SO SHINES THE MOON

Adena lifted her head and blinked the tears from her eyes. Memories were too precious to lose but too painful to keep. Looking over the lake, she felt a calm coming over her. She knew her duty and it would be done. She began to set her priorities in her mind.

Suddenly, without any forewarning, the Belt of Excho that Adena was wearing began to tighten around her waist. Shocked, Adena tried to physically pull it off. It wouldn't come lose, in fact, it constricted all the more tightly. Adena's breath was beginning to escape her in gasps. She felt herself falling and struggled to right herself. She failed and hurled to the ground, scarcely breathing. Then suddenly, the belt was wrenched from her and thrown a few feet distant. Adena now breathed freely but remained unconscious. If one were to listen closely, the winds seemed to be speaking and, in fact, they were:

"She is still so young. Her powers so great that she has not had time to explore them all."

"Worry no longer, Wisdym. She will be safe for now. She will find her powers and she will be the pride of all. Time is needed."

"I am aware of that, my husband." And the winds fell silent.

Adena woke to her Danae nuzzling her hair. She rode him back to her palace where she was to try Enad. She strode into the amphitheatre in which Enad was being held. Enad looked shocked and moreso when he saw her once again wearing the belt. For, you see, he had tried to regain his freedom by killing Adena.

Adena was seated on her throne and she turned to face Enad. "You are charged with disruption of order on Furnaose and neighboring territories. You are also charged with attempted assassination of members of the Furanose." (You see, since Adena had been killed by Enad, and brought back by Iffley, she had no memory of events of the actual destruction.) Pointing a finger at him, she stated, "How do you plead?"

"Guilty as charged, for that is the truth. I fear you could see through a lie," Enad stated. "There is not roam for both of us - ambitious people need much room. I will decide my fate by returning to the Eighth Dimension. I found it intriguing and it will accomodate my tastes." With that, he broke free of the guards and began to spin at a dizzying rate. He became a blur, then a line and then, there was nothing but a humming noise of his transportation to another world, it too faded away.

"Justice has been accomplished," stated Adena for all to hear. Then, to herself, "I hope."

Now that the trial was over, Adena retired to her room. She was exhausted from the emotional day. Yet, as she lay there, the amulet's emeralds began to glow with an intensity she had never seen. Then, just as quickly, they went darker then she had ever seen. Confused, she began to concentrate. She saw the Wizard of Iffley with her nymph near the Pool of Remembrance, Iffley parting the water and being swallowed up by them, then the tip of the upraised sceptre, the pool drying up and Iffley...Adena bolted upright.

 "No," she moaned. It was all she could think to say. They had known each other since they had been children. Suralio, the Wizard's actual name, had been older and had insisted on ordering her about much to her chagrin. They had drifted apart since they had achieved power. Yet now. Now, Iffley lay in the basin of what had been the Pool of Remembrance. Adena summoned the reserves of her strength and the pa1ace f a d e d a w a y into the forest that surrounded the basin.

Adena glanced around to orientate herself. She was in another kingdom and, as the Enchantress of another country, she could be arrested. Forgetting this, she ran down the steep banks of the basin to the small figure lying in the center. Reaching it, she found that it was Iffley. She shook him gently and waited for a response, there was none.

"Suralio?" There was a smile on his face which radiated knowledge and warmth. "What has happened?" she demanded of him. Of course, there was still no answer. She put her hands to her hips in impatience. Her hands touched the belt and the memories fell all into place. Her hands flew to her face and her eyes once again trembled and threatened to overflow with tears.

"It's not right!" she screamed to the sky." He shouldn't have done it! I wouldn't have allowed him to do it, if I could have stopped him! How can I set things to right again! There must ... be ... a way..." The last sentence was broken apart by sobs, Adena had never felt so lost. He had been a great support to her upon the death of her parents. He had already been ruler for three years when she had taken over Furanose.

Her tears were in torrents now, she couldn't seem to stop them. Her mind was whirling with images trying to sort order into the situation. Breaking off sharply, Adena grabbed Iffley's hand and worked off the ring. The emeralds in the amulet dimmed more. Adena noticed and shrieked a cry of delight. She was in time after all!

Placing the ring on her finger, she placed her hands on his shoulders and drew him into her lap. Then hands on his head, she concentrated as she never had before. She wove her strength, intensified by the ring, through him pulling with it healing. When she was finally too tired to go on any longer, she lay him back on the basin floor, slipped the ring back on his hand and mercifully fell asleep as the night was falling across the land. In this darkness, the emeralds' green light radiated from her throat with firm intensity that seemed to gather strength with each passing moment. But, Adena had fallen asleep in the dream of failure feeling his sacrifice and hers were all for naught.

Suralio pushed himself to his feet. He had never felt better, maybe a little tired, but never better. He was curious all he could remember was seeing Adena, alive and beautiful, in Furanose. How had he been spared an early death, he wondered. Then he saw the light of the amulet, he gasped and dropped back down at Adena's side.

Her face was streaked with tears and her hair windblown, but she still looked her part of the Enchantress of Furanose. This must be the answer he for which he was looking. She looked exhausted and spent. He took her into his arms and she was limp. He transported them to his palace.

There he appeared in the midst of an argument. Jonathon Pierce was trying to explain that something horrid must have happened to Iffley but the Quische and others would not agree. Shock, then joy crossed their faces as Iffley appeared with his precious bundle. He silenced their questions with a glance and carried Adena to a room in which she could sleep. He then returned to the group and answered most of their questions - he left out some of the more horrid details. When he returned to the room in he had left Adena, she was gone but a note had been left:

Wizard of Iffley: I appreciate your hospitality but I must return to Furanose. I hope that someday I can repay the sacrifice that you made for me and my country. Adena - Enchantress of Furanose

Iffley was slightly irritated. Stubborn girl, he muttered to himself. He looked out the window toward Furanose. Across the silver shining moon, he saw the silhouette of a winged unicorn.