Champions of Serenity: Destiny Fulfilled

Chapter Thirty

There was pain in his side and then his stomach cramped. Rolling onto his side, Meckin reached for a bowl that was thrust into his hand and emptied his stomach. Ugly green bile was all that came out and still he heaved as if there was more to expel. When he was no longer convulsing, he rolled onto his back again and groaned.

“Can I have some water, Tris?”

A dipper of cool water was placed against his lips and an arm supported his head so he could sip it. Then a damp cloth was used to clean his face and he fell asleep again.

“Oh gods, Fini, that smells heavenly.” Meckin said, waking to the smells of a savory meat and vegetable dish. A giggle he didn’t recognize greeted his words and his eyes flew open. His hand went to his waist and he found he was naked and didn’t have any weapons.

Growling low in his throat, he crouched on the edge of his bed looking around himself for the first time. He was in a dimly lit room with a single bed, a bedside table with a pitcher of water on it and a bowl under it. A wall sconce held a thick candle and cast its glow to show Meckin he wasn’t completely alone.

Across the room was a table and two chairs. A branch of candles were lit, casting their glow into the room. Sitting at the table, with two plates of food, was the girl who had giggled. She had thick, deep brown hair and golden brown eyes. Most important, even though he didn’t recognize her, she smelled familiar, like family.

“Who are you?” He demanded, pulling the coverlet over his lap.

“You don’t have to be so modest with me, Meckin. It isn’t like I haven’t seen you naked before, and I’m talking before your being injured and brought here. I’m sorry I’m not Tris or Fini, but I hope you like dinner anyway. My dad thought it would be perfect to tempt you from your long fast and sleep. Nothing else had as yet.” She gestured toward the other plate and lifted a fork invitingly to him.

“You still haven’t told me who you are or how you know me. Where are Tris and the others?” Meckin said, taking her at her word and turning his back, he stood and pulled on a pair of leggings. He picked up the tunic that had been laid at the foot of his bed. Pulling it over his head, he winced a little at the pain in his side. Then he stood and looked at the girl.

Shaking her head, she set the fork down on his plate and sighed. “You never were the type who trusted, even your own family. You know I’m family, my scent hasn’t changed that much even if my face has. Think about it, Meckin, who could I be?”

Crossing his arms, Meckin stood his ground. “My family was slaughtered, all except my brother Jonas. You might be Wer, but I have none but Jonas and his children that share blood with me.”

“That isn’t quite true, Meckin. My father and I share blood with you. You are just being too stubborn to think it through. Very well, Cousin Meckin, I’ll tell you who I am, since you won’t figure it out yourself. I’m your cousin Natalie.” Natalie watched him struggle with what she said.

Sitting back down on the bed, Meckin shook his head again. “No, I saw Natalie die at the hands of a magic-user. She was gutted by a sword given to me earlier in the day as a birthday gift. My name was the last word on her lips as she collapsed. I don’t know who you are, but you are not Natalie.” He turned his back on the girl and stared at the wall.

He didn’t know where he was or why he was being held captive, but whoever was holding him knew enough about him to twist the dagger in his heart. Looking over at the door, he wondered if it were locked or if he could leave this room. He quickly looked back down at his hands so that she couldn’t tell what he was thinking. The first thing he had to do though was to get a message to the others that he was okay, trapped, and trying to get home.

Meckin reached down and lifted his star. Standing, he whirled around and shouted at the girl who was now eating. “What have you done with my star?”

“Why don’t you eat, Meckin? I’m sure that it’s your empty stomach that is making you so cranky. I still remember when we were children and I would help sneak you food when you were being punished for something. You never could handle going without a meal without getting cranky.”

“I’ve gone without several meals, thank you, without getting cranky.” He said stiffly and sat back down on the bed to contemplate his star. The light had gone out of it and he couldn’t reach Darin through the special link they shared. A tear slid down his face as the implications came to him. They would think he was dead, they would mourn him, and they would give up because they would think they couldn’t win without him. Whoever had taken him and was holding him definitely knew how to best stop the Circle.

The door opened and a tall man entered. He looked at Meckin sitting on the bed with his back to the room, staring at the wall and then over at his daughter and the two plates on the table. “Don’t tell me Meckin isn’t hungry, Natalie. I won’t believe it. He used to eat three times as much as any other boy I knew.”

“He doesn’t trust us, Papa. He thinks we are playing a joke on him, maybe holding him prisoner or something. He’s being stubborn, refusing to accept the evidence of his own nose because of what he saw all those years ago.” Natalie answered. “I think he misses those friends of his, the ones he keeps talking about while asleep. And he’s upset about his star, whatever that is.”

Meckin recognized the voice of his uncle Babbit, but like the girl, it could just be an elaborate trick. The enemies of Sandeenai were many, especially when Handsome was forcing them to work against their better judgment. Handsome was behind this, somehow, and Meckin wasn’t going to rest until Handsome paid. Not only did Handsome have to pay for driving the Wer from Hades but for making the Circle suffer as Meckin knew they must be.

A hand fell on his shoulder and he turned to look up at the face that belonged to it. Meckin found himself looking into his Uncle Babbit’s eyes and he shook his head in denial.

“I know it’s hard to swallow, Meckin, but it is Natalie and myself.” Babbit sat down next to Meckin and continued. “I don’t know how it happened myself. One minute I was bleeding to death just a few feet from my brother and wife, my children dead around me and the next I was here being tended by others. My little Natalie almost didn’t make it, even though she had survived being run through the stomach by that traitorous magic-user. One of the women had read about using the smoking leaf to help repair injured insides and that is what saved her. If you don’t believe me, you can check the scars. I won’t tell you where they are, you will know because you watched. I know you watched the slaughter, you and Jonas, hiding as bats in the trees. I was proud of you and Jonas for hiding instead of dying, to carry on the family blood. Don’t ever think you were cowards for not fighting that magic-user.”

Meckin looked up at his uncle, hurt in his eyes. “How can you do it? How can you work for that…..madman….without feeling guilty about it?”

“Still not believing, Meckin? Tell me this, why would I help a man who drove me from my home with a young wife and children? Why would I work for a man who slaughtered my family and left me for dead? And while you think about that, ask yourself this last question. Just where on Sandeenai am I supposed to be able to hide you from your sworn goddess so completely that your connection to her has stopped working?”

Meckin jerked at that last question and looked at Babbit, really looked at him. Reaching out, he lifted the man’s shirt and lightly traced a four pointed star shaped scar on his chest. Looking over his shoulder, he watched as Natalie lifted her tunic and showed him a wicked looking scar across her belly.

“If I’m not on Sandeenai and you are indeed my Uncle Babbit and Cousin Natalie, then where am I? Am I dead? How did I get here?” Meckin asked softly, still not willing to believe.

“Not even a scar, Meckin. That goddess of yours made you damn near indestructible. If it weren’t for your delicate stomach, I doubt the poison would have even made you throw up. You and your father, season the food wrong and you couldn’t keep it down.” Babbit chuckled and cuffed Meckin across the shoulder. “Now, come and eat something. I made sure it was seasoned well so that your stomach could handle it.”

Babbit stood and hooking his hand under Meckin’s elbow and guiding him to the table. “As for how you got here, I don’t know. I’m guessing the same way we all did, the hand of a god or goddess plucked us from Sandeenai just before death and brought us here. Two days ago, you weren’t here when we went to bed. When we woke the next morning, the bed next to mine was filled with your bleeding self. Natalie quickly tended to your wound and then watched in amazement as it sealed itself up and healed. Then you started throwing up that nasty bile and when you were done, you slept. You called out to eight different people while you were unconscious and all but one sounded like good solid Sandeenese names. Who or what is Darin?”

Meckin chuckled and picked up his fork. How did you explain the fact that you weren’t alone anymore, that you shared thoughts and powers with someone else. He took a small bite of the fragrant stew and let the flavors dance against his tongue. “Gods, what is this? It reminds me….”

“……Of your grandmother’s cooking?” Babbit said with a smile at the look on Meckin’s face. He chuckled as his nephew devoured the entire plate without pausing for breath. “I told you he would like it, Natalie. That is one of the few things my mother would teach me to make. I’m glad you like it.” Babbit said and handed Meckin a goblet of wine when the food was gone. “It’s called……”

“……Hureesh. It’s made with rabbit, deer, vegetables and dumplings in thick spicy gravy. Yes, I recognized it; Jonas has been trying for years to copy the recipe. Is there any more?” Meckin asked, as he set the goblet down.

“There’s a whole pot full, Meckin, if you’d care to join us in the common room.” Babbit said. “It will give me a chance to show off my handsome nephew to a few of the girls here and give you the chance to get to know the others.” Meckin looked at Babbit and Natalie and then at the door. “You didn’t think you were a prisoner did you?”

Meckin stood and looked around the room again. He felt naked without at least a dagger in his belt, but there was nothing in the room he could use for a makeshift blade. Babbit and Natalie watched him a moment and then Babbit nodded his understanding. Walking over to the bedside table, he pulled out the drawer and handed Meckin his dagger and belt. Smiling, he watched Meckin sling the belt on and fasten it, then test the edge of the blade before putting it in the sheath.

Leading the way out of the room and down a hallway, Babbit couldn’t help but think about how much Meckin reminded him of his younger brother Larckin. At the end of the hall was a short turn and then it opened up into a huge common room. Three long tables with benches for each took up the center of the room. At the head of the room was a giant hearth where pots filled with food were prepared and kept warm while people ate. More hallways exited from the common room. At the foot of the room were huge double doors that were half open to reveal an even larger room filled with shelves of books and scrolls, chairs and tables. Sitting around the tables were representatives of every race that had ever lived on Sandeenai. The Faun, Mer, and Wer were prominent because of their believed extinction or near extinction on Sandeenai.

Silence greeted their entrance into the hall and all eyes turned to stare at Meckin. Babbit cleared his throat. “Everyone, I would like you to meet my nephew, Meckin Topsawer, recently brought to us from Sandeenai. He’s one of the Champions of Serenity.” A murmur passed swiftly through those gathered there and a shy looking girl stood and walked over to him.

She had brown streaked black hair and sparkling deep brown eyes. She was slender and willowy yet extremely tall and her full lips were curved in a welcoming smile. “Well, Meckin Topsawer, I want to welcome you to our halls as the newest in the collection of survivors from Sandeenai. I wonder, how did you leave my older brother? Is he happy?”

Meckin looked at her a moment and then his eyes widened in shock. “You are Fini’s sister? But, both of his sisters died at the hands of Handsome.” Meckin then looked around the room and identified people who looked like other members of the Circle and could be their families.

“Not both of us, Meckin. I tried to take my own life; after I gave birth to twins sired by the man you call Handsome. He would laugh whenever he heard that nickname. You can call me Jessie. Are you hungry?”

Smiling at Fini’s sister, Meckin offered her his arm and let her guide him to the pots at the head of the room. “I didn’t realize that Handsome had children. Did you save them as well?”

Jessie shook her head sadly. “I wasn’t able to. I got my daughter to safety but I could do nothing for my son. Dreybrenic kept him by his side. Don’t worry; we can say Dreybrenic here without fear of him knowing. I’m still not sure where we are, but it isn’t anywhere on Sandeenai.”

Meckin looked over the different pots and took some more Hureesh and some of several other dishes that looked good. Taking a seat at one of the tables, Meckin ate at a more leisurely manner. “What is this place?”

“None of us know for sure. We all expected to die on Sandeenai and then woke up here in various states of healing. We know it’s a place of knowledge and we have all day to do nothing but learn if we so choose.” Jessie pointed to the double doors and continued. “Everything you ever wanted to know is there and we are all here to help you learn as much as you can as fast as you can.”

“Why is that?” Meckin asked, frowning. He looked around and found he was still the center of everyone’s attention and he felt uncomfortable. “Why is everyone staring at me?”

Natalie and Babbit came and sat down opposite Jessie and Meckin. Natalie laughed at Meckin’s question. “That’s simple, Cousin Meckin, you are the only one who’s arrival was foretold and who will be leaving here anytime soon.”

“Whoa, wait a minute. What are you talking about, Natalie? I’m not supposed to be here. I’m supposed to be on Sandeenai, fighting Dreybrenic Greshinea with the rest of Serenity’s Champions, stopping him from destroying the world as we know it and then doing whatever jobs Serenity has for us.” Meckin held up his hands as if holding back something unpleasant.

Jessie nodded sadly. “But it’s true, Meckin. Just a few days after I arrived, a large parchment was tacked to those doors. It told us to expect one of Serenity’s champions to join us for a short time. We were to welcome the Champion and help whoever it was to learn everything possible as soon as possible. That’s all it said. Consequencely, you are the most well-known and popular person here and we are all going to do our best to answer any and all questions you can think of as well as give you information we think you might need in your upcoming battle against Dreybrenic.”

Meckin sat a moment and thought about it. Then he nodded slowly. “Okay, so I’m here to learn to better help the Circle in our quest to defeat Dreybrenic. I can accept that. But why keep it secret from the others and why keep me from Serenity?”

Babbit picked up a piece of bread and broke it into pieces. “Well, we think it’s something that was left out of the prophecy. You are the knowledge of the Circle, the one who knows the old stories. Well, not all of the old stories are still on Sandeenai, so this is the only place you could learn them. We just don’t think the others will pick up on that until you return to them. So it’s kind of a test on their part, to see if they will continue to fight even if you aren’t there. How is your brother?”

“Jonas is fine, Uncle Babbit. He named his first born son for you.” Meckin said distractedly. “Now tell me how this is right again? Taking me away from the others and making them think I am dead is going to help them and me how?”

A large green and orange dragon with silver wings snaked its head closer. “I don’t think rightness has any part to play in prophecy. Prophecy isn’t for those who must live them; it’s for those who must come before to give them hope and for those who come after to give them understanding. Those who are caught up in them must simply survive them to the best of their abilities. We are here to help you enhance your abilities.”

Sitting back and pushing his plate away, Meckin looked around him. “If I’m here to learn, then the sooner I learn the sooner I can return to those who need me on Sandeenai. Let’s get started.”

With those words, Meckin unleashed the pent up excitement in the room. He was ushered into the giant library and his tutoring began. As soon as he finished learning one scroll, it was whisked away and another put in its place. He was told stories from each race as he ate and while falling asleep at night. The first thing he heard in the morning was more tales and histories that had long since faded into myth and legend.

Day after day and week after week, Meckin learned. Time seemed to stand still for him and in his learning, he forgot about the Circle and the fact they still thought him dead. Soon, he was learning just for the sake of learning and it excited him to discover new facts and put together the pieces in century old puzzles to find their solutions.

Serenity returned to Chaos’s realm and found him stirring the pot in Meckadon, creating a little trouble for his minion. She chuckled softly as Chaos set up the small rebellion of the mercenaries in the capitol of Nasinih.

Chaos whirled when he heard Serenity’s laugh. “What brings you here, sister?” He asked, again annoyed that she had snuck up on him.

“Your idea was correct, Chaos. Thank you for finding him for me. We are both forbidden to say anything about it to either Circle for now. When the time is right, all will be revealed.” Serenity said. Then she waved her hand and some of Chaos’s favorite foods appeared before him, including a large pot of Fini’s stew. She smiled at him again and left him to enjoy his little feast.

Chaos looked over the delights and picked up a spoon and savored Fini’s cooking. “Well, it’s nice to know I was right. I just wonder if I’m going to be blamed for this as well by the Circles.”