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The Gatekeepers By: Aradia on 10/21/2001; 5:11 PM Nine thousand forty two years after the Four Wars Esherienne was bored. Shed been the Keeper of the Northern Gate for far too long - shed played with the mortal men, shed revealed prophecies and allowed the living to speak with the dead. But shed been doing that for over nine thousand years, and she was bored. She wandered through the lands that surrounded the Northern Gate, always staying close to the Gate. It was her fate - her curse - to remain with the Gate until another took her place. She longed for the days when she had been a unicorn Queen, days when she had been allowed to run free among the green grasses. She had spoken to her sisters already, and knew that they were bored as well. Her sisters. Destiny, the Keeper of the Southern Gate. Chanelle, the Keeper of the Eastern Gate. And Araryl, the Keeper of the Western Gate. Unlike Esherienne, though, Destiny and Chanelle and Araryl were not unicorn. Destiny had been a human Queen. Chanelle had been an elf Queen. And Araryl had been a nymph Queen. The four of them had created a truce long before they had become Keepers, a truce when the Four Wars still raged. When the gods had approved, and had offered a gift of their choice, each had chosen to become a Keeper. None of them had anticipated that they would be Keepers for as long as they had. But they had been, and now, they were bored. Esherienne sighed in displeasure, and wandered through her small cottage, then out the door. The cottage on the edge of the Northern Gate. She finally knelt in front of a hollowed tree trunk, and gazed into the murky waters. Her reflection gazed back at her, ivory features surrounded by a thick mane of pure white hair. Wide violet eyes, filled with both innocence and bitterness. The large baroque pearl set in the middle of her high brow. She concentrated briefly, and finally, was watching the actions of another woman. This woman had fiery red hair, and a pale face, with bright blue eyes. This woman was human. This woman had been a Queen. This woman was Destiny. Destiny was working at a loom, creating another tapestry. This tapestry was filled with more scenes from the Four Wars, scenes that Destiny had been involved with. The tapestry was vividly coloured, each image seeming to be life-like and real. Other tapestries of the Four Wars already covered every surface of Destinys cottage at the edge of the Southern Gate. But Destiny was as bored as Esherienne. She wanted to be released from her immortality, but she knew it would never happen. Not until another took her place. And everyday, she longed for the mortality that had been inevitable to her people. She looked up as the Southern Gate called to her, vibrated in her very soul. She listened to the wail of the Gate, then vanished. Standing in the center of the great hall was Esherienne. She was quickly joined by Destiny, by the golden haired Chanelle, and by the raven haired Araryl. This great hall was the only place the four of them could physically meet, for it was equidistant from their respective Gates. Soon enough, however, they were joined by an old man, a man stooped with age, his strange yellow eyes gleaming with joy. "I have news for the four of you, Keepers. I have decided to give the gift of life one last time," he announced with a sly smile. When he saw the puzzled look that was passed between the women, he smiled even more. "Not yet, not in this time. But soon. There will be a nymph Queen, one whose consort will sire but one child. This Queen will be strong, she will be powerful. And she will be able to birth the Daughters I will give her." Only Chanelle picked up his word right away. "Daughters? You are having more than one Daughter this time, Father?" The old man nodded. "There will be four Daughters, Keeper Chanelle. I tell you this now, because I want you to prepare for what will happen to this world." "And what will happen to this world, Father?" Araryl asked, her high voice filled with curiosity. "And why must we prepare for this event?" "There will be a war when my four Daughters rise to rule. A war brought on by their mothers consort. It will tear this world apart. And it will bring change. But there will be much more than that." His yellow eyes shadowed briefly. "Which is what?" Esherienne and Destiny asked at the same time. Chanelle and Araryl nodded, encouraging him. "What have you seen?" Another shadow crossed the old mans face. "Death and more death. A flood, a torrent, a rage. A rain of tears. And when the deluge ends, it is then that the new era will begin. The era that will mark the end of the Inheritors Age." "The Inheritors Age?" Esherienne gazed at the man with skepticism. "These last four Daughters will be the ones who inherit all. Who inherit nothing. They will lead the world from the old era, and into the new era. But the price will be high for them, for nothing is given that equal value has not been received." He turned and left his great hall, and left the Keepers alone and in bewilderment. After a moment, Araryl gazed at her sisters. "He tells us this because these four Daughters will be the ones who will bring much death to the world. It will be for their sakes that many warriors will shed their blood on the battlefields. And it will be for us to escort the slain ones. "Escort them to their final homes."
RE: The Gatekeepers By: Seth Dillingham on 4/18/2000; 5:50 PM This story left me wanting more. It looked like the beginning of a decent novel! Is there more? Will there be? Regardless, I liked it.
RE: The Gatekeepers By: Aradia on 4/18/2000; 11:18 PM Why, thank you, Mr Dillingham. Yes, there will be more on the world of Taundra. I assure you, the severe writers' block I've had is now being replaced by the writers' bug again. The Gatekeepers is but the beginning.
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