JIGSAW: Chapter One

By Reanna King

AUTHOR’S NOTES: All right. This is the first time Jigsaw has had author’s notes here… I’ve made a few changes to the story (October 2, 2003). I’m now completely clear on Elin’s story, but that doesn’t mean you get to find out yet. After creating a timeline spanning 500 years before the beginning of the story, establishing the ages of all the characters, when they were born in relation to major events in Jigsaw, things are becoming much easier to organize. I’ve also changed the ages of the elven characters so that they’re closer to the traditional elven age. As a guide, elves in Jigsaw live to be around 400-500 years old. This is an equivalent of 80-100 years old for a human, but some elves live to be past this. To figure out someone’s age in elf years, divide the number by five. Geddon is 95 years old in human years. Divide that by 5, and he is 19 in elf years. I’ve also changed the race of other characters, but it’s not important as none of these characters have been introduced here yet.

Jigsaw does have a website: .com. But it contains character profiles, pictures of characters, inside information, explanation of inside jokes, and other goodies. ^_^ Even take a look at characters you haven’t been introduced to yet!

CHAPTER ONE

"There’s more than one way to skin a Gullas Sandcat… but none of them are highly recommended."

-Caslon Freermon, 101 More Things Not to Do on a Rainy Day

Once upon a time, a girl named Tione ran away from home.

Tione was a very ordinary girl who lived in the very ordinary village of Sheste in the magical, fully-interlocking land of Jigsaw, a magnificent place where very ordinary girls never stay ordinary for very long. However, it was true that Sheste was not among the most exciting of Jigsaw’s cities. It was far from any enchanted castles or haunted temples and even further from Sela, the capital city where all great magicians got their start. Even living in a crowded and chaotic place like the Inter-City or the crime-filled Analerna would be better than living in Sheste. This is what Tione Larion told everybody, even those who didn’t ask her, or for that matter didn’t seem to want to hear about it.

Even as the morning sun rose over the distant Silver Mountain range and sent warm rays of sunshine spilling out over the land, even as the morning light changed the shadowy gray of the castle of Sheste to a pristine white, even as the gold topped spires began to glimmer in the sun, and even as the far off Rboobu River sparkled in the glow of daybreak, Tione pulled the covers over her head at the thought of spending another dull day in Sheste.

Tione moaned as the sun shone through her flimsy blanket and through her closed eyelids, filling her eyes with yellow warmth. There had been a gryphon or something outside all night. It had screeched and caterwauled all night and Tione had barely got any sleep. Now the gryphon had left and given way to a more familiar screeching sound.

"Tione!"

Tione pulled the covers up over her ears, leaving her feet exposed. Tione moaned. The world seemed to be against her. Again. She cursed the gryphon, the blanket, and as she did every morning, her family. Why couldn’t she have a nice, normal family instead of a family full wicked step-relatives? How she got so many, Tione didn’t know. Tione’s family history was very confusing, and any questions that she had about her familial ties that she dared to ask never got answered.

Tione’s mother was the only one who didn’t bully her, but she was overshadowed by all of the wicked step-relatives. She had more wicked step-aunts and wicked step-uncles than she could count, and all of them wicked daughters and sons. Never, not even once, had Tione ever heard of a wicked step-cousin. But, just Tione’s luck, she had several. Even her fairy godmother was pretty nasty. Even that poor Cinderella girl in Juste only had three wicked step-sisters. Tione’s wicked step-grandmother (Tione’s wicked step-grandmother) was the worst of them.

"Tione! Get out of bed so you can do your chores!" The voice of Tione’s wicked step-grandmother, Jirae, pierced the air like a broadsword.

Slowly, Tione rose out of bed, yawned, and ran her hand through her long brown hair and was met with an army of tangles. It seemed like her hair was always disheveled, but Tione preferred to think of it as a new hairstyle.

With a weary groan, Tione looked about her room. There was nothing ornate about it, or about any part of her house. Most of the things in the house were broken or very old. The tables wobbled, the blankets were flimsy, the windows were cracked, and the floors were dirty. The family was too poor to afford new furniture or to cast spells to keep it from breaking.

"Tione! Get down here now or I’ll turn you into a turtle and eat your for lunch!"

Tione knew very well that Jirae, whom she and her mother lived alone with, was not capable of using magic. However, Tione’s youth was plagued by threats of silence or transformation spells. It wasn’t until Tione was fourteen that she realized that if Jirae could use magic, their lifestyle wouldn’t be so squalid. Now that Tione was nineteen, Jirae’s threats were hollow and meaningless.

"I’m coming!" Tione threw on her favorite (maybe favorite was an overstatement) peasant dress, the one with the large pocket in front. It was also the one with the least holes. It had used to be lavender, but it had been soiled and dirtied so many times that there was little color left. Even a cleaning spell probably wouldn’t be able to save it. Tione also put on the heavy brass medallion that she had had for as long as she could remember. It was almost as big as her palm, and was engraved with an elaborate "J" over a jigsaw puzzle piece. It was an ugly old thing, but for some reason, she could never bring herself to part with it.

After getting dressed, Tione took her time stumbling down the creaky steps down to breakfast.

"And stop thumping down the stairs like an ogre before you shake the house down!"

"Ugly old bag," Tione muttered. Tione often wondered at what point the family had gone wrong. Once, she had endeavored to find out and dug out the Larion family tree. It began with her great-grandmother, Elin. No one would ever tell her anything about her ancestry beyond what the family tree covered. Either that or they didn’t know themselves. Another thing was that her mother never seemed to have any records of Tione’s own childhood before the age of ten, and every time she tried to ask about this, she was turned away.

But today would be different. Elin was not only full of age-old knowledge, but kind enough to give this information to Tione. She knew for sure that Elin would know what everybody else had been hiding all this time, and even better, she knew that she would tell her.

"I’m skipping breakfast today, Jirae," Tione said.

"Well, where are you going?" Jirae asked, not bothering to turn around to speak to her and using a tone so contemptuous that Tione was tempted to rip Jirae’s wispy white hair right out of her head.

Instead she grumbled, "I’m going out to pick some poisoned apples," and rushed out of the house, taking care to slam the door behind her.

"Great!" Jirae shrieked. "Go off and join the Demon race, for all I care!"

Tione yawned and began walking to Elin’s house on the edge of the village.

Most people were awake and going about their business by then, even though it was only nine o’clock. Tione would sleep until noon if she could help it. She was sure people from Afar could do whatever they wanted.

Afar, of course, was only a mythical world of fairy tales. Almost all of these stories were about people coming to Jigsaw from this distant land in white machines that could fly great distances, even to other worlds, without the aid of magic. Legend also said that Afar was a world shaped like a big round ball, which was ridiculous. Of course, no person worth half their fairy dust believed any of it.

Tione was snapped out of her thoughts by the sound of a mandolin being strummed. "Not another traveling minstrel," Tione moaned. Why couldn’t traveling minstrels just stay where they were rather than strive to annoy all of Jigsaw?

Some people around her stopped to listen to the minstrel’s song, but most of them kept going about their business. The air was filled with "good morning to you," "isn’t this nice weather we’re having," and "here let me help you because you’re carrying two of those," which was much better than what she put up with at home, but barely a step up. There probably wasn’t another person in Sheste who could identify with how she felt about the way it was to live there, which was kind of a state of living somewhere between lethargic and legally dead.

These thoughts brought her to the prospect of running away from Sheste, and her entire dull life. Her family certainly didn’t need her. In fact, no one ever seemed to appreciate her. Tione had often considered running away and was considering it again, but not before she saw Elin and asked her all the questions that she had. Tione had only met Elin a few times, but every time she remembered her being wise and kind, and not like anybody else in her family. But, she reminded herself, once she got her answers, she would never have to see her family again. Tione wasn’t sure what she would do once she left Sheste. Perhaps she would travel to Sela and become a powerful sorceress. At that moment she felt as if anything was possible.

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Once there was a boy named Aleric who never stayed in the same place for very long. When asked why this was, he always said that one who stays in the same place his entire life can never see the entire world. Although he was just twenty-four, he would claim to have seen every one of the seven thousand wonders of Jigsaw. Anyone who asked him or was there to hear him brag about it would hear that Aleric had been to every city in Jigsaw over ten times and had countless ladies in every one that would beg him to spend a night with her. Of course, he never hesitated to accept. Of course, while he had never had and never would have a steady girlfriend, he had plenty of "girl friends."

"And that’s all you really need, right, Moz?" Aleric asked.

"I dunno, Al," Moz shrugged. "Is a girl really worth it if she doesn’t care that you’ll be with some other girl the next night?"

"Hey, that kind of relationship just doesn’t suit my lifestyle," Aleric replied, taking a bite of the Gruli he had swiped from a stall five minutes ago. "Markets like this are full of girls who’d do anything for a good time, even the ones here in Sheste." Aleric wiped the Gruli juice off his chin with his shirt and spat out a seed. Aleric scanned the cobbled streets and spied a pretty girl with long brown hair. "Like that one," he grinned. After tossing the core of his half-eaten fruit over his shoulder, he put up his arm and waved. "Hey, you!"

The girl turned around. "Me?"

Aleric nodded and made a gesture. "Yeah, you. Come over here."

"You know her?" Moz asked.

"I’ve seen her around," Aleric said, keeping his eyes on the girl while tidying his blonde hair with his hand. Aleric almost laughed at the thought of what his parents in Florda would think of him if they could see him now. He lived the good life. Wasn’t it everyone’s dream to go and do whatever he wanted and never have to answer to anyone? For Aleric, it was the ideal lifestyle.

The girl approached Aleric and put a hand on her hip. The girl wasn’t especially pretty, but she wasn’t ugly either. She was more scrawny than thin, and the barb-shaped tufts on the inside ends of her eyebrows reminded him of fish hooks. "Yeah? What do you want?"

Not the reaction I was hoping for, Aleric thought. Ah well. "Hey, beautiful," he smiled. "I was just wondering… if you were looking for someone to spend the night with?" He gave the girl his best playboy smirk.

The girl looked surprised. Then, she scoffed. "You’re asking me? You’re not from around here, are you?"

"Better give it a rest, Al," Moz whispered, nudging Aleric’s side. "I think she’d sooner step on your head than look at you… much less sleep with you."

"Sleep with me!" the girl cried. She began to laugh. "Who the hell would want to sleep with you, you filthy…" She trailed off and resumed her cackling.

Aleric made a fist. "Half the girls in Jigsaw, that’s who!" he boasted, ignoring the fact that his buddy Moz was resting his face in his hands. "You should consider yourself fortunate!" Aleric’s bragging was stopped by a stinging sensation on his cheek. He had been slapped… again.

"Don’t waste my time!" the girl said, and stormed off.

Aleric sat down on a bench and rested his cheek in his palm. "I hate this town."

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Tione finally approached the door to Elin’s house. The house was a small one that looked as if it had been there for at least a hundred years. The wood of the walls was splintering and looked like it might fall over any day, but the color spell on the walls still colored the house a bright sky blue. The grass was a healthy bright green, but hadn’t been cut for years. However, the flowers that were growing in front of the porch looked taken care of. Tione stepped up onto the porch and winced at the creaking moan the steps let out. She knocked gently on the door.

"Hello?" a warm, elderly voice called from inside. Just the sound of Elin’s soft voice made Tione feel happy inside.

"It’s me…" Tione said. "Tione, your great-granddaughter?" Tione was sure that Elin would remember her, but still, she was probably almost one hundred years old. If senility had set in, would she be able to remember her?

"Yes, I remember who you are. I may be old, but I remember my own great-granddaughter. Come in, please, I’ve been expecting you."

Could Elin really have been expecting her? She thought that only wise men and elderly magicians said things like that. Tione shrugged it off and entered.

It felt like an entirely new world inside Elin’s house. Her sitting room was dimly lit, and the air was full of dust. A scant few rays of light shone through the filth that was caked onto a window next to a bookshelf that was full of dusty leather and clothbound books. In fact, the entire room was filled with shelves and tables that were filled with books and strange-looking objects that looked like they might be keepsakes, or perhaps souvenirs from some bold adventure many years ago. A few looked like they might even be enchanted. The entire place had a mystical aura about it, and Tione was sure she heard incomprehensible whispers from the corners of the room. Aside from that, it was exactly how Tione expected an old person’s house to look. On a creaky old rocking chair sat Elin, looking expectantly up at her with a wrinkled smile on her wrinkled face. The light breeze that came in through the open door blew a wisp of gossamer white hair out of the loose bun she had set into hair.

"Tione," Elin said softly, "I am glad you’ve come to see me at last. There is much we must talk about. I am sure you came to ask me your questions about the Larion family."

Could Elin have possessed mind-reading magic and been hiding it all this time? Perhaps she was just so old and wise that she could deduce things like that. "Elin? Why do I feel like I don’t belong? Why doesn’t the family tree go beyond you? Why can’t my mother tell me anything about what I was like before I was ten? And why the hell don’t I ever get any appreciation at home?"

Elin laughed, reminding Tione of trees rustling in a light breeze. "Please calm yourself, Tione." She put up a wrinkled index finger. "I really do wish that I had more time to visit with you, and I wish I were able to answer your questions so easily, but I cannot. Or rather, I should not."

Tione was stunned. "You mean… you mean you won’t tell me?"

Elin smiled pleasantly. “I know it’s a bit cliché, but it’s for your own good, Tione. I want you to find your answers for yourself, just as I did. But to do this, you must leave Sheste. I’m sure that concept is to your liking. An old-fashioned quest would do you well. Quests always build character."

Tione wasn’t just stunned, she was shocked. "You mean you WANT me to run away?" Now, the concept of running away seemed so final. What would she do? Where would she go? Did Elin really know what she was saying? Maybe Elin was just kidding and would tell her everything she needed to know after all.

"Yes. And you must hurry. You should visit Sela, the capital of Jigsaw. That is where you should find your answers."

"But…"

"But," Elin continued, raising her index finger again. "It is likely that these answers will bring about more questions that will need to be answered, and some that have no answers. Are you prepared for this?"

Tione suddenly realized that this was no joke. Elin really wanted Tione to run away from Sheste. What’s more, she was acting gravely serious about it. She was eager to know everything about her family and her own past, but did she really have to leave Sheste and go on a quest to find out? Did she really have to hurry? Maybe she could still get Elin to divulge a bit of info for her.

"But…" There were so many questions she needed to ask! "You want me to set out, all alone?" There were lots of dangerous people and things in Jigsaw. But of course, Elin knew this. What kind of response would Elin have to this?

"When one is on a quest, one can’t help but make friends. Why I remember little Zenos Shynne… he was the most delightful little boy you ever met… young Trotho Noma was there was well… oh, and Ga Jallen and Mok Duno were quite the duo… Bright Blue and Bryce Kyndrel… but he’s another story altogether…" Elin smiled. "Oh, but forgive me. I’m reminiscing again…" Did Tione see Elin wipe a tear out of her eye? "Either way, I’m sure you’ll make plenty of delightful friends."

"But, Elin…" To tell the truth, Tione had never had a real friend before.

"But beware," Elin said with a stern face. "There are good things and there are bad things about having traveling companions." Elin stared at Tione for a second, then said, "That is all the advice that I have. Now, just wait here while I get you something."

Elin stood up, allowing the rocking chair to creak back and forth behind her. She stumbled over to one of the shelves and began looking through everything on one shelf, as if they had been placed there in a particular order. Finally, she removed a dusty old book and a long, thin piece of metal that was sitting just next to it. She handed them over with graceful ceremony to Tione. Tione couldn’t help smiling. Elin never did anything without at least some ceremony, as if she were acting in a play.

"Always keep these with you. And…" Elin put her hand to her chest and held up the pendant she was wearing. "Never sell, lose or give away your pendant."

Tione looked down at Elin’s pendant and realized that it was identical to the one she was wearing, except much older. Only just now did Tione realize that her cousins always tried to steal her belongings, but never touched her brass pendant. Still, she couldn’t figure out what could be so important about the old thing that she should never part with it. "All right. I won’t."

"Good. That is all," Elin said, "that I need to tell you. Now it is time for you and I to leave."

"You’re coming with me?"

"No. I must go elsewhere. I am afraid that I may never see you again."

These words hit Tione hard. "What? Never? Where are you going?"

"Tione, I’m old. Much older than you probably think I am." Elin smiled.

Something in Tione’s brain itched, like there were a nest of baneburrow bugs inside, accompanied by an icy chill in her heart. “Elin… who are you, really?”

“I can’t tell you, not now. It would be too dangerous for the both of us. Please understand, Tione and know that there are people who will be able to tell you everything you need to know once the time is right. Now, I must go.”

Without another word, she turned and walked through a doorway set in a corner of the room. Tione hesitated, then panicked. "Wait! There are still questions that I need to ask you!" she cried as Elin closed the door behind her, leaving Tione in the sitting room.

Tione debated with herself whether she should enter or not. Finally, she decided that if she wanted to ask any more questions, she should do so quickly. She braced herself, and opened the door. "Elin?"

The room was apparently Elin’s bedroom. There was a bed with a night stand in one corner and a wardrobe across from it. Another dusty window prevented most of the light from getting in, but Tione could still see her reflection in the full-length mirror that was on the wall across from her. However, Elin was nowhere to be seen.

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"Don’t be so depressed, Al," Moz smiled. "Aren’t there plenty of other girls out there?" He patted his friend on the back.

"Don’t patronize me," Aleric sighed. "I know you don’t approve of the way I like to live my life. You don’t have to pretend that you do."

"This isn’t like you, Aleric. You’re usually so carefree. It’s not like you to dwell on one little rejection."

Aleric shrugged. "Yeah, you’re right, as usual, Moz. The thing is, I just can’t get over how…"

"Aleric! Aleric, is that you?"

Aleric looked out into the crowd and noticed a hand waving at him. He stood up. "Alia! Alia, over here!"

Moz winked. "One of your harem girls?"
"Shut up!" Aleric hissed as a tall girl with short black hair approached. "Hey, Alia. How have you been?"

"When did you get back into town?" Alia asked, looking absolutely ecstatic.

"Just yesterday," Aleric replied, taking hold of Alia’s hand. "Did you miss me?"

"More than you can know!" Alia replied, throwing her arms around Aleric. "Gods, I missed you! So, how long are you going to be staying here in Sheste?"

Aleric put his arms around Alia’s waist and shrugged. "Oh, a couple days… then I’ll be moving on to Nai."

Alia looked disappointed. "Oh, couldn’t you stay a little longer? My wedding is in a week and I was hoping that you could make it."

"Your WEDDING?" Aleric gulped. "You mean… you’re getting… married?"

"Isn’t it wonderful?" Alia cried. "I’m so happy!" Alia ran her hand through Aleric’s hair. "Oh, I know a lot’s changed since you were here last, but you understand, right?"

"Uh… of course," Aleric said with a broad grin stretched across his face. "Well I… wish I could stay, but you know… the Lost Gardens await."

"I thought you said you were going to Nai."

"I am. I, uh…"

"Alia! Are you coming?" a voice called.

"Guri!" Alia pulled out of Aleric’s arms and ran over to a handsome young man. "Aleric, this is Guri!"

"I really hate this town," Aleric muttered.

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Tione looked at the two objects she held in her hands. The title of the book, stamped in faded gold leaf on a blue cloth cover, read How to Turn a Spoon into a Weapon of Mass Destruction. It was an unusual book, but Elin was always a slightly unusual person anyway. Tione turned the book over to the back cover.

Pestered by pests?

Molested by morons?

How to Turn a Spoon into a Weapon of Mass Destruction is your key to getting rid of everyday jerks and assholes!

Also available: How to Turn a Spoon into a Sex Toy

"What the hell…?" Tione muttered. She turned it around to its front cover again and saw that it was written by Trotho Noma… whoever that was. The metal object Elin had given her was a long silver spoon. "Why a spoon?" Tione wondered. Of course, there was no one there to answer her question. Now that Elin had gone to wherever she had gone to, what could Tione do but do exactly what she had been told to?

Tione turned around to look around Elin's foyer to see if there was anything else that might turn out to be important. Now that Elin was gone, most of the life seemed gone from the room. The old, dusty foyer was no longer vibrant with magical energy, but had become dormant almost immediately with Elin's absence. She wondered if any of the various books and objects would be helpful on her travels, but then decided that she couldn’t bring herself to disturb anything on the shelves. Instead, she decided to leave Elin Larion’s house exactly as it was when she disappeared.

Tione got as far as the front door before a nagging presence tugged at her mind. Somehow knowing exactly where to look, she looked down to the floor to her left, where a dilapidated pair of old white leather boots was leaning against a shelf; they were so worn out, they looked as if they would no longer stand up on their own. Noticing a piece of paper sticking out of one of the boots, Tione squatted down to read it. She read the note mentally, almost hearing Elin's voice telling her that she may take the boots.

Tione stood up straight again. The old ugly boots combined with her old ugly dress, despite the traits they obviously had in common, would be the worst fashion mistake since that one emperor decided to become a nudist. But she didn't want to leave them if she was supposed to take them. She picked them up and examined them carefully. They didn't look as if they were magical in any way, but they did look like they would be a bit more durable than the shoes she was wearing. Shrugging, she kicked off her own shoes and replaced them with Elin's old boots. Before she left, she arranged her shoes neatly on the floor where the boots had been.

Tione walked back out of the house through the sitting room. As she left the house in a daze, she dropped the spoon into the large pocket at the front of her dress. As she left the house in a daze, she dropped the spoon into the large pocket at the front of her dress. All of Jigsaw was spread out in front of her… and she was supposed to go to Sela! She suddenly felt dizzy. Sela was quite a distance away, wasn’t it? Not quite knowing what to do, she began to walk toward the edge of town. After a few minutes, she opened up the book. She barely caught a piece of paper that fell out of it. Upon unfolding it, she saw that it was a large map of Jigsaw. She had never seen a map of Jigsaw before.

The entire country was shaped like a puzzle piece, with her home village of Sheste on the eastern border. The northern border faced the Garro Sea, and the southern border faced the country of Nowhere. It took her a minute to locate Sela on the old, yellowed map, but found that it was clear across Jigsaw, almost on the western border. There were forests, rivers, and mountains between Sheste and Sela, and very few cities.

Tione stopped walking long enough to put away the map in the pages of her book. As she did, she noticed something written on the inside of the cover: the name “Tione.”

“Did she mean to give this to me all along?” Tione wondered to herself, running her index finger across the faded, smeared black writing. The writing had been there so long that the ink would no longer smear, so long that the writing looked as if it had bonded with the paper from age. Puzzled and intrigued, she turned to the first page. Apparently, the art of combat with spoons was created about forty years ago by Trotho Noma, the author of the book. Tione wondered why Elin had given her a spoon along with the book. Spoons were common enough, weren’t they? Intrigued by the concept, she read on as she walked.

She was just getting to the part about the physics of using a spoon to break the back of one’s opponent when suddenly she was on the ground with a face full of dull brown mud. She cursed the street, then realized that she could only blame herself for this. She wiped off her skinned palms and tried to rub the mud off her dress.

"Watch that last step there," someone behind her said.

Tione whirled around, transferring a spray of mud from her long hair to the ragged clothing of the young man standing behind her. She almost apologized, but then she recognized the boy.

"YOU?"