Quest for the Silver Cleric

Quest for the Silver Cleric

At the beginning of this story there are some words in different languages from English, used mostly to show the fact our heroine doesn’t understand what’s being said at first. It doesn’t last long, so hopefully, it wont be too annoying.

Chapter 1: Falling through the cracks

It was supposed to be a simple visit to the country. A weekend off work, meet a few of the girls, and head out. We went to the mountains, and it was beautiful at first, even if I preferred a hotel room over a tent any day of the week. I complain about the conditions, but really, I didn’t care. When you’re a trans girl trying to survive in a straight world, you take whatever support you can get.

We had a decent first night. In the morning they talked me into taking a walk in the woods, where we come across a cave. It didn’t look deep or anything, just a small shelter spot, but after the others had moved on, I found myself feeling the back of it. The other girls started laughing at me, asking me if I was expecting to find a secret passage.

Suddenly, a crack opened up, and I fell in.

Then things got strange.

I fell what felt like a long time. The funny thing was after a moment, the sounds from outside, the shouts of the girls, the birds singing, had gone. I hit the ground, but it was soft and it cushioned my fall. I wasn’t hurt, just a little dizzy. I lay on the grass for a moment trying to catch my breath. As my breathing returned to normal, I realized I was hearing something strange - it sounded like the ocean. I shook my head to clear it, and then got to my feet.

I felt very warm; I was wearing decent hiking clothes - pants, shirt, and good climbing shoes, with my only concession to my feminine nature being my wig, make-up, and a dress over-top of my outfit.

I staggered in the direction of the sound, and soon found a coastline with a roaring beach, with no one in sight.

“Where the hell am I? I asked out loud.

Of course, I didn’t get an answer, for the shoreline was deserted. I looked further out at the ocean and realized there was a ship on the water, and it was getting closer. It was a beautiful sailing ship. I simply admired it for a moment before realizing that this was perhaps my ticket home. I started waving and shouting, trying to get their attention. I must have succeeded, because soon the ship had stopped moving, and a small rowboat was launched in my direction. The rowboat came close enough for me to see that there were several people in it. The men were dressed oddly, the leader looking something like a medieval knight.

He was in some kind of chain mail, and carried a curved sword. As soon as the boat approached land, he and the others jumped out quickly and headed for me with weapons drawn. Their actions told me they were serious professionals, making me doubt my original opinion that they were some kind of historical re-creation group.

I briefly considered backing away from them, but the one fellow with a spear raised convinced me to stand still. I wondered how much trouble I was in, especially because I wasn’t a regular girl.

They quickly surrounded me, and then the leader spoke.

“Goios eisai? Shie kanis edo” he said.

“What?”

“Se Katalavaineis?

“I’m sorry, I don’t understand.”

He looked at me hard, and then paused, and then said, ”Imperatoria non Intellegis?”

I just shook my head and said, “I’m sorry. I really don’t understand you.”

He then apparently gave up trying to talk to me, and instead signaled to one of his men and shouted, “náftis, párte aftó to átomo kai voithíste tous sto ploío”

The man he spoke to approached me, and took my hand. He led me to the boat, and actually helped me get in. I smiled at him to say, “Thank you,” and stepped in carefully. We approached the ship, and as we did I tried to keep calm, and not think about being found out. I had always struggled with my confidence in my presentation as a woman, but two recent additions to my feminine collection were being the biggest help - a pair of breast forms. I shuddered to think how long my old method of stuffing my bra with socks would hold up under the conditions I was now under.

After several minutes, we were beside the ship, and a rope ladder was let down to allow us to board. I hesitated, afraid of losing my balance. The soldier who had helped me into the rowboat must have sensed my discomfort. He climbed ahead of me, laid flat on the deck of the ship, and took my hand. With his firm grip on me and another soldier bracing me from behind, I was able to make it up the ladder.

Once on the deck, I tried to stand, but found it difficult on the swaying deck. I began to feel ill, and crawled to the edge of the boat to throw up. When I finished, my “assistant” came up with a flask and made gestures that I should drink it. I coughed a bit, not being used to anything with alcohol in it.

It soothed my stomach, and after a minute, I felt much better.

I nodded to my companion, and he led me to the back part of the ship. Soon, we were in front of a small cabin, and he opened the door for me. I began to get rather nervous. I wondered, was he expecting me to sleep with him? That would be difficult, since I had male parts, and had never wanted to be with a man. I realized just how vulnerable I was, and seriously considered offering him oral sex to distract him, and prevent him from finding the surprise in my panties.

He gestured at the bed, a small porthole one could look out through, an oil lamp hanging from the ceiling, gave me a small bow, and left the room. I let go of a deep breath I hadn’t even realized I had been holding. But with the immediate threat gone, the full impact of my situation hit me. I was God-only-knows how far away from home, surrounded by armed men taking me to some unknown destination, and I was only one small slip-up away from revealing my true sex. I am ashamed to confess I wept until I fell asleep.

I woke to knocking on the cabin door. I did a quick check to make sure I hadn’t lost my breast forms, and then went to the door to open it. My helper from the day before was there. He pointed to himself, and said, “Aeneas” and signaled I should follow him. I still had a great deal of difficulty walking on the deck, so I held on to my guide as he showed me around.

I started having some very confused feelings about my guide. I was in awe of his strength, and amazed at how gently his callused hands held mine. To make things worse, the other men were staring at me, making me draw closer to him and minding it less than I would have liked.

I tried very hard to focus on the tour instead.

The tour was almost over when my stomach announced itself audibly.

My guide smiled at the sound, and steered me to a small mess, sat me down, and made me breakfast.

The ship had a small coop full of hens, so he made me eggs, warmed some dry biscuits, and gave me another sample of the drink he’d provided for me earlier.

If I hadn’t been so hungry, I might have minded more the audience I seemed to have acquired. It seemed that a large part of the crew was fascinated by the prospect of watching me eat. I suddenly developed sympathy for how a celebrity must feel dining out.

I had just finished when a horn sounded, and the crew jumped. In a moment, they had left the mess, and I followed behind them. As soon as I got on deck, my guide pointed to the distance, and I could barely make out what he was trying to show me. Far in the distance, there was land.

The captain barked orders, and then seemed to notice my presence. He shouted to my guide, “párte ton episképti mas parakáto”

My guide took my hand, and led me back to the cabin. He made a gesture that I interpreted as, “Stay here,” and left.

Being left alone allowed me to collect my thoughts. I chiding my self for my losing control over my emotions. “I’d understand if I was already on hormones, but that’s not for a month, at least.” I said to myself.

Then I tried to figure out my situation. Where was I? How had I got here? Was this some kind of joke, or a dream, or had I gone insane? As a young person struggling with feeling like a girl when I was physically a boy, I often questioned my sanity.

I had done so less since I had actually begun working on a transition, but it was still something I wondered about on occasion. But lacking any way to be absolutely sure I was sane, I decided to act as though this situation was real, until I could prove it wasn’t.

I sat there and fretted for what must have been at least an hour, before a knock at my door interrupted my thoughts. It was my guide, and he took me back on to the deck. I was amazed at what I saw.

It was a port. A huge port, with any number of ships - everything from tiny fishing boats up to craft much larger than the one I was now on. My guide took me to a gangplank and we disembarked. To my surprise, there was a large wall between the port and the rest of what must be a city. My guide spoke to guards at the gate, and we were allowed in.

The city was on a hill, and it seemed like it was divided into sections by walls. As we slowly made our way up the hill, the neighborhoods got richer.

Then, my guide took me across one section of the city that smelled of incense. For the first time since I found myself in this strange world, I recognized something. It was a temple; one that reminded me of things I had read about as a kid. It was like the Grecian temples I had seen pictures of, but unlike those, it was still in use. In fact, it was busy.

My guide went to a particular spot where he could make an offering to what looked a lot like Poseidon. I just tried to let him do his thing in peace. I was guessing he was grateful to make it to his home in once piece, and I could appreciate that, even if I had a different God than he did.

Shortly, he finished, and took my hand and led me back the way we came, and then we started climbing the hill again, until we got to what could have only have been the palace.

We acquired a guard once we were allowed inside, and we were ushered into the throne room. Apparently, we were expected, because the throne was occupied by someone who was obviously the king. We both kneeled.

“eínai aftó to átomo pou vríkes sto nisí?” the king asked.

“Eínai, ópos proanéfere i profiteía” my guide replied.

The king turned to me, and asked, “peíte to ónomá sas an me katalavaínete?”

I tried to look as apologetic as I could and said, “I’m sorry, your Majesty, I don’t understand your language at all. I’m guessing you asked me if I did.”

The king waved to a guard, and said, “Kaléste ton mágo”

The guard went out, and a moment later came back in with an old man in a colorful robe. He approached me and pulled out a ring and waved his hand over it, muttering as he did so.

He finished and handed me the ring. I shrugged, and put the ring on. He then said to me, “Do you understand me now?”

“Yes! Do you understand me?”

“Yes.” He turned to the king, and said, “Your majesty, the barbarian will understand you now, and you will be able to understand her. I will need to recharge the ring once a day, but that shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Is this true, barbarian?” the king asked.

“Yes, your majesty. I understand you now.”

“Excellent. Mage, your task is first test her and see if she is in fact the one we have been told to expect. Second, you are to educate the barbarian and explain our need. Once that has been accomplished, she is to bathed and dressed appropriately. Then we will see her again.”

“It shall be done, your majesty,” the mage said.

“What about Aeneas, here?” I asked, pointing to my guide.

The king looked at Aeneas, and then back at me, and then said to him, “You are assigned to protect her until I choose otherwise.”

“Thank you, your majesty,” Aeneas said.

“You are all dismissed,” the king said.

We all bowed, and backed out of his presence.

Once we had left the throne room, the mage said, “Come, this way. You too, sailor, since you asked for this job.”

Aeneas smiled, and took my hand, and we followed the mage. After many minutes of walking, we came to a room and the mage let us in. It looked like a cross between a medieval laboratory and the kind of stuff I would have expected to find in the lair of a magician. He gestured to a couple of chairs, and I sat down, Aeneas refused and stood by the door instead.

The mage pulled out an amulet, whispered over it, and then said, “Barbarian, I have a single question to ask, and my magic will ensure you speak the truth.” He said.

“Of course I will.”

“Are you male or female?

****

Chapter 2: The Ballad of the Silver Cleric

I found myself answering before I even had a chance to think about my answer, “I am both.”

He took a deep breath.

“Then you are the one we’ve been hoping for.”

I took a peek at Aeneas. He was still in “soldier-mode” and his expression was blank. I found myself feeling terribly upset by the prospect of driving him away due to the ugly bits between my legs. I forced myself to pay attention to the mage.

“What is your name, barbarian?”

“I … I call myself Danica.”

“Well, then Danica, My name is Olorin. I’ve been instructed to explain our situation to you, so you best get comfortable while I prepare your history lesson.”

I tried to get as comfortable on the chair as I could while Olorin went to a large pile of papers and books and searched through them.

He grabbed a scroll, and said, “Ah. Here we are. The ballad of the Silver Cleric.”

He pulled apart the scroll and started reading in a sing-song voice.

“When the Empire was in flower, the Weres came to fight. The Sea-folk were threatened, and The Dead ruled the night. The situation hopeless, the battle was as good as lost. Then the Silver Cleric came to save us, no matter what the cost.

Yes, the Silver Cleric came to save us, no matter what the cost.”

He rolled up the scroll and tossed it behind him.

“Well, I’m no Bard. I made that when I was a very young man, before the Magic claimed me.”

My confusion must have been obvious.

He sighed, and said, “All right. Allow me try to tell you this story without poetry. When the Empire finally conquered the islands of our people, they had to make certain promises. The most important one was a vow, taken by the Emperor Julius himself, was that if our land was threatened, he would send us whatever aid we needed.”

“Julius? I wonder if he needed to beware the ides of March?” I asked.

Olorin looked at me, and then continued. “Three generations later, that vow was fulfilled, when the Silver Cleric landed on these shores and ended the siege of this city. The siege of the Weres and the Dead.”

“The Weres and the Dead?”

“The Weres are men who change into animals. Wolves, bears, and the like. The Dead are well, dead. Just still able to act.”

“I thought that’s what you meant. Go on.”

“When the Weres first came, we feared them little, but when they somehow managed to form an alliance with the Dead, we learned fear. As my little piece said, we had all but lost when The Silver Cleric came.”

“The Silver Cleric?”

“We never knew his real name. He wore silver from head to toe, and even his weapons were silver. Silver is deadly to Weres, you know.”

“Actually, I did. Too many years playing role-playing games.”

“I’m sorry?”

“Don’t worry about it. Carry on.”

“He also had a holy symbol, a device he wore around his neck with the holy names of our chief gods. The Dead could not stand against its power.”

“So he won, I take it?”

“He did. But while the kings of our people celebrated, he left them with a warning, and a prophesy. The warning was that some of the enemy escaped, and could trouble us again. The prophesy was that if they returned, and our need was dire, the Silver Cleric would rise again.

He also said for that to occur, we must wait until a specific day, and then go to the furthest island, and pick up the person there, for they would be the one who would find the resting place of the Cleric so he could be awoken. And we would know them to be the one by two signs.

The first would be that the person would be a barbarian who would speak neither our language, nor the language of the Empire. And the second sign was that the person would be both male and female.”

“I see. But what about this Empire? Couldn’t they help?”

“The Empire fell more than a hundred years ago. No, we are on our own, and already we feel the press of fear on us. I’m afraid we have little time to find the Cleric and wake him.”

“What is it that you expect me to do?”

“Go with the group that will be sent out to find his resting place. Beyond that, I don’t know what will happen.”

I frowned. Did these people expect some magic out of me? And what if I didn’t actually have any?

He noticed my expression and said, “Have faith. The Cleric made this prophesy, so it must be possible to fulfill.”

He then looked at me carefully, and said, “ I’m sorry. I need to check on something.”

He pulled something out of a pocket in his robe, muttered over it, and tossed it into the air. “You carry a great darkness with you. I need to know what it is, so I can tell if its a threat to our quest.”

I flinched, but then I shrugged. “At this point, I don’t suppose I can object.”

Then I found myself telling him my life’s story, including the really nasty bits. (I got used as a sex toy by the first person who found out my secret, do you need details?) I finished with how I had fallen into a crack and ended up on that island, and then I cried. He handed me a drink, and I drank it. It had sort of the same effect as the drink I had been given on board the ship, but instead of settling my stomach, it soothed my heart.

“I’m truly sorry for having to make you go through that. And I give you my word, that should we succeed, and survive the coming storm, I will do everything in my power to send you to the place you came from.”

I was still a little shaky and said, “I need to think about this.”

“Since the king has commanded that you be washed and dressed appropriately, perhaps that might be the best place for you to think. Aeneas? Will you escort her to the Woman’s Quarters?”

The sailor snapped to attention, and said, “Yes, mage.” To me, he simply said, “Come.”

I got up and went to follow him.

“I hope you will decide to help us. Otherwise, by next year at this time, this city will fall,” Olorin said to me.

“I promise I’ll think about it,” I said, and followed Aeneas.

He led me down the hall, and I tried to talk to him

“I never got the chance to thank you for the ride on board your ship. It really is a lovely vessel. Although I couldn’t understand why the crew was so fascinated by me eating ... Its a beautiful city. Too bad we haven’t had the chance to see very much. Maybe we could do a tour later.”

Finally, I realized I was babbling. I began to cry, and said, “I honestly don’t know what to do here. I didn’t plan on being in this place. I’m nobody special. All I really want to do is go home.”

“Please stay and help us,” he asked.

“Why? The only person here I care about probably thinks I’m a freak,” I turned away from him.

Did I just say I cared about him?

He spun me around, and looked at me. “You are not a freak. To have survived what happened to you, you are a brave and strong woman. More than that, you are a gift from the gods.”

“There are some folks back home who would disagree with you there,” I looked at the floor.

He cupped his hands under my chin to raise my face so he could look into my eyes. “Then they are fools.”

More than anything in the world, I wanted him to kiss me at that moment.

And then he did.

I melted into the kiss.

Finally, he broke it off, and pointed to a door. “Here are the women’s quarters,” he said, and then knocked on the door. A large woman opened the door.

“You must be the one the King said to expect,” she said to me.

“She is. Prepare her for her audience. And treat her with all due courtesy. That is the King’s command,” Aeneas said.

“It will be done. Come, I will take you to the bath.”

Aeneas took my hand, and said, “The women will see to your needs, and you will be safe there. If I am permitted, I will see you at the audience.”

“I’ll be counting the minutes.”

He smiled and squeezed my fingers gently. Then he started to walk away. I had just turned to follow the woman when I heard his voice.

“Danica?”

I turned.

He gave me a smile, and I thought I heard him whisper “As will I.”

I smiled back, and then went into the woman’s quarters, glowing.

Once we were inside, the woman led me down a hall, and said, “Ah, love.”

I blushed.

“Is he your first love?” Seeing my reaction, she continued, “Ah, he is!”

“Sort of,” I wasn’t sure if I should tell her my last romance had been with a girl.

“My name is Agathangelos. I’ll be helping you with your bath.”

She led me into a room with a tub big enough for a swim team to practice in.

“You can get undressed now,” she said.

I looked at her. “If you know the prophesy, you know I’m not all woman.”

“I look forward to seeing how that works.”

I shrugged. I was pretty much committed at this point. “Well then, prepare for a shock,” I said and took off my clothes.

Chapter 3: A Thief in the night

She looked at the deformity between my legs, and said, “Does it …. work?”

“More than I would like. It has been mostly a source of grief for me.”

“Grief?”

“Because of it, I have suffered much,” I found myself telling my life story for the second time that day.

“Poor child.” She gave me a hug, and I noticed that I didn’t get a reaction from down below.

“Now for your bath.

The bath was filled with milk. Goat’s milk, I’m assuming, but I didn’t ask. She utterly spoiled me, not letting me do anything. I struggled with this idea, but then relaxed, and enjoyed the pampering.

I was bathed, massaged with oil, and powered with some sweet smelling stuff that made me feel very feminine.

As she worked on me, she would sing a song that told the story of a being that was both male and female. Based on the song, I got the impression that such beings were regarded as being specially blessed by the gods.

The feminine feeling was accentuated by the dress she put me in. It was silk, and a rich red color with a black border at the bottom. It also had markings on the arm that I was told gave me the rank of Ambassador’s wife, about the highest a non-citizen female could achieve. The dress was ankle length, and came with a kind of scarf to put on my head. She also added simple sandals to my feet, kohl to my eyes, and a berry juice stain to my lips to finish the look.

I felt very much felt like a princess.

Once I was prepared to her satisfaction, she led me out, taking a maze of hallways until we were back in front of the throne room. She gave a nod to the guards, and they let us in. The king was on his throne, the mage at his side. I kneeled along with my companion and waited for him to speak.

“My mage has told me you are called Danica, is that right?”

“Yes, your majesty.”

“You passed his tests, and are the one we seek?

“So he tells, me, your majesty. To be honest, I don’t think I’m anybody special.”

“Be that as it may. Now, I must ask this one time. Will you help us?”

“I … I will do anything I can.”

The whole court seemed to let out a breath at once.

“Good. Now, we must have council and determine who will go with you. And there must be a feast, so my people can know they have hope again.”

“Your majesty? What will happen to Aeneas? His … kindness toward me helped me make my decision.”

“Then let us call him. I do believe he is been outside hoping for an audience for some time.”

He nodded to the guards at the door, and less than a minute later, Aeneas was brought in.

“Sailor, we thank you for your service, but it is time for you to return to the docks,” the king said.

He looked saddened by that, and said, “Thank you, your majesty. I ... I will miss you, Lady Danica.”

“Be that as it may, there is much work on board your vessel. Especially for its newest captain.”

“Captain?”

“Indeed. That is your rank now. Wear it well.”

“I will, your majesty. And thank you.”

“You are welcome. Now go, but be prepared to return tonight. You will act as our guest’s escort at the feast tonight. I trust that meets with the approval of both of you?”

Aeneas brightened at that and said, “For my part, I will be honored.”

“I’m very happy with that arrangement, your majesty,” I said.

“Excellent. Now, I must call council, and determine who must go with the lady on her quest. It is entirely possible a certain recently-promoted sailor will be among them.”

Aeneas must have realized what that meant, and said, “Thank you, so much, your majesty.”

“You are welcome, again. Now go.”

Aeneas got up, made a deep bow, and then left the throne room.

“Come with us to the council room, Lady Danica,” the king said, and stepped off the throne. He took my hand, raised me to my feet, and walked me out a side door to a room with a long curved table and chairs. The king’s seat was at the front, and the table was set in a semi- circle facing it.

The king said to the guard at one of the doors, “Are my councilors ready?”

“I will check, your majesty,” he said and stepped out the door.

A moment later, he returned. “They are ready, your majesty.”

“Good.” The king sat on his seat, and waved me to the seat closest to his right-hand side. “Sit there, Lady.”

Once I was seated, he turned to the guard, and said, “Let them in.”

The guard opened the door, and waved to someone I couldn’t see. A moment later a group of men and, to my surprise, two women ushered themselves into the room and bowed to the king. I was delighted to see Olorin among them.

It was clear that my being where I was created some difficulty, but they soon sorted themselves out and sat down.

“Now, then. The Lady Danica has passed the tests required and has agreed to help us. Our first task is to figure out who will go with her on her quest to find the resting place of the Silver Cleric.”

The man beside me spoke, and said, “It will be a dangerous journey, no matter what direction it must travel. Since the Empire’s fall, brigands have begun to lose their fear and waylay travelers at will. And many dangerous creatures who were once driven underground are now once more roaming freely. Some who are versed in arms must go.”

“And yet, not too many. We cannot over-deplete ourselves,” said the man next to him.

“And too large a group would attract more attention, as well. Some dark force created the alliance between the Dead and the Weres and it will not be idle, surely. Some stealth and subtlety are needed. If the King were to offer a pardon to an ... enterprising person, they might aid us,” the older of the two woman said.

“But certainly a representative of the gods must be included,” the younger woman said. “The Dead may stand in our path.”

“And what about our non-human allies? Surely they will want to be a part of this as well,” the man next to her added.

“And a student of magic must go as well,” Olorin said.

“We agree with all your suggestions. Each of you bring your selections to the courtyard two days from now. And the gods be with us all,” the king said and stood. “You are all dismissed.”

The others stood and bowed, so I did, too. I went to leave with the others, but the king said, “Lady Danica, stay.”

I stopped, and the others cleared the room.

“Lady Danica, quarters will be provided for you, and tonight we will feast. In the meantime perhaps you would like to see the palace, and since a certain sailor is otherwise engaged, we will do it personally.”

I bowed low, and said, “You have honored me beyond measure already, your majesty, and I have done nothing yet to deserve any of it.”

“Lady, you represent the only hope my people have. And besides,” he grinned, and I saw the man behind the king, “it has been a long time since I have had the pleasure of touring this place with a pretty girl.”

I boggled at him, and said, “Me, a pretty girl? I’m not even fully female, much less pretty.”

He looked stern for a moment, and said, “You do yourself an injustice, and we command you to do so no more.”

I bowed my head.

“Now, let us see the sights.” He took my arm, and nodded to the guard at the door, who opened it up, and then the king swept me out of the room.

The castle was magnificent, better than the European ones I had seen as a small boy. There was little wasted space. You could tell it was designed to allow people to get to where they needed to go quickly, but they also had made sure that each area was visually pleasing as well. Sea shells and pearls adorned the walls, as well as paintings, carvings, and silk.

As we toured, he shared with me some of the history of his people, and I saw parallels to ancient Greece, but it was also slightly different in some places. He also asked many questions about my home, and how I came to be what I was now.

As the tour came to its conclusion, I said to the king, “Thank you, your majesty. You know, I don’t think anyone has told me your name.”

“Did they not? I took the throne under the name Peter, after an early ruler.”

“Thank for telling me, your majesty.”

“You are very welcome. You know, Lady, if I didn’t suspect you already had your eyes on a certain sailor, I would woo you.”

I blushed at the thought of Aeneas, and said, “You honor me beyond measure, your majesty.”

“Be that as it may. But now, I must return to my duties, and you may take a rest until the feast. Here is your room, lady.” He opened the door to my room, and waved me in. Once I was inside, he gave me a king’s bow, and I tried to return it. He smiled at my effort, and left me, with my head spinning.

“Did the king just flirt with me?” I thought to myself.

I laid down for a bit, and I must have dozed off, because the next thing I knew, there was a knock at the door, and Aeneas was waiting for me.

“I’m here to take you to the feast,” he said softly, and took my hand.

A short while later, we were at the courtyard, which had been converted into a dining area. Aeneas whispered to a guard at the entrance, who announced my arrival, and the guests stood as I made my way to my table. He led me to a table that was slightly raised compared to the others, and put me on the right hand side of a seat that could only be the king’s.

I felt rather guilty for receiving such honors, but I was distracted by the arrival of the king. He was in a magnificent robe, and was wearing a crown of pearls. I stood, as did everyone else, until the king took his seat beside me. Once he was seated, he waved to us, and we sat down.

The feast was fantastic. I was hungry enough to try foods I would not normally look at, and liked them more than I would have thought possible. After the food came the entertainment, which was like being at a circus.

There were jugglers, acrobats, and flame swallowers. There was a a bard making music and a jester telling jokes.

The highlight of the night was Olorin. He put on a magic show that would have done Gandolf proud.

The cynic in me wondered how much was actual magic and how much was showmanship, but regardless, it was impressive.

After his performance, the formal part of the evening seemed to be at an end, and a more relaxed attitude dominated. I found myself having to fend off a number of noble men who vied for my affection every time Aeneas was distracted. Finally, I had to leave. I’d had more wine than I’m used to, but at least I wasn’t totally gone.

Nevertheless, I still had to lean on Aeneas to get back to my room, and was very glad to lay down again.

It was fully dark when I woke. I heard a cough, and it startled me into a state of fear. I clutched my sheet and lay there, wondering what I could do.

“No need to be afraid, Lady,” a voice said out of the shadows.

“Who’s there? Whoever you are, if you try anything, I’ll summon the guard.”

“My Lady, if I wished you harm, I would not have woken you.”

“I’d still feel a little better seeing your face.”

“As you wish,” he said. I saw a shadow cover the small lamp by the bed, and a moment later, it was lit, showing my guest.

“Better, my lady?”

He had a handsome face, with dark eyes and hair, and a small mustache.

“A bit. Perhaps you’d like to explain why you are in my bedroom?”

“I heard there was a beautiful barbarian lady kept in the palace, one who was the fulfillment of the prophecy, and I had to see her for myself.”

“Well, sorry to disappoint you. I’m not beautiful, I’m not totally a lady, and I sure don’t feel like the fulfillment of anything.”

He shook his head at me, and said, “Perhaps you need a better mirror, Lady. And as for prophesies, well, only time can tell. We may meet again.”

With that, he went out my window, and was gone.

I laid back down and really hoped I had just dreamed that. If not, he had just become the third man since I came here to find me beautiful.

“Is there something in the water here? Had some magic made me super attractive? Just what is going on?” I thought.

Pretty soon, I was back asleep.

***

Chapter 4: Companions are chosen

When I woke, it was morning. A young girl came to my door and led me to the privy. After I finished, I thought, “You don’t know how much you appreciate modern toilets until you’re somewhere without them.”

She then led me to a small dining room, and I grabbed a quick bite to eat, making sure she had some, as well. Once we were done, she said, “Lady, the king asked me to give you a tour of the city.”

“That sounds wonderful. Lead on.”

Our tour took the whole day, and it easily could have been longer. Like the castle, it seemed like function and beauty were married into every part of the city. Even the poorer areas were well laid out and adorned with seashells. The highlight of the tour was the temple quarter, where my young guide took great pride in showing me how each temple was both a separate entity and yet the whole area connected.

While we walked through it, she explained to me how the religion of the people worked. “Our high gods each represent one of the fundamental elements that formed the world,” she explained. “The Air, the Water, the Fire and the Earth. There is a fifth element, the Void, but it is not worshiped.”

“Interesting,” I said. “But there are a lot more than four temples here.”

“Besides the high gods, there are lesser gods who are responsible for each aspect of daily life, from birth to death.”

“Oh. Thank you,” I said, and she blushed.

By the time we got back to the castle, I had a suspicion that my guide might be transgendered. I didn’t think it would be polite to say I had read her, so I just said, “Thank you so much for the tour.”

“It was my honor, Lady.

I ached to give her a hug, or some advice, or something, but I just said, “I think the honor was mine.”

She reddened, gave a curtsy, and left.

Just after she left, a guard came in and told me I was invited to sit at the king’s table for supper.

My stomach growled its acceptance before I could say the words.

I was placed near the king again, but they actually apologized that I couldn’t have the seat right beside his. Apparently, an ambassador was coming for dinner, and they automatically got that seat. I didn’t have to wait long before the ambassador and his party arrived.

The first thought that came to my mind when I saw them was … “Angels.”

They were tall, and more beautiful than I any feeble description of mine could possibly do justice. They mostly had dark hair and dark eyes, and moved with amazing amounts of grace.

“Who are they?” I asked.

“They are the Sea Elves. Old allies of our people,” the person beside me said.

“Your majesty, king of the Men of the Sea, I have heard the summons you sent to us. Long ago, your fathers aided us in our battles against the Dark Ones. We pledged our aid to you then, and today we get a chance to honor that pledge,” the Ambassador said.

“I thank you, Ambassador Orym. As you have heard, the Weres have returned to the islands and the Dead are rising again. The hour the Silver Cleric predicted is here. And as proof, may I present the Lady Danica, who fulfills part of that prophecy.”

I rose and bowed my head in acknowledgement.

“Lady, the Prophecy of The Cleric is well known to us. If you truly are the One, I will do all I can to help you.”

“Thank you, Ambassador,” I managed.

“You are welcome, Lady,” he said, and took his seat.

The feast began. Once again, I found my tolerance for seafood had greatly increased, and I actually enjoyed dishes I would have avoided before. Finally it came to an end, and I went to my room to sleep.

During the night I had a strange dream of having some kind suction machine being attached to my chest, slowly making my breasts bigger. I woke and checked my breast forms, but they were still safely attached to my chest. I knew that soon the adhesive would wear off, and I had no way to replace it.

“We’ll see how ‘pretty’ they all think I am when I have no boobs,” I thought to myself, and then laid back down to try and rest until sunrise.

A young page was at my door when I woke again, and he led me to the courtyard, where a large crowd had already gathered.

The king arrived, and the noise settled. He said, “The time has come to choose those who will go with the Lady Danica on her quest. Will those who will go with her step forward.”

Aeneas stepped forward and said, “I will go, if the King permits.”

The king said, “I suspected you would wish to. You may go.”

Aeneas bowed.

Then Orym, the leader of the Elves came forward, and with him came a young man. “In honor of our long alliance, my son Olwe will represent our people on this quest.”

“You honor us, Olwe,” the king said.

Olorin came forward next, and said, “I will go. My apprentice can handle the defense of the city, but I believe I will be needed on the quest.”

“Granted,” the king said.

The priestess I had seen at the conference stepped forward and said, “I will go as well. I am the one best versed in how to repel the Dead.”

“And if the Dead should come to the city?” the king asked.

“I fear that if that occurs, it will mean we will have failed. But my assistant can defend the city if needed.”

“As you wish, Aerina.”

“And I will go as well, if the King’s promise of a pardon is true,” said a voice from above us.

We all looked up, and the man who had been at my bedside dropped from somewhere above us. He swaggered toward us and gave a slight bow to me. “I did say we may meet again, Lady.”

The king looked at me, and I said, “He climbed into my bedroom, your majesty.”

He turned to the older woman who had been at our conference and said, “What say you, Mirella?”

“Your majesty could do a lot worse. And it’s a better use for Orien’s skills than climbing into lady’s bedrooms”

“Then it’s settled. You will leave this afternoon. And may the gods go with you.”

“Not without me, surely,” a voice said.

****

Chapter 5: The Quest sets sail

We all turned, and I saw a large woman standing at the entrance to the courtyard. She was at least six and half feet tall and had a large double-bladed axe hung over her shoulders.

“Tesmi? We thought you lost in the forest beyond the fence,” the king said.

“It was a near thing, my king. But I survived my scouting mission. The reports we’ve had are true, The Weres are back in the forest in numbers.”

“Any sign from the Dead?”

“None yet, your majesty, but the feeling of the priest who went with me is we are not far from their rising.”

“Are you well enough to go with the Quest? Or would you rather stay here?”

“I would go with them, if that pleases your majesty.”

“Then you may go. Gather your supplies, and if there is something you lack, it will be yours.”

“Thank you, your majesty.”

The meeting broke up, and I returned to my room in the castle, and tried to pack. I remembered all the campaigns I was part of when I played, and I tried to remember all the things an adventurer would need.

But unfortunately, someone had packed for me, and they obviously had a confused idea as to what I was going to be doing. I went to the young page assigned to my needs, and said, “Frilly clothes are wonderful, but this won’t be a pleasure cruise. I must be prepared for rough terrain.”

She bowed, and said, “I’ll try and find more suitable things, Lady.”

“Thank you.”

By late that afternoon, I was met on the docks by Aeneas, and he guided me to his vessel. He brought me to the front of the ship, and I saw there was now a carved figure on the bow.

It was me.

“I renamed the ship. Its now called ‘Lady Danica’s Grace’. I hope that meets with your approval.”

“I’m ... honored, Aeneas.”

He smiled, and then led me past the vessel. Beside it was a larger craft, with a carving of a swan on the bow.

He said, “The others will ride with the Elves. Their ship is much better suited for honored guests. But I was rather hoping …”

“I would very much like to sail with you, Aeneas, if I can.

He gave me a large smile, and said, “You’ll have the captain’s quarters, of course.”

I grinned and said, “It won’t be the first time I’ve slept in your bed, will it?”

He blushed, and it was rather cute.

“I’ll sleep with the first mate.”

“Should I be jealous?”

“Not of him, most certainly.”

“Okay. Enough banter. Time for me to board.”

“This way,” he said and led me aboard.

The rest of the day was very nice, other than the whole bathroom thing. (Best I could do was a chamber pot and some privacy. Toilet paper? You don’t really want to know.) I really enjoyed it.

Aeneas found ways to keep me smiling. When I wondered aloud about how the others were doing, he took me in a rowboat to the Elves’ ship to share dinner. That night, I slept in the Captain’s bed. I found the idea that Aeneas had slept in this bed … comforting.

As I lay there, I realized I had it bad. I was totally in love with this man, and had a pretty good idea he loved me, too.

Beyond a couple of kisses, we had not really been intimate, and I realized I knew very little about him as well. I resolved to fix that part on this voyage, and thought, “And as for the intimate part? We’ll just have to see.”

When I woke the next morning, I had a moment of anxiety. Was it possible that this whole experience was some kind of fantasy wish fulfillment? Was I dreaming this adventure, maybe after falling down in that cave and hitting my head? After all, this all seemed so unlikely. Me, an answer to a people’s prayers?

Then I remembered reading a story where an author found himself in another world and couldn’t believe it, so the possibility that this was a dream was not one I could discount. And so far, everything had been so … easy. Would me struggling and failing mean it was real?

“No. I always struggled with that feeling. That wouldn’t prove anything I’ve had the feeling of failure many times in my regular life, especially dealing with being transgendered.”

I sighed. I had no choice but to continue acting as if this was real until I could prove it wasn’t.

The rest of the day was literally smooth sailing. We made supper on board the Elvish ship a tradition, and I enjoyed my visits there very much. Away from his crew and the demands of being a Captain, Aeneas relaxed and was finally able to share some quality time with me.

On the second day during our visit, I was startled to learn he was of noble blood, and in fact was a distant cousin of the King. He had been trained as a nobleman, but had fallen in love with the sea, and became an officer and sailor.

I asked him if his family had objected to his decision, and he said, “No. With our people, the Sea is in our blood. To be even a simple sailor is a high honor.”

I smiled at that, and asked him to take me back to his ship.

That evening, before I was to go to his cabin and sleep, I took him aside.

“What would your family think of you spending time … with me?”

“They would no doubt tell me I have aimed above my station.”

“I’m not above you. I’m not of noble birth, or anything.”

“You have the heart of a queen, my Lady.”

I could tell he sincerely meant that and understood then why he had not pressed our relationship. “If I do, you have the heart of a king, Aeneas.”

He gave me a kiss for that, said, “Good night, my Lady,” and left me with my head spinning.

It took me a long time to fall asleep. For the first time since my arrival, I was frustrated. I found myself wanting him to do things with me I wasn’t physically capable of, and I feel asleep weeping for my loss.

The next day, we arrived in the Elvish port, and after a big feast, the members of the Quest got together and talked. I said, “The fact is I don’t know you people, and you may not know each other. I think we should share with our stories, together, if you agree.”

The others agreed, and I started off by sharing my life story. Then I listened as the others took turns introducing themselves to me. To me, the most fascinating was Tesmi.

She told me about the curse of being a large woman in a society that simply didn’t know what to do with someone like her, and I sympathized.

Orien kept quiet, other than making the odd amusing comment, and I resolved to figure out his story.

****

Chapter 6: A Rogue’s tale:

I waited until the others had turned in and followed Orien. He saw me, and said, “I thought you were taken with the sailor, but here you are trying to find my bed?”

“I’m after information, not sex. What’s your story?”

He sighed. “I suppose you do have a right to know. Many years ago, after the Silver Cleric defeated the Weres, a group of free thinkers decided to go beyond the Fence that kept the kingdom safe from the woods to the northwest. They built a small settlement near the coast, and some of them decided that they shouldn’t be the king’s subjects any more, and set out a government of their own.

“Sadly, the fourth man to be the Head of the village became a tyrant and oppressed the people greatly. Hating our lot, some people thought to go to the King and ask for his aid, and my father was one of those who went.

“They were turned down by the old king, whose son now sits on the throne.

“So they returned home, and vowed to release the village from the fist of the tyrant. They fought for many long years, and when I became of age, I joined them. From the time I was very young I learned I had a talent for moving quietly and for climbing into high places. These skills were very useful in our struggle, and we actually won.

“Having been victorious, my father was named the new Head, and all seemed well. But then one day, my father came home fevered, and was soon very sick. I went to kingdom, to see if I could find a healer willing to come take care of him, and I was successful. I headed back to the village, but it turned out I was too late. The village was destroyed, and I found a large Were …. feasting on the people.

“I was able to slay the beast, and then watched in horror as he turned back into human, and … he was my father. With no home, I decided to return to the kingdom, and pay back those who had refused to aid us in our time of need, using my unique talents. But I wearied of this after a while, and considered leaving the kingdom, forever. And that was when the word went out that the king was offering a pardon to any who would aid you, and I finally found something worth my time again.

“So I thank you, Lady, for the opportunity for me to put my skills at your service.”

He had said this with real feeling, so different than the flippant way he talked in public. I said, “I’m … sorry for your losses. And thank you for coming with us.”

“It’s my honor, lady. Although I would appreciate it if you didn’t tell the others. It might spoil my reputation,” he gave me a lopsided grin.

“Your secret is safe with me. Good night.”

The next morning, the Elves gave us a tour of their home, and for the first time, I realized how alien they were. I really noticed this when speaking to our guide, and she mentioned meeting the emperor Julius, which made me do a double take. I tried to imagine what it would be like to live thousands of years without looking or feeling any older, and failed.

I took another look at their home, and realized their exceedingly long lives played into the construction. They favoured materials that would last.

After our tour, and another wonderful meal, we gathered together, and talked.

Olorin stood up, and said “Well, my friends, the time has come for us to leave this pleasant land and begin the hard part of this Quest.”

I said, “I agree. But where do we go from here?”

“I’m not entirely sure.”

I looked at him in total shock.

****

Chapter 7: The Companions leave the Elves

“What do you mean, you don’t know where we go?”

“The exact resting place of the Cleric was kept a secret so no one but the worthy party could find it.”

“Then, where do we go next?”

“I’m afraid that’s up to you, my lady.”

“I told you before. I have no special abilities. And that includes any special knowledge of where this Cleric is buried.”

“I actually anticipated your saying that, my Lady. Here. Let me show you a map or our world.” He rummaged through a backpack, and came out with a scroll. He rolled it out, and as he had said, it was a map.

The map showed a continent that narrowed at the southern end the way North America does, getting wider as you went north. Off the east coast was a huge island, almost the size of a small continent, with a large bay on the west side. There was also a group of smaller islands to the east of it.

“Here,” He pointed to the smallest island, which was also the furthest east, “Is where we found you. Here,” He pointed to the largest island, “Is the home of my people. Right now we are here.” He pointed to the east coast of the continent.

“To the north there is a large mountain range that is the home of the dwarves, and beyond it no human goes. To the west are barbarian lands, once part of the Empire, but probably run by brigands by now. And to the south is the home of the Empire.”

“So what now?”

“Lady, I want you to lay aside your anxiety and look in your heart. Which direction would you go?”

I tried to do as he said. I closed my eyes, and took several cleansing breaths. With my eyes still closed, I said, “Home.”

“Home?” he asked.

“It just … popped into my head. The Cleric went home.”

“But where was his home?” Aeneas asked.

“Didn’t he come from the Empire? Maybe we should go south,” I said.

Olorin smiled, and said, “South it is.”

“But how shall we travel?” Aeneas asked.

“Have no fear, sailor. We shan’t leave your vessel behind. We can use it to head south,” Olorin said.

“How about the rest of you, you okay with this? It’s going to be a bit more cramped and a lot less fancy than what we’ve had so far,” I said.

“We each volunteered for this, wherever you think we should go, we’ll follow,” Aerina said, and the rest nodded.

“Okay. Thank you,” I said, and we all went to our respective tents to sleep.

As I lay on my bedroll, I found myself wondering about the priestess, Aerina. She had seemed distracted at times, and I could swear she was talking to herself.

But then I thought about the cleric/priest/healer class from my role-playing days. They got their power from communing with their god, but I had never really thought what that might be like.

In the morning, while the others were getting ready to leave, I went to see the Elf ambassador, Olwe. “Can I talk to you before we go?”

“Of course.”

“I’m just hoping I’m doing okay here. Once we leave your territory, the lives of the companions, including your son, will depend on me. Not to mention the success of the quest.”

“I have faith in the prophesy, Lady.”

“Why? Why is everyone so sure this prophesy is right, and that I’m the one to fulfill it?”

“In my case, because I stood with the Silver Cleric when he convinced the Sea People to come to our aid after breaking the siege of the Weres and the Dead. I have never met anyone as … connected to the world beyond like him. So I trust his prophesy.”

I looked down at my feet, and said, “I hope you’re right.”

He put a hand on my shoulder, and said, “Have faith, Lady. And may Eru, the One, watch over you.”

I went back to the others to help finish packing. Once we were ready, we boarded Aeneas’ ship, waved goodbye to the Elves, and began sailing south.

****

Chapter 8 - Sailing South

We sailed south all day, and in the evening Aeneas started looking for a good place to harbor for the night. “Normally, we would let the night crew sail her, so we can sail for weeks if needed, but I’d rather make our stores stretch as long as we can,” He said,

“But aren’t we under some time pressure here? We have no idea how long this will take, and things could get hairy for your people at any time, couldn’t they?”

“No, my people can withstand the Weres for a long time. It will be when the Dead rise that the city will tremble, and our mages and priests all agree that will not happen for months. There will be darkness during the day, and that will be the sign of the Dead.”

“Darkness during the day? Sounds like an eclipse. Okay, I guess, but lets not dawdle.”

“As you wish.”

I looked at him for a second, wondering if somehow he knew where that line came from, but I saw no sign of humor. But I did see … love?

I shook my head, and said, “What about opposition? I can’t imagine it will be smooth sailing the whole way.”

“We have arms on board, should we need them, never fear on that account.”

“Okay, I trust you, Aeneas.”

He smiled.

That evening, as we set up camp, I chided myself for my sexual frustration. I felt like a slut because I wanted him so much it was hurting me, wanted him IN me so bad the fact I didn’t have a vagina was not even slowing that ache down even a little. Not only that, I was still struggling with the idea of being interested in a guy, after being so sure I was a lesbian.

“How could someone change orientation?” I thought to myself.

But then I calmed down, and thought some more. I remembered having crushes on girls, but thinking about it, they were all “safe”.

They were all in serious relationships with hetero guys, and if they thought about me at all, it was as a friend.

Then there’s my relationship with men, which was to say the least, strained. Most guys seemed to sense my difference, no matter how well I hid, and reacted violently to what they saw as a gay guy.

And that’s not counting the only man I ever trusted with my secret before I came out officially. He promptly used that knowledge as a weapon to force me to submit to his “affections”. It took me the better part of two years to free myself, and surely such an event would have in impact on my ability to view men as sexual partners.

Thinking of this led me to a flashback that left me in tears, until I finally fell asleep.

I was woken at dawn and we packed up our things and headed back to the ship. We boarded and soon we were sailing south again. Once we were underway, I asked Aeneas, “How long will it take us to get to the Empire?”

“Less than two weeks if we pushed as hard as we could. Slightly longer with making the nightly stops.”

“Are you sure we can afford the extra time?”

“You can check with Olorin, or Aerina, but I’m sure.”

“I trust you Aeneas. And with more than just this quest. I trust you with everything I have.” I gave him a kiss, and got out of the way of the crew. I found myself hoping that kiss would at least get him thinking of me, if he wasn’t already.

I slipped into the cabin area, where the officers had graciously given their cabin spaces for the other members of the Quest. Everyone but me was doubled up, with Aerina and Tesmi sharing one cabin, Olorin and Olwe in another. Orien refused a cabin, and slept with the crew, leaving the last cabin for Aeneas, who decided to share with his first officer.

The others were apparently of the same mind as me, and we stayed in the cabin area until the ship was well underway, so we wouldn’t be underfoot of the crew. As I watched each of them go to their own cabins, I felt a moment of frustration with the barriers that seemed to prevent me being able to talk to them informally. They seemed to see me as a “Lady”, a noble person maybe just below the king in status, and they never totally relaxed around me for that reason.

On the other hand, they had made progress in bonding with each other, which was a good thing, as I suspected they would have to operate as a team in order to succeed in this quest.

After waiting about a half-hour, I came back up and reveled in my new-found ability to feel comfortable on board a ship. My sea-sickness was a thing of the past, and I was grateful for that.

The day wore on, and I wished I had something to do, as it was very quiet and still. Suddenly, I realized we had almost no wind, and I wondered how we were moving so fast. I went to the till where Aeneas was, and asked him.

“There is a current that is helping us travel, my lady. We are fortunate that this is the time of year for it to head south, for otherwise we would have to go much further out from land to get out of the current.”

“Does it ever head north?”I asked.

“Yes, in about two months or so it switches. We should be at the capital of the Empire before that happens.

“Okay.”

As evening approached, I noticed that the crew seemed more tense, looking around carefully as Aeneas searched for a good place to pause for the night. Once we were encamped for the night, I asked him about the crew, and he said, “For many, this is as far south as they have ever sailed. So they are naturally a little nervous about it. Plus, with the Empire gone, at any time we could start seeing brigands looking for prey.”

“What can we do?”

“Olorin and Aerina are setting up wards, and the crew will also take turns standing guard. Hopefully, the size of our group and the fact we are well armed would make brigands decide to look for some weaker targets.”

“What about me? I haven’t done anything yet.”

“Your time will come, I think, when we find the remains. Until then, its our job to make sure you can get there safely.”

“Okay, I guess,” I said, and decided to turn in early.

Once asleep, I had very odd dreams. I had the dream of my breasts being “milked” until they were as large as my breast forms, and then I had one even odder. I dreamt my wig grew into my scalp, becoming my real hair. Lastly, I dreamt of a strange device forcing my hips further apart. while my male member was shoved inside to make a vagina. Then the dreams got violent. In them I was raped once again, only I was a full girl when it happened, and when I woke, I wept until the sun rose.

I woke to Aerina holding my hand. “You’re okay, Lady Danica,” she said softly.

“What … what happened?” I asked blearily.

“You were shouting in your sleep. I’m sorry I had to disturb your privacy.”

“No, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to disturb anybody.”

“Not your fault, I’m sure. Could I … help in any way

“Not unless you have a cure for nightmares.”

“Tonight when we stop, I’ll see what I can do.”

“Thanks. I guess I have to get ready.”

“If you’re able.”

“I’ll manage.”

“Then I’ll leave you to it,” she said, and left my tent.

I got ready as fast as I could and went to the rowboat that would take me to the ship. I had trouble meeting people’s eyes, and so just concentrated on the water ahead of me until I could board the ship.

Once on board, Aeneas asked, “Are you all right, my Lady?”

“If I said I wasn’t, would it make a difference? We still have a quest to finish.”

“Let me take you to your cabin. Perhaps you can rest,” he said, and led me downstairs. Once we were inside, he put me on the bed, and turned to go. I held onto his hand, and said, “Stay with me? Please?”

“My Lady, it would be …”

“I’m not asking you to make love to me, at least not today. But I don’t want to be alone right now. Just hold me, please?”

“All... all right,” he said, and laid down on the bed carefully beside me. I put my head under his arm, and curled up as close as I could. I listened to the rhythm of his heartbeat, and it soothed me enough to make me sleepy.

“Don’t ever leave me.” I whispered as I felt myself drift off.

“Never,” I heard him say, just before I fell asleep.

It may have been the best sleep of my life.

****

Chapter 9 - Red Sky at Morning

I woke alone, but before I could get peeved at Aeneas, I recognized the sounds coming from above me. The sounds were of men shouting, and metal hitting metal, and I realized it could only mean one thing - the ship was under attack.

I debated going up and helping out, but I realized I would be useless in this situation. I had never fought, not since I was a little kid, and even then I was the target rather than the aggressor. But the thought of just sitting there while my shipmates, and the man I loved, risked their lives for me was more than I could take. I went to Aeneas’ locker, and found a staff that had a metal cap on each end, and made my way up to the deck.

Once there, I saw the crew and the rest of my companions fighting against some hard looking men whose ship was just beside ours. I noticed that Aeneas was fighting a large man who had a large sword, while Aeneas only had a short cutlass. The man swung his blade, and hit Aeneas in the arm, causing him to drop his weapon, leaving him defenseless. The man readied a killing blow, but before he could swing, I raced up, yelling, and swung the staff as hard as I could.

I landed a solid blow to his head and he went down without making a sound. The other pirates saw him fall and, suddenly they were jumping off the ship as fast as they could. Before I even caught my breath, I was surrounded by the others congratulating me on my success.

I hardly registered their presence. I was looking down at the man at my feet. The thought, “I’ve killed a human being,” kept repeating itself in my mind. What snapped me out was Aeneas coming up to me. I realized he wasn’t using his right arm. It hung limply and awkwardly at his side, and I couldn’t stop myself from grabbing it.

“Aeneas, Oh God ...”

As I spoke, a warm glow that seemed to surround me and then went into him. He looked at his arm and started flexing his hand.

“It’s … healed?” he said in shock.

Aerina took charge. “Okay, everybody, break this up. Aeneas, take the Lady back to her cabin, and the rest us will take care of this mess. Lady, as soon as I can, we need to have a talk, okay?”

Aeneas led me back to my cabin, and we sat on the bed for a moment.

“I’m sorry, Aeneas. I should have stayed in here.”

“Since you saved my life, and healed my wound, I’m rather glad you didn’t.”

“I killed a man, Aeneas. And I have no idea what I did to your arm.”

“He would’ve killed me, and then you, if you were lucky. We’ve dealt with those types before. As for the healing, you’d have to ask Aerina to be sure, but it felt like the healings the priests and priestesses have done.

“But I’m not a priestess.”

“I don’t know, Lady. You might ask Aerina how it works.” He paused, and then said, “Lady, would you mind if I went and took care of my crew?”

“Go, Aeneas. Its the proper place for a captain.”

“Thank you.” he said, and then left me in the cabin. I sat there for what seemed like hours, and then I heard knocking at my cabin door.

“Lady?” I heard Aerina say.

I opened the door, and let her in.

“How are you faring, Lady?”

“I don’t know. I think I must be in shock, or something. I can’t process any of this. I killed a man, and I healed a man. I ... I …”

“Lady, please hear me. You saved Aeneas’ life, and possibly all our lives since without their leader they fled. I’m more concerned about the healing. Have you ever done anything like that before?”

“Never.”

“Lady, you mentioned to us that you are a person of faith. Does your faith have priests or priestesses?”

“Well … in the tradition I belong to, we are all priests.”

She looked at me, and then said, “Perhaps then you should spend some time in communion with your God. I believe you may find your answers there.” She stood, bowed to me, and left the cabin.

Feeling very unsure of myself, I decided to follow her advice. I took a deep breath, got into a comfortable position, and started praying. After a few moments, something happened that was simply beyond my experience.

I’d had moments before when I felt very close to God, but this blew them right out of the water. I was surrounded by love, swimming in it, breathing it in. There were no words, just this presence soothing my soul, removing my fear, my guilt and replacing it with security.

Eventually, it was like God decided I had enough and I was back in the cabin. I got up, went out, and headed for the deck. I looked at the sky. It had been high noon when the attack happened, and it looked like I had been in communion with God for maybe an hour or so.

Aeneas called to me, and I went to his side. He smiled, and asked, “How are you faring now, Lady?”

“I’m okay. I might be better than okay, but I’ll talk about that later. How go things?”

“Well enough. We lost five crewmen, and twice that number wounded. We also had some superficial damage to the ship, but nothing we can’t fix. As soon as I spot a suitable place to shelter for the night, we’ll drop anchor. Lady, you should know the crew wishes to thank you for your help.”

“What should I do? I haven’t been comfortable with the near-worship I got before this. What would you advise?”

“Let them give their thanks, Lady.”

“Okay, Aeneas.”

I checked with the others and aside from some bruises and minor cuts, they were all okay. The prevailing opinion was my taking out the leader was the straw that broke the camel’s back and the pirate’s morale had failed with his falling. “We are grateful to your aid, Lady,” was the comment I heard most often.

Eventually, we found a good place to stop, and we went ashore to rest. I found myself tired, and so retired as soon as my tent was set up.

I had a feeling I would need the rest, and that the hard part of this quest was about to begin.

****

Chapter 10 - A call for help

The next morning, we set off, and as the day wore on, it was clear we were getting closer to where the pirates had come from. There were wrecked boats along the shore, and once we spotted a small camp that had clearly been attacked.

By evening, we were approaching a village built on the shore, and it reminded me a bit of the pirate movies I had seen years before, with one difference.

It was on fire, or at least parts of it were.

Aeneas was slowing the ship when Olwe suddenly shouted, “Someone is waving to us from the dock!”

“Are you sure?” Aeneas asked.

“Yes. Elven eyes are sharper than human.”

“Can we find out what happened?” I asked.

“I dare not risk the ship to that fire, Lady.”

“I can do something about that,” Olorin said, and made a complicated gesture that reminded me of someone molding a ball of dough.

A moment later, the air grew cold, and suddenly a large snowstorm hit the areas of the village that were on fire, putting them out. I looked at him, amazed at his abilities. We slid into the dock, and by now even I could see that the person was waving at us.

Olwe jumped off the ship, landed on the dock and went to the man, pulling out a short sword at the same time.

“You were with the pirates who attacked our ship. What do you want?” Olwe asked.

“Have pity, sir. The captain had my family hostage, forcing me to be part of his crew.”

With the help of the others I came onto the dock, and walked up to the man. “Okay. Tell me about it,” I said.

“My name is Camera. A year ago, a group of pirates came to our village, and took every able-bodied man they could, and forced them to be part of their crew. They would make us raid nearby villages, and any ship foolish enough to enter their territory.

Then we were forced to attack your ship, and you killed the captain, I jumped into water, and considered just not swimming, since I was afraid of what would happen to my family once they learned the captain was dead.

But Demba, one of my shipmates, swam up to me, encouraged me, and we headed back to our ship. We swarmed aboard, took control of the ship, and headed for home, planning to force the pirates who remained in our village to guard the families they had taken hostage.

We came home to find our village destroyed, our families dead or taken. I found one of the pirates who had been assigned guard duty dying, and he told me that a troop of goblins had been responsible for the destruction, and that most of the families were taken with them when they left.

I asked him which direction they had gone, and he said they had gone into the old King’s Valley, where our ancestors used to bury our kings.”

“Guys, I ... we have to help them. I know we have our own quest to fulfill, but we have to help them,” I said.

“As you wish, Lady. But how?” Aeneas asked.

“What does this valley look like?”

Camera described a box canyon, open at one end, with caves in the far wall where the kings were buried.

“Is there a way to the top of the canyon other than from the front?” I asked.

“Yes. there is an old path that leads to the top,” Camera said.

“Camera, do you think the other villagers would help get their families back?” I asked.

“I ... Yes.”

“Then get them together. I have an idea ....”

****

Chapter 11: A rescue is attempted

Shortly after, the remaining villagers had gathered in what remained of the center of the village, and they were all looking at me. expectantly.

I wasn’t sure what was happening to me, but I suddenly had this amazing confidence. I knew I could lead these people, and they would follow me.

I explained my idea for getting the hostages out, and they all nodded. Their part would be risky, but our part had as much potential for danger.

“Okay. Here’s what I would like you to do. We go to the valley and you make as much noise as you can. Draw the goblins out and keep them focused on you. Don’t fight them if you can help it . We’ll come down the cliff, slip in and grab the prisoners. If we succeed, I’ll ask Olorin to send up a flare, and then we’ll squeeze them between us,” I said.

“What about the rest of us?” Aeneas asked.

“I’d like you and as many of the crew as will go to be with the villagers. You too, Tesmi, if you’re willing.”

“Of course, Lady,” Tesmi said.

“Are you sure you don’t want me with you, Lady?” Aeneas asked.

“No. You and Tesmi are our best straight-up fighters and your crew needs their captain. I’ll be okay with the others.”

“As you wish, Lady.”

I gave him a kiss.

“One thing, before you go,” Aerina said, and then she pulled out a golden device that looked like a sunburst. She then said some words that even my magic ring couldn’t translate, while holding it up .

Suddenly I felt supercharged, and realized she must have “blessed” us, just like the spell from the games.

Aeneas gave me a squeeze, and said, “We will not fail you, Lady.”

Then he and Tesmi left.

“Camera, lead the way.”

“Yes, Lady,” he said, and we took off at a brisk pace.

As we ran up the path, I wondered where all this confidence was coming from. I had felt like a different person since I had healed Aeneas, and I felt like it was all I could do to hold on, and hope I liked the person I would become.

Remarkably quickly, we were at the the top of the canyon, and I said, “As soon as the others draw out the goblins, we go down the cliff into the caves. Hopefully, we can take care of any left inside, rescue the prisoners, and be able to help the others before they get hurt.”

“We have faith in you, Lady.”

“Olwe, I think you and Orien are probably our best chance to get down to the cliff silently, and lead us into the caves without being seen. You guys up to it?” I asked.

Orien and Olwe looked at each other, and then Orien said, “Leave it to us, Lady.”

“I can help. I can cast a spell of silence on us,” Olorin said.

“That’s a good idea,” I exclaimed.

Olorin took a powder out his robe, threw it into the air, and muttered under his breath. A moment later I could feel a pressure on me, and I stamped the ground experimentally.

It made no noise.

Just then, we saw fires at the mouth of the canyon, and I realized that the the distraction had begun. Using hand signals, I got our group ready, and we began to carefully make our way down the cliff.

We were more than halfway down, and I saw the goblins come out of the caves in response to the noise and light. I heard Tesmi’s voice shouting, “Come, vile creatures. Come fight us!” and it seemed like they were taking the bait. I signaled to the others, and as soon as the troop passed beneath us, we rappelled the rest of the way to the cave floor.

Orien and Olwe took the lead, and the rest of us followed as closely as we could. Once my eyes adjusted to the flickering light, I could tell that this cave must have been the burial chamber for a king. Paintings on the walls reminded me of the Egyptian hieroglyphs, and there were models of such items as a chariot and horses placed in alcoves.

I could hear harsh voices and whimpering cries from up ahead. Orien slipped in, and a minute later came back out. He made signs directing us to take positions, and then pointed at Olorin. His mouth moved, and a moment later Orien stamped his foot, and I heard the sound.

“Let’s go!” I said, and we went into the chamber.

Aerina took the lead, pulling out a hammer out of her belt, and swinging it at the largest goblin. The goblin had been threatening a prisoner with a large mace, and so was totally unprepared for the attack. Aerina’s hammer hit him square in the face, and he went down in a heap, the mace clattering to the floor.

Meanwhile Olwe danced in, and began engaging the goblins. He seemed to almost float as he moved, spinning and jumping, making his fighting style look more like ballet.

But it was effective, as goblins fell to his blade with every stroke.

Olorin had stood back, and as soon as we rushed in, I saw several beams of light shaped like arrows come from his direction. Each beam curved and weaved until it hit a goblin and exploded, taking the creature out.

I saw a couple of goblins go down, and then noticed Orien step out of the shadow, wiping their blood from his blade with a grim smile. He actually nodded at me, and then vanished back into the flickering darkness to continue the fight.

Even Camera, who only had a short sword he had taken from a pirate in the village, was holding his own, his anger seeming to give him extra strength.

As for me, I had Aeneas’ staff in my hand, and I found I could use it remarkably effectively, considering I had never been trained in fighting. I knocked a couple of goblins out of the way and went to where the prisoners were.

“It’ll be all right!” I shouted at them, and then focused on a goblin who had a set of keys on his waist. He took a swipe at me with a small knife in his dirty claw-like hand, but missed, and I brought my staff down on his head. He was hurt, but not totally out, and made another swipe at me. It grazed my shoulder and I felt pain, but I focused my mind, and hit him again. This time, my blow had the desired effect, and he crumpled to the ground.

I took a look around me, saw that there were no other goblins close enough to worry about, and took the keys from the creature’s waist. I went to the prisoners and started unlocking their chains.

I was almost done when one of the prisoner’s shouted at me to look out. I spun, and managed to block an attack from a goblin with my staff, and in a single motion spun the weapon so the other end hit the goblin under the chin.

I was sure it was dead even before it hit the floor.

I finished freeing the prisoners, and then turned back to the battle, but it was over. Suddenly the pain from my shoulder hit me fully, and I cried out.

Aerina rushed to my side, and said, “You’ve been wounded, Lady.”

“Goblin cut me with a knife. All of a sudden, it burns,” I managed.

“There might have been some poison on the blade. Let me ...” She took my shoulder in both hands, then waved her sunburst symbol over the spot.

A minute later, the pain was gone and the wound closed.

“Thank you,” I said.

“My pleasure. Let’s check the others, and the prisoners,” she said, and we began to do just that.

“We don’t have a lot of time. The others have drawn the main force of the goblins out, but they don’t have many professional fighters among them. We need to get to them quickly,” I said.

We ushered the former prisoners toward the entrance. I instructed Camera, “Okay. you stay with them, Help them get back to the village safely.”

“As you say, Lady.”

Olwe looked out toward the entrance to the canyon, and said, “Tesmi has done an amazing job so far, keeping the villagers just out of the reach of the goblins. But we need to move quickly.”

I must have looked incredulously at him that he could see so far away in the evening light, because he smiled at me and said, “Elves see quite well in the dark, lady. We were born before the Sun and the Moon, after all.”

“Okay. Let’s get closer, and then, Olorin, can you send up the signal?”

“I can do better than that. I’ll give the goblins a little taste of fire.”

We slipped down the slope, and as we did I tried to remember everything I could about the cleric/priest/healer classes from the games. Assuming I was one now, what could I do? After thinking for a minute, I remembered that they were limited to non-edged weapons like my staff or the hammer Aerina wielded. They didn’t have much in the way of offensive spells, mostly healing/curing types, but there were a couple that were useful in combat.

The one I was most sure of was the “Bless” spell, like the one Aerina cast before. I felt sure I could do that one, and I figured it might be useful right at that moment, so when we got about halfway to the goblins, I pulled out a small cross I wore, made a quick prayer, and I felt a tingle all over my body. I felt sure that the request for a blessing had been granted, so I said to Olorin, “Now.”

He began to chant. He took a small leaf out of a pocket and it vanished, replaced by a small ball of fire. He made a throwing gesture, and the ball of fire headed for the entrance to the canyon.

“It won’t hit the Aeneas and the others, will it?” I asked.

“Worry not, Lady.” he said, and I turned to watch.

The small ball of fire must have found its target, because suddenly the area exploded into flames.

We ran down the slope, and into the fray.

****

Chapter 12 - A fight by firelight.

The brush and small trees that lined the canyon entrance were on fire, giving me enough light to see the devastating effect Olorin’s spell had caused. The remaining goblins turned from their pursuit of Tesmi, Aeneas and the villagers, and focused their attention on our little band.

“Come on! We better get there and press our advantage!” I shouted.

Olwe had pulled out a bow, and fired several arrows as we closed the distance. At the same time, Orien threw a couple of small daggers, downing two of the onrushing goblins. A thunderclap from Olorin’s work knocked a half-dozen of the goblins to the ground, but by then I really couldn’t worry about the others, as I came into fighting distance myself. I readied my staff and my own fight began.

The next half-hour was a blur of striking goblins and trying to avoid being hit back. Finally, my luck must have run out, because a large goblin hit me with a club on my side and back, and down I went, struggling for breath. I figured I was a goner, but Tesmi came up and hacked the goblin’s head off with a single stroke. She picked me up like I weighed nothing and got me out of the fray.

She put me down, and asked, “Are you well enough? They still need my help.”

“Go. I’ll be fine,” I managed.

She raised her large axe to the heavens, gave a yell, and then jumped back into the fighting. I swore she was smiling as she fought.

After she left, I tried to analyze my injuries. In the games, we blithely talked about taking damage, losing “hit points” or the like, but the reality was, of course, much different. I was in a lot of pain, having trouble breathing, and it was possible I had internal injuries that, since I didn’t think there was anything like surgery in this place, could prove to be quite serious.

Not having any better ideas, I decided to pray. I closed my eyes, tried to ignore the pain, and focused myself on putting my attention heavenward.

What happened next was simply amazing, even better than how I felt after healing Aeneas’ arm.

This time, rather than just having a sense of love washing over me, I had a vision of my being a small child running through a grassy field. I realized I was a girl, but it was less important than who I was running toward. He was large, and strong, and loved me in a way my real father never could. I jumped into his arms, and he swung me around until I was dizzy.

Then he said one word, a word that reverberated in my heart.

“Daughter.”

I woke with tears on my face.

The sun was rising, so I realized must have been in that vision state for the entire night. I also realized I must have been moved, because I was now inside some kind of hut.

I sat up, and felt my side. “I’m … healed?

At the sound of my voice, Aeneas came into the room. “Lady?”

“I’m okay. I’m assuming the good guys won?”

“We did, thanks to your plan. Once the last of the goblins were slain or had fled, we came back to where Tesmi had left you. You were ... glowing.”

“I was ... I was communing with God. It was … fantastic.”

“I’m just glad you’re all right. We’re helping the villagers. I thought that would be what you’d want.”

“It was indeed. Help me up, I want to see.”

With his help, I got up and we walked out and into the morning sunshine. The villagers were busy rebuilding and my companions were helping, each in their own unique way. Tesmi had a couple of goblin corpses, one on each shoulder, and she threw them into a pit that had been dug. Olorin and Aerina were tending to the wounded villagers, although, fortunately, there weren’t too many of those by the look of things. Aeneas’ crew was helping rebuild the town, having cut down some trees on the outskirts to help make new shelters for the people.

At first I didn’t see Orien, but then I saw him come into the village square with a horse-drawn cart, and shouting. Several people stopped working, came to the cart and helped unload it. As they did, I could see it held not only items that the goblins must have taken, but a supply of food as well.

I went up to the cart, and he must have read my expression, for he said, “Just providing a little something for these people. It would have been a bleak winter without such things.”

“Bless you, Orien,” I said.

“My pleasure, Lady. But come, take your share of the spoils.”

“I ... I couldn’t do that.”

Aeneas said, “Lady, you’ve earned a share, if not more. At the very least take a shield and helm, in case you have the urge to charge headlong into battle again.”

“Okay, I know when I’m beat,” I said, laughing. “But nothing for me until the villagers have each had a chance to help themselves, and then your crew, Aeneas.”

“As you wish, my lady,” Aeneas said.

We left the majority for the villagers, but we made sure the crew got a full share each. Once that was done, each of my companions took a couple items. Orien took a couple of daggers to replace the ones he had thrown. Tesmi took a wicked looking long sword. Aeneas helped himself to the club the goblin had used on me, saying, “At least it will be less likely to cause you grief in my hands, Lady.”

The oddest thing was Aerina taking the mace from the tomb, but I passed it off as being a difference in culture between her people and mine, and let it go.

Aeneas found me a small shield and a helm that would fit me, although I told him I had no intention of getting into any more battles.

He just smiled at me, “Indulge me this, Lady.”

I found I couldn’t resist his request.

We then worked for most of the day helping the villagers rebuild. Aeneas said, “We need to go on our way, Lady. We have no more than a couple of days at best before the current switches. And we do have a deadline to meet.”

“You’re right, Aeneas. Gather the others and we’ll go.”

He smiled, “You’ve been so busy, you wouldn’t have noticed, but they are already prepared, Lady.”

I held up my hands in surrender, “Okay, Okay.”

I made my goodbyes to the villagers, and they said stuff like “Your deeds will live on in song, Lady,” to which I just waved and blushed.

Finally, I boarded the ship.

The last push to the capital of the Empire was on us.

*****

Chapter 13: Empire’s foundations

Once I was on-board, I realized I was starving. I had no idea when I’d last eaten, but my stomach was making a bid for freedom, so I headed for the mess.

Once there, I was rather surprised to see Orien, Tesmi, Aerina, Olorin and Olwe all sharing a meal. They made room for me, passing some of the food they had made.

“Thank you, but what are all of you doing here at once?”

“Most of us just happened to get hungry at the same time, Lady. Once a couple were seen heading this way, it seemed like the desire for food and company with just the companions overwhelmed us.” Olwe said.

“In that case,” I said, “it’s a pity that Aeneas is busy with the crew.”

“I’m sure he will stop to eat soon, if you wish to wait for him, Lady,” Orien smirked.

“All right, all right, I can admit it. I’m totally in love with him. It would be counter-productive to deny it any more. But he’s done no more than hold me while I slept and given me a couple of fairly chaste kisses. I fear he still sees himself as reaching above his station in wooing me,” I said, and sighed.

Olorin took my hand, “I can offer little advice as I have little experience in such matters. But I would say that you need to be patient and wait until our Quest is completed. If we all survive that contest, then we will all help you convince him to marry you, if that’s your wish. Although I thought you might want to go back to your own world?”

“I might have, but I now have a stake here. He is … something I never could find there, and I had resigned myself to a life of loneliness. But you’re right. There will be time to such things if we win, and survive.”

“I think that’s the wisest course, Lady,” Olorin said, and the others nodded their agreement.

We finished the meal and I went to my cabin to think for a bit. If I was now a healer/priestess or whatever it might be called, I needed to be careful of how I behaved. In most of the games I was part of, “alignment” was not a big issue, but there were a couple of classes for which it was quite important - clerics being one of them. A cleric/priest had to be in the same alignment as his/her god or he would lose the special abilities he gained by service.

“God, You’re going to have to help me keep my eyes on you and my feet on your path. I won’t be able to do it alone,” I prayed.

And once again I felt his calm presence and acceptance covering me as I prayed.

When I’d finished, I felt refreshed, so I went out on to the deck, and went over to where Aeneas had the tiller. “How are we doing, Aeneas?”

“Good, lady. We’ve left the harbor in good time, and by pushing through the night we should be in sight of the Empire’s coastlines by daybreak. From the maps I have seen, the capital city of the Empire will be the first major port we will see on our journey south.”

“Good enough for me. Can you let someone else take over and eat something? The others and I have already eaten.”

He smiled at me, “Who am I to argue with such a good suggestion?”

He waved to a mate, and after whispering in the man’s ear, took my hand and we went back to the mess.

“Since I ate and you didn’t join me, will you grant me the privilege of serving you?” I teased.

“Lady? It wouldn’t be appropriate for someone of your rank to serve someone of mine.”

“I bet this is going to be a long argument. I say to you that In this place and time I have no rank other than as the woman who loves you. Allow me to serve, or risk my unhappiness,” I bristled.

“You place me in a difficult position, Lady.”

“No, I’m giving you a fair choice. Let me this night serve the man I have given my heart to, or know that you have caused me grief and sadness.

“I … As you wish, Lady.”

“Thank you, Captain,” I went into the kitchen to make a simple meal.

I had fun cooking and sharing the meal with him. “I thank you Captain for letting me do this.”

“I should thank you for the wonderful meal. You have humbled me, Lady. But I should go to bed. I will be needed at the tiller at daybreak. But I shall dream of you, if you permit it.”

“I would be honored. Good night, my love.”

“Good night, owner of my heart,” he said as he left the room.

I went to my own room, and dreamed only pleasant dreams.

When I awoke, the sun had come up. I made my way to the mess to find Olorin up looking at maps.

“Just the person I wanted to see. Is that a map of the capital of the Empire?” I asked.

“Indeed. It came into my mind to take a look at our destination and I was even considering getting your opinion once you woke.”

“Well, I’m awake enough for this.”

“All right, Lady. Clear your mind, and focus on the location of the Cleric.”

I took a breath, closed my eyes, and a word came into my head “Under... underground. Here,” I pointed, and then looked at the map. “What is this spot?”

“It appears to be a graveyard, one for the Emperors themselves. I can well imagine them honoring the Cleric by burying him there.”

“Then that’s where we need to go. But since the Empire has fallen, who must run this place? And how can we convince them we need to go there?”

“I am not sure. I’ve asked Aeneas to run up an embassy flag from Olwe’s people. They may recognise the Elvish symbols and even still respect them, or not, depending on how much has been lost since the fall. But that seems to be our best hope of peacefully entering the city. I don’t think we wish to engage a large army as there must still be, unless we have no choice.”

“Sounds good to me. I’ll go check on Aeneas.”

He gave me a knowing smile and a little wave.

I left with my face red.

I came up to the deck and went to Aeneas at the tiller, “Olorin told me you’re running up an Elvish flag.”

“Yes, Lady. If you look above us, you can see it.”

“You think it’s likely to help?”

“Our best chance, Olorin says, and I have no reason to doubt him.”

“How long before we see the Empire.”

“Not long now.”

I waited beside him in silence for what seemed like hours. Olwe joined us, and shortly after I heard from the crow’s nest above us, “Port in sight, Captain. Two, no, three ships headed our way. Each, I would say, easily a match for us.”

“Fly, little flag, you might be our only salvation!” Aeneas laughed.

I looked up at the small silver and black flag and wondered if it really could save us.

I started praying in earnest.

About twenty minutes later we were surrounded on three sides by the three ships, and I was sure we would lose if it came to a battle. Our only hope seemed to be them at least wondering about the flag.

The center ship moved forward a little and I heard from it, “Ho! Foreign ship! State your business in our waters or be gone!”

“My name is Aeneas, captain of the good ship ‘Lady Danica’s Grace’. Beside me is Olwe son of Orym, High Ambassador of the Sea Elves. We come in peace and embassy from the Sea Elves and from their allies the Sea People, who once were allies of the Empire.”

“The Empire is long gone. But King Olif rules this city now. Will you swear peace to him and his kingdom?”

“Yes. I and my crew will swear peace.”

“Very well. We will escort you into port. Once there, all of your crew will be asked to come with us to meet our King.”

“As you say.” Aeneas gave orders to his crew, “Do nothing to provoke them.”

“Aye Captain.” They prepared for the ship being towed into the port.

Soon, large ropes had been tied to our ship and we were towed into the port. Once the sun went behind a cloud, I was able to see the city, and I gasped. It had what looked like a mix of Roman and Egyptian architecture and it was huge, spreading south and west as far as the eye could see.

Eventually, we were “parked” in the port and we all disembarked.

The man who had hailed us came up to us. He raised his helmet and I realized that under a bushy black beard he was nearly as pale as I was. Everyone I had met until that point had been at least dark brown or darker.

“Who among you will go with me to see the King,” he asked.

Olwe stood forward and said, “I represent the Elves. I will go.”

Aeneas said, “I represent the Sea people. Count me in.”

I said, “And its for my sake that they are here. I must go and make my request to your king.”

“As you wish. The rest may stay here. Follow me.”

So, we followed.

Aeneas said to me, “Do not look around, Lady. They may believe you are scouting their defenses.”

“Okay. Thanks.” I focused on our guide as he made his way up from the docks. Despite my focus, I realized that it was clear that no upkeep had been attempted since the Empire collapsed and no newer buildings were in view.

The overall impression I got was a dying people picking over the bones of a dead city, completely turned inward in thought and deed.

The impression remained when we got to the palace. It was obviously a relic from the Empire and no one was looking after it.

What was once shining marble and glittering stones had become dull. There was a large hole in the roof that only had a beam thrown carelessly over it as a form of repair.

The throne room had been converted into a feasting hall with a large chair at the head. The man at the table was eating enough for an army, but he paused long enough to look at us blearily.

He wiped his red beard and growled, “Yes?” then burped.

“Your majesty, may I present the ambassadors who have arrived to pay their respects to your illustrious reign.”

He threw down the chicken leg he had been working on and said in a bored voice.

“Fine. I see you, and welcome you to my kingdom. Anything else?”

“Your majesty, I wish to request your permission to for us to pay our respects to a hero to both the Elves and the Sea people. We would like to see the grave of the Silver Cleric, I said carefully.

“Never heard of him. Where would he be buried?”

“Among the tombs of the Emperors, your Majesty.”

“We don’t go there ourselves. Ghosts, you know. But fine. Not too many, right?”

“Thank you, your majesty.”

For a second, he looked at me, then he waved a dismissal to us and went back to his chicken much to my relief.

We left the hall.

“Lady, that was well played. Let us return to the others and plan for our paying of respects.”

“Let’s,”

We got back to the docks, and I went to have a conference with the other Companions, only to find that Orien seemed to have vanished.

“I hope he isn’t looking for trouble, Lady,” Aeneas said.

“Me, too. Now, only the Companions should go to the grave. The rest will have to stay here with the ship,”

“When should we go? Right now?” Aerina asked.

“No. Tonight.”

“Tonight.” The others agreed.

****

Chapter 14: A struggle in the dark.

Once the sun set, we left the dock area and headed for the area Olorin had pointed to on the map. We didn’t sneak, but we were reasonably quiet as we moved through the streets. It took more than an hour for us to find a way to the Imperial burial area, and we found it had a large chain on a gate.

“Now, Orien would come in handy.”

“When subtlety fails, force must be used,” Tesmi said, and hacked the lock off in a stroke.

We slipped inside and I tried to focus on where we needed to go. A half-hour later, I said, “Here. It’s below this mausoleum.”

Tesmi forced open the door and we went inside. Olorin muttered something and a torch flared, providing a steady, if flickering, light.

After several minutes searching, I found a door in the floor and Tesmi forced it open. I started to go down the hole.

Just then, Aerina came into the mausoleum, “There are people gathering at the gate. Lady, You must go alone. We will prevent them from interfering.”

“Of course.”

The others raced off, but Aerina stayed behind, “I will guard this entrance, Lady.”

I nodded and dropped into the hole.

I found myself in a large chamber and I tried to guess which direction to go.

Picking a direction randomly, I made my way. I must have guessed right, because soon I found another chamber with a large sarcophagus on a dais in the middle.

I crept forward, moving ever closer to the sarcophagus. I fully realized that I was now alone, just me and the body of the Silver Cleric.

I approached the dais and opened the lid. Time had been kinder than I might have expected, inside his silver armor he remained more or less intact. Besides the armor, he had a silver mace in one hand and a device in the other that I took to be his holy symbol. It was shaped like a sunburst, much like the one Aerina had, and it had strange writing on it. I went to touch it …

Something hit me hard enough to send me halfway across the room. I groaned, and looked up. I saw Aerina standing there, and she looked …. wrong.

She moved stiffly, and when she spoke, it was hollow. “The … void … commands … you must be … stopped.”

I felt sure she was fighting whatever was possessing her. She was holding the mace we had found in the village, and the malice I felt from the weapon was like a physical blow.

She was speaking some nonsense syllables, but they sounded familiar to me. I remembered when she had blessed the party just before we faced the goblins in that village, and this seemed like it, only backwards.

She was cursing me.

I found myself unable to move as she came up and raised the mace, ready to strike.

“Aerina, please, fight this,” I gasped.

“The … void … commands … you … must be … stopped,” she repeated.

Then a shadow hit her from behind and the spell holding me was broken. She wrestled with the shadow, and suddenly, I realized it was Orien, who I had not seen since we had arrived in the city. He had no weapon in his hands, but instead was trying to pin Aerina without hurting her.

“Do what needs to be done, Lady, while I occupy our friend!” He shouted.

I turned from the fight, stepped up on to the dais, reached into the sarcophagus, and touched the holy symbol of the Cleric.

And my world changed.

Suddenly, I wasn’t standing over the corpse of the Cleric, I was laying down looking up. I pushed myself up, and looked down at my body. Except it wasn’t mine anymore, it was that of the Cleric. At last I knew the secret the Cleric had taken to the grave.

The Cleric had been a woman.

Her life story flashed through my mind. She had disguised herself as a man, joined an order of clerics, and eventually was chosen to be the one sent to the Sea people to break the siege of the Dead.

And now I was her.

I grabbed the silver mace and noticed that the holy symbol in my other hand had changed. It was now a cross. I went over to Aerina, who was still struggling under Orien. I bent over, touched her with it, and she relaxed immediately, dropping the cursed mace to the ground.

“L … lady?” she stammered.

“You’ll be okay now,” I said, and helped the two of them up. I took a breath, pushed away the Cleric’s memories, and went to Orien.

“Ok, Orien, spill. You left us.”

“No, Lady, I did not. But the night before my departure, I was going close to Aerina’s cabin and heard her struggling against some evil. The next morning as we faced the barbarian ships I felt sure she had won, so I said nothing. But it occurred to me that we might just need to have a weapon up our sleeves.”

“So you slipped away when we got to the dock,” I said.

“Indeed I felt sure that whatever was trying to control her would focus on you, and I would have the best chance to take her by surprise, should it be needed. I’m glad I was correct.”

“Me, too. Now, we have to go get the others, I assume that the “threat” they were supposed to protect me from was a fake, Aerina?”

She looked down at the ground, “I’m sorry, Lady. I tried to fight it, but that mace made me send them away.”

“Its okay. You weren’t in control. But we need to get them together, now. We need to get back to your city quickly. The eclipse will happen in a couple of days.”

Orien went ahead of Aerina and me, and shortly he brought back the others. Aeneas said, “We saw and heard nothing.” Then he looked at me in shock, and said, “Lady? You’re … the Cleric?”

“We’ll talk about it later. Right now we need to get back to our ship without drawing attention to my new appearance.”

“I can cast an illusion on you, Lady,” Olorin said. He took a powder out of his robe, sprinkled it on me and said something under his breath. A moment later, I seemed to be wearing the outfit I wore the day I said, “Yes,” to this quest.

I looked at him, “This will do nicely, thank you. Can I move? Will I break the illusion?”

“Move slowly, and it will be fine, Lady. A noblewoman should move sedately in any case.”

“I will do my best.”

We moved slowly from the Imperial burial grounds, trying to look like we belonged. The docks were in sight when we heard hooves coming toward us. A minute later a group of soldiers were around us, and the lead soldier was dismounting and approaching me.

“Did you perform your ... respects, Lady?” he asked.

“I ... Yes, I did. Thank your King for allowing me to do so.”

“You can thank him yourself. He’s ... requested the pleasure of your company.”

I glanced at the others. I believed we could fight our way through this, but if a general call of alarm was sounded, we would be overwhelmed.

I made a decision, and said, “You guys go back to the ship. I’ll will come when I can.”

Aeneas looked worried, ”Are you sure, Lady?”

“I will be fine.”

The soldier waved, and a carriage came around the corner. “Lady, if you would?” He gestured toward the carriage. I refused his hand, worried that a touch might spoil my illusion, and got in.

The door was closed and soon I was headed back to the old Imperial Palace, with no idea what was going to happen next.

****

Chapter 15: A Lady in waiting.

I was rather grateful to be alone in the carriage, because it gave me a chance to think. Among other things, it seemed that I had more than just the memories of the Silver Cleric, I had her personality trapped in my head as well.

She was looking over the memories of my life with some confusion, not just because our societies were so different, but because of my history. She found it hard to understand why anyone would be willing to give up male privileges to live as a woman.

Her own story made sense to her - she had fled the captivity of female life the only way she could - by posing as a male. But she found my choice to go the other way baffling, and I despaired teaching her any better before our ride would come to an end.

Finally, we arrived and I was ushered into the old throne room, where the king was obviously waiting for me. The feasting table had been sitting at when I first saw him had been cleared, and had put on a “royal” robe he must have stolen from the old Emperor’s closets.

I trembled a bit when I realized that the guard who had brought me in had bowed and was leaving the room.

I was alone with the king.

“I’m afraid I was less than a gracious host when you came to my palace before, Lady.”

I wondered what was up, but I just said, “I was grateful for your welcome, your majesty, and for your permission to pay my respects to our fallen hero.”

“My pleasure, although I was somewhat startled to learn you waited until dark to go there. None of my people dared follow, so I hope your ... respects went well.”

‘Is he fishing for something?’ I thought to myself.

“A custom among my people. It went as well as such a visit could.”

“Whose people are yours, Lady? You have the coloring of one of the ladies from my home country, before we came down here to ... help out.”

“A people you’ve probably never heard of, your majesty.”

“Well, if the women of your country are all as beautiful as you, I’m surprised they don’t try to keep you all under wraps.”

“Thank ... thank you, you majesty,” I noticed the hungry look in his eyes, and thought, ‘Oh God, he’s flirting. I can’t let him touch me, the illusion will be dispelled and the fact I’m now in the Silver Cleric’s armor will be revealed.’

‘Now you will see the helplessness of the female,’ The Cleric thought in my mind.

‘We are not helpless. But there’s more than just us at stake here. He could use his army to punish my companions, if I’m not careful.’

‘Exactly my point.’

‘But even that’s not all. We are days away from the rising of the Dead, and we are at least a week or more away from the Sea People’s capital. We can’t afford much of a delay.’

‘Better pay attention, he’s coming off the throne.’

He had, and as he approached me I realized just how large a man he was. At least a foot taller than me, and well muscled. As he approached, I found myself reliving the last time I fell under the control of a man and trembled helplessly as I backed away until I felt a pillar behind my back.

He stalked towards me with a leer on his face. “Yes, you are very beautiful.” He said, and his hand came up to cup my chin ...

Then, he pulled his hand away, and said, “But you must be unclean from visiting the grave site. I will provide you with an opportunity to wash.”

He went to his throne, and picked up a bell, and rang it. A servant came in, and he said, “Take my guest to the bath.

The man came to me, and waved in the direction of the door, “This way.”

I followed, still struggling to get my breath back.

He led me to a large bath where steaming hot water had filled a tub.

“This water is heated by the earth,” the servant said. “I will leave you to your bath, but shall return in an hour.”

He left the room and I collapsed onto a bench on the side of the bath.

‘I saw your memory of what happened to you. By the Goddess, you are a strong woman to survive that, and still you wish to be fully female?’

‘I have no choice. It was transition, or death.’

She became silent and I looked at the hot bath with hunger. I really wished I could take advantage of the hot water, but I knew the illusion keeping the armor of the Cleric from being detected would not survive. I figured that I would need that advantage in dealing with this man.

So, I sat by the water, breathing in the vapors and praying until the hour was up, when there was a knock at the door.

“Lady, I must take you to the king now,” I heard from the other side of the door.

I opened it and said, “I’m prepared. Take me to your king.

As I walked down the corridors, I found a great sense of peace and courage come into my heart. I felt the presence of God on me and knew that no matter what happened to me beyond this door, He was with me.

I realized I was not being taken to the throne room, but what must be the private quarters of the king. The servant opened the door, waved me in, and closed it behind me. I looked, and saw that the king had made himself comfortable, with only a partially open fur robe covering his bare chest.

I bowed to him, “Your majesty. I’m surprised you wished to see me here and not in your audience chamber.”

“You must have realized I … desired your company.”

“But I am committed to Aeneas, who is one of the companions who sailed with me here, your majesty.”

He glowered, “A sailor does not outrank a king. If I desire you, you belong to me.”

I gripped the mace of the cleric which was hidden under the illusion of my dress, and prepared for his touch.

He closed the distance between us, reached out a hand to take my arm ...

Just at that moment a soldier ran into the throne room shouting, “Your majesty! Your majesty!”

“What is it, I gave orders to not be disturbed,” he growled at the soldier.

“Forgive me, your majesty. The city is in an uproar and the guard is overwhelmed.”

“What is it? A rebellion?” the king asked.

“No, your majesty. Its ... its ...”

“Spit it out!”

“Its the Dead. The Dead have come back and are claiming the city.”

“The Dead?” I asked. “That was supposed to happen days from now, and I thought they were going to rise at the capital of the Sea People.”

The king whirled and stormed up to me, “You knew about this? Are you a witch?”

He grabbed my arm and the illusion collapsed, showing me as wearing the armor of the Cleric.

He let go in shock, “You are a witch!”

“No, I’m the Silver Cleric, and I can help you with the Dead.”

He grabbed the sword from the belt of the soldier and turned back to me, “No! You are a witch!” He brandished the weapon and was about to swing at me, when a shout from the soldier caused him to turn back.

The soldier was cowering against the door, and soon I could tell why.

A corpse came shuffling into the room.

Its skin was grey and had clear signs of the decay it had suffered since it died. Its clothes were regal robes, but they were now dirty and tattered.

It headed right toward the king, who had backed up into the room, having dropped the sword out of his hand.

“Usssurper ...” it moaned.

“No. you’re dead!” the king shouted shakily.

“”Your majesty,” I said, “I can stop it. I can help stop the others, too.” I grabbed my cross.

“Keep it away from me, and I’ll give you anything!” the king shouted, as he continued to back up away from the corpse, who was totally focused on him, ignoring me.

“Your sworn word?” I came up behind the corpse.

“Yes, yes, yes! I swear, anything you want!” The king fell to the floor, the corpse looming over him.

I touched the corpse with my cross, “Return to your rest.”

It crumbled into dust.

I went to the king, and helped him up.

“Thank you. Can you really get rid of the others?”

“I will do all I can. I’m counting on you to fulfill your part if I succeed.”

“I gave me word,” he said, stiffly.

“All right. First, I need to get to my friends. Then we will clear this city.”

We went to door of his room and went out, the king taking the lead.

’Time to kick some zombie butt.’I thought.

‘Your confidence is reassuring, if confusing,’ the Silver Cleric thought in my head.

‘Are you kidding? This is going to be fun.’

****

Chapter 16: Dead Rising.

The king escorted me down to the stable so I could borrow a horse to get to the docks. I could feel the Cleric inside me trying to get my attention.

‘I’m still at a loss by how calm you are.’

‘Check out the source, hon.’ I thought back.

There was a pause.

‘Wow. You are a lot closer to your God than I was to my Goddess.’

‘Really?’

‘I never dealt with her directly. Only dealt with her servants and emissaries. I guess you would call them Angels’

‘It used to be like that for believers like me. Now, we can talk to God directly.’

‘I can feel it. You are very blessed, sister.’

‘Not because I was anything to write home about, trust me.’

‘Still...’

‘I know. A good thing for me to remember. But I better start paying attention to what I’m doing. We’re at the stables.’

We had indeed arrived at the stables and I turned to the king, “Is there a place where the people of the city could gather?”

“Yes. The old stadium and the surrounding park. We could get just about everyone in that area.”

“Good. Get your soldiers to get the people to go there. I believe the Dead will follow. Meanwhile, I’ll get my friends, and we’ll get rid of the Dead.”

“Succeed, and anything you desire that is within our means to grant will be yours.”

“I’ll hold you to that. Right now, I need a horse.”

I found a suitable mount, got on, and said, “I’ll meet you at stadium.”

Then I rode off, headed for the docks.

As I rode, I “talked” to the Silver Cleric. ‘“One thing I don’t understand, why have the Dead risen now? Wasn’t this supposed to happen at the eclipse, and at the capital of the Sea Kingdom?’

‘I have a feeling it’s due to me, Danica. My coming back from the dead to join your body must have left a crack in the door between Death and Life. If I’m right, that’s why its just the local Dead that have risen, and probably only those who had unfinished business, like the one who attacked the king.’

‘That could still mean a pretty big number.’

‘Don’t tell me you’re losing that confidence.’

‘Nope. This is going to work. I can feel it.’

As we rode, whenever we passed people I would tell them to go to the stadium as quickly as possible. Finally, we got to the docks and I saw Aeneas and the rest of my friends, as well as the crew, fighting a group of twenty or more members of the Dead.

Behind them cowered a group of citizens, mostly dock workers.

“Okay, guys, the cavalry is here!” I whooped.

I plowed through the crowd of the Dead, stopped my horse, and slid off.

“We were wondering when you’d show up,” Orien said.

“Thanks for the vote of confidence. Now, stand back, I’m going to try to put these Dead back in their graves.”

I pulled out my cross and prayed.

More than half of the Dead turned to dust.

Aerina said, “I tried to do that, and nothing happened. I ... I’ve lost my connection to my Goddess.”

I ached to give her a hug, but we were still in a fight. Fortunately, the disintegration of some of the Dead seemed to energize my friends. Tesmi took a huge swing with her ax at one, taking its head off. Olorin blew a couple apart with a fireball. Orien brought one down with a couple of throwing knives to its head. Aeneas cut one to pieces with his sword.

Soon, there was only one left.

I was about to touch it with my cross when I heard Aerina shout, “Mine!”

She leaped at the creature, smashing at it with her hammer, bringing it to the ground. Once it was down, she kept hitting it and hitting it, even after it was falling apart. Finally, she collapsed to the ground, and sobbed.

I said to Aeneas, “Take care of the people, I’m going to help her.”

He nodded, and I went over to her and held her for a while. I cupped my hand under her chin, and made her look at me.

“I know how you feel right now. Not many people would know better, in fact. I, too, had my will stripped from me, and I was forced to do things that make me ill to think about. So believe me when I say you’ll get through this. I’ll be with you every step of the way, and that’s a promise. But I need you to put it aside for a while, because we need your help. We’ve got a city full of Dead to clear, and not much time to do it before the eclipse happens, bringing the rest of the Dead to life. Can you hold on, and help?”

“I’ve ... lost my connection to my Goddess. I can’t do anything.”

“We’ll figure something out. Will you try?”

“Okay, Lady Danica. I ... I’ll try.”

“Good,” I said, and hugged her tightly. As I held her, I waved the others over, and one after the other they touched her, and told her they forgave her. Once she wiped the tears from her face, I said to the others, “Okay. I made a commitment to help this city, and we are going to do it. But my plan is pretty risky, so I’m going to have to ask you all to trust me. This can work.”

“Lady, we trust you completely,” Aeneas said.

I outlined my strategy, and watched their expressions. I could see their faith in me reflected in their eyes and it humbled me. Once I’d finished, they all nodded in agreement.

I took a deep breath, “Let’s get to work.”

****

Chapter 17: Empire of the Dead

The king’s word had turned out to be good. The population had fled toward the stadium and the park around it. All we had to do to face the Dead was follow the crowd. Because I was sure that the Dead were going to do the same.

While we traveled, I tried to think of a solution to Aerina’s problem.

From the games and from the memories of the Silver Cleric, I knew that the only way to restore her to her goddess and give her back her special abilities would be for her to find a higher ranked person of her faith and perform some kind of atonement. Then, if they and her goddess were satisfied, she’d get her abilities back.

Unfortunately, we didn’t have time for that or anything like it. An idea began to form in my head, ‘what if she converted to Christianity?’

I hesitated, because I had never liked people who were so arrogant as to assume that their way was the The Truth, and I really didn’t want to be one of them. But our situation was grave enough that it might be worth asking her if she was interested in the idea.

Trying to share my faith while riding to the fight of our lives was far from easy, but I managed to get the main points across by the time we reached the crowd.

“If I did take your faith, would I be able to do what you do?’ she asked.

“I can’t promise you that, because I don’t know. I never could do this stuff until I came to this world.”

Leaving her to think about it, I focused on the immediate task, helping the populace get to the stadium before the Dead could gather. It took about twenty minutes to get to the stadium, and by the time we did, the Dead were not far behind us.

I considered my options. I had a couple of jars of water, and I instinctively knew I could turn them into holy water, which would have some effect on the dead. And of course, I could do the turn undead trick, and that would help, too. But it would be like a drop of water in the ocean, because we would be facing several hundred of the Dead.

I needed something larger, and I didn’t have long to figure out what.

I turned to Olorin, “Can you amplify my voice? So this crowd can hear me?”

“I believe so, Lady.”

Once his spell was cast, I shouted at the crowd, “Okay, the Dead are coming. Leave everything to us, we’ll handle it.”

‘I hope,’ I thought.

I had no idea what my next step was supposed to be. I had felt “led” up to this point, but that was as far as that feeling had gotten. The Dead were coming closer, and all I could do was pray ...

The citizens were cowering behind us, and the Dead were coming forward in huge numbers, but suddenly, they stopped, and seemed to be waiting for something.

‘Now would be a good time for a miracle...’ I prayed.

And then one happened.

Aerina strode past me and stood right in front of the lead group. She addressed the horde, “I understand what you want. Revenge. But it won’t work. If you kill them, then what? You’re still dead. And if you could come back to life, they they would have the right to come back and kill you again. It would never stop. The only way to stop it is to never start. Let it go. Let a higher authority take care of what they deserve.”

As she spoke, I could see a glow around her like I had never seen before. The word that comes closest to describing the light around her would be ‘halo’.

I smiled, “What she said. Go back to your rest.”

The Dead let go and crumbled into dust.

“Good work,” I told her.

“Thanks. But it won’t work when the rest of the Dead rise.”

“Why not?”

“Because the Dead here were independent creatures, coming back to deal with issues they had when alive. But the same creature that controlled me will raise all the dead and enslave them to its will. They won’t be able to listen to reason, even if they wished to.”

“Well, we’ll deal with that at the time, I guess. Now, what happened to you? You’re still glowing a bit.”

She actually blushed, “I converted. I’m a follower of your faith now.”

“Sounds like we have a lot to talk about, but later. Here come the citizens and the king.”

And indeed they were approaching. The king came up to us, “Thank you, we are in your debt. What can we do for you?”

Thinking fast, I said, “First, help re-supply our ship for the trip back to the Sea Kingdom. We don’t have much time before a full rising takes place there.”

“Of course. What else.”

“I want you to think about something. When this was the Empire, almost all humans were part of it. Without that unifying force, the enemies of men are getting stronger, and soon will be able to pick off human kingdoms one at a time. But its not too late to do something about that.”

“Like what? Conquer the world?”

“No. Make a common cause. An alliance, if you will.”

“I will think on this. You have my word.”

We returned to our ship. Shortly, supplies began to arrive. Aerina was as excited by her conversion as a kid with a new toy. As much as I enjoyed seeing her happy, the events of the last couple of days caught up with me, and I made my way to my bedroom.

Then I discovered a major shock.

I stripped and realized I seemed to have had acquired more than just the Silver Cleric’s armor.

I seemed to have gotten her body as well.

I was now a full woman.

I can’t really do justice to what it meant to me to see a totally female reflection. I literally broke down and cried with joy for several minutes before I crawled into my bed, and slept.

When I woke, there was a knock at the door. I put on a robe and opened the door a crack. I saw one of the crew standing there.

“Yes?”

“We’re ready to take off.

“Okay. I’ll stay out of the way, but when Aeneas has a moment, tell him I’d like to see him.”

“Of course, Lady Danica.”

An hour later, there was a knock on the door, and I opened it to find Aeneas smiling.

“You wished to see me, Lady?”

“In my world, when someone wants to get married on board a ship, they get the captain to perform the ceremony. But what should you do if the person you want to marry is the captain?”

“You ... want to marry me?”

“If you’ll have me.”

“But...”

“Look. I know you think I’m above you socially. But I love you. And I think you love me. The only question is, will you marry me, and how fast can we do it?”

“I ... I want to. If you’re sure.”

“I’ve never been more sure of anything. Now, how can we do it?”

“Well, what about Aerina? Could she do it?

“We can ask.”

So, about an hour later, I was saying vows, and kissing my new groom. We retired to my cabin, and was suddenly hit with anxiety. My only sexual experience with a male was such a horrible time that I started to shake. Fortunately, my groom noticed, and together we worked me through it.

The difference between what he and I had and what I had gone through before was obvious.

It was love.

He loved me, I loved him, and it changed everything.

Finally, I had worn him out and he fell asleep beside me. After a few moments of watching him sleep, I curled up beside him, put my head on his chest, and fell asleep listening to his heartbeat.

It was, quite simply, the best day of my life up to that point.

But I knew we had things left to do. Our quest wasn’t over yet.

****

Chapter 18: The Eclipse

The next couple of days were like the strangest honeymoon in history. Aeneas spent as much time with me as he could, but he was still captain of the ship, and so occasionally had to put in an appearance. As for me, I blushed furiously whenever I saw anyone, since they all hinted that my activities had been overheard.

For someone who for a long time had associated being turned on with bad things, it was an amazing event to be able to have sex, and with a man, no less, and enjoy every moment of it.

Indeed, I found myself almost addicted to this man, in a good way. Whenever he had to go to the bridge, I would put on one of his shirts, so the smell of him was with me, always. And when he came back, he took one look at me in his shirt and a pair of panties and grew a tent in his pants that I was more than happy to help him with ...

But on the third day out, as I was getting some breakfast, Olorin came up to me, “Lady, I hate to interrupt your meal, but I wanted you to know, that the eclipse will be at high noon.”

“Thanks. I’ll let Aeneas know,” I said, and returned to our room to do just that.

Once I had told him, I asked, “How long before we make it back to the Sea Kingdom?”

“I’ll check with my first mate, but I believe we’ll make port tomorrow morning.”

“We’ll have to hope they can hold out till then.”

“They will. Remember, we’ve had a long time to prepare for this.”

“You always say the right things.”

“Remember that when we have our first fight.”

I laughed at that, and gave him a kiss. “Well, you better get ready. Make sure to tell the crew not to look at the eclipse. It can damage your eyes.”

“I’ll let them know,” he said and kissed me back.

After he left, I spent some time communing with the Silver Cleric. My “honeymoon” had been an eye-opening experience for her, too, as she had spent her time disguised as a boy instead of having romantic interludes with one.

But at the moment, I was more worried about the eclipse and the rising of the Dead. She had told me that stopping the Dead last time cost her her life, that she had only was left with enough energy to sail home before she died.

‘And I knew I hadn’t ended the threat. The Void was still out there and I knew it would try again. Then my Goddess told me one day you would come, and finish the job. That’s the whole story.’

‘Well, we have to do better this time. This … Void has a lot to answer for. Now, I better do my prayers.’

‘Me, too,’ she shared, and then went silent.

I prayed, which mostly was a list of all the things for which I was grateful; my transformation to fully female and my marriage to Aeneas being the most recent additions. As I did, I considered how my relationship with God had changed.

I had been a Christian a long time, but for much of that period I had allowed my gender issues act as a barrier between God and me. When I began to feel like He could accept me as a daughter instead of a son, things had gotten a lot better, but what I’d had recently was even beyond that. Every time I prayed now, it was like being bathed in love, until I was so full I felt like I would burst.

So charged, I got dressed, and went out to watch the eclipse. A quick glance told me we had less than ten minutes before it started, so I said, “Everybody, don’t look at the eclipse. It will hurt your eyes, okay?”

“As you command, lady,” Olorin said.

The crew was being quiet, so I could really hear the sounds of the sea around us - the creak of the boards, the slap of the water as it hit the ship, the sound of gulls flying by. After what seemed like an hour, the sky started to get dark. It took another ten minutes more for it to get totally dark, and I could feel the malice in the air.

I felt my way back to the group, who were huddled together with Aerina praying protection over them all. I joined in, adding my prayers to hers, and I felt us being surrounded by a globe of light that pierced the total darkness of the eclipse. We stayed in the circle until the eclipse ended.

After the eclipse, the crew went back to work, and I found myself working with Aeneas and Aerina putting out fires (metaphorically, that is). It seemed like every time we turned around members of the crew were fighting or at least snapping at each other, acting frightened of things only they could see, or having emotional breakdowns and crying fits.

Even the three of us struggled to keep our emotions in check, and by the time we head to bed all I wanted was to curl up with my man. He seemed to know what I needed, and held me until I fell asleep.

While I slept, I had horrible dreams of turning back into a boy and being rejected and hated by all the people around me. One by one, my companions on this quest turned away from me, with Aeneas being the last.

I must have cried out, because I woke to him holding me, telling me its okay.

“This must be the Void doing this to us,” I said, once I gained control of my emotions.

“What can we do?” he asked.

“I.. I don’t know. beating the Dead will be one thing. I don’t even know how we could take the battle to the Void.”

“You’ll find a way. I believe in you.”

That got him a kiss.

As noon approached, I was at the bow of the ship, and I could see the main port of the capital of the Sea People getting closer.

“How long to go?” I asked the sailor on lookout duty.

“Not long. But we should have seen an escort by now.”

I looked out, and realized how still the port looked, compared to the first time I had come. The place looked deserted, abandoned.

Fear grew in my heart....

“Fear not, Lady.” I turned, and saw my beloved standing behind me.

“What could have happened?” I asked him.

“It was planned to have the port closed and the ships moved to the Elven kingdoms if an attack came by sea.”

“How could the Dead attack from the sea?”

“There are many wrecks in these waters, and many sailors have been buried at sea.”

Soon, I could see he was right. There were dozens of wrecks somehow made to float again, and out of them streamed the Dead.

We got in close, and I could see that the Dead were attacking. The Sea People had erected a barrier between the port and the rest of the city. Then, some of the Dead had noticed our coming and broke off their attack to turn toward us....

Looking out at them, I knew the normal stuff would not work. Even my best “dispel undead” might take out twenty at at time, and we were facing easily a hundred times that many.

The only thing that might work would be the nuke version the original Silver Cleric used. It would cost me my life, but ...

‘No. Let me.’

Before I could stop her, the Silver Cleric had taken control, something I had no idea she could do. She then cast the spell, and it sent a wave out toward the Dead.

Within moments, the Dead were disintegrating, but I was more worried about my mental companion. I could feel her weakening.

‘Why did you do that?’

‘Its okay. This is why I wanted to join with you, so I could do this. Now I can go to my Goddess in peace.’

‘You sure? I... I’ll miss you.’

‘I’ll miss you too. Good luck with the void.’

‘Thanks. You know, you never even told me your real name?’

‘Benita.’

‘Then, good journey, Benita.’

‘Good ... journey, Danica.’

And then she was gone.

“Lady?” I looked up, and saw Aerina looking down at me, and Aeneas cradling my head.

“What happened?”

“You ... fainted, Lady.”

“I lost the Cleric,” I said, and wept.

Just then, Olorin came up, and he had of all things an owl on his shoulder.

“Lady? I have news from my apprentice who I left in defence of the city. Are you well enough to hear it?”

“Is it bad news?”

“Perhaps not. It seems that while the Dead were attacking the port, Weres were making an assault on the other side of the city. With the loss of their allies, they have abandoned the attempt, and are retreating toward the northwest where they came from.”

I got off the deck with the help of Aeneas and said, “Okay. Send a message to him that I would like the king and his advisers to meet me as soon as they can. We have to decide what we do next, but my vote will be to follow the Weres and end this once and for all.”

“As you wish, Lady. He whispered to the owl, which took off toward the city.

With that taken care of, I allowed my grief to work its way through, with help from the others. I told them of her life, and we wept together. After about a half hour, the owl came back.

After a moment, Olorin said, “Lady, the King agrees. There will be a conference at sunset in the garden where we first gathered as your Companions.”

“Sunset? That gives us a couple of hours.” Aeneas said, and picked me up in one sweep.

“What are you doing?” I squeaked.

“We are going to spend the time together, my bride. Unless you can think of a better thing to be dong?”

I looked into the eyes of the man who I given my heart to, and surrendered. “Take me where you wish, husband.”

And that’s exactly what he did.

****

Chapter 19: Home of the Weres

What followed almost defies description for me. He not only soothed my grief, he engaged my senses in such a way as to utterly transport me to a place of total bliss. What made even better was how safe I felt. For someone who had been used the way I had, to be able to trust someone with my body, and have that trust proven worthwhile, well, it was everything I could have hoped for.

I must have fallen asleep at the end, because a knock at the door startled me.

“Lady? Its time to get ready.”

I opened my eyes, and saw my love standing at the door, wearing what must be his dress uniform. It looked good - No, he looked good, good enough to give me ideas of grabbing him and showing him how sexy I found him.

He had an outfit for me, and laid it on the bed. He turned, and went to leave the room, and I said, “Stay.”

The next few minutes were a lot of fun for me. I performed something like a reverse strip tease getting dressed, and it had the desired effect on certain portions of his anatomy.

He groaned, and said, “My love, you’ve left me in a difficult situation.”

“I didn’t see you turning your back.”

“True. Regardless, I should go take care of this before I see the King.”

“Want some help?”

“I would not with to spoil the perfection of your beauty, my love.” And then he left the room.

I watched him leave, and shook my head. I could hardly believe I had done that, and yet teasing him made me feel so feminine and powerful I couldn’t seem to stop myself. If you had told me on the day I had arrived in this world I would be making a guy react that way, I would have wondered what you had been smoking. And yet, it had.

I left the room a moment later, and went up to the deck. The sun was setting, and the crew had hung lights, giving the ship a beautiful glow. The rest of my companions had also gotten into formal outfits, and they greeted me with large smiles.

A moment later, Aeneas joined us and, if he was flushed in the face, nobody actually mentioned anything to him. Although I saw Aerina wink at me ....

We left the ship and got into a carriage. As we went up into the city, the road was lined with people cheering for me, which made me cringe.

“You alright, my love?”

“I’m not comfortable with this cheering. I haven’t done anything to deserve it. If anyone deserves the praise, the original Silver Cleric does. She gave her life for your people.”

“And she wouldn’t have had the chance to do anything if you had not risked so much to find her.”

We reached the place where my companions had been selected, and it had been set up with a platform and all of us were ushered up on to it. One after the other, the king presented with a medal, with me being the last.

Part of me wanted to refuse, but I looked at the crowd, and realized I couldn’t let them down, and so accepted the award.

Once the awards were presented, and some praises sung, the king said, “We celebrate today, but the war is not yet over. The Weres must be taught to leave us be. And with the help of our heroes, they will.”

The audience cheered.

Eventually, things came to a close, and we were brought in to join the King’s advisers in a conference.

Once the formalities were over, the king invited me to speak. “Thank you, your Majesty. I’m really glad you recognize that this isn’t over. We have to take care of the Weres as soon as we can.”

“I was hoping you would be up to the challenge, Lady. Do you have any suggestions?”

“I’m not sure. But I do have the Silver Cleric’s armor and weapons, which are especially effective against Weres. There must be a way we can use them to our advantage.”

Olorin said, “I have a spell that will help us locate the largest group of them. With the Silver Cleric at our head, we can deliver a blow they are not likely to forget.”

“Then it is settled. By sunrise the day after tomorrow, we will march out in force.”

We took the carriage back to the ship and retired for the night. As I laid in the arms of my man, I prayed I was up to the challenge ahead. I snuggled as close to him as I could and fell asleep.

The next day was a busy one, as we prepared to go to war. I went to each of my companions and gave each of them the chance to stay in the city, but all of them wanted to see this through to the end.

Aeneas put his second-in-command in charge of the ship, and we made our way to the place where the army would gather.

Once we got there, we found a fairly large force already in place. I tried to count how many men, but gave it up after about five thousand. The king came up to us riding a horse, and asked, “Can you ride, Lady?”

“Its been a while, but I rode as a kid. Let’s find out.

A beautiful black stallion was presented to me, and with some help from Aeneas I was able to get on the beast. All of my companions also mounted. I noticed Orien and Tesmi sharing a horse, and from the look of them, neither minded being that close to each other.

I chided myself for my self-centered focus. I had obviously missed these two people, who had put their lives on the line for me falling for each other, and promised myself that I would try and do better in the future.

We traveled though what seemed like farmland, with scouts going in front of us. Everywhere I looked, I saw the damage the Weres had caused before reaching the city. I asked the king, who rode close to me, “What has happened to the people who lived here?”

“Those who were able retreated to the city in advance of the Were attack.”

We rode for hours, pausing only briefly at noon for a quick meal. By nightfall, we were at the great fence that represented the boundaries of the Sea Kingdom.

We stopped and made a camp. Once we were settled, I went to Olorin and asked him about the history of the fence.

“Many, many years ago, before the Empire came, my people began to expand, and came into the northern forests. They were met with hostility from a a tribe that lived there, and after many clashes, our people built a fence for a border, and stayed behind it. Once in a while a trader or a priest would make an attempt to make peaceful contact with the tribe, but they made it clear they simply wanted to be left alone.

Things remained like that for many generations, and then suddenly, instead of a primitive tribe who simply wanted to be left alone, my people were dealing with Weres, who made the occasional attack on the fence. Then the eclipse happened, the Dead rose, and the Weres attacked in force, and just when all was lost the Silver Cleric showed up.”

I went over to Orien who had been cuddling with Tesmi nearby, and asked him, “You might the only one of us who has been beyond the fence. Can you tell us anything?”

“I can take us to the remains of my home, Lady. As for the Weres, I heard stories as a child of a stone that came from the moon and changed men into animals. That might be what happened to the original tribe.”

“Olorin, could you use magic to find this stone?

“I could, Lady. Such an item would certainly have a aura of evil that my spells could find. Do you think that should be our destination?”

“Yes. I’ll talk to the King, and while he and the army keep the Weres busy I want to find that stone, I have a feeling its the key to all of this.”

All of my companions agreed to accompany me, and I went to find the King. When I found him, and told him my idea, he said, “You have my blessing, Lady. We will do our part.”

I thanked him, and went to join Aeneas in our tent. Soon I was falling asleep, thinking about the next stage in our quest.

I prayed we were ready for it.

****

Chapter 20: Moonstone

In the morning, we started to cross the fence into the woods beyond, and within moments, we were surrounded by trees on every side. It reminded me of pictures of the Black Forest where the Grim brothers had got the inspiration for their fairy tales.

Except in these woods, the Big Bad Wolf was real ....

We went about an hour before the first attack. The Weres used the forest to their advantage, and the King’s army suffered losses with each attack.

What kept it from being worse was us having Olwe with us. His keener-than-human senses often gave us our only warning of a Were attack, but even he couldn’t be everywhere at once.

Olorin used his magic to great effect, but he also had to save some energy each day to search for the moonstone, which kept us busy.

We came into the town Orien grew up in, and I gasped. The place was a mess, in fact it looked like it had been destroyed on general principals. And as bad as it was for me to see this, I could only imagine how much Orien was hurting. Tesmi held on to him tightly, and I mouthed a thank-you to her for taking care of him for us.

Olorin said, “The greatest concentration of evil seems to be about ten miles north of here, at that mountain.”

He pointed to a rocky formation we could see in the distance, looking for all the world like the earth itself making a rude gesture. To me, who had lived in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains, it seemed less a mountain and more a hill, but to a people more used to flat land and sea coasts, I could understand why they would call it one.

“All right. Its clear we wouldn’t make it there before dark, so lets find some suitable shelter, and stay here overnight. We’ll tackle the mountain in the morning.”

The others agreed, and soon we camped inside one of the few remaining buildings and set things up for the night. I took the first watch, and Aerina joined me. She was still in the glow of new faith, and we spent the watch with her asking questions and me trying my best to answer them. I smiled at her enthusiasm, remembering how it was for me when I first became a Christian. Then I thought about my own faith, and sighed. For many years I couldn’t see how I could be both a Christian and be transgendered, and even though I had once more come come close to God, I regretted the time I had lost. I prayed Aerina would do better.

Just then Olwe came to join us. He didn’t seem to need sleep, and offered to watch for the rest of the night for us. Once again I was reminded how different Elves actually were, and wondered what he thought of us. Aerina turned in, but I stayed, and I sat beside Olwe for a while in silence, and then said, “What do you think of my plan?”

“Elves seldom give advice, Lady. But it seems as good a one.”

“But something’s missing, isn’t it? Please, share your thoughts with me.”

“As you wish, Lady. It is incomplete, because even if we succeed in stopping the Weres, we will not have dealt with the force that roused them. It is the Void that is our true Enemy, and I worry that once the Weres are defeated the king will ride home to celebrate, and that fact will be forgotten in the temporary peace that will follow. And then, perhaps dozens of lives of Men later, we will have to do it all over again.”

“It might surprise you to learn I’ve been thinking along those lines, Olwe. I would like to do better than achieve peace in my lifetime, but I know of no way to actually fight the Void directly. That is one reason why I told the ruler of what’s left of the Empire he should form an alliance with other human kings, so that perhaps Men will be united when a strike occurs.”

“There may be a way to confront the Void directly, Lady. I will think on it, and perhaps you can ask the others to do the same.

“I will. But not tonight. If you are going to watch for the night, I’m going to sleep. The morning will be a tough one.”

“Indeed, Lady. Sleep well.”

I went to where Aeneas was sleeping, and curled up beside him, and soon fell asleep myself.

We woke, and after a quiet meal together, we headed out of town, going towards the mountain. Before we had left, I had Olorin use his birds to send a message to the King that they should do all they could to draw the enemy out this morning.

It wasn’t a complicated plan, but I hoped and prayed the king’s army would get the attention of the Weres long enough for us to sneak in and deal with the moonstone itself.

I had no idea what would happen if we succeeded, but despite this I felt hopeful and confident. Because as far as I was concerned, this adventure was inspired by above, and He would make the outcome suit Him.

But the more human part of me hoped that said outcome would also suit me.

It took us to almost noon to make it to the mountain. We were about to start climbing, when Olwe whispered, “Wait. About halfway up the mountain, there is a cave, guarded by two Weres”

Orien said, “Let me climb up and take care of them before they can sound an alarm.”

“All right. Olwe, keep an eye on him, and have your bow ready if needed.”

“As you wish, Lady.”

It seemed like hours for him to climb up without them seeing him, but eventually Olwe said, “He’s waving, Lady. They’re taken care of.”

I thanked him, and we started to climb. We met Orien at a ledge outside the cave, and he showed me a bloody knife. “Coated with silver, Lady. Just in case it was needed,” he said. I looked into the cave, and it was clear it went deep into the mountain itself. For a moment, I smiled, remembering how this all started with me exploring a cave.

“Lets go,” I said, and in we went.

I put Olwe in front because he could see best in the dark, because I was not willing to risk a light being spotted if I could help it. We could see pathways on either side, but Olorin guided us down the main path, until finally we reached a large cavern, and in the middle on a raised altar was the stone.

“Your silver armor should protect you, Lady.” Olorin said.

I nodded, and went toward the stone. I could feel the evil radiating from the thing, but as Olorin predicted, I was able to resist it until I was standing right over top of it. I took out my silver mace and swung down with all my might, shouting wordlessly as I did so.

The stone shattered into a million pieces, and the evil feeling lifted.

I put on a pair of gloves and pulled out an empty bag out of my pack, and gathered all the shards I could into the bag, and then we made our way back to the entrance to the cave. Once we were outside, I asked Olorin to send a message to the king letting him know we succeeded, and we climbed down the mountain.

A bird came and chirped at Olorin, and he said, “Lady, the king says go west and south until you find the army, and he will have something to show you.”

“All right, lets go.”

We made our way down the mountain, and headed in the direction Olorin indicated for about two hours before coming to a clearing with the King’s army on one side.

But it was what was on the other side that made me stop and stare.

****

Chapter 21: The clearing

On the other side of the clearing were a group of people who could have only been the Weres in human form. They were mostly naked, and had strange blue tattoos all over their bodies.

Someone in the king’s army must have noticed us, because shortly I was in the presence of the king, and standing to one side of him was one of the enemy.

The king said, “You were successful, Lady Danica.and the chief of these people would like to thank you.”

“We are in your debt, Lady. Ask of us, and we will do it.”

“I don’t need anything myself. But if you would establish some kind of peaceful relationship with the King’s people, then at the very least you wouldn’t be alone if something like this were to happen again.”

“We will do as you request,” he said, and bowed to the king.

“Well done, Lady. Come back to the capital, and we will have a celebration,” the King said

“I’ll come. But we are not quite done. There is the Void to deal with.”

The chief asked, “The Void? “

“The being I believe responsible for all the ills we have suffered. I’d like to find a way to teach it a lesson, if I could.”

“We have heard of this name while we were enthralled to the moonstone that made us Weres. Permit me to send with you one of my people.”

I looked at him, and then said, “I would welcome them.”

“We’ll have an official ceremony tonight,” the King said

The chief bowed and left.

“Well done, Lady. We’ll see you tonight?”

“Of course, your majesty.”

I bowed and left.

I went to join the others who had been waiting outside, and said, “There will be an official ceremony tonight. Come on, lets get changed.”

We went to the army’s camp, and soon we were as cleaned up as possible. By the time we were done, it was time for the ceremony.

It was held in the clearing, and besides thanking each of us for our part in saving them, the chief made pledges of non-aggression to the King’s people, and promised to send an ambassador to his court. He also introduced his representative, a girl named Muirne. Eventually, the celebration ended, and I went to the tent they had set up for Aeneas and myself.

I got ready for bed, and he joined me, and we made love before I fell asleep with my head on his chest, listening to the beat of his heart, and praying that when this was over, this would be my reward - to have him at my side for as long as I lived.

The next morning, we joined with the army and made our way back to the capital. The army was in good spirits, as were my companions, but I found myself feeling pensive. Aeneas noticed, and asked, “You all right?”

“Just worried about what we do next. How do we stop the Void?”

“We’ll figure something out. Just enjoy the moment.”

“Thanks, love.” I kissed him.

Two days later, we were gathered together in Olorin’s room, as he was going through material in his library.

“Thanks to Muirne, and Olwe , I now know the way we can confront the Void on its own ground. We need to go north of the Elven lands, through the mountains of the Dwarves and Giants, and go to the Oldest of Dragons. Only he can take us to the home of the Void.”

I thought about this, “Okay. If the king gives me leave, I’m going to try and go there. I can’t ask any of you to come with me, but I will need help.”

Aeneas said, “You’re my wife, my heart, and I’m coming with you.”

Olorin said, “You’ll need a mage before its done. I’ll come.”

“You have to go through my people’s territory. I will come,” Olwe added.

Orien spoke up, “I owe you, Lady. I will go.”

“And where you go, I’m coming, too.” Tesmi grinned at him.

“It was for this purpose that I am here,” Muirne stated firmly.

“You are my sister in faith. If you need, me, I will come,” Aerina said.

“All right. Tomorrow, I’ll go to the king. If he’s willing, we’ll head out as quickly as possible.”

The next day I was able to get the king’s blessing, and we started to get ready for the trip. It took us nearly a week before we could finally set sail. Aeneas and I took advantage of a wedding gift Olorin had given us - a necklace that would prevent me from getting pregnant, to enjoy each other while we had a comfortable bed.

But finally, everything was ready, and we went down to the docks. I was pleased to see we were taking Lady Danica’s Grace as our transport to the Elven homeland. And seeing Aeneas light up as he looked over the ship, I realized how much he had missed being aboard her.

I made myself a promise that however much I was a land-lubber at heart, I would meet my husband halfway when it came to being on board a ship. We boarded, and set off for the Elven homeland.

We had been sailing for a couple hours when we saw another ship approaching us. Aeneas asked the lookout what flag it was flying, and the reply came back, “Its the flag of the Empire, and a flag of peace.”

We came close to the ship, and a small boat was launched from it, and we let it tie on to our ship. Soon, some people were climbing up to the deck, and I went to see who it would be.

It was the king who had taken over the capital of the old Empire.

“Your majesty.”

“Nice to see you, Lady Danica. I had been thinking about what you said, and I see the wisdom in working with other kingdoms. So I am going to the Sea Kingdom to make an embassy there, if they are willing.”

“I’m glad, your majesty. Aeneas, can we have a celebration? ”

“If you want a celebration, Lady Danica, have it aboard my vessel. Its somewhat larger than this one.”

“That sounds lovely.”

So we went back to the king’s ship, and had a nice celebration. But, finally, Aeneas said, “We need to get back to our ship if we wish to reach the Elven lands before sunset.”

“Okay, love.”

“Well, good luck to you all, and may the gods be with you.”

“Thank you, your majesty.”

We left the king’s ship, came back to our own, and set sail for the Elven lands. After sailing for several more hours, we could see the Elvish port, and an hour later, we had docked. We found a celebration waiting for us, with Orym, the king of the Elves, at the head of it.

“Olorin sent us word of your victories, and your current plan. Come, tonight celebrate, and tomorrow you can make preparations for the journey ahead of you.”

So we took him up on the offer, and had a wonderful time. But of all of us, I think Muirne had the best time of all. She looked a little like a tourist going to some place they had only heard of, and finding it a thousand times better than they ever thought it could be. I went over to her, and asked if she was all right, and she said, “I... I’m speechless, Lady. I thought the capital of the Sea Kingdom was the most magical and beautiful thing I had ever seen, but this ... “

“Its beyond beauty, almost.” I finished for her.

“Yes. That’s it.”

We went to bed, and I struggled with nightmares for most of the night. Some of them were like flashbacks of my own past, some were visions of a future in which I failed, and killed all the friends who were traveling with me. And through them all, I could hear a mocking laugh that could have only come from the Void.

The next morning, I could see I hadn’t been the only one to have a bad night, judging by the way everyone looked. Orym also noticed, and said to us, “Your enemy has struck in your dreams. Let me give you some water blessed by Este herself, so you may recover.”

We took the water, and immediately I felt much better. Then the Elves helped us pack, giving us warm cloaks and boots for the mountains, rope, waybread, some horses to ride, and a pack horse to help us carry our supplies. Once we were packed, we rode slowly north, until by evening we were approaching the furthest northern point of the Elven lands, and ahead of us we could see the mountains of the Dwarves towering in the distance.

“Rest here this night, and at first light take the trail north.” Orym said, and so we slept one last night in that magical realm.

The next stage in our journey was about to begin.

****

Chapter 22: To the Dwarves we go.

In the morning, the Elves made us one last breakfast, and then we packed and prepared to leave. We rode to the edge of the Elven lands, and then Orym gave us a blessing, saying, “May Eru, the One, the Creator of all things be with you all.”

I bowed, and said, “Thank you.” and then turned away to face the trail that would lead us to the Dwarves, and we began to ride.

I was to never set foot in that blessed land again.

We rode for several hours, and then had a short rest and a quick meal. Afterward, I went to Olwe and asked him, “Can you tell me something about the Dwarves? What are we in for here?”

“Its one of the oldest and saddest stories known to our people. My people had lived by the shore of the sea for long years, living in peace and joy with one another. Then the Dark Ones came, and at first we didn’t understand what kind of threat they were. By the time we realized, we were in serious danger, and just at that time, the Dwarves came down from the mountains for the first time. Dwarves are a .... prickly people, quick to offence and slow to forgive, but we managed to form an alliance and beat back the Dark Ones.”

He sighed, and then continued,”It was not war that ended our friendship with them, but peace. Once the threat was over, some of our people grew in arrogance, especially in their treatment of the Dwarves. Eventually, they marched back up into the mountains, and we never saw them again. When the Dark Ones came back, we realized we had committed a great wrong, and tried to send an embassy into the mountains, but it failed, and we wept for our foolishness. Then we were rescued by the Sea People. We learned from our mistakes, and vowed we would treat our human allies better than we had treated the Dwarves, but we still sing sadly of the loss of our one time friends.”

Orien remarked, ”It appears to me that our quest is all but hopeless. Good thing that’s my favorite kind.”

“Its not hopeless. I have faith we are on the path we are supposed to be,” I replied.

“And that’s good enough for us, Lady.” Tesmi said.

We started riding again, and soon we were climbing higher and higher. By sunset we were amazingly high, and had to get cold weather clothes out of our packs. We ate a short meal, and then decided to rest for the night where we were. We also decided to put all the tents together, and sleep in one large group for warmth. So I ended up sandwiched between Aeneas on one side and Aerina on the other, and slept as well as could be expected under the circumstances.

Morning came very early, and we wasted no time packing up, and getting underway. We climbed for hours, and even on horseback we had to go very slowly due to the weather. Finally, we stopped, and made camp.

Olorin said, “Let me warm us up.” He took a large stone out of his saddlebag, and put it on the ground. Then he muttered for a while, waving his hand over the stone. Finally, he took a powder from his robe and threw a pinch of it at the stone, shouting one last word as he did so.

The stone began to glow, and get very warm.

We gathered around the stone, ate waybread, and drank some warm wine. Tesmi put a small pot on the stone, and warmed up some mash for our horses, and we each fed our own mount.

Aeneas asked me, “How much further do we have to go?”

“I’m not sure. We just have to get as high as we can.”

Warmed and fed, we packed everything up and started climbing again. Our horses went a little faster for a while, warmed by the mash, but soon we were back to a plodding pace again. My mount reminded me of a horse I had ridden on as a small child. It had been a huge plow horse, more than seventeen hands high, but it was very gentle and patent with children. My Grandfather would put each of his grand-kids on, one at a time, and the old horse would plod around the farm in a patent circle until the time came for the next kid.

We continued to climb for hours, until the warmth from the wine wore off, and the chill seemed to settle in my bones. Finally, we could go no further, and set up camp under a narrow ledge. We huddled together, and I started to feel like I was failing my friends. It was clear to me they couldn’t go much further, and neither could I. I cried frozen tears, curled up next to Aeneas, and fell asleep.

I woke to something sharp and pointy being jabbed into me.

I scraped off the ice off my eyes, and realized I was looking into the face of a Dwarf.

“What are you doing on our doorstep?” He growled at me.

“Looking for you. Dwarves, I mean.”

“You’re Human, aren’t you? What would you be wanting with Dwarves?” He brandished a weapon.

And suddenly, words started coming out of my mouth.

“I ask to be taken to your Parliament.”

“Speak your request.”

“I need your help., To get to the Oldest of Dragons, so I can find a way to stop the Void.”

In response, he hooted like an owl, and suddenly the little cave was full of Dwarves, who were rousing each member of our group.

Soon, we were stripped of all weapons, and being dragged out and and forced to walk up the mountain. Just before we reached the very top, we saw a large gate guarded by a couple of Dwarves.

I shook my head. I had been ready to give up, and we were less than twenty minutes away from reaching my goal.

We were ushered inside, and I was grateful to hear a command being shouted about taking care of the horses. But then I had to focus on our own situation, and it seemed a little grim to me. We were marched down into the mountain, and it seemed like every Dwarf inside took the opportunity to take a look at us as we made our way down.

A number of these spectators seemed to be wounded, and that made me wonder what had happened here. But I pushed it out of my mind, and tried to focus on what I was going to say to the King and his Parliament..

Eventually, we were ushered into a great hall, and inside it had a stone throne at one end, and a row of stone chairs on either side of the room. We were placed in the middle, and then we waited. After a while, Dwarves came in and filled the seats, and then the King came in.

“We see you, Human. What do you have you to say for yourself.”

I took a deep breath, and then began.

“In the name of Aulá«, maker of Dwarves, I ask for your help.”

****

Chapter 23: A bargain with Dwarves

The king of the Dwarves looked at me in shock.

“How do you know our Maker?”

“I know the story of how you were made. Will you help me?”

“Will you aid us in return?”

“Yes. I will do all I can.”

“We will consider this. Take these guests so some comfortable quarters.”

With that, we were escorted out of the hall.

After marching for what felt like an hour, we were shown to a large room that had several small rooms connected to it, like an apartment with several bedrooms. Our ’guide” left us, and the others surrounded me, asking questions.

I held up my hand, and said, “Hold on, hold on. One at a time.”

Aeneas asked, “How did you know what to say?”

“I have no idea. It just popped into my head.”

“So what happens now?”

“I’m not sure. They hinted they need our help, so maybe we can make a trade.”

Eventually, we were ushered back into the great hall, and the King spoke to us.

“The Void is beyond us, and we can say little of it. And the only path to the oldest of dragons would be through the territory of the Frost Giants, who are not our friends. Your quest is hopeless, human. Go back to your people, and leave the mountains to us.”

With that, we were ushered out, and taken back to the holding area.

I wanted to cry. I was so sure I was on the right path, and here we were being forced to turn around.

“I’m sorry, guys. I guess I wasted your time having you come with me.” Tears came, and I felt faint and shaky, like every bit of my energy had been spent.

“I dont believe it was wasted time, Lady. I have faith in the path we’re on,” Aerina said firmly. The others chimed in with their support, and then they enveloped me in a group hug until I stopped shaking.

“Thanks guys.”

Shortly after, a Dwarf arrived, and escorted us back to the entrance we came in. Waiting for us there was the king and the rest of the Parliament, and I decided to give them a piece of my mind.

“You won’t help us. Fine, I’ll respect that, but I’m not giving up. You could have gained from helping me, but I’ll find a way to take the fight to the Void without you, no matter what it takes.”

The king looked at the rest of the Parliament, and nodded.

“You have fire, human. We will escort you through Giant territory to the Oldest of Dragons.”

“Thank you.”

It seemed like only moments later, we were being ushered to a different exit.

“This is our secret back entrance, for surprise attacks on the Giants.” the king said. My son Delrack will guide you, and hopefully you can avoid an encounter with the Giants on your way.”

“Thank you, your majesty. I’ll find a way to pay you back for your kindness.”

“Defeat the Void, and the Giants will lose much of their power. Then we can reclaim our full realm once more.”

“I’ll do my best.”

“May Aulá«, maker of Dwarves make you succeed.”

I bowed to him, and we went out the door.

It took us hours, but we went down the mountain. By the time we reached the bottom, we were all exhausted, and so set up a camp and had a rest. and a bite of food. Delrack covered our tent with a white cloth that allowed it to blend in with the surrounding snow. While we ate and rested, I asked him, “Your father mentioned the Void helping the Giants. Do you know in what way?”

“For centuries, we had the upper hand in our struggle to control these mountains, until the Void came. Suddenly, the Giants were smarter, fiercer than we had ever seen them. Each of these peaks once held a community of Dwarves. Now, the mountain you just left is the only one.”

“That explains what your father said before we left.”

He didn’t respond to that, but started packing. “Come. We have a long way to go, and the less time we spend in Giant territory the better.”

We packed up, and got under way again, leading the horses rather than riding so we could move more quietly. Despite that, we made good progress until the sun started to set. We made camp, and things seemed very quiet, so we ate a little, and went to sleep.

What felt like an earthquake woke us up.

I peeked out of the tent, and realized that there was a giant outside, well armed and looking annoyed.

“Uh oh ....”

*****

Chapter 24: A Giant problem.

“Took you long enough to wake up. Thought I might have to knock your tent down before you’d notice you had a visitor,” he said.

Delrack pushed past me, axe at the ready, but the giant said, “Peace, Dwarf. If I wanted to fight, I could have knocked down your tent before you even knew I was here.”

“He’s got a point.” I said.

“Of course I have a point. Now, how fast can you pack up and follow me? The other giants are looking for you.”

“Lady?”

“Do it.”

So we struck camp quickly, all the time with the Giant watching the horizon nervously.

Once we were finished, the giant said, “Lets go. The other giants were misdirected to search for you in the old Dwarf tunnels that connected the mountains. But they may have decided to cover their bets and come above ground as well.”

“Give me your name, Giant. And your promise you’re on my side.”

“My name is Waden. And by the power of the Oldest of Dragons, I will save you if I can.”

“Good enough for me. Lead on.”

“We moved as quickly as we could, and pretty soon I could see that we were headed for one mountain that seemed somehow separated from the others, although I wasn’t sure how. We’d been going for about an hour before the nervousness of our guide proved to be based in truth, as we could hear the shouts of giants and we broke into a gallop on the horses.

We made it to the bottom of the mountain, and our guide pressed his hand against one outcropping rock, and a portion of the mountain vanished. We hustled in, and as soon as we were all inside, the giant pressed his hand against a rock on the side of the entrance, and just like that the mountain closed behind us.

It was very dark, but our guide pulled out a torch and lit it.

“That will hold the pursuit. Come this way.”

We wound into the mountain for a while, and finally had to take a rest. I went up to our guide and asked, “What’s your story?”

Many, many years ago, we Giants had lost a war to the Dwarves. We retreated into the Ice Plains beyond the mountains to the north to lick our wounds.

We stayed there for years, and then one day one of our members wondered north, and when he came back he was ... different. He had a presence, a power like we had never seen before. He used this spear, that he claimed came from another world, and with it and this new attitude he rallied most of our race behind him. He spoke of regaining our honor, of expanding our territory. And he called the source of his new power, the Void.”

He took a breath, and continued, “Soon, we attacked the Dwarves with new weapons, new tactics, and for a while, things were great. Until we not only beat the Dwarves, we started slaughtering them. Men, women, even children. Some of us objected to that, saying it was not the way of a warrior culture like ours to kill innocents.

We were beaten, some of us killed, and the rest driven out, and then hunted down. Finally, I was alone, and wondered lost and purposeless. and then the Oldest of the Dragons found me, and gave me a purpose again.

“And a chance to redeem the honor of my people.”

“This new leader of yours. ..” I started

“He renamed himself Titanic,” He interrupted.

“Interesting choice. What had he been like before he came back with the staff?”

“A good warrior, a leader of men. But not one who would have ordered such things.”

“And the staff changed him into a Giant version of Hitler. Nice.

“Hitler?” Aeneas asked.

“A dictator from my world. Not a nice guy.”

I went to get up, assuming we were going to move on, but Waden said, “No need to go further, human. The oldest of the Dragons is going to come to us.”

“How long will we have to wait?’

“Hours, perhaps. The Oldest of Dragons gave me a device that would summon her, and I’ve now activated it, but she warned me it would take some time for her to respond and make it to this spot.. Perhaps we should make a meal, to pass the time?”

As he said the last, my stomach rumbled in agreement about the idea of food since we had skipped breakfast, and from the look of the others, they were in favor of this idea as well. So we got out our cooking supplies, and soon had made as good a meal of things as was possible under the circumstances.

Once we ate and cleaned up, we made ourselves comfortable to wait. Sitting there in the dim light, I found myself thinking about Hitler, having mentioned his name. Somehow, he had turned a decent, hardworking people into maniacs who could applaud stuffing their enemies into ovens. And he had looked for a magic spear as well, if the stories were true.

Was it possible that the Void had been active on my world? Or more frightening, did we each have a little Void inside of us, waiting to come out?

I shook my head. I had enough to think about at the moment, so let go of that train of thought.

It felt like a long wait, but eventually Waden.stood up, and said, “She approaches.”

“She?” I said, but moments later I could see for myself.

She was not as large as I would have thought, her scales looked golden yellow, and there was an definite femininity to her, but there was also no question she was a dragon.

“Welcome, Lady Danica and company. I’ve been waiting a long time for you,” she said.

I stepped forward nervously. “You know who we are?”

“I was the one who summoned you from your own world. And centuries before that, I was the one who whispered the prophesy to the original Silver Cleric. so you would have a proper welcome when you arrived.”

“But ... how?”

“Time inbetween worlds does not exist the way you think of it. To me, that was not very long ago.”

“So what happens now?”

“I can send you to the place between worlds where the Void has set up shop, as it were. It will be very dangerous, but its the only place where it is vulnerable. Once there, if you can destroy its connection to this world, it will take it millions of years before it will be able to re-establish a link here. “

“Then that’s what I’ll do if its possible.”

“We will do, Lady,” Aeneas said. “None of us will stay behind while you face such a threat alone.”

“I would like to come as well,” Waden said firmly.

“I’m afraid I have a different task for you,” the dragon said. “You must go to your kin, and try and get the staff away from Titanic. “

“Hmm,” Orien interjected. “Perhaps I would do more good helping here then. If you don’t mind, my Lady.”

“Stealing a staff sounds up your alley, my friend.”

He bowed.

Tesmi grabbed him, gave him a huge kiss, and said, “Be safe. Or when I come back, we will have words.”

“You come back safely yourself. I may be a thief, but you’ve stolen my heart. So keep it beating until we meet again.”

They kissed again, and it took a cough from me to break them up. Each of us said goodbye to him and the Giant, and then the dragon spoke.

“Its time,” she said. Then, she shimmered, and transformed into a human woman.

She then started chanting, and soon the cave seemed to fade from my sight.

When my eyes cleared, we were standing on a hill, and the surroundings looked like a war zone. Trees had been knocked over, the grass had been blasted, and huge piles of what looked like bodies could be seen in the distance.

Then we heard a sound, and turned in that direction.

We saw these creatures come toward us, and I could tell their intentions were not friendly....

****

Chapter 25: In the realm of the Void

The creatures that were coming toward us reminded me of a kid’s attempt to make people out of clay. Other than each having a box-like head with a single eye, none of them looked exactly alike, and all of them were misshapen in one way or another.

Despite that, they moved remarkably quickly, and by the smashing of the landscape around them I could tell they were incredibly strong as well.

Olwe took out his bow, and shot at the creatures, but his first shot bounced off its tough skin. He shot again, and hit it in the eye, which made it pause for a moment, but it took the arrow out, and continued toward us.

Olorin muttered a spell, and a ball of fire streaked toward the creatures, hitting the one closest to us. The flames spread to several others, but they didn’t even seem to notice, and just kept coming.

“They’re too strong. Run!” I shouted, and most of us turned and followed me, but Delrack didn’t. He said, “I will slow them down!” and taking his axe in both hands he strode toward the creatures.

One reached for him, and he swung the axe at its arm, only to have it bounce off, leaving him shaking. Then the creature picked him up, and literally threw him away, but fortunately in our direction. Aeneas and Tesmi ran back, picked the wounded dwarf up, and we ran away as fast as we could.

Up ahead of us the ground got rockier, and there were large depressions that were almost caves. I led us over a hill, jumped down, and we scrambled under an overhanging rock. We huddled together, trying to catch our breaths as quietly as we could, waiting to see if the creatures would notice where we went.

I could hear it come right to the edge of the cliff above us, and tried to hold my breath waiting for doom to strike.

After a few tense moments, however, I heard it move away, and I let go and sighed.

Aerina was tending Delrack, and I whispered, “How is he?”

“Already healing. My healing prayer helped, but Dwarves, obviously, are tough customers.”

“Glad to know that. We need some strategy here, because the rest of us wouldn’t been as lucky if they had gotten a hand on us. I think I’m going to pray.”

“Good idea.” Aerina said.

I closed my eyes, and took a few breaths to help me get into the state where I could hear the voice of God. I wasn’t sure if it was just because I was currently on a world where magic worked or not, but ever since I took over from the Silver Cleric I had felt a closeness with the Divine I had not experienced before. I was swimming in a sea of love, and finally had to pull out, feeling not only recharged but almost over charged.

I opened my eyes, and immediately realized what was missing.

It was Aerina.

She was gone.

I cried out, and the rest the group started shouting.

After a few moments of confusion, I was able to get the others to follow me, and we left the safety of where we were, and went out into the sunshine. We scrambled up a hill, and then I saw Aerina striding and the creatures were nearly upon her.

Her back was to me, and she was too far away for me to hear her voice, but somehow I suddenly realized what she was doing.

She was doing the same thing the original Silver Cleric had done to stop the Dead.

And it was going to cost her her life.

I shouted, but she either didn’t hear me or was too intent on her task to stop.

She started glowing, and very soon I couldn’t even look at her because she shone so brightly.

A moment later the light was gone, and so were the creatures.

I ran toward her, and got there just in time to catch her as she collapsed.

“Oh.... Aerina ... “ I wept.

“Its... okay .. Lady,” she gasped. “I .. .I go to your God. I can see heaven and its beauti....”

And then she died.

I held her and wept for a long time, and Aeneas came up to put his hands on my shoulders.

Finally, when I ran out of tears, I set her carefully down, and got up.

“That’s it. She’s the last one killed for me. I’m taking out the Void. Now,”I growled.

“If that is your wish, I can assist you now,” a voice said, and I turned, and saw the Oldest of Dragons.

“Can you help me?”

“I can,” The dragon said, and transformed into a human woman. She then touched Aerina’s body, which then vanished.”

“What did you do with her?” I demanded.

“I sent her remains to her home among the Sea People. They were give her a proper funereal, you can be assured of that.”

“Fine,” I sniffed. “ Now, you said you could help us now?”

“Yes. Your friends in the land of the Giants are doing quite well. They are not only keeping Titianic busy, but they have attracted the full attention of the Void itself.

If we act swiftly, I can take you to the place where it keeps the artifact that allows it access to my world. Destroy that, and it will be over.”

“Then lets go!”

“Its not that simple. No one but you, Lady Danica, can enter the area. I must take your friends back to my world.”

“Why is that?’

“They would be destroyed if they were still on this plane when the artifact is destroyed.”

“And what happens to me?”

“You will be sent to your own world once more. And you will never see my world again.”

I looked at her, and then at my husband Aeneas. I realized what this meant, that we would be parted, probably forever. Could I make such a sacrifice?

“I understand its not an easy choice, but we don’t have long for you to make it,” the dragon said sadly. “What will you choose?”

****

Chapter 26: Lady’s Choice.

Time ticked by, but I was no closer to making a decision.

I had been presented with a horrible choice - To allow the Void to continue its attempts to take over a world I had come to love, or to never see that world again, or the people of it, including the man who I had married.

Who could make such a choice?

My companions, my friends, stood nearby, and my husband held my hand while I tried to figure it out. It was their world at stake, but I knew none of them was going to pressure me, and they’d love me no matter what I decided.

Moments passed, and I could feel the dragon getting impatient, but I agonized for a while longer.

Finally, I had made up my mind. “I... I’m sorry my love. I ... I have to do this.”

He smiled sadly, and said, “I suspected you would need to see this through. I will be empty without you, but ... I’m proud of you.”

I gave him the longest, most passionate kiss of our brief marriage, and then turned to my other friends, and said. “I ,,, I will treasure our time together. Good bye.”

Each one of these wonderful people who had been through so much with me came up and gave me a hug. Even the Dwarf who hadn’t been with us long took my hand, and said, “My father was right. You have fire. May the Maker of the Dwarves watch over you.”

I tried to hold back my tears, and then the Dragon came up to me, and said, “We must go now.”

I nodded, and she took my hand, and ..

We were somewhere else.

We were inside some kind of building, and ahead of us was a door. The Dragon said, “The artifact is beyond this door. I cannot pass, only someone who was not from my world can go beyond, so it will be up to you. Remember that the Void’s greatest power is the weaknesses of others. He will try to stop you by getting you to stop yourself.”

I nodded, and went toward the door.

“Good luck, Lady Danica,” she said, and then I opened the door, and went inside.

It was very dark inside, and the feeling of great evil and malice was all around me. It pressed against my ears like a wall of noise, it assaulted my nose like a foul smell, and it pushed at my heart making me have to calm my breathing.

I heard horrible laughter, and a mocking voice saying things like “Sissy!” and “Freak!” It reminded me of my childhood when I struggled with my gender, and how people treated me when they found that out.

Then there were images. Images of being stripped of my femininity, rejected by my husband, of being isolated and dying alone.

Ironically, the nightmares I had had since falling through the crack helped me through these, as I recognized the lies for what they were, having endured them before.

Then I saw flashbacks of the abuse I suffered when I first came out. It was worse than I had remembered, but I turned from the images, and staggered onward like a drunk.

I kept going forward, and finally I stood before something that looked like a cross between a staff and remote control.

And at that moment, the Void appeared, looking like a handsome man.

“Well. So the attempt to destroy the Giant’s staff was a distraction?”

“Not quite. We really want to destroy it. Me gaining the ability to stop you from replacing it is a bonus.”

He actually smiled at me, and said, “Why would you want to do that? You’ve achieved enough to achieve peace in your lifetime, and could retire to be with the man you love. Did the Dragon tell you the cost?”

“I will have to go back to my own world. I’ll always miss my friends and my husband, but it will be worth it.”

“That isn’t the only cost. The body you now wear doesn’t belong to your world. It will have to be left behind. You will have to go back to what you were at the moment you arrived. A woman in heart, perhaps, but a male in body.”

I flinched at that.

“I can offer you a chance to remain as you are, a lifetime of peace and love with your husband, even the chance to have children. Do you owe the Dragon so much as to lose all that?”

“I... I ...”

“And you don’t have to actually join my side. You just walk away right now, and say you failed. They will all sympathise, and you can have the life you’ve always wanted.”

I sank to my knees, and cried as the image of what he offered played before me. My body, my husband, my friends, even children ....

“You never really had a chance, little girl...” I heard in my head. It was the voice of my abuser.

It was also the voice of the Void.

“No.”

Then I stood up, and said, “It wouldn’t be worth the cost. My children would have to face you, and wouldn’t be able to do what I can do now. You’d just have to wait long enough, and you’d win.”

Tears streamed down my face as I grabbed the staff. and held it so I could break it over my knee.

“You can’t. You’re not strong enough. You’re a victim. Always were, always will be,” he said, and filled my head with memories of my abuse.

“I took a deep breath and used the grounding techniques I had learned in counseling. “Not anymore. Now, I’m a surivior.” Then I broke the staff.

The world went white, I could hear the Void screaming for a moment, and then he was gone.

I floated in nothingness for a moment, and then felt something hard beneath me. I groaned, and then heard a very familiar voice saying, “She’s coming around!”

It was Kylie, my best friend, and the person who convinced me a hiking trip would be cool. I tried to get up, but she said, “Stay still. Erin called for help, and you might have some internal damage. Do you remember what happened?”

“I was in the cave, and then there was a crack and I fell in and...”

“What crack? You just suddenly fell over like you were having some kind of seizure.”

“How... how long was I out?”

“Ten, fifteen minutes, maybe.”

I lay back down on the hard rock, and sighed. Months in that other world, and almost no time had passed here. Kylie had opened my blouse, and my false breasts where still attached, and I didn’t have to feel to know I once more had a male member below.

Had it all been a dream? A hallucination? Some wishful fantasy ? I felt like crying.

Shortly, some EMT’s from the nearest town came, and gave me a once over. They decided that since I didn’t have any obvious signs of trauma, the best suggestion they could make is for someone to drive me to the University Hospital rather than spend time in a local one.

My friend Kylie bundled me up, and drove me toward home.

“What happened? Did you have a flashback?”

“No.. it was... I don’t know. maybe I hit my head or something. But I had this .... experience. I went to this world, where magic worked, and met a man and fell in love, and saved everybody there. Guess it sounds pretty stupid.”

“Nah. Maybe you were just working out some stuff on a different level. Dealing with your past, your anxiety about transitioning, that kind of thing. Happens in dreams, I’ve heard.”

“Maybe. But, I’ve never had a dream that ... detailed before. I mean, I ate, slept, even went to the bathroom there. Who dreams about that?”

“We’ll get you checked out anyway, then if you want, you can give me all the details.”

We drove in silence the rest of the way, while I thought about all that had happened to me on that other world. How could it have been real, and left no traces? And yet, how could it have been my imagination, when I had never imagined being with a man before, and never had a dream with such detail?

By the time we got to the University Hospital, I decided that it was a little like my faith, or my realization I had a girl inside me. I may not have any objective evidence it had happened, but I could still use it, grow from it, take joy in it.

We arrived at the hospital, Kylie explained what had happened to me, and they gave me a checkup. Not finding anything wrong, I was discharged with the admonition that if I had such an event again, I should come right back.

Giving my word, I walked out of the hospital, and back to my regular life. I went to the endocrinologist, got a boost in my hormones, went back to work, tried to keep up with my job while navigating the transition, and the memory of my time in the other world seemed to fade under the pressure of the ordinary day-to-day rut.

With one exception.

Aeneas.

I couldn’t forget him. His gentleness, his strength, the way he had wooed me and healed me ... I didn’t know how to replace that feeling.

So a couple of weeks after I got back I went to the store to pick up some ice cream for a night of sappy romantic movies, in the hopes of beating back the loneliness in my heart.

I had loaded up my arms with comfort food, and tuned to put them into my cart, when I bumped into someone, knocking half my stuff down as well as some of theirs.

I reached down to pick up a pail of ice cream when a large calloused hand coverd mine.

I looked up, and lost all power of speech for a moment.

It was Aeneas.

Here?

“I... I....” I stammered

“I’m terribly sorry,” he said.

“Aeneas?”

“Have we met before? I doubt it, because I am not likely to have forgotten a pretty face like yours”

“I.. I ..”

“You said that already. Well, perhaps we shall meet another time...”

“Wait.”

He turned, and said, “Yes?”

“Could we... meet again?”

“I think I would like that. Care to give me your number?”

Shaking, I wrote out my number on notepad I carried in my purse, and then handed it to him.

“Call me?” I asked.

“I shall,” he said, and walked away, leaving me stunned by what had just happened.

I staggered home, and on my way, I noticed someone had drawn the picture of a golden dragon on a wall by my house.

I could have sworn the dragon winked at me as I went by.

When I got home, I saw a message waiting for me on my answering machine.

It was from Aeneas, saying, “Perhaps this is too soon, but I found I couldn’t wait. If you wish, we could meet for dinner tomorrow, at the pizza place across from the store where we met?” He then left me a number to call him back at.

I called the number, and when he answered, I said, “I’d love to have dinner. See you at 5 there?”

“Sounds good to me. See you then, pretty lady.” Then he hung up.

I laid down, and as I fell asleep, I thought I heard the voice of the Dragon, saying, “A little gift for all you did for my world. Enjoy your life, Lady Danica.”

And you know what? I have.

End