Enter Ayralef - Part IV

THE WAY THINGS ARE

After the meal, Alastazia Lesona stood up at the lectern at the front of the cafeteria and gave a short prayer to Saint Markie, the Archangel, for the meal. Lea found herself reflecting on the distinct possibility that this church's holy archangel was none other than the same Markie that Lea knew from Felarya. Only in this reality she was some kind of deity? How did that happen? After the prayer, the nuns began cleaning up and leaving the room to go about their daily business. The two Leas and Crisis remained behind so that they could talk without interruption.

“That was great!” Crisis said, of the food. She patted her stomach, which bulged outward slightly from the meal. “Lea, can I take a nap now?”

“Sure,” both Leas said simultaneously before looking at one another in surprise.

“Sorry. Force of habit,” Lea blushed.

The other Lea smiled. “I understand.”

Crisis went off to another table and laid upon it, her tail hanging off the side and coiling loosely on the floor. With a quick stretch and a yawn, Crisis was asleep with typical swiftness.

“She’s so much like my own Crisis, it’s crazy,” said Lea, looking at the blonde naga. “It’s comforting in a way.”

“From what I heard last night, this world must be such a culture shock to you,” Lea Landau took a sip from the remainder of her coffee. “Tell me more about Felarya. What's it like? What happened to you after you crossed over to that world?”

“Well… the invaders who took me and the other slaves captive took me through their portal,” Lea began. “When we got to the other side we were all alone, in a dense jungle. I would have thought it was their home world, but for the fact that our captors reacted with as much confusion as we did. They set up a base camp and tried to contact their home world, but before they could escape, Crisis showed up. Unlike this world, the Crisis I know is gigantic. Almost 80 feet tall! She came through the trees and spotted the invaders and immediately started eating them all, one at a time.”

“She ate them?” Lea Landau’s eyes were wide.

“Yes. On Felarya, humans are little more than prey,” Lea replied. “Crisis ate everyone else but me. She would have devoured me too, but… somehow my voice had some kind of effect on her. I can’t explain why, but she suddenly became interested in me and my story, and as we talked together, we formed a bond. We became friends. Best friends even. For the last ten years I have lived with Crisis in the Giant Tree.”

“Inside the Giant Tree?” the other Lea clarified in amazement.

“Uh huh,” Lea nodded. “I have a room carved out of a hollow in the trunk of the tree. Crisis lives in there too, as does another Naga named Anna.”

“Fascinating,” Lea Landau leaned back in her chair. “On this world, no one is allowed to even touch Angkora Magnus. It’s become a national icon, and preserving it is the utmost priority of Angkora’s City Council… So Crisis never once tried to eat you after that?”

“No, of course not,” said Lea. “Crisis and I love each other. She would never eat me, even if she was starving to death. And she defends me from other giants who try to eat me all the time.”

“So then, I imagine because of that, humans stay clear of the tree and there isn’t a lot of settlement on Felarya, is there?”

Lea shook her head. “On Felarya, humans are at the bottom of the food chain. Ur-Sagol, the empire you call home, was destroyed long ago on my world. It never even got off the ground. Since then, the forest grows wild and free. And the giants aren’t some tamed cattle on that world. They hunt and eat humans and can do whatever they like.”

There was a short pause in the conversation as Lea Landau absorbed this information. “It all sounds so dangerous… yet you seem to love it there.”

“It’s home,” Lea declared. “On Felarya I am truly free. Sure there’s danger, but I have friends there who truly love me,” Lea’s tone darkened. “They’re so much better people than the ones I left behind. Even the ones I thought were friends on Balfrezagg…” Lea’s grey eyes darkened. “My so-called ‘friends’… They just used me for my kindness; Hid behind me whenever they got in trouble, knowing that I’d take responsibility. I’ve never met a human being on either world that didn’t try to rape, enslave, betray… or curse me.” Lea clenched her fists under the table.

“Curse you?” the other Lea sounded shocked.

“Alastazia Lesona put a curse on me!” Lea said through gritted teeth. “On my world, she’s one of the most evil people I’ve ever met! She cursed me so that I would be irresistible to predators all around me! Thanks to that terrible spell, even Crisis finds it hard not to look at me like some kind of morsel! Other predators go to extraordinary lengths just to devour me! And the worst part is… it’s only going to get worse!”

“My Gods!” Lea Landau looked truly thunderstruck at the revelation. “I wondered why you tried to run away from here. Lesona told me about the mistrust… the hatred in your eyes. I had no idea that was the reason!”

Lea nodded, tears stinging her eyes. “And that is why… Because of people like her… that I don’t really care that my friends eat fellow humans. Their diet doesn’t make them evil. It’s simply part of who they are. And I accept that.”

“Because other humans wronged you in the past,” Lea Landau said. “It sounds to me like part of you takes a small amount of pleasure in seeing other people devoured.”

Lea glared at her other self. “Are you actually judging me? You, who knows exactly what I have been through? Why should I care for my own kind, who have never done anything for me?!”

“No. No judgment here,” Lea Landau cast her eyes to the floor. “I was the same way you are now when I first came to this world. It seems our different experiences over the last ten years have shaped us differently.

“The Lesona on this world… is not the evil woman who cursed you,” she continued. “She’s a gentle woman who practices her faith diligently; always helping others if they need it. She helped me when I first got to this world. Even now she seeks to help you, despite knowing you don’t like her.”

Lea folded her arms across her chest defensively. “Yeah, I figured that out,” she grumbled. “It’s just… too soon for me.”

“Now let me tell you my story,” said Lea Landau gently, leaning forward and resting her arms on the table. “Ten years ago, I came through that portal in exactly the same condition you did. And I felt exactly the same way inside. That sense of betrayal and worthlessness that made me want to lash out at everyone. But in my case, the invaders who’d captured me wound up in the middle of a village just west of here. They were surprised, of course, but responded just as invaders do. They used their weapons to take the village and gather townspeople as more slavestock. They also tried to contact their home world in the meantime. But word got out about what they’d done, and not long afterward, a portion of the Sagolian Army showed up, with Crisis in the lead. That was the first time I ever laid eyes on a giant.”

“So there are giants on this world?” Lea interrupted. “Where are they? And for that matter, why is Crisis so small?”

“It’s magic,” Lea Landau stated simply. “Fairy magic that enables one to change sizes at will. After Ur-Sagol struck a peace accord with the Fairy Kingdom, the Fairies were kind enough to teach us the magic necessary to shrink our giant friends down. Before that, it was extremely costly and inconvenient to keep them around in urban areas. They had to have special giant houses built for them; they ate massive amounts of food; and they generally couldn’t be allowed to move around inside the cities, because there was the constant fear of them accidentally squashing small folk underfoot. My Crisis is actually quite huge, like yours. But it’s Fairy Magic that keeps her more or less my height.”

Lea suddenly understood. So that Dridder she had seen the other day. As well as Crisis. They were all actually giants on this world too. They were just shrunk down for convenience. She knew that Temi could change size on Felarya using similar fairy magic. Now that she thought about it, it seemed so obvious that Lea wondered why she didn’t think about that possibility sooner.

“So you met Crisis… and she saved you?” prompted Lea.

“Crisis single-handedly swept into town to break the siege,” Lea Landau continued her story. “The invaders fired at her, but their weapons were like toys to creatures that massive. They were disarmed in short order, and the hostages, including myself and the other slaves from Balfrezagg, were freed. Crisis was the one who opened my cage and let me out. I remember thanking her for rescuing me. Similar to what happened to you, something about my voice struck a chord with Crisis, and the two of us became fast friends. The City of Angkora took the lot of us refugees in, and processed us as citizens of the empire. I remember I was suspicious of everyone at first, except Crisis. But when I was told, point blank, that there was no slavery on this world, and was pretty much told I could do whatever, and go wherever I wanted, I was elated.

“I stayed here, in this very church, for a couple of years,” Lea Landau said, looking around at the dining hall with a nostalgic look in her eyes. “Mother Lesona took all of us refugees in until we all found ourselves. Crisis visited me almost daily, introducing me to her friends and family. Eventually, she introduced me to the man who licensed her.”

“Licensed her?” Lea asked, looking for clarification.

“Since ancient times, giants who have been captured by the empire have been rehabilitated whenever possible,” said the other Lea. “A system was put in place whereby any non-human sentient being born inside the borders of the empire were made citizens, in exchange for a sworn oath that they would never devour a single human being, and that they would become useful members of society. Thus, the Familiar Program was put in place.”

“Familiars… You mean like animal-partners,” Lea guessed.

“Yes, but obviously creatures like Crisis are no mere animals,” Lea Landau clarified. “Early in life they are brought up in a nursery environment, taught to be friendly with humans and to see them as equals. After a certain age, they are graduated to the real world, where they seek out and find a role in society to serve. Most seek out and find a partner of human, elven, neko, or inu persuasion. The partner, if he or she agrees, fills out a licensing form that legally binds the two in a master-familiar relationship.”

“Master?!” Lea stood up in horror. “So it is slavery! You and everyone else on this world just gave it a quaint little name!”

“No, it’s not slavery,” Lea Landau maintained. “Trust me, I felt the same way you did at first, but then I saw the system in action. Yes, the familiar does take orders from its license-holder, but there are laws in place to protect the familiar’s civil rights. Familiars earn pay, are entitled to higher education, enjoy equal protection under the law, they can even vote in elections! Does that sound like slavery to you?”

“It’s still servitude,” Lea pointed out. “That licensing system is nothing more than a system of ownership!”

“Servants are used all the time,” Lea Landau argued, her brow furrowing at the direction this conversation was taking. “Human servants work in the same exact way. And the licensing system is simply there to document what familiars work with what humans.”

“Its still a system based on fundamental inequality!” Lea pounded the table with her fist, her voice elevating in volume as her anger flared. “I am horrified at you! To think that I could possibly become content and accepting of a system like this! So that’s really all Crisis is to you? A faithful servant to follow you around and play at being your friend?? There’s no ‘licensing’ or ‘familiars’ on my world! Crisis is my equal! She’s my friend! Not some dog to keep at my side and jump to my orders!!”

Lea Landau was starting to get angry now also, and she rose to her feet to argue back at her. But before the words were out of her mouth, a sudden movement drew both girls’ gazes. Lea turned, and before she could react, Crisis was in front of her.

It happened so fast that at first Lea couldn’t comprehend what had happened to her. Then, the sting in her right cheek registered on her nerves. She leveled her eyes at Crisis and saw the blonde Naga standing directly in front of her, open hand still stuck in the ‘follow-through’ position for her strike. The expression on her face was very angry.

“I’m nobody’s dog!” Crisis shouted at her. “I entered contract with Lea of my own free will! And I can quit any time I want! But I love Lea! I love her like the sister I never had!! Don’t talk bad about stuff you know nothing about!!”

Lea felt tears come to her eyes. She had never imagined that Crisis could look at her with such anger. It wasn’t her Crisis, but the face was the same. And it had the same effect on Lea’s psyche. She put a hand to her right cheek and choked back a sob.

“Crisis…” Lea Landau intervened with a hand on the Naga’s shoulder. “It’s alright.”

Crisis whirled on her. “But she--”

“--is no different than how I was when I first came to this world,” said Lea Landau. “Remember? Remember when I found out about the licensing program and tried to set you free? You were so confused about why I was so upset.”

Crisis’ anger melted away. “I remember,” she said. “That was right before I became licensed to you.”

Lea looked back and forth between the two of them. The other Lea saw her expression and elaborated: “Crisis chose to be my familiar. I did not ask her. In fact, she wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer. Familiars in this world have the choice to enter into partnership. That's the part you missed in your haste to condemn this world. Slaves don't get to choose their lot in life. When I finally accepted… I learned from the other side that this ‘system,’ as you put it, is nowhere near as bad as it seems. Is it unequal? Only insofar as Crisis is duty-bound to accompany me everywhere and follow my orders. I’m sure the freedom you and your friends enjoy on Felarya is wonderful. I wouldn’t try to change that. No more than I would try to dictate to you how the devouring of humans is somehow morally wrong. Do I agree with it? Do I like it? No. But how would you feel if I suddenly started screaming at your face, telling you how things should be on your world?”

Lea sank back into her seat, still holding her cheek. She felt shame, much to her irritation. And that only brought back to her memory the face of the man called Corbin, who had vilified her immunity to the laws of nature in similar fashion. Damn! She hated this feeling; the shame of being in the wrong...

Lea Landau squatted down and put her hands on Lea’s shoulders, looking her square in the eye with a faint smile on her face. “I understand how you feel. It’s that culture shock I mentioned before. I’ve had over ten years to become used to this world and how it works. Just as you have had ten years in Felarya.” Lea was pulled into a hug. She stiffened briefly, but then relaxed her guard and accepted the comforting embrace.

“You and I were once the same person,” Lea Landau continued. “Somehow, by some twist of dimensional magic, we split into two people and now we walk different paths. But that doesn’t mean we can’t understand one another.”

“Okay, okay, I get it,” Lea pushed her mirror-twin away in mild annoyance. “Just cut it out with the lecture, okay?”

Lea Landau was smiling. “I hope we can still be friends.” She held her hand out to shake with.

Reluctantly, Lea took the hand. “Just promise me you can get me home.”

Lea Landau was silent for a long moment. “I promise you that I will try my best,” she said.

Lea sighed. That would have to do.

*****

“So you two will be leaving?”

Crisis and both Leas were standing in Alastazia Lesona’s office. “Afraid I can’t stay for lunch, Mother-supreme,” Lea Landau apologized. “But our guest needs to get home as quickly as possible and we can’t accomplish much here at the convent.”

Lesona looked at Lea. “Of course. I suppose I’m being selfish, but I so wanted to have a chance to prove to her that I’m not evil.”

Lea felt her face flare up in embarrassment and she found it impossible to look Lesona in the face. “A-about that,” she stammered. “I’m… sorry about yesterday.”

“Apology accepted. Just know that I am not your enemy, and never will be. If you ever need anything, my doors are always open to you,” Lesona beamed.

The three girls turned to leave the room.

“Oh, and Lea…” Lesona started.

“Yes?” Both Leas turned and answered simultaneously.

Lesona was taken aback for a second, then she broke into an amused laugh. “You two really could pose as identical twins,” she tittered. Recovering from her mirth, she looked at Lea again. “I was just going to say, I heard about your ‘curse.’ If ever you have any time before you go, I would like to have a chance to examine that spell. My specialty is in curse-removal, and perhaps I can find a way to undo the hex.”

Lea’s eyes widened hopefully. “You’d… you’d do that for me?”

“I wouldn’t be much of a holy priestess if I didn’t help people in times of need,” said Lesona.

Lea felt her eyes well up with sudden tears, and she turned away to hide them from the priestess. “Thank you,” she mumbled.

“I’ll see about bringing her back here before she leaves then,” Lea Landau bowed in thanks to Mother Lesona. “Until then…”

“See? I told you she was a kind person,” said Lea’s twin after they were outside the church, and out of earshot.

“I see what you mean,” replied Lea. “But you’ll understand if I don’t get my hopes up. A powerful sorceress on my world tried to remove the curse, but couldn’t. She could only mask it.”

“Well we won’t know if we don’t try,” said Lea Landau, leading her twin down the front steps to the bustling street below. “Now, it’s likely we won’t solve your problem by the end of today, so I’ll make arrangements for you to stay at my place for however long this takes. For now, I’ll take you over to Tech Town and we can converse with some of the Deluran Scientists who work there. Those people specialize in Portal Technology. If that doesn’t work, there’s always the magical route.”

“Any particular reason they wouldn’t be able to get me home?” asked Lea as they reached the bottom of the steps and made their way down the street.

“Well, not specifically,” said the other Lea. “Only… No one has ever heard of this sort of thing happening before. Ayralef gets lots of visitors from other dimensions, but never before has someone from an alternate reality crossed over. To be frank, the arrival of someone like yourself is rather unprecedented.”

Lea thought about that for a while as they walked eastward along the street. She hadn’t thought about the possibility that no one here would be able to get her home. What if she was stuck here? What would Crisis and Anna do? Lea was wondering how they were doing right now. Did they miss her? Were they searching all over the forest in a panic, like that time she’d run away shortly after she’d been cursed? None of them had any idea she wasn’t even on Felarya. How much time would go by, Lea wondered, before they all concluded she’d been eaten by something? Her heart became heavy at the thought of her friends thinking she was dead.

The sights and smells of the City of Angkora soon distracted Lea from those dark thoughts. As they walked along, Lea found herself observing the people around her. Most of the buildings on either side of the street seemed to be multi-storey cement buildings of a uniform light-brown color. Almost every building had a street-level business open for browsing. There were food markets, produce shops, clothing outlets, furniture stores, carpet shops, anything one could think of seemed to be available.

Teeming the streets of this busy avenue were all sorts of people of all shapes and sizes. Most were human, but the more Lea looked around the more she spotted elves, inus, and nekos. Then there were the familiars, former predator-races such as nagas, dridders, centaurs, and even  harpies. Most of the non-humanoid persons looked to be tagging along behind one or more partners, though a few moved about independently.

“Most of the people who have ‘familiars’ with them seem to be at least moderately wealthy,” Lea observed aloud.

“Understandably,” her double replied. “It costs money to house, clothe, and feed a familiar. It’s almost like raising another child in a way. One has to be pretty financially well-off to afford one familiar, much less multiples.”

Lea looked over her shoulder at Crisis, who was following along quietly. Suddenly, something caught Crisis’ eye and the naga slid to a stop “Ooh!” she exclaimed. “Lea, look! That shop over there has fantastic ice-cream! Can I get a cone?! Pretty please?!”

Lea Landau stopped and looked at Crisis. “Very well, but remember to take it easy on the scoops. We’re watching your calories, remember?”

“Yay!” Crisis bolted over to the ice cream shop, waving her arms excitedly like a young child.

“In some cases, it’s literally like raising a child,” Lea Landau sighed. Still, she had a smile on her face as she watched the blonde naga impatiently wait in line.

Lea smiled too, then studied her mirror-twin for a second. Though they looked exactly alike, they were dressed quite differently. Lea was still wearing her convent robes, courtesy of Mother Lesona, but her twin was dressed like a society-girl with her frilly dress and her stylish hair. Then there was the fact that she apparently had the money to support Crisis, who it seemed, no matter the reality, had a bottomless pit for a stomach.

“I feel a question coming on,” Lea Landau smirked at her.

“You seem pretty wealthy yourself,” said Lea. “Temi mentioned last night you’re a pretty important person in this city. How did you come to be so well off after coming to this world? And I’ve been meaning to ask; what’s with your last name?”

“Ah, right. I was going to tell you before,” said the other Lea. “I told you how I met Crisis and she and I became friends, right?”

“Right.”

“Well, Crisis didn’t originally belong to me,” Lea Landau continued her story. “She was licensed to a military officer; one of the more high-ranking noblemen charged with the defense of this city, and in service to the empire. That’s how it was she was involved in my liberation. About eight years ago, while still staying at the convent with Mother Lesona, Crisis came by for a visit. In past visits, she usually came alone, but that particular time she brought her partner with her. And that’s when I met him.”

“Him?”

Lea Landau’s face took on a tinge of redness and her expression became wistful. She held up her left hand, and something sparkly caught Lea’s eye. When she looked, she saw a diamond ring that she’d failed to notice before. Her heart started to flutter in her chest as she suddenly realized what was coming.

“His name is Corbin Landau,” the other Lea said, gazing lovingly at her ring. “And he is my husband.”

TO BE CONTINUED...