Alanna’s Adventure
A week before her wedding to George…
Pirate’s Swoop
**********
“Oh, you will be such a beautiful bride,” Maude said, pressing a hand to her mouth. Alanna was standing reluctantly in the midst of a dress fitting which Queen Thayet had to coerce her to.
Alanna looked back at Maude, and replied, “I trust on your opinion on that since someone refused to let me have a look at it myself.”
“It’s tradition Alanna and stop fussing,” Buri teased with a wicked grin. “Besides, how often do you get married?”
Alanna humphed and tossed her long cascading red hair over her shoulder. She had to be pleaded, cajoled and begged to keep her hair long for the wedding.
“Stop moving,” Kuri the dressmaker said with pins in her mouth. Kuri Tailor was a tall woman with red-bronze hair and a great capacity for kindness. She had been engaged by Queen Thayet to make Alanna’s wedding dress.
“I thought with Jon and Thayet’s wedding done and over with, everyone will get the wedding bug out of their systems!” Alanna exclaimed.
“You are the first lady knight and the king’s champion to boot. After all, you should enjoy yourself since my lord has given you an unlimited budget as a token of his appreciation for your services.” Queen Thayet explained with a raised eyebrow.
Buri sniffed and said, “And I still do not understand why you insist on paying for the wedding dress yourself. Especially since Sir Myles has offered to pitch in as your godfather.”
“It is a matter of principal,” Alanna responded huffily. “I am not exactly a pauper and I am not going to let the men pay for everything. I am going to pay for this dress even if it kills me. Besides, it is my wedding as well, if anyone has forgotten.”
Queen Thayet hid a smile. Alanna had originally wanted a quiet wedding, but her friends wouldn’t hear of it. Alanna was ignorant about the wedding plans, as she had told George that she couldn’t organise a gathering even if her life depended on it. She let George have a free rein on the organising the wedding and told him to give her a surprise.
Alanna remained silent for a while, which provoked Maude into asking, “Are you all right?”
Alanna sighed and answered, “I don’t know. It is all of this is happening so fast and everything. I mean, does he really know me? I mean, look at me! It was just two years ago that if someone told me that I would be standing here enduring a dress fitting for my wedding, I would have laughed myself silly.”
Buri smiled indulgently and remarked with a mock air of wisdom, “Ahh… you are getting cold feet. Don’t worry it is perfectly natural.”
Alanna glared at Buri and retorted, “Since when were you such an expert on this Miss I-will-never-marry-because-guys-are-such-jerks?”
“Cold feet, definitely,” Buri commented, nodding her head as if Alanna’s response was a confirmation to her analysis.
“Shush now,” Maude said sternly. “All brides go through this. It is natural for brides to get second doubts, especially with the wedding drawing closer.” Queen Thayet nodded in agreement.
“Don’t tell me you felt cold feet?” Alanna asked incredulously. “You were so calm and collected throughout the whole spectacle.”
“Well, I have to admit I had second doubts,” Queen Thayet said.
“And…?” Buri asked.
“Well, I am married now and it is too late for that.” Queen Thayet replied with a sniff.
“Wow, that’s comforting,” Alanna muttered.
“Stand still,” Kuri the dressmaker said sternly. “I tell you, you are more frisky than your horse.”
Alanna sighed. She so hated dress fittings.
**********
Alanna was finally freed from the horrors of horrors and she made her way to her room. She took out her sword and practiced a few complicated sword dances. Suddenly, a woman appeared before her.
“Goddess,” Alanna swore. “Don’t you know better than to appear before me like that? I could have killed you!”
The Great Goddess smiled with benign patience.
Alanna then realised who she was speaking to and sighed.
“Congratulations on your upcoming marriage. I have always knew you would end up with him,” the Great Goddess said and she sat down on Alanna’s bed.
“Thank you,” Alanna replied cautiously, fingering the ember stone on the chain hung around her neck, which the Great Goddess had earlier given her. “What brings you here? I can hardly think that you came all the way here just to congratulate me.”
“Sharp as a Shang blade,” the Goddess remarked with amusement and then in a more serious tone. “Roger is alive.”
Alanna stared at the Goddess. “You have got to be kidding,” Alanna yelped and started shaking before she realised it. “Which IDIOT will reincarnate him AGAIN?”
The goddess sighed and answered, “Apparently Chaos.”
“Chaos?” Alanna said, sitting on the bed beside the Goddess.
“Chaos has been struggling to break out of the prison the gods have contained her in. For her to have enough power to do that, well, she has to drain the chaos and destruction from the mortal realm. Since you’ve came along, things have been made peaceful. Wars have been stopped and fighting as well.” The Goddess supplied. “Chaos has managed to get one of her minions to steal the Black Lord’s bottle of reincarnation potion which it used to raise Roger.”
“So we have one crazy revenge seeking idiot now on the loose. No problem, I will try to track him down and kill him before I get married.” Alanna commented.
“But things are not going to be that easy,” the Goddess remarked.
Alanna eyes the Goddess with apprehension and said, “Spill it.”
The Goddess sighed and explained, “The minion also managed to steal some Time Sand from the Hour Glass. I don’t know how well you know your legends and myth, but I’ll explain it either way. The Hour Glass is, as its name implies, an hourglass, which the gods use to keep track of time. Its sand can never run out. The Hour Glass can be used to travel back or forward in Time. However, it is strictly forbidden by Mother Flame for the Hour Glass to be used by any god or goddess. Chaos’ minion was unable to take away the Hour Glass as it is be spelled. Instead, the minion took some Sand from the Hour Glass. This sand can be used to travel back and forward in time. Chaos, unable to use the sand, instructed the minion to give it to Roger who also had some drops of the Black Lord’s reincarnation potion. Roger knew that it would be useless to fight you now, as he might be defeated as before. To prevent history from happening and his death, Roger travelled back in time to try and kill you.”
Alanna looked at the Goddess and said flatly, “Now I have to go back into time and stop him.”
The Goddess nodded and gave Alanna a leather pouch. “Here, take this, it is a pouch containing some sand from the Hour Glass. This is how you use the sand. You take a small handful of it and say aloud the time and place you want to go to, then throw it into the air where you want the portal to form. The sand will form a time portal, which will only close after you go through it. You have enough sand for only FIFTEEN time trips. Use it wisely. Roger is also restricted, but he has only TEN time trips. Roger has only enough drops of the reincarnation potion for TWENTY persons. If you fasten this pouch to your belt, it will become invisible, it is be spelled so that nobody but you can touch it.”
Alanna felt rather overwhelmed by the turn of events and asked, “Do I take anyone along with me?”
“I am afraid that to minimise the change that you might cause when you go back into the past, you can’t bring anyone along. But, I have a selected companion to go with you,” the Goddess replied.
“Who is he or she?” Alanna asked.
“In another world, Tortall is a place of fiction. It doesn’t exist, but only in books,” the Goddess said. “Your adventures had been written into a series called the Song of the Lioness.” Alanna snorted and the Goddess continued, ignoring her. “I thought the best companion would be someone well versed in these books, your life. So that she would be able to help to guide you where Roger is.”
“Uh huh,” Alanna said. “Does she have any powers?”
“Not at the moment, but she will be. Mother Flame has magnanimously consented to grant the girl a favour. The girl will possess powers of the good characters in the most recent book she has read,” the Goddess supplied. “She does not know her mission yet, but will soon. Her name is Sheryllene Tan, she will fall through a portal onto here.”
“Well, I hope she now better be reading a fighting book,” Alanna muttered.
**********
“Your mother loved Sam as much as I love you,” Leo said.
“Leo, it is difficult for me and there is someone involved now,” Piper said.
“Sheryl!” Adelina called.
Sheryllene Tan reluctantly tore her gaze away from the book she was reading. “What is it? I am getting to a very interesting part.”
Adelina raised her eyebrow and remarked, “Interesting part? Let me see.” Adelina made a sudden leap for the book.
“No, let go,” Sheryl said and Adelina and her engaged in a brief tussle over the book. The fight was ridiculously one-sided and ended with Sheryl empathetically shoving Adelina away. “Stop that. Don’t forget, I am a black belt in Taekwondo,” Sheryl said threateningly.
“HA. Well, I am a black belt in, well, nothing, but hey you big bully!” Adelina responded.
“Who’s bullying who? You are the one who wanted to take away my book,” Sheryl retorted.
“Hmph,” Adelina said. “Anyway, pay up for the class fund.” Adelina was the class treasurer, pesky, annoying and tenacious.
“Ohhh…” Sheryllene said. “I forgot! I used my money yesterday to buy Page and forgot to top up my wallet.”
“How typical, you and your Tamora Pierce books.” Adelina sniffed and said menacingly, “R-e-m-e-m-b-e-r to bring the money tomorrow!”
“Yes, yes, yes, but call me tonight to remind me,” Sheryl responded absent-mindedly and shoved her book into her school bag. “My father is here, bye!” Sheryl slung her bag over her shoulder and ran to her father’s car.
As she got into the car and slammed the door, Sheryl was blinded by a bright light and suddenly she was falling...
**********
“Omph!” Sheryl said, rubbing her backside. “Now that is the last time I am ever going to slam the car door!” She shook her head and blinked to clear her vision. She was in a big room with a red head and a drop-dead-gorgeous-blonde looking at her. Sheryl inspected the red head who had long hair and purple eyes?
“Oh Sheryl, you are in a concussion or in a coma,” Sheryl said to herself out loud. “Snap out of it! Your exams are coming and there is no time for you to concus, you got studying to do! Worse yet. You still have 8 chapters left to read in Page!”
“Sheryllene?” the blonde inquired gently.
“You know my name? Oh why not? I am after all in a coma and everything,” Sheryl muttered.
“No, you are not,” the blonde responded. “You fell through a portal and you are now in Tortall.”
“I am definitely in a coma,” Sheryl remarked. “And I suppose…” She took a quick inspection of the red head’s appearance and said, “you are Alanna?”
At Alanna’s gasp, Sheryl looked at the blonde. “Are you Varice?”
“Who?” Alanna asked.
“No,” the blonde said, “I am the Great Goddess.” The blonde looked like she did not know whether to be insulted or amused.
“Really?” Sheryl said. “What am I saying? Of course you are, anything can happen in La la Land.”
“La la Land?” Alanna asked.
“La la Land, I mean, I am in a coma, so anything can happen in my imagination,” Sheryl answered, looking around. “And is this Corus?” At Alanna’s shaking head, she guessed, “Pirate’s Swoop?”
“Yes,” Alanna said.
“Yeah! Got it right on the second try. Three cheers and three cheers and three cheers for Sheryl!” Sheryl exclaimed and clapped her hands.
“And this is the companion who is supposed to help me,” Alanna said looking at the Goddess.
“Yes,” the Great Goddess answered and stood up. “Now, we better get back to business, there’s no time to waste.”
“Business?” Sheryl said curiously.
The Great Goddess walked over to her and pinched her. “Ouch!” Sheryl yelped. “Whaddaya do that for?”
“To prove that you are awake and not in Ta ta land,” the Great Goddess said.
“La la land,” Sheryl corrected grumpily.
The great goddess explained everything to Sheryl who listened incredulously. Sheryl eyed the goddess and said, “Let me get this straight. Roger is alive in the past and is trying to kill Alanna and you want me to help her because I am a huge SOTL fan?”
The goddess nodded regally and said, “Yes, and you will inherit the powers of the good characters of the last novel you have read.”
“That is so cool!” Sheryl exclaimed.
“And what were you reading last?” Alanna asked.
“Let’s see, oh, oh,” Sheryl said. “This will be so cool.”
“Cool it with the cooling, what powers will you get?” Alanna asked impatiently.
“I read Charmed. It is about three sisters who are witches and have magically powers,” Sheryl said. “Which are to have premonition, telekinesis and the ability to freeze time.”
“That is useful, though I would have preferred if you read some Shang transcript,” Alanna remarked. “But that would do nicely enough.”
“Oh, don’t worry, I have a black belt in Taekwando.” Sheryl said.
Alanna looked at her in bewilderment. Sheryl corrected, “I can kick ass.”
“Both of you can talk later,” the goddess advised. “You two have to start now, you can get acquainted with each another along your adventure.”
“Now? That means I have to learn about my powers on the way? Isn’t that risky?” Sheryl said, “And for goodness sake, I don’t know a-n-y-t-h-i-n-g about powers or magic of that sort.”
“I suggest you better pick it up fast,” the goddess said dryly. She tilted her head to one side, as if listening to someone. “Come on, I just got the 1st location of the place Roger has gone to. The rest of the locations… well, you have to figure it out yourselves.”
“Wait!” Sheryl interrupted. “When can I go home?”
“When you managed to finish everything successfully and return to this time, I will help you go home,” the Great Goddess said.
“Okkaayyy… but can’t you let me change first?” Sheryl said, gesturing to her school uniform. “It is going to be tough prancing around in these skirts. And I am going to look like some weirdo.”
Alanna agreed, “And we better pack some weapons. I have to go tell…”
The goddess shook her head, “No time, just write a note, and if they find out, they would want to tag along or persuade you not to go.”
“Especially George,” Sheryl quipped. “At least not without him.”
Alanna groaned, “Buri as well, alright, I see the point.”
Very soon, Sheryl found herself standing with Alanna in front of the Great Goddess. “Here we go then,” the Goddess said. “The first portal is for free, not counted in your 15 ones.”
“Wow, so generous,” Sheryl muttered, which made Alanna grin.
The great goddess spread her arms over the two and a glow shimmered around them. “What’s that for?” Alanna asked.
“I have enchanted you such that both of you need no sleep, food or drink. Your weapons will return to you and will never change. Your clothes will never wear, tear or spoil. This is to save time and minimise the change you will cause when you go back to the past.” The Great Goddess said.
“Ohhh… I get it. If we eat something there, the person who was supposed to eat it, can’t and we change future in that way.” Sheryl said.
“Yes and anyone who is reincarnated has a dark glow around him or her. I’ve enchanted you to be able to see that as well. You better start on your journey. Who knows what havaoc Roger can bring if he goes unchecked,” the great goddess said and waved her hand.
The portal opened and shimmered. It was of an icy blue colour, with a whirling opaque middle. It reminded Sheryl of the top view of a typhoon.
“Here we go youngling. Take my hand,” Alanna said. Sheryl took Alanna’s hand and held it firmly.
“Here we go where no man has gone before,” Sheryl said. Alanna looked at Sheryl. “Roger is not counted, he’s an idiotic whacko,” Sheryl said matter-of-factly. Alanna had to stifle a laugh.
“On three,” Alanna said. “One, two, three!”
“Cowabanga!” Sheryl yelled and jumped through the portal with Alanna.
**********
~ Wildofre ~
TIME TRAVELLING IN TORTALL
Wildofre's Realm
