Chapter 1

I was on the way home after my early morning training and sparing sessions when I got Tiger'd. Getting "Tiger'd" is an expression my father, Andre', coined after he had his life interfered with one to many times by T'ger Amerasu, AKA Tiger. Not much is really known about Tiger except that he, she, shim, it ... whatever, is as old as the universes themselves.

Anyway, I was on my way back home when I was transported somewhere, or from what Andre' has said, somewhere and some-when. Who am I? My name is George La Strange, son of Andre' and Diana La Strange, nephew of the old king, King James II. I'm 16 standard years old and it has been about 4 billion years since I was born. Yes I was born "down time" after Andre' and Diana were Tiger'd and playing with the Troj. I'm 1/2 L'Dangyi and 1/2 Elendril (sometimes known as elves) so I'm faster and stronger than a normal human, have the 6 fingers and thumb that typifies both of my genotypes and I stand 185cm tall. With careful misdirection and keeping my hair long, my pointed ears and fingers can be kept hidden.

It was in April of 9270 when I was walking home on the old Gregorian calendar used on earth and until I meet someone I'm not sure when or where I am.

Pausing to take stock of my location and look around I decide to inventory what I'm carrying. From what the old-timers have said there is a good chance this could take a while. I have my personal weapons, Katana, Darts and pistol; Sandman matrix for food and water; a dead communicator so I'm at least 200 years back and my personal template matrix.

Have I got you thoroughly confused? I'm a Fendaril, that's a political group not a race. We are ruled by Their Majesties, King James IV and Queen Magdelaina II. We are what is referred to as empowered users ... yep I'm talking Talent, Psionics and Arch-Magic all in common use and mixed up as well. Until recently (50 years ago or so) the Fendaril were solely talent users. Talent as you know is the use of the quiet end of the energies of the prime energy plane in an ordered and scientific manner, unlike sorcery where the poor buggers learn by rote and have really no clue what they are doing. Arch-magic uses the chaotic end the same way and Psionics is the use and manipulation of sub-space and life energies. These combine and become more powerful if you know what you are doing. I do a bit. Training is needed as life can be brutal. But "an armed society is a polite society" as has been said many times.

The area I've been dropped in is lightly wooded, but seems to be regrowth, as if a previous society lived here and has since disappeared. I've read of this happening many times, but this is the first I've ever seen. The "taste" in the area is one of great tragedy, as if many millions had suddenly died in an instant. Scoff if you would but you can feel these things if enough beings died at one time.

Hearing a stream in the middle distance, I decide to head over in that direction, senses peeled but otherwise relaxed. Rounding a tree I find a strange being who stares at me, and I hear projected into my head, "The people here are yours to mould Bring them up in your image," and it disappeared. Holy snapping arse holes batman, I think I've just met T'ger. Now I know I'm in trouble