--------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is an entirely fictional story (as if you couldn't guess) and is not intended to imply anything about the sexuality of the members of NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys and none of these events actually happened in real life. Some of the phrases, places and text are copyrighted to Tolkien (thank you to Kyriel2@aol.com for pointing out that I forgot to add this...). Also, the characters "Hercules", "Iolaus", "Lilith" and "Jason" are copyrighted to the show "Young Hercules" and all other companies associated with the show. This story has hints of homosexual content but will move slowly in that area because of the storyline. Comments and suggestions are welcomed and should be sent to ensstyenlc@hotmail.com If you are 18 or older, you may proceed to read the story. If you are under 18 years of age, shouldn't you be studying or at least at a Pokemon website rather than here? ;-) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Firstly, I would like to thank God for giving me the gift to write this in the first place. (Sorry I forgot about You in the first few thank you's) I would like to thank David from Nifty for letting me put my work on his site. I would also like to thank all the readers who have sent their feedback. Now let's continue the story, shall we? ___________________________________________________________________________ |The BSB NSYNC Chronicles - Chapter Six| Paxon Kyrk nervously paced about the room. His blue eyes shifted uncomfortably. He ran his fingers through his dirty blond hair and wondered why Head Regent Graelynia had called for him. His usually calm and confident demeanor was replaced by a fingernail-biting nervousness. The Head Regent was the second highest ranking in the Elven Nation, next to the King and Queen.
"Would you calm down already?" Graelynia said as she stepped into the room. Her short black hair contrasted against her pale skin. Her clear almost-black eyes peered at Paxon. "Why are you so nervous?"
"You called me here for 'business reasons'," Paxon said fidgeting. "And business reasons from the Head Regent are not to be taken lightly." Graelynia smiled at Paxon.
"Do not worry, my love," Graelynia soothed Paxon's fears. "It is a simple 'business'."
The relief on Paxon's face was obvious. He began to smile in anticipation of what was to come. As if divining his thoughts, Graelynia said, "Not tonight, Pax. It's not that type of business."
Paxon's face fell. He gave a small pout. Graelynia placed her slender but firm hand under his chin and lifted his face up. She gave him a small kiss on the lips which he eagerly returned.
"As you may have heard," Graelynia pulled herself away from Paxon as she spoke, "there have been three newcomers to Caeranos. They were originally part of a group of ten before they broke up. I have managed to trace where some of them went and made sure that they have been entrusted into the hands of allies and friends."
"And this concerns me because?" Paxon interrupted.
"One of the three who had come to Caeranos was originnaly captured by scros for a short while," Graelynia continued, ignoring Paxon's remark, "but he was rescued. His companion was spared somehow and has been taken in by Sebastion. Two others have joined the academy of our kin, the centaur Cheiron. Another two will be attacked by bandits if they continue in their direction. Of the last two, we have found no contact, though. What I need you to do is to go help the two who will be robbed. I want you train them."
"Me?" Paxon asked, shocked. "Why me?"
"They have great potential. You can train them well. According to the human stick of brocolli, they are dancers and should be easily trained in your style of fighting." Graelynia explained. "And they have magical weapons and items similar to those you are fond of using. Any other questions?"
"'Human stick of brocolli'?" Paxon grinned.
"The human known as Justin," Graelynia said with humor in her voice. "His nickname to most of the citizens of Caeranos. It originated when one of the yearlings asked her mother 'Why does that human want to have his hair like that? It's so curly it would make a brocolli jealous.' and the name stuck."
She handed Paxon a clear vial with a faint blue liquid inside. "Quaff that and you will be transported to the two you are supposed to help."
Paxon eyed the potion dubiously. "How do I know that this will work and that I won't be turned into a frog or a rabbit or something?"
"This was made by four of our best archmages," Graelynia frowned at Paxon's distrust.
"Not all of them trust me," Paxon explained. "I'm the half-elven result of a human raping my mother. They have no reason to like, or even trust me."
"These four are friends of yours," Graelynia reassured her lover. "Their names are Galen Windshine, Estel Narelen, Chaemus Ingolemo and Feist Spellweaver, if you don't believe me."
Paxon finally nodded, putting his trust in his friends. He quickly pulled the cork off the potion and gulped it down. He felt a tingle and before he knew it, he was standing behind six men wielding swords.
"Then you'll just die," the leader spoke. The six men began to close in on two figures. Paxon wielded his raztars, magical elven weapons that were inspired by a child's toy known as a bandalore. The round case that fit into his palm held seven blades attached to a magical spindle. The leather strap wrapped around the spindle looped about his middle fingers. Paxon flicked his wrists and the spindles of his raztars lashed out, their blades extending magically. They sliced through the air, piercing the hearts of two of the attackers. As the weapons began to return to Paxon, their blades returning into the spindle. The remaining four men had not noticed that their comrades were dead. The raztars were so fast that the two doomed bandits had not even had time to cry out.
"Leave them alone," Paxon said in a low tone. The four men turned back to see who had spoken. Lance suddenly remembered his sword. He gripped it tightly and stabbed the back of the bandit nearest to him. The bandit's death cry brought the attention back to Lance and JC. They turned their backs to Paxon, giving him the opportunity to fling his raztars out again. The leader of the band looked around at his dead friends. He turned to run but twisted his ankle. It prolonged his life, though. One of the raztars zoomed harmlessly over his head but the other sliced off a finger. He screamed in pain and turned to face the furious half-elf. Paxon just glared at him. He was the last thing the bandit leader ever saw.
Lance and JC stared at the newcomer. He looked human except that his ears were pointed.
"Thank you for your help," Lance said gratefully. He glanced at his bloodstained sword and dropped it in shock. Paxon quickly picked it up. He glanced at it and uttered the word "utu'templa". The sword began to glow a pale blue in color. Paxon wiped the blood off it on the grass and handed it back to Lance hilt first.
"You have a magical sword of great power though it is obvious by the way you hold it that you don't know how to use it," Paxon said as Lance took the sword. "Your sword is a pretty good one to have in battle, especially if you have been disarmed. It will return to your hand if you want or need it to."
Lance smiled and decided to test it out. He flung his sword into the darkness and imagined it in his hands. The sword began to materialise into his grip. JC took of the dragon ring and handed it to Paxon.
"Is this one magic?" JC asked. Paxon uttered the words again. This time, the ring glowed green. Paxon handed the ring back to JC.
"This one is different," Paxon said. "It doesn't do anything much except that while you wear it, dragon breath will not affect you."
"Cool!" JC grinned like a small child who had just gotten a puppy for Christmas. Paxon smiled warmly at the two. Lance and JC fell into an uncomfortable silence, wondering how to ask the man who had just saved them if he could help them even further. Paxon just grinned at their uncomfortable faces. He decided to spare them the agony.
"I was sent to help the two of you," he stated. "If you both agree, I will bring you back to my home and you will be given food, clothing and I will train you to use your sword and him to use raztars." He pointed to Lance and JC as he spoke about them. They broke into smiles and both said "Thank you!" in unison. Paxon smiled. He reached into his shirt and pulled out a strange amulet that looked like a four-sided star with a huge pearl in the centre. He uttered a few words and the pearl began to glow with white light.
Graelynia felt her starjewel warm and she pulled it out and looked at it. She took it out and stared into the pearl at its centre.
<They are ready. We need something to bring us back,> Paxon's voice spoke to her telepathically.
<Okay. Wait there for a while and you will be brought to Caeranos,> Graelynia said. She looked at the three men in her room and nodded. "You may begin your practice."
"I don't need practice," Estel grinned. "I'm the teacher, remember?"
He began to utter words and his hands formed circles of green light in the air. One of the other two other men began to follow his movements and words. He had not done this particular spell before, though he knew in theory what to do. The other man, dressed in embroidered red, green and brown robes had his head lowered in prayer. Estel, far more experienced than the other two finished first. A blue glow emitted from the green circles and Paxon materialised before him. The robed figure was next to finish. His magic had the same effect, though it was wrought differently. A blue flash of light announced JC's arrival into the room. The last man finished his spell and Lance appeared in the room as well.
"Justin?" Lance looked at the man who had summoned him. The curly haired youth had a big grin on his face. The bright look fitted his bright yellow and green clothes.
"Brian?" JC asked, looking at the familiar face of the robed man.
"In the flesh," Brian and Justin answered at the same time.
"What are you guys doing here?" Lance and JC said, also at the same time.
"It's a long story," a familiar voice said from the doorway. AJ stepped in with Tilkeleb and smiled at JC and Lance. "We'll explain at dinner. It's good to see you two again."
The five friends and Tilkeleb made their way through the large house. Justin eagerly showed JC and Lance every room and item in the house while Tilkeleb, Brian and AJ just laughed at Justin's enthusiasm. They had all been in Estel's (and now Justin's as well) before and knew their way around. AJ and Tilkeleb excused themselves to go into the dining room to prepare dinner, while Brian left to talk to Paxon, Estel and Lalaith back in Estel's "Magic room".
"Since when could AJ prepare meals?" Lance asked as AJ left with Tilkeleb.
"Since he began to stay with Tilkeleb," Justin replied. "But then, elven food is always easy to prepare."
"Is it nice?" JC asked.
"You mean 'does it taste like Chinese?' don't you?" Lance teased his lover. JC grinned and gave Lance a light punch in the arm.
"It tastes great," Justin beamed. "Just don't look out the windows as you eat and you'll be fine."
JC raised his eyebrows questioningly. Lance glanced his direction and gave a short shrug. Justin laughed at his friends. "Come on! I'll show you."
Justin led his friends to a nearby window which overlooked the Dancing Square of the city. The Dancing Square was the largest space of land without any trees whatsoever. No buildings or walkways crossed over it, so that the Faerie could dance under nothing but stars. JC glanced out of the window first. The three hundred and fifty foot drop was more than his stomach could handle and he turned from the window, his face a pale green in colour. He was thankful that he had not eaten in two days, otherwise he might have puked. Lance looked at him in concern and peered out the window as well. He pulled away with the exact expression on his face.
"How in the world can you stand living so high up?" JC questioned. He suddenly felt that the wooden house was unstable and that the wood would give way any moment. Justin looked at his friends in concern and remembered the first time he had looked out at the view. That same view that he looked at every morning with no fears had once been the cause of his death. He felt pity for his friends.
"How about we eat at AJ's and Tilkeleb's place?" Justin asked kindly. "They live on the ground."
Lance nodded curtly and tried to take his mind of the drop. He hoped that Paxon did not live as high up in the tall trees as Estel. Justin left his friends to notify AJ, Brian and Tilkeleb of the change of plans.
Nick and Joey stared at the magnificent sight before them. Both of them had lost count of the days since the seperation of the groups. They were luckier than the others in the sense that they had walked in a north-western direction. The path they had chosen had provided them with a lot of food, though they were both beginning to become sick of apples. They had left the forest with the plastic bags from the medieval shop filled with apples. They had followed a dirt path that looked like no one had used it for years until they came to the sight before them.
It was an enormous castle that seemed to be made entirely out of ice. It shimmered though there was no sun. Neither Nick nor Joey noticed that they could not see the sun anymore. They crept up to the huge gates. Joey put his hand on the elegant gate. It was ice cold. He pushed the freezing gate open and walked up to the front door. The yard before the door was covered with snow, and perfectly life-like ice sculptures were placed all over it.
Joey stopped to admire a magnificent sculpture of and bird-winged pegasus rearing up, its legs poised to strike an enemy. Nick wandered over to a sculpture of short, smiling, child-like face. The creature's face was wrinkled, though it did not make it seem old. It had pointed ears and was slender. His hair was tied up into a ridiculous topknot and his around his body was strapped many pouches. In his right hand was a strange weapon that looked like a spear with a slingshot at what would be the blunt end. The sharp end of the weapon was poked down into the snow like a walking stick. Prefectly sculptured feathers hung from the weapon.
Joey and Nick spent a few hours looking at all the sculptures in the lawn without speaking to each other. The silence was deafening but both felt that to speak would be like interrupting the meditation of a priest. They did not sense the eyes that looked at them from the dark, shadowy windows of the castle.
"What we do with the two?" a gruff, almost animal-like voice asked. He looked at the beautiful lady dressed in all white. Her jet black hair contrasted with the snow white complexion of her beautiful but cold face. Her cold blue eyes looked at the ugly, hairy creature. His yellow eyes darted towards the ground in fear and respect.
"Bring them to me," her clear, cold voice ordered. The pitiful creature groveled and then turned to leave. The woman looked again at the crystal-clear scrying mirror, watching the two young men walk about her lawn. ------------------------------TO BE CONTINUED------------------------------ How was this one? Well, email me and tell me about it. I like getting response from people. That way I know what most people are expecting and find a way to surprise them... ;) Anywayz, emails of all sorts related to the story should be sent to ensstyenlc@hotmail.com Ciao for now!