Maev and the Path Not Taken - Version 1

“Why is this taking so long?”, Erylis groaned.  

Anker had known of an old informant he had used during his early days when he had first graduated from the Academy. So, they had come to Sirus, a neutral planet that sat in the middle of several star systems, hoping to get a lead on finding out more about this Maev so they could find her and switch places back.   

“Nawt that much longer yur highness,” Anker whispered back. “Yew know, the longer yur in that form the more impatient yuv been getting', yur majesty.” 

“I can’t help it! From the Swiss cheese memories that I have of this girl it seems like the longer I’m in this body the more I start thinking and acting like her.” 

“Just unsettling is all compared to the confident, hard-noised dragon I’m used to is all,” grumbled Anker. 

“Well, as you can clearly see I am not a dragon! And besides, you’re one to talk. I’m used to talking to a blue dragon a hundred meters tall! Not some frail, old humanoid male with a white beard and no hair on the top of his head that’s only two meters tall!" 

“With the war between the CommonWealth and our Kingdom I thought it’d be best to take on a humanoid form. Less chance of being recognized. The mages say it’s whut I’d look like as a humanoid.” 

“And you probably should lay off calling me ‘yur majesty’ or even using my title at all,” Erylis said suddenly self-conscious. 

“Yes, my lady.” 

“None of that either! Just call me Maev.” 

“Right. Maev,” Anker said through a pained expression. 

Maev. It was the one thing she knew about the body she now inhabited. The first name. Everything else came in quick glances and broken threads of thoughts, memories and ideas that collided with her own.  

“Listen, I don’t like this any better than you do,” Maev said trying to soothe Anker’s hurt feelings, “but the sooner we find out who this girl is and where she is the quicker I get my body back. Then we can go to my father and let him know what happened.” 

Just then a curtain moved back, and a man appeared at the counter in front of them. 

“So, here’s your two identity cards,” the man said laying them on the counter. “They’ll work across the CommonWealth System and are preloaded with the amount you had specified. Now as for who the lass is and where it is she comes from,” he said pointing at Erylis. “What I got outta the CommonWealth database is she’s one Maev Caitrín Sekhmet. Does that ring a bell lass?” the man asked Erylis. 

Erylis nodded stiffly to which the man shrugged. 

“Anyways. Says here she’s currently attending school at one of dem boarding academies at this address,” he said holding up a slip of paper. 

Anker went to grab it, but the man pulled it back quickly and smiled. 

“Nawt ‘fore I get paid.” 

"Put it on my tab,” Anker muttered. 

“'Fraid not. No cash. No address.” 

“Is that right? Well, I’m sure we can come to a suitable arrangement,” said Anker. 

“Oh, what do you ‘ave in mind?” the man said eying Erylis and grinning wickedly. 

Anker followed the man’s eyes then turned back to the man his eyes narrowing. 

“Why don’t we go in the back and discuss it away from prying ears, eh?” 

“Sure, sure. Of course!” the man said eagerly. He pulled back the curtain allowing Anker to pass, never taking his eyes off Erylis. 

“I’ll back right back my sweet,” he said and blew her a kiss. 

Erylis had to hold back the urge to vomit. The man winked then disappeared behind the curtain. 

There was the sound of a hard thud and a cut-off scream before Anker emerged. 

“Was that absolutely necessary?” 

“We don’t have cash and we can’t leave any traces behind.” 

“I’m sorry you had to do that. I know he was a good informant of yours.” 

“He was low-life humanoid scum,” Anker said gruffly. “There’s more than ‘nuff of his type abouts when I need it.” 

She knew that dragons, given their long-life span, tended to care less for what they considered to be lesser creatures, almost treating them as disposable, but the way Anker had dealt with the informant seemed cruel and unnecessary. Erylis wasn’t sure if this was Maev’s thinking or her own. If Anker could do that to another humanoid there was no way her father would take her back in her current state as a humanoid as well. They needed to find this Maev and fast.  

The two booked a shuttle to the planet Iraxto where the school was located and made their way to the port. They arrived as the shuttle was boarding. They hurried down the long corridor and up to the shuttle door where a humanoid woman was checking in the passengers. 

“Tickets and identification,” she asked in a monotone voice. 

Anker handed her the two tickets and the falsified identification cards. The woman scanned the cards, held them up and looked at each of them her eyes never blinking.  

Erylis felt sweat breaking out on her forehead and her throat suddenly felt very constricted.  

She knows! The blasted fake ids didn’t work! Erylis swallowed hard. She realized her arm was shaking so she balled her hand into a fist trying to keep it still. 

“Everything alright miss?” the woman asked Erylis. 

Erylis tried to answer but her mouth felt like it was screwed shut. She struggled to breathe and bit her bottom lip. Anker turned to look at her then back to the attendant. 

“First time flyin’ is all. Just a case of nerves,” he said with a hesitant smile. 

“Right,” the woman said then handed them back the cards. Erylis couldn’t even lift her arm, so Anker snatched the ids, grabbed her arm and pulled her along. Once they found their seats, he turned to her. 

“Yuv got ta pull it together,” Anker said through clenched teeth. “Or we’ll never be able to pull this off. Come on now. Yew can do this!” 

Erylis nodded but her body was still shaking. She turned to look out the view port as the ship pulled away from the docking station, lifted up breaking through the atmosphere and into the black stillness of space. 

“We’ll be fine. Just fine,” Anker said encouragingly as he patted her shoulder. 

Erylis couldn’t tear her eyes away from the viewer and had to fight back a blood curdling scream as the stars around them turned into long, bright white lines of light and then they were gone. 

Erylis awoke with a start. She had been dreaming that she was in her father’s court. Anker had been there leading her up to the throne. Her father had gazed down at her, a look of disproval on his face.  She knew she had dishonored him. He had counted on her to hold back the CommonWealth forces from breaching their borders while he attended to the internal turmoil that had stricken the Council of Elders. It should have been an easy task. 

With a detachment battalion she had secured the high ground as the CommonWealth had already made landfall on furthest moon in their system. But she had underestimated the sheer numbers in their army. They had swarmed around their position and almost overwhelmed her troops before she had led a pincer movement taking the right flank and one of the other clan leaders took the left.  

They had fought bravely cutting through the enemy ranks when she looked up and saw that the other clan leader, Lavantys, had held back her charge. Worse, she had repositioned her troops back up on the hill out of the way of the fighting.  

Erylis barely had time to warn her close friend and mentor, Anker, before she was crushed in the resurgent CommonWealth infantry. It had led to her capture and ultimately her embarrassing transformation into an Exemian humanoid. Her father cared little for her excuses of betrayal, or the cruel twist fate had handed her. Instead, he summoned her closer until she stood at his taloned feet. Just over his shoulder she eyed the shadowy form of Lavantys smiling sinisterly. As Erylis made to warn her father he sighed heavily then opened his mouth in an anguished scream that unleashed a blast of golden flame upon her. The brilliant, white-hot light was the last thing she saw. Now in front of her stood Anker, a solemn expression on his humanoid, white bearded face. 

“We’re here,” he said as he pulled a brown hood up over his head covering the light wisps of hair. 

The platform was a swarming mass of bodies as passengers made their way off and others boarded. Anker pulled her through the crowds until they had exited the station. Out in front the sheer volume of honking horns, sirens blaring, jackhammers pounding away at a construction site all while getting bumped, jostled and pushed by the people going about their lives made Erylis lightheaded and dizzy. 

How does anyone live like this, she thought in utter disbelief. Compared to the expansive, airy, spaces, fine stone carved castles and buildings of her homeward, Iraxto was a bustling hive of frenzied hornets! 

“Here, we can take this to our destination,” Anker said dragging her along as she stared in awe at the magnificently tall, narrow, gleaming towers of glass that soared upwards all around them. 

Anker handed the driver the paper with the address and sat back. 

“So, whut’s the plan?”, he asked rousing her from her reverie. 

“The plan?” 

“Right, whut’re yew gonna do when yew find her?” 

“I just assumed if I touched her, we would switch back.” 

“That come from her memories?” 

Erylis shook her head. 

“Well, I’m sure she’s gonna wanna change back jus as much as yew do. I mean, just look at dis place! Everting is too tight, too small, too narrow. How canna a dragon even live here?” 

Erylis looked back out the window of the cab and wondered the same thing. The whole city was magical. With its bright lights, masses of people moving in massive waves like water flowing in and around the city. There was order and yet it all looked chaotic to her. Everything seemed to be moving in all sorts of directions and at all levels all at once. She craned her neck back against the head rest and as far up as the eye could see were other layers of traffic moving across, up and down. 

If they could control this sheer pandemonium what hope did her people really have to hold back their assault let alone defeat them? 

After several hours of jerking back and forth, moving up inches just to come to a complete stop the cab veered to the left. The vehicle accelerated as they dashed into an underground tunnel with faded yellow lights (not magical candles which made Erylis think it was some other form of magic) before charging now to the right, around a sharp bend that caused Anker and her to slide to the side and smash up against the door before the cab settled back down on its hover bases. 

They continued down a two-lane road until the cabbie turned off in a village. There, tucked away in the rolling green pastures and verdant hills, was a village. Dainty cottages with thatched roofs lined the left side of the road. The cab continued down a steep cobbled main street then turned the corner where the black iron bars of the outer fence of the children’s school, Inhar-Garaxt, cast a shadow across the cab. The school itself stood high on a hill all but hidden in the foliage of the forest that surrounded it.  Only the tower where the children that lived on-campus could be seen poking just out above the treetops.  After passing the outer gates they drove a long windy drive that was almost three kilometers long. 

For those that were arriving for the first time on campus the site was quite imposing.  The added allure was the mist the seemed to constantly shroud the upper school, Morroia, that was just off in the distance further up almost hidden in the clouds. 

“This is it,” the driver confirmed for them. 

Anker reached into his jacket pocket and handed the man his id. The man took it, swiped it in a black box in the front seat then handed him back the card. 

“If you need a lift back just call me,” the driver said and handed Anker a card. Anker took it and shoved it in his pant pocket. He then quickly opened his door, ran around to the other side and opened it for Erylis who strode out, across the grass and up to the front door. 

“How should we announce ourselves? Is there no one here to do this for us?” Erylis asked Anker. 

“No, I don’t believe so. Perhaps if we knock on the door?” Anker offered. 

Erylis started to knock when she heard someone call out Maev’s name. She turned to look to see a tall woman in a long sleeve, cropped length, steel grey fitted twill blazer with matching linen-blend pant and mid-heel black leather booties Her white hair was pulled back in a tight bun just above her neck. 

“Maev!” she called out again. 

Erylis looked at her confused as she struggled to search Maev’s memories for the name of the woman. 

“This is where I we part” Anker whispered to Erylis.  

“Wait, what? You can’t leave me here!”    

“I canna get into the school. Listen ta me and listen good; yew have a choice here your majesty. Once yur on the other side of these walls yew’ll be one of them. No one will know any different. We’re a far cry from the Kingdom of Vestroya and there’s no chance your father will eer be able to get to yew here.” 

“What, what are you saying?” Erylis asked confused. 

“Aye, I saw the way yew were gazing at the city. It’s intoxicating. Surreal even. This is where yur destiny your majesty. Be here. Live this gurls life. Or, find the her, change and then get out. The choice is yurs”  

Erylis looked at Anker with worried eyes.  

“I swore to yur father I’d protect yew. I’m not forsakin’ that oath. I’ll be right here waitin’ for when yew. Be strong. I know yew’ll make the right decison,” he said putting a comforting hand on her shoulder.  

“I’ll be right here,” Anker said with a reassuring smile then he turned and started off in the other direction. 

“Is everything alright, dear? Why are you here? You’re supposed to be the XXX College of Engineering on your exchange semester.” 

“I-I wasn’t feeling well so they brought me back,” Erylis stumbled out in explanation. 

“I see. And who was that gentleman that was with you?” 

Erylis looked over her shoulder, but Anker was gone. 

“A friend.” 

“Well, let’s get you inside and looked after. You weren’t expected back for another two semesters, but I suppose you can finish your course work here. No sense in sending you back now.” 

Erlyis nodded. She had done it! Maybe Anker was right. The Fates be damned! Her future as the Queen of Vestroya was but one choice. Staying here, living this girl’s life and never having to live up to unrealistic expectations, have her ever thought, move and act governed, manipulated and decided upon by committee, ever?  

Erlis smiled. I think I can get used to this! 

******** 

As Anker rounded the corner, he saw a man standing next to an assortment of boxes and luggage. 

“I say good sir,” the man called out to him. Anker glanced behind himself then back to the man. 

“Yes, you, I was hoping you could assist me. I’m looking for Morroia the School of Spells & Incantations. My cabbie seems to have thought this was the place,” the man said motioning to a pub behind him, “And just threw me out with all of my belongings.” 

“Well, yur in luck mate. The school is just around the corner here,” Anker said casting a thumb over his shoulder. 

“Oh, excellent! Much obliged!” the man said. He turned, lifted the suitcase, walked two steps and set it down then turned back to pick up one of the many freight boxes.  

Anker watched him do this several times before finally thinking better of it and offered to help the main. 

“Oh, thank you kind sir! I don’t know how long it would’ve taken me to get these to the school.” 

“No worries t’all. Why do yew have so much baggage anyways? Yew movin’ in?” 

“I guess in a manner of speaking yes, I am. You see, I am to be the new professor in Dragonology. What you see here,” and the man cast a hand waving at all the boxes and luggage, “is the most in-depth knowledge in all the CommonWealth as it relates to dragons. As I understand it, due to our deteriorating relationship with the dragon Kingdom of Vestroya and their most recent terrorist activity in our borders, the Headmistress wants to ensure that her students are well equipped and prepared. All about knowing your enemy better then they know themselves and such,” the man said with a wink. “I’m not in favor of war, mind you, just sharing my knowledge with the hopes that it inspires a student in some small way.” 

“Yew know professor, I’d love to hear more about it. Why don’t we leave these things here and I buy you a pint.” 

“Are you sure? There are some rather valuable artifacts in here,” the man said hesitantly. 

“They’ll be fine,” Anker said reassuringly as he wrapped an arm around the man shoulders and steered him into the pub. 

“Now, whut’d yew say yur name was again?”