Puddles

Chapter 13: If the Good is So Good

"How do you know my name?"

I knew the answer, but I had one of my odd feelings that he wouldn't believe me. Did he even know what had happened to Reyalla? And of course he would blame her death on me. As nice as Gemir had been, we both knew that if I hadn't been in that room at that time, a stranger from another world who had no place there, Reyalla would be on this hill right now. So what do you tell one of her friends? After throwing around some ideas in my head, I said the first thing that came to mind.

"Well, actually my dad's a big storyteller, you know. And, uh, he told me the story about Reyalla and what she di-does, um, for the community. Pretty neat, right?"

If his stare could have gotten any colder and harder, it just did. "That still doesn't explain how you know me. What aren't you telling me?" His left eyebrow arched threateningly in a somehow hilarious way, causing me to laugh nervously.

"Hey, nothing, ok? My dad told me about the kids in her, uh, group, and he talked about when that little girl met you and your brother, Luca, right? And he said-"

Lander cut me off with an imperious wave of his hand. "Don't ever, ever mention that name in my presence again." The anguish in his voice was so obvious and deep, full of regret and guilt, that I had to resist my sisterly urge to put my hand around his shoulder. The look in his eyes was distant, absent; like the disturbed surface of a puddle reflecting the world beyond. Then Lander abruptly turned away and strode quickly toward the tall villa silhouetted against the bleeding sky. I called his name several times, but his tall figure kept going until it disappeared completely.

~ ~ ~ ~

Durin Erin's time as Goosekeeper

"Glad to see you're so worried about me."

Brian whipped around to face his younger brother. He playfully wiped at a few invisible tears, adding some sobs for effect. It worked.

Caleb laughed happily before answering, "Broken-hearted, I see. So, you've been busy during my time in detention. They even gave you a fancy crown, eh? You completely deserve it, I'm sure."

A majestically unprofessional sweep of the cape, a tip of the sparkling crown. " Welcome to Surania! And while your at it, please bow down before the Great Floor Slayer!"

Caleb smirked, unsuccessfully trying to supress a snort. "I won't ask."

"Good, because we have work to do! With crazy sisters getting lost all over the place, we can't sit around and do nothing, my good sir. Which reminds me," Brian tapped his chin in mock thoughtfullness, "we need to knight you. Kneel down on this step and uh, just......just wait a minute while I find my sword." Brian turned round and round, searching for his weapon. "Now where on earth did that stupid thing go? It was just here.." He asked himself quietly. Finally turning back to his audience, Brian grabbed a fork left over from the dinner and stepped toward his brother. Touching the utensil lightly to each shoulder, he bid the young knight stand up.

"I, King Brian of..... Surania, knight you Sir Gallahunk."

Caleb cocked an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Sir Caleb is so boring, you know?"

"So is is King Brian. Tell you what. I'll take a new name only if you do. Deal?"

"Hmm. Ok. I'll be... Grinsen?" he called to one of the guards by the hall door.

The short man quickly wiped the grin off his face, and answered, with sage wisdom, "Ferdan, Highness, is quite a popular and, if I do say so myself, respected name among your servants. I do believe it fits you, Majesty." He turned so the King might miss the smile creeping onto his bearded face.

But Brian was paying his face no attention. "Ferdan...it does have a ring to it, wouldn't you say?"

A half-suppressed laugh.

"Alright, and Caleb, who do you want to be?"

"Batman. Totally."

King Ferdan shook his head rebukingly. "No, no. Caleb, this is a very serious matter. No Batman."

"Ok. Then I guess you can call me Justin."

"Justin?"

"Yeah, I always wanted to be a Justin, ever since we saw that guy do those karate moves, remember?"

"Alright. I knight you Sir Justin. May you live long and serve your king well."

Sir Justin stood up and the two stared at each other calmly. Ferdan said what they were both thinking, the determination set deep in his voice.

"Now let's go find those sisters of ours."

Turns out, neither knight nor king had any brilliant search plans. Thus, as with most boys, first came the action, and then the aftermath of the errant action, followed by the thinking. Sir Justin had suggested an all out search for the sisters in question; King Ferdan decided on sending out a couple small, stealthy search parties: he would lead the first, Sir Justin the second. Now, a moment should be spared to discuss the two brothers' thoughts on their situation as a whole.

Brian had almost forgotten how they had come upon the strange little outpost, had simply accepted his new position. To both boys, the entire 'god fallen from the sky' thing was certainly odd, but their situation was the good story they had always wanted to live. Of course they understood at least a bit of the gravity of the present time--two sisters missing, no known way to return home, worried relatives waiting for the missing children--but that was only part of it. Leading search parties, ruling an empire, being king of his own country: this was the up side to the entire situation. Indeed, if the good is so good, why bother with the bad?

And so it was, under the cover of night, and with a dozen trained scouts each, the two brothers left the conference room of the Suranians and set out for the nearest town. Durnas, the famed home of the highest crime rate in all of Westark. By now they had searched nearly every other town in Westmark, without sight or sound of either Vicky or Erin. It had been weeks, maybe months, since their grand entrance into this strange world. Brian and Caleb could only hope this would be the last search. Durnas, the famed home to the highest crime rate in all of Westmark, was to be their next target. But during the briefing for this search, the Suranians had neglected to mention that important piece of information about the danger; they themselves had forgotten much of their long-horded information. They were the No-Landers, the ones without a definite country, or even a strict history; the Suranians were a nomadic people, floating around from here to there. But back to the story.

King Ferdan led his force eastwards throughout the large city, Sir Justin westwards. The plan was to meet up after the completion of the search back at a little known pasta restaurant, but that meeting was destined never to come. Sir Caleb was just coming up to the road leading straight towards the place when suddenly the feeling washed over him, that he'd felt so many times in his own school back home, not unlike the predator's shadow enveloping the prey right before the strike. He turned around to find his company gone. Vanished, without a trace. Have they deserted me, their king? Surely they wouldn't.

"Hello, Gordi? Shern? Lattish? Did you guys just leave me?"

Then, as if right on cue, a man jumped out from around the alley corner and seized King Ferdan, binding his wrists and throwing him over his shoulder. He struggled but in vain, for the mystery man's strength far surpassed his own. Right before the fist came into contact with his face--his first fight, one might say--Ferdan heard a voice right next to his ear.

"What you search for does not exist. Give up now while you have your life."

Never........