Strength

Chapter 7

Strength

Initiate: “Who has built this great stone tower?”

High Priestess: “What great stone tower?”

Initiate: “Why the one we live and study in, of course!”

High Priestess: “It is already forgotten. For it, too, will crumble.”

-Il Discordea

Kriss was awakened by a sharp, insistent rapping at her door. After quickly slipping on her robe she shuffled across the room, half asleep, and jerked opened the door to find Patawpha standing there clad head to toe in a suit of battered armor.

“Daylight's wasting, Kriss!” The right corner of his mouth crept upwards in a wry smile.

Kriss cast her gaze over one shoulder and out the door that led to her balcony. There was very little sun to be found anywhere. “I thought I was to be taught magic.”

Patawpha huffed in derision. “Magic is unpredictable at best. A blow to the head gets results every time.” This made Kriss smile in spite of herself. Patawpha grinned in return and made a show of offering her his arm. She slipped her hand through the rusty crook of his elbow and together they made their way downstairs and out into the practice yard. The sun met them there as well, extending a few languid rays their way; just enough to light the patch of ground they were going to use.

Patawpha popped open an old trunk that rested against the stone wall of the tower and pulled out some leather gear for Kriss to wear. After clearing her throat several times he grinned widely and turned his back to her so she could slip on the leather armor. It fit perfectly; Kriss was learning to expect such things now. Patawpha then pulled a couple of old swords from a nearby weapons rack and handed her one. The balance of the blade felt off to her but at his signal she began to spar, making a few feints followed by a solid swing just the way her father had taught her. Patawpha disarmed her easily and the blade fell to the ground with an audible thump.

Kriss made a face and Patawpha did too but neither said a word. There was no doubt that he was one of the best swordsmen she had ever seen, so being disarmed by him was to be expected, but something just didn't feel right with her blade. She picked it up and tried again, this time with even worse results. She fumbled the sword almost immediately and sent it spinning dangerously across the field.

“Let's try another.” Kriss could tell that he was trying to act unshaken but clearly something was wrong. This time he chose a much nicer sword, one well crafted and not normally used for every day sparring. “This should be better,” Patawpha hefted the blade, testing its balance with a few spins around his hand.

Kriss took the sword and although it certainly felt better than the last one something still felt wrong. After several failed bouts of sparring Patawpha suggested they take a break. Kriss readily agreed, both frustrated and concerned. After several quiet moments of rest Patawpha broke the silence and climbed to his feet. “I have another idea.” He went to the weapons rack and this time selected a heavy, wicked looking mace; a spiked iron ball fixed to the end of a long, metal shaft. Kriss took it in her hands and although it was almost too heavy for her to wield properly it felt much better than any of the blades they had tried before.

She cast a puzzled look at Patawpha. “I've trained with the Moonblade for as long as I can remember. Surely that training should transfer to any other sword.”

“Normally I would agree.” Patawpha's voice was muffled as he bent over the open trunk, rummaging around for something. “The Moonblade is a unique and magical sword. Apparently, you are meant to wield no other.” Finding what he had been searching for, Patawpha turned around with a large, battered shield in his hands. “I think I'm going to need this.” Kriss grinned widely and further tested the weight of the mace in her hands. With every practice swing it felt better and better; still a bit heavy, but her muscles would grow into it with practice. Patawpha clashed his sword against his shield, signaling Kriss to have a go at him. As she swung the mighty weapon for the first time she felt a rush of joy that she had not felt in days. Everything seemed to come together as Patawpha effortlessly knocked the blow aside with his shield and strangely, for the first time, she felt truly at home.  The two fell against each other in glorious combat.

The next morning her muscles screamed in pain as she shuffled to the door to answer Patawpha's insistent knock but she was eager to practice just the same. Days of training quickly turned into weeks and as her strength grew their sparring sessions grew more and more intense. Other members of the Order began to gather in the morning to watch the two come to blows. After a time they were both dressed out in full suits of heavy plate armor in order to decrease the chance of injuries as well as to further strengthen Kriss' muscles. In the afternoons she would join Patawpha's group weapons training sessions where there was no shortage of members eager to challenge her to a fight. She rarely lost.

One morning, however, the knock at her door was different, more hesitant than Patawpha's and Kriss opened the door to find Kem standing there. With a start Kriss realized that she hadn't seen her friend in days. Or was it weeks? Kem must have known what she was thinking because she spoke first. “It's alright. I told you that time moves differently here. It's not uncommon to go for days without seeing someone.”

Kriss smiled, nodded, and managed to mutter and embarrassed, “Thank you.” The words didn't seem adequate, though, and something else was tugging at the edge of her thoughts. It wasn't just that she hadn't seen Kem but she had hardly thought about her, either. She felt terrible.

Kem rested her hand on her arm for a moment as if to tell her was alright but that just made Kriss feel worse. Kem smiled warmly and disarmed her as easily as Patawpha did on the practice field. “Come. 

Nora wishes to see you today.”

Kriss couldn't help but feel disappointed. “But why? I have practice...” She looked up and down the hall for Patawpha but he was nowhere to be found.

Kem tugged gently at Kriss' arm to get her moving. “It's time to awaken the magic inside you.”

Kriss came to an abrupt halt. “Wait...how?”

“That's different for everybody, Kriss.”

“But why today?”

“Patawpha has deemed you strong enough.” Kriss did not like the sound of that. “Please, we mustn't keep Nora waiting.” Kem tugged at her elbow again to get her moving and she reluctantly obliged.

“Where are we going"

"Never you mind that. We're late enough as it is." There was something in Kem's voice that

gave Kriss pause. She held her tongue and followed Kem through the maze of hallways and stairs that made up the tower until she was completely lost. Kriss felt as if they were now far underground.

At last they came to a room that was unlike any she had seen before. The room was massive, with a granite floor, and walls draped in deep blue cloth covered in gold moons and lightning bolts. Row after row of hard wooden benches gave Kriss the impression that she was now inside a hall of worship. Although her father had told her of such places she now found herself in completely unfamiliar territory.

Sensing her nervousness Kem rested a hand on her arm and encouraged her forward. They walked slowly down the center aisle with Kriss casting her nervous gaze everywhere at once as if expecting foes to leap from every shadow. Once they reach the end of the aisle they approached a large stone dais on which sat a large stone altar. Behind altar was another set of the large blue drapes that covered the walls. From behind these drapes step Nora, surprising Kriss to the point that a little, "Meep!" escaped her lips before she could clamp her hand tightly over them.

Nora smiled an unnerving smile that sent shivers down Kriss's back. Kriss was so focused on Nora that she did not notice when Kem released her arm and slipped away. Nora spoke in a sickly sweet voice so full of treacle that Kriss felt her breakfast churn unpleasantly in her stomach. "Dear Kriss, it's been months and we've hardly had the chance to get to know each other."

Alarm bells went off in Kriss's head. Months! 

Before she could speak Nora continued with a smile so fake and big it threatened to split her face in two, "Come love, let us step behind this curtain so we may speak in private."

Kriss did not want to go, not for all the gold in the world, but her feet betrayed her and she found herself following Nora behind the curtain very much against her will. The instant her body passed the curtain everything changed. She felt a disconcerting sideways lurch that threatened to upset the contents of her stomach all over again and everything went dark for an indeterminate amount of time. It may have been seconds. Possibly years. Kriss had now officially stopped trying to estimate time.

After a time she realized that she was on her hands and knees, no longer on stone but now coarse sand, and her eyes were closed. She opened them in amazement. She was alone, now losing her breakfast, on an endless sea of red sand. The sky above her was pitch black and held no stars. On the horizon brewed a storm out of which she saw appearing beautiful forks of bright blue lightning. She clambered to her feet and clapped the sand from the palms of her hands. There was nothing else to see other than the storm in the distance so she clenched her jaw and started moving that direction.

Three of Wands

Chapter 6:

Three of Wands

"The aegis of Chaos in she's clad.
Friend of the lost and scout for the mad."

-(from) Our Lady Amongst the Stars

      As soon as the tower doors sealed behind them Kriss stopped in her tracks and sucked in a noisy gulp of air. The tower was literally humming with power and the hairs on her arms and the back of her neck stood straight up at attention. From the outside the tower was large, by far the biggest structure she had ever seen, but the inside was positively gargantuan. There was no doubt that powerful magic was at work here because the inside diameter was at least two times larger than it appeared to be from the outside. The floor she stood upon was a type of stone that she had never seen; it's ebony surface was polished and shiny, shot through with streaks and flecks of gold that almost seemed to squirm and move until you focused your eyes upon a particular location. The walls were granite and hung with ornate tapestries and large paintings of places and creatures that she had never even dreamed of. A set of stairs curved along the wall and up into a ceiling made of the same black stone that was under her feet. Torches that gave off no smoke sat in sconces along the walls but the massive hall was lit mostly by an enormous chandelier that hung in the center of the ceiling. It must have contained a hundred or more candles from which Kriss could see no wax melting.

      She looked down at her sister and found her grinning wildly, her bright green eyes shimmering like jewels in the torchlight. Kriss's excitement was mixed with concern as she looked at her sister standing strangely silent and still. She knelt down quickly and brushed the cowl of her robe back over her sister's slick, hairless head. The loss of those beautiful red tresses still shocked her a little when she saw them. She wrapped her arms around Elly who responded only with a slow, limp hug in return.

      Reluctantly, Kriss released her sister and rested her forehead softly against Elly's. Gently, she spoke, “You're going to be alright here. I promise you.”

      Elly just blinked slowly in return yet continued to smile.

      Like ants, two blue-robed people emerged from a set of stairs that led darkly down into the floor, approaching Elly in silence. They each rested a hand upon her shoulders.

      Kem gently guided Kriss to her feet. “She is in good hands, Kriss. Let me show you to your room.” Quickly, the two newcomers shuffled Elly down into depths below the tower. She did not look back.

      Kriss was struck by an observation that had been tugging at the corner of her mind ever since she woke up in this odd place. “Kem, are there no children here? I haven't seen anyone younger than us and not many of our age, either. These blasted robes make it hard to tell much about anyone, yet still...”

      “No, you are right. There are not many children here but keep in mind, also, that you have not seen everyone.” Kem paused momentarily. “Nor every thing for that matter. Time does not move in the same manner here as it does in the outside world. Magic tends to age a person. The more powerful the spell the more time one can lose, therefore this place must stand outside of time. Of course, there are always exceptions...”

      Kriss cocked her head to one side and studied Kem's face closely. Soft blonde strands of hair emerged from the hood of her robe and framed her pretty face. Her blue eyes, arched over by thin eyebrows, watched Kriss carefully with a hint of mirth. She had a small, slightly upturned nose that crinkled slightly as she smiled nervously at Kriss, obviously a bit uncomfortable at being studied so hard up close.

      Kriss spoke slowly, “Just how old are you, anyway?”

      Kem laughed. “I have not been here long.” Before Kriss could respond, she grabbed her hand and pulled her up the stairway. “Come! Let's go see your room.”

      Quickly, Kem led Kriss up the broad, winding stairs. Along the way they passed several fellow blue robes heading down and Kriss began to notice subtle variations of their robes along the way. Some had darker blue borders around their sleeves and cowl and a few others were even lined with gold. One was even covered in dark blue moons and stars. Kriss could only assume these differences indicated different levels of study but for the most part all she saw were robes like the ones she and Kem wore. There were a few smiles and nods along the way but most people shuffled quickly by, paying them little notice. Kriss continued to wonder how she would ever feel at home here.

      At last Kem led them through a door off the stairs that put them in a hallway following the gentle curve of the perimeter of the tower. “This is the girl's floor,” Kem explained. “This floor houses mostly other girls our age.” Kem led them past several doors, many of which were open and empty, Kriss noticed.

      At last she stopped at a closed door. “This room is yours. I'm right next door.”

      Kriss pushed the door open and entered the first space that was entirely her own. While not huge, and a little spartan, she couldn't help but feel a little thrill of excitement looking at the first bed she didn't have to share with her sister, her own table with two chairs, and something she had never seen before: a full length mirror standing in one corner. There was also a door that stood open, looking into what seemed to be some sort of indoor bathing area, a concept completely foreign to the young girl that had lived her life until now in a small cabin in the woods. Kem led her across the room to another set of shuttered doors and pushed them open. They led out onto a little balcony. Kriss stepped outside with Kem and looked over the the granite wall. They were impossibly high up, far higher than the stairs they had climbed. Kriss's stomach felt funny, like little monsters were in there throwing a raucous party. She stepped back and looked at Kem who was grinning widely.

      “How...how can we be so far up?”

      Kem laughed. “If you are going to be so surprised at every mysterious thing you see here then you are in for a long couple of days.”

      Kriss just stared at her, not thinking things to be so funny.

      Kem softened her smile. “Magic, Kriss. There are so many things here that I couldn't explain to you if I wanted to. Quite frankly, I doubt that Nora, who is one of the smartest people I have ever known, could tell us why certain things work around here. We are at the epicenter of some very strong magic, Kriss. For now, that's all I can tell you...but we are here to learn and you will learn things here that will astound you.”

      Down below Kriss heard sounds of battle so she braved a look over the granite wall again to see Patawpha drilling students in various arts of combat. She wasn't sure about magic but what she saw down there looked like something she would enjoy. Patawpha stopped shouting at his students for a moment, looked up, and gave a quick wave. Kriss gave a slow, dumbfounded wave back in return.

      Kriss turned and gave Kem a puzzled look. “How did he know?” Kem only chuckled. “Ah yes,” Kriss continued. “Magic.”

     Together they walked back into Kriss's room and Kem said that there was one more thing she wanted to show her. She led her into the little bathing area and showed her how to used the facilities, including how to fill the tub with hot or cold water simply by waving a hand over two large red or green jewels. Kriss put her curiosity on hold and just nodded as if such things were commonplace to her. With the tub full, Kem indicated various soaps and oils and then excused herself so that she, too, could wash up.

      Kriss enjoyed the most wonderful bath of her life and did her best not to wonder too much where the water went when she was through. Afterward she dressed and pulled her soft leather boots on, one of the few things left to her from her past life. She stood before the long mirror and pulled an ivory comb through her long, black hair. She had never, truly had a good look at herself before other than in her mother's hand mirror or in ponds and streams. Her hair was as black as a raven's wing; the sort of deep, dark black that in sunlight appeared to reflect shades of blue. It fell straight past her shoulders without any hint of curl like in her sister's or her mother's hair. Her eyes were green but a darker hue than that of her sister's bright emeralds. Her father used to say they made her look “mysterious," whatever that meant. Her nose was long and straight, not like the cute little button of a thing that sat in the middle of Kem's face, and her lips were thin. Too thin, she began to think, the longer she looked at them.

      Perhaps this mirror wasn't as great as she first thought, she sighed to herself as she turned away. She had never thought of herself as a pretty girl although her father had always told her so, but isn't that what fathers are supposed to do, after all? However, during their last trip to the market she had observed a young man watching her and trying following them unobserved in his clumsy, city fashion. After a time Kriss had grown tired of his prying, slyly purchased an apple from a vendor, and without warning spun around quickly and sent it flying unerringly at his head. The poor boy did not even have time to react before it magnificently splattered in the middle of his forehead, sending him scrawling away, stumbling and half blind, the laughter of the market vendor's nipping at his heels the entire way. Her father was laughing the hardest of all and in between gasps for air told Kriss that he was going to have to hire mercenaries to keep the boys away soon. The whole idea made her feel uncomfortable but she could not help laughing now thinking about the poor boy.

      Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door followed by Kem entering with a tray of food. She started for a moment at the site of Kriss but quickly recovered. “It's nice to see you smiling. I thought you might be hungry.”

      Kriss detected something else in her voice and thought for a moment that Kem looked at her like the boy in the marketplace had. Kriss, however, felt no need to hurl an apple at her even though there were several readily available on the tray in Kem's hands. They ate together quickly, chatting of little things, trying in vain to overcome the awkwardness that had suddenly come between them.

      After Kem left Kriss felt quite relieved, extinguished the lights, and spent the first night of her life in her own bed. It felt like heaven. She briefly thought of her sister, hoping she was enjoying her own bed as much as she but quickly fell into an exhausted sleep. That night she dreamed of endlessly chasing her father through the marketplace until, at last, he disappeared from her view altogether.

The Tower

Chapter5:
The Tower

Set in the field of Nothingness,

No slave to passing hour,

Stands tall and silent, all alone,

The great Discordian Tower.

      Kriss found herself slowly climbing to her feet just to take it all in. The tower stretched high into the sky, taller than any tree she had ever seen. Even taller than the Great Willow that Father had shown her when she was around Elly's age. The structure was made out of a type of stone she had never seen before; it was black and shiny as if giant hands had spent the day polishing it to a near perfect sheen. Little slits of windows ran around the walls until about halfway up where they got much larger and ornate. Near top Kriss could make out balconies and sentry stations and on the very top, through the crenelations, she could just make out guards clad in dark blue mail; they shimmered in the sunlight like fish in a stream.

      Glancing around her, she stood in a lawn ringed with a low wall of stone. Off to one side of the tower stood wooden dummies for weapons training. Stretching around the wall of stone, forming a larger ring was a wall of trees, the beginning of a forest thick and dark. She did not remember walking through such dense underbrush. “And where”, she thought, looking up at the clear, blue sky, “did all the snow go to?” Like a shadow her sister slipped up to her and took her hand. The two of them stood silently for a while just taking it all in.

      “Welcome home,” Kem's voice startled both of them and they turned to find her standing there with the hood of her robe pulled up, hiding most of her face. Other than her they were alone on the carefully manicured lawn. Kem had two bundles of blue cloth in her hands which she held out to each of them. “These are yours now. Put them on.” A proud smile crept across her face. Kriss was about to object when her sister reached out and took one, admiring the rich texture with her hands. She looked silently up at Kriss who sighed once and took a robe of her own which she slipped quickly over her head. The fact that she had little choice in the matter grated on her nerves yet in spite of her inward objections the robe felt lovely, unlike anything she had ever worn before. Kem stepped close and helped adjust the cowl of the robe over her long, raven-black hair. Kriss felt a little uncomfortable with the attention and blushed slightly. Over Kem's shoulder she saw her sister slipping the hood of her robe over then off her head swiftly several times in a row. The soft fabric felt both strange and pleasant as it slid over her hairless head.

      Whatever levity there was in those moments was quickly sucked from the air as the large, wooden door to the tower opened swiftly and without warning. Nora stepped out silently, followed by Patawpha, then score after score of blue-robed figures who quickly filled the entire courtyard. Kriss felt the weight of their silence squarely upon her shoulders. Once again she was comforted by the presence of her sisters hand. She squeezed once, gently, and Elly squeezed right back.

Once the crowd was settled Nora faced them and began to speak. “Praise Eris!” she cried, her voice booming with power.

      The crowd shouted back with a unity that was strange and inhuman, “HAIL KALLISTI!”

After a moment's pause Nora continued, “Today we welcome two more into our midst. Mehumes no more, they are one of us and are to be welcomed and treated as if they had been here all along.” Her iron gaze fell to Kriss and Elly. “You will find no rituals or hazing here, no forced or artificial bonds to bind you to us. You were our lost sisters long before Eris called you. We are your brothers and your sisters, your family. We have been here all along waiting for you to arrive. In truth, we have missed you and longed for the day you would find your way back to us.”

      Kriss could feel Elly trembling beside her, crying silently. She gave Elly's hand a firm squeeze and tightened her jaw. Nora rambled on for a bit longer but Kriss's mind wandered back to her little home, saw her mother mending clothes on the porch and her father coming home from the hunt. It hurt to think of them but she vowed to herself never to forget. This cold tower would never be her home and when she was old enough to leave it she would.

      After what seemed like an eternity Nora stopped droning on about Eris and the Discordian way. Elly had stopped crying and let go of her hand and the two of them stood still, silent and nervous, as the crowd shuffled its way back into the tower. When the lawn was almost empty Kem turned to them and spoke. “Well then, let's get you inside. You must be exhausted. Sleeping in a proper bed will cure that. Elly, of course, will need to see a healer. We should take her there straight away.”

      Kriss looked perplexed and a bit put off. “There's nothing wrong with her. Her arms are fine...her hair will grow back.”

      A shadow of sadness passed over Kem's face. “You haven't noticed...”

      Kriss dropped to one knee to be at Elly's level. She brushed the cowl of Elly's robe back over her head and cupped her cheeks in her hands. “What...” Her eyes locked with her sister's. “There is nothing wrong...Elly? Tell her there is nothing wrong with you!”

      Elly simply cocked her head slightly to one side and stared sadly into Kriss's eyes. Kriss's mind raced back over the past couple of days, soaring like an eagle over the high trees, heading straight for their little house in the woods. Her mind circled over the grizzly scene and she shuddered inwardly at the sound of her sister's dreadful keening. She followed as their little party traveled through the forest, camped through the night, she watched herself argue with Patawpha then rush to her sister's side when she had awakened. There had been a fleeting thought as they marched off into the mysterious blizzard. She lost them there but captured the thought like a field mouse and brought it streaking back to her in an instant.

      Elly had not uttered a sound since her mournful cries back at their home. Now, as she stared back into her sister's despairing eyes she saw that something was missing. The spark of life that made her so uniquely Elly had been snuffed out.

      Kriss looked up at Kem, unable to find words herself. As if reading her mind Kem spoke softly, “I don't know what is wrong with her, Kriss, but there are no healers better than the ones here at our tower. She will be in good hands.”

      Kriss rose slowly to her feet and found her voice as she did so. It was quiet, husky, and full of danger. “If any further harm comes to her I swear upon your Eris and whatever gods there may be that I will tear this tower to the ground with my bare hands. She is all I have left. These healers should hope that they can fix her or they will have to contend with me.”

      Kem nodded slowly. “I promise you that no harm will come to her. She will be made well.”

      Kriss only huffed in response and pulled the cowl of her robe down low to conceal her face.

     “You are wrong about one thing, Kriss. She is not all that you have left.”

      Kem took Elly's hand and Kriss took the other. Together the three of them entered the tower and the massive wooden doors swung shut behind them.

Seven of Wands

Chapter 4:
Seven of Wands

“I've stumbled on the side of twelve misty mountains
I've walked and I've crawled on six crooked highways
I've stepped in the middle of seven sad forests
I've been out in front of a dozen dead oceans
I've been ten thousand miles in the mouth of a graveyard
And it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard, and it's a hard
It's a hard rain's a-gonna fall.” -Bob Dylan

      As Kriss ascended slowly through the viscous stuff of fatigue laden sleep her head popped silently through its murky surface and awoke her with a sudden gasp. Her lungs ached as if she had been holding one last breathe all night. She heard voices, most distinctly the deep baritone of Patawpha's, right away. “Careful with that,” he was saying, “I've only got two of those.”

      “Does this hurt?” The second voice was Nora's followed by a deep grunt of pain and then her unsettling, mirthless laughter.

      Patawpha's voice was measured and weighty; it sounded as if he were holding something back. “The last bone you set didn't hurt this much.”

      “We have a long way to travel yet and I cannot waste all my power on you.” There was another grunt of pain that made Kriss wince. “Besides you were a child then. Now...you are a...man.” On the last word Nora's voice dropped menacingly and with a jerk she set the bone. Patawpha's sudden cry of pain had Kriss scrabbling to her feet and in mid charge before she had time to think.

      “Stop! Stop hurting him!” She flung herself at Nora's back but it was Patawpha who stopped her, caught her up in one big arm and whisked her away. “Shhhhhh.....shhhhhhh.....” he whispered, “I'm alright, I'm alright...”

      Nora sat with her back to them, still and unmoving except for the slow stirring of the coals with a long stick. As Patawpha ushered Kriss to the edge of camp she started squirming and kicking wildly, shouting to be put down. Patawpha abruptly obliged and Kriss fell into a cursing, spitting, flailing ball of anger on the forest floor. She was up in a flash, however, startling Patawpha with her speed, hammering blows down on his chest with her fists and screaming at the top of her lungs. Most of what was said was unintelligible but as she began to tire one word rose from deep inside of her and took over until she was only repeating, “why....why....why...” loud and angry at first but soon dropping to a whisper.

      Her lungs heaved once, betraying her, and she fell into Patawpha's chest, crying softly. Patawpha wrapped his muscular arms around her and it felt good to be held in spite of her wild independence. For a time grief washed over her and covered her like an ocean. She found herself alone at the bottom of the sea with nothing but her tears, loss, and the comforting, steady lub-dub of Patawpha's heart.

     It was the long, slow sound of scraping coals that finally found her at the bottom of the sea like an apathetic diving bell. That sound, with all its indifference, brought her back to her senses like a blow across her face.

      None of this was making sense anymore and she felt trapped like an animal in one of her father's snares so she put both hands on Patawpha's chest and shoved violently. This only resulted in her stumbling back a few steps, windmilling her arms wildly while trying to regain balance. She failed miserably at this endeavor and only succeeded in plunking hard again to the earth where she smacked her hands to the ground several times in frustration. The scraping of the coals came to an abrupt stop.

      “Are you quite finished?” Nora asked coldly but Kriss ignored her, staring angrily up at Patawpha instead.

      “What was she doing to you?” she hissed.

      “She was healing me. Fixing my broken arm.” He flexed his arm several times to show that it was alright.

      “Oh...” Kriss's brain whirled. “...but I broke my leg once...it was bad. Father brought a healer from town and he did not hurt me like that.”

      “My choice,” Patawpha extended his once-broken arm and offered Kriss a hand up which she took reluctantly.

      “But...why?” The rest of the camp was stirring behind her now and Kriss noticed Patawpha glance over her head and acknowledge some sort of signal. He looked back at her and sighed.

      “That's something I will try to explain later.” Kriss glared at him. “We must be on our way soon and besides...your sister is up. I think she's feeling better.”

      Kriss whirled around to see Elly rubbing sleep from her eyes. Standing next to her was Kem with a protective hand on her shoulder. Elly looked well enough but it was shocking to see her with no hair. Someone had cleaned her up during the night and every strand of her lovely red hair had come out with the washing. When she smiled at Kriss, however, her heart leaped brightly. She was still as beautiful as ever. Kriss rushed over, grabbed her in her arms, and spun her around. Only when she was good and dizzy did she remember her sister's burns with a start; she gingerly set her down, uttering apologies the whole time.

      Elly just smiled brightly and flexed her arm in much the same way Patawpha had, showing that she felt no pain. They were badly scarred from the fire but completely healed. Patawpha was at her side in an instant before Kriss could ask the question that leaped to her mind. “You have Kem to thank, Kriss. She is second only to Nora when it comes to healing. Always gentle as a lamb.”

      Kem blushed shyly at Kriss's thanks who was overcome with a sudden, inexplicable worry about her appearance. “I must..I must..look..I mean, I haven't even bathed in....” Kriss's voice trailed off as she looked down at her clothes. To her dismay they were burned and torn beyond repair. She looked at Kem whose cheeks reddened further then up to Patawpha who was grinning, clearly at some private joke, then back to Kem who looked away.

      Suddenly Nora's voice spoke from behind her, causing her to jump while bringing her back to her senses. “Here, child. I brought this for you.” Kriss did not like being called 'child' but that was not the reason she snatched the robe angrily from her hands and stomped into the woods to change her clothes. She wasn't even certain why she was angry but she felt embarrassed and vulnerable. To her great relief when she emerged from the woods everyone had begun to eat and no one seemed to notice her. She had, however, taken the time to scrub her face in a stream and tie her hair back with a strip of cloth from her old clothes. Elly waved her over and she broke her fast on a simple breakfast of bread and cheese. Afterward, Nora slice up one of the golden apples, topped it with some sort of spices from a pouch at her belt, and passed them around for everyone to enjoy. It was delicious but Kriss could not taste the spices.

      In what seemed like no time at all the camp was broken down, the fire buried, and the little group of blue-robed Discordians tramped off into the forest. Where once there had been five now there were seven. They fell into formation with the two that were still unknown to Kriss taking the lead, Kem and Elly next, followed by Kriss and Patawpha. Nora took up the rear.

     Kriss did not notice the silence at first because she was lost in her own thoughts. As her thoughts became muddy and distant she tried her best to take in her surroundings but she had to struggle to do so. No one had spoken a word since...never. Her gait was steady, matching Patawpha's stride for stride...matching everyone's stride for stride. She tried to slow down, then speed up, but her limbs were no longer under her control.

      Then she heard it. From behind her came Nora's voice in a low, powerful chant. The words were foreign to Kriss but the cadence matched her footfalls precisely. Kriss began to panic. She hated feeling trapped. As if in response, Nora's voice grew louder and it was if a shade were pulled over Kriss's eyes. Everything went strangely dark like that time Father punched a tiny hole in a leaf so that she could watch the moon gobble up the sun.

      Father...mother....they were gone...gobbled up. Dimly, Kriss's mind struggled to regain control. There was something wrong with Elly. Not her arms...Kriss hadn't heard her speak a word...had she? The shade over her eyes was abruptly ripped away and everything was...

     

      White. Like snow.

      It was snow but yet she wasn't cold. As if in a blizzard, the snow was blowing madly all  around and all she could see as she looked down was a foot. One foot...replaced by another...foot.

     

      ...foot...foot...foot...foot...foot...

      

      How long had she been walking?

      

      There was Nora's sing-song voice again...

       Kriss mustered all her strength. “Wait!-”

      The next thing she knew she was lying face down in a field of lush, green grass. 

      When she lifted her head she saw it.

      The Tower.

Five of Wands

Chapter 3
Five of Wands

“'Twas in another lifetime, one of toil and blood

When blackness was a virtue and the road was full of mud

I came in from the wilderness, a creature void of form

'Come in,' she said, 'I'll give you shelter from the storm.”

-Bob Dylan

      The leader of the little band of interlopers told everyone to take a few moments to eat and rest. Her crew dropped their packs and settled to the ground without a word, pulling out water, bread, and cheese as they did so. After they had settled in a bit she walked over to them and began to eat as well, taking her food and drink from what they offered her.

      Meanwhile Kriss helped Elly to her feet and she silently began to look around, surveying the destruction. There was nothing recognizable but the two sisters held hands and picked their way through the splinters and scorched wood anyway hoping to find something to take with them to remind them of home. There was nothing. Nothing but that horrid stench that Kriss would never quite forget until Elly, with a little squeal of excitement, kicked aside what may have once been part of their dinner table. There lying burnt, brittle, and devoid of string lay her precious bow. She let go of Kriss's hand, snatched it up quickly, and held it over her head with a little smile that held both pride and hope.

      To both of their dismay the bow cracked right in two and smashed to pieces as it hit the ground. Kriss swallowed hard once as Elly slowly lowered her arm and seemed to notice for the first time how badly burned they were, as if she had been oblivious to the pain all along. Whatever delusion had kept the pain at bay was suddenly shattered at the sight. Kriss watched Elly take one long breath which she then released with such awful cries of pain that Kriss and the entire party winced. As Kriss rushed to comfort her sister Elly fought her off with cries of, “Don't touch me! It hurts!”

In an instant the Discordian leader was shoving Kriss aside and as she reeled to keep her footing on the tricky mound of debris she saw a look in the leader's eyes that she did not like at all. There was a mixture of contempt and boredom on her face as if all of this work were far beneath her. Kriss got the feeling that she did not like children at all.

      “Enough!” she shouted at Elly but little balding girl with burned arms would have nothing of it. Her eyes widened remarkably as she began casting her gaze wildly around as if truly seeing everything for the first time. When she noticed all the blood and gore that was hanging from the trees her keening reached inhuman levels of both pitch and amplitude. Kriss watched in wonder as birds rose in massive numbers from the forest around them, chattering and diving about in a frenzy. In the far distance she would have sworn she heard wolves howling their lament.

      “E-NOUGH!!” the blue-robed woman shouted and stretched out her hand. A thin, blue snap of electricity arced from her fingers to the center of Elly's forehead. She was instantly silenced as she crumpled to the earth, Kriss rushing to her side as she did so. Elly seemed to be breathing and none worse for the wear, nonetheless Kriss was regretting her rush to alliance with these strangers. At the time she had only thought, “If they were going to kill us they would have already.” That and the word Discordian stuck out in her head as if something she should know. Her instincts about these things were usually spot on so she had not hesitated. Now, however, she began to wonder if she had allied with the wrong people. It was a tenuous alliance at best and Kriss knew that once they were safely in the woods she and her sister could run away. Kriss knew the woods, knew survival, but Elly was hurt badly and now unconscious not to mention they had no weapons and little knowledge on how to make them.

      Kriss quashed her desire to rush headlong at the lady in blue who stood silently studying Kriss with narrowed eyes. Kriss narrowed her own eyes as she slowly got to her feet and studied the woman in return. Behind her she was dimly aware of the rest of the blue-robes standing up and gathering their belongings. “What did you do to my sister?” Kriss spoke slowly and deliberately letting venom drip off of every word. Her mind, however, was racing like the chickens Elly used to keep in the yard, flitting from thought to thought, tallying up the mistakes she had made so far. Like it or not she was now locked in with these people.

      The blue robed woman spoke softly but Kriss could hear the frustration in her voice.“She is unharmed and no longer in pain. She will sleep soundly until we can make camp and tend to her wounds. I cannot stress enough how quickly we must be off. For her sake. For all of us.”

Kriss cocked her head slightly. “Not yet. Your names. You have us at a disadvantage, after all.”

The woman's face softened a little at this. “Forgive me, but in the rush to find you many things were overlooked. I am Nora, High Priestess and messenger for Eris, goddess of Discord and thrower of the Golden Apple. For you, Kallisti...” Nora produced an apple made of pure gold from somewhere in her robes and offered it to Kriss. Etched into the side of the fruit were the words, “To Kallisti.” When Kriss took the fruit she was surprised to find that it wasn't truly made of gold at all but instead held fast in some sort of illusion. “Taste it.” Nora smiled softly. Kriss took a bite and came to the quick conclusion that it was the most delicious piece of fruit she had ever tasted. She did not show it on her face, however, and chewed in silence waiting for Nora to continue.

      “The rest of us you can meet along the way. We really must be going.” There was an urgency in her voice and Kriss began to wonder what could possibly make such a strong wielder of magic retreat in fear. She decided that was something she really didn't want to know and nodded her head in silent assentation, taking another bite of apple as she did so.

      “Patawpha will stay behind and cover our retreat.” Nora indicated a young man who bowed deeply. Kriss could hear the creak of leather from under his robes as he did so, an indication of the armor he wore hidden there. As if on cue, Patawpha grinned widely at Kriss and began to pull an impossibly wide variety of wicked weapons from robes, deftly stashing them around his person with a little flourish .

      “Ufff!” Nora snorted at Patawpha. “Please tell me you did not bring that audacious scythe with you.”

      Patawpha spread his arms wide and shrugged. “Wherever would I keep it?” His brown eyes were bright with delight as he exchanged words with his superior.

      “I know precisely the place.” Nora retorted. She was unamused. Turning to the rest of the party Nora began barking directions. No one else looked at her like Patawpha did who was still grinning and chuckling quietly as he went to task setting snares around the perimeter of the little clearing. The rest kept their heads low and followed every order to the letter, marching orders, who was scouting ahead, and who was carrying Elly were amongst the many directions Nora spit out quickly.

      The latter fell to a small, attractive blonde woman just a few years older than Kriss herself. She smiled warmly and introduced herself as Kem, politely declining Kriss's offer of help as she effortlessly lifted little Elly into her arms. She was strong yet very careful with her slumbering cargo. Kriss liked her instantly but felt it better to keep that information to herself for now. Before long the whole party, minus Patawpha, were setting off into the forest at a rapid pace. Unencumbered as she was Kriss had no trouble keeping up and easily fell into step besides Kem who greeted her with a welcoming smile. Before she knew it Kriss caught herself smiling back at the pleasant girl, chiding herself as she did so and forcing the smile from her face with a wicked scowl. Kem politely looked away and pretended not to notice.

      It wasn't long before the pace they set had taken Kriss far from the small circle of territory she knew around her home. Her father had promised to start taking her further afield on her next birthday. The very thought of him hit her in the gut like one of Patawpha's cruel morning stars. Try as she might she could not keep her tears from betraying her and soon she was wiping them angrily from her face as if swatting away a swarm of stinging ants. She was startled when Kem's hand slid slyly into one of her own and gave a little squeeze before releasing her grip and leaving Kriss holding a soft piece of blue cloth. Kriss smiled weakly in thanks and wiped the tears from her face. Quite frankly she could have used something to blow her nose into but the cloth was nicer than any she had ever seen and smelled faintly of some heavenly perfume. She folded it carefully as if it were a precious artifact and offered it in return to Kem who simply smiled, shifted Elly gently in her arms, and shook her head. Kriss was struck with the fact that other than the clothes on her back this was now her only possession. After dabbing away a few more tears she secreted the cloth away determined to never let it go.

      The little party continued their rapid march through the woods without pause until darkness threatened to close completely in around them. From her time in the wild with her father she knew that it was well past time to get a fire going with any type of ease. Still, they marched on for another hour or so stopping only when it was too dangerous to be lumbering around in the dark. Although Kriss did not relish spending the night in the wilderness without a fire she was too exhausted and numb to truly care.

      Nora gathered them all in a little circle, explaining how they were now far enough away to build a fire. Building a fire seemed very important to Nora but Kriss didn't know how in any goddess's name she could accomplish the task. With surprising swiftness a little camp was thrown together and Nora indicated for Kriss to sit on one of the logs surrounding the quickly growing mound of kindling, sticks, and large dead branches. One tall lady in particular seemed especially good at finding things in the dark, disappearing into the blackness only to emerge moments later with armloads of wood that should have taken a long time to gather in the bright of day. In an errant shaft of moonlight Kriss noticed the tall lady's eyes shining in the dark like Elly's cat. “Interesting...” she thought and soon she was drying her eyes again with the little blue cloth inwardly chastising herself for crying over Elly's mangy cat.

      When everyone was finished with their duties, which included gently stretching Elly out on a soft blanket, they gathered themselves and sat around the huge mound of wood that loomed menacingly in the dark. Nora stood and walked to the center of the circle, stopping abruptly and spreading her arms out wide. “ALL HAIL DISCORDIA!” Her voice was deeper than normal and full of power. Kriss rocked backward and would have been unceremoniously unseated if it weren't for Kem who caught her gently but solidly with a hand to the small of her back. Grateful yet embarrassed Kriss stared at the ground hoping no one else noticed. Either they did not or simply did not care because they were all now intoning, “All hail Discordia,” in return.

      Nora took a deep breath and began to speak. Her words were deliberate and clear and it began to dawn on Kriss that she was about to hear a speech of some sort. Inwardly she groaned while keeping her face as emotionless as possible. The weariness of the day was hitting her hard and all she wanted now was to go to sleep. Nora's eyes locked with hers and would not let them go as she continued to speak.

      “When one of our flock is missing we must light a fire to guide their way home. This fire must be big and this fire must strong and this fire must burn until they come home.” Kriss felt Nora's sing-song words begin to lull her to sleep but she forced her eyes open as best as she could. She knew the tug of magic when she felt it and it angered her to be so helpless under it's sway. Nora was now in full chant and Kriss could not fight it any longer. The last thing she remembered was an explosion of warmth and color as the fire instantly raged into a conflagration.

      Again Kriss was knocked backwards and again there was Kem's comforting, solid hand at the small of her back. Gently Kriss was helped to the ground and covered with a blanket. With her last ounce of strength she forced open her eyes and looked at her sister sleeping soundly beside her. She wanted to hold her hand but was afraid it would hurt her.

      That night she dreamed of her father, her mother, and that mangy little cat. More than once she thought that Kem was wiping tears from her cheeks and telling her to hush..to rest...but in those vacant hours who can tell what is real or dream? At last she slid into a fitful slumber devoid of dreams, just Kriss drifting effortlessly amongst the stars.

Death

Chapter 2
Death

“Early one morning the sun was shining,

I was laying in bed.

Wondering if she had changed at all,

if her hair was still red.” -Bob Dylan

      Kriss awoke to the chattering song of morning birds and the smell of someone cooking breakfast.

No, that's not quite right, she awoke to the smell of someone burning breakfast. For a moment she lay there with her eyes closed just enjoying the call of the birds and the cool, welcoming breeze over her body but there was something about the smell of breakfast that was wrong. Father, on the rare occasions he tried to help, burned breakfast often but that wasn't quite what she smelled. There was something in the coppery twang that reminded her of liver and she hated liver. Her stomach began lurch unpleasantly in response. There was also a musky, sweet perfume in the air unlike anything she had ever smelled before. Her stomach threatened to betray her again but it wasn't the growing queasiness of her stomach that at last made her eyes fly open, it was the breeze. Lying in the comfort of her bed, even with the windows open, had never felt like this. She was outside. On the ground. And-

      “Elly!” She screamed for her sister, opened her eyes, and scrabbled to her feet all in one disoriented instant. Nothing around her looked familiar yet with growing horror she began to process where she was. The massive pile of smoldering wood next to her had once been her home and where she now stood was what had once been the softest grass in all the world, where she and Elly used to play. Now it was just scorched earth, radiating outward in sooty black fingers. It reminded her of the dried starfish that her father once brought home from his travels. She wondered where he was now and why he had left her all alone. Wanting to cry, she forced herself to be strong and began searching for her sister. She steeled herself for what she might find. Something told her that her parents were never coming back.

      As if on cue something stirred beneath the pile of steaming rubble that once had been their home. Kriss flung herself on the pile and began hurling blackened pieces of wood aside with inhuman speed. The wood was still hot and little devils of embers flew everywhere as a result of her effort, singeing her face, hair, and clothes. She would not feel the damage she did to her hands as they began to blister and burn until much later, after the rush of adrenaline had abandoned her and left her to fend for herself against the pain.

      At last she uncovered the softly moaning swell and was relieved to find Elly lying there. She was barely recognizable. Her shock of curly, red hair was gone along with her eyebrows, reduced to an ugly mass of singed, dead hair that sloughed off under the gentle stroking of Kriss's hands. Kriss carefully carried her sister to a patch of scorched earth and gently set her down. Elly was badly burned, the worst damage to her arms which had been bare at the time of the...attack?

      Knowing that her sister was safe Kriss took a good look around for the first time. There had been an obvious explosion, the scorched earth where she sat with her sister had been the focal point, her childhood home had simply been too close to the flames to survive. Her sword was gone, she knew that instinctively, that it had been the reason for this whole disaster. Why she and her sister had been spared she could not say. Her parents-

      For the first time she noticed the source of the 'cooking breakfast' smell. Chunks of meat and gore hung from the ring of trees that encircled her erstwhile home. Kriss's stomach did one final lurch before she turned her head and expelled its contents onto the black earth beside her. Gently taking her sister's head into her lap she finally began to cry, softly at first but soon her wails of horror, grief, and loss flooded the little clearing.

      She did not hear the small unit of armed men and women when they emerged from the tree line behind her. Their leader held up a fist, indicating that they come to a stop and for a short while they stood there listening to Kriss, shifting on their feet, nervous and embarrassed. At last their leader moved forward and spoke, her voice both soft yet firm.

      “Mistress Moonblade-” was all she got out.

      Kriss spun on her with catlike reflexes, throwing out a dagger from somewhere hidden on her person. The heavy blade flew straight at the leader's head with deadly accuracy and would have easily been the end of her had she not held up one hand, crackling with blue flame, and caught the dagger in midair. Her fingers wrapped around the razor sharp blade and with a quick flick of her wrist the dagger crumbled into tiny pieces that made a soft tinkling as they fell to the earth.

      “Mistress Moonblade,” she continued, unfazed. “On behalf of Eris, the Discordians offer our sincerest condolences. We also offer you and your sister safety to study at out temple. There you will be safe from any who wish you harm and will be able to take advantage of an exemplary education. There will be many courses of study available for both of you.”

      When Kriss did not answer, she quickly continued. “We must leave now. There are others on their way to kill you.”

      Kriss looked down at Elly. She moaned softly and opened her eyes, looking up at Kriss in confusion. “Why are you crying?” she asked. “Did you break my bow?”

Kriss looked over to the strange lady who had just offered them sanctuary. She nodded once. They would go.

The Queen of Swords

                                                                    Chapter 1
(Editor's note: The information contained in this chapter was taken directly from a document smuggled out of Haven by Lord Nipsi after Kriss's voluntary exile. After many extensive interviews with those who knew her it has become apparent that Kriss rarely spoke of her childhood so we owe a debt of gratitude for father's thievery...for once. - ed. Nipsi the Younger)

The Queen of Swords

Kriss was brought into our world in a small cabin in a remote part of the wilderness. There was no midwife, only her nervous, sweating father, who, according to Kriss's mother, was absolutely no help at all. She was three weeks past due and labor was an exhausting 12 hours, almost as if she were resisting her arrival in our world from the very beginning. She was healthy and her parents, proud. Three years later, Elly was born. From the very beginning she was brave beyond her years, not only her older sister's shadow but quite often her protector as well. Her love of animals ensured that their little household was an ever expanding menagerie, much to her mother's dismay (especially where lizards were concerned).

      Kriss's father began training them with weapons almost as soon as they could walk and the two sisters took to their lessons with zeal and determination. While Elly seemed to love anything with an edge or heavy, blunted head, Kriss's love was the sword and there was little wonder why. Her father, whom she loved with all her heart, had the most exquisite blade she had ever seen. He called it the Moonblade and, along with several scars and a milky white mass where his left eye should have been, he had brought it home from the war.

      The Moonblade was light as a faery's wing and covered with strange runes from tip to guard. The pommel and quillian were covered with strange, beautiful gems that, like the runes, glowed faintly under the light of the moon unless the moon was full. Under a full moon they glowed brightly and the sword gave off an audible hum, quivering slightly as if it were full of so much power it was going to explode. Kriss's father did not like to reveal the sword under a full moon, telling her that so much power was likely attract the wrong kind of people. Kriss did not know who these 'wrong kind of people' were but she was not afraid of them. She and her sister could handle anything and the sword was so pretty to look at when the moon was full that she found herself sneaking it out from time to time against her father's wishes.

      When she was eight or nine she had become so proficient with the weapon that she had surpassed even her father's skill with the blade. He promised her that the next time he went to town he would look into hiring the best instructor available. Kriss pestered him for weeks until at last it was either time to go or he had simply given in to her wishes. Most likely the latter since he went alone and came back with nothing except for the promise of a new instructor in the morning. From their favorite hiding spot Kriss and Elly listened to their parents argue about the coming blade master. Mother was concerned about what the man would do upon seeing the Moonblade but Father insisted that all was well. Apparently anyone or anything could be bought for the right sum of gold in town. Kriss wondered just exactly what this 'town' place was like. She and her sister had never been more than a mile or two from the safety of their little cabin in the woods.

      That night the moon was full. Waiting until her parents were deep in slumber Kriss slipped quiet as a shadow from her bed, her feet carefully avoiding the many creaky spots in the wooden floor, and plucked the Moonblade from its hiding place. One of Elly's cats was the only creature to hear her, evidenced by a pair of shiny eyes in the moonlight. Uncaring, the cat's eyes drifted slowly shut as Kriss slipped out the door into the chilly night air. For an hour she practiced her swordplay in the moonlight. She was an impressive sight to behold even at her young age. When at last she grew tired she slipped back inside her home and stowed the sword beneath her bed instead of returning it to its proper hiding spot. She was soon fast asleep and dreaming.

     She was shaken awake by her sister who quickly put a finger over her mouth to keep her quiet. There was shouting outside. Someone was demanding the Moonblade. Her mother was pleading, begging her father to hand it over to them. Her father's voice was shaky, the first time Kriss had ever heard fear in his voice. “It isn't there,” he said. “The hiding place is empty.”

      “He got here first,” a woman said, then she began saying many words that Kriss had never heard and a few she had been told never to say because they were naughty. Suddenly Kriss remembered where the sword was and fished it wildly from beneath her bed. Elly made a little squeak of surprise then quickly covered her mouth with both hands, her green eyes were wide and wild. Her little head full of adorable little red curls made a quick jerking motion towards the doorway. Kriss nodded and quietly pulled the Moonblade from its scabbard as Elly grabbed her bow. The blade was glowing brighter than ever now and its low hum filled the room, threatening to give them away. Elly gave Kriss a withering glare but Kriss could only shrug in return. In desperation she gently ran her finger along the length of the runes. In response the sword quieted itself although the humming was still present. Elly sighed and flicked her head again at the door. Her curls bounced joyfully around her head.

      “What was that?” the woman snapped from outside. “It's here. Kill them.”

      Elly let out a little squeak again as she and Kriss charged for the door. Wish a sharp whistle Elly sent her wolf flying out the door ahead of them, slamming the door open with such force that it shattered into splinters when it banged against the outside wall. Although everything seemed to be moving in slow motion it was only a split second before Kriss and Elly were halfway across the room. Elly was drawing back her bow and Kriss held her sword at the ready as a loud war-cry that belied her age began to rumble past her lips.

      A tremendous explosion rocked them backwards before they could even reach the door. At first everything went white and silent. There was the suggestion of pain. Then everything went black and Kriss began to dream of other worlds.