DESTINY(5)

[RyanEX2000]

Carmichael glanced up in irritation as the door slammed.His scowl deepened at the size and composition of the group.Silently his hand closed around the lead tipped club he kept under the bar for occasions such as this.Dallia might be peaceful now,but one could never be too careful.He tightened his grip while maintaining a pleasant smile fixed on his face as the armoured man moved forward.

"Can I help you,good sirs?"

The knight gave him a cursory glance then stepped aside.The new angle allowed the large barkeeper to see the red headed woman that he carried across his back.However it was the blonde woman who stepped forward that caught his attention

"SALLY!"he bellowed vaulting the bar and crushing her to him in hearty bearhug.

"Ugh...Michael....I still need those ribs,"she grunted.

"Whisht,girl.I haven't broken any of your bones in years,"he glanced around at her companions."I take it you were successful?!"

"Yes,but we've had some problems,"Sally replied."What's the word at the border."

"Things are pretty tense,"he allowed."Word is that a squad of Nites will be crossing within two days."

"That's not a lot of time,Sally,"Quatre pointed out.

Carmichael's eyes raked the group,"Settle in while I put together something to eat.Then you can tell me all that's happened."

*****

Carmichael whistled as he inspected the band around the slumbering Meiran's neck.Gently,he touched his finger to the clasp,and recoiled as a shock coursed through his system.

"Damn,whoever set this spell certainly knew what they were doing.I didn't think there were humans left with this kind of power."

Noin felt a light,familiar tickling at the back of her mind.She glanced over at Heero who was on his second tankard of ale and a small frown crossed her face.

"Maybe it wasn't a human,"Hilde suggested.

Dorothy shook her head,"My...Dermail is fanatically opposed to non-humans.To him,they're a rot upon the land that must be cut."

"Then why'd he take a Dragon princess hostage."Noin asked,bluntly.

They all whirled on her,mouths agape.

"Who said she was Dragon,"Heero demanded,moving over to her.

She first felt fear as she felt his eyes on her,focusing his will on her,demanding she answer.Then she felt anger as she returned his stare.For weeks they'd been following this strange group.Well,she'd been following them,dragging Hilde along with her.And for what?For a brief moment as she exchanged stares with the shorter Heero she felt that familiar feeling.The same feeling she'd felt as he'd strode through the crowd just before he purchased her soulstone.The same feeling back in the forest when he'd intruded on her bath.And again when he'd been teaching her the rudiments of swordplay.She quickly banished those feelings,holding on tight to the anger.

"Well......."Heero's stare was troubled now.

"Maybe it's time we shared information,"she replied coolly.She raked her gaze over the uneasy,yet curious group."Just who are you people,really.And what is it you're trying to do."

Dorothy had a small,almost amused smile on her face as she glanced over at Sally,"What do you think?"

"She did help rescue Meiran,"Sally allowed."But understand this,Elf.If you wish this knowledge,you....and your sister,will be bound to us until it's end."

Noin glanced uneasily as Hilde.White-faced Hilde turned to her sister.Everything in her screamed to say,"No."But she knew Noin would stay to listen.And the last thing Hilde wanted was to be seperated from her sister.Shakily she nodded her consent.

"Very well then..."Sally sat on one of the chairs.The others followed suit as Carmichael moved to the bar door,moving the large wooden bar into place,sealing the door.

*****

"Have you ever heard of the 'New Port Pact'?"Sally asked.

Noin nodded,while Hilde spoke up,"The treaty between the Sanq Kingdom and kingdoms of the East."

"Exactly.For a year the Sanq Kingdom worked to bridge the gap between human and non-human.They made many enemies on both sides."Sally paused for a moment before continuing."Then Lord Peacecraft was assassinated six years ago."

Noin and Hilde shuddered as they remembered scenes from those past years.Slavers became more active pushing deeper into normally inaccessible terrain under the protection of small armies.The brutal killings of members of various races that had lived side by side with human neighbours.Then there retaliatory raids,particularly by elves,at times to rescue friends and loved ones from slavers.But were mostly blood feuds started by grieving survivors of human persecution.

"The sad thing is that both groups blamed each other for the killing,"Sally continued."The Eastern lands closed off their ports to all shipping.That was the turning point.Humans had become accustomed to the magical items that were produced across the sea.And since non-humans who existed here on Ashara have no contact across the sea they were unable to duplicate even the most basic of magical items."

"That's when the neutral township of Portsmouth was built in the North was built,"Carmichael continued."Portsmouth was built two years ago and finished in four months.It was stated that no non-human within the town gates could be persecuted or molested in any way."

"I understand what you're saying,"Noin said."But what does this have to do with Meiran's kidnapping."

"We....or rather I believe that Dermail was responsible for the attack,"Heero said quietly,from his position near the back of the group.

"Heero....."Quatre started.

"He was the one with the most to gain if Lord Peacecraft was killed.And it was he who quickly claimed Sanq for himself before my Lord's bones were even cold in their grave,"Heero's fist clenched tightly around his tankard."And he was the one who stirred up the resentment all humans hold in their hearts towards anything different.He....."

It was now that the pressure being exerted by the powerful young knight took effect.With a muted explosion the tankard in his left hand shattered,pewter shards digging deep into Heero's fingers and palm,while the remaining ale dripped down his arm.He gazed stupidly at his hand before grabbing a table rag wrapping it around his bleeding palm.

"We're not sure why Dermail took Meiran,"Sally continued as Dorothy moved over to Heero."But the Dragon High Council was assured that it was an independent action.As such they will remain neutral in this affair.I was sent in an attempt to get her out before the open hostilities began."

"So YOU'RE dragon?"Hilde's eyes were wide.

"No,I'm human.....my parents abandoned me when I was nine during the wars seventeen years ago.A dragon had attacked them and they left me,probably hoping to escape while it fed on me."Sally's voice was bitter."Instead she ate my parents and took me into the clan."

"It ate your parents!!!!"Noin was aghast."Then how.....how can you....."

"They met the same fate they were planning for me.I cannot.No.Will not ever grieve for that."

Noin glanced over at Dorothy,who'd finished pulling the pewter shards out of Heero's hand and was now wrapping a clean strip of cloth over the cuts,"And what's your story?"

She shrugged,"Dermail is my grandfather."

"GRANDFATHER!!??"

"On my father's side.My father was his greatest warrior.As such Dermail was quite annoyed when he died without providing him with a male heir.So he decided to rectify that problem,"Dorothy said."Three years ago he tried to remove any emotion that was unnecessay for to perfect killer.Instead he split my personality and my powers into two vessels.Me......and Quatre."

"QUATRE!!"

"To fully use our powers we have to be close together.But we are easily drained because of that dependency."

"So you can use your powers independently?"Noin asked curiously.

"Yes,but our magic is no where near as powerful as when we're together,"Quatre explained."It has something to do with when the spell went wrong and we were split."

"So that's why you two are always so close together,"Hilde noted."You're drawn to one another."

"It's something like that,but I like to believe it's something deeper.Dorothy could have killed me when it first happened.That's what Dermail wanted,"he replied,bitterness in his voice."But she didn't......."

The following silence was uncomfortable.Noin decided that....for now.....she'd learned enough.

"I've been hearing.........a voice in the back of my head,"she started,startling them out of their reverie."It seems to know a lot about all of you.It was the one that told me that Meiran was dragon."

"Voices??"Heero loked skeptical.

"I know it sounds strange......all I can figure out is that whoever or whatever it is,is female.And I first heard it after I first saw Heero back in that town.And she or it knows you especially well,Heero."

"Me...?"Heero looked confused."But I've been over the ocean.And the only woman I know with any kind of magic is Dorothy."

A sudden knocking at the door startled them all.

"Hey Mike,you alive in there open up,"A loud voice called.It was followed by several raucous cheers.

Carmichael cursed,"It's the miners.I forgot today was payday."

"We'll go upstairs,"Sally said as Heero gingerly lifted the still slumbering Meiran."We'll leave in the morning."

"I'll see what I can coax out of the miners.Their tongues are usually quite loose after a few cups of the good stuff."

Sally grinned at him as they trooped upstairs.

"Hey Carmichael what in the name of the gods are you doing in there."

"Shut up Saano!"he shouted as he worked the bar free."If you can't wait you could always try Vintar's lower down."Shouts of horror emanated from the waiting crowd.They were all carrying a great thirst,but they weren't that desperate for their ale.

*****

Trowa Barton hovered at the edge of Dallia,the fox tail wrapped around his left arm.He hadn't needed it,but he still couldn't bring himself to just throw it away.Besides it might come in handy later.He'd already marked the tavern they were staying in.He'd even caught glimpses of them on the upper floors before the blonde with the unusual eyebrows had pulled down the shades.They were affording themselves such luxury even while they were being pursued.That bespoke of either great confidence.......or incredible stupidity.He hadn't lived for so long by underestimating his opponents,so he had decided on the latter.He clutched at the pendant he wore beneath his dark clothes.Lord Sage had promised a bonus for the warrior that defeated the Nites.....but he never specified in what condition.Either way he was going to enjoy breaking the Sanq knight.But for now there were plans to make and details to hammer out.He moved back into mountains to the north.

*****

Noin found Hilde in their room staring out between the window sashes,"So that's it then,"she said softly."We won't be seeing home again for awhile."

"You sound as if you'll actually miss it,"Noin replied sitting down next to her.

"I won't miss the village if that's what you mean,"Hilde answered vehemently."But I will miss the special trees,the Dryads and Fauns.They were always fun to be around.Besides I doubt Serana could have done anything about these."

Noin held up her own soulstone to match Hilde's,"Sometimes I even forget about these stones,"she said."So much has changed....."

"And then there's that certain someone,eh.."Hilde remarked.

Noin flushed,"he's just a human,Hil'"

"A very handsome human,Noin."Hilde smiled at Noins' look."I may not like him too much but even I can't miss that."

"You're obviously tired,"Noin said stiffly."You should get some rest."

Noin blew out the candle,ignoring Hilde's soft laugh droppingher body onto the bed.Turning onto her side she considered her sister's words.Yes he was very handsome.And it scared her how easily that affected her.

*****

In the room Heero shared with Sally and Meiran the young knight twisted silently in the throes of an all too familiar nightmare.His hands clenched,his bandaged hand dripping blood onto the mattress.

*****

"The Northern Ranges are clear except for the occassional lone miner and the usual bandits."Carmichael told them."Avoid the pass to the northeast.It's the easiest route,but Alva's been stationed there for some years."

"Alva?"

"Calls himself the Bandit King."Carmichael replied."Not too bad a guy really,unless he's drunk.The real one to watch out for is his son,Baek.He's trying to make a name for himself.He's supposedly killed at least nine men in single combat."

"I don't think we need to worry to much about them,"Heero replied darkly."But just to be safe is there any other way across?"

"Two routes,"Carmichael squatted in the red dirt tracing out a map.There is needle.It's a thin pass over a gorge.If you're going that way you'll have to lose the horses.They won't walk that."

"And the other?"

"Tarana Gorge.It's usually clear at this time of year.But there is always the chance of a rockslide."

"Thank you,Carmichael,"Heero reached down holding out his hand.The barkeep gripped his arm in the strong grip of warriors.Flicking the reins Heero led off the group north to the mountain ranges that divided Ashara in more ways than one.None felt the eyes on them.Hungry eyes.


TBC
___________________

[silversong]

Enthralling as always! Do continue!

~Silversong, the Wicket of Sticky

[shadowcat]

go ryan!!!

another great chapter!!! Keep writting(or else)
-Shadow

[RDP]

Nice work, Ryan. Good dialog, and the way you incorporated the GW cast with fantasy elements was excellent.

I was especially enthralled by the bit about Dorothy and Quatre's orgins. Very interesting!

Perhaps Relena will make an appearance sometime soon? Keep going! Exciting plotline.