Piper

New Worlds

Gasping, Piper sat bolt upright. She found herself in a quaint little room with brown walls, a bed, a chair, and a dresser. Just as she was about to call out for someone, a woman poked her head in. "Oh, good, you're awake!" The woman dragged the chair over to the side of the bed, and Piper scooted away from her. "Oh, don't be shy."

"Who- who are you? Where am I? Am I dead?!" Piper started to panic.

"Hey, it's okay, you're safe. I'm Giustina, you're in Azhance, and no, you aren't dead. Sorry about that, by the way, we couldn't very well have you disappear without making it seem like you were dead. People in your world would panic."

"Yeah, well, I'm panicking right now!"

"Shh, relax. It's okay." Giustina placed a hand on Piper's shoulder, and Piper instantly felt calm.

"How did you do that?" She asked wondrously.

"Illusion magic. Makes you think you should be calm."

"Magic?" Piper was intrigued. "That's only in the storybooks."

"Well, I guess you could say, welcome to our storybook." Piper looked at the woman wondrously, her eyes questioning the woman looking back at her.

"Wait, how old are you?" Piper suddenly looked alarmed and embarrassed. " Not to be rude, I didn't mean it like that! I just thought you might be like an elf or something."

The woman laughed. "I'm twenty-five. And you?"

"I'm twelve."

Giustina smiled. "And what's your name? They didn't tell me your name."

"Piper."

"Well, Piper, welcome to the world of Fliolta. It's much smaller than Earth, we've only got three continents, Kifmary, Gaestin, and Uiwriaxdon, but you'll find it's a beautiful place."

"Thank you, but I'm still confused. Where am I and how did I get here?"

"What's the last thing you remember?"

"I was walking home from school."

"Okay. We had to get you here somehow. We got the driver in on it- it was my brother, actually." Giustina stood, dusted off her dress, and flipped her hair over her shoulder before walking to the door. As she did so, Piper could see the sword hanging from her belt. "Kubby!" She called.

There were footsteps, and then a man's voice said, "Yeah, Tina?"

"She's awake."

And then the footsteps were running, and Giustina stepped back as a man's face appeared in the door. He had the same green eyes and brown hair as Giustina, with the same tanned skin. He, however, was wearing full armor as opposed to Giustina's green velvet dress, which reached the floor.

His armor was well polished- it was a shiny silvery color, and seemed to be glowing. Some crest was encrusted everywhere on it- a large one on the chest plate, a smaller one on the back, and even smaller ones on the shoulder pads, sword sheath, and the helmet tucked under the man's arm. Piper could even see a crest on the hilt of the sword.

"Nice to see you awake," the man said, smiling.

"Piper, this is my twin, Kubhqas. Kubhqas, this is Piper, the newest recruit."

"Wonderful."

"Anyway, as I was explaining, he hit you with the car, although he didn't really. It was just to get you here. We raise our young on Earth until the day before their thirteenth birthday." Giustina finished her statement as she sat on the chair again. "It's easier that way."

"Sorry about the car." Kubhqas walked to the side of the bed Piper was sitting on the edge of. "It was necessary that people think you're dead. We 'killed' you- knocked you out with a special potion that cuts off the pulse and the breath, but is completely harmless in the long run. Your back might be sore for a few days, though. Side effect."

"I'm still confused. Where am I?"

"You're in Fliolta, which is our name for this world, much like Earth is your world's name, in the continent of Kifmary, in the city Azhance. This is the palace."

Piper noticed Giustina's regal posture for the first time. "Woah, are you the queen?!"

Giustina smiled, but her eyes filled with sadness. "Not yet. I will be in three days. I'm technically three minutes older than Kubby."

"Three days?"

"Yes, that's the coronation day. I'm a bit young to be queen, but our father, the king..." Giustina trailed off.

"He was..." Kubby gulped, "assassinated. By a man called Deasev. He started a revolution. My father was a ruthless and horrible man, and did not deserve to be king. But he was still our father. We still loved him."

"I'm speaking to the prince and princess?" Piper asked, her eyes wide.

"Yes."

Her jaw dropped. "Wow."

Giustina smiled. "We aren't anything special. And anyways, your father and mother were my father's best friends. I guess you could say we are practically sisters, in a roundabout way. I still call your father Uncle."

"Speaking of which, where are my parents?" Piper asked. "Are they even my parents?"

"Well, I think you know that."

"No, they aren't, are they?"

"They're foster parents, I guess you could say. Most of the children in orphanages on Earth are from Fliolta- that's how you ended up there. That's why you bounce around from house to house like you did. You don't belong in that world."

"Well, where do I belong?"

"You belong with your family. You belong right here."