Sword and Sorcery (tentative)
Chapter 1

by D.Fire
phongb9@idt.net

	Present time.

	"Raeni ...,  Raeni, please come here," called the old man from
the doorway of a house.  The old man was the same one as before.
Sporting a long, white beard, the old man has not changed his
appearance even by a hair.  Wearing a blue robe, something akin to
what Friar Tuck may wear, he stands in the doorway calling to his
adopted daughter, Raeni.

	An answering call came from the forest clearing just beyond
the bend in the road leading to the house.  "Yes, Poppa.  I'll be
right there," a sweet voice answered his.  The owner of the voice soon
bounded into view.  The girl, whom we've only seen as a little
6-year-old, has grown into a somewhat buxom and very beautiful, young
girl of sixteen years of age.  Her garments would have scandalized the
old man, had this been the first time she had worn it.  But Raeni,
with fire-red hair and personality, had worn this outfit many times
before.  Skintight black pants accompanied with a red bikini top
greeted the old man as Raeni threw herself into the old man's arms.

	Laughing, she whirled around with the old man in tow.  "Poppa,
dance with me," she demandingly giggled.

	Laughing a little himself, the old man known as the sorceror
Hariule replied, "Come on Raeni, I'm not that young anymore."

	"Oh, Poppa, you'll never be old," Raeni laughingly denied.
"Why did you call me in?  I was just practicing outside."  Indeed,
sweat glistened from her arms and back in testament to her claim.

	"I hope you didn't damage anything with your 'practice',"
Hariule said as he led Raeni through the rest of the house into the
kitchen towards the back door.  "Now go bathe that sweat off and meet
me in the basement when you are done."  With that said, he disappeared
to give her a bit of privacy.

	After walking to the edge of lake behind the house, Raeni
quickly glanced around.  Making sure that she was alone except for
nature, she quickly uttered, "UIR REGALIS".  Her clothes seemingly
disappeared as she snaps her fingers.  Now bereft of clothes, she
quickly dove into the lake.  After swimming around for a while, enough
to rid her of sweat and dirt, she swam over the bank and climbs onto
solid ground.  Concentrating a little bit, she whispered, "ORIS
LAIRUS".  A warm wind swirled around her body as she held her arms
open and straight, drying her and her hair.  Again, she utters, "UIR
REGALIS" as another outfit clothes her.

	Different from before, she now wore a simply embroidered
dress, as befitting a young lady of the times.  With her now dried
hair left free, she quickly walks into the house.

	"Hey, Azure," she said as she petted the blue-haired cat
sitting beside the door.  "Got any clue what Poppa wants now?"

	<How would I know?> the familiar replied.  <I'm just a cat,
remember?>

	"Oh, you're not still sore about that, are you?  Tell you
what, how about I sneak you a snack later?"

	<To think that you would sink to bribery,> sniffed the cat
haughtingly.  <Or that I would sink to accepting them.  Oh very well,>
replied Azure with a twinkle in his eyes, <I guess I can clue you in.>

	Leaping onto Raeni's shoulders and curling around her neck,
Azure said, <He's giving you your memories back today.>

	Excitedly, Raeni queried, "Really?!  This is going to be
great!"  Almost jostling Azure out of his position, Raeni rushed into
the library.  Pulling on a tome of history, Raeni skipped aside as a
section of the library wall slides open to reveal a dark stairway.
Holding out her hand, Raeni spoke, "ORU".  Soon after, torches began
lighting themselves in sucession as Raeni rushed down the now lit
stairway.  Behind her, the wall slid back into place.

	Pausing before the immense door at the bottom of the stairway,
Raeni composed herself as she knocked on the door.

	"Come," came Harule's voice from within.

	Pushing the oaken door as though it were nothing, Raeni
entered and casually swept it closed with her foot.

	Noticing her casual strength, Hariule stared at the door for a
little while.  Shaking himself out of his reverie, he turned to Raeni,
saying "Today, marks the tenth year since you came into our world."

	Azure had already separated himself from Raeni the moment she
entered the chamber.  He now say on a convenient stool placed next to
a chalk circle on the ground.

	Continuing, Hariule said, "And although you have been the best
student I have ever had in magic, I would like to say that you have
been both the daughter ... and son, that I never had.  It is
foreordained that I give you your memory back today."  Seeing no
apparent reaction on Raeni's face, Hariule scowled at Azure and
continued, "I see someone already spilled the beans as you would put
it, but I digress.  I hope that no matter what happens after today,
that you remember me kindly."

	"Oh Poppa, you sound like your going to die or something,"
said Raeni as she hugged the old sorceror one more time, not seeing
his wince when she spoke the word 'die'.  "You'll always be my Poppa,
no matter what."

	After returning the hug, Hariule finally releases her, and
casually wiping the tear in his eye so that she would not see it,
Hariule turned to the business at hand.  Steadying his voice, he
commanded, "Okay, into the circle with you."

	After she was ensconced firmly within the circle, the old
sorceror walked around it placing six candles evenly spaced around the
edge of the circle.  With a casual flick of his wrist, and a lowly
spoken, "ORU", the candles danced to life, sparking to birth a flame
on top of each.

	He commanded her once again, "Go into a beginner's trance."
The old man raised his arms and began intricate gestures."

	Raeni did as he bid, sitting cross-legged she fell into a
meditative trance.  She could barely make out his words as his voice
began to drone.

	"Child of prophecy,
	Reft from a land of strife."

	A wind swirled around Raeni's frame, ruffling her hair softly.

	"Child of life and power,
	Born into a dance of darkness."

	Raeni, in her meditative trance, began to slowly levitating
from the ground.

	"Memory long lost,
	Hidden within shadows and light."

	Light swirled around Raeni, following the path of the wind
before.

	"Grant unto this one,
	The power memory incarnate."

	The intensity of the light increased to an almost blinding
level.

	"Return what was taken,
	NIGARU PALESUMO JORA GENSUMO!"

	With a crack of thunder, the light waxed insanely for a
minute, and then died away, revealing a sprawled Raeni within the
chalk circle.

	Upon seeing the girl laying there unmoving the old sorceror
rushed to her side.  Shaking her gently and cradling her head in his
lap, he gently patted her cheek, willing her to wake.  "Raeni, Raeni,
Raeni," he gently prodded her.  "Please wake up."

	Slowly, her eyes opened, and she spoke.  "My name is Ranma."