Chapter 3
EARTH
Germaine thought the man sounded funny. He spoke in English quite alright, but his words sounded stiff and stilted. She opened her mouth but could not seem to form any words. Not only did the man sound funny, the three of them looked strange as well. They were dressed in sleeveless tunics with skirts that were made from the thick fur of an animal.A bear. I'm sure of it. The thought sailed into Germaine's mind as she continued assessing them.
Two of the men had long straight dark hair that fell like a silk curtain, to their waists, but that was not what made Germaine's mouth drop open. They were tall and muscular and had more charisma than any man she had ever set her eyes on before, all except one who was a dwarf. His hair was as white as cotton wool but not as long as the other two.
She cleared her throat as addressed them. "We don't want any trouble either, but this is my bakery and you happen to be in it. I don't know how possible that was, but I beg you to be on your way, we won't tell the authorities, I promise you."
When she had finished, she felt proud of herself. Her voice only shook a bit at the end. The men did not look at each other, but somehow she knew they were communicating with themselves, for one of them, the one in the middle, nodded, and said. "Very well, then, we bid you good bye."
Germaine expected them to disappear, the same way as they had appeared, but nothing happened. Cordelia made a funny mewling sound at the back of her throat, moved closer to Germaine and whispered. "Why are they still here?"
Germaine shook her head and whispered back. "I don't know." Out aloud, she said to them. "Why are you all still here? Go on, scoot, get!" She made a driving motion with her hands.
"We would, if you would stop interrupting us." The man who had first spoken scowled. He looked at the man beside him and said something in a language she could not understand.
Then something strange happened. Even though she swore the other man's mouth did not move, she heard his reply clearly, as if he had spoken. It is not yet time for us to leave. Germaine has a role to play in our mission.
Her mouth fell open. "What do you mean I have a role to play in your mission, and how did you even know my name? Who are you people and how did you even get into my shop?"
She snapped her mouth shut when they all turned their eyes on her. The second man whose words she had heard without him opening his mouth, stepped forward, and she backed away involuntarily, because his eyes - they were bright orange. It was strange but, it looked like fire oozed out from them. Flames raged unhindered in them.
"How is this possible?" Germaine asked, forgetting her myriad of questions earlier and how three strange men had appeared in her bakery, became mesmerized with the man's eyes as she stared at them.
"My lady!" The man bowed low before her. "My name is Storm, and jerking his thumb to the man beside him, he continued. “He is called Keratin." The man in question bowed stiffly. "And this here is Kenki." He pointed to the dwarf who was already bowing low to her as well.
Germaine blinked, and also introduced Cordelia and her two staff.
"My lady, please give us leave to sit so we can speak to you about our mission and how you will play a role in it."
There were only two seats to a table, so Maria, still in a daze, brought three extra seats from the other tables while Trisha busied herself making coffee for everyone. Their alcohol-induced state had long vanished, ever since they first set eyes on the strange-looking men. Some minutes later, they all sat, cradling a cup of steaming coffee in between their hands.
The one called Keratin pitched forward and began to speak. "We come from another world."
At this, Germaine's eyes widened, but Cordelia threw her head back and laughed. Maria just sniggered, while Trisha kept quiet.
"What is this brew you gave us?" Storm asked, taking a sip. "It is delicious."
"Thank you!" Maria said, deferring her head to him. "It is called instant coffee." Her eyes twinkled as she said it. "You have never drank coffee before?"
Storm shook his head and the others looked just as intrigued, as they took tentative sips form their teacups. "Back in our world, we have a brew called Broga. It is nice but not as tasty as this coffee."
The emergency lights dimmed and Germaine groaned. "I don't know why the electricity is acting up now."
Cordelia got up and went to the window where she drew back the blinds. She came back frowning. "It seems this is the only building that doesn't have electricity."
"Let me help with that." Storm said. He raised his hands towards the ceiling and Germaine gasped as she noticed his eyes glowing brightly.
The overhead light came back on and the hum of the freezer and the coffee machines could be heard. The girls sighed simultaneously, but Germaine turned to the men, shock and apprehension, lining her features. "How were you able to do that, and who exactly are you - all of you? What is this mission you talk about and what on earth does it have to do with me." She shrugged. "And how did you appear in my bakery?"
It was the turn of Storm to lean forward. With eyes that brightened and flames that danced within, he began speaking.
CHAPTER 4 "I am from another world, and we have come because we desperately need your help." The four females stared at the men incredulously. There was awe in their gazes and they could not keep their mouths closed. Germaine and Cordelia exchanged confused glances. "Wait just a minute." Germaine put up a hand. "You expect me to believe you come from another world? You've got to be kidding me." She shook her head. "I kid you not, my lady." Storm sighed. "We are on a mission and will need your help." His eyes pleaded with her for understanding. Keratin watched the females keenly. They all seemed strange to him, but it was only one of them that seemed to interest him. Sparks danced on top of her hair and stars twinkled in her eyes. Her smile was as bright as the sun on a sunny day. He could not snatch his eyes away from her face. It left him feeling all types of way. Guilt, confusion and regret. He did not understand why he felt this pull towards her. She was nothing like his Tekenn
Chapter 5 Germaine sprang from her seat, her mouth rounding into an o. She rushed to where Cordelia stood looking shaken with broken tea cups on the floor and a large bleeding gash on her leg. She assessed the situation and rushed to get the first aid kit. By the time she returned, the floor was clean and there was no sign of the broken tea cups. Cordelia was still standing in the same position with her mouth agape and a shocked look on her face, but there was no sign of blood on her leg, neither was there a cut. Germaine's brow furrowed and then it eased when she saw the tea cups on the dining table, all whole. "You used your magic" She said mater of fact as a look of awe crept into her eyes. "Who are you people, and what do you want with me, with us?" She swept her hand in an arc to encompass Cordelia who looked like she was coming down from the surprised state she was in. Keratin scoffed, but the golem just looked on. Storm who had been observing their actions with keen interest
Chapter 6 Rage paced within the grim undergrounds of The Creep. Red heat seeped from the floor and hovered in the air, it was assiduously hot yet it did not affect him. If anything, it served to keep his temperature warm for he was always freezing. He looked around the grand monstrosity he had created with his own hands and wished, not for the first time, she was with him. He stopped his pacing as his eyes glowed red, his mind wandering, as it usually did, to eons ago, when he had first met her - Princess Rina. He was young and a coarse nobody, shy of twenty years, while she was a shy princess of just fifteen. She was a beauty to behold, tall and willowy with porcelain skin. She had curly red hair and red pouty lips. They had met at a time when thoughts were pure and untainted on a starry night in Brambold town. She came on a horse with one of her maid servants because she needed to see his master for a simple healing spell. You see, Rage was an understudy to a sorcerer, the most po
Chapter 7 "My lady, do not hold the sword that way, it can easily be thrown from your hand, grip it with two hands." Keratin stated with a frown marring his forehead. Germaine rolled her eyes. It was not fun to learn under Keratin's tutelage, he was demanding and rude and he also brooked no nonsense from her. "It's too heavy, and what do I weigh, I'm practically swallowed up by this sword. Let's take a break." She was dripping with sweat from head to toe as she flopped onto the grass in her backyard. "That would make it the third break so far, my lady." Keratin grumbled, as a scowl spread fully across his face. "Yes, that's true, but it's a much-needed break, I'm blazing underneath these clothes and I need to use the bathroom." Keratin grumbled under his breath about how ladies should keep their private business to themselves and not divulge it. "Oh, please, I'm only going to pee, I'm not going to do number two, lighten up and stop being so stuffy." She shot back at him. Ever s
Chapter 8 It had been two weeks since three men had shown up uninvited at Germaine's bakery, but not one day passed that made her wish things were different. Yes, her life had become very busy and unpredictable, what with waking up in the early hours of the morning to drink water like she usually did and finding Storm on the floor in the sitting room. His eyes blazing red and unfocused, communicating with goodness knows who, and the golem rummaging in the kitchen looking for food to eat. She was shocked to find out he also ate raw food as well. Out of these two weeks, she had only gone to her bakery twice, and it was only to interview some candidates in order to pick the best baker to aid Maria. The other times she spent at home, in her backyard, sparring with Keratin. She had picked up the basics of shunting and feinting with the sword as well as some important legwork of moving and dodging an attacker's blade, and lunging as well. While these were important moves to learn during a
Chapter 9 Chimera stretched his body form side to side, but the aches still remained. His eyes watered as he stared at the rocky landscape before him. Try as he could, he could not see the entirety of what lay before him. His eyesight was not as it was fifty years ago. A thin film had covered both eyes and it was gradually failing day by day, but that did not deter him from reveling in the land. From memory, he recalled vast land and rolling mountainous hills. Plains and lush valleys were not left out either. He sighed and decided to make use of his other senses to enrich his memory. He did not need to strain his ears to hear the birds singing and insects cricking, neither did he need to sniff too hard in order to smell the fragrance of wheat and straw which was rife in the air. All these brought a smile to his face as he splayed his arms wide apart on either side of him. "Come on, you lazy vagabonds, carry those bricks, they won't lift themselves." The spell was broken around him
Chapter 10Germaine stared at the flickering lights in the sky which had gotten much closer now. "Germaine, get into the house, now!" Keratin's voice was insistent, but she did not hear him. Her attention was fixed solidly on the skies. The lights were so close, she could see they were actually air balloons in which strange-looking men were inside. She could not tear her eyes away from them even if she wanted to. "He's right, Germaine, you need to go inside and lock the door. These men. . . " Storm shook his head. "You don't want to know about them." Her eyes flashed angrily as she turned to look at Storm. "Oh, but I do need to know, Storm, I need to know. Who are they?" But he had already turned away from her. "Take her inside." Storm said to someone behind her. She felt something grab her. Not something, on second look - someone. It was the golem whose hands were around her waist, dragging her into the house. She struggled valiantly, but his hands were like rocks. Immovable. Sh
Chapter 11 Germaine pulled at the heavy metal chains binding her hands and stared balefully at her surroundings. She felt with her feet, the odd-shaped ridges jutting from the ground. Hot mist seeped out and heated the dark cell she was locked inside. It was a good thing because she had begun to get cold. She tried to stretch her legs fully but found out the cell she was in did not have enough space for that. Good thing she was not claustrophobic otherwise she would not have been able to stand it. Echoes of clangs of metal rang out from the walls all around, keying her into the possibility that there were other prisoners. At first she had not believed it was possible. It was crazy to conceive that other creatures and beasts inhabited the earth, apart from humans, animals and insects. After the appearance of Storm and Keratin in her bakery as well the vampires, her eyes had gradually opened to the truth. Something strange indeed was afoot. She still did not understand why she was ch