The foursome blinked in the warm firelight. “Your father?” Needless to say, none of them had expected her to be the daughter of an apparent lord.

Miara let out what sounded like a sigh of relief. “Yes, my father.” She gestured towards the other man. “And this is his advisor, Sir Elymas Zarin.”

Zarin gave a tight little nod, expression showing he was still displeased in regards to the disruption. “Lady Miara, this is highly inappropriate, you must not simply come rushing in during such discussions-”

Miara cut him off again. “But this is really important,” she said. A hand beckoned to the foursome in the doorway. “Come- come in,” she said, her voice showing a kind of breathless tension, barely discernible. Then she turned back to her father and Zarin alike. “These... they-” she gestured again back towards the uncertain quartet. “Father, Sir Zarin, they came through one of the gateways. And-”

The solid man in the chair made a start. “The gateways?” His voice proved to be deep, gruff, but not cold. He gestured, a mirror movement of his daughter’s. “How did this happen?”

“I don’t know. They... well, I found them in the Temple of the Four Directions.” The look the two of them exchanged was brief but enigmatic. “But there’s more. They said when they came through the gateways- well, I hardly believe it, but-” She glanced back and forth between the two groups. “Perhaps they should tell the story themselves?”

“Yes, of course.” Kadoward nodded. “Come forward, introduce yourselves, tell us more, if you can. My daughter is quite anxious.”

The four stared at each other in silent uncertainty. This was an unexpected development. They had stumbled into what seemed to be a strange and different world, apparently into the house of some kind of noble, and weren’t finding out any more information than they had known at the start of things. What were they supposed to do now? Finally, Kagami stepped forward, hesitant but determined. Hands together in front of her, she bowed from the waist. “I am Kagami Ikunokaze,” she said, voice quiet but steady. “Most honored to meet you, My- um- Lord Kadoward,” she finally settled on.

Reiko stepped forward next, swallowing once before speaking. She too bowed, arms at her sides like they did in the martial arts dojo. “Reiko Mushanochi. Likewise.”

The other two quickly came forward and introduced themselves. “The name’s Ayame Hikenrei,” with a bow that somehow managed to look smooth despite carrying a backpack, a folded uniform, and a wooden practice sword.

“Shizuka Mizuriki,” accompanied by a hands-folded bow from the waist. “I most respectfully beg your pardon for the suddenness of our intrusion into your home-”

Lord Kadoward waved a hand in dismissal. “Do not worry about it. You appear to have extenuating circumstances.” Another wave took in the unoccupied furniture in the room.“ Please seat yourselves.” Miara set the example by flopping into the chair by her father recently vacated by Zarin, slinging an arm over the back and crossing her legs.

Kagami again took the lead of the foursome, settling herself on one end of a small low-backed couch, allowing the others to take seats as they would. Shizuka arranged herself next to her. Ayame spoke first. “Okay, first off, would one of you- it doesn’t matter which- mind telling us what’s going on here?”

Miara blinked. “But- we were wondering- you came through the gateway-”

Reiko snorted. “Precisely!” she said. “What’s this whole thing with gateways? You’ve mentioned them a couple times- what are they, and why are they so important? We end up running through half your house, all kinds of crazy stuff coming at us, not having a clue, then we find out we’re someplace called Taran, whatever that is, and no one’s given us a straight answer! So, excuse the language, but would you mind telling us what the hell we’re doing here and how it happened in the first place?”

Miara, her father, and the advisor all looked at each other. At last, Miara said, “Who’s the best one to tell them?”

Kadoward sat forward. “I will do the talking,” he said. His eyes searched the four girls watching in nervous silence. “First, might I ask you- where are you from?”

Kagami took the lead. “Tokyo. It’s a big city,” she hastily explained. “It’s in the country of Japan, on the planet Earth.”

“I’m sure my daughter already told you this, but you’re far from your home. You may or may not know this, but there are worlds that exist other than your own. Other than this one, as well.”

“That sounds like something out of an old story,” said Ayame.

“Nonetheless, it is true. Old stories often have more fact to them than we realize. And this is a very old story.... Nor are your world and our own the only ones that exist. The sheer volume of existing worlds is, in fact, potentially infinite.

“These worlds do not float aimlessly. They all connect. That connection is here.” At their bewildered expressions, he explained again. “Think of it as a wheel; the wheel of the universe. All the existing worlds are spokes. The spokes meet somewhere, and this is the meeting place. Taran is the hub of the universe.”

Kagami lifted a hand. “Excuse me, but where do the gateways come in?”

Zarin gave a dry little cough from his place behind Lord Kadoward’s chair. “Your Lordship, might I answer this question?”

Kadoward nodded. “You may.”

Zarin cleared his throat again. When he spoke, his voice was as dry as his cough. “The gateways are the link between Taran and all the other worlds; you could well say that they are what make Taran the center of the connection at all. These gateways are known to have been in existence since the earliest days of Taran’s recorded history. By entering a given gateway, one can pass through it and into the world to which it links.

“This is not to say that anyone can pass through any gateway at any time. There may be an infinite number of worlds, but the number of portals is definitely finite. Therefore, a given gateway opens into a certain world only at given times. One cannot enter through a gate and immediately return from the same path; once used a gate will not open into the same world until some time later. It is not certain why this is. It is part of the mystery of how the gates operate. Nor can just anyone open a gateway and go through it.”

He coughed again. It was a truly grating sound. “Yet I digress. Due to the plausibility for abuse of the gateways and their power, they require observation and protection. It has been many generations since the Kadoward family was selected by the then-ruler of this land Trevelyan, most powerful leader in Taran, to be the Keepers of the Gates.” A bony hand indicated the seated father and daughter. “You see before you the current and future Gatekeepers of Taran.”

Kagami was the first to shake herself out of the instinctive torpor induced by his dry voice. “So you’re basically saying that we somehow came through one of these gateways of which you’re speaking? How? Why?”

“Perhaps, if you tell us what happened, we can find out,” said Kadoward.

So for yet another time, they told their story. Voices tumbling over each other, they told of their meeting in the park and the subsequent results. When they mentioned how Kagami had touched her crystal to the stone and the gateway opened, (Kagami producing her crystal with some hesitation,) Miara and her father openly peered at each other, Miara raising her eyebrows; what she was trying to say eluded them, although it apparently made sense to the recipient of the gesture.

“...and the next thing we knew, we were tumbling to the floor in a totally new place, and there were all these freaky shadows with red eyes lurking there, and she-” Reiko pointed to Kagami with her thumb- “walked forward all weird-like and just waved her hand and sent them all blowing away, and-”

“That’s what I was trying to tell you!” Miara finally exploded. She’d been getting more and more antsy as the explanations had continued, necessary as they were to her unexpected visitors. “The shadows! We had Shadowmen in the Gate Chamber! Evil Shadowmen! And-”

“Uh...” Shizuka raised a hand, as though in class. “Before you all start shouting at each other, what are Shadowmen and why are they so important? Only they had a very strange effect on me, and I was wondering....”

“Yeah.” Ayame pointed at her friend. “She did something weird, too- they got her all freaked out and she just kind of blasted them. What’s that all about?”

Zarin stepped forward, bowing as stiffly as he stood. “Your Lordship, I ask for permission to investigate this invasion at once.”

“Permission granted.” Zarin exited the room, his long dark advisor’s vest swirling out behind him as he went.

“Now,” said Ayame, “what’s this shadow thingy again?”

“Shadowmen are beings native to Taran- or at least, so we believe. We don’t know if they have counterparts or reflections elsewhere. We’re not sure just what they are or where they come from, but there are stories. They’re basically spirit beings.”

“You mean like ghosts?” asked Shizuka.

“That would explain why my sword passed right through,” Ayame muttered.

“Your sword?...” Ayame held out her bokken. Miara nodded in acknowledgment, a further expression of intrigue flashing across her features before continuing. “Not really ghosts. Ghosts usually stick to one place. The Shadowmen seem to wander freely. They look so much alike we can’t really tell how many of them there are. But they seem to appear most often when someone needs guidance in some way, having been known to help people who are lost or otherwise in need. At least, that was until recently.

“Then a new form appeared. Shadowmen with glowing red eyes. No one knows where they came from or what they’re trying to do. All we do know is that the ones with red eyes are bad news. If they appear, trouble is going to follow.” Miara paused. “And they can only be eliminated by magic.”

“Magic?” Kagami’s eyes widened. “But everyone knows magic doesn’t really exist, it’s all spiritualism and superstition, that- that’s nonsense-”

Miara shook her head. “Maybe where you come from, but not here. In Taran, magic is very much real, and a part of everyday life. Sir Zarin who just left here is a mage, in fact.” Kagami blinked, and Miara supplied, “Someone who uses magic.”

Shizuka’s mouth worked. “But- but that means- that she- that I- that we... that we did magic.” She gulped. “I know working with the spirits is possible, and they can be very powerful, but to actually... well, cast spells, like in the old legends? That always seemed to be a dream out of reach....”

Miara’s face grew suddenly serious. “Well, it seems you’ve reached it, here, anyway. Sir Zarin did say that not just anyone can open a gateway....” She exchanged another of those mysterious glances with her father, who gave a quiet little nod. Miara got to her feet. “But as you can see, it’s getting late. It’s also obvious you’re not going to be going anywhere else, at least at the moment. We would be honored for you to be our guests for the night; rooms, refreshment, and anything else you may require will be provided, you need only let us know.”

She stuck her head out in the hall, halting a passing maid with directions to show them to a set of rooms and make sure they got anything they asked for. “Now, I’ve got to talk to Father for just a bit. Privately, you know. But I’ll be along in a little while to check on you all and make sure you’ve settled in all right, okay? ‘Night, for now!” With another wide smile, she shut the door smartly behind them.

“Is it just me, or was that girl acting really strange?” Ayame perched on a fabric-draped vanity stool, running a brush through her pale locks. Reiko sat cross-legged on the bed, sipping some kind of hot drink out of a mug. She couldn’t remember what they’d said it was called, but it sure tasted good.

“It wasn’t you. Why else did you think I came in here- to gossip? And if I’m not mistaken, the others’ll be along shortly....” No sooner did she get the words out of her mouth than the door opened and Kagami and Shizuka came through, the latter wearing a midnight blue robe that looked like it was made of silk.

“Look at this thing!” she said, running her hands down the fabric, eyes wide. “I’ve never worn anything so luxurious, this place is amazing, I’ve never seen anything like it, and we’re in the house of a lord, of all things, I feel like I’m in a story....”

“Precisely.” Kagami settled into an available chair. “It’s exactly like a story. And there’s chapters we haven’t been allowed to read yet.”

Reiko blinked at her. “Um, mind repeating that in non-scholar speak?”

“It’s obvious. They were hiding something. There’s things they haven’t told us yet.” She quite deliberately neglected to mention the mystery behind the magical talents suddenly manifested by herself and Shizuka.

Reiko tugged her ponytail. “Yeah, I noticed. I thought all those looks were kind of weird. They definitely seemed to be up to something. I’ll bet you anything the thing Miara wanted to talk about with her father was us.”

Shizuka fiddled with her cuff. “Most likely. And... what’s all this ‘Temple of the Four Directions’ business we’ve been hearing about?”

All three of them looked in the direction of Kagami. “Well, scholar?” Reiko said.

“I have to admit I’m as much in the dark as the rest of you. The ‘four directions’ in our own home would most likely indicate north, south, east and west. However, that might have an entirely different symbolism here, and I’m not sure what the significance of four directions might be. No doubt some kind of mythology or mysticism is involved, but I’m at a loss as to what it might be, given our current location.”

“So when it all gets down to it,” Shizuka said finally, “we don’t know too much more than when we first got here. So what precisely do we plan to do? Things just keep getting stranger and stranger.”

“That’s easy.” Ayame set aside the brush. “We go find that Miara, pin her down and tell her she’s going to give us the full story. The only way you can get answers is to demand them.”

“But what if she doesn’t want to tell us? She was in such a hurry to get us out earlier, she’s obviously not going to tell us any more tonight. She probably won’t want to do so tomorrow, either.”

Reiko snorted. “Then we give her a threat. She may not be telling us anything, but she sure doesn’t seem to want us to go anywhere, either. All that ‘honored guests’ business. So we tell her if she doesn’t tell us everything else we’ll find those gateways of hers and find a way to make the things work and go home. If we’re those special magical wonderful people who can do that, it’ll carry some weight.”

“You think that’ll work?” Kagami drummed her fingers on the arm of the chair. “I’ve found quiet reason works best in such circumstances-”

“Look, we’re at a disadvantage here. When fighting, you’ve got to get yourself an advantage as soon as possible. That’s the only one we’ve got, so we have to use it. No holds barred in a fight- that’s how you win.”

“So it’s settled, then?” Ayame interjected. “We go demand answers first thing tomorrow morning, using whatever leverage we’ve got.” A ripple of nods circled the room. “Right. We will find out. Everything.”

Morning dawned with a clear sky, few clouds, and a certain amount of discombobulation at the new surroundings. After all, it wasn’t precisely every day that one awoke for the first time in an entirely different world, although the memory of what happened resurfaced soon enough. It seemed that even though they were still uncertain as to what all was going on, their hosts were going out of their way to treat them well. Not only was breakfast brought directly to them in their rooms- like the previous day, the fare was of a variety that proved unfamiliar but tasty- but the servants who brought it up made it plain that anything any of them wanted, they would do their utmost to provide.

The four of them convened in the hall in front of Ayame’s room, their meeting place of last night. Predictably enough, Reiko had opted to dress in her Karate uniform instead of her school clothes. They were more surprised to see Ayame had put on her Kenjutsu attire, as well. When questioned, she spread her hands, saying “Well, we might be in for a fight, and wearing this gear puts me in the right kind of mood.”

The four of them perused the hall for a moment. “I’ve just thought of something,” said Shizuka. “We don’t know where to find this Miara, do we? And from last night, we know this place is extensive.”

“The practical choice would be to just ask someone,” said Reiko. “Just wish I’d thought to ask that maid this morning when she was fussing all over my room. For being a bunch of unknowns they’re sure giving us the royal treatment, aren’t they?”

“Well, they probably don’t get too many people from- well, from our world coming here,” said Ayame as they set off down the hall in search of their elusive hostess or someone who might point them in her direction. “From what I got last night, apparently it’s pretty rare.”

“I know. But I still think it’s weird.”

What proved even weirder was the fact that the halls were virtually empty. They wandered for some time, not coming across even so much as a single resident or servant to inquire, let alone the girl they sought. It was almost as though the place were deliberately abandoned. Finally, out of frustration, Ayame yanked open a door at random and leaned through, calling “Heeellloooo, in there!”

The chamber proved to be a small one. One set of windows looked out on open lawn and a bright sky. They had the same configuration as those of all the other rooms they’d seen, wooden lattices with diamonds of glass set between the panels. Shelves of books lined the walls, and a desk littered with paper, what looked like ink and some form of old-fashioned pen, a couple of crystals, and a few odd-looking gadgets stood against the wall under the windows, to garner full benefit of the light. It looked like they’d found some kind of study or private den.

Before Ayame could withdraw, someone approached from apparent concealment in a nook formed by two shelves. It proved to a girl, close in age to themselves. She wore a long lavender dress, full-skirted, with a fitted bodice and sleeves and the same sort of high collar worn by those they had met the previous night. Narrow bands of pale pink accented the neck, waist, and the edge of her wide cuffs; other than that, the garment went unadorned. Masses of silver hair flowed down her back well past her hips, held away from her pale face by a lavender ribbon. Although none of them had ever seen her before, there was something about her, especially around the eyes, that looked somehow familiar.

The girl’s fingers tightened around the spine of the book in her hand. An expression of annoyance flashed, just for a moment, across her delicate features; it was quickly replaced by one of uncertainty. “Can- can I help you?” Her voice proved to be high, rather girlish.

Reiko stuck her head around Ayame. “Sorry to bother you, but could you tell us where we can find Miara? It’s- well, it’s pretty important.”

The girl blinked at them for a moment. Her look changed from one of confusion to one of comprehension. “Oh! You must be-”

“Your unexpected visitors?” Ayame nodded. “Yup, that’d be us. We didn’t expect it any more than you did, so we’ve got some things we’d like to know, and Miara seems like the best person to ask, unless you want to-”

The girl shook her silvery head. “No, you’d- you’d want Miara, I think,” she said, taking the few steps needed to cross to the doorway. “She’d be in her practice room right now.” Just for a second, that expression of annoyance appeared again, but was gone just as quickly. “You’re heading right for it. Keep going the way you are now, go down the stairs at the end of the hall, make a left, and go that way until you reach a tall set of double doors. They’re impossible to miss.”

“Right. Thanks.” Reiko ducked back out of the doorway. They hadn’t fully shut the door before the mysterious girl had settled at the desk, opening her book.

“Wonder who that was?” Kagami mused as they made their way down the stairs.

“Guess we’ll find out eventually.” Reiko, in the lead, paused for a moment to get her bearings, then led the way left. “I say when we get there we don’t stand on ceremony- we just go right in and get to the point. No sense beating around the bush.”

“But wouldn’t it be more diplomatic-” Kagami began.

“You do the talking, then. You’re the only one of us who can really do the whole diplomacy thing, anyway.” She stopped in from of the doorway. “I’ll do the honors here.” Jaw set, she put a hand on either door, throwing the passage open.

The “practice room” bore a closer resemblance to a gymnasium. Wide of floor space and high of ceiling, the pale yellow paneling on the walls made the room seem bigger and brighter. Apparently the user of this place favored gymnastics. Two pairs of rings suspended on long ropes from the ceiling. A narrow ladder hung nearby, parallel to the ground. What looked to be something akin to a vault stood against one wall. A wide space of floor in the center of the room went untenanted except for a stretch of canvas covering tacked down at the corners Other apparatus included sets of long, narrow bars, both parallel and tiered, and what could only be a balance beam.

Said balance beam proved to be in use. As they watched, Miara went through a series of dizzying back flip handsprings all along the length of the thing, flowing seamlessly into a vault off the end, flipping through the air twice more before sticking the landing, feet planted but together, knees slightly bent, arms out.

“I wondered how she’d gotten up on that ledge,” Shizuka said in a distant voice.

In true gymnasium form, the sound, however quiet, naturally echoed. Miara’s head came up. She wobbled, taking a step forward. “Oh! What- where-”

Ayame planted her hands on her hips. “We’re here to ask you some questions.”

“But how did you know where to find me-”

Shizuka pointed behind them. “We found this girl in a little room all full of books; she had lots of silver hair, and a long dress on. She told us where to find you.”

Miara nodded, picking up a towel to wipe sweat from her forehead. “That’d have been my little sister, Eluna. Between hating to be disturbed in that little den of hers and disapproving of all this active stuff I do, I’m surprised she told you where I was.”

“So that explains why that girl looked familiar,” Reiko muttered to the others. “Those two’ve got the same eyes.”

“But back to the point,” said Ayame. The way she was standing, if she’d had a sword, she would’ve looked ready to fight someone. “We didn’t come in here just for a chat. We need to know some things.”

“Some things?” Miara ducked behind the towel again. “What things?” For some reason she sounded tense.

“Everything.”

Miara blinked at them. “But last night we talked about where you are, how you got here-”

Kagami stepped forward, hands raised. “Yet you didn’t tell us why,” she said. “When you told us about the gateways and how they work, you said they can’t be opened by just anybody. Apparently that makes us in some way different from other people. Other events of yesterday indicate this as well. You never told us just how it is we came to be ‘special,’ or what purpose this singularity is meant to achieve, if any at all.”

“Yes, and what’s going on with- well-” Shizuka gulped. “With- Kagami’s trance, and- the fact that we both apparently did... magic. That’s... well, it’s not exactly normal for either of us.... And what about the ‘Temple of the Four Directions?’” she added. “We found our way there, so it must be important, too; what does it mean?”

Miara let out a sigh that sounded suspiciously like that of relief. “I wasn’t expecting it to happen quite this soon,” she said, “but time might well be of the essence, anyway.... I’d better just tell you everything.”

* * * * * * * * *

Miara would say no more on the subject until she had led the way back to the same room in which the four of them had had their initial interview the previous night, not bothering to change out of the sleeveless belted tunic and pants she’d been wearing to practice in first. She flopped into the same chair she had the previous night. “You’d better sit down,” she said. “This might take a while.” She paused, chewing her lower lip. “Would- would you like me to send for anything to drink, or-”

Ayame leaned forward, elbows on her knees. “Nope, at least for me. Why don’t you just cut to the chase?”

“Right.” Miara sat up, hands on either of the carven arms of her chair. She looked as though she were preparing herself for something. Whatever she has to say, it was apparently big, at least to her. “I’ll start with a question. It’s a strange one, but please bear with me. Do any of you have any- well, little marks on you? You’d have been born with them, but they’re strange looking, well defined, almost like tattoos...”

Silence descended. Four sets of eyes stared at Miara. Finally, Shizuka breathed, “How did you know?”

Miara blinked. “You have them?” If her voice were any indication, this was exciting news. “What do they look like?”

Shizuka stood up. “I’ll show you mine,” she said. Dropping to one knee, she pushed one of her socks down. There, on the side of her right calf, showed a small brownish mark; the size of her thumbnail, it resembled nothing so much as a perfectly formed droplet of water.

At this, Reiko got to her feet. “Might as well show mine too,” she said. Putting one foot up on her chair, she hiked up the end of her pant leg. The little dark brown splash on her left ankle formed the shape of a three-pointed leaf. Kagami then took off her jacket to show a stain on her inner right forearm that had somehow formed as three curled lines akin to a stylized representation of blowing wind. Ayame tugged aside the collar of her loose red jacket shirt, revealing a cluster of reddish brown lines forming a trio of points akin to a small flame on her left collarbone.

“Right,” she said, pulling her shirt back into place. “I’ve always wondered about that thing. What’s up with these? Why have we all got them?”

“Yes, and what does all this mean?” added Kagami as she put her arms back through the sleeves of her jacket.

Miara stared at them for a moment. “This verifies what I suspected last night,” she said. “Those are no ordinary birthmarks. They prove that you are the Zantaros.”

Four sets of eyes blinked in befuddlement. After a pause to absorb this mysterious revelation, Ayame said, “Zanta-what?”

“You- you’re the guardians of Taran. Zantara, the title you each hold, means ‘protector of the world’ in the Ancient Tongue.” Now that the dam had burst, Miara’s words emerged in a rush. “See, this isn’t the only time the Zantaros have appeared. They first got summoned a long time ago, in a time of major crisis. Every now and then Fate summons them again. It usually means there’s going to be a lot of upheaval. That’s why they’re needed. It’s not always obvious what it’ll be, just that it’ll be big.” Miara sighed, sagging in her chair. “It’s been quite a while since the last Zantaros time. Things are pretty quiet and have been for some time, but we’ve been watching... for... you....” Her words petered off. “You don’t believe a word I’m saying, do you?”

“It... it all comes as quite a shock,” said Kagami, voice quiet. “We come from a place where this sort of thing is the stuff of legend and fiction....”

“Yes, you’ve told me.” She looked up at them, eyes wide; her voice was almost pleading. “But you must believe me! It’s- it’s no accident you all have those marks, besides you opened the gateway and have proven capable of magic, each Zantara has her own elemental powers and affiliations, your marks define what and who you are, linking you together by Fate....”

“Wait a minute.” Reiko raised a finger. “You’re basically saying the four of us are pretty much a team of girls with some kind of weird powers just kind of handed to us out of the blue and told by an outside force that we’re supposed to go off and use them to save the world because it’s our destiny?” Miara nodded. Silence reigned for several interminable seconds. Reiko sat back, crossed her arms and said, “If you think I’m going to run around calling myself ‘Sailor’ anything, you’ve got another think coming.”

Now it was Miara’s turn to blink in confusion. “Excuse me?”

Kagami held up a hand. “Never mind that. You said you were ‘watching’ for us. But if it’s Fate, how could you be? And you still haven’t told us about the Temple of the Four Directions....”

“I was just getting to that. This links to the crisis that led to the first Zantaros. An ancestress of mine was responsible for the first summoning. She... she served as the vessel for the energies to do this, and as their guide when they arrived. We’re not quite sure how she did it, but she apparently tapped into the energies of four ancient elemental deities. This is what caused you each to be linked to a particular element. The four directions are north, south, east and west; each is traditionally symbolic of one element, something strictly observed in ceremonies like she must’ve used.

“Either way, this is another link that has been preserved by fate. The place where I met you- the Temple of the Four Directions- was built to honor those gods, now rarely worshipped. This temple must be tended by someone. These gods are linked to the Zantaros, and can’t be forgotten. She who tends the shrine also serves as aid to the Zantaros whenever they’re summoned. Her title is the Priestess of the Four Directions.” She paused again. “This role is always inherited by the eldest Kadoward daughter. Which means the current priestess is me.”

“Wait a minute!” Shizuka almost fell off the little couch, she was leaning so far forward. “You’re a priestess? But we thought you were heir!”

“That’s right. No one expected me to be heir- it was a fluke that there were no sons. As for the priestess, I, like you, was marked at birth.” She held her hands forward. Each palm bore a pair of interlocked rings, defined in thin white lines, barely visible. “The first priestess got these scars burned into her palms during her service of the Zantaros. Every destined priestess since has born them at her birth. The double rings now represent the fifth element, Spirit, which is the union of all four of the other elements. That’s the priestess’s symbolic role. This link means that the priestess not only stands ready for the arrival of the Zantaros, but will sense when this arrival is to happen. I... well, I dreamed you would come. So when I met you in the temple, really, I was waiting for you....”

Ayame leaned over and poked Kagami in the ribs. “See? You’re not the only one who has dreams that come true! Shoulda followed Shizuka’s advice and tried to learn more about your intuition and stuff. Especially when your crystal there made it worse.”

“Oh, yes, that reminds me!” Kagami’s hand closed over the pendant dangling around her neck. “You still haven’t explained why this is important. I bought it on a whim, and after that I started having dreams of going through a glowing doorway, presumably the gate. What role does it play?”

“I was just getting ready to mention that. It’s part of the elemental link.... There’s a reason for why you dreamed of the gateway. It’s all Fate again. Each Zantara has a relic, her Dunamis, to which she is bound. It’s representative of her link to Taran. When it’s time for the Zantaros to go back home permanently, one item is sent through the gateway with its bearer as the catalyst for the next time, the other three being scattered to various places sacred to your respective gods. Each item is imbued with a magic unique to you, which only the assigned Zantara can use. What you have there is the symbolic representative of your attunement to Air. That’s your element, which is why you could open the gate with it. And why you dreamed about the gateways- the premonitions were the start of your powers awakening.”

“Where does this leave us? Where do our doohickeys come from, if they’re all scattered here and there?” Ayame pulled aside her shirt again, craning her neck to try to get a good look at the mark so awkwardly placed on her collarbone. “What element does this thing make me?”

Miara laughed. “That’s the mark of fire, though I think your friends would argue that’s obvious even without it!”

Reiko studied the little leaf on her ankle, frowning in concentration. “I guess this makes me earth, then?” She sat back and waited.

Shizuka peered at the splash on her calf. “Then I’m water?”

Miara nodded. “Right on, both times. The first quest of the Zantaros is the location of the other three Dunamis.”

Reiko tilted her head to the side. “Are we given any clue as to how we go about doing this, or is it still as uncertain as to just what we’re supposed to be doing?”

“That’s one area where it’s pretty clear, actually. We know where the sacred sites are and what you’re looking for. I can tell you that. Not to mention when you get close to the actual Dunamis you’ll feel a connection. It’ll draw you like a lodestone to the right area.” Miara chewed her lip again as her companions silently stared at her, absorbing all this information. “Okay. An example. You- Ayame, isn’t it? Fire is fighter’s element. Your Dunamis is a magical sword.”

“A sword?” Ayame’s features brightened at the prospect. “Sweet! Now I know I can kick some butt!” She gave Kagami another poke in the ribs. “Yo, you better be extra careful with that crystal of yours, so the setting doesn’t go falling off it anymore. If you’re supposed to do magic with it, can’t have it falling apart when you’re in the middle of dealing with something ugly!”

Kagami lifted the pendant, examining it more closely. “I don’t have to worry about that any more, apparently,” she said. “It’s... it’s fused together. And no matter what you say, I have no memory of doing any magic.... It’s just this big empty space between seeing the shadows and then ending up in that temple....”

“Of course it’s fused together.” Miara rested her elbows in her knees. “One of the things we’ve picked up is that whenever one of these things doesn’t have a Zantara linked to it, it’s flawed until the next one finds and uses it. So it was broken until what you saw made it kick in.” She paused, studying her knuckles for a minute. “As for the magic- have you ever done anything you didn’t mean to do? You know, wished something would happen and it did? Or weird things happened around you that couldn’t be explained? I know you said something about dreams.”

Kagami fiddled with the crystal. “Yes, I’ve always had them. My dreams tend to come true, or give me clues about things that might happen later. Or I’ll get a hunch that something will or won’t go a certain way, or I or someone else should or shouldn’t do something. I call it my intuition. I’ve never liked it, as I prefer to rely on logic and thought, but I learned a long time ago to listen to it. It’s usually right.”

“There you go, then. Your abilities were leaking out in a kind of psychic way. Air links to all things of the mind. It all makes sense, really.”

“So Kagami can do magic, and Ayame gets to use her sword. So where does that leave Shizuka and me?” Reiko interjected. “I’ve sure never done anything magical, and as for her....” Her voice trailed off.

“There was... the hallway yesterday,” Shizuka said in a tight little voice. “When those Shadowmen were coming at me. I still don’t know what happened there.... They all floated right past Ayame to me. And why was I the only one to really panic when they were around?”

“Well... it seems pretty evident you do magic, too. Water tends to be more inclined towards direct spellcasting over combat. You had an instinctive reaction to the threat. As for the Shadowmen.... We’re not sure, but it seems like the evil ones have a singular impact on people strongly attuned to emotions, both theirs and those of other people. Water is usually representative of that connection.”

Reiko, silent throughout this exchange, spoke up again. “This still doesn’t explain me. What am I supposed to do here?”

“Um... got any special talents? Things you did and they just sort of clicked?”

“Yup. Karate.” Miara blinked, causing Reiko to elaborate. “You know, hand to hand combat. Fighting without weapons. I’ve trained in it for several years.”

“There you have it, then. If you say you formally trained, then I’ll bet you surprised everyone with how fast and well you picked it up. The affiliation came out on it’s own. You’re a fighter, not a spell-caster. Past notations I’ve found left by previous priestesses indicate that the Zantaros usually have two of each.”

“Huh. Very tidy, that.” Reiko’s voice was dry. “Now we’ve got all this sorted out, the question is, what the heck are we supposed to do?”

“Well....” Miara twisted her hands. “That’s the thing. I don’t know. As I said, it’s been really quiet for a long time. I can’t tell what you’re needed for right now. The best thing to do would be for you to learn more about where you are, and start picking up something of magic, since apparently you don’t have it where you’re from, at least not like we do....”

“Lady Miara! Your father needs you at once!”

The owner of the voice careened around the corner, swinging to a halt just beyond the doorway. She looked like no one else they had seen in the household. For one thing, her garb lacked the high collar and streamlined quality of everyone else they had seen. Rather, she wore a loose sleeveless tunic, scoop-necked and draping open at the sides. Falling in panels front and back almost to the knees, it brought to mind those seen on women in ancient Greek paintings. A sash bound it at the waist over a full, ankle-length pleated skirt; they could just see flat slippers like Miara’s peeking out from under the hem. Leather bracers circled both wrists. The entire ensemble, bracers included, was all colored dusty blue except for the plain round brooch centered on her tunic and the large silver disks dangling from her ears.

However, there were two things that really drew the attention. First, she wore the strangest headdress any of them had ever seen. Centered over her short dark hair was a narrow silver circlet, graced on either side by, of all things, what appeared to be a small fan worked entirely of metal. It gave her head a strange, almost martial appearance. However, stranger still was the long-bladed dagger thrust into her belt.

Miara jumped to her feet. “Tell him I’ll be right there, Akasha!” The young lady nodded once, leaving as quickly as she came. Miara faced them. “I don’t know what’s up, but I- you- oh, you better come with me! Come on!” Whirling with an acrobatic grace, she sprinted through the door in the mysterious girl’s footsteps.

After a moment’s pause, the recently awakened Zantaros exchanged a look and a collective shrug, then followed in her wake.