Chapter One: Once Again, Peace Descends on the Diadem

A dark gash appeared in the air in the middle of a large but definitely deserted castle. A boy stumbled out, approximately sixteen in age, and immediately collapsed onto the nearest piece of furniture – a couch that seemed somewhat out of place in the medieval-looking structure.

“That’s the last time!” he said, covering his mouth to stifle a yawn. “Next time Shanara wants us to intervene on some planet on the behalf of someone to keep peace somewhere, I’m staying home!”

His two companions, who had followed him out of the Portal just before it closed, exchanged glances. They’d heard this speech before – and the next time Shanara, Wizard of Shapes, requested their assistance, he’d be right there with them. Or, rather, several steps behind and complaining loudly, but he’d still come along. “It wasn’t that bad, Score,” said the other boy. He, too, was about sixteen, but considerably smaller than Score. With his pointed ears, blue complexion, and lithe body, Shalar “Pixel” Domain was more apt to be confused for an elf rather than be recognized as one of the three best magic-users in the known Diadem.

Matthew “Score” Caruso gave his best male friend the most withering glare he could manage…which had absolutely no effect as he struggled not to fall asleep at the same time. “You weren’t the one who had to hold back an entire ocean of water! Why didn’t Shanara tell us Echo Rin was an aquatic planet and most of the people resembled fish?! I couldn’t look at their Elder without imagining him fried with tartar sauce and a slice of lemon!”

The third person in the room, a tall blonde girl, tossed her hair over her shoulder and rolled her eyes. Helaine “Renald” Votrin had very little patience for Score when he was in this sort of mood – which was quite often. “Perhaps the fact that if she had, you would’ve complained twice as much. She did mention that having your chrysolite would be a good idea.”

“Whatever,” Score said, shrugging. He yawned again, not even trying to cover it up this time. “Okay, here’s the plan: I’m going to bed. You two can do whatever you want, just don’t bother me until morning. And I plan on sleeping in. If either of you so much as thinks about waking me up before noon, you will both be getting very unpleasant surprises in your breakfast.” He managed to climb to his feet, making a much bigger production out of it than necessary. “’Night, guys.”

“Good night, Score,” Helaine and Pixel said together. Score sleep-walked up the stairs towards the area he had designated as “his” wing (a series of three or four rooms, including one bathroom).

Helaine immediately collapsed onto the couch he had just vacated. “Phew. That battle did take a bit out of me – and our opponent wasn’t eve that challenging.”

Pixel sat down on a chair opposite the couch and tried to look awake. “I know. But we managed to get it over with without too much trouble, and we even saved the population of Echo Rin from completely wiping themselves out.” The fish-people of Echo Rin had been on the verge of extinction due to a spell placed on them that set them against each other everything five years. Helaine, Pixel, and Score had managed to get rid of the spell just before the next five-year-mark would’ve occurred, saving the Rinians. Of course, they’d also ended up getting in a fight with the magician who had placed the spell originally – a magician made completely out of water.

Needless to say, it had been an interesting battle, but now they were back home on Dondar looking forward to some much-needed downtime. Shanara had promised that she’d handle the next few difficulties for awhile. Keeping the peace in the Diadem was no walk in the park, not even for the three most powerful magic-users around.

Helaine sighed. “I suppose it’s too late to go see Flame,” she said, glancing at one of the large windows looking out into the courtyard.

“Yes,” Pixel said firmly. The sky was almost pitch-black, and the stars were already out. “I think that this time, anyway, we should follow Score’s example and get some sleep. We want to be back up to full strength as soon as possible.”

Helaine looked at him curiously. “You think we’re going to have trouble?” she asked him. Pixel was already beginning to earn the title of Wizard of Sight, due to the fact that he could usual see things that most people couldn’t, with only the sketchiest of information. It was a talent he’d had from the beginning, and one that only got better with age. The blue-skinned youth modestly refused the title, but Helaine knew of several people who referred to him by it on a regular basis.

“No, not necessarily,” Pixel said, shaking his head. “I probably shouldn’t say anything – I might end up jinxing everything. It’s just that you never know, and it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

“True,” agreed Helaine. That was a phrase they’d all learned to live by over the last four years. She struggled not to yawn, and stood up. “Then I suppose it’s off to bed. If you’re up before me, try to wake me before Score. I refuse to sleep as long as he does.”

Pixel grinned. “No problem. See you tomorrow, Helaine.”

“Tomorrow,” Helaine agreed, heading for her own wing of rooms. The castle was spacious enough that there was plenty of room for both of them, and then some. Helaine didn’t mind it – she was used to castles – but even she thought that it was a little spacious for just the three of them. Her father’s castle on Ordin had been about the same size, perhaps a little bigger, but had also been filled with people coming and going, day and night. It was a very different lifestyle from the one she had today.

And she loved it.

Not a day went by that she didn’t thank whoever it was that had chosen them for this path for choosing her. Before journeying onto the Diadem, she’d been forced to play the part of a “good girl”, submitting to her father like a meek child, obeying his every whim. She’d done a good job of acting, probably due to the fact that when she got angry, she could just go out as Renald and take part in the fight training. If I were still on Ordin, she thought, I wouldn’t even be Helaine Votrin anymore – I’d be Helaine Peverel. She shuddered at the thought of the half-wit her father had tried to marry her off to before this whole crazy adventure had started.

Now, instead of servants waiting on her hand and foot, and an idiot husband who didn’t know the first thing about running a kingdom, she had two of the best friends any person could ask for.

Helaine entered her bedroom and closed the door behind her. She moved through autopilot as she dressed for bed, then collapsed gratefully onto her bed. She probably wouldn’t sleep too late, but right now, sleeping for any amount of time was good.

I’ll go see Flame tomorrow, she told herself as she drifted off to sleep.

The castle was silent once again, the only sounds those of the breathing of the three teenagers as they slept peacefully.

Peace that would, unfortunately, only last so long. For they were the Chosen Three, the Triad reborn, and they would always be hunted in some way. No matter how many times they tried to escape from that reality, it would always catch up to them. There were plenty of people with grudges against the Triad.

A there were many of those who could care less that Helaine, Score, and Pixel were only the physical reincarnations of Eremin, Traxis, and Nantor, and not their souls.