| Those who had been mortal felt time slipping from them, acknowledging
them as an equal and excepting them from its jurisdiction. In their minds
they see a shadowy, black cloaked figure, Death, shrug and reach over and
erase their names from a dark and ominous appointment book.
No going back......
It's a liberating feeling, this sudden freedom. However it is tempered
by a fact that has already occurred to them right before this had happened.
Immortal they may be now, for all practical purposes, they aren't above
feeling pain......and deadly incidents will never be easily ignored. That
healthy fear is a part in them all before and remains so now, keeping them
from making TOO rash of things.....
The elder D'Honaires, in addition to the above, feel more vigorous and
energetic. Indeed, the emotional stress of all the dire news that had come
at them with the apparent death of Fred, the disappearance of Rowena, and
other things had indeed aged them. As a matter of fact, it had taken years
off their lives (at least, before being somewhat rejuvenated by becoming
Champions).
As the still shaky new Champions leave the private room they'd sequestered
themselves in they hear in the background the babbling from the family
priests (which is being repeated in many places all over). The priests
have been treated to a Vision (provided by Angels) where Fred and the mysterious
strangers who'd returned him to the D'Honaires had been chsen bythe Gods
themselves (!) for a vital mission to save all of Allaria (indeed....the
whole of the world!) That and the fact that REST OF THE D'HONAIRES
had also been Called!!
While the priest was still recovering Duke Dred told his younger cousin
(a man of the ducal equivalent of the cadet branch of the family who'd
suddenly found himself here......teleported by the Rules for this business)
that he was now the Duke of Suffex. He then handed over a decree
that made it official. He then directed the sputtering man to his gaping
advisor, who'd aid the new Duke in his endeavors.
Now, this whole endeavor may seem to be the height of foolishness, but
it wasn't really. Duke and Duchess D'Honaire had been getting long in the
tooth, as it were, and had thought that since this was the case they should
prepare for the....er.....transition. The advisor and other things had
been put in place to help Lord Frederigo assume the position of Duke of
Suffex (or if Fred should have died in a Dragonslayer incident beforehand,
whoever married Lady Rowena). It would work just as well for this instance
for the advisor was a good man with a good head on his shoulders. The cousin
was bright enough, and had nough sense to know when to listen to advice
(and thus the advisor). Duke Dred (and Duchess Champlaine) had prepared
accounts beforehand for the day (that now would never come) that they'd
shuffle off their mortal coils.
The Angels, as per Their Orders from on High, must spread the word of
at least the basics of what Fred was going to do (basically going out to
save Allaria....perhaps the world) at the bequest of the Gods. Those who
are Chosen are always......Different.....afterwards. Changed. No longer
the same as before. Legends told of those Chosen becoming......long lived
(perhaps even undying) because once Chosen.....their lot in life was forevermore
to be a servant of the Gods and Goddesses ( the Divine Beings weren't in
the habit of letting their Tools becoming unusable for any reasons like
death or old age).
That done, the Champions (new and old) find themselves elsewhere.
Jarlath's group (along with Rowena, Fred, and Thelma) appeared in the
glades behind the castle.
The elder D'Honaires of Fred arrive in Walants of Terra Prime....right
in front of the elder D'Honaires of the who now reside there!
"Odin's blood!" Duke Drederick swears softly, surprised (to put it mildly)
at seeing an exact double of himself and his wife.
"Who's Odin?" the "other" Lady Champlaine asks blankly (not familiar
with Norse theology).
It soon becomes apparent that not only are these "dopplegangers " not
hostile, they have news of the latest happenings of Jarlath and company
(who are now on Assignment by the Rules and Agents). Thus they have much
to talk about as the elder D'Honaires of Terra Prime begin to help their
analogs adjust to a VERY new and strange world.....
So it goes.
Meanwhile, back to the group of Champions the Rules have now Assigned
to this dire Task......
"Uh, before we set off here, could I ask just why Duke Dred and Duchess
Champlaine were so....happy in stepping down and getting teleported permanently
to Terra Prime?" Thelma asks, confused.
"Oh, that's simple enough," Andrea says, fox tail swishing about as
she smiled, "Simply put I think it had something to do with the fact at
what kind of circus they'd have to deal with if they had stayed put on
this world....what with their own daughter and son having been chosen by
Higher Powers. Lots of seekers of wisdom would come. People in the clergy
who may think that some type of heresy might have taken place and might
make life....difficult for them."
Andrea had grown a bit wiser about the wider world since she'd gone
out looking form romance so long ago..... Wise enough to know that the
possible (and probable) Inquisition that would come wasn't something to
take lightly.
"That and the fact that once I and Rowena leave this world....any
questions about what happened with....er.....'my' Astra when she was under
the influence will always remain unaswered," Fred muttered.
One big worry had been that if it should ever come to light in Aqualaria
that he'd sired children out of wedlock (indeed, had a sexual relationship)
with "his" Astra could very well lead to war between his nation and Aqualaria!
Wars had started for lesser reasons, after all.
With no creditable source of answers to awkward questions.....there
was little reason for war.
Well, that was the hope, anyway.
Fred had known that with the stipulation that he couldn't return to
his
homeworld once he became a Champion (Terra Prime would be his new home
with his love and his children) and was happy enough with that (there was
little to no chance of being able to have "his" Astra on his old world
for reasons obvious....and this "Terra Prime" seemed....more accepting
than his home, alas). Teleports would go slightly askew, delivering him
to a slightly different parallel world. That was well and good enough.
It wasn't like the folks and his sister couldn't come to Terra Prime for
visits via this Key of Jarlath's to visit him and the children.
No, it wasn't a problem that no Champions who'd come from other worlds
than Terra Prime couldn't return home. Point in fact was that the Champions
felt....more comfortable living on the same world since that was the only
place they knew of where they'd find others like themselves (people who'd
be around while everything else and everyone else would fade away or change
as time went on).
And I guess that it still works out now as it is now, Fred thinks
to himself.
He then looks over at Joan, and raises an eyebrow at a thought.
"Uh, Joan?" Fred asks awkwardly, "You were once.....I mean......"
Joan had once been a man and was an analog of Fred.
"I know and understand about that Matrix thing," Fred continues, "I....understand
how it worked out with you. But.....you and your......brother....."
My brother? Fred added to himself, blinking.
"Your brother said that there were other 'Freds' as well?" Fred finished
up, "Did any others get....changed?"
Joan chuckled and patted Fred's shoulder fondly.
"Not all got transformed.....but we have not only that manfox
you saw in the 'presentation' but several elves (one an elfin woman), a
centauress, and.....a dragon." the dark skinned woman finishes up.
Fred and Rowena blink at the last one.
Fred look like they are going to say something....then blink again when
he recalls the actions of "his" Malachi. He remembers what he'd seen and
heard from her....
"This is one strange family I've joined," he finally says, dazed.
One last benefit is recognized by the Champions as the board a large
magical flying carpet of Jarlath. A sudden departure like that left little
time for people to delay things with silly (and needless) questions.
There was a world to save here and time was short!!
But they'd only been in flight for a few hours when an odd sight greets
their eyes!
That of what could only be termed a veritable flock of dragons!
"Land." rumbles a ebon scaled wyrm that Jarlath recognizes as being
an analogous version of Dragon Synizn.
-
 "We have
needs to talk with the one called Lord Frederigo about the death of my
Dragon Circle's Leader, Malachi."
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