h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

*She wakens again. It is night time and the lamps are all lit*

*She looks around tentatively, half expecting..... but no.. he is truly gone.. and her heart aches in the loneliness she feels.*


*Carefully she leaves the bed and makes her way to Cara's.. NO! Her desk and sits looking at the marks in the wood. Her fingers outline an ink stain, where she spilled some in her early training with Minos. She smiles softly to herself*

*She opens the desk and finds the seeing ball, her fingers gently stroke the glass surface. She is tempted to try to see Him...but she knows He has changed beyond the man she knew...but just once?....*

Cara that wasn't you I saw in the graveyard.... I could only see the Dragon behind the mask.... I had to leave, before I lost myself and your memory for good </>

*Slowly she closes the desk and sits quietly, reflecting on what might have been*

*She opens the wardrobe and sees all the fine dresses there, but she has no care for such finer now... she pulls out a dark blue dress.. she wore this before, for another mourning. But this mourning is so painful. She opens the other door of the wardrobe and finds the brown robes of a Master Mage.. and the blue of an initiate.. She pulls out the blue robe*

*Holding it out she sighs*

I am not ready yet Cara.. maybe one day. .. but not now </>


*She wanders into the bathroom with her clean clothes and finds that Minos has already filled the bath for her... she smiles softly as she remembers how he too had been a close companion in her time here*


*She bathes and dresses*


*sighs*.. Now to check what it is I have inherited </>


MINOS!! WHERE ARE YOU???


*Lil opens the door and makes her way down the stairs to the training rooms*

~~~~

*She wanders back in. She feels a little lost after seeing the Training Room once more*


*sigh*


The Orchard! </>


*She quickly moves to the balcony and looks out across the spoiled grounds to the small hill.

There... amongst all the devastation... The Orchard, still standing. Looking a little bedraggled, but still intact*


*For the first time since returning, Lil smiles*

*Minos obidiently follows Lil to the master bedroom, awaiting her commands. He stops at the door and sees her sigh*

*Tentativly Minos steps into the room and clears his throat*

MISTRESS.... IF YOU DO NOT MIND ME ENQUIRING.
YOU DO NOT SEEM TO BE YOUR USUAL SELF.
YOU SEEM...... UNDER THE WEATHER...

IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO FOR YOU.

*He steps up behind Lil, looking out onto the orchard*

*Her eyes shine with excitement*

*She turns to face Minos*


No.. nothing thank you Minos.. *smiles brightly*


I am going to the orchard!!!


*Her moods suddenly lifted, she runs down the stairs and as she reaches the bottom, the spell is already being cast*


*The hidden doorway opens up before her... the flying discs are also nearby, but lil has never felt safe with those and walks out instead*

*Minos watches from the window, he sees Lil run out, excited and smiles to himself*

*suddenly a voice speaks in his head, a voice he has heard many times since he lost contact with The Master*

SERVE HER WELL MINOS, SERVE HER FAITHFULLY AND ABOVE ALL OTHER THINGS... KEEP HER SAFE </>

*Minos nods to himself and with a twirl his golden skin becomes translucent, his image dissapears from sight becoming only a shimmer against the wall. He whispers softly to himself and in an instant is stood in the centre of the orchard*

*The air smells crisp and fresh as Autumn begins to come to a close*

*Her mood is lifting as she sees the grounds and gardens are beginning to repair as the mysteries of the Tower begin to work their wonders outside now*


*She walks slowly and carefully up the hill to the orchard. Wanting to remember everything as she goes*

*Minos follows lil quietly, watching over her every step. He smiles to himself, content that his carrying out his Masters wishes to their fullest extent*


*He looks over towards what remains of the village and not wishing it to offend His Misstress' eye, erects an illusion hiding it from view*

*Minos watches as Lil strolls through the orchard enjying the morning sun until he hears a strange noise rising from north of the tower*

*He walks quickly yet unseen over to the Illusion sheild he has erected and looks over in the direction of the noise. The noise grows steadly as Minos spots men approaching from the ruins of the village, men with a look of anger on their faces and armed with anything they could find*

*Minos runs back to Lil, dropping the sheild and his cloak as he runs, she spots him heading towards her and then see's the men behind, running now, screaming at the top of their lungs*

[V] There they are..... Kill them....... Raaaaaaarrrrgggghhhhh

*Minos bundles Lil to the floor as an arrow sails past her, narrowly missing her shoulder*

MY LADY. WE MUST LEAVE. YOU ARE NOT SAFE.

OOOOMPPhh!!.. *lil is winded*



*She watches as the villagers get closer. She can feel her powers of protection beginning to surround herself and Minos*


Minos.. quickly.. .. take me home! </>


*Minos lifts her gently and strides back to the tower as lil weeps in his arms*


These are the very same villagers who relied on Cara.. what ever happened to them? </>


*Only then did she see the mass of devastation that surrounds the village... the gaping holes where homes and businesses used to stand...People who had been maimed still attempting to cross the field that separates the orchard from the outskirts of the village*


.. .... hurry Minos... please... </>

*Minos sweeps Lil up into his arms*

DO NOT WORRY MISTRESS....
THEY SHALL NOT HARM YOU...

*Minos looks back as he speeds towards the tower he looks back at the chasing villagers and raises his hand. Lil hears him form the words of a spell and a ball of fire appears in his hand ready fly*

NO MINOS!!!!!

*Lil reaches out and in disrupting the spell of another, she absorbs most of its energy*


*The pain she feels is worse than anything she has ever felt in her life*


They have been hurt enough.. take me home Minos... </>

*Minos runs with his head down, reaching speeds not possible by any average person. He comes within sight of the tower walls and at a gesture the door opens admiting Minos and Lil. It closes a step behind them sealing itself against the procession of villagers*

YOU WILL BE SAFE IN THE TOWER MISTRESS

*Minos gently lets Lil down from his arms and with a word a disk rises from the floor and carries them to the top of the tower*

WHAT ARE YOUR WISHES FOR THE VILLAGERS MISTRESS..?
THEY CAN NOT BE LEFT OUTSIDE TO MAKE A NUISANCE OF THEMSELVES..?

*She sits down in the old comfy chair and holds her pounding head*


Minos... you cannot harm them further. They have been through enough.. Please don't hurt them anymore.. </>



*leans back and closes her eyes*


*She can see Cara behind her eyelids and slowly the tears fall once more*


*She curls herself up in the chair and falls asleep*

~~~~~~~~~~


*Lil wanders aimlessly about the tower.*

*She can hear the men outside attempting to gain entry, but she knows that is impossible. For each chip they make in the stonework, it is reinforced by her security spells.*

*Lil has spent days in Cara's Workshop. She went through all of his books, writings and diaries. Memorising everything she read there. Not even Minos could penetrate her thoughts when he attempted to make her rest or eat... she just kept absorbing all Cara's words*



*Now she is ready! Today she walks out onto the balcony and looks down on the villagers. One fires an arrow at her, but she deflects it easily, now there are cries of Witchcraft! She smiles softly to herself and returns inside*



MINOS!! COME! We have work to do my friend!

*She runs down the stairs to the lower workshop and quietly chanting to herself, a doorway appears.... as she opens the door a brilliant light shines into her eyes....*

Quickly Minos!

Grab him and take him back!!





*She watches as Minos picks up the injured man and carries him back through the portal ... back into the Tower*






*The portal closes quickly behind her*




Take him to one of the rooms and make him comfortable



*She watches as Minos carries the man upstairs.... she sighs quietly to herself*

*the man groans as he is carried to the bed chambers by Minos, the stench of unpurified alcohol permeates the air*

*a wisp of light suddenly appears in front of Lil and cicles her*

*it emits a strange feeling that she knows and trusts*

*Lil follows a few minutes later, carrying bottles and phials*


We will have long and arduous task before Minos


*looks at the man and sighs once more*

*Lil shivers as a knowing feeling comes to her*


Khamsin?