Date: Thu, 25 Mar 1999 08:36:31 +0800
Title: A Royal Summons
Authors: Teri, Ian, Stana

Teri sat on the chaise lounge, bare legs curled under her, tank top and jean shorts back on her person.  The night was startlingly hot, the thinly woven silk coverings on the open windows letting in what little breeze there was and keeping insects out. Still she wrapped her hair in a bun towards the top of her head and fanned her face before narrowing her eyes once more at the ancient book on her lap.

Two young maids sat nervously across from her, watching the Chosen of Flame frown angrily between them and her book.  The Chosen mumbled occassionaly--what the girls could only imagine were spells, for they couldn't hear the actual words.

Teri squinted and made another vexed sound. However spelled the book was supposed to be, to allow her to read the strange language of the book, it was barely legible and frustratingly slow.

She was concerned-- what she had done in the garden, by grabbing stana, had come of quite a shock to her... later... when she had calmed down enough to think.  So far, since her healing at the hands of the ancients, Teri had only been able to project small amounts of feeling. She had been working on the receiving lessons of the book- how to read emotions, detect them, and
stuff like that... there was a delightful entry about subtle body language stuck in there, too.  But as she flipped through the pages closer to the middle of the book, the writing grew dim and obscure- except for one page.

This she read over and over again, and tried in vain to recreate.

~The intermediate empath uses touch with the utmost delicasy. A simple touch can, at the empath's will, heighten all empathetic contact to and from the empath.~

Fat lot of good that did her.  The instructions were vague at best--probably, she thought exasperatedly, because she didn't know most of the lessons that came before this one.

SHe sighed, flipped back to the beginning of the book, and looked up at the maids.

"Ok- be sad now."

She watched their faces melt into images of grief--  but Felt only a twinge of sadness from the maid on the left.  The lesson book said that mentioning an emotion often times brought that emotion out, or heightened it in the sender. That was all Teri was looking for-- the brief slide of grey on sapphire that lurked low in...  well Teri called it an "aura"- but that was purely because of what she had read, the fantasy novels she had read back in her world.  She couldn't really see anything with h

She sighed and closed the book, motioning to the girls. "Thank you," she said, picking her way off the seat. "I'm very grateful that you volunteered to help me."

They curtsied and made hasty exits-- not forgetting, however, to lay out one of the flimsy sleeping gowns she was supposed to wear.

Teri stretched her muscles, stiff from too much meaningless socializing and too much tension.  What she wouldn't give for a backrub... Instead, she changed quickly into the gown, smiling at herself and how silly she looked, and climbed into the rosey-red silk bed.  Within minutes she was asleep, and deep within a dream.

* * *





>From around the corridor came a small, elderly man. Clad in bright red and gold robes, and carrying with him what appeared to be a whole sacchel of scrolls, he was hardly the drunken fop Shinji had been expecting. When the man saw him, his face visibly lit up, and he hurried towards the waiting young fighter.

"You," he panted, sounding like he'd been running for quite some time, "you're the Guardian of Lady Teri, is that not correct?"

"Well, not exactly Guardian I suppose, but yeah," he answered, eyeing the man speculatively. Upon hearing this the man laughed happily and clapped his hands together.

"At last! I must apologize for the rudeness of my behavior, Lord, eh..."

"Shinji."



"Hey! Wait a sec," Shinji called after him. The page turned and looked at him quizically. "If you like, I could try to give the other to Stana if I find her," he offered.

"Would you sir? Oh thank you! It would help me a great deal," he replied eagerly, then handed Shinji another scroll much like the first. Once again, he bowed deeply, then was off. Again, Shinji stopped him.

"When tomorrow morning?"

The page turned but did not come any closer, instead raising his voice so that he could be heard over the distance. "The King has asked that they be present by Midmorning, about two hours after the morining meal. Which reminds me, would you know if Lady Teri would mind if her breakfast was brought to her room? I wouldn't want to intrude-"

"Oh don't worry about it, I'm sure she wouldn't mind at all," Shinji assured.

"Well then," he bowed once again, "by your leave." And was gone. Shini let him go, instead looking down at the scrolls in his hand.
At least his evening wouldn't totally be wasted. He tucked the scroll meant for him and Teri into his jacket, then set out to look for Stana and Clip.

* * *

Clip heard the slight betrayals of noice and was silently on his feet and poised for attack when Shinji stepped out of the shadows. The Unicorn did not lower his defenses immediately, but waited until he was positive of identification.

Shinji notated the slumbering girl on the ground and turned a puzzled half exasperated glare on the beast. "You're making her sleep outside when there is a perfectly good bed in the palace?"

The Unicorns stare was openly hostile. It was amazing how the gold and silver eyes harbored such a negative emotion without marring the perfection of the body and spirit. Reluctanly he shimmered into human form. But the form was the only thing
that changed, his expression and suspiscion did not abate.

"She and Teri had words." he began "the strain tired her mortal body and she fell into sleep. I did not choose to wake her-as the weather is better than most of what we had slept though on our journey. I can more effectively gaurd her here."

"Since when did you become a free ride and bodygaurd?" Shinji accused.

"Since my Princess had named her our emissary..." he hesitated, seeming on the verge of another revelation but he pulled back from that brink.

"Why do you concern yourself with such affairs?"

"Teri is my friend." the warrior answered "I didn't need orders to help her. I would think after everything Stana has done for you-you wouldn't have needed to be told to protect her."

The Unicorn did not answer the biting words. "Why are you here?"

Scowling, Shinji fished the scroll out. He watched the swift eyes pass over the words and a shadow of a frown touch the smooth expression. Maybe he wanted to see it, for in the next split second the composed Unicorn was nudging Stana awake and handing her the orders. The girl yawned, nodded to the Unicorn, who shifted back into equine form and began grazing on the roses, then got to her feet. She gave a blank, sleepy smile to Shinji and mulled over the flowery phrases. Shinji saw her look at the

"Is this neccessary?" she asked Clip. The Equine didnt glance up from his food but snorted what the girl apparently took to be an affirmative. Stana sighed and crumbled the scroll up. "Two words." she said to Shinji "Just two-Why me?"

He had no real answer to give.