Revelations and Endings: Episode 4

Lucretia, Queen of the Water Nymphs, sat in the reflection chamber of her underwater chateau. Serenity and tranquility seeped into her mind as she pondered the state of the world, the difficulties in hiding the fantastic from the mundane, and how much she loved the movies of humans. At that moment of sheer bliss, one of her attendants rushed in.

"My lady, someone has created a Water Nymph." He panted - clearly having run from his post to give her this strange news.

"What exactly do you mean when you say that someone 'made' a Water Nymph?" Lucretia knew magic - knew the groups who could use use it, how they used it, and why. She made it her business to know.  This nymph was one of her magic analysts - trained to read data coming from magical probes placed all over the world.

"Well, if you'll remember, my lady, you assigned me several years ago to watch that mysterious ivory tower and amidst the constant magic readings coming in from that tower, this was the very first piece of data I was successfully able to interpret. Several minutes ago someone working somewhere inside that tower created a Water Nymph through magic. I'm not sure how - or what kind of magic they employed even. But that's what they did." This Ivory Tower, of which Lucretia admittedly knew very little, had nagged at the back of her mind for a long time. The power surrounding and flowing out of it was unreadable even to her specialized analysts. No other magical place or group could claim that status. Who - or what - hides behind those thick walls, she wondered. She had previously resolved that she would simply watch them until she had something to go on. Now, after years of watching, her only piece of evidence forced a response.

"I'm going there myself," she stated bluntly, and she evaporated out of the room. Teletravel wasn't typically a power of Water Nymphs, but Lucretia had spent considerable time studying magic. It'll take everything I've learned before to glean anything about the Tower, she thought, trying to prepare herself for imminent arrival. The first thing Lucretia learned about the Ivory Tower, as her essence slammed aginst a brick wall of magic, was that the entire Tower was covered in an anti-teletravel spell. A really strong one if it repelled me. She found herself standing outside the Tower. She looked around, trying to probe her surroundings. She next noticed that the entire Tower existed on Borrowed Space. Borrowed Space magic - powerful and dangerous stuff designed by a mysterious sect of mystics known only as Whim - allowed magical stuff to "borrow" space from the real world so that no one could find it, realize it was being used, or miss it. However, the danger was that it created a "double" space, and if at any time the spell became unsustainable and collapsed, the double smashed into a single and the mix was disastrous and irreversible. These are no ordinary spellcasters she thought as she continued searching for a door. She found it - open - with a woman in golden robes standing there and smiling at her.

"Lady Lucretia, Queen of the Water Nymphs, welcome to the Ivory Tower. We've been hoping you'd come to visit soon.'

Reality Setting In

Pain, like slivers in the foot of a child

Reminds me of where we’ve come to.

Sure they ache and hurt and I cry,

But it happened during something

That should have been fun.

Ice, like daggers dangling from the roof

Reflects the light of memories dancing

All the times we’ve had play in the glass

But I realize they are all gone – over – now

And won’t come back.

Sorry, like an over-worn slipper or sock

Sticks in my parched, ineffective throat

The gap between us an insufferable chasm

But maybe saying it will help the pain

Or at least soothe my soul.

Goodbye, I guess, is all that’s left to do

Glimmering with thanks for fun and all

Sinking with the break that brought us here

But maybe goodbye is not a permanent thing

Maybe tomorrow will come.

Revelations and Endings: Episode 3

Iseta loathed kitchen duty. All responsibilities in the Tower shifted weekly between the various inhabitants, and Iseta routinely dreaded the week every cycle that she would supervise the kitchen. The kitchen, enchanted to the highest degree possible, should have held no terror since supervision was a minimal occupation at best. However, under Iseta's watch, water had burned to crisp, cupcakes had developed malicious will and revolted, carrots had held her hostage, and once - inexplicably - an indifferent almond flan had spilled maple syrup on the floor, trapping Iseta in place, and had spent the day mocking her and shattering her self-esteem. At this point, Iseta knew that her capacity for disaster when forced to cook would never go away. Relax, Iseta, you're just putting water in a pot. What could go wrong?

"Iseta!" rang the ironic call from Dracona's lips that made her spill the water everywhere. Dracona had a reputation for entering raucously, but Iseta couldn't imagine what could possibly drive someone to enter a kitchen so unabashedly.

"Dracona! Why must you always sneak up on people and insist on threatening their mental health by startling them? You know what I'm like in the kitchen - my nerves were already stiffer than a Greco-Roman statue!" As she hissed out the rest of her frustration, Iseta pulled out her ebony wand streaked with radical indigo and cleared the surprise deluge from the floor, and filled the water pot as she had intended to do.

Dracona also had a reputation for stubbornly never admitting fault. "You should have done it with magic in the first place," she retorted, "then you wouldn't have spilled when I came to see you."

"Oh yes, because a wand is MUCH safer than an inanimate pot of water to be holding when surprised. Seriously, any number of calamities can come from a wand - the pot can only spill." And perhaps bash in your skull for being so agitating, Iseta added in her head. "Anyways, what warranted your crisis-level, thought-scattering entrance?"

"While sitting on the lawn, I saw Athelus sneak of discretely. I wanted to know where she went. Something is afoot. Did she tell you where she was going?" Despite the still-agitated retort forming in her mind, Iseta didn't get a chance to answer before a Whimball - Polaris' enchanted form of communication - came and sat between the two. Since neither knew who it was for, they bade it speak simultaneously with glares at each other.

Iseta, please be advised that the tower is in grave danger and I need you to go check the Defenses Room and evaluate our preparedness for battle - should it come to that. Dracona, in case you missed it the first time, the tower is in grave danger. Stop meddling in what others are doing.

"That's it?" Dracona balked. "Athelus runs off on some secret mission, you have to evaluate the Tower's battle status, and what am I supposed to do? Stop meddling. Hmph. there must be some way I can help."

Iseta worked hard not to smirk as she replied. "Sure you can help - watch the kitchen." Iseta tried to make a quick exit but Dracona whipped out her wand and stole the key to the Defense Room from Iseta's pocket. The two ran off, Iseta chasing Dracona and shouting at her, leaving a just-starting-to-boil pot of water on the kitchen stove.