Lords & Ladies of the M'Verse: An Ooorah Anthology

Day 2 - elveloy's The Warrior and the Magician

The Warrior and the Magician

by elveloy

Prologue

A cloaked figure sat astride, watching from the trees, her face tight with anger.

A wisp of black smoke rose from the remains of what had been a thriving village only a week ago when she'd last visited. Survivors were picking silently through the ruins, searching for anything they could salvage and at the edge of the village, she could see three shrouded bodies laid in a row.

The thrice-damned raiders were getting bolder! Two villages in less than a month and the Guild did nothing!

She gritted her teeth. Someone had to do something. If the Guild refused again, she would have no choice. She would have to take matters into her own hands.

She turned her horse and rode determinedly away. There was someone she had to see and this time she would accept no excuses.

Miles away in a small hut, a grey-haired man was gazing into a mirror. At least it looked like a mirror at first glance. It was a silver disc, a perfect circle—paper thin and lighter than silk. At the moment it was reflecting his face but as he stared, the surface shimmered and he caught a glimpse into another world. A world where metal birds flew though the air and people merely pointed a stick to kill someone. A world of powerful magicians, far stronger than anyone he'd met, including himself. If only he could tap into it, bring a warrior from that world to this...

His heart beat faster. He was so close... the book he'd found in the old library held the key, he was certain. That book, and the silver disc he was looking at now.

If he dared.

London

Silas (Sy) Martin took his tablet out of his bag and turned it on. Hopefully he'd be able to get a signal down here. He was squashed into the corner by a young woman carrying a large shopping bag and looking like a refugee from a sci-fi convention, but at least he had got a seat. The train was rattling along from Kings Cross towards Baker Street, deep underground, on its way to Uxbridge, the nearest tube station for the Pinewood Studios.

Pinewood Studios. And his first audition for the small screen. His lips moved silently as he re-read the script. "Used to be easy. When the Time Lords kept their eye on everything, you could hop between realities, home in time for tea. Then they died, took it all with them. The walls of reality closed, the worlds were sealed."

He was surprised how nervous he felt. One would have thought years of performing live before theatre crowds would have toughened him up, but he was as nervous as if this was his first time. God, he really needed this job. He tuned out everything except the screen in front of him.

Dani Black, took her compact out and checked her appearance. Dark brown hair framed her face, a long fringe stopping just above her eyes. Embossed leather bands circled each upper arm and her metal wrist guards looked as genuine as she could make them. But the leather corset and pleated skirt was the real highlight of her costume. Expensive, sure, but worth every penny of the hire fee. She was going to be the best Xena this year at the convention.

She glanced down at the large shopping bag between her feet. She'd wanted to wear the sword and scabbard strapped to her back, but Robin had pointed out she probably wouldn't be allowed to board the train wearing a weapon, even a fake one. "You'd be arrested or at the very least they'd confiscate the sword." Reluctantly, Dani had agreed and the sword, wrapped carefully to disguise its shape, was in the bag.