Secrets of the Home Pt. 01

This is my first non-erotic submission. It is a short story I wrote for my daughter that takes place after a saga I hope to one day commit to paper (electronic or actual). I am also working on several other shorts featuring my other two daughters and son. (Hopefully, I'll have these done sometime this year.) Please enjoy the read and (please!!) vote and leave your comments, as they are both greatly appreciated.

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Secrets of the Home

The leaves crunched and rustled noisily as Aanemoshi, a white mare with ash-gray dapples, bore her rider along the leaf blanketed forest floor. The trees' former glory of rich emerald drapery was gone, leaving them naked and exposed. Patches of orange, brown, red, and yellow now littered the ground, creating a kind of natural, colorfully hued quilt. With each stirring of the wind, the pattern of Nature's blanket changed ever so slightly.

Silently, the heavily cloaked rider guided her mount with only gentle nudges with her knees and light tugs on the reigns through the narrow spaces between the trees. A hawk's screech from high overhead brought the horse and rider to a halt as the latter lifted her eyes to the cloud-filled sky, revealing an elf of remarkable appearance and beauty. Ice blue eyes held the avian fixed in their gaze for a few moments as it soared higher into the chilly air. Though those light colored orbs were remarkable, they were not what truly separated this elf from the rest of the elves across Aldaria. As most of that fae race, she too possessed long, shining gold hair (though its current color was a lime green), a slender build, delicately pointed ears, and sun-bronzed skin. Unique to this elf, however, was her slightly round face, hinting that there was something other than elves in her ancestry.

To the elves, Tyanne Uer was a bit of an oddity. She was only treated slightly different than others of her kind for almost no other reasons than curiosity and caution. Sometimes, she wondered just how they would react if they knew the truth: that she had only been an elf for a little over sixteen of her thirty-three years. At those moments when she was tempted to reveal what only she and a few others knew, Tyanne always opted to remain silent, knowing that no one else would understand. But complete acceptance by her fellow elves was outweighed by the respect she had earned, though even that was mostly because of the profession that had "chosen" her.

Tyanne was a wizardess.

Of course, there were also those who recognized her family name. Her father and his friends and their allies had been instrumental in organizing thousands of people of almost all of Aldaria's races into a defensive force whose sole purpose was to repel a malignant darkness that gained ground every day. Ultimately, it was the courageous sacrifice of one person that brought victory to the forces of Good and won the battle.

The Great Battle.

Tyanne shook her head in amazement. How could those three little words ever fully convey the magnitude of that conflict? Who could grasp the meaning of that struggle that had decided the fate of an unknowable number of worlds and almost countless lives? Even though she had been a first-hand witness to it, Tyanne had times where even she could scarcely get her mind around what they had accomplished. While it had been a bit more than a year since that day, the images were still just as vivid and fresh in her mind as if it had been but a day. Restless and sleepless nights still plagued her but not as often. Feeling the need to press on, Tyanne replaced her cowl and spurred Aanemoshi back into motion.

Many things in her life were different now than they had been sixteen years ago; some of those things varied greatly, some just a little. The second greatest change had been when Tyanne and her family first realized that they were on a completely different world than that of her birth. That she was not alone in this new environment helped to act as a cushion and as reassurance. Tyanne felt a measure of triumph in being able to prosper despite overwhelming circumstance. While hopeful that she could have possibly made it on her own, she was none the less grateful for the presence of her father, step-mother, two sisters and brother.

To Tyanne at least, it came as no surprise when she started to manifest an aptitude in studying magic and, not much later, being able to cast spells. During her first several months on Aldaria, most of Tyanne's free waking minutes was spent with her nose in one dusty old tome or another. She had gotten them from the well-stocked library of the tower she and her family had found and called home. The previous owner's skeletal remains had been found in one of the upstairs rooms, so none of them ever gave any thought to there being a dispute as to their claim to the squat little tower.

It was that same tower that was her current destination. Tyanne was delighted when her father, the arch-wizard M'kallen Uer, told her she could claim the tower as hers for as long as she wanted. A short three days later, the young wizardess was saying her farewells to her family and friends as she set off for her "new" home. Despite everyone warning her about not traveling alone, Tyanne set out, regardless.

But Tyanne knew she was most definitely not alone, in several respects.

She had no doubt her father, step-mother, mother, sisters and various aunts and uncles, both non- and blood relatives, would be keeping a watchful eye on her journey, one way or another. Traveling with her was Tyanne's familiar, Tagnik'zuur; a two-foot long pearl-scaled fae dragon. Lastly, but far from least, there was the small golden crucifix she wore on a fine gold chain; a constant reminder that she would never be truly alone. Tyanne's faith had been tested over the years and she had seen all manner of things to make her both believe as well as doubt. But what she---and tens of thousands of others---witnessed in the final moments of the Great Battle had forever ended that dilemma.

Tagnik'zuur, Tyanne mentally projected. Return to me. The wizardess did not need to see her small friend to know he was near by. Tyanne could feel and sense where he because the magical connection provided them with a rudimentary telepathic link. Tagnik'zuur always flew ahead of his mistress, under the concealment of his innate power to turn invisible, and report back anything that may be of interest or any potential threats.

******

Winging his way far above the trees, Tagnik'zuur was thoroughly enjoying his flight in the brisk autumnal air. While tiny comparison to his "distant cousins", the true dragons, Tagnik'zuur was every bit as proud a creature as they. As he saw it, a dragon, no matter how large or small, was exactly that: a dragon.

He was right in the middle of completing three consecutive loops when he received the mental summons from his mistress. Involuntarily, Tagnik'zuur rolled his eyes and sighed. It never fails, he thought to himself. Just when I was beginning to have some fun. Oh, well. . . At the top of the second loop, he rolled right and went into a steep dive. Down and down he plunged, pulling out just above the upper branches of the forest, whose limbs almost seemed to be reaching up and trying to snatch him from the air. The diminutive dragon was flying along so fast that he shot right on past Tyanne. "Ooops!" he thought to himself with as a wry smile curled up the corner of his mouth. With a quick flip and a roll, Tagnik'zuur headed back to his mistress. As he approached from behind, he imagined himself much larger and fiercer, ready to attack an unsuspecting traveler who came unbidden into his territory.

"You're mine!" he playfully growled in his mind as he neared his "intended victim".

With a fluttering of his shiny white wings, Tagnik'zuur settled on Tyanne's shoulder. "So, elf," he mentally projected as he craned his sinewy neck around to look his mistress in the eye, "What is your business, here, in my domain? Hmmmm?"

Tyanne looked at her companion for a second with a sidelong glance. "You know, you will never truly be a visage that inspires terror, Tag. You're just too cute for that."

"Oooooo!" Tagnik'zuur bristled at the mention of the nickname Tyanne had, in his opinion, unceremoniously had bestowed upon him. "Tyanne, please. You know how I loathe being called 'Tag'. Why do you persist in calling me by that awful name?"

It was Tyanne's turn to smile. "A couple of reasons," she replied. "One, it fits you very well and, two, you said I could if I wanted to---which I do---as long as it were me and only me addressing you by it."

"Oh, yes," Tagnik'zuur projected, as if suddenly remembering. "Right."

The pair rode along in silence for a while. While Tyanne concentrated on where they were heading, Tag kept a watchful eye on the forest around them. Slowly, the deciduous trees gave way to conifers and the terrain began to slope upward. As the pair continued their trek, Tyanne began recognizing her surroundings more and more. It had been several years since she had passed this same way but she still remembered it all: like the big hollow tree she and her siblings had made into their own tower; the cave where Chriane and Linrae had to spend an afternoon waiting out a terrible thunderstorm; even the sinkhole she herself had fallen into and had to be rescued from.

Yeah, she remembered it all.

Eventually, Tyanne and Tagnik'zuur reached the top of a high hill with a breathtaking view that stretched for miles in every direction. Several smaller prominences, profuse with an abundance of multi-hued trees, surrounded the principal like children gathered around their mother. The breeze gently stirring the leaves amid the forest found new strength and became unfettered atop the rounded, grass-capped peak.

"Well," Tyanne said, looking at an obviously empty hilltop. "What do you think?"

Tagnik'zuur looked where his mistress was looking then back at her. "What do I think about what?" he silently asked Tyanne.

"Our new home, of course."

The fae dragon regarded the emptiness for a long moment then offered his unbiased assessment. "Well, it most definitely has plenty of room, although it seems like it might be a bit too drafty during the winter, don't you think?"

The corners of Tyanne's mouth turned up slightly. "For being able to see what others can't, you sure seem blind."

Tag gave Tyanne a sour look. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

"Take another look."

Employing his innate ability of true sight (being able to see things as they truly were, including those not visible to the naked eye or things hidden by magic), Tagnik'zuur finally saw what his mistress was talking about. There, magically concealed from view, was a tower that stood almost as high as it was wide. At only three stories tall, not counting the crenelated top, it was far from being a sky-scraping monolith like Tyanne's father's. But Tagnik'zuur did have to admit that his mistress did seem to be rather proud of her new acquisition and that it seemed quite the proper place for a young wizardess who was just starting out on her own.

"Okay," Tag began, "and just what are we supposed to do now?"

"Simple," Tyanne said. In a clear voice, she spoke one word of magic. "Drraavcha!"

For a long moment, nothing happened. Then before Tagnik'zuur was able to form a single thought in his mind, the tower materialized directly in front of them. "Very good!" he verbally applauded. "Nothing like hiding something where any- and everyone can, yet cannot, see it. I am indeed impressed."

"On behalf of my father, thanks," Tyanne said with a smile. "I guess from your initial reaction that you hadn't noticed that there was grass growing where the tower is now." A look at her companion indicated that he was just now realizing that fact. "My dad describes it as phased invisibility, an idea he 'borrowed' from something he saw a long time ago on our home world. It's like placing the object in question a side-step from the reality we see. Things can pass through it and be none the wiser of its existence."

"Kind of like not being able to see the forest due to the trees---with a magical twist."

"Exactly."

From their position in front of the tower, Tag could just see a somewhat dilapidated shed sagging heavily behind the keep, as if it were trying to hide from onlookers. Tyanne could see it too. She smiled as she slid from Aanemoshi's saddle and followed the curve of the wall around until she was standing in front of the ramshackle building's wooden double doors. They were still shut and leaning against each other. Taking hold of one of the handles, Tyanne gave it a sharp jerk and revealed another secret that had been hidden for almost a decade. Even in the gloom of the structure, the wizardess's eyes could easily pick out the details of a large object that occupied all but a portion of the interior. Reflected light dimly showed what appeared to be eyes as big as an open hand and an even larger opening between them, filled with long, slender teeth.

Tagnik'zuur tried swallowing his heart back down into his chest as he fully expected the shadow-shrouded beast to suddenly lunge for them at any second. His surprise turned to terror as his mistress strode right up to it as if there were nothing to fear. When they were a few steps closer, the fae dragon's anxiety immediately turned to an equal amount of wonder and puzzlement.

"What is that . . . thing?"

For a second or two, Tyanne said nothing. She knew exactly what it was, actually and metaphorically. "A way from one world to another," she said quietly. Sensing Tagnik'zuur's bewilderment, she added, "It's a means of conveyance where I came from. Superior in quite a few ways than those found here, but inferior compared to magic."

"I see . . ." was all Tagnik'zuur said as his eyes roved over the unknown object. The amount of dust that had accumulated on the conveyance over the years was so thick that only by looking at the region down by the wheels was the original gold color apparent. The object's 'carapace', for lack of a better word, was ringed with darkened windows. Through the front window, Tag could vaguely make out two seats in the front with two bench seats behind. "And what was this particular. .conveyance. .called?"

Tagnik'zuur's words were still ringing in Tyanne's mind as she glanced down at the very front where an emblem used to be. Only a trace of the outline remained but it was still enough to bring a word to mind. A pang of nostalgia washed over her and she slightly shook her head, understanding the irony of the word. "'Quest'." she whispered so softly that Tag almost did not hear it. "It was called a 'Quest'."

The fae dragon had been his mistress's familiar for five years and, in that time, had come to know her quite well. Tag had seen her grow from a wizardess just discovering the full extent of her abilities to one of moderate but impressive power. While he knew that she loved her life on Aldaria, but too did he understand how, at times, she also missed the world of her birth.

But as quickly as the wind can change direction, so too did Tyanne's mood.

"You know," she began with a look in her eye that Tag knew all too well. "I just bet that it wouldn't take much work to. . ." Her voice trailed off for a moment. "Yeah! That'd work! I know it would!" she exclaimed more to herself than to her companion.

Although he could not, Tagnik'zuur could almost read his mistress's thoughts in some instances. "You've got to be kidding. Right?"

"Oh, don't be such a party pooper, Tag," Tyanne said as she closed the shed door. "It'll be fun! You'll see!"

"Yeah. . .I'm just sure it will be."

******

Tyanne placed her dirty plate, bowl, and flatware in the kitchen sink. It still surprised her how different, yet similar, Aldaria was to her birth world: Earth. Whether it was a chance happening or just the natural inventiveness inherent to all sentient lifeforms to seek comforts much like each other she was not sure. In either case, the tower's previous owner had installed indoor plumbing and hot and cold running water for not only the kitchen but the bathroom as well. It's amazing, she mused as she filled the sink to do what few dishes there were, "how magic and technology could accomplish the same kinds of things but by completely different means. Behind her, on the table, Tagnik'zuur was busy crunching noisily on a bone that, only a few hours before, had been part of a wild chicken.

"Delicious! projected Tag as his tongue lapped at the few remaining streaks of juice left on his plate.

"I'm glad you liked it," Tyanne replied with a smile as she scooped up his plate put it in the sink. "Fancy a bit of a tour of our new home?"

"Do I have a choice?" Tag inquired.

"No."

"Then lead on."

As Tyanne stooped to pick up her backpack, Tagnik'zuur hopped onto her shoulder. Turning right after exiting through the back door to the kitchen, the pair paused at the stairs leading up to the second floor and down to the cellar.

"Up or down?" Tyanne asked.

Tag regarded the lit passageway ascending and the unlit one descending. While not a dragon prone to giving into fear, Tagnik'zuur could hardly ignore the feeling that there was something about the darkness of those cellar steps that made his scales tingle in a manner that was most uncomfortable. He decided the cellar could wait at least until the next day when they would be well-rested and better prepared to deal with whatever was lurking down there. "Up," he told her.

Tyanne knew almost every square inch of her home. Each step she took brought to mind either a memory or sensation of her youth that now seemed a lifetime ago. The three years she and her family had lived here had been a bit rough at times but Tyanne would never trade any of those moments for anything. She remembered chasing her two sisters and her brother up and down these very stairs numerous times when any one, or all of them, had annoyed her just too much---or snatched the book she was reading---and then run like the wind, with her right on their tail. Or simply because they were all feeling particularly rowdy on a rainy day and decided to go running for no other reason. Days that will never come again, Tyanne thought with a small pang of melancholy.

The stairs led up to the living quarters hallway on the second floor though the steps also continued on up to the third floor where the library and wizard's workshop were located. Enchanted torches that blazed brightly while producing no heat or smoke lined both sides of the passage with one located on each side of the four doors along the hall. Even after so long an absence, Tyanne still knew which door led to which bedroom. The room directly on her right had been shared by her sisters Linrae and Chriane, Tyanne's was across the hall from them and her brother, Jhanewe, had occupied the one next to hers. The last room had been her father and step-mother's. When she and her family had first found the tower and made it their home, all four rooms had been filled almost floor to ceiling with all manner of things that the keep's original owner had packed away into storage. It had taken them a full week just to clear out and sort through the contents of the first room. Finding nothing of value, importance, or any true use, a huge bonfire was lit to consume the useless junk. By the end of the second week, the other three rooms had been likewise cleared out and their contents destroyed. Her father had been initially concerned about drawing unwanted attention but the tower turned out to be so far away from the nearest town or sign of habitation that no one ever noticed the nightly conflagration.