80AD
The Jewel of Asgard
by Aiki Flinthart
Smashwords Edition
Copyright Aiki Flinthart 2011
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
Discover other titles by Aiki Flinthart at: http://aikiflinthart.weebly.com/
Review:
“This story is very unique. The premise is immensely entertaining. It’s a great story! I give it 4 stars.”.......Chilli Tween Reads October 31st 2011
80AD
Level One
The Jewel of Asgard.
LONG BAIYU
Cold held the chamber in its bitter grasp: an intense, unrelenting chill that soaked through skin and muscle and invaded aching bones. Bound in icy darkness, surrounded by stone and shadow, Long Baiyu crouched in a corner of his miserable cell and waited. What choice did he have? This place sucked warmth and hope from him; until all he could do was hurt and wait.
Sharp footsteps sounded outside his door. The heavy wood flew open. Long Baiyu raised an arm to shield his eyes from the overbright candle carried by his visitor. It had been too long since he’d seen the sun. He was weakened by darkness; too drained to even attempt an escape.
“Have you changed your mind?” his visitor demanded. The man was tall and arrogant with high, sharp cheekbones and narrow, dark eyes. He held heavy silken robes off the stone floor in disgust and looked down his long nose at the prisoner. With thin hands, blackened by chemical stains, he raised the candle and peered at his wretched hostage.
“Have you?” Impatient, he added, “If not then you can continue rot down here. I don’t care. I’ll take what I need without your help. I only offer you the chance to live out of respect for our former friendship.”
“Respect,” his captive smiled regretfully, his words a mere, painful whisper. “You show no respect for anyone – not even yourself. Look what you have become. You intend to use me for your own ends. Release me before your treachery is discovered and you may avoid the wrath of the Emperor. If I die here the Emperor will have you executed and you will never join your ancestors with honour.”
The man laughed softly. “Your threats are empty. The boy-Emperor is in Luoyang. He is no obstacle to me and I don’t intend to join my ancestors. I intend to live forever - unlike you, my old friend.” The menace in his voice sent a shiver down the spine of his prisoner.
Baiyu shook his head. “When the mantis hunts the locust, he forgets the shrike that is hunting him.”
His captor sneered. “Don’t give me that wiseman rubbish. You forget how long I have known you.” When it was obvious Baiyu intended to say no more, his captor laughed again and left.
In the darkness once more, Baiyu pulled in what little remaining strength he possessed and called on the power of the Ancestors. He had to escape – yet he could not do it alone. Around him, a faint purple-blue glow began to shine. Picking up a small, round pebble from underfoot, he held it in his large hand and blew gently on it twice. In a strange, singsong voice, he chanted nonsense words over and over above the stone. Slowly, the light around him gathered into a thin, white-purple streak of lighting. It zipped joyfully around his head until he spoke to it sternly. Then it hovered briefly above the stone before spearing straight into it.
Baiyu whispered, trembling with the effort. The stone split neatly in two in his hand. Each half then twisted and merged back together before pulling apart again. Abruptly, the glow dimmed and Baiyu smiled in weary satisfaction. He raised his hand and blew again, murmuring more words of power. Lifting his hand higher, he drew on everything he had left and whispered,
“Seek those that can free me.”
The glow and the stone vanished with a loud crack! Plunged back into night, Long Baiyu collapsed.
****
CHAPTER ONE
PHOENIX
Phoenix glanced at his watch and groaned. 5:30pm. Late. Rising up on the bike pedals, he pushed harder, speeding down the sleepy suburban street. Driveways and front yards flashed past. Neighbours hallooed. He ignored them. If he was late again and Jacob found out….
He pedalled harder.
His own driveway came up abruptly. He slammed on the brakes, turning to slide expertly into it with a spray of gravel. The adrenalin rush brought a smile of fierce joy to his face. A few more quick pushes brought him up the slight incline and around the back of the mansion he now called home. Well, the house where he lived, anyway. Peering into the garage, he heaved a sigh of relief. His mother wasn’t home and neither was Jacob.
Leaning his bike against the house, Phoenix pulled out a key and let himself in through the kitchen door. Pausing for a moment, he listened hard. The big, cold house was echoingly empty. Some of the tension went out of his shoulders. He dropped his aikido bag on the kitchen floor before slouching over to the fridge to inspect its contents. Since turning thirteen, six months before, he always seemed to be hungry. His mother teased him about it – and, unfortunately, it also gave Jacob another reason to be annoyed with him.
After staring vaguely into the full fridge for awhile, Phoenix grabbed container of cold pizza from dinner the night before. He shut the door, then immediately opened it again and picked out a can of Coke.
Car tyres crunched up the drive. Startled, he stared over his shoulder as though trying to see through the stone walls. Hearing the distinctive thrum of a big engine, he bolted for the stairs. At the last second, he remembered his aikido bag and skidded to a stop. A car door slammed. Swearing under his breath, Phoenix dashed back and snatched up the bag, shoving the pizza and drink into it as he turned again for the stairs. Seven long jumps brought him safely to the top where he stopped, leaning against a wall around the corner to catch his breath.
The kitchen door opened. Heavy footsteps rapped sharply across marble tiles. Phoenix didn’t wait any longer. Jacob was home. Stepping softly along the pile-carpeted hallway, Phoenix reached his own room. He eased the door open, let himself in and closed it again; carefully. Only once it was fully closed did he put his bag gently down and finally breathe out. Dropping into the chair in front of his study desk, he opened the drink, sucked up the bubbles and switched on his computer. Running stiff fingers through an unruly mop of brown hair, he swivelled to stare out the window.
Now, if he just kept his head low for an hour or so, his mother would come home and he could avoid any sort of run-in with his stepfather at all. Jacob would know Phoenix was home by the fact his bike was there, but they had an unspoken agreement to avoid each other whenever humanly possible. Really, the only time they crossed paths was at dinner and Jacob Smithson never made any sort of fuss about his stepson in front of Gwen.
As he waited for his computer to boot up, Phoenix munched on pizza and thought about his life. There wasn’t much to think about. Time passed; things happened all around him, but he didn’t actually feel a part of it. The endless round of school days just didn’t seem real. He felt stuck, waiting for something to happen; for some miracle to make it like it used to be when his dad was alive. He snorted. Like that was ever going to happen.
He had a couple of friends at school, but no best buddies. His dad had always been his best friend and he just didn’t feel like putting in the effort to make another. School itself was mindnumbingly boring - except for sports. He was good at sports, but nowadays he didn’t even get to do much of that. Every time he tried to stand up for himself and argue with Jacob over some dumb new rule, his stepfather punished him by cutting back on more of his outside school activities. The only stuff he got to do now was play computer games and go to aikido. Games were just a time-waster; an escape; a place to hide and not have to think. The dojo existed now as the only place he really felt alive. His Sensei was pretty much the only person who listened and understood, anyway.
Phoenix frowned, remembering the reason why he absolutely had to be home on time today: the threat from Jacob to pull him out of classes if he was late home again. He really wasn’t sure what he’d do if that happened. Run away?
His lips twisted into a scornful smile. Where to? He had nowhere to go. He wasn’t old enough to earn a living and he’d seen what happened to other kids who ended up on the streets – drugs and whatever. Nah. He shook his head and began to check his emails. Jacob might be a prat, but living in the same house with him remained better than the alternatives.
Besides, his mother was happy, and that was the most important thing. Phoenix all too clearly remembered hearing her cry herself to sleep every night for months after the car accident three years ago. He remembered the helpless anger; remembered how lost he’d felt and how frightened; how much he’d hoped his dad would just walk back in the house and say it had all been a big mistake. He still sometimes hoped that, but he’d learned to live with it now. Honestly, he’d been glad when his mother had finally hooked up with Jacob. She’d stopped crying and started smiling again, at least.
OK, so Jacob wasn’t an ideal stepfather, but he was better than some. He was rich and at least he didn’t drink or hit. Sure, he was unfair a lot of the time: like when he grounded Phoenix for stupid little things like running late for school or not putting his plate in the dishwasher; but he was prepared to put up with that for the sake of his mothers’ happiness.
With a sigh, Phoenix turned his attention to the latest on-line game he’d joined and did his level best to obliterate both restless unhappiness and digital enemies for the next twenty minutes or so. For some reason, it didn’t seem to help this time, so he logged out and switched to updating his blog. Nobody read it, but it made him feel better to vent his irritation with Jacob somewhere. Eventually, even the satisfaction of that wore off and he watched some of the weird stuff that came up on YouTube instead.
Footsteps sounded on the stairs – heavy ones.
Phoenix glanced quickly at the door. There was only one reason for Jacob to come upstairs – to see his stepson; and that was not good news. Rapidly, he cleaned away the debris of food and tossed the Coke can into the bin. He wasn’t supposed to eat in his room. Brushing crumbs off his shirt, Phoenix closed his blog and YouTube and jumped to his feet just as the door handle began to turn.
It opened and Jacob filled the doorway with his bulk. Phoenix tried to resist the urge to back away. His stepfather was intimidating – a fact he knew and used to his advantage both at work and at home. It was hard not to feel young and defenceless when faced with his six foot, muscular form.
He felt the familiar burn of resentment low in his guts and swallowed hard, pushing the feelings down. Maybe in a few years time he’d be big enough and tough enough to take Jacob on, but until then….
“Did you take the last coke?” Jacob’s grey eyes were narrowed in annoyance.
Dumbly, Phoenix nodded, trying to slow his now-racing heart. “Sorry.”
Jacob grunted, his gaze darting around the room. He spotted the pizza container Phoenix had forgotten to hide. His mouth thinned. With two long strides he walked over and picked it up, holding it up in front of Phoenix’s face like a weapon.
“And my pizza. I was saving it for lunch tomorrow,” he growled.
Phoenix tried to hold his head up defiantly, but couldn’t. He looked away and was ashamed of his own cowardice. “Sorry,” he mumbled again. “I didn’t know.”
Abruptly, Jacob moved closer. Phoenix took an involuntary step away and sat down as the chair caught him in the back of the knees. His stepfather leaned over him, placing huge hands on the chair arms.
“I’m sick of your attitude, Phoenix,” he said, his expression stiff with barely-restrained annoyance. “You’re lazy and self-centred and you act as though the world owes you a living. Lord knows I’ve tried to be patient for your mothers’ sake, but enough is enough. If you want to continue to live in my house, then you’ll live by my rules, understand?” He waited a moment until Phoenix managed a nod, then he pushed off and stood up. “If not, then you’re welcome to go elsewhere.” With a glare, Jacob turned on his heel and left, slamming the door forcefully behind him.
Phoenix made a rude gesture at the door then slumped back in the chair, gritting his teeth together to stop himself from yelling an angry comeback as well. It just wasn’t fair. It was hard enough to cope with high school, homework; and idiot older kids at school bullying the younger ones without getting it at home as well. If his real dad was alive this wouldn’t be happening.
He glanced at a framed photo on his desk. Alex Carter grinned back at him, his arm around a younger Phoenix, both of them smiling madly and holding up a large, silvery trout. That had been such a great camping trip. The three of them had trekked around the Scottish highlands for two weeks, camping and fishing wherever they felt like it. Phoenix grimaced, remembering how his mother had complained about the rain. His father had hugged her, smiled at her and promised her a week in the south of France sunshine for their next holiday. Gwen Carter had laughed and shaken her damp head knowingly before sending her two boys off to catch dinner. Somehow, when they’d returned, cold and triumphant, she’d had a fire going and hot chocolate ready.
That night, the clouds had cleared and Alex had taken his son and wife to lie in the heather and watch the stars. Shooting stars had arced like fireworks through the brilliant skies. His father had pointed out constellations and told stories of ancient cultures and their beliefs in sky-gods. Phoenix had listened, fascinated by his father’s gift for weaving stories and fact into vivid images. Eventually, when they were all chilled and tired, he had gone to sleep in their little tent, hearing the laughing, contented murmured conversation of his parents as they sat by the fire.
There was a noise downstairs: the kitchen door closing; his mother’s cheerful voice upraised in greeting. Depression descended on Phoenix again like the Scottish clouds. A faint surge of old anger washed through him. He reached up and lay his fathers’ photo face down on the desk. Alex Carter was gone. Things would never be the same again. He was stuck with his life as it was until he was old enough to get the heck out. Slow tears stung his eyes but he clenched his fists and took deep breaths until the pain subsided. He would not cry. Crying was for kids and he hadn’t been a kid for three years now.
“Phoenix, I’m home!” The lilting sound of his mother’s voice rescued him. His mother’s light footsteps sounded outside his room. Phoenix hastily pulled out a math book and opened it. In answer to her cautious knock, he told her to come in and swivelled around to face the door, forcing a smile for her benefit.
Gwen Carter-Smithson peeked around the door, her pretty face worried. “Jacob said you two had another run-in,” she came in hesitantly and sat on his bed, laying two wrapped parcels down to one side. “Are you ok?”
Phoenix gave her a one-shoulder shrug and turned his face away, afraid she’d see the resentment there. “I ate his pizza by accident. He was angry at me. I’ll live.”
“Oh, honey,” she put a soft hand on his knee. “He really does try, you know, and you could be a little easier on him if you wanted. I know he’s not your Dad, but he is doing his best.”
Hurt that she was siding with Jacob, he swung his chair so her hand slid off his knee. He pulled up his emails again and pretended to read one. Behind him, his mother sighed faintly.
“I’ve got a surprise for you,” she offered tentatively.
Closing his eyes for a second, Phoenix turned back around and tried to look pleased as he took a thick rectangular package from her hands. “What’s this for?”
Gwen smiled and shook her smooth blonde head, “Nothing. I just saw this in town and thought you might like it.”
He shook it a little and looked up at her knowingly.
His mother faked a pout. “You’ve guessed, haven’t you? I knew I should have wrapped it differently. You always guess. You’re too smart for me.” She smiled lovingly. “Go on, open it anyway”
Phoenix ripped open the silver paper to reveal a computer game. He managed to work up a little enthusiasm when he realised it was the Pre-release of the newest fantasy game: 80AD. Some kids at school had been raving about it just today. It wasn’t due for full release for another two days. He’d only be able to footle about on Level One until the Internet Servers allowed access to the full version midnight on Sunday night, so this could be fun.
Flipping it over, he read the description. The usual Quest-type game set in ancient times with wizards, dragons, gods, heroes and five levels of difficulty. It did come with a set of Virtual reality glasses and a Body Connect receiver, which was extremely cool. It meant he could stand in front of the screen, see the image in surround vision and the receiver would interpret his body movements realistically - so he could kick and punch the badguys in the game to his hearts content without having to use a joystick or mouse. The graphics looked pretty good and there were probably already cheat-sites on the web he could look up. Should be interesting for a few hours, anyway.
“Thanks, mum,” he said as brightly as he could manage. “It looks great. I’ll load it in a minute. What’s this?” he fingered the second package, frowning. It was about the size of his palm, but hard and square like a small box.
“Well, if you can’t guess I’m sure not going to tell you!” Gwen grinned, her pink cheeks dimpling. “Open it and see. It’s something your father gave me before you were born. I’ve been holding onto it for you. I figured this was a good time to give it to you. You’ve grown up so fast these last couple of years.” She looked at him with a hint of regret.
Tearing off the paper, Phoenix wasn’t really paying attention to the gift until it fell into the palm of his hand. It was a small box of some dark wood, inlaid with ornate decorations of pearl and some whitish-green stone. The decorations looked kind of like long, thin dragons and birds twisting around the shiny black lid. It was clipped shut with a tarnished silver hook. It looked quite old, but it was probably just some cheap “made in China” replica antique. Still…
He raised an eyebrow and glanced up at his mother. She nodded for him to open it. Flicking the clasp open with his thumb, he lifted the lid and drew a deep breath of admiration. Lying on a worn bed of worn red cloth was a necklace: a thin silver chain with a teardrop shaped pendant hanging off it. Actually, it a tadpole-shape. The thick, rounded end hung from the chain and a kind of curved tail pointed sort of down and sideways. It was only about the size of a small coin. The metal had a strange sort of pearly sheen to it and there was a dot of some other, golden metal in the middle of the thicker end. When he turned it in the light, purples and blues and pinks slipped across the surface like oil.
It was fascinating; beautiful, somehow….odd...and warm to the touch.
Anger forgotten, Phoenix glanced up at his mother again. She stared down at the pendant with a puzzled expression. Then she shook herself and picked it up from his hand. Briskly, she clasped the chain around his neck and tucked the pendant inside his shirt. Patting his chest, she kissed the top of his head. He could see in the mirror on his wardrobe that she had tears in her eyes.
“Your father gave this to me on our second date,” she sighed. “I only ever took it off once, to get it cleaned - about two hours before he died.”
“I remember you wearing it. Where did you get it?” Phoenix pulled it out to look at it again.
“We were wandering through an antique store in London and we found them tucked away in that little box in the corner of an old dresser. I’ve always liked boxes.”
“Them?” Phoenix looked up at her. “Hang, on. Dad wore one, too, didn’t he? I remember now.”
His mother nodded. Her mouth pulled down at the corners. “They were a pair.” She traced her finger down the inside curved edge of the amulet. “They fit together perfectly. Mine was silvery and his was a gold colour, but each has a dot of the other colour inside.” She touched the tiny dot of gold. “It’s the Chinese Yin Yang symbol, you know. For balance and Harmony. It was supposed to bring us happiness in our marriage, although your dad always said ‘happiness is a journey, not a destination’. You know how he always quoted those old Chinese sayings.”
Phoenix nodded, smiling at the memory of some of his father’s more obscure proverbs. He still had no idea what half of them meant. “Yeah. I remember his favourite: ‘you often find your destiny in the very place you seek to hide from it.’”
Gwen nodded, then sighed. “They did bring us happiness – right up until the time I took it off and he died.”
“Mum!” Phoenix protested. “You don’t really think taking a necklace off had anything to do with the accident?” He felt helpless even thinking about it.
“No, of course not,” she reassured him. “It was just an unlucky co-incidence.” Gwen shook herself and stood up. “Unfortunately, on the day your dad died, his half disappeared. The paramedics thought the chain must have broken in the car accident and either someone picked it up or it got swept up by the street cleaners.” She frowned, “I’ve always wondered if it was those two odd people that were seen with your dad just before he died….” she shook her head and sighed again.
Phoenix shifted on his seat, not knowing what to say.
“Anyway…” with a bright smile she leaned down to kiss him again. “Happy anythingday.”
“Thanks, mum.” He held up the amulet. “This is the best gift ever. I promise I’ll take care of it.”
She smiled sadly and nodded. “I know you will. You’re a good ki….young man.” Kissing him again, she moved toward the door. “I’ll go so you can play your game. Do come down in time for dinner, though. Chef’s making your favourite.”
“OK.” Phoenix watched the door close then stared down again at the half-amulet around his neck. It was warm. Maybe that was just because it was against his skin. Or maybe, he thought secretly, it felt that way because his father was somehow still connected to it, watching over him.
The sound of his stepfather’s voice downstairs made Phoenix shake his head irritably. How stupid. There was nobody watching over him. His father was dead; his mother married to an idiot; his life reduced to escaping into computer games whenever he could. Destiny. Ha. Some destiny. With a twist to his mouth, Phoenix stuck the new game into his computer and started to read the instructions.
****
CHAPTER TWO
JADE
“Amber! Crystal! Jewel! Have you seen Jade?” A shrill voice from the kitchen made Jade shrink further into the darkness. She bit her lip, staring hopefully at the bottom of the stairs close overhead. She hadn’t tried this hiding place before. Maybe they wouldn’t find her.
“Jaaaaade! Jaaaaaade! Mom wants you!” At the sound of three girlish voices and six feet thumping up the stairs, Jade gritted her teeth. If only she could find somewhere to be alone!
“Jade Pearl Lockyer get your backside out here this minute!”
She sighed and pushed open the tiny storage cupboard door with her foot. There was no point in hiding when her mother took that tone. She really should have been helping out for the party anyway. Besides, it was a waste of a good hiding place. No-one else knew about this secret, small cupboard under the stairs and it even had a light in it. She’d managed to stash a few books and some food in there earlier. Maybe she could sneak back and get away from her noisy, irritating family for a while later on.
“I’m here, mum!” She yelled, closing the almost-invisible door behind her and brushing dust off her clothes. Stomping into the kitchen, she blinked at the chaos there and barely protested when her mother dumped a huge bag of potatoes into her hands.
“Good. About time. Peel these and wash them. There’s only two hours until the party and I have to make potato salad to take with us.” Her mother turned back to direct one of the other girls to cutting up celery.
Jade wrestled a stool away from Amber. She sat down at the big kitchen bench, ignoring her older sister’s childish protests. Glowering, Jade snatched up a potato peeler and began peeling. Annoyance faded a little when she realised she hadn’t washed her hands. Ha! Maybe everyone at Coral’s party would get botulism. Lost in a pleasant daydream where she somehow managed to save everyone at the engagement party from the horrors of food poisoning, Jade worked steadily through half the bag without noticing.
“OOOOooooowww!” A screeching howl of pain snatched her back to reality. Ruby was clutching her hand and yowling in agony while her mother and the other girls twittered around like helpless butterflies. Jade saw the angry red burn on her sister’s hand where she’d tipped hot water on herself.
Without hesitation, she put down a half-peeled potato, picked up a knife and ran out the back door. Slicing off a thick leaf of a plant by the door, she raced back. Deftly, she slipped the knife along the length of the leaf, exposing a gooey jelly inside. Jade wormed her way through the throng of chattering girls and grabbed the burned hand. Before Ruby could protest, Jade slathered the yellowish jelly over the burn. Ruby sighed in relief. With smile of pride, Jade turned to her watching family.
Her mother blinked in astonishment. “What is that disgusting stuff?” she demanded. Jade’s heart sank and she looked around to find all six of her older sisters and her mother staring at her like a bunch of clones – all with the same expression of wary distaste on their pretty faces.
“It’s aloe vera. Perfect for burns. I planted some about two months ago, right by the back door just in case of an emergency..like…this.” She tried hard not to let worry creep into her voice. She had done the right thing. Why couldn’t her mother see that? Jade stared at her toes as her mother rolled her eyes in disgust. No matter how hard she tried, nothing she did was good enough.
All her older sisters were prettier than she: all blonde, curvy and blue-eyed; all with boyfriends, friends and full social calendars. The whole family looked on their youngest sibling as some sort of freak. Jade had short, wavy dark hair and green eyes. At almost fourteen she was thin and wiry. All her sisters had already been young women at the same age. Sometimes she thought she must be adopted; but who in their right mind would adopt a seventh girl?
“Everything alright in here Allison, ladies?” A mild voice inquired from the kitchen door. Jade looked up to see her father standing there and knew she wasn’t adopted. All her sisters were younger versions of her mother. She was the spitting image of her father. She glanced up at him, looking for support, while her mother replied in a cross tone.
“It’s only Jade showing off again, Hector. Honestly. You shouldn’t encourage her.” She huffed and turned back to settle Ruby on a chair in the corner. “Get back to work, girls. Coral, you get up to your room and get changed. Hurry!” Glancing at her watch, she cast a despairing look around the chaotic kitchen. Her eye fell on the half-peeled potatoes and she groaned. “Jade, that stuff had better not stain your shirt. Quit fussing with your stupid herbs and get back to the potatoes. We all have to be in the car in an hour and a half.”
Jade caught her father’s ironic gaze and tried to hide the hurt she felt at her mother’s dismissal. He smiled slightly and nodded at the aloe leaf still in her hand. With that tiny smile he acknowledged her quick thinking before retreating back to his study. She relaxed. Dad understood. He had seen and approved. She resumed her work, feeling almost content.
She could hardly wait to get this party over with so she could help him in the glasshouse with the latest exotic specimen he’d brought back from South America. Spending time helping Dad prepare and study plants for his botany students at Cambridge was way more rewarding than peeling potatoes. Dad never criticised her. If only he didn’t have to go away so much. Home was no fun at all when he was gone. Maybe she could just stow away on his next trip and be his assistant.
That nice little daydream ended abruptly when her mother caught sight of the still-unpeeled potatoes.
“Jade! Concentrate on what you’re doing. Finish those potatoes.”
She sighed, hunching her shoulders. She knew she’d never be able to live up to her mother’s expectations. Why was it so awful that she liked to read or mess about with plants instead of buy dresses and try on makeup?
Jade finished peeling the potatoes and glanced around. Everyone was frantically busy and no-one was watching. She stole out of the kitchen and made for the cupboard again. Maybe if she was very, very quiet, no one would notice and they would all bustle off to the party without her. Just the thought of having the whole, entire house to herself made Jade hug herself in delight. No sisters to tease her and steal her books; no mother to shake her head in despair.
It was a small house; old and full of secrets. They’d only lived here a year and so far she’d discovered an attic full of discarded bits of other people’s lives, a secret drawer in the fireplace mantle (regrettably empty) and now this secret cupboard under the stairs. Her retreats to the attic hadn’t lasted long, but they’d been full of imaginary adventure. Who had slept in the tiny, broken cot? Whose favourite toy had been the wooden doll with painted eyes? A wooden sword had given her hours of enjoyment battling ancient dragons and knights.
Then her sisters had discovered her and the magic had been lost in their exclamations of disgust. It was so dusty and gross up there. Ewwww! They’d said. Their mother came up and stripped the place bare. What was saleable was auctioned on Ebay. What wasn’t went to the dump. The doll, the cot. Gone. Jade managed to hide the sword in the back of her closet, but now there was nowhere to play with it. The attic was converted into a retreat for the older girls and Jade banned from it until she turned sixteen.
So the cupboard under the stairs was all that remained secret. Jade smiled a little as she crept into it. She felt like Harry Potter, but she was hiding out by choice. Oh, how she longed to be like Harry and disappear off to a magical school of wizardry. Did being the seventh daughter of a seventh son make her magic? Or maybe to someplace where she could train to be a knight. Maybe not. That armour looked pretty heavy. She picked up the book she’d been reading.
It was the sudden silence that roused her from a world of fantasy. Listening, she cocked her head. The house was silent. Worried, she pushed open the cupboard door and darted out.
“Mum!? Dad?” Her voice echoed around the house. There was no reply. No footsteps. No noise at all. They really had left without her.
Her first reaction was one of delight. No stupid, boring engagement party. No being “good” for hours on end in company. No having to listen to dumb speeches about Coral and her fiancé. No having to fetch and carry and play waitress; and, especially, no princessy, perfect sisters swanning about making her feel ugly and clumsy. She had the whole house to herself!
“Yahooo!” Executing a neat dance step, Jade shimmied down the hall, singing the theme song to a weekend cartoon: “I’m strange, and I like it; that’s just the way I am...” In quick succession, she peeked into each room of the bottom floor, just to make certain she was completely alone. She was. Everyone was gone. The big old house was totally empty. Completely, totally empty, except for her.....
In fact, it was very empty. Maybe too empty......
Jade stood still in the middle of the entrance hallway, listening. The wind picked up a little outside. That must be what caused that strange whooooooing sound she could hear. Yes, she reassured herself, it was just the wind going past the chimney stack. That rattling...well, that had to be a window one of the girls had left open upstairs. Honestly, she fumed, how thoughtless they were.
She turned and placed a foot on the bottom stair, ready to go up and latch the window. Darkness cloaked the top landing. All the lights were turned off. It’s just darkness, she admonished herself firmly. She took another step upward, trying to ignore the sudden flutter of her heart.
Somewhere up there, a floorboard creaked; then another. Swallowing, Jade backed down again, into a corner of the hall, where she huddled with arms around her thin body. These were not the noises she was used to hearing in this house. She was so used to the sounds of her six sisters chattering and fighting that it was unnatural not to hear them. It didn’t make her feel better to tell herself that all old houses made creaking noises. The wind outside was now fairly howling and rain pelted against the timber walls. The window rattled again.
A shrill jangling right beside her, made her leap a foot into the air and let out a shriek. The telephone. Taking a deep breath, she reached for the ancient handset, and then paused. Should she answer it or not? Images of horror movies jumped into her head. People left home alone and stalked by axe-murderers. What if it was her parents calling because they realised they’d left her?
What if it wasn’t?
Her hand hovered over the handset for five full rings before she snatched it up. “H..Hello?” she stammered.
“Are you alright, honey?” Her dad’s worried tones sounded hollow and far away. A rushing noise in the background almost drowned him out.
“Dad!” Jade let out the breath she’d been holding and sat down on the telephone stool in relief. The house suddenly seemed almost ordinary again. “I’m fine. You guys left without me,” she complained, forgetting that it was her own wish, granted.
“Sorry honey. Your mum was in such a hurry we didn’t count heads. “
“Are you coming back for me?” Jade heard giggling. She realised her sisters had known she was missing and had deliberately not told their parents. Biting her lip, she struggled not to cry. They were so mean.
“We really can’t. We’re already going to be late for Coral’s engagement party as it is,” he sounded regretful. Jade heard her mother’s voice clearly, complaining about her youngest daughter’s complete lack of consideration for others. Her father hushed her mother loudly and Jade choked back tears of hurt. She felt guilty about causing so much trouble, but it really hadn’t been on purpose. Surely her father knew that?
“Dad?” She sniffed. “I didn’t do it on purpose.”
“It’s ok, honey,” he reassured her. “I’ve called Mrs Nevin and she’s going to come over to babysit until we get home. She won’t be there for about an hour, though. Can you manage?”
She nodded, forgetting he couldn’t see her. “Sure, Dad,” she said morosely. “I’ll be fine. I don’t really need a sitter.” Even as she said it, Jade realised that she was quite glad Mrs Nevin was coming over. She’d never let her sisters know that.
“I know, but I’d feel better if you had someone with you,” he replied. “We’ll be pretty late getting home.” She could hear the pride and worry making his voice smile.
She gave in. “OK, but…”
“Yes?”
“Can I play that new computer game you got yesterday?” She begged. Dad never ever let anyone play on his computer. It was the only computer they owned and he didn’t want to risk it getting broken. “Please?”
He chuckled. “Alright, but you know the deal?”
“I know.” She giggled, happier now. “Don’t let the others know. As if they’d want to play computer games anyway, Dad.”
“Don’t be cheeky or I’ll change my mind.” He spoke sternly, but she heard the smile in his voice again. “Be good. Call us if you get scared before Mrs Nevin gets there.”
“I’ll be fine, Dad.” Jade said more confidently than she felt. “I’m almost fourteen, remember?”
“How could I forget? Bye honey.”
“Bye Dad. Thanks.” She hung up the phone and bounced up, excited all over again. She clapped her hands and raced toward her father’s study without looking up the dark stairs. Her sisters could keep their stupid party. She was going to create the most beautiful, kick-ass avatar in history, play 80AD and defeat the evil villain Feng Zhudai.
Jade was almost there when she spotted the door to the under-stairs cupboard. Golden light streamed out the half-open door for all the girls to see when they came home. That wouldn’t do at all. Hurrying back she reached around and felt for the light switch.
Instead of the switch, her fingers encountered something soft tucked into a corner of the wooden beams that lined the tiny room. Ducking her head in, she tried to see what it was, but her head blocked the light. She had to wiggle it out of its hiding place by feel alone. There was only a tiny piece sticking out, so it took a bit of work to get it all free.
Finally she held it in her hand - a small, green velvet bag. The sort a jeweller might put a trinket into at the craft markets. It couldn’t be very old, because the bag was in perfect condition. The pull-tie strings at the neck were even finished with little plastic bits like shoestrings.
Still…
Jade felt a quiver of anticipation in her belly as she tugged at the neck of the bag. Who had hidden it? What was in it? Why was it so carefully secreted away? Was it dangerous? Magical maybe?
Taking a deep breath, She got a firm grip on her imagination. Her father always laughed at her wild stories. The bag slid open and she tipped it onto the palm of her hand. Out slithered a fine gold necklace with a pendant on it.
Touching it with a gentle finger, she drew a slow, reverent breath. The shape looked familiar somehow. It was a kind of bent gold teardrop shape with a pearl dot on one end. The delicate chain threaded through a tiny loop in the skinny end of the drop. It was beautiful and, she realised, sort of warm to touch.
Inspecting the chain, she discovered the clasp was broken and it was marked with smudges of a dark rusty coloured stuff that flaked off on her fingers. Jade touched the chain that hung around her own neck. Her father had given her for her 10th birthday. It wasn’t nearly as pretty as the one in her hand, but at least it was whole and clean. Quickly, before she changed her mind, she slipped the pendant off its chain and onto her own.
She glanced at it once more before tucking it safely inside her t-shirt. There was now a small, warm spot on her chest where the pendant lay. Guiltily, she glanced around. She sort of expected the real owner to show up and demand her property any moment. That was silly. The previous owners were a very old couple who lived in the house for twenty years or more. They didn’t have any children or even any grandchildren whose nimble fingers might have hidden the necklace away.
It certainly was a puzzle. Who could have put it there? One of her sisters? She hoped not. She didn’t want to have to share her hiding place or this secret treasure.
Jade chewed her bottom lip, then tucked the broken chain and bag into her pocket. She really didn’t want to give the pendant back, but she didn’t like feeling guilty about keeping it. She switched off the light and slid the door shut. Tomorrow she’d show it to her father and he could tell her what to do. Yes. That was the right thing. Feeling better, Jade went to her father’s study – via the refrigerator for a snack.
****
CHAPTER THREE
LET THE GAME BEGIN
Right. Character selection. Phoenix put the VR headset aside for the moment and scrolled the mouse pointer down the screen, scanning the list of character types with idle interest. If he was going to play, he wanted to be something strong; something invincible. There: the Warrior. Yes.
Choosing carefully, he equipped his hero with a short sword, iron-studded leather armour; a shield and a dagger. Pausing, he thought about what an adventurer would need to survive in the old days. This game seemed a lot more complex than he’d thought. It wasn’t just your simple Quest-with-lots-of-fighting. In those, all you had to do was kill things. This was an on-line, role-playing, game where you had hundreds of choices and decisions to make about everything and each choice affected how the game went. Of course, you still got to kill things.
He had to plan for long trips and bad weather; for hunger and thirst; for hunting and sleeping outdoors. It was pretty cool, actually, but it did his head in trying to think of what someone living off the land 2000 years ago might need. He added a water skin, a coil of thin rope, boots, shirts and breeches, a thick travelling cloak, flint and tinder box and a small sling for hunting. There didn’t seem to be an option for underwear. Maybe Warriors didn’t wear underwear. He grinned at the thought, his earlier depression slipping away as he got involved in the game setup.
Hmmmm. He needed a name. He couldn’t keep thinking of him as “hero” or “warrior”. With a wry grin, Phoenix typed his own name in the field. “The Phoenix.” It sounded more like a modern superhero so he deleted the “The” and left just his own name. Now at least he could pretend his life was different.
OK. Other characteristics. There were random dice-roll buttons to choose for things like intelligence, charisma, health, strength, dexterity and looks. The result could be anything from two to twenty. A Two meant you were really stupid while a Twenty meant you were a genius. You could roll the dice only three times for each attribute. If you didn’t like the third attempt, it was just too bad.
Phoenix pushed the “roll” button for Intelligence. Whew, a 15. Quickly he hit “Save”. 15 out of 20 was pretty good – especially for a warrior. Next was Charisma. He switched out of the game for a moment and looked the word “Charisma” up in the online dictionary. It said: those special qualities that give someone the ability to influence or impress others. From the ancient Greek word “Kharis” meaning “grace”.
So it was kind of like charm or interestingness, if there was such a word. Well, surely it wouldn’t be so bad if that were a bit low. It wasn’t as though a Warrior spent much time chatting and impressing the person he was fighting. He stuck with the 14 that came up second roll. His Health and Looks came out as average, which was fine.
After that, he had to resort to the dictionary again to find out what Dexterity was. It meant how quick and skilful his character was on his feet or with his hands. He was a bit disappointed to only get a 14 for that after three tries. It meant his Warrior would be just average and that wasn’t great for a swordsman. Maybe he could get better. The rules said as you went up levels, you could improve some of your attributes. For Strength he rolled 20 the first time, saving it with a fierce grin of triumph and an unexpected surge of relief. He would kick butt!
Finally, he Saved the character and quit the game temporarily. It was time to hunt up some Cheat-sites on the Net. OK, so it was a bit wrong to cheat, but it was only a computer game. What harm was there?
Phoenix realised he was arguing with himself and shook his head. It was like hearing his father’s voice in his head, urging him to always “do the right thing, not the easy thing.” Had his father even known that sometimes doing the right thing got you nowhere? Probably not, he thought with easy, teenage scorn. He’d never had to deal with someone like Jacob. Jacob didn’t do the right thing, so why should he? Stubbornly, Phoenix began searching for the cheat-sites.
Unfortunately, being still in Pre-release, there wasn’t much out there yet, but he tagged a few sites that had some useful hints before re-entering the demo version. After a deep breath, he pushed his chair out of the way, stood up and put on the VR headset. It was a full-face unit, so as soon as it was on, he could see the 80AD world in all directions like he was really in it. He turned around and the view changed, showing him what was behind his avatar. Cool. The image of grass, forest a dirt road and forest was so vivid he had to raise the mask for a moment just to be sure he was still in his room. Amazing. The graphics were brilliant - still a little on the too-smooth side as with all digital stuff, but better than most others on the market. The earphones built into the headset even gave out sounds - birds twittering, small animals rustling in the underbrush, the wind in the trees.
Phoenix raised his right hand so that his avatar’s hand appeared in front of his face. He held a sword. He grinned, swishing it around experimentally. This was almost as good as actually being there. With this, he could really imagine he was in 80AD. In fact, it took no imagination at all. Totally freaking awesome. For a long moment, he stared around and let himself imagine he really was there, in another world, living another life, being the all-conquering hero. It was a thrilling idea. He really wished it were true; wished he could actually somehow transport himself inside the game and really be Phoenix the kick-ass warrior hero for awhile.
With a sigh, he shook his head, hit the BEGIN button and waited to see what would happen.
He lost himself in the game. He missed dinner. Against the standing rule about eating in his room, his mother eventually brought up a cold plate of food and a piece of cake. He barely heard her quiet “dinner, honey” and didn’t hear her leave his room. He was kicking butt big time. He couldn’t wait for the full release so he could work through all five levels. It promised to be even better.
He spent a while wandering about the woods beating up bandits in a very satisfying way before running into a two-man Roman patrol. A short, nasty fight left one soldier dead and Phoenix’s avatar with a deep wound on his left arm. The other soldier ran away. Phoenix figured it was more important to get his arm fixed, than chase him, so he tore a strip from his shirt to tie around the wound then headed toward a small village. He’d worked up a sweat anyway, so he sat down for awhile and ran the game in normal mode.
Character Notes on the heads-up display of the VR set told him his hero was thirsty and hungry as well. It took a while, but he finally worked out that a round, thatch-roofed mud-house with a bit of dried plant hanging off a signpost had to be the local tavern.
What a sight it was inside. He’d been expecting a pub like the one in town – with tiled floors, a long polished bar and a big screen television, lots of clean glasses and bottles lined up in fridges.
Of course, this was England of two thousand years before – although it was called ‘Albion’ back then, not ‘England’. The game rules said Level One was set in pre-Christian, Iron Age Britain of 80AD. That put it shortly after the Roman invasion. Agricola, the Roman Governor of Britain, was busy squashing the local Celtic tribes in short, brutal battles. It was a dark, unsettled period in British history to which the game programmers had added fantasy elements – elves, dwarves, trolls, dragons and the like.
So, there were no bars or fridges.
No electricity or cars.
No filtered water or softdrinks.
Instead, the tavern was dark and smoky with a few rough benches and tables set around a central fire. Stray bits of straw drifted down from the thatched roof, adding to the general filth of the packed earth floor. Cups and plates of clumsy clay rested on heavy tables of unfinished wood. Some sort of thin ale was being poured from big barrels by a suspicious-eyed tavern-keeper. Phoenix got his Warrior to drink it, half-wishing he could really taste it. It was probably pretty disgusting, though.
Through the headset, he could even hear the coarse laughter of the customers and the barks of dogs that roamed freely over the floor. It was fairly impressive. The graphics really were superb. He decided to stay and eat, too. The tavern-keeper served him a watery soup. Phoenix didn’t want to know what the floaty bits were. He glanced at his own real dinner and nibbled gratefully at a slice of roast beef.
Finally, he noticed blood seeping through the bandage on his digital arm and decided he’d better find a doctor. As he headed for the door, the tavern-keeper yelled at him, demanding payment for the ale and food. It was only then that Phoenix realised what he’d forgotten: money. His warrior had none at all. He stared blankly at the screen, wondering what to do next. The tavern-keeper took grudging pity on him and said that if he’d chop wood he could pay off the debt.
Phoenix thought seriously about telling him to go jump in a lake. Couldn’t he see the Warrior was wounded? What right did he have to make him work like some sort of slave just to pay for a drink? Just as he opened his mouth to give a nasty answer, another person entered the tavern. All the talking stopped and every CGI man in the room turned to look at the stranger.
It was a girl; and not just an ordinary tavern wench, either (whatever they looked like). This girl was the most beautiful thing Phoenix had ever seen. Even with the slightly unreal look of computer graphics, she was still extraordinary. He couldn’t help but stare.
She wore a rough-woven brown, hooded cloak that didn’t completely hide her slanted green eyes and long fair hair. As he looked closely, he realised she must be another Player. All of the Players had a small P embroidered somewhere on their clothes, just to help others identify them. Hers showed on the left shoulder of her dark green tunic. His was embossed on the leather of his character’s armour.
He grinned a little when the tavernkeeper abandoned him and bustled up to the girl, demanding to know what she wanted. Women weren’t allowed in the taverns. She asked for food, jingling a full belt-pouch to show she could pay for it. Silence fell again as the villagers eyed her now with a different kind of greed. Even the kitchen boy, who had served Phoenix his food, stopped in mid-stride to stare hungrily at her. She seemed startled and glanced around. Phoenix felt, for a second, that she’d looked right at him, straight out of the computer screen and actually at him. He shivered and noticed how warm the amulet on his chest was. It seemed to be getting warmer, too.
Distracted, he fingered it.
The tavernkeeper refused to serve her and turned away. Looking lost, the girl headed back toward the front door, only to be stopped by three large peasant-types lead by a smaller man. He was thin, with a pointed, weasel-face and shrewd dark eyes.
“There’s a toll for the likes of you, wench,” he sneered. She backed away, holding her hands up in a peaceful gesture. In one, she carried a quarterstaff.
“I just came in to get food and shelter from the storm,” she assured him. “I don’t want any trouble.”
Phoenix almost laughed. Why was she Playing this sort of game if she didn’t want trouble? This would be interesting. He leaned against a post, watching.
The peasants closed in on her. Other patrons sensed what was coming and hastily got out of the way; tossing down their drinks and sliding out of the room in a hurry. The innkeeper groaned and began packing away breakables as fast as he could.
Phoenix grinned widely. A bar fight. Now this was more like it.
As her four attackers spread out to encircle her, the girl turned, trying to keep them all in sight. She changed her grip on the quarterstaff, holding it crossways in front of her body. For a few tense moments, action was suspended, as everyone froze to assess their best options. One of the men launched himself toward her. She reacted in a blur of movement. Thump! The end of her staff punched out, catching him directly in the solar plexus. He flew backward to slide bonelessly down a wall, gasping for breath that would not come.
It had happened so fast that the other three were still moving toward her. Now she stepped into the gap she’d created and could see all three of them at once. Phoenix nodded approvingly. She might just make it after all.
He straightened up, frowning. The smallest man wasn’t playing fair. He slid around and was trying to come at her from behind by crawling under one of the bench-tables. He had a dagger in his hand and clearly intended to stab her in the back.
Thwack! Another foe dropped at her feet, felled by a perfect blow to the head. Phoenix almost applauded out loud. Instead, he called out a warning to her.
“Behind you!”
She spun, twirling the staff gracefully in an arc over her head. It came down across the weasel-faced man’s outstretched hand. Bones broke with an audible crunch. The would-be murderer whimpered, clutching at his arm as he backed away. Casting Phoenix a venomous glare, he jerked his head at his remaining crony and the two edged away. Keeping the girl in sight, they finally retreated out the front door.
It slammed shut behind them, leaving the bar empty except for her, Phoenix and the kitchen boy, who had observed everything with a gap-toothed smile of appreciation.
Clapping, Phoenix hitched himself off the pole and sauntered over. She looked at him warily.
“Nicely done,” he complimented her.
She grimaced at the two prone bodies. The tavern-keeper reappeared and began the task of tidying up, muttering to himself and sending them irritated looks.
Phoenix stuck out a hand. “I’m Phoenix.” He pointed to the P embossed on his armour so she’d know he was a Player, too.
She relaxed and smiled slightly, shaking his hand. “Jade. Thanks for the warning, by the way.”
“You’re welcome. Oh, leave it be, would you?” This last comment he addressed to the innkeeper, who had returned and was now complaining loudly about damage, non-payment of bills and women in the bar. “She’s with me, ok?”
The tavernkeeper sent him a scathing look and jerked his head. “Well, if she can pay for yer bill ‘o fare and the damage, she can eat, too – out back, though,” he said roughly.
“There’s a storm coming,” she protested. “I need…” she glanced at Phoenix and changed her sentence, “we need shelter.”
“Tha’s welcome to the barn out back for an extra copper. Jus’ don’t fret th’ cow.” The tavernkeeper took her coins and handed her a bowl of soup.
Phoenix followed her out the back door. As they crossed a bare yard to the small barn, he glanced up at the sky and saw she was right about the storm. The barn was no more than another mud and thatch hut, but at least it was shelter. He hadn’t even thought about where his hero would sleep for the night. He hadn’t thought about a lot of things, apparently.
Download this book for your ebook reader.
(Pages 1-27 show above.)