All-Patron Reward: The Door Reopened, Chapter 1

I mentioned _The Door Reopened_ as one of the things I have been thinking of writing. I did, in fact, write the first chapter of the first book (I think this will be a trilogy) as a sort of marker and reminder for me, so that if I moved forward I'd have a mood-setter to get me going.

It might change some if I go forward, but the general characters and setup, those would stay the same. 

Here we go!

-----

The Door Reopened

Chapter 1: An Unexpected Visitor

"…and the four stood on the wind-swept promontory, and Endasha hugged them each in turn, a sparkle of tears in her eyes," Ailia read, leaning her back against the bedframe. Sitting on the bed just behind her, Nadiya and Penny lay on their stomachs, chins in their hands, while Connor, her middle child, sat cross-legged between them. 

She read the farewells of Princess Endasha to each of the Four Heroes, the children who had saved the realm – Rose, Aaron, Evan, and…

"… Alicia was last, and Endasha kissed her three times, once on each cheek and once on her forehead, and both of them cried as they embraced once more and gave each other the Sign of the Eagle that friends give on meeting and on parting. 

" 'Is this really the end? No more adventures?' "

Soldor, the Gold-Sun Eagle, did not speak; instead, he circled them once and they felt the power of Hope still within them. Halikapa, far below in the sea, gave her fanged yet reassuring smile; but the Rock-Crystal Dragon Iwaratana laughed. "The adventures continue always, children. You have your own lives ahead of you, but we will meet ever and always in the Endashu of your heart, the Land of Hopes and Dreams; for heroes are eternal." 

She tried to keep her voice from betraying the touch of tears she felt whenever she read this part of her book, and went on, until the door was closed, and the children alone in the empty house where it had all started. "But though they found that the door led to nothing but an empty room now, the four had the greatest adventure ahead of them, for they grew up," she read, "and always remained the greatest of friends. And in Endashu, the Princess watched over the Hopes and Dreams of the world, and the Phantasmal Emperor did not rise again for long years indeed. 

"But one day he will, as he always has, and Endashu will call for heroes once more. Perhaps the call has already gone out. Perhaps the call… is for you."

Ailia closed the book with a smile. "The end of The War of Three and One, and of the Legend of Endashu."

"That was great, Mom!" Connor said, bouncing a little on the bed before controlling himself. 

"Alice is you, right, Mommy?" Penny asked.

"Silly, that's like the fourth time you've asked," Nadiya said.

"She's based on me, yes, honey. Like Aaron's based on my brother, your Uncle Aimon, and Evan and Rose on our friends Steiner and Lily, from when we were kids."

"And this is the old deserted house in the story, right?"

She smiled fondly. "Yes, it is. The four of us played here all the time when we were young." Boy, that wouldn't fly today. Children wandering around deserted old houses, even with the owner's permission? Lawsuit heaven! "Once I grew up and married John –"

"Daddy!"

"Yes, your daddy, I told him I wanted to buy this house and fix it up." More like insisted. Lots of memories associated with this old place. And it IS a wonderful old house anyway.

"And," said Penny, "the Door is the one to your closet!"

"That's the door I based the Door on, yes. It used to be a connecting door to a big side room; Connor's sleeping in most of it, minus the few feet that make the closet."

"Wow, Connor," Penny breathed. "It's like you're sleeping in Endashu!" She turned back to Ailia. "Is Endashu real?"

She closed her eyes; it was such a painful thing to have to say. "No, honey. It's a story, just like Lord of the Rings or Narnia or Star Wars. I started writing it when I was a little girl, just about Nadiya's age. Of course, I… had to do a lot of rewriting as I got older." At Penny's sad expression, she smiled and leaned in, kissing her on the forehead. "But the Land of Dreams is still real… right in there."

"Are they really gonna make movies of your books, Mom?" Connor asked, hazel eyes wide.

"The contracts say so. That doesn't mean they'll be good movies," she cautioned, "but we'll at least get to see some of it on the screen. What do you want to see most?"

"Ebaneth!" Connor answered instantly.

"Eeeeeewwww!" Penny said, and shuddered, making her curly black hair bob up and down. "The Stone-Fire Spider? Ugh, ugh no! I hated those parts. Especially when Evan –"

"I know, I know, jeez, I just think Ebaneth's cool anyway. What about you?"

"I want to see Soldor when he came flying in at the end of Dreamsteel and sent Vrygulus running!"

"Oh yeah, that was awesome. But –"

"I just want to see Endasha," Nadiya said, shaking back the long brown hair that was like her mother's. "Except I don't think they could ever find someone as beautiful as she was supposed to be."

Ailia laughed and gathered all three of her children in a huge, squirming bear hug. "Well, I am just so happy that all my kids like Mommy's books. That's all I needed to see." She then stood. "All right, now, bedtime for everyone!"

"Mooooooommmm, I don't go to bed yet!" protested Nadiya; at twelve, she was a full two years older than Connor and three years older than Penny.

"All right, yes, you can stay up and read or do something else quiet for an hour. But then straight to bed, you understand? You all have school tomorrow." 

"Yes, Mom."

Four kisses, several hugs, and a bedtime prayer later and the younger two were in their beds. Ailia went down the broad staircase, hearing the third step creak exactly as it always had, and listened. She could hear John out in the workshop running his wet-dry vacuum. Probably just finishing up and cleaning. Might as well do that myself. 

Cleaning and straightening the dining room and kitchen didn't take too long, so she was able to get upstairs and start sorting through the movie collection before John, tall and slender and the source of both Penny's hair and Connor's eyes, came up. "Gonna take a quick shower, Aili," he said. "Storytime go well?"

"We finished the series, and yes, it was wonderful. I'm so glad they all like it." 

He laughed. "You've got a few million fans, but those three are the ones that count, aren't they?"

"Those three… and their father."

"You can always count on me, Aili. After all," he gave her a sudden half-mad expression and spoke in a creepier voice, "I am your biggest fan."

"Oh, you! Can you say ten sentences without a single bad pop reference?"

He paused in an exaggerated pose of deep thought, then shook his head. "Nope!"

"Of course not, you married me. Hurry up, Nadiya's going to bed in a few minutes, and I'll get everything set for our little movie night."

"Ten minutes, maybe fifteen tops."

That was just enough time to pop some popcorn in the big pot, pour a little butter on it and sprinkle with salt and pepper. She came upstairs as Evan was toweling off. He looked over. "Thought I smelled popcorn. Nadiya in bed?"

"I'll give her her good-night kiss now."

John had cued up The Defenders by the time she got back. "Let me just change and I'll join you."

"Great, I'll admire the view."

"Nothing you haven't seen before," she said.

"I've seen a lot of rainbows and sunsets before too. Haven't gotten tired of watching them either."

She smiled as she went to the broad, deep-mahogany door of the walk-in closet, and then paused, looking at the polished brass knob and elaborately-engraved doorplate that had been so familiar to her since childhood. On impulse, she made the Sign of the Eagle – the hand formed into an airplane-like shape, sent swooping forward and up – and laid her hand on the door, just as she'd done so many times before when she was a child, and turned the handle.

And Princess Endasha fell out of the closet and into her arms.