"Caestin, prologue" by Ann Paquette

They turned to look at each other, their faces showing relief that another battle had been won, yet, at the same time, there was an edgy glint in their eyes. Tomorrow was another day, which probably meant yet another fight. Five years of war with an enemy they barely knew anything about was tiring them out. They could hardly remember the time when it was just them, and their elements.


It required a lot of talking to get these three ladies to fight together as one. The rulers of each elemental regions were powerful, yet stubborn. No one of them alone were able to fight and win against this empire for very long. That was the reason that five of the regions had fallen, and the other three were dangerously close to being overtaken. He had ensured the survival of the leaders, but at this point, that didn't matter very much. The empire was winning.


To get these three ladies together he had asked each of them to meet him at the border of the eight lands. This was used as a meeting place for the rulers of the past, but that had been long ago and this place has long since been forgotten. The three women arrived in their own showy fashion, a burst of fire, a flash of lightning and a flood of ice. He would never forget the look they bore, or the annoyance in their tones. After a long and tiresome talk, he had managed to convince them that for their people to survive they would have to fight at each others sides.


His plan had been extremely successful. Not only had they managed to secure their regions from the empire, they had become the truest of friends. But all this would not last. He could see it in their faces. Faces that had aged from the stress of exhausting their powers day after endless day. They didn't have much left in them and it wouldn't be long before they lost a battle, and that could only prove disastrous.


Although he did have a plan. This would involve a great deal of energy, but he was sure he could do it. Only he had to get the girls out of Kabel first, and they absolutely refused to leave.


Draven's thoughts kept going even as he backed away from the castle window. His domain was but a small section of the ice region, but it was home and it permitted him to reach any of the girls if he needed them. He walked down the hall to his study and lit a candle. The newborn flame danced in the confines of the wax, causing eery shadows to form on the walls. Looking over a giant tome, he re-read a spell, one that he had not used in over three years. But tonight, the girl's wouldn't complain. Tonight he would end this war.


Yet something was nagging at the back of his mind. There was something that he had forgotten to place into his calculations. Or was it someone? He shook his head as if that would rock the memory to the surface of his brain. Still nothing. Whatever it was was going to have to wait.


He began to place objects into the many pouches that surrounded his waist when his familiar, a small, black cat, entered the room.


"That's it!"

The cat looked at him curiously, used to his sudden outbursts. His thoughts raced in his mind.


That's the link missing in his calculations! The companions! Oh, how could he have overlooked such a thing! Of course, he would have to save the companions also, for they would surely be greatly needed later on. After re-organizing his things, he paused to think it all over one last time.


If he remembered well, all four of the companions were for this idea. They did not want to see any harm come to their ladies, therefore he should have no trouble enlisting their help. First he would go to the region of storms, where he would search out the two guardian birds. The he would ask the dragon of the fire region and the unicorn of the ice lands.


After that, he would go to the castles of each lady in turn, while they were sleeping, and send them to another realm to be reborn. He had already chosen the time and the place, a planet called Earth in the twentieth century. The technology that his scribe mirror had foreseen would enable them to meet each other through a means described as "The Net". They would be well taken care of and would know what to do when the need for their assistance would make it impossible for them to stay. Then he would send the companions to a world where they would be reborn, exist together and learn of their mission and their commitments.


After freeing the girls of their responsibility came the hard part, he had to close all links to this world, even that of the Inner Realm. But such an expense of energies would cost him dearly. He doubted that he would perish, but the thought still remained, looming ever so consistently at the front of his mind, but he was willing to take that chance.


Draven bent over and lifted the cat onto his shoulders, where the creature quickly made itself at home. Stepping out of his study, Draven was repeating the spell in his mind, over and over again, until he was sure he knew it by heart. The night air hit him as he walked outside, cold and invigorating. It wouldn't be long now. With a flick of his wrist a swirl of smoke surrounded him, and he vanished, going off into the night to perform, what others are going to think of as, a miracle.