The Golden

I stood on the hill above my village with rain pelting my face, soaking the leather I wore. Usually my mind would have revolted, wet leather…ugh! But now it was necessary. I opened my arms to the wind, letting it rip over my body filling me with power. I could hear the call of The Golden, her horrible siren's song, but over that…over that was my call to arms. The unrest of the land itself, the slow booming strike of thunder, the crack of magic. Finally, over all that was the hum of magic, the strong, metallic taste that it produced, the call of my people, my Amari.

"Merian?" A sweet voice behind me called. "Merian, are you almost done?"

"What I'm doing isn't important, Beth." I called back, pulling in my senses. "I'll come back now if you need me."

"We need you Princess. They're here."

"I turned around, pushing my long black hair out of my face. 'Aye, Beth, sweet one,' My mind sighed. 'You're so innocent. Do you have any clue what we're in for?' She had always been so trusting, as if she was sure that everything would always come out all right, no matter what. It was amazing considering all that she'd been through.

Today, which is now so amazing started out ordinary. I had had no clue that The Golden existed, I was no princess, and I had no power. In the morning I had gotten up, cleaned, fed the pigs, washed my laundry, helped Beth around, the stuff I did everyday. Beth is walking beside me now, pulling herself along on her crutches. Beautiful, sweet, sad Beth, she is the main reason I am going through with this.

A few hours after lunch They came. They were the Tenarin, a race of warriors. Their skin was the beautiful deep brown of the earth. They came right past where I was sitting with Beth, and we watched them pass with their shining armor and dark war horses. They were beautiful, proud, and strong, of course, then we had no clue what their coming meant. At the very end of the procession rode a woman sitting tall and proud on a beautiful chestnut mare. Her hair was as black as mine and fell down her back in a thick braid. She turned her horse toward the village blacksmith, who was also watching, and held a quiet discussion with him which mostly consisted of her talking and the blacksmith's eyes growing wider and wider. Finally she seemed to sum it up, and the blacksmith pointed over at Beth and me. The woman nodded her proud head and began to lead her horse towards us and finally she got close enough for me to see her face.

Oh, she was beautiful. Proud, fine features and gorgeous blue eyes. Not the pretty sky blue that Beth's are, but the deep blue of the ocean. She wore a plain blue dress that almost seemed to match her eye, on her that plain gown looked as fancy, and sophisticated as any queen's garments.

"Are you Merian Shiva?" She asked, her voice was perfect, low and proud, but still somehow very kind.

"I am." I said standing and looking her in the eyes as Beth stared at her with wide, amazed eyes.

"I need to talk to you, is there somewhere we can come in out of the rain?"

"Does it have to be alone?" I asked, forcing myself to be polite as my mind was screaming at me. 'What does she want?" My brain demanded.

"No, not at all, just in out of the rain."

"There's my mother's house." I offered.

"That will do fine." She replied nodding. "If you will lead me there." I nodded and bent to help Beth up then led her the few houses down that my mother's house was. My brother came out, and when I had explained it to him offered to put the woman's horse into our stable.

"Please." She said, dismounting gracefully without any help whatsoever. "Just don't tie her up." She indicated the horse. "I promise she won't move and scare your horses." My brother nodded and too the reigns from her hands and I led her in to the house, still supporting Beth.

"Merian," My mother called from the kitchen. "Are you back already?"

"I have a visitor, Mother" I called back.

"Who?"

I had no clue, so I turned to the woman.

"I come from the south, Mara." She called, and I almost dropped Beth when she knew my mother's name. " I have come about the Amari."

"Geneva!" My mother caroled as she flew out of the kitchen her hands covered in flour, but she didn't even seem to care as she swept the dark haired woman up in a tight hug.

"Mara dearest." The woman…Geneva said gently. "I don't bring good news."

"I know." My mother said as they let each other go. "I saw the Tenarin ride through."

"It's time." Came the soft reply.

"She's been let loose?"

"We knew it would happen."

"Yes…Merian…"

"Is needed."

By that time I had set Beth down on a chair and was standing listening, and getting increasingly confused. When I heard my name mentioned I figured I had a right to know.

"What am I needed for?" I demanded.

"Ever heard of the Amari?" Geneva asked me.

"Sure I've heard of the Amari. Who hasn't heard of the Vanished Ones?"

"Not quite vanished." My mother said quietly.

"Huh?"

"Do you know the tale of their down-fall? Geneva asked me.

"Not really." I said after thinking a minute. "I only know rumors."

"Sit down then." Geneva commanded, and I sat on the chair next to Beth, waiting for an explanation.

"Long ago the Amari were the most common race on this earth. Their kings were the wisest, and the most respected. They built universities, and many other places for the study of all things. They knew how to farm the land to get the most crops every year and how to organize the people so that no one was truly unhappy. It was basically a utopian society. Of course there were minor uprisings, but not any thing significant till about fifteen years ago. The old king had just died, and his eldest son took the throne. This new king was very…greedy, to say the least. He always had a new plan to get himself more money, and could usually convince others to go through with it. He was quite the slick talker. He also dabbled in magic, have you done any magic?" She asked me. I nodded. I knew the basics. "Well, one principles of magic is that as long as you have the right word you can make any inanimate object animate. This king wanted to learn how to turn copper into gold, but he wasn't careful. Instead of taking the gold, and using it to turn copper into more gold what he ended up doing was animating his greed. It turned into a…well, a monster basically, called The Golden, and it got loose among the Amari, seducing them and turning them against each other until there wasn't a single Amari left but a few who lived in the palace. The king who had released it in the first place was one of these few, but he was totally under its influence. The others were a mage, two sorceresses, this king's youngest brother who was an enchanter, and this enchanter's one-year-old daughter. When the king killed the mage the prince finally took action. He basically sacrificed his life to kill his older brother and lock The Golden into the king's dead body. The only problem was that the spell wasn't permanent. So the sorceresses took the child and one raised her while the other went to learn more about The Golden. For only one of the Amari royalty can lock up The Golden once it… or she rather, for it appears as a beautiful woman, gets loose again."

"So you're saying." I said when Geneva had finally finished her speech. "That you two are those sorceresses and I'm the Amari princess."

"Yes." My…or rather the woman I thought of as my mother agreed. "You always did catch on quickly Merian. So did your father."

"So you're not really my mom?"

"Yes. Your mom died when her serving woman was 'seduced', for lack of a better word, by The Golden." Geneva said gently.

"Oh." Suddenly a thought hit me. "What'm I supposed to do. I don't know how to do any thing you ask. I mean I know it's saving the world and all…but I'm only sixteen."

"That's why I came back." Geneva informed me. "You do know the basics though."

"Yes, and that also means I know that once an object has been turned animate it takes a master enchanter to turn it back. I am no enchanter, hell, I hardly even qualify as a witch."

"And animate emotions are even harder." My…Mara informed me.

"That's why I brought you this." Geneva finished, holding something out to me. I took it.

It was a sword and a damned fancy one too. All engraved, with a single, dark rock set in the hilt. It felt wonderful to hold but…

"I don't know the first thing about using a sword." I choked out. "I'm decent with bow and arrows, but a sword? It's a nobles weapon."

"It's not just any sword." Mara told me. "Feel it, not with your hands, with your power. I have taught you that."

As always I followed my instructions. Mara was right; the sword was practically bursting with magic. Suddenly I felt Beth's familiar power touch the sword along side mine. I let off immediately and looked over at her. I had almost forgotten she was there.

"It's the sword of Ter Amar." She said quietly, and my mind boggled. The sword of Ter Amar was probably the oldest magic sword in the books. It had supposedly disappeared with the Amari, for it was their sword, it could only work properly in the hands of Amari royalty. Of course, I had no clue what 'work' meant. Geneva looked hard at the blond girl beside me.

"Your daughter, Mara?" She asked. Mara nodded. "What happened to her?" So Geneva had noticed me carrying Beth all the way here.

"She fell down a hill when she was little." Mara said. "A cliff actually. I was able to save her, but her legs are paralyzed."

"Poor girl." Geneva said gently. "But she has inherited your power, Mara."

"I know." Mara's voice was proud. Beth always had been good with magic, much better than me. Then again, I would probably be better if I actually had the patience to sit through a whole lesson. Beth was blushing, looking down at the floor.

"So Merian," Geneva returned her attention to me. "Will you do it?"

"If I am commanded to." I was scared as hell, but I didn't want admit it. I mean, if the only way of getting rid of The Golden included my own death…

"You don't have to die." Mara assured me, as if she had read my thoughts. "There is another way, your father just didn't have the time for research that we have had."

At this remark a new emotion appeared beside fear inside of me, excitement, the yearning for adventure. I nodded at the two sorceresses.

"I'll do it."


Geneva had led me to another room then and taught me what she had learned on her travels. For once I was able to sit through a whole lesson. She let Beth sit in on it too, figuring that having Mara's daughter know the information was not a bad thing. Mara herself opted out, saying she would much rather finish making her pie than learn about something she hoped never to meet again. When Geneva was finished she sent me out, saying that she had someone coming who would guide me and while I was waiting I might as well try to locate The Golden. So that's where I was when Beth came to get me saying that my guide and Geneva's daughter, who was with the guide, had arrived. We went down the hill as fast as we could considering that Beth was on crutches, and burst into the house welcomed by the smell of apple pie and the grinning face of a young boy.

"Merian," Geneva said. "This is David, he will be your guide." The boy grinned and waved at me. I could swear that he was no more than ten or eleven. A small, skinny thing, with short, tousled brown hair and shining violet eyes.

"Hi." He chirped. "I know you're about to ask why is a child guiding you, so I'll answer. I'm not as young as I look."

"How old are you?" I asked.

"Older than I look, younger than this earth."

"That doesn't help me at all." I moaned. He was cute…but monumentally annoying.

"I know." He hadn't stopped grinning yet. "When are we going?"

"Tomorrow I should hope." I said. "I'd rather fight this thing when I've had a good night's sleep."

"I must be done today." A new voice said. I turned to see a dark haired girl sitting by Geneva who must've been her daughter. She looked exactly like her mother. Long, dark hair, pale skin, deep blue eyes.

"This is my daughter Terina." Geneva told me. "She's a prophetess." I nodded at the girl, who nodded back.

"Did you find it?" Mara asked me.

"It's in a city, Varland I think, about seven miles east of here."

"That's Varland." Mara agreed. "If we give you fast horses you should be able to reach there by midnight."

"Aren't you coming?" I asked. I didn't think I could do it without her.

"Merian, love." The woman I had always known as my mother said gently. "I can not come. I haven't the strength I used to. Anyway, The Golden could sense me coming. It is best if you go with as few as possible."

"Will Geneva come?" I asked hopefully, looking at the dark haired woman, who merely shook her head sadly.

"Then am I to have no backup?" I asked, not believing that they would send me almost alone, with only a child to guide me, to almost certain death.

"There is nothing anyone else can do." Mara informed me, when at the same time Beth spoke up.

"I'm going too."

I turned to her, disbelieving. "Beth, you can't go. It's far too dangerous. Gods only know you need more comfort. You won't even make it there."

"I am not letting you go alone." The usually quiet girl informed me decisively. "You've done so much for me, I am going. To make sure you get back alive if nothing else."

"Beth…"

"I'm going with you, Merian."

"Please Beth, stay here."

"No."

"Let her go with you." Terina's quiet voice cut in quietly. "You will need her."

"But…"

"The prophetess said I'm going, Merian." Beth cut me off. "I'm going."

"Please…"

"No."

"Be careful, Beth."

"I will." Then Beth was back to her quiet self again.

"Shall we go now?" I asked, tapping the sword, which now hung at my side.

"In a minute." David informed me as he bounced over to Mara. "We need to have some pie first." He said, smiling sweetly up at Mara. "We can't go adventuring on empty stomachs."

He looked so pleading that even I was forced to laugh, and Mara picked him up in her arms, kissing his nose.

"You can have all the pie you want, Little One."

"Goody!" David caroled clapping his hand and speeding over to plonk himself down at the table when Mara set him down. So for then next forty-five minutes we sat there, like any normal family, pretending that three of us didn't have to go attempt to save the world as soon as we were done. But far too soon David, Beth and I were wrapped up in thick cloaks and seated on top of the fastest horses we had, speeding toward Varland.

The first five miles were totally uneventful, apparently this Golden had no idea that anyone was going to oppose it, so Beth and I galloped along behind David in total silence.

On the last two-mile stretch we began to see the lights of Varland in front of us and David pulled his horse back to ride beside me.

"Can you find her?" He asked.

"Give me a second." I replied as Beth pulled up on my other side. I reached out with my senses, searching for that siren's call once again. I had just found it when I noticed the power coming from either side of me. One side was Beth, I recognized that easily, but it took me a few seconds to realize that the power from the other side was David, this was not surprising, considering I had never known an elf before. I turned to him.

"Why didn't you tell us you were an elf?" I demanded.

"I didn't?" He said innocently. "Must've slipped my mind."

"Idiot!"

"Yup."

"That doesn't matter." Beth hissed. "Did you located The Golden?" I nodded.

"It's at the very center of the town, I think it's the mayor's house."

David smirked. "She's always liked being the center of attention. It'll get her into trouble someday."

"It'll get her into trouble today." I growled, and I galloped off towards the city.


The house was plain, but I knew the moment I saw it that when I went in I wouldn't be going into the house but into another dimension. I halted, wanting to talk to Beth.

"Wait here." I whispered. "The both of you. I'm going in on my own. There's no other way to do it. That's what Geneva said. There's a barrier around the house and I'll be able to get in. Beth I need you to watch the barrier. The minute it falls tell David so you guys can come get me."

"Right." Beth whispered back, kissing my cheek as David gave me a small salute.

"Go always to victory, Princess." He whispered after me as I ran off through the door of the house.


Though it was still night when I entered the house the minute I stepped inside was as brighter than day. The change between dimensions was hardly noticeable at all. But there was one good thing about being in this dimension, the siren's song of The Golden was audible to the human ear, and easy to follow, so follow it I did. I followed all they way through a beautiful palace that was covered from ceiling to floor with all manners of precious metals and jewels, and finally I reached the throne room.

The throne room was the most gaudy by far. All the walls were covered in sheets of gold with fine etchings picked out in deep blue sapphires. The furniture appeared to be carved from jewels each piece a single stone. Then there were curtains of silken gold and silver threads that hung over a golden divan, and on that divan She rested.

She was even more beautiful than I had been told. She skin was golden and flawless, but not as golden as her hair which looked like spun gold silk and hung in wave almost to her slim waist. Her body was long and perfectly drawn out slim and smooth, and she rested as if she knew what showed her off to the best advantage. She wore only a green-gold shift that was sheer enough not hide a thing. But her eyes…Oh, those eyes! They were like many facetted gems, and they shifted, they went from blue, to green, to gold, to violet, to crimson and back again. And she noticed me the minute I stepped in the door. Her voice rose in a shriek that could woke the dead.

"Amari!"

Her bolt of blinding power hit me before I could even register she had gathered her power and I was slammed back against the wall. The power seemed to bring with it her minions, who rushed at me, silent but blazing and I recognized the Tenarin warriors among them. I drew the sword and cut them down, more in a show of brute force than of skill. They were easy to kill; though I did feel no small amount of regret in doing it. They were innocent, and at that thought my blood began to boil. She had done this to them! It was her who was to blame! She was to blame for my father's death and the death of all my people! This time when her power hit me I barely felt it. I was to intent on getting to her, on getting rid of her once and for all the way that Geneva had told me. So I pushed forward into the blaze hardly aware of the burns forming across my bare face and hands. Finally…finally I was close enough to touch the sword to her head. As I did I spoke the one word that Geneva had taught me and as the saving darkness surrounded us, cutting off her desolate cry of defeat I fell to the cold earthen floor unconscious.



When I woke up I was lying on something soft, burning with pain and wondering where the hell I was. Then I noticed Beth's concerned face hovering over me and I relaxed, or at least, I relaxed as much as I could for being in as much pain as I was.

"Beth?" I managed to croak out. My foster sister turned her tearful face towards me.

"Merian!" She cried, bending over to hug me. "You're alive!"

"Not about to start kicking though." I said bitterly. "What happened to me, Beth?"

"You're burned. The minute the shield went down David rushed in there and dragged you out. You were almost red from all your burns so we found this place and I put salve on them while David went to get Geneva and Mom."

"Where's the sword?"

"David said he couldn't find it, and he did search. I think it really did disappear the way it was supposed to."

"Thank the gods." I sighed. Then I smiled. "It's damned good to be alive, Bethy."


End

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