Different Worlds

The First Traveller

I looked down at my hands, confusion being the dominant feeling in my body.  I had no idea what was happening to me, and in truth, it was scaring the hell out of me.  I looked up at Jacek and Devon who were staring at me in wonder - though the grin still hadn't left Devon's face.

"Do you know how I did that?"

Jacek slowly shook his head.  "You just used magic."

Devon's head whipped around to look at his Grandfather.  "But how is that possible?  She's human - human's don't have magic - let alone the ability to use it."

"I have no idea."  Jacek looked at me thoughtfully.  "Unless you're not fully human."

I frowned.  "Of course I'm fully human."

Jacek suddenly looked around and then held his hand out to me.  "We'd better get moving again.  Who knows how long it will be before the Queen sends more soldiers after us - especially when she hears about what happened."

I took Jacek's hand, and allowed Devon to help me back up onto Jacek's back, and we began our journey again towards the Dorring Mountains.

"How do you know that humans can't use magic?"

"Humans lost the ability to use magic when they stopped believing in magic."  Jacek looked around at me and gave me a small smile as he answered my question.  "There was a time - in another world, a place called Earth - when magic was very real, but only a special few had the ability to command it.  It was because of the first traveller here - a woman who came here from Earth about two thousand years ago - that magic was first introduced into Nardema.  She had been a powerful Sorceress, but she only used her magic for good - or that's how the stories about her go, anyway."

I felt my face wrinkle in confusion.  "Magic was real on Earth?  I've never heard anything in history that speaks about magic being real."

Jacek and Devon both looked at me questioningly.

"That's where I'm from - Earth."

"You come from the same world as Daniel and the First Traveller?"  Devon looked up at me, his eyes alight with wonder.  He turned to look at Jacek.  "You don't suppose ... There's no other explanation, is there?"

I looked from Devon to Jacek, then back again.  "What do you mean?"

Jacek stopped walking and turned to look at me, his expression a mixture of seriousness and hope.  It was an expression that I really didn't understand.

"Sienna,"  Jacek began carefully.  "Do you know much about your family ancestry?"

"Actually, I did trace my family ancestry back as far as I could for a school project a few years ago."

"And what did you find?"

"My ancestry lineage is from a country in Earth called England - London.  My ancestors moved away from England when news of a New World - that being America - was found.  They wanted to begin a new life in a new country."

"Yes," Jacek pressed.  "But what about your ancestors in particular.  How far back were you able to trace?"

"Only back a few hundred years.  Everything gets hazy because we had an era on Earth called the Dark Ages.  There's not much that we know of that happened during that time."

"What's going through your mind?"  Devon looked questioningly at Jacek.  "Why is this line of questions so important?"

"The First Traveller," Jacek murmured, still looking at me thoughtfully.  Then his eyes flicked over to his Grandson.  "There's only one reason I can think of why Sienna has the power to control magic."

"And what's that?"

"She has to be a direct descendant from the First Traveller, she has the Old Magic from the Good Sorceress in her veins."

Devon looked at me, his eyes wide.  "Then what I was thinking before was right.  It's no coincidence that she's here now.  She was sent here to help us get rid of Netiri."

"Hang on just one second!"  I looked at both of them, hoping that I could stop them from getting too carried away.  "There is no way that I can overthrow this Netiri.  That is way out of my league!  I just want to find a way home."

"But if you can help us ... "  Devon looked at me imploringly, his deep blue eyes beseeching.  "If it was your world that was being ruled by such a witch, wouldn't you want to do everything you could to stop her?"

"Well ... yes ... But, I can't ... I mean, I don't know how ... "  I faltered, then stopped, feeling something close to panic beginning to rise within me.  "I can't."  I whispered the last two words so softly that they probably wouldn't have heard me.

"Sienna."  Jacek spoke my name softly, and waited patiently until I looked up to meet his eyes.  "I know you're scared - anybody in your position would be.  But if I'm right, and you are the direct descendant from the First Traveller, then you have a power inside of you that is stronger than anything Netiri has.  You will be strong enough - when you are ready - to be able to release Daniel from his banishment.  With you on our side, Netiri's days are truly numbered."

"Please, Sienna."  Devon spoke quietly.  "Please say you'll help us."

I looked down at Devon's handsome face, and began to feel my insides turn to mush, and my resolve weakened.  After a long pause, I heaved a huge sigh and lowered my head.

"Okay, I'll do it."

"Yes!"  Devon's face had lit up like a christmas tree, and the smile he was giving me was brilliant.  I felt my knees weaken, and for once I was glad that I was sitting on a Centaur's back.  Jacek's answering smile was just a bright.  Looking at their hopeful and ecstatic faces, I could feel a sinking sensation in my stomach.  I couldn't believe to what I had just agreed to.  I also couldn't believe that the reason I had agreed to it was because I had been looking at a gorgeous male face.  I thought that my heart had learned it's lesson.  But apparently not.  Now, because of my traitorous feelings towards Devon, I had just condemned myself - probably to death.  I had no idea what my future held, but I was positive that it wasn't going to be pretty.