WWC2: The Loreithian Heritage - Ch. 1

"Mom, wake up. Mom!"

  Sara  threw her arms over her eyes to shield them from the sunlight steaming in through the crack in the curtains. "What..?" she asked, disoriented.

  "You said you'd come to the game. C'mon, it's almost noon. You have to get up."

  Blinking twice, she rolled over and stared at the neon red numbers on the clock: 11:52. Propping up on her arm, she groaned as her back protested the action.

  Danny narrowed his eyes towards her in reprimand. "Were you out as Dark Flame last night?"

  The boy's reaction might have made her smile at a different time, but another pain shot through her arm and she was just too tired for humor. "Yes, I was," she droned. "I had to help your uncle with a jewelry store robbery."

  "Well you have to get up. We need to leave soon. Grampa's making eggs. Now, c'mon." Pulling on her arm, the boy helped her to a sitting position.

  "All right," she said with a wave of her hand. "Go make me a cup of coffee. I'll be down in a minute."

  It took Sara ten minutes to change her clothes and get ready—most of which was spent trying to tame her frizzy red tresses. Her crimefighting wig always wrecked her hair, but she didn't have enough time for a shower to fix it. Tossing on a sweater and jeans, she considered going without make-up, then remembered who would be there. She quickly added some blush and eyeliner.

  The Bruce men were already seated around the table when she made it down to the kitchen. Sara stopped for a moment and admired how handsome they all were. In some ways, Danny looked a lot like Michael. Though, mostly, he looked like his father. Pushing away the thought, she grabbed the big blue mug from the table.

  "Are you excited?" Michael asked his nephew.

  "More nervous than excited," Danny said. "If we don't win this game, we won't make the play-offs. I would love to get into the city finals."

  "That would be a good birthday present, eh?" Yule commented.

  Sara took a sip of her coffee. It was hard to believe her son was going to be thirteen in a few days. It seemed like just yesterday that he was a baby, taking his first steps.

  "Do you want something to eat?" Yule asked his daughter.

  Before she could answer, Michael rose. "I don't think we have time. We're going to be late."

  Sara was feeling a bit queasy anyway, so she was glad for the excuse to pass. She grabbed her son's baseball hat from the counter and tossed it to him. The boy tossed it on, carefully pulling it down over the points of his ears.

  "Let's go."

*          *          *          *          *

  Danny Wolff poised himself, his eyes scanning the field. The pitcher gripped the ball, ready to throw. Darting forward, he barrelled down the line just as the pitcher turned and threw the ball to the third baseman. Sliding in, Danny's leg connected to the plate just as the other player caught the ball and tagged him.

  "You're out," the umpire called.

  Michael leapt from his seat, shaking his fist in anger. "What the heck do you mean, he's out? He was safe by a mile!"

  Sara felt her face flush. Her brother was one of those Little League "fathers" that everyone cringed about. He was way too serious about the whole thing and had nearly gotten into several fist-fights over bad calls. Pulling on his shirt hem, she motioned for him to sit back down.

  "But he was safe," he said, lowering back down on to the bleacher seat.

  With a sigh, Sara glanced at her watch and looked around. At the rate they were going, the game would be over soon. "Where is he?" she whispered to herself.

  Another player stepped up to the plate, holding the bat tight in his grip. The kid looked terrified. The game hinged on whether he could hit the ball or not. Sara felt terrible for the boy, realizing what kind of pressure he must be under. As the three pitches were thrown, the kids only swung once and missed. It was an easy out.

  "Game over!" the other umpire called.

  Over by the team bench, Danny grabbed the hat off his head and threw it on the ground. A collective groan came from the Gotham Blue Jay's side of the field.

  Michael grumbled and headed over to his nephew, Yule following. Sara lagged behind as she noticed a red BMW pull into the lot at the back of the park. A dark haired man exited, dressed in a Gale City Sluggers jacket and black pair of jeans.

  Tony Toronto jogged to the field, reaching the baseball diamond just as Michael, Danny and Yule joined the redhead. He grabbed Sara's arm. "Am I late?"

  "The game's over," she whispered.

  "Yeah, and we lost," Danny grumbled. "So much for my birthday present."

  Sara could tell Tony felt awful. He forced a smile and tried to be optimistic. "Well, there's always next year."

  The boy glared at him and placed his baseball cap back on his head. He headed towards Michael's car.

  "I wanted to be here earlier," Tony apologized. "But I ended up in emergency surgery."

  "It's okay," Sara assured. "He's just upset about his team losing."

  Toronto nodded, but he didn't look convinced. "I just can't seem to get a break with him, can I?"

  "C'mon," she said, taking his hand in hers. "Let's head back to the penthouse. Dad's making musakhan."

*          *          *          *          *

  Sara peeked into the Entertainment Room. Michael, Tony and Danny were sitting on the couch, each with a video game controller in hand. On the big-screen t.v., there were three fighters going up against a horde of zombies.

  "Grab the bomb," Danny yelled.

  "I can't," Michael groaned. "That guy with the pick-axe is in the way."

  "Watch out," Tony yelled. His whole body lurched to the side as he pounded on the buttons of his controller. The character on the screen did a round-kick, knocking the head off one of the undead.

  "All right, I got the machine gun. I'm gonna take out the group near the water tower." Michael tapped the buttons rhythmically. The creatures on the screen screeched and ripped apart.

  Sara grimaced at the carnage.

  "All right, I got it," Danny said. "Detonating!" There was a crashing sound as the screen flickered; the zombies froze before they all disintegrated. "Yes! We did it," the boy yelled, high-fiving Michael.

  Tony grimaced and tossed the controller on the coffee table. "How did you end up getting better than me at video games? When we were kids, I used to kick your butt."

  Michael laughed. "I think I have more practice now."

  Sara glanced at her watch and took a few steps into the room. "Danny, it's late. You need to tie it up and get to bed. You have school tomorrow."

  "Aw, Mom. I wanted to see if we could make it to the boss."

  Michael shook his head. "Your mother's right. C'mon."

  Tony rose and grabbed his jacket from the nearby chair. "I need to go anyway. I'm attending physician tomorrow." Glancing down at the boy, the bearded man smiled. "I could come over next weekend and we can try to get to the boss then."

  Danny shrugged, but a smile cornered his lips. "Okay, I guess."

  Heartened by the boy's response, Sara moved to Tony's side. "I'll walk you out."

  The couple headed down in silence. Sara liked the fact that she and Tony had gotten to a point in their relationship where they didn't need to keep a constant chatter going. Things were comfortable with him, which was perplexing, since she always always so high-strung when he was around.

  "How are you feeling?" he asked as they made it to the bottom of the stairs.

  "Tired, but otherwise okay."

  "You really need to see a doctor soon," he said, concern in his voice.

  "I will." She led the man to the door, stopping to face him. "Speaking of doctors, did you talk to that friend of yours?"

  "Dr. Stennis? Yeah. He says he can get Danny in on the 22nd. He's booked up for the next six months, but he squeezed him in because I asked him to." Tony noticed her concerned look. "Listen, you don't have to worry, Stennis is one of the best plastic surgeons in the country. That's the reason he won't do the procedure until Danny's thirteen. He wants to assure he really wants to go through with it and to get his formal consent."

  Despite his reassurances, Sara's heart was heavy. She didn't like the thought of her son having elective surgery. She liked it even less that it was to remove the points of his ears. "I know. It's just that I wish he'd reconsider."

  Tony pulled on his jacket. "Kids are brutal. I remember being picked-on in school. His ears make his stand out. I think he'll be a lot happier looking more normal."

  He's not normal, she wanted to say. He's an elf. But she remained silent and simply looked down.

  Hooking his finger under her chin, Tony forced her gaze to his. "It'll be okay."

  "I know." Snapping the buttons on his, she smiled. "Thank you, again."

  "I'd do anything for you, Sara. You know that." Tony's mouth moved to hers and Sara felt butterflies in her stomach. Problem was, she wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing. "I'll call you tomorrow," the doctor said as he walked out.

  As the door shut, Sara bit her lip. A moment later, she headed back upstairs.

*          *          *          *          *

  In the thirteen years since she had visited Loreithia, Sara had only slept without the dream medallion once. As a toddler, Danny had grabbed the gold neckpiece and run off with it. Sara was in tears for two days, tearing apart the house until she finally found it buried deep in the cracks of the sofa. After that, she had Yule place a lock on her nightstand drawer where she kept the neckpiece.

  As Luciana had promised, the medallion brought dreams of the far-off land. While in slumber, Sara found herself walking among the lush forests of Loreithia, visiting her friends, and looking upon the world she longed to return to. She knew it was nothing more than dreams and fantasy, but during the hours of sleep, she felt at peace when her mind travelled there.

  This night was different, however. The images had urgency. She could see them moving with purpose, preparing. A summoner was called, casting powerful spells. Three figures appeared, but Sara couldn't make out who they were. Someone said something in a strange tongue. Then she saw it, the purple disc, like the one that had brought her to the far-off world years earlier. As the vision faded, the last image she saw was a forest...a forest on Earth.

  Sara bolted forward, her breath coming in short gasps. Something was happening. She wasn't sure what, but she knew she had to go. Pulling the medallion from her neck, she dropped it into the drawer and picked-up a small framed picture. A sigh left her lips. Rising from her bed, she hastily pulled on her clothes and grabbed her keys from the dresser.

  Michael had just appeared from the door behind the bookcase as Sara made it to the front door. He was tired, but woke as he saw his sister. There was determination in her eyes. "Hey, what's going on?"

  Sara swallowed, unaware her brother had been out as Black Torrent. She had hoped everyone would be asleep so she could leave unnoticed. "I need to go out."

  He looked her up and down. "As Dark Flame?"

  "No."

  Michael moved to her side, his eyebrow arched. He knew when she was trying to hide something. "Then where?"

  Sara didn't want to tell her brother. She knew he would think it was silly and try to stop her. Though, she realized she had little choice. "The North Woods."

  The answer shocked Michael and he glanced at his watch. "It's two in the morning. You can't go there at this hour."

  "I have to. Something's happening. I need to be there."

  "What's happening?"

  "I'm not sure. But I had this dream."

  Sara stubbornness often frustrated him, but Michael found himself particularly troubled by it now. "Sara, you can't go running out to the middle of the forest in the dead of night. You could get hurt."

  She pulled her purse strap onto her shoulder. "I have to go. If I don't and something happens, I'll never forgive myself."

  Staring into his sister's eyes, Michael could see she wasn't going to budge. He could also tell something else was fueling her detemination. "You think he's coming, don't you?"

  Sara's heart started to thunder in her chest and she cursed that her brother could read her so well. "I don't know."

  Sucking in a deep breath, he motioned to the stairs. "Let me go change and I'll come with you."

*          *          *          *          *

  I'm falling, Luciana thought. She knew portal-travel was never easy, but she wanted to have a safe landing; it would be so much easier if she could just walk through the swirling purple disc as if it were a door. But once again, she felt like all her breath was being taken from her right before there was a loud thud.

  The girl opened her eyes to find herself lying against the ground. Taelos, her pocket dragon, was next to her, licking her cheek. Giggling lightly, she rubbed her head. "Thought I'd be used to that by now." She stood up and brushed the dirt from her top and pants. Straightening her backpack and cloak, she moved over towards Fariet.

  "Is everyone alright?" the elf asked as he helped the blond-haired woman to her feet.

  "Yes, I'm fine," said Kaliya.

  "Us too!" nodded Luciana. "Do you think she got the message?"

  "Only time will tell." The light elf looked around. "Do you think you can find that cabin again? We probably should head there for shelter if it's going to take some time for Sara to come."

  Luciana nodded. "I think I remember where it is. This way." The girl moved down the unmarked path, Taelos perched on her shoulder. Her dragon-kin blood helped her see well in the darkness and she could make out a clearing ahead in the distance.

  "Earth doesn't seem so different from Loreithia," Fariet said as he glanced up at the trees.

  "Just wait until you leave the forest, it is so very much different."

  "Perhaps you and Sara can show us around," Kaliya suggested.

  "Maybe, but I haven't really been everywhere. I could show you where I used to live though; it was a big building with many other children. I would love to go there, anyway, to give these gifts to my friends...if they're still there."

  Sunlight was starting to appear on the horizon and the forest began to brighten. Luciana was excited to be back in Gale City, and was even more anxious to see the woman who had become a surrogate mother to her. She had such fond memories of Sara, and she could swear she heard her voice as she walked along.

  "Luciana?!"

  Two shadows appeared down the path. Behind the lantern, she could see her friend. Luciana squealed and rushed forward. "You're here!"

  Sara wrapped her arms around the girl. "Yes, it's me."

  "Oh gosh, I've missed you so much!"

  "Me too." Pulling back, Sara regarded the tiny dragon. With a snort, it casually walked up her arm, giving her a tail-hug. "Hello, Taelos." She looked back towards the girl. "My goodness, you've grown so much. You must be, what, eleven or twelve? I think the cure worked."

  "It has quite a bit. I'm able to eat normal food now, and go out in sunlight." Her voice lowered. "I still need to do what I did before, but I think that's normal."

  Michael was standing besides his sister, a pensive smile on his lips. Kaliya and Fariet finally caught up with them.

  "Fariet," Sara whispered. Her eyes moved to Kaliya. "Empress?"

  The woman embraced her. "Sara, it's wonderful to see you."

  When Michael stepped forward, his eyes were firmly on the matriarch. "Your Majesty," he said as he kissed her fingers.

  The elf clapped the man on the back. "You must be Michael. I feel I know you for as much as Sara spoke of you."

  The empress regarded the siblings. "It overjoys me to see the Earth humans who cared for my daughter whilst she was here so many years ago. I will forever be in your debt."

  Sara looked up towards the sky. "We should get to the cabin, it looks like a storm is coming."

  "I think it might be better if we just head back to the Tower," Michael said.

  "You have a tower?" Kaliya gasped.

  Michael laughed. "It's actually a very tall building. My home is on the top floor. This way everyone."

  The group followed the man's lead. Luciana watched her mother and the elf's expressions when they caught sight of his car.

  "What is this thing?" Kaliya asked.

  Fariet glanced towards Sara. "A metal carriage, just like you described."

  "We don't need horses," Michael explained.

  "Amazing," the empress said.

  Luciana giggled as she opened the back door for the two adults. "You haven't seen anything yet. This whole world is quite amazing."

*          *          *          *          *

  Michael glanced over at his sister. She looked tired. He almost suggested that she take a nap on the ride home, but he knew she would feel it rude if she slept.

  Their guests were in the back seat and Luciana had taken it upon herself to be the tour guide. Over the two hour drive, she proceeded to tell her mother and Fariet all about Earth, pointing out landmarks and places of interest. The Loreithians were quite taken by how quickly they moved in the vehicle, and they marvelled at the glowing lamps that lined the road. However as they entered the city limits, the elf and empress were nearly speechless.

  Kaliya leaned forward, pressing her fingers against the glass. "Such buildings and machines. Luciana has spoken so often of this world, but my imagination could never match the grandeur of these things." She pointed up to the sky. "What is that?"

  "A helicopter," Michael answered. "It's monitoring traffic information for the rush hour." He stopped a moment, realizing that would have no meaning to the women. "It's a flying machine that watches the cars and sends word down to the ground to tell others if there are any slow areas or accidents."

  "Fascinating."

  Making it to the Crystal Towers underground garage, Michael pulled into his private parking area. He waited until the large rolling door was closed before motioning for the others to exit; he figured it would be best not to raise questions as to his visitors' unusual garb.

  "Are we in a dungeon?" the elf asked, glancing at the stone walls and floor.

  "Almost," Michael laughed. "It'll be much more comfortable upstairs."

  "Now you get to see an elevator!" Luciana said with a clap of her hands. "It's a box that brings you up into the sky."

  Sara exited the car, her hands folded in front of herself. Her eyes kept moving to Fariet. She looked like she wanted to say something, but was too nervous. While there was no obvious threat to her, Michael felt the need to move to her side. The situation couldn't be easy for her, and he wanted to be there to support her, even if it was simply as a presence besides her.

  The five rode up to the 27th floor. Michael led them to the door at the end of the hall. As he fumbled with the keys, Fariet grabbed Sara's arm. "I had hoped the amulet would summon you."

  "It did," she said with a smile. Her eyelashes fluttered down. "I was surprised that you would come here to see me after all of these years."

  The elf's brow furrowed. "I didn't come to see you."

  Opening the door, Michael motioned for his guests to enter. Sara led Fariet into the large living room area. "Why did you come, then?"

  "Our son."

  There was shock in Sara's eyes. Even though she had suspected he knew of their child, she had never been totally sure.

  "He is nearing the age of maturity," Kaliya explained. "All male elves must participate in a Tryelian Rite. It is vital so they are purified to receive the magical gifts of their race."

  "Gifts? Magic?" There was a panic in her voice. "I don't understand."

  Taking her hand into his own, Fariet's eyes softened. "You needn't be afraid. It is only what must be."

  As Sara glanced down, her eyes went to the ring on her finger—the one Fariet had bought for her thirteen years earlier. Her gaze then moved to his finger...and the elven union ring he wore. Before she could comment, the light at the top of the stairs switched on.

  "Mom?" a voice called. All eyes moved to the boy who walked down the steps, rubbing his eyes. "What's going on?"

  The elf stared at the child, the color draining from his features.

  Sara stepped forward. "Danny, I want you to meet someone."

  His mother didn't need to say another word. As the boy's eyes moved between the newcomers, recognition showed in them. Sara had told her son many tales of Loreithia and her friends there. As his gaze stopped on Fariet, he sucked in a sharp breath and clenched his fists. He took the rest of the steps quickly, rushing to stand in front of the man.

  "Who are you?" he asked, though his tone suggested he already knew.

  "I am Fariet of Elekville. Your father."

  Water welled in the boy's eyes. A moment later, he threw his arms around the elf's waist.

  Sara wiped a tear from her cheek.

  With a sigh, Michael motioned to the kitchen. "Why don't you all take a seat. I think we're going to need some coffee."