Date: Sat, 13 May 2000 12:54:09 EDT
From: Rune Therin <mist_dark@hotmail.com>
Subject: Nsync Saga, part 2

It's me again, sorry about forgetting to include the TBC part at the end of
the last installment.  My bad.  Anyway, here's part two of my story.
Again, comments are welcome and wanted badly.  Mist_dark@hotmail.com

Okay, the disclaimer part.  First off this story isn't supposed to imply
anything about the musical group Nsync.  If any of them happen to be gay,
then that's their business, not mine.  Also parts of this story are based
loosely on the RPG Rifts, all trademarks belong to Palladium books and
Kevin Siembieda.  Basically I'm just using the geography associated with
that world.  If you're offended by homosexual content, are too young in
your area, or it is illegal in your area, please leave.  I don't want
anyone to get in trouble for this.

Enjoy,
Rune


Part two


	Lance's first thoughts were that he couldn't move his left arm.  He
lay there for a few moments before opening his eyes.  He was lying on a
comfortable four poster bed in the middle of a castle-like room.  Various
tapestries covered the walls and added some colour to the otherwise dull
room.  The sun was just rising through the window and the embers in the
fire were barely alive.  A creaking called his attention to the door.  The
man that he had met in the clearing was standing in the doorway.

	"I see you're awake," the man's voice was no less lyrical then it
was the first time.

	"Who are you?"  Lance asked.  "And why did you capture me?"

	The man laughed richly.  "Normally I would be the one to ask the
first few questions.  But I'll humor you.  My name is Selvar and I am lord
of these lands as well as this castle.  Before I continue though, I would
like to know the name of my guest."

	`Guest?'  Lance asked himself.  "Lance."

	"Well Lance to answer your next question, I saved your life."

	"Saved me?"  Lance asked.  He held up his left arm.  "My arm is
broken and you call that saving me?  What the hell were those things?"

	"Lance running off into a forest that you are obviously not
familiar with is a bad idea.  I apologize for the method I used to stop
you, but I was running out of time to do something.  About a hundred yards
or so from where the hands stopped you was a cliff.  You would have
continued running and gone right over the edge."  Selvar nodded toward the
window.  "You can see the cliff from your window actually."

	Lance carefully climbed off the bed and walked over to the window.
In the early morning light he could make out the cliff Selvar was talking
about.  As the sun climbed higher he saw just how bad a fall from there
would have been.  Even if he had somehow survived the rocks that he would
have landed on, he would have bled to death long before anyone could get to
him.

	"Thank you."

	"You're perfectly welcome Lance.  However, I do have a few things
that you can do for me in payment."

	"Pardon?"

	Selvar laughed again.  "Don't worry, they're nothing difficult.
First, you will remain my guest until your arm heals and I feel that you
are capable of surviving in this world.  And secondly, you will have to
tell me how you came to enter my domain.  You don't seem to have any magic
of your own and the amount of magic in that clearing was overwhelming.  How
did you come here?"

	"Magic?  What are you talking about?"

	"I see this is going to take some time.  Perhaps we should continue
this conversation in the sitting room after breakfast."  His eyes flickered
over Lance's body.  I'll have Maria bring you down shortly.  In the
meantime you may wish to wash yourself.  There is a basin in the room
through there.  I'll leave you some clothing on your bed.  What you're
wearing is slightly distracting."

Lance glanced down at himself and blushed.  His shirt was barely clinging
to his body and his shorts had several tears in them as well.  Selvar
laughed at his reaction.  "Thanks Selvar, you're just too kind."

	"Of course," Selvar smiled.  "I'll have the meal prepared by the
time you finish."  The man turned and left the room.  The only sound that
signaled him leaving was the creaking of the door.


	Maria turned out to be a petite Hispanic girl.  She brought Lance a
black robe similar to the one Selvar was wearing, except this one was
smaller and fit him perfectly.  Once he was dressed she led him through
various hallways and down a flight of stairs until they entered a dinning
hall.  Once they were in the hall she led him to one of the chairs near the
head of the table and left.

	The d‚cor of the hall was similar to the room he woke up in.
Tapestries lined the walls to give it a feeling of colour.  The table was
made of some dark wood and would have easily sat fifty people.  Other then
the table and chairs there was no furniture in the room.  Multiple candles
gave light to the room and a fireplace at the far end gave it heat.  There
were no windows.  Lance wondered how many candles it would take to light
this entire room fully.

	"I'm afraid all I have to drink is water," Selvar's voice startled
Lance back to reality.  "I normally have some sort of fruit juice, but
apparently I just ran out."

	"That's alright.  I don't really care what I eat, as long as it's
food," Lance assured him.

	Selvar smiled and set a large platter of various fruits in front of
Lance.  "I prefer a light breakfast.  I find fruit is perfect for that."
He set a smaller plate next to Lance and began to place some of the fruit
onto his own plate.  After he had enough he sat down at the head of the
table.  "Take as much as you want, I have enough stores."

	"If you insist," Lance said smiling.  He filled his plate with
fruit and made short work of it.  After several plates he leaned back in
his chair.  "That was great.  Where do you want me to put these?"  He
motioned to the plates on the table.

	"I'm glad you enjoyed it."  Selvar stood and cleared the table
before Lance could protest.  He slipped out of the hall and returned a few
moments later.  "You needn't worry about handling that sort of thing Lance.
I normally have...servants that deal with these things, but you seem to be
uncomfortable around them."

	"What?  I was fine with Maria.  She was quiet, but I kind of liked
her."

	Selvar laughed again.  "Maria isn't normally awake at this hour.
She has nocturnal habits, so she generally performs her duties during the
night.  I'm normally awake during the night myself, but I can work during
the day if needed."  He started toward the main entrance of the hall.
"Let's head to the sitting room.  We've a fair bit to talk about."


	Just sat on the edge of his bed in the room that Pyre had rented
for the two of them.  He had been traveling with Pyre since the man had
picked him up a week before.  He just couldn't understand why Pyre was
doing all these things for him.  Justin liked Pyre and didn't really know
why.  It was sort of like finding a friend you instantly liked.  It was
odd.  In the past week Pyre had given Justin clothing, fed him and made
sure that he didn't get into too much trouble.  Not that it was easy to get
into trouble in the middle of a desert.  Or rather, so he had thought.

	It turned out that he had appeared in Mexico.  At first he thought
this was great, until he found out about the majority of the population.
Vampires.  Justin laughed at Pyre until the second night they were
traveling.  They had camped in a cave and were preparing for sleep when two
of them appeared in the cave's mouth.  They were looking for food and
Justin and Pyre were to suffice.  Pyre killed them easily.  Before either
of the creatures could react Pyre had staked one through the heart.  The
other barely had time to react before a stake punched through his heart.
Each of them fell to the ground as their flesh turned to dust leaving
skeletons on the cave's floor.

	"Are they dead?"  Justin had asked.

	"They were already dead.  But no, they're only in a stasis."  Pyre
pulled a knife and cut of the skulls of each vampire and set them aside.
Then he opened his mouth and made a clicking sound in his throat.  A moment
later fire shot forth and consumed the bones.  It didn't take long before
the bones were reduced to ashes.

	Understandably Justin hadn't slept well that night.  He also
started taking Pyre far more serious when stuff like vampires came up.  He
had realized shortly after that night that he wasn't home.  Or even close
to where home was.  This world was similar to his, but very different.

	"What are you thinking about?"  Pyre asked him as he entered their
room.

	"Huh? Oh, nothing.  Just thinking about the last couple of days."
Justin told him.

	"Okay," Pyre sat down on his own bed and began rummaging through
the knapsack that he had taken with him when he left.  "Ah, here it is."
He pulled a ring from the bag and held it up to the light.  "This should do
the job nicely."

	"That's what you went for?"  Justin asked slightly shocked.  "A
ring?  You were gone all day and you got a ring?"

	"Justin this ring is very valuable.  And is very useful.  I was
planning on letting you have it, but if you don't want it."  Pyre turned
and started to put the ring away.

	"Ah come on."  Justin whined.  "What does it do?"

	"Put it on and find out."  Pyre handed him the ring.  "It does
something different for each person.  I think it's magic works on an
intuitive level and gives something to the owner that suits them."

	The blonde accepted the ring and slipped it on his finger.  His
face fell when nothing happened.  "That sucks.  Nothing happened."

	"What were you expecting?  Flashes of light?  The ring will
probably just take a while to start working."  Pyre leapt of his bed and
flopped down on Justin's.  "Besides, that'll give us time to find something
to satisfy your never happy appetite."

	"Shut-up.  I'm a growing boy."  Justin said as he shoved Pyre.
Pyre gave a squawk of surprise as he flew across the room and slammed into
the far wall.  Justin just sat on the bed in shock.

	Shaking his head to clear the stars Pyre sat up.  "I guess the ring
started working faster then I thought."

	"Pyre, I'm so sorry."  Justin leapt of the bed and helped his
friend to his feet.  "I didn't know that I'd do that."

	"Don't worry about it Justin.  You'd have to do a lot more then
that to hurt me."  They made their way across the room to the beds and sat
down.  "Though I think I should open doors for a while.  Until you get that
strength under control."


	"EVELYN!"  Chris cried out the door hoping to attract the older
woman's attention.  "EVELYN!"  He glanced back at Joey who was curled up in
a fetal position on the floor.  "Hang in their bro.  She's coming."

	"Chris," Joey whimpered.  "It hurts."  As if to punctuate what Joey
said every glass in the room exploded.  "Make it stop."  One of the chairs
danced across the room.

	"EVELYN!"  Chris called again.

	"Christopher there's no need to shout.  I heard you the first
time."  Evelyn stepped through the door and viewed the destruction around
her.  Then she caught sight of Joey curled up on the floor.  She dropped
the logs she was carrying and rushed to his side.  "Oh you poor dear.  I
didn't think they would come so soon."

	"Is he alright?"  Chris asked worriedly.

	"Christopher bring me a cup of water and some of the herbs from the
blue tin on the counter."  She closed her eyes and held Joey.  "Don't
bother boiling the water.  Just mix the herbs in and I'll deal with it
after that."

	Chris handed Evelyn the cup.  "What's wrong with him?"

	"Christopher, I'll answer your questions later.  Go make up his
bed.  He's going to need some rest."  She looked at the cup and the water
began to steam as it heated.  "Joseph dear, drink this.  It will help the
pain."  Joey uncurled just enough to take a drink from the cup.  "Finish it
all dear."

	When Joey had drank everything in the cup he relaxed slightly and
his head lolled against Evelyn.  In a moment he was asleep.  Evelyn
carefully uncoiled Joey from herself and stood.

	"Christopher, would you please put Joseph to bed.  He needs the
rest."  She walked over to a closet and pulled out a broom.  "Christopher,
I'll explain what happened after this mess is cleaned up and Joseph is in
bed.  The sooner you put him in his bed, the sooner you get answers."

	Chris carefully lifted Joey and carried him to his bed, which was
no easy task.  Joey was bigger then Chris was, and weight more as well.
Somehow Chris managed to get him into bed.  When he returned to the main
room of the cabin Evelyn had the room almost returned to normal.

	"Evelyn?  What happened to him?"  Chris put the chair that had
moved earlier back at the table.  He pulled out and slumped down into it
and started to cry.  "Is he going to be alright?"

	Evelyn set her broom aside and stood next to Chris.  "Christopher
listen to me.  Joseph will be fine."  She pulled him into a hug and hummed
to sooth him.  "He'll be just fine."  After a moment she pushed him back.
"Alright?"  She asked as she wiped the tears from his face.

	Chris nodded and smiled.  "I guess so.  But what happened to him?"
He motioned around the room.  "What happened here?"

	"Joseph is developing his psychic powers.  What he's going through
is natural, but painful.  Usually telepathy or empathy develops first.  By
now and again telekinetics does."  She walked over to the counter and
poured a glass of water, which she handed to Chris.  "Drink this.  I'll
start training him when he wakes up.  It'll be difficult, but far easier
then him figuring it out on his own."

	"Why are you doing this?"  Chris asked.

	"I told you that already Christopher.  I will help you because you
need it.  And at the moment Joseph needs it as much as any boy does."

	"There's more then that isn't there?"  Chris asked.

	"Of course there is, but a woman doesn't give away all her
secrets."  Evelyn gave him a mysterious smile.  "Even one as old as me has
a few she keeps."

	"I guess."  Chris cried out in pain as a headache suddenly hit him.
The fire flared briefly before returning to its normal size.  The headache
quickly faded and then disappeared all together.  He looked at the woman in
front of him.  "Your son.  That's another reason isn't it?"

	"It would appear I will have two students.  Get some rest
Christopher.  I'll wake you when supper is ready."  Evelyn turned so that
Chris wouldn't see her tears.


	JC absently toyed with the small amulet around his neck while he
listened to Ivar, the person who gave it to him, argue with his daughter in
the next room.

	"But Father, he's a human."  Fayth said.  "Why are you making me do
this?"

	"Fayth," Ivar said firmly.  "He may be human, but he also needs our
help.  And we are both going to give it to him."

	"But,"

	"No buts," Ivan said cutting his daughter off.  "I'm not asking you
to love the man.  I'm only asking you to train with him.  He has talent and
I'm not going to let a little thing like race interfere with that."

	"Father, it was a human that killed my mother," Fayth nearly
screamed at Ivar.  "I will not train with him."

	"I am well aware of that Fayth.  Your mother was a very kind person
as well as forgiving.  That is a trait that you should learn as well.  This
conversation is over Fayth, and my choice is final.  Tomorrow you will
arrive for your lessons just like every other day.  And tomorrow, Josh will
be there as well."

	JC hastily moved farther from the door and busied himself looking
at the amulet.  It was a small piece of clay carved into the shape of a
whale.  A tiny diamond was set where the whale's eye would have been.  No
matter how many times he had looked at it, he still couldn't believe this
tiny thing allowed him to speak and breath underwater.  It was just
amazing.

	"I'm sorry you had to hear that Josh," Ivar's voice filled the
room.  "Fayth can be stubborn sometimes."  Ivar was an eel-man.  At first
JC had thought he was a merman from myths, but the man's tale wasn't
exactly the same.

	"It's alright," JC swam over to where Ivar was floating.  He hadn't
gotten the hang of swimming all of the time yet.  "Can I ask you a
question?"

	Ivar looked surprised.  "Of course Josh.  You are to be my student.
I encourage my students to ask questions."

	"I think I can help you in that regard then," JC smiled.  "I have
two actually.  First, what are you training me to be?  I'm not sure if I'll
be any good at it.  And secondly, why does Fayth hate me, and apparently
all humans, so much?"

	Ivar sighed and swam over to a couch.  "The first one is easy.  I
will train you to be a siren, that's not exactly the right title, but it's
as close as I can come to in your language.  It's a practice of magic that
deals with song.  Most magic involves chanting and gestures as well as
mental control.  Song magic is invoked more by feeling.  The desired effect
is pulled from the caster and sung into existence.  It's a limited form of
magic in that it affects almost everyone who hears it.  Though you can
control it so that it only affects allies or enemies."  Ivar flicked his
tail so that his body moved upward and then settled back onto the couch.
"As for you not being good at it, don't worry about that.  If the singing I
heard you do on the day we met is any indication, you'll be a natural."

	"Okay, that answers one question," JC said lightly.  "What about my
other one?"

	"That one is a tad more difficult.  And slightly painful.  But you
have the right to know.  For the most part, surface dwellers and our people
have lived in harmony.  Every now and then there would be problems, but not
very often.  And those situations were always isolated.  At one point a
small battle between a fishing village and our tribe broke out.  It was a
pointless conflict that neither side should have let happen, but it did
happen.  Fayth's mother, my wife, saved a human child and as a result was
killed by the villagers.  They thought she was trying to steal the child.
Once they realized their actions they were horrified they had let
themselves come that far, but the damage had been done.  The battle ended
immediately, but Fayth has never forgiven the villagers for what they did
to her mother.  Fayth was only a child at the time, no more then two years
old.  She carries that hate deep and refuses to let it go.  I admit that I
held hatred for the villagers for a time, but Fayth hates all humans.  I've
tried to help her get over it, but she won't."  He sighed deeply.  "She's
going to be hard on you Josh.  You represent what took her mother away.  I
hope you can handle that."

	"I have to try."

	"Why?"

	"If for no other reason then to pay you back."  JC explained.  "A
week ago you found me huddled against a tree near the lake.  For whatever
reason you gave me this amulet and took me into your world.  I wouldn't
have survived without your help.  I have to pay you back some how, and if
that means braving the temper of your daughter, then I'll do it."

	"You humans are and odd group."  Ivar laughed.  "Very well Josh.
Tomorrow you will begin your training to become a Siren.  It's not going to
be an easy task.  Though you might luck out and be a natural.  I'm a very
difficult man to train under, but I have produced fine results.  I expect
no less from you then your very best."

	Smiling ruefully JC nodded his head.  "Of course Ivar."


	"Cut to the chase Karr.  I'm in no mood to be listening to your
babbling."

	"Damek, do not disrespect me," Karr warned.

	Damek laughed at Karr.  "Karr, You're my older brother.  Not my
master.  I don't even bow to my twin, let alone you."  Damek was almost an
exact copy of Nydia.  His black hair was the same colour as his siblings
and it fell to his thigh, like his sister's.  The only real physical
difference was their choice in clothing.  Nydia preferred red, where Damek
choose white.  His flowing white robe ended with silver hemming.  He wore
several golden rings set with diamonds.  His belt had a large sapphire set
in the middle.

	"You should learn to respect those more powerful then yourself
Damek."  Karr snapped.

	Again Damek laughed at his brother.  "Brother, you control the
forces of life and death, but do so through magic.  I control the very air
you breathe.  I could have you locked in a vacuum before you could utter
your first spell.  It's very difficult to cast a spell when you can't
breathe."

	"Both of you stop this," Nydia snapped.  "We aren't asking you to
get along with us Damek.  We're asking you to help us."  She shot a look at
Karr.  "And none of us shall be subordinate to any of the others Karr.  We
shall all be equals.  We each have our talents and the others shall defer
to one when one's talent is being used."

	"Of course, dear sister," Damek smiled.  "That is what I was trying
to convince our darling brother of."

	Karr rolled his eyes and sighed.  "We need your help with our
little plan.  I'm assuming you already know the basics of it."

	"Don't insult me," Damek said.  "I have known what you two have
been up to for almost three centuries now.  I keep a close eye on family.
I don't, however, know how you plan to accomplish this."

	Nydia pulled a book down from the shelves.  She flipped through it
and found the pages she was looking for.  "This should explain it well
enough," she handed the book to Damek.

	After a few moments Damek closed the book and set it on the table.
"Are you sure you can pull this off?"

	"With your help," Karr said.  "Yes."

	"I see," Damek stood.  "I will have to think this over.  I believe
a visit to the Seer is in order.  I'll check over various prophecies that I
have at my library."  He turned to go and stopped.  "I'll be in touch."  He
touched the sapphire in his belt and vanished.

TBC

Okay, I'm here again, begging.  I'll probably keep writing this story even
if I don't get any feed back.  At least for a while.  Though I do want it.
I haven't got the next part written down, but it shouldn't take to long
before I send it off.  In the mean time, tell me what you think at
Mist_dark@hotmail.com