed Brianna wending her way through the crowds, with a tray of drinks held high; she was certainly having a busy time tonight. He made his way over to Trinias' table and sat down.

"I gather you've lost something," he said, without preamble.

"How did - never mind, you always seem to know things before anyone else. I take it you've found them?"

"Yes. I'd rather not tell the story more than once; when are you expecting the others to check in?"

"In about half an hour. Can I get you a drink in the meantime?"

"Yes, a beer please."

Trinias caught Brianna's eye, and held his tankard aloft; she nodded, and shortly delivered a full stein. They settled in to wait.

Not much more than the stipulated half-hour later, Moonshadow and all of the other five Ronin had arrived, in ones and twos, at the tavern. They'd been mildly surprised to find Sideline waiting, but didn't press for more information than he'd given. They knew from experience that Sideline wouldn't talk until he was ready.

"Right, now that you're all here," Sideline began, "is there somewhere we can go to talk in private?

"How about our old barracks?" Sasha asked.

Sideline smiled broadly. "Perfect!"

--------------------------------

A short while later, the lamps in the barracks were once more shedding light into the room. The eight occupants were seated around the table; Sideline's audience was totally captivated. Beginning from the time he'd seen Katze and the teenagers facing the mob, he told them everything that had happened, leaving out only the torture of their captive.

"How did you get this 'Malthus' to talk?" Moonshadow asked, quizzically.

Sideline looked a little uncomfortable at the question. Even though he fully approved of everything Jadia had done, the memory of her icy eyes and voice still sent shivers down his spine. "Does it really matter? He talked, and you can be sure he told the truth; leave it at that."

"Forgive me, but this all seems rather far fetched. What proof do we have of any of this?" Leandra asked.

Sideline stood up and walked to the door to one of the dormitories and threw it open, smiling triumphantly. Malthus, still gagged and bound to the bed, glared back at them balefully.

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Jadia quickly got used to the new form of travel, and after a few experimental banks and turns, was flying the machine as if she'd been doing it all her life. "This is fun!" she called out to Kurt, who was flying about fifteen feet to her right. "These things were a great idea, your father will be proud!" Kurt just grinned.

Once they'd flown high enough, they lowered the noses of the gliders slightly and turned North. The speed they reached was considerable, but they were so high up that the ground just seemed to creep by. After about twenty minutes flying, Jadia suddenly pointed ahead and down. "There!" she called. "There's the encampment!"

Kurt didn't doubt her, although he couldn't see anything himself; Jadia's half-elven eyes were far sharper than his own, and much more adept at seeing in the dark. "Look for a clearing nearby where we can land!" he called back.

Jadia scanned the terrain about the camp, and saw a small opening in the jungle canopy, not too far from their objective. "Follow me!" she shouted. The gliders began to circle, as they rapidly lost altitude.

Far below, a sentry looked up as something large swooped overhead; he saw nothing. He shivered; this was such an out of the way spot, who knew what strange, unknown creatures inhabited the area. He resumed his watch, hoping against hope that the local wildlife wasn't carnivorous.

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Kurt couldn't quite keep as silent as Jadia; but he'd been well-schooled, and for a human he did creditably well. They were both dressed in dark armour, and Jadia had a black hood pulled over her head to prevent her silver hair from giving them away; they were nothing more than two dark shadows moving though the even darker night.

The camp was well laid out and clearly long established, nestled at the base of a sheer cliff. While there were a few tents pitched around the outer perimeter, most of the inner area was filled with solidly-constructed buildings. In the centre was a very large hall; light shone from its windows, as well as from several other buildings throughout the camp. At the rear, a large cave could be seen in the cliff face, with a well worn path leading into it. Light flickered faintly from the opening, as if from torches placed further in.

"Let's split up," Jadia whispered.

"Do you think that's wise?" Kurt whispered back.

"We'll cover ground faster, and the less time we spend here, the better I'll like it!"

Kurt was still uncertain, but he knew well enough that Jadia would be insufferable if she didn't get her own way. He shrugged. "All right. Which do you want, the camp or the cave?"

"The cave," she replied, without hesitation. "Caves echo, and I can keep a lot quieter than you can. Meet back here in no more than thirty minutes."

Kurt nodded, and the pair moved off in different directions.

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The six Ronin, Moonshadow and Sideline dismounted at the edge of the jungle. "This is as far as we can take the horses," Sideline commented. "The rest of the trip has to be on foot."

"I wish Katze hadn't taken the zeppelin," Wolmark grumbled.

"No point fretting about it now," Sasha replied. "We just have to make the best of what we've got."

"There's a path over here!" Trinias called from a few yards away.

Sideline walked over and examined the apparently solid wall of vegetation. "There is?" he queried in disbelief.

"Trust me," Trinias said with a grin, then forced his way into the dense growth. The rest of the group followed, and began to fight their way into the jungle.

After a minute or so of hard work, the path became more pronounced and the travelling became easier. "At this rate, we should be there in a few hours!" Leandra said.

Kwon held up a hand. "Wait; I sense -"

That was all he had time for. Without further warning, an arrow shot out of the jungle ahead. Moonshadow gasped, as it struck her arm; Leandra fell back to help her, while Sideline and the rest of the Ronin deployed for battle.

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Flynn was sitting on the veranda with Moonshadow by his side, watching Jadia practice riding around the courtyard; he'd rarely felt so content.

A sudden sense of unease took hold of his mind - Moonshadow was in danger. He looked down at the silver ring on his right hand, then across at Moonshadow beside him. He looked back at the ring in perplexity. Could they possibly be malfunctioning? Surely not, none of Temrel's creations had ever failed, in nearly twenty years!

That left only one alternative, and that was unthinkable! Or was it? Flynn had experienced false realities before; could this be another? He began to mentally retrace his steps, from the moment Alaric's summons had arrived.

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"Flynn, there's a messenger for you at the door!" Moonshadow called.

"I'll be right there!" Flynn called back, and made his way from his study. He quickly sized the man up as he approached. He was young, about Jadia's age, and wore Alaric's livery; he seemed nervous, but not unusually so.

"Yes? What is it?"

The messenger bowed, and handed over a scroll. "I was instructed that this was to be viewed only by you and your wife. There's no need for a reply, and I have other scrolls to deliver. I'd best be on my way."

"Thank you," Flynn replied. The young man left; Flynn and Moonshadow retired to the living room to read. They sat side by side on a couch, and Flynn unrolled the scroll. It appeared to be mainly a kind of form letter, with blanks for names filled in later in a different hand.

Alaric requests that one Flynn
representing the group known as the 'Ronin', and their associates
should attend council at Landking Hall on the morning of the fifteenth.

The purpose of the council is to discuss certain recent troubling events that have plagued Cythera, with the intent to find a solution.

There was a handwritten addendum, in yet a third writing style:

Young man, I've heard much about you and your friends over the last 25 years. It seems to me that your hearts are good, and so I am confident that you would offer your aid in this matter. I hope you are able to attend the council, as I look forward to meeting you again.

- Alaric

Moonshadow rested her head on Flynn's shoulder. "You're going, of course," she sighed. "I'll miss you!"

"And I'll miss you both," Flynn replied softly, putting his arm around her, "but I can't ignore Alaric's request."

"Of course you can't," she responded, snuggling closer, "or you wouldn't be the man I married."

"The fifteenth; I'll have to leave in the morning."

They sat there for some time, murmuring softly to one another, maintaining the close physical contact for as long as they could.

Flynn set out early the next morning, with Moonshadow and Jadia standing on the porch, waving goodbye. The journey should only take a couple of days, and he hoped to be home within a week - it would depend on how long the council deliberated. There would undoubtedly be some call for action afterwards; Jadia was too young, but Moonshadow would undoubtedly insist on staying with him.

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In spite of several solo expeditions Flynn had made over the years, travelling alone wasn't something he was used to; usually, Moonshadow and one or more of the Ronin would have accompanied him. He was rather glad, then, when he found the stranger on the road, journeying to Odemia; he'd enjoy having company at least that far.

"My name is Joran," the man said, after Flynn introduced himself. "I'm a trader, and I have business in Odemia. Where are you headed?"

"Landking Hall," Flynn replied.

"Really? You must be an important person!"

"No, not really," Flynn laughed. "I represent some people that are - useful, in certain circumstances, that's all."

The conversation devolved to inconsequential matters, such as the weather, and the current high price of coffee. "Indeed," Flynn commented, "Brink's made his fortune with that invention!"

That night, they camped just North of Catamarca. In the morning, Flynn saw Joran safely to Odemia, and continued on his way to Landking Hall.

--------------------------------

"Cancelled?" Flynn repeated in puzzlement.

"That's right," the guard replied. "It turns out it wasn't necessary, after all."

Something about that bothered Flynn, but thoughts of home kept intruding; he turned his horse about, and began the journey back to his estate. The trip was uneventful, and he found things waiting just as he'd left them.

--------------------------------

Flynn broke out of his reflections, pondering. It wasn't like him to leave something like that, not if it bothered him, and no matter what the distraction. He thought back more carefully. There was something odd about things, beginning the morning after he and Joran had made camp, but what was it?

"Sound," Flynn thought, as understanding dawned. "There were no bird calls from the jungle that morning!" He looked at Moonshadow sitting beside him. She wasn't real, he realised; and he'd settle for nothing less than the reality.

Closing his eyes, he began to concentrate, searching for the key to this prison in his mind.

--------------------------------

Jadia crept up to the mouth of the cave. She thought it odd that there were no guards, but they probably thought it was safe enough in the middle of the camp.

There were torches flickering at irregular intervals down the passage, giving just enough light to see by, but there was still sufficient darkness to make Jadia feel safe. She crept from shadow to shadow, listening carefully for the sound of anyone approaching.

She reached the dark mouth of a side passage, just as her sensitive ears picked up the sound of footfalls ahead. She darted into the other passage, and watched as two men in brown cassocks walked past on their way out. Seeing a torch burning in the distance behind her, she chose to continue down the new passage.

She followed the passage through several forks and turns, until it eventually met up with a well lit corridor in a T-intersection. On the other side of the hall she noticed a series of doors, each with a barred window let into it.

"Must be their dungeon," she thought. The corridor ended in a dead end in both directions. If anyone came down the passage she'd be trapped; but she had no choice, she had to check the cells.

Moving quickly from one to the next, she peered into each cell in turn. She reached the third from the end, and looked through the bars; she stiffened, and couldn't prevent a gasp escaping her lips.

--------------------------------

Kurt crept carefully through the darkness, avoiding the sentries and various people walking about. Moving to the smaller buildings on the West side, he began to peer through windows, hoping to find something interesting.

He heard a guard coming, and quickly dived under the pilings of the nearest hut. The guard passed on, and he crawled out to resume his search.

He'd inspected several huts, and was getting close to the large hall. He crept up to the next small hut; it appeared to be a single room, with a window let into the door. Checking once again that he was unobserved, he silently stepped up to look in; he took one glance, gasped, and his face broke into a grin.

--------------------------------

Once Flynn realised he was in a dream world, it rapidly began to lose it's hold on his mind. He watched with satisfaction - and some regret - as the things around him grew less distinct. The last thing to fade was Moonshadow.

Everything paled into a pure white glow, which then faded in turn to reveal a dark room. Flynn felt weak and utterly drained, as if he'd been over-using elemental magic; he barely had strength enough to stand. Light was coming in faintly through a small window in the door. He heard a sound, and glanced at the small opening.

His eyes went wide in surprise, as he saw a distinctly familiar face peering in.

--------------------------------

Jadia wasted no time trying to pick the lock - she could have done it, but she wasn't Katze; it would have taken too long. Instead, she touched the lock and her eyes glowed silver once more; the mechanism iced over. She stepped back and gave the door a kick. The now extremely brittle bolt shattered, with a sound like breaking glass. It was extremely loud, but right then she didn't care; she'd found her father, and she was going to get him out.

Flynn smiled gently as she ran to embrace him. "What are you doing here?" he murmured in her ear.

Jadia stepped back, and Flynn saw that she was blushing. "Explanations later," she replied, "right now we have to get out!"

"Lead the way," Flynn said, gesturing toward the door with a sweeping gesture.

--------------------------------

Kurt was pacing back and forward at the rendezvous; Jadia was overdue. He sighed in relief as he saw her pale face approaching through the darkness.

"You're late!" he whispered. "I was getting worried -"

He stopped dead as he caught sight of the figure behind her. Jadia glanced around at Flynn, then back at Kurt, puzzled by his reaction. Then she saw the man standing behind Kurt - a man that looked just like her father.

Jadia and Kurt looked from one Flynn to the other in perplexity; the two Flynns just stared at each other in astonishment.

(to be continued)

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[This message has been edited by Slayer (edited 09-11-2002).]

Very good story! I'm glad we know a little more about what happened to Flynn. Keep up the good work.

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Slayer's guide to Cythera:
[url="http://"http://www.macclassics.com/cythera/cythera.htm"]http://www.macclassi...era/cythera.htm[/url]