REPOST: Two Worlds (Chapter 13: Gods and Generals)

["cilia" <cilia@xxxxx>]

Title: Two Worlds
Chapter 13: Gods and Generals
Series: Royalty (Book Three)
Author: Cilia
Edited and Revised by: Brndn
E-mail: cilia@xxxxx
Feedback: Please god yes
Distribution and Archiving: Sure go for it
Summary: You know this dont you?
Missting Parts: E-mail me and I'll send you what you need.
Notes: A Big Thanks to my beta "brndn" for getting me started on this again.

Two Worlds
Cilia

Chapter 13: Gods and Generals

Buffy packed her travel bag under the watchful eye of the Red Mage. Her
spare clothes were all in the forest green color of a warrior, save for a
black cloak, which was lying over the back of a chair. The dagger Al'x had
given her lay on the bed beside two swords. One was the crystal sword that
Al'x had once given to Angel, the other was the mythril one she'd found in
the armory, which was currently being emptied in preparation of the coming
war.
"How is the summoning going?" she asked as she looked over to
her wife.
"Every soldier has been summoned. The new recruits are being
trained right now. As we speak." Willow answered as she folded one of her
shirts.
"So you got more conscripts, huh?" Buffy asked, "How about
mercenaries?"
"Some. We'll pick up more as we go. Well, not pick up as in pick
up, but.I mean, it's a long march from here to the entrance into Nether
and .well, they'll join us." Willow stopped, turned and placed the folded
shirt on the bed.
Buffy smiled at her wife's close call with the babble stream.
"Piratess told me something interesting about my sword last night," The
slayer added, trying to change the subject. "You know, that black one I
found," Buffy lifted the sword from the bed. "Turns out it once belonged to
a drow king," she said as she turned it over in her hands.
"Oh? What else did you two talk about all night?" Willow asked,
still folding clothes.
"Mostly drow customs, old battles, warrior stuff, you know,"
Buffy explained as she laid the sword back down.
"Warrior stuff, huh." Willow repeated quietly.
Buffy just smiled and looked up to face her wife. "Don't tell me you're
jealous?" she asked with laugh as she reached over and poked her wife in the
ribs.
"Well.maybe just a little," Willow said and blushed in
embarrassment as she twisted away from the attacking finger.
"Well.don't you worry," Buffy said and put her arms around her
wife, "I have no intensions of."
"Doing the wacky?" Willow interrupted, which caused Buffy to
smile.
"With Queen Piratess," Buffy finished. "But on the other hand, I
do still have a candle mark left before I have to leave." she said with a
sly smile.
Willow blushed, "Oh!"

Being late is never something you want to be. Especially when you're all
disheveled and flushed. But, late was exactly what Buffy and Willow were
when they came running into the courtyard. Not to mention, both disheveled
and both flushed.
"I.uh, we apologize for being so late," Buffy stammered as
kissed Willow one last time before strapping the mythril sword onto her
back.
"It is quite all right," Piratess said with a nod and a knowing
smile. She turned her steed around and walked up to the front of the
gathered group.
"I've done the protection spells," Willow whispered as she
grabbed Buffy's wrist, "Here, let me." and attached a thin bracelet around
her wife's wrist.
After she looked lovingly at the bracelet, and smiled to her wife, Buffy
mounted her horse.
"I love you," Buffy whispered and positioned herself in the
saddle.
"Love you, too. Now go. Lead an army," Willow said and slapped
the horses behind. "And come back to me." She added to herself after Buffy
trotted off and pulled up beside the queen.
Buffy looked over her shoulder, at Willow waving to her from the castle
gates, and smiled. Then she turned and looked forward, into yet another
quest.

Willow watched until Buffy and the drow soldiers had completely disappeared
into the distance. Then, with a sigh, she turned back towards the castle.
Time to return to the war council, she thought as she walked. She'd meet
Buffy again in a week's times or so. That's when she was supposed to return
with Queen Piratess and her drow army. A week without her wife, Buffy gone
for a week. She didn't like that. It was too.
"Willow?" Amy asked from behind her.
"Yes," she asked without turning around.
"They're waiting for you." Amy started, and pointed a thumb
behind her, "in the war room," she said in a dramatic voice.
"Lets not keep them waiting then," Willow said as she
straightened her robes and walked into the castle and didn't realize that
she'd walked right by the war room while lost in thought.
"She'll be back soon," Amy said in a soft voice, having not
stopped her friend.
"I know!" Willow responded stiffly. "I know. But that doesn't
stop me from worrying," she finished and stopped just before they entered
the room.
"Willow, what's wrong?" Amy asked.
"Nothing. I'm just. nervous. That's all," Willow answered with a
small smile and shrugged.
"You?" Amy asked in amazement. "Nervous?"
"Yes. Even The Red Mage gets nervous," Willow stated. The
exasperated emphasis on the title was not lost on Amy.
"So, you've heard?" Amy asked with a smile and looked at the
redhead. The Red Mage name had stuck after Willow's displays of power. The
first, during their early days in the Realm, then again when she mediated
the talks between King Vitor and Queen Piratess.
"Kinda hard not to," Willow said and looked back to Amy. She
then took a deep breath. "Okay. I'm calm now," she added as they stepped
into the room. After all, she had made sure Buffy had back up, if it came to
that. Being the head of the war council did have its benefits.

-

Joyce looked around the dwarven city. She had lost track of Theris and was
now utterly lost. The city itself was a magnificent piece of architecture
and craftsmanship. The wide streets were lined with houses, carved seemingly
straight from the rock itself. Probably the work of generations, she
thought. But then again, weren't dwarfs were among the more long-lived
beings.
"Oh this is just great!" she muttered to herself, shaking her
head. She stood at an intersection and just stared up at the signs They were
all written in the dwarven language. Of which, she had no knowledge.
"Ya lost, wee lass?" a familiar voice said from behind her.
"Gymli." Joyce said through gritted teeth as she turned around.
"At yer service, wee lass," Gymli said with a short bow.
"I'm looking for the city's temple," she said, deciding to be
diplomatic "and I would. appreciate your help."
"Well ya don't say! It just so happens that I'm on the way thar'
me'self. If'n ya don't mind taggin along with a no fun havin dwarf like me,
I s'pose I could show ya the way," Gymli said.
"Then, by all means, lead the way." Joyce said as she rolled her
eyes and made a gesture for him to lead.
"This way, lass." Gymli said and motioned for her to follow, a
small spring in his step.
"That's quite some sword ya got strapped to yer back there," he
said after they'd walked for a while.
"It was a gift." Joyce answered. "From. my god."
"And those bindings, what are they?" Gymli asked, partially
turning and pointed at her wrist bindings, getting curious.
"Not sure." Joyce answered and looked down at her hands, "Nobody
has really been able to figure out what they are."
"Well, here we are," Gymli exclaimed as he stopped and spread
his arms out.
Joyce was mentally kicking herself when she looked up at the temple
belonging to the God of War. It, like everything else in the city, was
carved from the rock it stood on. But, unlike all the other buildings, it
was carved from a black stone. The statues adorning the building were
decorated with gems and precious metals. It reminded her of the Egyptian
temples, with their columns covered with writings. The tales of mighty
battles and noble deeds, no doubt.
"So ya gonna stand out here all day, or ya gonna go in?" Gymli
asked as he tapped his foot. His gruff voice snapped Joyce out of her
thoughts. She looked at him startled, then nodded and started walking up the
low stairs.
"Me daughter is a priestess here, ya know," he said proudly, as
he followed her up the temple steps.

The main hall of the temple was lined with statues of the legendary dwarven
figures of old. At the end of the hall, on an altar and in a mythril bowl,
burned a fire that cast a glow over the entire hall. At that altar stood
Theris talking to a short, raven-haired girl. The girl had small pointed
ears and elven like features, but something told Joyce that she wasn't a
full elf.
"Father!" the girl exclaimed when she noticed Gymli. As she
turned, her white robes billowed.
Joyce didn't notice as the girl came running at them. She didn't notice as
the raven hair flew into the arms of her dwarven guide. Her gaze had settled
on the fire, burning on the altar with the fire in her own eyes burning
almost as brightly.
"Ziel, this.is." Gymli started to introduce his daughter, but
noticed Joyce was walking away, towards the fire. "Uh, lass?"
"Joyce." Theris asked as her friend passed her. "Joyce?"
Joyce stopped in front of the altar. She stared into the fire for a moment
before raising her hand, allowing it hover just above the fire. At her
presence, the fire seemed to come alive. It actually moved upwards towards
her arm. Joyce just smiled as the flames danced around her hand.
"Ziel. what is it?" Gymli asked of his adopted daughter who was
staring, wide-eyed, at the human woman standing at the altar, hand ablaze.
"What's the matter?" he asked again, tugging on her sleeve.
"Father.She's an Avatar," Ziel whispered reverently. She let go
of her father's hand and started moving towards the altar.
"Dear goddess in heaven." Gymli bellowed and, once again,
snapped Joyce back to reality, causing her to collapse at the altar. Theris
was at her side in an instant.
"Wha.what just happened?" Joyce asked as she shook her head and
tried to sit up.
"It looked like you were somewhere else," Theris answered.
The young priestess came rushing towards the altar and knelt before Joyce.
The dwarf followed closely behind.
"Avatar." she said in a formal voice, her eyes wide. "I am
honored!"
"Wha? Who?" Joyce asked in a confused voice.
"Ya touched the fire, lass! Only true warriors n' avatars can do
that," Gymli explained. He looked somewhat fazed by this new development,
but seemed to be taking it in stride like any veteran warrior would.
"Will somebody."Joyce moaned, clutching her head, "please start
making sense?"
"Come with me," Ziel said offering her a slim hand.
"Where?" Joyce asked as she grasped the offered hand and found
it firm.
"The Sturdy Dwarf," Ziel answered.
"Good choice, me lass. She'll be needin a drink," Gymli said
with a laugh. "Could use one me'self!" he added.

They left the temple and walked up the street towards The Sturdy Dwarf. They
were seated at low table, each sittin on a small, straw mattress. Four
pitchers of mead had been placed on the table in front of them.
"Dwarven mead," Theris affirmed as she eyed the liquid.
"Drink up! ya elf and be done with it," Gymli said and raised
his pitcher.
"You said you would explain when we got here," Joyce said as she
threw a mean eye at the dwarf. "We're here. Now explain,"
"Drink yer mead first," Ziel said and sipped her own. "Yer gonna
need it,"
Joyce lifted the pitcher to her lips, sniffed once, and gulped down a
sizeable amount of the brown liquid. After a pause to assess the flavour,
she licked her lips and quickly emptied the pitcher. She looked up, with
small foam mustache on her upper lip, at the surprised stares of Ziel and
Gymli.
"What?" she asked. She then delivered a vibrating belch that
would make any dwarf proud.
"Ya know, I'm beginnin to like ya, wee lass!" Gymli said and
gulped some of his own mead.
"Now explain," Joyce said making her point by placing the
pitcher on the table with a bit more noise than was necessary.
"Very well," Ziel began. "I am a Priestess of the God of War."
She held her head up proudly. "Sometimes referred to as the God of Fire. His
avatars are often gifted with fire, like ye' are,"
"No news to me." Joyce snorted.
"But, avatars are rare beings. They usually only appear in times
of trouble," Ziel explained. "Then just vanish again,"
"So, you see Joyce's presence here, as what? A sign of a coming
war?" Theris asked calmly.
"Yep. Avatars are known as the bringers o'war, but havin them on
yer side is usually a sign o'good luck!" Gymli said, raising, then emptying
his pitcher.
"So, if the Council is informed of this." Joyce trailed off.
"They would agree to Al'x idea," Theris finished.
"We've gotta go find him then" Joyce exclaimed and stood.
"Easy there, lass," Gymli said and motioned for her to sit, "The
day grows old. Ya can tell him in the mornin," he added.
"You.are probably right," Joyce mumbled and sat back down, a
little heavily.
Another round was called. And, after few more meads, Gymli and Joyce finally
put aside their differences in a common cause, a bar fight.
"Sho, where will ya be shtayin?" Gymli slurred as they both sat back down,
with some help from gravity, and dusted off their hands and clothing.
"The King had offered us his hospitality," Theris said as she
glared at Joyce for getting into a brawl. To which Joyce responded by
sticking out her tongue and swaying in her seat.
"The Palace is rather far away." Ziel offered. "You'll be a
stayin with us this night." she finished with a nod of her head. There wasn'
t room for argument.
"We wouldn't want to intrude." Theris offered.
Ziel raised her hand, "We would be honoured to have an avatar
and High Elf as our house guests," And, as if on cue, both Gymli and Joyce
collapsed onto the table.
"We accept then," Theris said. With a shake of her head, she
heaved Joyce up onto her shoulder. "Need any help with Gymli?"
"I think." Ziel said smiling, as she lifted the dwarf up. "I'll
manage."

Having placed the warriors into their respective beds, Theris and Ziel sat
in front of the fire, shared a cup of tea and chatted.
"So," Theris started, sipping the steaming tea carefully. "How
did come into the care of Gymli?"
"He was out on patrol one day, when his group came upon a
wrecked carriage. He said he heard cryin', so he searched the wreckage and
found me. No one knows who my parents were, or are. They didn't find any
other bodies in the wreck." She said with a shrug, "The only thing I do
know is that I'm half-elf and half-human,"
"Well, maybe I could help you." Theris offered. "Help you
discover your heritage,"
"I'd like that," Ziel answered with a smile.
Loud snores started drifting from the back of the small house from both
bedrooms.

-

Cordelia and Stjar'a sat, beside each other, on a high, thick branch. They
watched as Queen Piratess rode by, her human general beside her. The
soldiers followed in an organized double line. Moving along, the couple
silently crept further into the forest, always keeping the group in sight.
"Why do I get the feeling Vitor doesn't trust Piratess?"
Cordelia asked as they moved quietly through the undergrowth.
"Because he doesn't," Stjar'a stated simply.
"So he sends us out to play spy. Won't this, like, compromise
the alliance or something?" Cordelia said as she heaved herself up into the
nearest tree.
"Only if we're caught," she said, admiring her ast'one's form as
she climbed the tree, "and if that happens, " she continued, bringing
herself back to the conversation at hand, " we'll just say we were looking
out for a friend," Stjar'a finished as she followed the pretty curves in
front of her up the tree.
"Which, is sorta exactly what we are doing," Cordelia stated and
jumped, without a sound, into the next tree.
"But don't forget that Willow also wants us here as Buffy's
back-up. Just in case things go sour," Stjar'a nodded as she landed next to
her.
"Which, we hope, will not happen, right?" Cordelia asked. When
Stjar'a didn't answer, she looked to her lover and asked again, "Right?"
"I would not refuse the chance to battle Piratess," Stjar'a
answered as she looked back into her lover's eyes, and then jumped to the
next branch.
"Oh, great," Cordelia muttered and followed. This was going to
be a long week in the forest and fight between Piratess and Stjar'a was
something she didn't believe she could stop easily.

TBC....