Enjoy This Absence From Reality


Updates ADVENTURES UNTOLD The Invisible My French Teacher is an Evil Sorcerer Jaci's Story The Shroud GREY MAGIC Darnai Erudite BIOGRAPHIES Kiomati Shea Shea Koshan Niteshade ASSORTED Easter Break In Your Element Kingdom in the Sky Watcher Wanderer Them Wind Dancer GRAPHICS Livejournal Icons ME ELSEWHERE Fanfiction.Net Fictionpress.Net Elfwood CUSTOMARY Email Links Dreambook	Kingdom in the Sky Niteshade's glorious dark kingdom had long since fallen and was now being forgotten as things were returning to the way they should be. The people of Jakar returned to the mainland just in time before the next disaster hit and demolished much of the island. The kingdoms of the mainland had established friendly relations, though the elves and dwarves still bickered constantly about any and everything that they could. The original group who had brought down Niteshade had now disbanded and Shane and Abby were very much in love. The elven prince and formerly imprisoned general were traveling the known and unknown world in search of adventure and whatever secrets secrets were hidden from prying eyes. The pair had become famed treasure hunters, willing to do most anything to find the secrets of the earth or sea. The problem was that they had begun to grow bored and were yearning for something different, something they had never done before. They needed something spectacular to end their careers before trying to settle down and living a normal life, uncharted territory for the both of them. These problems were far from their minds at the moment. Shane and Abby sat amongst friends at the Stinky Cheese Inn, reminiscing about the old days when Niteshade was still a threat. Jira and Terry had not changed much since they had last time they were all together and trying to save their world. Jaci was with them as well, though she had long since hung up her sword and returned to her old life, though she had now taken over the Stinky Cheese. After all, a dead man could not run an inn from the grave. "Despite everything, those times were a lot of fun," Terry admitted. "They really were," Abby agreed. "Far more so than any of our little excursions where most of the booby traps are too old to work anymore." "I can hardly believe we're all back together," Shane said. "I can't believe I'm letting you eat all this for free!" Jaci retorted. The group shared a round of laughter and remained in awe that they were actually all together again, more or less. Jira let out a sigh as the laughter died out. "I wonder how Tanya's doing?" she wondered out loud, remembering the only one of their original party who was not with them now. Jaci was with them instead, and she had been on the battlefield when they had infiltrated Niteshade's castle labyrinth. "She'll be fine," Shane assured her, laying a hand on her shoulder. "She's a tough kid. Besides, her life is downright godly next to ours." "Not the way she talked about it!" Abby joked. "Remember all those horror stories about school? Villainous teachers who dump homework on you constantly does not sound like fun! Besides-" her tone went suddenly solemn, "-now we're only a part of her story, nothing more." The table went suddenly somber. They all knew it was true, but this was the first time any of them had actually said it. That their friend no longer remembered them outside a story that she was writing hurt them all deeply, even if it was for the best. A loud crash from the roof broke their silence. A second, smaller one followed. The group split up, the girls going outside and the guys headed upstairs to see what happened. The girls were outside just in time to see two figures landing lightly on their feet, a phoenix and a girl with dragon wings. The pair stretched out their obviously sore backs and the phoenix changed back into her recognizable form, Tara. "Tara, Terri! So nice of you to stop by," Jaci said with an eerie sweetness. "Did you forget how to fly? If you broke my roof I'll kill both of you!" "So nice to see you, too," Terri said, unperturbed by Jaci's screeched warning. The guy came rushing outside moments later, slightly winded. "Why did you guys go upstairs?" Abby asked curiously. Eventually, they were able to mutter, "They might have crashed through the roof," bashfully. The five girls shared a quick glance and shook their heads. "Guys!" "What happened to you two?" Terry asked. "I think we ran into the sky elves' kingdom," Terri explained. "We hit something and couldn't fly or anything. And here I thought they were just a legend." "No," Shane said. "Some of them were a part of the royal family. Some f the elves left the ground because of the mass disappearances, thinking that it was a curse associated with the earth. They all just left to create a kingdom in the sky and we never heard from them again." "Hey!" Abby exclaimed, hitting him playfully on the arm. "This could be our next adventure. Think about it, it would be like a big challenge just to get in and you could see some old relatives!" "I guess. . ." "We could come to," Terry suggested. "It would be like old times-" Jira promptly elbowed him hard in the stomach before he could say anything more and be even stupider. "You two go and have fun. We'll be around if you need us." "What did I say?" Terry asked innocently. "Idiot!" Tara growled with an accent. "Let's head inside," Terri proposed. "I'm hungry." The group went back and sat down at their table before anyone could take it. It was a little ridiculous, since the place had been closed for the day, but they felt it necessary. They began talking of how to actually get there, on the glorified flying rock, without falling out of the sky. "We're just going to have to overshoot it," Shane concluded. "Then we can coast in when our flight is disabled." "Sounds great," Abby said, "but you're forgetting that I can't exactly sprout wings and fly. I'm not an elf, or Jira, or Terri or Tara or Tanya so I can't" "I can fix that," Jira assured her. "Remember Tanya's story about a flying carpet? Well, I made one. I'll get it tonight and you can leave in the morning." "You can stay here for the night, no charge," Jaci said grudgingly. "You did save our world, after all." Perfect, Abby thought. One last adventure. The next morning Jira presented the pair of them with the carpet. The intricate and delicate designs woven into it were trademark of the dwarven handiwork. The whole of it seemed familiar and neither could shake the feeling that they had seen before. "Isn't that-" "The carpet in that underground war room we were in right before the raid on the dwarven resistance?" Terry finished. "One and the same." "Tanya already bewitched it once before," Jira explained, "so it was really very easy to make it into a flying carpet." "I always wondered how all those soldiers tripped," Shane mused. "Yeah, well now you know," Jira said. "Go on, both of you. You have a flight to catch." "The sky elves are going to start moving again soon," Terri said somewhat urgently. "We have less than an hour left to get the two of you up there." Abby and Shane mounted the carpet and bid their friends farewell as the carpet spiraled upwards into the clouds. Luckily, Abby regained control before they were thrown off of it entirely. They soared through the endless sky for half an hour, chatting with Terri and Tara to pass the time. They exchanged their life stories since the downfall of Niteshade and their possible fates after reaching the sky elves' kingdom. "We've survived worse," Shane assured them, "and Abby says death isn't so bad." "Very relaxing, actually." Abby laughed. Tara and Terri stopped suddenly in mid-flight. Tara let out a chirp. "We're here," Terri announced to them. "But I don't see anything," Abby protested. "Believe us, it's there. If you fly downwards just a bit, you should just fall into it. Good luck." With that, the pair of winged creatures flew away without so much as a backwards glance. Abby began to ease the carpet doubtfully into the empty air. After a long few seconds, the carpet jarred and they began to free fall, but the scenery was different. It was now a busy castle courtyard, rather than the empty blue they were previously surrounded with. "Abandon carpet!" Shane called. The two of them jumped, landing rather lightly on their feet. Within seconds, though, the excitement of their fall dissipated as the guards surrounded them. Without speaking, they were escorted out towards the castle through the muttering courtyard. "How do you think they treat intruders?" Abby asked in an attempt to lighten the mood as they were led through impossibly and needlessly dark catacombs. "Ngeeum!" one of the guards snapped. "What?" "Quiet," Shane translated softly. They wandered a few minutes further in the darkness until the soldiers drew to a halt. Abby and Shane were thrown into a room and landed hard on the floor. A metal door clanged shut, and with a click, it locked. Soft footsteps marched hurridly away and silence returned. Abby slowly rose to her feet and began feeling her way along the cold stone wall. "Shane?" she asked questioningly. "We could have taken them, right?" "Yeah," he replied. "So why didn't we?" "Because. . . we were being diplomatic," he replied hesitantly. "Got it!" Abby exclaimed triumphantly as the room lit up. The two inhabitants groaned painfully at the sudden brightness, but were undoubtedly happy for it none the less. "Do you still remember all of your elven?" Abby asked urgently as she peered through a small window in the door. "It hasn't been that long," Shane replied distastefully. "Why?" "Elven big shot coming our way," Abby explained. "Ah shoot." "You used to talk to Tanya way too much," he joked. "What's wrong? You can speak elven just fine." "I can't remember the spell!" "What spell? You can't do magic." "Okay, oh!" she said, busy with scouring her memory. "Two fingers on the back of my neck and , oh, now what were the words?!" The door clanged open and in stepped a regal male of about nineteen and five guards. They all seemed to be excessively cautious and ready to attack at the slightest provocation. "Sawadee krap," he greeted nervously. "Sawadee krap," Shane returned. "Sawadee kah." And then it hit her, the words she had been straining so very hard to remember. The captor began an incoherent drone Abby well knew as their list of rights as prisoners. She had heard it all too many times before and decided to take this opportunity. She placed her fingers on her neck and muttered, "Language of the elves, language of the Thai, come to me, speak through me." "Khun chu arai krap?" she was asked. "Pardon?" "What is your name?" he asked more slowly, as though he was speaking with an idiot. "Abby," she replied. "Could I ask for your's?" "Captain Rafe of the sky elf kingdom. Now Shane, Abby, there's something about both of you that bothers you. How did the two of you find us and get through our shields? Was it something about that carpet?" "A fire bird and a dragon told us," Shane replied with a smile. "They ran into you yesterday and landed outside the inn where we were. You sent the information right to us." "And I believe both of us outrank you, Captain, so I suggest you step down and let us be on our way." "Ha!" Rafe laughed. There is no possible way that I can be outranked by a mere girl of the race of man! And him, he is neither soldier of sorcerer by the looks of him. Since neither of you are of any threat, there is no need for me to step down." "Hey! I wasn't stripped of rank before they put me in prison that I recall, so I am still a general and I still outrank you!" Abby exclaimed authoritatively and with attitude. "And I still happen to be an elven prince, not some pauper. Now step down, Captain." "Prince Shane?" he breathed. "I knew I recognized you. I haven't seen you in more than ten years! You have grown so much." "You mean you're the gawky kid who always-it's been far too long." Rafe waved his hand and dismissed his guards. "Shane! What brings you here? I guess you didn't know that royalty is cursed up here, so you probably shouldn't be visiting." "Didn't you know about the rule of the forgotten up here?" Abby interrupted. "Let me guess, for a year, you put person after person on the throne and they all perished." "Yes," he admitted distastefully. "How did a mere human girl figure all that out so fast?" "Mere?" "I wouldn't push her if I were you, Rafe," Shane warned. "Not if you want to live, anyway." "What could she possibly do? She's only a-" Suddenly he found a dagger at his throat being held by Abby. His voice ceased to work and his eyes fell on the blade. "What did you say?" Abby demanded coolly. "But I didn't-" "Sense it?" Abby completed. "That's the thing about a cold fury, you can't." "How did Shane ever get involved with a girl like you?" Abby looked back at Shane and exchanged a glance with him. They had had to do this so many times before that it was now perfectly choreographed for anyone who asked. Completely in sync with each other, they raised their left arms and allowed their sleeves to drop, revealing a double snake tattoo. "We got drafted together," they said. "Chosen," he gasped with eyes full of amazement. "Um, can I go now?" He felt the tip of the blade anew. "Depends," Abby said with a sly smile. "What were you saying before?" "I was just about to say how beautiful you were for a human girl," he replied nervously, eyes once more on the blade. She took a minute to study him carefully before slowly withdrawing the dagger. She slipped it back into it's sheath up her sleeve and smiled at Shane. "I like him," she commented. "He knows just what to say to a girl." "And when!" Shane laughed. "Hey I warned you, Rafe." Rafe rubbed his neck gingerly for a moment. He took a couple long strides, situating himself next to Shane. "How are you still alive? You always had such a big mouth when we were kids." "She's not the worst of them," Shane assured him. "It's just a matter of knowing what not to say." "So, you fell victim to the rule of the forgotten and the royal family is gone. No problem, since Shane is still of royal blood. He can be the next king." "But what about-" "Yeah, I guess I could," Shane said happily. "It was so disappointing when my little adopted brother got chosen to rule instead of me, so I could do that here instead. Abby, tell me you will rule by my side." "Oh Shane, you know I-" "Now wait a minute!" Rafe roared. "You two can't get married. To be queen, you have to pass a number of tests first, and you can't take those if you aren't elven." "Then I won't be king," Shane proclaimed before the hurt look surfaced on Abby's face. "If I can't marry Abby, then I won't stay here." "Sweet as that is," Abby protested, "you were born for this. You can't let me stop you." "We need a King," Rafe said. "Fine, I'll compromise. We'll leave and come back when Abby becomes and elf. Then we can rule together. Don't even think of changing my mind, you both know it won't work." Abby smiled, happy to be defeated. Rafe went red with anger, but made no move to stop them. Shane worked quickly to summon their carpet, which arrived moments later. The Abby and Shane grudgingly mounted it, Abby turning off her translation spell and fearing that she would never use it here again. "You're going to regret this," Rafe warned. "We'll be back," Shane retorted as he removed a section of the wall. "You'll see." Abby steered the carpet out the hole in the wall and away from the castle as the lights went out in the room. "Tanya always nagged us about turning off the lights," Shane explained after seeing her confused look. "Do you really think we can do this?" Abby asked, suddenly very doubtful. They had come out of the shield and found themselves directly above the former empire of Niteshade. The forest was still dark from the evil that had been spread. It seemed like an eerily dark omen. "We'll find a way," Shane assured her. "We'll find a way."