Midgard Sojourn

An Alice Story: Chapter 5

2007-05-06T17:52:00.000+08:00

"Ayieee!! Au succors!!"

A mon Dieu! The Rogue has managed to grab Aceline during the commotion.

"Let go of her", screamed Henri as he threw himself at Aceline's captor but the Rogue just swatted him aside. The kidnappers' Priest has opened a Warp Portal and the Rogue jumped into it, taking Aceline with him. Henri quickly followed into the portal, knocking the bowman aside.

Now or never, thought Sofija as she cast Frost Driver at the Priest. The first try staggered the target but didn't freeze him. Don't let it be too late, prayed Sofiya as she cast Frost Driver again. This time ice crystals imprisoned the Priest preventing him from entering the portal and closing it behind him. Without a thought, Sofija entered the portal into the unknown. Alice quickly dissolved into the ether, her existence in this world was bound to Sofija.

"C'est fou filluele", muttered Tante Josephine as she jumped into the portal closing it behind her, the energy powering it spent by the load of the passengers.

Six of Seven and M. Fermier looked at each other. M. Fermier walked towards the school, motioning Six of Seven to follow him. Seeing no other option, Six of Seven complied.

The bowman woodenly walked to the still frozen Priest. With his fist, he struck the ice, freeing his comrade. The Priest woodenly began to cast Warp Portal again. Upon completion of the spell, the bowman walked into the portal. As the Priest began to walk towards the portal, M. Fermier threw a Plant Bottle onto the ground beside the portal. A Hydra erupted from the broken bottle and began to rapidly attack the Priest.

"Quickly, quickly", called M. Fermier to Six of Seven, pointing to the reopened portal. Six of Seven ran into the shining circle on the floor, followed by M. Fermier. M. Fermier's Amistr also dissolved into ether upon its master's transportation.

The Priest stood dumbly as the Hydra continued to beat on him, while he occasionally casting Heal on himself. He was still doing so as the Geffen Constabulary entered the school grounds and took him into custody.

----------------------------------

Sofija felt her stomach try to eject her lunch but only air came out. She hated warp travel, it made her head feel flattened out like a Poring used as a pillow. As her mental haze cleared, she felt the throbbing of a Lex Divina surround her again.

Qu'est-quoi, she thought.

"L'aventure pour sur", Tante Josephine muttered behind her.

A small army had surrounded them and the odds weren't good. Sofija and her group surrendered and let the men take them captive. They didn't have much choice in the matter.

They were led down a well-lit narrow corridor between two squads of crisply marching men, all wearing the same black colored armor and helmet that covered their entire body. Sofija made a quick count of who was with her. Tante Josephine was there, so was Henri and Aceline. M. Fermier and Six were in the rear with Alice and M. Fermier's Amistr. They were all bound with manacles that cover their hands and spell-damper masks over their mouths. This wasn't an ordinary gang of cutthroats. The masks alone are already too high end for that.

An Alice Story: Chapter 4

2006-08-04T12:48:00.000+08:00

"Sudden hands not make or everyone bleeding gets", shouted their leader as he strode towards the students and grabbed a specific one.

"Aceline!"

It was Henri Pottier. He was behind the men when they warped into the courtyard. His shout startled the men long enough to give Sofiya an opening.

Sofiya raised her hands as she made a psychic lock on the captor of Aceline Geffen and cast the Cold Bolt spell at him, tight focus and at the full force of her ability. The spell struck with five icicles, hurting the leader enough to loosen his hold on Aceline.

Sofiya, out of habit, started running in a zigzag but it wouldn't matter, she knows that the bowman has his arrow trained on her, she has only seconds left to live if he starts using Double Strafe. If only she can reach some kind of cover.

Suddenly, Alice was running beside her, confusing the bowman. Good enough, thought Sofiya. She got a good psychic lock on him and cast Frost Driver at him.

The spell forced the ambient heat into the ground, freezing the air's water, creating giant ice crystals around the bowman, encasing him in its frozen hold. She got him on the first try.

M. Fermier stepped between her and the leader, sword drawn. It was common knowledge that M. Fermier was an Alchemist before instituting his school. The kidnapper leader kept out of reach of the sword. One good blow from M. Fermier can literally crush him as one of M. Fermier's hands holds a sword, the other holds bills of zeny, the ultimate source of power for members of his caste. M. Fermier takes the offensive but the kidnapper suddenly disappears.

Sofiya cast Sight, exposing the hidden kidnapper, but too late. M. Fermier's foe was very close, close enough to land a blow. Energy ripples exploded from the strike and M. Fermier's sword came flying out.

The kidnappers' leader was of the Rogue caste. Sofiya felt uneasy but cast Frost Driver on him too. Icicles rose up from the ground but failed to encase him. Sofiya took a deep breath to cast Frost Driver again but out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the third member of the group go into casting stance. Mon Dieu, he cast Lex Divina! A deep throbbing engulfed her, disrupting her concentration and her spellcasting. She can only watch as the enemy Priest cast Status Recovery to free his ice-imprisoned comrade.

Meanwhile, M. Fermier was trading blows with the Rogue. M. Fermier was at a disadvantage. His right hand was still encased in the Strip Weapon scatterfield, preventing him from holding anything but even so, M. Fermier's fist can still deal a painful punch. The Rogue stepped back and did what Sofiya feared: he cast a successful Frost Driver on M. Fermier.

"Ha ha ha, you woman spellcaster much thank", the man jeered at Sofiya and cast Frost Driver at her too, freezing her in place while the cold and ice cut her skin. She couldn't even move her mouth to scream in pain.

The Rogue crumpled. Six of Seven was standing beside him, the afterglow of his Bash technique still surrounding his hand. A Charged Arrow struck Six of Seven, pushing him away from the Rogue.

Sofiya was suddenly free. She didn't know why or how, she didn't have to strength nor the dexterity to break free her ice bound body. And she was also free of the disruption of the Lex Divina cast on her.

"Don't just stand there filleule, start casting", remarked Tante Josephine as she blessed Sofiya with Suffragium.

Sofiya began casting Lord of Vermillion on the Priest and the bowman. The Suffragium blessing made gathering the psychic and magic energies easier and faster. The spell's outer edges caught the retreating foes, burning them with lighting strikes.

Sofiya was shocked, she never knew that Tante Josephine was a Priestess. An intense sense of well-being fell on her, healing and blessings invoked by Tante Josephine settled on her, wrapping her in its warm cloak.

Sofiya began casting Ice Wall between the miscreants and the students and faculty members.

"Run back to the Academy and close the doors, rapidement", she called. Where are Aceline and Henri? Where is M. Fermier? The thugs are regrouping on the other side, their Priest casting as many Heals as quickly as he can and the Rogue has shaken off his knockdown stun.

"Mlle. Verte! Mlle. Verte! Au secours!", Henri called.

Mon Dieu! Aceline and Henri are trapped on the far side. Sofiya started sprinting towards them.

"Filluele!" "Mistress!", called both Six of Seven and Tante Josephine but Sofiya didn't wait. As she got between the kidnappers and the two students, she began casting Ice Wall over and over again as the Rogue began using the Bash skill he copied from Six of Seven to smash down the walls while the bowman began taking aim at Sofiya.

Something smashed into the bowman, fouling his shot. It was an Amistr homunculus, an artificial form of life often created by Alchemists like M. Fermier, to assist or protect them. Tante Josephine, Six of Seven and M. Fermier have caught up with Sofiya and sandwiched the kidnappers between them. The kidnappers are now outnumbered, even if the bowman was a Hunter or a Bard.

The miscreants' leader pulled something out of his pocket, something throbbing with life force. Could it be a Dead Branch, that rare thing imbued with stubborn life and sustained by magic? Sofiya didn't have to wait long to realize her guess, the Rogue broke the Dead Branch in two, then took out another and another, breaking six in succession.

The magic fields in the school started stretching and folding to capture virtual particle pairs and separating them. Sofiya's magic senses tingled from the ripples of uncertainity fields collapsing.

Six figures formed. Six very angry figures.

A ball of white fur launched itself against Sofiya, passing through the small cracks between the walls of ice. She kicked the Lunatic, a large, normally peaceful rodent, aside and roasted it with a single Fire Bolt. The other six do not look like they'll be easy to dispose.

One of the creatures, a skeletal figure wearing a yukata made a sudden slash attack at the miscreants' leader, the one who summoned him. Creatures summoned by Dead Branches are creatures of rage, fueled by the confusion of suddenly being as well as the pain of their tumultuous creation. The Rogue suddenly disappeared while his comrades ran off in different directions.

Sofiya didn't have the same luxury. She couldn't abandon the students behind her. All she could do was to continually close the gaps in the melting ice walls. Outside the ice wall, the confused monsters began to chase other, more accessible targets. Sofiya began to Sense-probe the different monsters summoned by the magic artifacts, looking for weaknesses and strengths.

M. Fermier and Tante Josephine are fighting a two Raydric swordsmen and the Wanderer, who turned his attentions on his nearest targets. Six of Seven, meanwhile, is busy with a Poporing.

A forest wolf is clawing at the ice, trying to reach Sofiya. It's loud snarls began to irritate her. Henri and Aceline began to back away from Sofiya, they have been her students long enough to know this mood.

"Don't you snarl at me little dog", snapped Sofiya in her half-roar, half-bellow tone that brooked no nonsense from anybody and cut the wolf down with the full force of her stare.

The wolf yipped, as if struck, and ran away with its tail between its legs. Henri and Aceline winced, they've been subjected to that too. Mlle. Sofiya wasn't called Mlle. Épouvantail for nothing.

Meanwhile, M. Fermier managed to strike down one of the Raydric swordsmen. The shadow force animating it dissipated and the empty armor and wielding its sword fell apart. The armor melted away into the air but the sword didn't. M. Fermier quickly picked it up and used a little of his qi to bind the shadow sword into this reality before it too dissipates.

"Catch this, jeune monsieur", called M. Fermier as he threw the sword to Six of Seven.

Six of Seven caught the sword in mid-air and sliced the Poporing jelly monster in half in one fluid movement. He paused for a breath before advancing to the opponents facing M. Fermier and Tante Josephine.

M. Fermier's face was a picture of concentration as he swung his sword at the two remaining opponents attacking him. His cart, which followed him everywhere, suddenly flew into the air, following the sword's tip, and caught the Raydric swordsman and skeletal Wanderer in its spinning orbit. The impact exploded in a single thump that reverberated throught the protective ice wall Sofiya maintained and knocked back M. Fermier's foes. It wasn't strong enough to destroy them but it got their attention.

M. Fermier gave Six of Seven a hand signal to attack the second Raydric swordsman and Six of Seven quickly complied.

"Recevoir mon coup violent", screamed Six of Seven, focusing his spirit energies into the the blow and staggered the Raydric. Sofiya was both shocked and proud. Six of Seven never spoke a word of Geffrench despite her attempts to teach him and now he spoke a complete phrase.

Meanwhile, Tante Josephine was busy healing and blessing M. Fermier as he takes blows from both foes as well as weakening the foes with Lex Aeterna that it has become a rhythm of Lex Aeterna followed by Kyrie Eleison and Heal. Six of Seven followed her rhythm, punctuating her Lex Aeterna with his Bash skill until the second Raydric swordsman fell apart under his blows. Only the demonic Wanderer remains but this foe is the strongest of the three.

Six of Seven closed in to assist M. Fermier. The Wanderer must have sensed that it was overmatched, it quickly used its Intimidate skill on M. Fermier. The Wanderer gathered energy as it went into preparation stance, its sword held in two hands at shoulder height. A quick feint and the blow connected on M. Fermier, exploding in a burst of light and energy. The Intimidate skill "pushed" both M. Fermier and the Wanderer apart instantaneously. Now, M. Fermier in the far side of the courtyard while the Wanderer is now beside ... Sofiya.

"Enfants, behind me", shouted Sofiya as she quickly cast Soul Strike right into the face of the Wanderer. That strike got the monster's attention but they are trapped here away from help until the ice wall melts. Her mind raced through options and strategies against this skeletal demon swordsman of the winds.

"Fire Wall", she shouted, the words giving both guide and psychic spark to start the spell. The wall of flames painfully blocked the advance of the Wanderer. Part of the ice wall has finally melted open and Sofiya gestured to her students to go through the opening as she errected another Fire Wall between them and the Wanderer. She and the students quickly ran to Tante Josphine and Six of Seven and away from the monster.

"Lex Aeterna", shouted Tante Josephine as she called down Heaven's curse on sinners.

Sofiya gathered her psychic energies and threw them at the Wanderer's feet. The ground broke at the demon's feet and struck him with sharp spikes. Her Sense-scan had indicated that this monster is weak against the element of Earth. Lex Aeterna, Heaven's curse, doubled the power of the strike, staggering the monster.

Then she took a quick breath and cast Earth Spike again at the monster just as Tante Josephine cursed the Wanderer with Lex Aeterna again. Her heart sank as the monster still remained standing. She tried to cast another Earth Spike but her spellcasting was disrupted by the blow she received from the now too close opponent.

Her vision turned red as her life shield dwindled down to a dangerous level. Part of the blow went through the shield and struck her stomach. Sofiya felt her knees buckle. Two hands suddenly held her.

"Cheer up Mistress", Sofiya heard Alice whisper to her but Alice's voice seemed so far away. "Mama, mama where are you, I hurt mama, I'm so cold", Sofiya deliriously began to call for her mother from the shock from the wound and the blood loss.

"Help! Help", Alice began to call, "Someone please help my mistress!"

"Filluele hold on", Tante Josephine called as she cast Heal on Sofiya.

Once again Sofiya felt the warmth of life come back to her. The wound on her belly had closed but she still felt weak. She looked around just in time to see M. Fermier's Amistr ram the Wanderer head on and suddenly Castle or switch place with M. Fermier who again struck the demon creature with his cart. The cart struck the deathblow and the monster fell to its knees as it burned from within, leaving a skull on the ashes. Sofiya made a sigh of relief but Aceline's cry froze her heart.

"Ayiee! Mlle. Verte!!"

An Alice Story: Chapter 3

2006-07-15T12:45:00.000+08:00

It was another tiring day teaching children-teenagers the basics of mathematics and simple four dimensional physics. She and her co-teachers, M. du Nord and Mme. Pêcheur, share this last hour homeroom together. There are no lessons to be taught but the students have to stay and review and ask questions regarding the lessons taught that day. Or, they can just sit around and chat. Sofiya wonders if she will ever get her students to move from their mental inertia in the sciences.

One of the students was reading a pocketbook with a colorful cover. Curious, Sofiya walked over to the student for a closer look.

"May I borrow that book pendant un moment, Mlle. Geffen?"

Aceline Geffen, fille du seigneur de Geffen, meekly handed over her little book.

It was a romance book entitled Magical Heart. On the cover was a half-naked woman "Magician" engaged in a torrid kiss with a "Swordsman" whose clothes the woman seemed to be tearing off. Aceline Geffen must have sensed that Sofiya was about to explode, quickly said, "Mlle. Verte vous plait, don't go aggro, it's only a book!"

The school bell rang and Sofiya relaxed a little. The tension in the classroom lifted and even the other teachers were relieved.

"Here, Mlle. Geffen", Sofiya said with a wolfish grin as she handed the pocketbook back, "I hope you don't take that story seriously. Be thankful it's not about teachers".

The students quickly left the classroom for the freedom of the school grounds. The other teachers left after all the students. Except for one. Henri Pottier, the scholarship grant student and teacher's pet, stayed. Henri Pottier, son of servant parents, was out of place among the children of the high and mighty of Geffen and suffered teasing and outright bullying until Sofiya put her foot down. Henri stayed near the window until Aceline walked away from view.

"Come on, Henri, it's time to go."

"Oui, Mlle. Verte. Au revoir", nodded Henri as he left the classroom.

In the faculty room, Sofiya was greeted by Six of Seven, Alice ... and Aunt Josephine.

"Bonjour, Sofiya. Your little chicks seem to be missing their mother", said Tante Josephine wryly. "I found them wandering around outside the house and this little chicken", she pointed at Six of Seven, " was very insistent on coming to see you today".

"Uh ...., merci Tantine Josephine, I'm sorry about for bother they imposed on you .....", Sofiya stammered but Aunt Josephine cut her off.

"C'est non, petite fille. I've always enjoyed a little aventure and today seems to be the day for it. Come filleule, let us go outside. Your étudiants are very curious about who came to visit you."

There was a small crowd of curious onlookers in the school courtyard. There had often been a sort of competition among the students in showing off their wealth and status. Some would bring their pets, tamed monsters, or arranged to have it brought after school hours for the whole student body to see. Everybody had to have at least a tamed Poring or equivalent symbol of status. Henri could not afford anthing of the sort and suffered ridicule as a result.

And every student in this status consious school knows what a tamed Alice looked like and how rare it was. She upstaged all of them, Sofiya thought with a smirk. Her fellow faculty members, however, were more impressed with Tante Josephine because even M. Fermier himself stepped gingerly around Sofiya but in the presence of Tante Josephine, Sofiya became meek as a lamb.

All eyes were on Alice as they stepped out into the school's courtyard. Sofiya returned their stares with her usual annoyed expression but the students were too shocked to notice.

Sofiya started. A warp buzz was tingling her magic senses. Someone was making an appearance here in the schoolyard. Looks like someone else will be upstaging her today. Sophia sighed as the rumble sounded the arrival of the warp's passengers. Tant pis . Being the center of attention was fun while it lasted.

Three people arrived but they weren't anybody she knows. Curious indeed. Wait, they're all wearing some kind of armor or another and one of them has a bow drawn. Mon dieu !

An Alice Story: Chapter 2

2006-05-03T12:57:00.000+08:00

Alice was cleaning her mistress' apartment when she heard women screaming, followed shortly after by the sound of thumping footsteps as Sofija ran out to see what's going on.

"Thank you Alice", said Sofija as she put on the dressing robe Alice handed to her. Alice followed her mistress out the door.

Outside, there was a group of women milling about, covering their eyes. At the center of their attention was Six of Seven, naked, except for the newspaper he had fetched from the corner merchant. He wasn't even using it to cover himself. Sofija took off her dressing robe that Alice had handed her earlier and covered Six of Seven with it.

Wah! We must be a sight to see, thought Sofija, me in my sleeping gown and Poring slippers and Six in all his glory. It's a good thing Alice still looks decent. Oh my goodness! That's my landlady, Mme. Josephine Fabre!

"Six, go back into the apartment", Sofija commanded. Six of Seven complied without question.

"Uh.... good morning, Tantine Josphine", Sofija didn't know what to say. Aunt Josephine wasn't just her landlady, she was also her godmother, a good friend of her mother.

Aunt Josephine seems to be looking at something behind her before she felt a poke in her back. Judging from the other ladies' curious or scandalized expressions, Sofija assumed it wasn't the monster she wished to come and swallow her whole. She turned around to see Alice handing her another dressing robe, which Sofija put on quickly.

"At least someone in your menagerie has some sense. I think we should have a little talk later, Sofija, when you've come back home from work."

Waves of cold sweat rolled down Sofija's back as she rushed back into the apartment to get ready for work. Meanwhile, Six of Seven is still wearing her dressing robe. It definitely isn't his color.

"Alice, you take care of the house and Six while I'm away. And get Six to wear something more suitable!"

Sometimes Sofija wished that who ever filled Six's head with information, filled it with common sense instead. Six of Seven is as smart as the average person but there are so many gaps in his understanding of the world. He can read and write and perform intermediate mathematics but he could just barely comprehend anything beyond face value.

Alice was godsend this passed month. Often, Sofija didn't know what to do with Six of Seven during the hours she was away before Alice came into her life. There were many times Sofija would come home and discover that Six of Seven was gone and she would spend an hour or so looking before she finds him walking around with a large load of medicinal herbs, among other things, in his backpack. Six of Seven stopped doing that shortly before Alice came around. Now he comes home earlier than Sofija so that all Sofija had to do was to put away the harvest Six of Seven has brought home. And answer his questions about the things he has read in the newspapers.

At least now Sofija can depend on Alice to .... Oh my goodness, I forgot to feed her last night. She must be starving! Some master I turn out to be, thought Sofija.

Sofiya quickly finished her morning routine and put on her uniform before rushing to the living room to feed Alice. Alice gave Sofiya a thankful look through her hunger-glazed eyes.

"All systems back to full operating capacity, mistress."

"Sorry about that Alice", said Sofija.

Then Alice handed her her lunch bag and a cup of freshly brewed Morroc coffee and a banana. Sofija was touched by the gesture. Alice had prepared her day's meal even though Alice herself was already very hungry. Sofiya drank the coffee deeply.

"Thank you very much Alice."

"Have a nice day, mistress. Be careful."

"You too, Alice. Take care of yourself and Six". And out Sofija went.

Alice looked at Six of Seven and said, "Mistress Sofija's robe doesn't fit you, why don't you go and change into your own clothes and come back for some breakfast".

Six of Seven looked at himself and said, "I forgot to wear my clothes this morning".

Alice could only roll her eyes.

Meanwhile, Sofija was eating her banana on the "L", Geffen's Levitated Ride Transit. It is only a short ride to Fermier's Preparatory Academy, a school catering to the upper class of Geffen's society. She had been teaching mathematics and sciences to the children of the wealthy and the nobles of Geffen for over 5 years.

It had been more than five years since she "retired" from wizardry. She had travelled all over his majesty, King Tristram III's kingdom, from Comodo to Alberta to even the monastery, St. Capitolina Abbey, northeast of Protera and she had taken many jobs from magical pest control to human mobile artillery for his majesty's army. She had been everywhere except Glast Heim, where her mother died.

Every since Alice arrived, Sofija had been constantly thinking of her mother. Alice is a rare name in Geffen and the fact that her Alice seems to have a selfless regard for Sofiya's well being, Sofiya can't help but be reminded of her mother. Sofija felt her eyes begin to moisten.

Sofija wiped her eyes as she stepped off the L at the West C2 Station. The Prep school, as the students called it, was near Geffen Tower at the center of Geffen. She quickly placed her things into her locker then headed for her class.

"Shhhhh! Mlle. Épouvantail, Miss Scarecrow is coming!"

Sofija winced. She hated that nickname.

Outside the door of her first class, Sofija took a deep breath and composed herself. Mlle. Épouvantail, the terror of Fermier's Preparatory Academy, entered the classroom.

"Good morning class", Sofija greeted the students.

"Good morning, Mlle. Verte", replied the students.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It is now mid-afternoon and Alice had finished all of her housechores. Six of Seven, meanwhile, had brought in the day's laundry. Six of Seven was a quick study with the household chores, all he needed was some instructions. Granted that he had once forgotten to put soap into the laundry water and granted that he keeps forgetting to sort out his clothes from Sofiya's clothes, Alice had found Six of Seven very helpful.

Alice hated having nothing to do. Her system will go into hibernation mode after a while and then the images start coming. Like images of being chopped to pieces or exploded to pieces and then being reconstituted again by the wild magical energies of Glast Heim. But she didn't mind those images. She didn't mind it even when she was still in Glast Heim experiencing it. Sometimes she even welcomed the times she was physically destroyed because her mind will go into the haze of the wild magic and she will be free of the psychic numbness of existence for a little while.

It was the other images Alice didn't want to see. The innocuous ones that featured children, 3 boys and 3 girls, and a man. There was nothing special about these images but Alice always feels an intense sense of loss about them. And of longing. Longing for what? She doesn't remember anything about those children or that man. She can only feel emptiness because of them. A throbbing pulse in her head told her that hibernation mode will occur if she has nothing better to do.

"Why don't we visit Mistress Sofija at her work today, Six", Alice asked.

Six of Seven pursed his lips to think and replied "Yes Alice, I want to visit Mistress Sofija at her work today".

Alice's hibernation mode was postponed. Alice always prefered hibernating at night anyway and oh my goodness, "SIX! DON'T GO OUT YET! Wear something presentable."

An Alice Story: Chapter 1

2006-03-11T00:20:00.000+08:00

It was another clandestine reunion for Sophie/Sofija and her family. Loki/ChengDu sat with his wife Leila on a table close to the sparkling river as Joseph/Yussaf walked from his usual vending station near the Clock Tower to sit on a nearby table. Solomon/Solomun crossed the bridge with his best friend Charlie to take their seat on another table. Myrna/Muirna is late, her twin missing all these years, is still missing. Myrna/Muirna says that her twin, Alannis, is still alive and well somewhere but still very far away.

Sofija opened her pouch to pull out a large green apple. She offered it to Bola-Bola, ChengDu's pet Poring. Bola-Bola pouted cutely then accepted the offered apple.

"What did I do to deserve such an unripe apple", Bola-Bola cutely asked.

"Because you are such a cute Poring", Sofija replied with a smile before squeezing his rubbery cheeks.

"Thank you very much, Miss Sofija", said Bola-Bola before bouncing off to enjoy his little treat.

"Hello Loki", Sofija greeted ChengDu.

". . . ", ChengDu stared speechlessly at Sofija before breaking into a subtle smile. ChengDu hated being called "Loki".

"Hello Sofija, how have you been?"

The king's edict forbade the men from gathering with the other men of the family but it never forbade the men from getting together with the women of the family and vice versa.

Leila nodded at Sofija and Sofija nodded back before rolling her eyes while smiling. Al de Baran was outside the kingdom of Rune-Midgard but well, they still have to be careful. His majesty's spies might misconstrue Sofija and Leila speaking with each other as an attempt to gather together. (I know it is illogical but please bear with me.-Grey Colored Glasses)

Muirna arrived at the Kafra landing point. She dismounted her Pecopeco and walked towards the family gathering. They're all here except for Muirna's twin.

"Hello Charlie, how's Solomun been doing", ChengDu asked the dark haired Assassin seated just across Solomun. Charlie may be a man but he's not family, again circumventing the king's decree.

"Ss-s-s-o-o-l-l-o-mmm-un's fine. We're keep-p-ping -uhrm- busy." Speaking was a painful business for Charlie. So was keeping still.

"Glad to hear that. Please tell Solomun that he really should quit smoking."

At that, Solomun pointedly puffed his cigar, then gave ChengDu the stare through his purple sunglasses. Then he stood up and walked to Leila at the other table.

"Good day Leila! How's my "big" brother? Is he still a stick in the mud like always?"

Leila giggled at the emphasis on big. ChengDu's family was a family of giants. The women she met, Sofija and Muirna, stood at around 5' 10". Solomun himself was slightly over six foot tall. And Yussaf was a heavily muscled, seven foot foot tall mountain. At only five feet in height, ChengDu wasn't just the runt among his siblings, he was dwarfed by them. Despite this, he was the eldest and in many ways, the head of the family.

"I whip up some wine for him so he'd mellow down a little", Leila replied between her giggles, "but he likes apple cider best. Maybe that's why he and Bola-Bola get along perfectly. You should have heard them singing last winter solstice eve. Then they suddenly disappeared and I found a man in a red suit with a nasty ankle sprain in our barn. He liked my apple cider so much that he said he might stop by again next winter's solstice."

"I love your red wine! You should tell my brother to put a few in my Kafra storage so I could savor them more often. Charlie likes them too, don't you Charlie", Solomun asked his best friend. To which Charlie nodded while suppressing a nervous tic.

"I knew you would ask", Leila giggled, "I brought a bottle for each of you. Charlie, would you be kind enough to pass them around?"

Sofija smiled. Solomun hated being bossed around by ChengDu, even when they were younger. The 12 year gap between them didn't help. The fact that ChengDu was often right didn't help. Sometimes, even she can't understand what Leila sees in her stick in the mud older brother.

She watched as Muirna and Yussaf chatted at another table. Muirna lived in Einbroch, the city of steel while Yussaf is now based in Al de Baran. Falcon, Yussaf's pet Steel Chonchon, a giant fly with bright metallic green skin, happily slurps his (her?) bowl of soup on the floor. Memories of the head waiter's reaction to Falcon's eating his soup on the table during the last reunion made Sofija shake her head. Waiters dislike flies, she guesses.

She walked back to her table where a wide-eyed Six of Seven sat and absoarbed his surroundings. In many ways, Six of Seven was born yesterday. Soliman found him fully grown, in body and knowledge, but empty of memory and experiences. Then he dumped Six of Seven on her as if Six of Seven was a puppy that has overstayed his welcome. That was last month. Sofija is still not talking to Solomun because of that. By the ONE, she's an unmarried woman, even if she's already thirty, even if she's a powerful wizard that noone dares to anger, she feels it is still scandalous. She's only glad that Six of Seven is already toilet-trained.

"How are you Six?"

"It is confusing, Mistress Sofija. What is the purpose of this gathering?"

"Just call me Sofija. This gathering is our family reunion. These are my brothers and sisters, except for Leila, she's my sister-in-law and Charlie, who's a family friend but we consider them part of our family."

"Family", Six of Seven paused to reflect, "family, a group of individuals living under one roof. It does not correspond, Mistress Sofija."

"Oh la la. Try the other definition."

"Family, a group of individuals descended from a common progenitor."

"Close enough. And Six?"

"Yes, Mistress Sofija?"

"Stop calling me Mistress Sofija."

"Yes Mistress Sofija", replied Six of Seven, to which Sofija rolled her eyes.

Yussaf approached her table. He has the same expression that Solomun had when Solomun first brought Six of Seven to her. Sofija looked around. Noone following him.

"Hello Sofija, my beautiful sister."

"Out with it Yussaf. It looks like Muirna didn't want what you were going to give her."

"Uh, you see, my storage and my cart are a little full right now."

Sofija raised her right eyebrow. Her storage is full right now too.

"Would you like to have this Alice as a pet? You don't have to hatch her if you don't want to. Just keep the egg in your backpack, she weighs almost nothing. They say Alice pets are the best pets for for ...."

She gave Yussaf the stare. Solomun may be immune to it but Yussaf isn't. Then she relented.

"Why not? Do you have a Pet Incubator there?"

Yussaf was so relieved, he not only gave her an incubator, he also gave her a year's supply of White Potions, the Alice's food.

"Let's see what she looks like."

Yussaf handed Sofija the Pet Incubator. The contraption was strange. It was all brass and glass, with no hint of mechanism nor runic inscriptions. Sofija placed the Alice egg right in the middle of the incubator then attached the plugs right onto the egg then set it on the floor.

The Alice egg was smooth and pale but irregularly covered by grey spots at the bottom. Sofija wondered why all pet eggs were shaped like real eggs.

Sofija concentrated on the incubator. She felt a slight twinge in her aura field. The Pet Incubator absoarbed a fraction of a unit of her stored magic potential then returned it in a psychic feedback. The pet was being imprinted with her, the same way chicks imprint on their parent after they hatch. Then the incubator began to glow and the glow started to change shape.

The first thing Alice saw when she opened her eyes was her mistress.

"Mistress, I am hungry", said Alice and promptly received a White Potion from her mistress. Alice drank deeply to the last drop. Her hunger sated, she looked at her mistress.

Alice's new mistress was tall, taller than her, with long green hair tied in two knots behind her. Something about her mistress was vaguely familiar but Alice's memory was a blur. All Alice could remember was a strong urge to sweep the floor, which she started to do.

"Stop that -uh- Alice", her mistress commanded.

"Yes mistress", Alice replied and stopped sweeping the floor.

"And stop calling me mistress", said Sofija in annoyance, "I'm not that old". That comment provoked smiles from everyone except for Six of Seven, who wore his usual astonished look, and Alice, who was confused.

The reunion went on for a little while more before they all silently raised their glasses together, each group in their own table, in quiet salute and farewell. And one by one, the groups dispersed.

As Sofija and Six of Seven approached the Kafra girl, Alice spoke:

"Sophie, I am hungry."

An Alice Story: Prologue

2006-01-01T12:01:00.000+08:00

Alice stood close to her husband.

Glast Heim is not a place anybody should venture alone. Alice never liked it here. She and Anekhan had often come here to find some lost treasure of their families. A thousand years ago, their ancestors fled Glast Heim before it was taken by the evil forces that rule it now. By rights, this was their home. Now, they are raiders and scavengers of what is rightfully theirs.

That had never sat well with Anekhan. He was the chief of one of the Refugees of Glast Heim clans. His father expected so much from him as the sucessor to the position and placed a burden sometimes too heavy for him to bear: the burden of bringing the refugees back to Glast Heim.

So they are here again. Courting death and doom.

In the deep dungeons, they search for a way to defeat the current masters of Glast Heim. Deep in his heart Anekhan knows it is hopeless. The ONE himself has revealed to Anekhan that Glast Heim shall remain as it is until the end of the current age.

But parents always have a way with words.

Alice hears them constantly badgering Anekhan about the state of the clan. Reminding him of the wealth and power the had before the evil came. Telling him that all will be well when the clan regains its rightful hold over Glast Heim.

And worse, telling him he was useless unless, by some miracle, he wrested Glast Heim from the dark powers that hold it enthralled.

He is her man and she will stand by him but she reserves the right to resent her in-laws. In fact, they are here now because of her in-laws.

Anekhan's father had again said that he will amount to nothing unless he brings the clans back to Glast Heim. And again, Anekha's mother retold stories of Glast Heim's grandeur even though she had never seen it. Descriptions of Glast Heim's golden era were all passed down through storytelling.

Anekhan's father and mother had never known Glast Heim like she and Anekhan had. They never saw the ruined place they, his parents, call their rightful home. They had never realized that the Glast Heim they described existed only in the stories and in their minds.

So here they are, Anekhan and Alice, children of the refugees of Glast Heim, scavengers of the ruined city. Anekhan is her man, she will stand by him

A Zombie Prisoner approached. She and Anekhan made short work of the monster. He/it was probably just a mindless drone combing these corridors. Decaying parts of the monster clung to her dress. Anekhan owes her a new one, she thought, he'd better find something worth selling because she knows the stain isn't going to come off this one.

Anekhan checked over the defeated monster. There was nothing except an old worn out prison uniform. She doesn't know why the merchants pay such a price for something like that. She and Anekhan have many other concerns that mean more to them than investigating trivia like that. This rubbish masquerading as treasure would have to do.

Alice thought back to the night before, while they huddled in the garden, as Anekhan like to call the open expanse of Glast Heim that meets the sky. Alice slept in Anekhan's arms, as she always does. It was Ban's watch. Old faithful Ban KoNyuJi. Anekhan's best friend.

Last night, she had a vision about her children. In it, a man in white spoke to her and he said these words:

Loki is your firstborn. When he grows firm, he will choose to serve me.

Solomon is your youngest. He, I will choose to serve me and my purpose.

Joseph is a smith. His heart, soul and spirit will be his hammer, anvil and forge

Myrna and Alannis, the twins will be apart in their body but together in their mind. Two staves bound together, stronger together than each on their own.

Alice felt something amiss. All her sons were mentioned and so were her twin daughters but ....

"What about Sophie? What will happen to her", Alice asked.

The man in white looked at Alice and said, "Sophie will be fine."

Then Alice woke. Her heart's burdens lifted from her

"Ban", she spoke, "let me take this watch. Get some rest."

Old faithful Ban. Grey hair, wrinkled face but eyes still sharp as his falcon's. Ban nodded then closed his eyes.

Alice wondered how could anyone ever sleep while sitting up.

Then Alice remembered the beautiful sunrise she witnessed this morning.

"What's this here?"

Anekhan's whisper sharply brought her to the present

It was an Alice, her namesake monster. She had just stepped out through a wall. Anekhan drew his sword and poked the wall with it. It went through without any resistance.

The three of them conferred. By unanimous decision they chose to go through the wall. Alice cast Kyrie Eleison on all three of them. Then they went through the wall. Anekhan first, then Ban, then her.

--------------------------------------------

There were rumors of what happened, deep in Glast Heim. It was widely believed that Anekhan and Alice died when they awoke the Dark Knight from his slumber. Ban KoNyuJi alone survived. He alone alerted the whole kingdom to the threat of the Dark Knight and his dread army.

When the threat was averted, the king of Rune-Midgard pronounced his decree: As punishment for the wrong of their parents, the children of Anekhan and Alice were seperated from each other and forbidden to gather together, the men with the men, the women with the women. And worse yet, the children were forbidden to use their family name ever again. The family line of Anekhan and Alice ended that day.