From Ankhi to Earth

Calavel's life has always been hectic. But when she falls in love with the captain of the royal guard, her life turns upside down. She has to leave her home and travel to Earth during the Salem witch trials.

Calavel Haylen sat crouched on a high branch, watching the young captain of the guards lead his soldiers, many of whom were older than he was, towards the one entrance into the forest. All of them were heavily armed, as though they expected a war. Calavel frowned. The men must be foreigners. No locals ever came into the forest. To them it was cursed, filled with the spirits of the dead. Who were these men and why were they here? Then voices on the wind reached her ears.

"Forget it, Jared. We swore an oath and to that we must hold." The captain clapped a companion on his armored shoulder. The one called Jared nodded weakly and as the first to enter the forest. He must a local. Calavel thought to herself. Sighing again, she vanished from the branch, actually just leaping off it and jumping from tree to tree, deeper into the forest.

16 year old Darien Mortem glanced up at a certain gap in the leafy canopy just in time to see a young girl, surely not much older than him, seemingly vanish into thin air. He blinked a few times, but all he saw were the leaves swaying in the slight breeze. He shook his head and entered the tree line behind his soldiers. It was surprisingly bright under the trees. Unfamiliar noises sounded here and there, making a few of the soldiers a bit fidgety, especially Jared. Darien just shrugged it off and motioned for them to move forward on a path that had been cut through the under brush. A few minutes, and several strange noises later, the group of about 6 reached a medium-sized clearing. In the very center was a large tree, unknown to Darien, but obviously common in this area. A slight rustle reached his ears and, from a high branch of the center tree, a young girl dropped, landing cat-like. When she stood, he could see that she was not much older than him, maybe even younger. She walked towards them with the stride of someone fully confident in their abilities. Jared's eyes widened, but he stayed in rank, behind Darien.

"Who are you, and why have you come here?" Her voice sounded strong, stronger than a seemingly 15-year old girl's normally would. She kept her eyes locked on Jared, who discreetly tried to hide behind his captain.

"Why should we answer to you when you have not introduced yourself?" He realized a second later that taunting the girl was a very bad idea. In a second, she shifted her attention to Darien and was in front of him with a dagger to his throat before he could blink.

"I believe that upon entering another's home, it is good manners to give your own name and purpose first." She growled. It was then that Jared seemed to come to his senses.

"Oh, leave him be, Calavel." The girl, Calavel, withdrew and turned back to Jared.

"Jared. How wonderful to see you again, you coward." Jared winced. Darien looked back at his guards, to see that they had disappeared. He looked back at Calavel to see her smirking. "It seems that you are all alone with the vicious forest girl." Jared seemed completely unfazed by this; apart from the fact of being called a coward seemed to shake him up a bit.

"My name is Darien Mortem. I am the captain of His Majesty's army and I have been sent here because of sightings of a girl younger than you. I am to find her and bring her back to the city to become a civilian." Darien stood his ground as Calavel inspected him. She seemed satisfied.

"Well, then go home. You cannot have her. And take this coward with you." She gestured at Jared. He looked scandalized.

"Calavel, that is not fair. I am not –"His shouting was cut short.

"I call you a coward and you are. I have every right to do so." And with that cryptic message, she turned and ran, leaping into the uncountable branches at the tree line. Darien turned to his older subordinate, but the look on Jared's face warned him not to inquire further, and he didn't. He merely turned and led his fellow soldier back down the path out of the forest.

Calavel watched them go. Jared was here, and apparently part of the guard now. She frowned, then froze as Jared took one last look back at the clearing. His deep blue eyes found hers and locked on. She didn't move. She didn't want to let him know that his gaze had found its mark. Then he sighed and turned to walk after his captain. Calavel watched him leave, before leaving herself. After about ten minutes of running through trees and leaping from branch to branch, Calavel reached her destination. A camp made of things that she had found in the forest; discarded clothes from dead soldiers and the like. She dropped down behind a young girl of no more than 11 years old. Lesandra spun around; automatically reaching for the bow staff she always kept by her side. She relaxed when she saw her sister.

"Been out hunting?" Lesandra turned and continued tending the pot of stew before her.

"No. Dealing with a few soldiers. You need to be careful that you are not seen."

"Does that mean we have new clothes and weapons?" She was hinting to the fact that Calavel usually killed anyone who came near their happy little hovel.

"No. They left alive." Lesandra started to ask why, but Calavel cut her off. "Jared was with them. He's been recruited. And the captain was the youngest I've ever seen." She took the bowl of soup Lesandra offered. "He'll be back."

-- Fast forward 5 years –

Calavel sat in the same spot as five years ago, watching a very familiar captain stroll down the lane towards the forest. But Darien was alone this time, no guards to back him up. He entered the forest without a single hesitation. Calavel frowned and hurried through the forest to meet him.

Darien strode confidently down the path to the clearing in the center of the wood, He could hear slight rustling that seemed to be exactly in time with his movements, then the noise moved a bit ahead of him. He knew what it was, and so was not unduly worried. After the expected amount of time, he arrived at his destination. However, unlike usual, a young woman of about 20 years of age stood under the tree in the middle.

"Calavel, you are looking well." He greeted her kind enough.

"Darien. What are you doing here? I told you to leave." Her voice had changed, more feminine, but it still held that aura of strength it had carried five years ago.

"I've come to take both you and your sister into town to make you respectable citizens of Raxoll." Calavel stared at him incredulously.

"You think you can just take us into the city? That we can just waltz in there and fit in perfectly fine? Well, you're wrong. There are too many people who knew my parents, and know what happen to us. We fled here, to the forest that is cursed and shunned by the locals. If we go in there Darien, we will be outcasts. We will be cursed and shunned like the forest that is our home." As she spoke, she walked to him, all the while, glaring at him with those hard blue eyes.

"It is my duty to ask this of you. If you do not come complacently, the king will send his army in to find you. And if you fight, they will kill you."

"And you believe that they will find us? And defeat us as well?"

"They are to be led by Garrett Van Tassel. He also grew up in these woods and he knows their secrets." Calavel's face grew hard and she stood to her full height. Darien just stared back at her. Then, to his utmost surprise, she nodded.

"I understand your reasoning. But if misfortune befalls us while we are in the city, it will be on your head, Darien Mortem." She turned away from him and faced the trees. "Lesandra, you can come out now." A young girl dropped from a large tree, much in the same manner as Calavel had five years ago. But this girl was carrying two packs, a few weapons and a bow staff. She looked strikingly different than her older sister. Her caramel hair and spring green eyes combated with Calavel's black locks and piercing blue eyes.

"How could you know I was coming?" It was Lesandra who answered his query while Calavel donned her weaponry.

"We didn't. But we have to move around in the forest every so often to avoid predators. Calavel was keeping her watch on the road when she saw you coming and came back to warn me." It was ironic, that this child would be the same age as Calavel when he had first met her.

"Alright. Let's go." Calavel was ready now and had already started back up the path.

It took them about 15 minutes to reach the city gates. When they did, they were greeter by a harsh, "Halt! Who goes there?" Darien looked up to see that it was Jared's watch. Another strange coincidence.

"Jared, its Darien. I've got Calavel and her sister. Open up!" Jared disappeared, and the multicolored gates opened into the great city of Raxoll, capital of Nishi, country of magicks. An armed guard greeted them, just two men, but formidable enough.

Darien nodded and they formed a circle around the sisters. At a word, they started forward. Their path took them down the main street, past all the shops and houses. And past all the people who stopped to stare at the procession. A small boy slipped through the guards and attempted to pickpocket Lesandra. She twitched her bow staff without looking down and the boy landed on his back, now sporting a rather large bump on his forehead. A girl at least two years older than him picked him up off the road and shepherded him back to the local inn. Eventually, through the silence and staring, they made it to the palace, with its high domed ceilings and open corridors. A man, older than both Darien and Calavel, was waiting for them.

"You may go now, Darien. I will escort them to the throne room." Darien and the other soldiers bowed and in one voice said, "Yes, your highness," and backed away. Azarel, Prince of Nashi stood proudly before them.

"Surely you have enough respect for your royalty to bow to your prince." His voice was crueler now that the guards had left. Calavel stood strong.

"I bow to no one--"She was cut off by Azarel slapping her across the face. Lesandra's staff swung towards his head, then stopped suddenly. He had caught it.

"Now, now. Is that any way to treat your future King?" As he drew back his hand to strike Lesandra, a long fingered feminine hand gripped his wrist. A small woman with fiery red hair appeared from behind him.

"Azarel, is this how you treat our guests?" Her son ripped his hand from her grip and stalked off. The lady bowed slightly to them.

"Greetings. I am Takai, Lady and Queen of Nashi. Forgive my son's behavior. He doesn't take kindly to visitors. Please, come this way." She escorted them to a large set of double doors. Takai drew out a small red fan, and rapped the surface lightly. The doors thrust open.

"Only one of royal blood can open these doors. With the weapons given to us at our ascension." Upon the throne sat a slim man, with similar red hair to the queen. He stood and stepped down from the dais.

"Welcome, Calavel and Lesandra, to our beautiful city of Raxoll. My name is Orin." Calavel nodded her greetings.

"Orin, why are we being treated like honored guests?" Calavel approached the king.

"You are honored guests. We have heard of your talents, and we wish to employ them." Lesandra just stared at the king and queen.

"We came here to become respectable citizens. Not to become the country's personal assassins. Come Lesandra." Calavel turned and walked back to the double doors. Just before she left, she remembered her manners and paused, turning back to the pair. "Farewell, your grace." With that, they left, leaving the rulers dumbstruck behind them. The sisters met Darien at the front palace doors and he immediately fell into step with them.

"What happen?"

"The king asked us to be his assassins in the army. We refused and left."

"Well that's a nice start to living here. King Orin is not known to be very forgiving. If you anger him further, he will capture you and kill you." Lesandra's eyes widened.

"And if we're lucky?" Darien looked at her solemnly.

"That was the lucky scenario. If you are unlucky, he will send his son." He stopped them. "Enough talk of dark days. Come to my house. I'm sure my sister will have something warm and delicious ready for us."

Darien was right. The moment they stepped into the small cottage, they were engulfed by a wave of hot air. The smell of freshly cooked bread and meat filled the room, tantalizing our visitors' senses.

"Darien? Is that you?" A short plump woman appeared from a closet and immediately forgot her visitors. "Ah! My bread!" She bustled around to the oven and pulled a hot pan of freshly baked bread from the stuffy depths. They stood for a few minutes watching the woman set the table with only two places.

"Set two more, Felicity," Darien reached over and hung his sword sheath on a hook.

"Darien! Welcome home! Sit down, sit down. Oh," she had noticed the sisters, "who are you?"

"Felicity, this is Calavel and her sister Lesandra. They're the two girls I told you about a few years back. Do you remember?" Darien seemed to slightly ignore his guests as he went about setting two extra plates and chairs.

"Oh. You mean the girls from the forest?”

“Yes. King Orin ordered their removal into Raxoll. Do you think we’ll go back to Minami anytime soon, Felicity?” Calavel and Lesandra took their seats at the sides of the square table, both looking slightly anxious.

“No. I like it here. It’s much calmer than back home.”

“Rai Lee and Engora are calling for us to return. Things are hectic there. Kita is planning an attack.” Felicity’s face fell into a worried expression.

“Well, maybe—“

“No. If you are happy here, we will stay until we receive our orders.” Calavel cleared her throat. Forest jumped.

“Oh! Calavel, Lesandra, I’m sorry. I completely forgot you were here.” She smiled sheepishly. “I do that often.” She shuffled over to the kitchen and extracted a plate of meat, a fresh loaf of bread and a jug of water from the cluttered depths, placing them on the table. “Dig in. There’s plenty for all of us.” Lesandra smiled and did just that, piling meat and bread onto her plate. Calavel dug her elbow into her sister’s side and glared at her. Lesandra glared back at her sister and continued to gorge herself on the veritable feast before her. Calavel felt a hand on her shoulder. Darien was staring at her.

“Are you going to eat something?”