Fan Fiction ❯ Memories of Home ❯ Chapter 1

Backdating: This was written in March 2004.

The palace was crumbling.

It was the first thing Raven noticed as she emerged from the portal, and for a moment all she could do was stare at it in shock. A vaguely familiar emotion tugged at her chest, and it took her a moment to recognize it as sorrow. She should have expected this, of course; the palace had been maintained by Meldrane's spells, and now that he was gone, the spells were unraveling. Time, held back for two thousand years, was slowly reclaiming her childhood home.

But she hadn't expected it. That would have meant acknowledging that Meldrane really was gone.

The sound of waves beating gently against the shore slowly brought Raven back from her daze, and she looked around. The beach, at least, was the same. A bit less colorful, perhaps, and the sunlight shining down was weaker, but it would definitely outlast the palace. Meldrane had built the palace for Iamer and Raven; he'd built the beach for himself. It would be a long time before the magic faded completely from this shore.

Stepping out of the tide pool that had served as a portal, Raven sank to her knees in the warm sand. Golden grains shifted beneath her, sticking to the damp hem of her purple robe. Closing her eyes, she listened to the cry of a gull and the muted roar of the waves. She took a deep breath, tasting the sea salt in the air, and suddenly remembered...

"Come on, Raven, the water won't hurt you!" Meldrane stood in the shallows, grinning at the four-year-old hesitating on the sand. His long dark blue hair, almost black at the now-wet tips, flowed loose over bare shoulders and a pale, muscled chest. It was strange seeing him like this, without the usual all-enveloping, ornate robes and elaborate hairstyles. But for a strip of cloth around his waist, the Water Adept was nearly naked.

Sticking one toe into the warm water, Raven squealed and jumped back as a wave lapped gently at her foot. "It's licking me!" she wailed. She'd never seen an ocean before, or even heard one described; it had only been a month since Meldrane and Iamer lifted her from the wreckage of her mother's home and took her to the tropical island that served as their home. It had taken her that month to recover, and she'd spent most of it huddled inside, not emerging into the daylight until this morning.

Meldrane's answer to that was a deep chuckle. "No, it's inviting you to play," he corrected her gently. "The ocean is feeling friendly today." Stepping out of the water, he picked her up and carried her back in. At what was, for him, waist-depth, he lowered her in, strong hands keeping a reassuring hold on her waist. "See?"

As the water bobbed gently around her, she did see, but before she could tell him that, those hands vanished. Shrieking, Raven thrashed wildly, trying to stay afloat. Just as the water closed over her head, powerful arms pulled her close against a broad chest, and she was lifted above the water again.

"Shh, it's all right. I've got you," his deep voice rumbled, and she could feel the matching vibrations against her back. "Don't worry, Raven. I command the waters here; as long as you are with me, I will never let you drown." He laughed, and a long tail twined around her legs, dark blue scales glittering in the sun. "Come, I'll take you swimming." That strong tail thrashed, driving them through the water.

In time, Raven learned to love the ocean - the waves and the deeps, the storms and the calm times, the near-black shades of midnight and the sapphire of noon. But she loved it most when Meldrane was with her, merman's tail and Adept's magic joining to carry her to places she could never have reached on her own...

With effort, Raven tore herself away from the memory. It was dangerous to remember here, where the very air contained magic. It would be easy - far too easy - to become lost in those memories, immersing herself in the past until her body faded into the breeze and she became nothing more than a soft voice lost beneath the sound of the waves. Shuddering, she stood, dusting sand from her hands.

Her eyes caught on a spiraling blue-green pillar, like a waterfall that had been twisted and frozen as it cascaded down a cliff. Even for a Water Adept, Meldrane had been an exceptional artist. The blues and greens of the seaside palace darkened into green and black as it entered the tropical forest. And he had not cut into the volcanic rock that formed the island; instead, the palace climbed up the sloping side of the mountain, the green fading away into pure black before brown appeared to match the scenery, then adding red as it rose to overlook the volcano's lava-filled main vent.

The higher reaches had gone first, stone tearing free from its foundations and crashing down the volcano's side to accelerate the destruction of the lower parts of the palace. That was no surprise at all; the heights had been Iamer's, allowing the Fire Adept to be closer to the rock and lava that were the physical manifestations of his element. Fire magic had been used to give reality to Meldrane's designs, up there, and after his lover's death the Water Adept had been unable to reproduce the fire-centered spells that had been the half-giant's contribution to their home.

Without conscious thought, Raven had left the shore, stepping into the crumbling patio where she'd spent so much of her young life. Stirred by a light breeze, sand moved over the chipped tiles. She turned, taking in the slowly decaying pillars, the holes in the roof. A low barrier along the sides of the patio formed large, open windows, their sills wide enough to sit upon...

Perched in the window, Raven stared out at the quiet ocean. She could hear Meldrane somewhere within the palace, playing the harp and singing, but she didn't feel like going inside - his usual cheeriness was a bit too overbearing today.

A soft footfall was her only warning before a stocky, bronze-skinned man climbed up onto the sill beside her. He might wear heavy boots and lift huge rocks with ease, but Iamer could move quite silently when he cared to. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched him run a hand through short black hair, awkwardly crossing muscular legs as thick around as young oak trees. Instead of speaking, he sighed quietly and closed his eyes, going still.

Unlike his lover, Iamer knew how to be silent. Raven appreciated that, the feeling growing stronger as she entered adolescence and started to loose patience with the more energetic merman. Silence was what she needed right now, and she half-closed her eyes, simply basking in the half-giant's wordless presence. As they sat, the air around him rippled gently, shimmering in a heat that had nothing to do with the mild spring sunlight. He was meditating again, relaxing his control on his own temperature as he cleared his mind.

Leaning into the touch of a mental embrace as insubstantial as cobwebs, Raven allowed herself a rare smile. Then, she straightened, crossing her own legs, and dropped her hands into her lap as her eyes slid closed. Slowly emptying her mind, she allowed her thoughts and emotions to drain away, and let her surroundings take all of her attention. The scent of the sea and the fainter sulfur-smell of the volcano, the sound of the waves, the feel of the wind, all filled her consciousness, and then faded. Beneath them, another world welled up, felt by the inner rather than the outer senses. Magic pulsed around her - the quietly enduring spells of the island and the palace, the shimmering wild magic of the ocean and the quiet rumble of the volcano's, the quicksilver magic-song of Meldrane in the distance, the dancing air and silent earth filling the world around her. And the quiet, strong, reassuring sense of lava and hot metal that was Iamer, right beside her...

Shaking off the memory, Raven turned away from the windows. Iamer had been dead for nearly a century now, sacrificing himself to save her and Meldrane from a dragonshade. She still remembered his death, seeing the details every time she closed her eyes, but the pain had long ago faded. But for a moment, remembering when he'd been the stable core of their small family, she felt a stab of grief as fresh as if he'd only died the day before.

A slight shiver ran through her, and she quickly left the patio, slipping through the doorless entrance to the palace. The entire complex, even Iamer's heights, was light and airy; though the walls were slowly falling apart, there was very little material to actually fall, and only a few places were blocked to her. For now, she bypassed the center of the house - the central hall, bedrooms, and warm familiar kitchen. Time enough to visit those memories later. Instead, she began climbing one of the many staircases, making her way up the volcano's side. How many times had she jumped down these steps? How often had she tripped and fallen down them, only for Iamer to come plunging down and snatch her up, or Meldrane to charge up and catch her?

At the top of the stairs, past many doors leading to sidehalls and open balconies, was a large patio that exactly mirrored the one on the beach below - but red, brown, and black instead of blue and green. Unlike its seaside twin, however, this had never been a recreational area. Opening onto a sheer fall into the volcano, it was Iamer's forge, for all Fire Adepts were skilled in metalcrafting. He had made countless weapons, tools, and decorative gifts for his beloved family. Reaching up, Raven touched the delicate silver links of the tiny chains that composed her deceptively simple headdress, suspending a smoky amethyst pendant between her eyes. The headband had been her coming-of-age gift from her caretakers. That had been the last time they were all together in peace and joy...

"I can't believe you're grown up already," Meldrane murmured, his voice cheery, but the sad turquoise eyes contradicted the smile. His blue robes swirled around his bare feet as he stepped up out of the stairwell. "It seems like only yesterday I was chasing you up and down these stairs, trying to reclaim my good comb!"

"It was only yesterday," Iamer informed his mate affectionately, fidgeting uncomfortably in his own brick-red robes. An Adept's coming-of-age was a sacred ceremony, but the half-giant had never been comfortable with formalities. "You two nearly knocked me into the volcano!"

Despite the seriousness of the occasion, Raven smirked. "It wouldn't have hurt you," she reminded him. "You are a Fire Adept, after all."

"I'm tired of loosing perfectly good clothing down there, though," he grumbled. Turning a stern glare on the suddenly speculative merman beside him, Iamer growled. "Don't. Even. Think. It." Meldrane tried - and failed - to look innocent.

Two sharp handclaps forestalled any further conversation, and all eyes turned to the curly-haired woman who had made the noise. "Perhaps we should get along with the ceremony before we're forced to fish someone out of that lava?" Esma suggested, raising a ginger eyebrow.

Quickly, all three shuffled into position - Raven facing the woman, Meldrane and Iamer behind and to either side of her. Raven's stomach fluttered, and she swallowed nervously. This was possibly the biggest event of her young life - and if it went wrong, it would be the last. Taking a deep breath, she reached out with her inner senses, reassured by the cool, liquid murmur and warm, solid pulse that marked her fathers' comforting presence behind her.

Moonlight illuminated the black-robed woman as she raised her hands. "We gather here tonight to induct a child into the Adepts' Game," she intoned, her voice solemn and strong. "Her name is Raven, daughter of Iamer and Meldrane. Who speaks for her?"

"We do," two deep voices rumbled from behind Raven.

"Has she been taught of the laws of the Game, the nature of magic, and the Rules governing all sentient races?"

"Yes," Meldrane said firmly, dropping his hand on Raven's right shoulder. "As her teacher, I vouch for her knowledge."

"Has she been trained in the rudiments of magic, the art of combat, and the basics of survival?"

"Yes," Iamer affirmed, his hand coming to rest on Raven's right shoulder. "As her trainer, I vouch for her skills."

"Raven, do you understand the Laws and Rules, know of the precepts of magic, and accept the terms and limitations of being an Adept?"

"Yes," Raven found herself saying, her voice stronger than she'd expected.

"Then as a Prime Adept, I welcome Raven into the Game, and bestow upon her the title of Night Adept." Esma reached out and placed her hands on top of the mens', looking into Raven's eyes. "Henceforth, you shall be entitled to the privileges and bound by the laws of the Adepts' Game. All you do from this point upon shall fall upon your own head, and the heads of those you are working with. The Game shows no mercy to those who do not obey its laws."

Raven nodded dumbly, her mouth dry. Of course she understood, and agreed - the alternative would have been to give up her magic, return to the human world, and never see Meldrane and Iamer again. That was too horrible to even contemplate for more than a moment.

Esma lifted her hands and turned away. "It is done," she said calmly, though Raven couldn't see any difference in herself or her surroundings. "She has entered the Game."

"That's all?" she demanded, turning back to give her parents a bewildered look. She was nearly as tall as them now, a fact that still came as a surprise to her.

Meldrane grinned at her and chuckled. "Not as dramatic as you expected, eh? Trust Esma and be glad; the Game can be dramatic if it really wants to, and that's never fun for anyone involved."

Iamer's hand tightened on her shoulder in a gentle squeeze, and she looked down into his warm red-brown eyes. "It's still an important day," he assured her, giving her one of his warm, loving smiles. "Even if you're going away now." He stepped back and turned towards his worktable.

Raven didn't notice his movement; her heart had given a painful thump at his words, and she blinked furiously, trying to stave off tears. She'd known she had to leave, of course; neither of the men who had raised her could train her fully in her own element. But she didn't want to leave her family.

Thick, strong arms wrapped around her, and Iamer hugged her tightly for a moment before releasing her. "We'll always be your family, Raven," he murmured, holding out one broad hand. Meldrane lifted the delicate headband and fastened it over her hair as the Fire Adept continued to speak. "There's a lot of our magic in that pendant. If you ever really need us... use it. It will summon us both."

Before Raven could respond to the generous gift, Meldrane spoke from behind her. "And this will always be her home. You are welcome here at any time, for any reason. When we are gone - don't shake your head at me, Raven, we may be Adepts, but we're not immortal - this island is yours." A long-fingered hand reached forward to gently brush away her tears. "Don't cry, Raven, it's not so bad. All that will separate us is distance, and even that won't be for very long. What's a little time, considering an Adept's lifespan?" he added with a chuckle...

When Raven broke free of the memory, tears were streaming down her cheeks. Hard to believe that they were both dead now, the two people she'd loved most in all the world. But she was too pragmatic to try to deny the truth. Once again her hand went up, this time touching the pendant. This gift she'd used, three times - and the third had lead to Iamer's death. The Game was not kind, nor merciful. But the other gift...

Until now, she'd forgotten it even existed. But there had been magic behind that promise, enforcing her inheritance in a way that the very stone beneath the island acknowledged. Remembering this, Raven slowly smiled beneath her tears, and extended her inner senses. Magic flooded into her - not just the quiet awareness of the many spells binding the island, but the full power of those spells, and the keys to controlling them.

Raising her arms, she reached out and caught hold of the spells, tying them into her own magic. Energy poured out of her, slowly shifting those spells to match her own Night magic instead of the Water and Fire they'd been tied to. She would take the time to rebuild the palace. It wouldn't be the same as before, but then, with Meldrane and Iamer gone, it could never be the same. They would live on in her heart and memories... and she would accept their gift. It was her island now.

It would be her home, as Meldrane had said, forever. As she turned back to the stairs, she breathed deep; she could smell sulfur and sea salt, mingling in the light breeze.