Chapter 11

Author's note: Sorry this chapter is so short.

“Do you think she’s ... like Brand?” Faith asked.

“It doesn’t appear to be the case. She’s described as a warrior, but not out of control. I’ll know more when I meet her.”

“Well, if she decides to come, I’d like to meet her.”

“We’ll have to see. Her name is Vantier, by the way.”

Faith’s stomach rumbled, and Mrs. Carson smiled.

“Sounds like you need to get some food.”

“Yeah,”

“Well, go eat, and dont worry. If this girl comes here, we’ll make sure you can meet.”

“Okay. Thanks ... for everything.”

Faith left, and went to the dining hall to get some food.

She found Talia there, and told her about Mrs. Carson finding another girl like her.

Then, she heard a voice calling for Talia. She looked, and saw a girl coming towards them. Faith did a double take. The girl looked like a classic cat-girl. She had red hair, red fur, a long tail, and was wearing a short skirt, a tight top, and high heels.

Talia jumped up, and squealed, “Lisa!”

She then went to the girl, and kissed her on the lips.

Once the two of them came up for air, Talia said to Faith, “This is Lisa, my girlfriend. Lisa, This is Faith. I emailed you about her.”

The girl shook Faith’s hand, and said, “Talia said you saved her life the other day. I ... don’t know how to thank you for that.”

Faith blushed, and said, “Least I could do for a friend.”

Faith emphasized the word “friend”, and Lisa relaxed slightly.

“So how was the archaeological dig?” Talia asked Lisa.

“Fascinating.”

“You were on an archaeological dig?” Faith asked.

“Yeah. Archaeology is what I want to study when I graduate.”

Faith looked sceptical, and Lisa added, “I know, looking like this, and I want to to be an archaeologist. But I an image inducer that allows me to look like a regular person.”

“Cool.” Faith said.

The three girls ate, and Lisa and Faith shared some of their histories with each other, and then Faith said, “I have to go over to the magic building. I’ll see you later, Talia. Nice meeting you, Lisa.”

“Nice meeting you too, Faith.” Lisa said.

Faith went over to the magic building, and met up with Arwen. Then Arwen said, “I wanted to go over some basics about magic with you.”

Faith practiced for an hour, and then she felt something.

“Arwen, I think I need to contact my dream space, do you mind if I stop practicing?”

“No, go ahead. “ Arwen said.

Faith took a breath, and then dived in ...

The first thing Faith noticed was the sense of sadness in the room. Even her mother and Fido looked down.

“What’s wrong?” Faith asked.

Ava said, “I ... need to tell you something before you meet Vantier.”

Faith sat down on a chair, and said, “I take it it’s not good news?”

“It is the truth about what happened to our people.”

Ava sighed, and said, “A very long time ago, my clan separated themselves from the rest of our people. We built the Book, and we spent our lives trying to spread healing and increase our understanding of all life. Then the call came to go to your world, to help fight the GOO. We ... refused. We went, but only as what you would think of as medics - to heal those who would be wounded.

Then the GOO found our home, and again we were offered the chance to fight - and refused. We focused instead on trying to secure a hiding place, and we succeeded. Then, we emerged, and saw the devastation. It ... broke us. One of our clan changed his name to Vendetta, and began wiping out the rest of us. Most of us ... didn’t even resist. But I sent my granddaughter into the dreamscape with the Book, and that’s the story.”

Faith felt the guilt Ava was feeling. “You think it would have been different if you had fought?”

“I don’t know.”

“I need to think about this.” Faith said, and left the dreamscape.

Waking up in the magic building, she excused herself, and went to Mrs. Carson’s office.

When she was admitted in, she said, “Mrs. Carson, I need you to do me a favor.”

“What dear?”

“I need you to not tell Vantier I’m here, just yet. I ... need time to figure out how to approach her.”

“All right dear. I’m sure it will take her a couple days to settle in anyway, but that’s probably as much time as you will have.”

“Thank you. I ... am going back to the magic building to meditate.”

Faith then left, and had Arwen set up a room for her in the magic building where she would be undisturbed.

She sighed, and said to herself, “I ... don’t know what to do ...”

To be continued ...