Chapter 3
Garandol woke Mark that morning. Mark rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and stumbled shirtless and barefoot to the water basin across the room to wash his face. The shock of the cold water woke him instantly. He had almost forgotten where he was for a moment. Then he remembered he'd been living in the same place for a week now; Garandol's humble cottage in the western woods. He changed into a pair of brown, cowhide trousers and a loose fitting shirt made of thin wool. He kept the leather laces at the top of the collarless shirt open. Although the shirt was loose, it was warm, and keeping the laces undone allowed some airflow in. Besides, he thought he looked "cooler" with it unlaced.
A pair of thick boots sat on the floor at the end of his bed. The leather boots, which he wore laced up tightly, came halfway up his calves. He kept his trousers tucked into the boots for warmth as well.
Before he stepped out of the cabin he pulled on a wolf-skin coat Seth had made when he was only a teenager. The coat was heavy and warm and would be needed for a week long walk across Eranithia to Kushen in the winter. The last but most important articles of clothing he would wear were his sword and shield.
Arland had made him a strap that held his sword and scabbard along with his shield on his back. He found he preferred his sword strapped to his back instead of the more traditional style of being on the hip. For one, it made traveling easier, especially since he traveled everywhere by foot. Also, it was quicker for him to get into a fighting stance that way. He could get into the defensive position Seth had taught him immediately if his sword was behind his back.
Before they started on their journey Mark stopped Garandol and asked, "What about Jennifer?"
The old wizard smiled and said, "You're right. We'll need both of you."
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A beautiful blond haired girl twisted and spun around her large backyard in a graceful display of acrobatics and martial arts. A couple of months ago she would never had believed that she would be capable of such movement, but something had happened to her and her twin brother which changed their lives completely. They had been pulled into a small country called Eranithia which was in a different world, realm, or dimension.
Jennifer was going through a routine her friend, Arland, the last known Wood Elf, had given her to keep her in shape for when she was brought back into Eranithia. She hadn't skipped a day of her routine in two months.
Time didn't pass the same way in Eranithia as it did in her world. Two months had passed for Jennifer, but for her brother and her friends in Eranithia, it could be days, weeks, months or years. She dreaded the thought that her brother could be older than her when she saw him again.
Aside from that terrifying thought, she was getting frustrated and restless. The last time she had been brought a message by the magical hawk named Arrow had been when he had brought her a sword to train with. Arland had sent a letter with it as well. She kept his letter hidden. It was for her eyes only. That was a month and a half ago.
She was beginning to doubt she would ever return to Eranithia. That thought passed through her mind as she moved on in her routine, going through the stretches Seth had prescribed for her and Mark. When she was all about ready to give up she heard a familiar call. She looked up and saw the large hawk circling high above her. She whistled to the bird and it dove down to her. Jennifer held out her right arm and Arrow landed on her arm, careful not to pierce her flesh.
"Hello, Arrow. It's been a while," she greeted him, then took the rolled up piece of parchment from the birds talons.
Arrow lifted away from her arm and perched himself on the roof. Jennifer read the note and was disappointed that it wasn't from Mark or Arland but surprised to see that it was from Seth. The note said that they would be coming for her soon.
She looked up at Arrow and smiled at the bird. He squawked back at her then flew away. She watched him as he went. As the bird disappeared into the sky there was a small, bright flash of light as he changed worlds. She wished she could pass so easily between worlds. Jennifer read the note again as she went into the house. It was a small simple note, but it was a new piece of Eranithia.
She went inside to shower after her workout and as she reached the first step of the stairs her mother called out to her from the living room.
"Jennifer," she said, in the same sad way she had been the past two months.
Jennifer's stomach froze as much as her steps before turning towards her mother. When she had been returned to her world, she told her parents that Mark had run away. When they asked why she said it was because nobody but her understood him and she would be the only one he would communicate with.
"Yeah?" she asked, sounding bitter towards her. It's how she would have sounded if her story had been true.
Her mother wasn't even shocked by her tone anymore, only hurt.
"Have you heard from Mark?" she asked, tears already spilling out of the corners of her eyes.
Jennifer hated lying to them but she couldn't tell them the truth. She couldn't tell them their son was in another world or realm or whatever. She certainly couldn't tell them that he was never going to return because of a prophecy about both of them. There was no possible way any parent would even want to understand or believe a story like that, no matter how true it was.
"No, but I should soon. Last time, he said we were going to meet up soon. I'll see if I can't convince him to come back," she said doubtfully.
Her mother gave a sad smile which Jennifer did her best to ignore as she turned back up the stairs to go to her room. She wanted nothing more than to throw her arms around her mother and tell her everything. Guilt ate her up inside because of how much she lied to her parents. Especially when she knew they could see right through her. Why were they letting her lie to them?
When she got to her room, Arrow was perched on the sloping roof outside of her window, tapping on the glass with his beak. Her heart racing with excitement, Jennifer rushed to the window and opened it, allowing Arrow to hop onto her desk.
"What are you doing back so soon?" she asked happily.
Then she saw the note in his talon. Her heart leapt as she hurried to take the note from Arrow. He squawked in annoyance at her rush to get the note. This time he didn't fly away. He waited for her to write a response.
She unrolled the parchment and saw it was from Mark this time. It read:
Jennifer,
I can't tell you how much I've missed you since we were separated.
We will be together soon, though. Garandol is making the preparations
now to bring you here safely.
There's something I want you to do, though. I want you to tell Mom
and Dad the truth. I know you think they won't understand, but I learned
something that changes all of that. Tell them and you'll know what I mean.
I love you, sis.
With love,
Mark
What could he have learned that changes everything? She wondered.
She searched her backpack for a piece of paper to write back to tell him she couldn't tell them the truth. Arrow flapped his wings and the note from Mark fell to the floor. It flipped over in midair and landed face down at her feet. Something was written on the back of the letter. She almost hadn't seen it as she rummaged through her backpack for the necessary stationary. Bending down she picked it up and read what Mark had written.
Just do it
She laughed as tears filled her eyes. He knew her too well. Two months of separation couldn't have changed how well he knew her. Mark knew exactly what she would write in protest and a simple request of "just do it" told her not to bother.
"I'll be back, Arrow. Don't go too far away," she told the bird, then ran back downstairs. Her parents were sitting in the living room; her father reading the paper and her mother staring sadly out the window.
"Mom, Dad," Jennifer said hesitantly.
They looked up at her each with a different expression. Her father looked stern but patient. He had been the least pursuant of the truth from her as if he knew full well that she would eventually tell them. Her mother looked surprised with her bloodshot eyes. "I have something to tell you."
Her father smiled warmly and said, "Come sit down and tell us."
She sat on the opposite end of the black leather couch as her mother. Her father next to her in the matching recliner.
"Mark didn't run away," she said. Looking at them, her father's expression wasn't surprised or confused like her mothers. He remained patient as he waited for the truth. "I know you probably won't believe me, but he's in another place."
Jennifer didn't know how to tell them the full truth.
"Just tell us, sweetheart," her father said, putting his hand on her forearm lovingly.
"He's...in a place called...Eranithia."
A wide smile spread across her father's face, which nearly knocked the wind out of her from the shock. She looked at her mother. Her mouth was wide open in delighted surprise. She looked like she might start crying again.
"He's been there all along?" her mother asked. "Who is he with?"
"Garandol."
"Oh, praise Sol!" She cried, her voice full of relief.
Jennifer felt faint. Her head spun at their reaction.
"Tell us everything," her father said.
Jennifer was too confused to talk. All she could do was look from her mother to her father; her mouth agape and eyes wide. She fought for control of her dizzy mind.
“What is it, sweetheart?” her mother asked, concerned.
"Well...I...how do you know about Eranithia?"
"Tell us your story and we'll tell you ours,” her father said, striking a deal.
Jennifer didn't know where to start. Her mother got up and brought her a glass of water from the kitchen. Jennifer took a drink then a deep breath and told them the story, starting with the wish she had made, which turned out to be a prayer to Sol. Then she told them about being imprisoned by Mandin in Trondil.
“That troll,” her father said. “He's been hoping for control of Trondil for half his life!”
Jennifer was confused as to how they knew so much about Eranithia, but she continued on telling them how Garandol rescued them from the prison. She told them everything except for how she felt about Arland; that detail she kept for herself.
"Isn't Arland just wonderful?" her mother asked.
She blushed, which gave away her secret. Her mother winked at her, which told her it would stay between them.
Jennifer smiled, then said, "Now what's your story?"
Her mother looked at her father with a smile then he took a deep breath and said, "We were once known as King Damien and Queen Seraphim."
Her jaw dropped, "But you're supposed to be dead."
"Our bodies in Eranithia are, yes, but Sol came to us in our dying moments and took our souls and placed them in the bodies of babies who had just been born here."
“How did you manage to find each other?”
“Sol, or God as he is called here, works in mysterious ways,” her mother said.
“Wait, that makes so much sense!” Jennifer exclaimed. “Your names: Sarah and Dom! How did I not see it when Garandol talked of you?”
"So Seth and Serina are our brother and sister?" she asked as she looked from her father to her mother.
"Technically. You see, we have different bodies, so by blood you're not related. We have the same souls and memories Damien and Seraphim had, but obviously not the same DNA, as the scientists here call it. In Eranithia we just call it blood."
Jennifer couldn't remember a time she had been happier. Her head spun with so many questions about Eranithia, about being king and queen, what it was like when their relationships with the Elves and Centaurs were good. It amazed her that the land she so longed to return to had once been ruled by her parents. Then a thought came to her and her heart began to race.
"You should come back with me. Seth said they would be coming back for me soon."
Her parents looked at each other sadly, then her father said, "We can't. When Sol kept us from dying there, he gave us new lives here and this is where we must stay. Now, you may have a future in Eranithia. But first, you have to help Seth take back the kingdom from my brother. Seth is the only one who can defeat him."
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