Raistlin Reborn

By RaistlinofMetallica

Meetings

The night had come and gone, bringing a new day to the palace. Raphael noticed that something in the palace was different. His parents seemed worried, but wouldn't say what they were worried about. The palace servants and guards were both perplexed and excited about the visitor. They whispered about how long it had been since a human last set foot in these halls and about that last visitor, a man named Palin. For some very odd reason, Raphael felt that he recognized the name from somewhere, though he had never heard it before. It unsettled him.

He found his way to the healer's rooms, guessing that was where Mika had brought their visitor. Pushing open the white door, the little prince peeked into the room. There were several beds in the long white room, but only two were occupied. One held the sleeping form of the healer, Lysithea, while the strange boy occupied the other bed. A woman with short brown hair sat in a chair nearby, reading a book. Her name was Lindsay and she was one of his mother's personal guards. She was a master of the water element, but her skills as a healer often put her in these rooms, tending to the sick and injured. Lysithea had probably exhausted herself healing their visitor and Lindsay was keeping a watchful eye on both of them, even though she appeared to be reading.

"Good morning, Prince Raphael," the water master smiled, raising a single eyebrow as she turned the page. "I trust you are well this morning."

Raphael nodded, entering the room. "I'm good. How is -"

"The human?" she said, seeming amused. "He is still asleep, but he was uninjured."

Puzzled, the silver-haired prince looked at her and asked, "Then, why is Lysithea asleep if he wasn't hurt?"

"Your aunt was practicing with the swamp serpents," Lindsay answered with a dour look. "She managed to get herself poisoned by one of the filthy beasts."

He blinked in surprise. "Aunt Minya is here?"

"Not any more," the water master said matter-of-factly. "She went back out to the southern swamps. Wanted another go at the serpent that nipped her, I suppose."

The southern swamps were all that remained of the once massive single swamp that had extended far out into the valley and up to the base of the mountain range that cut across the middle of the continent. The land had dried up a long time ago, turning the one swamp into many smaller ones, lining the base of the mountains. Large serpents dwelt in the murky swamplands, preying upon those creatures that dared trek across the swamp. They were about thirty-five feet long and very poisonous, though a few of the adults found the challenge of defeating one of these serpents as a test of one's resourcefulness. Children, on the other hand, were forbidden from entering the southern swamps. It was just as well, as the little prince got a strange feeling about the swamps and did not wish to set foot near them.

His aunt Minya, however, held no such worries about the danger involved with going to the swamp. She was always off on adventures in one place or another, although she had never left the borders of their lands. She had brought him paintings of the many places she'd seen in her travels, each by her own hand. His aunt had never been a model princess, according to all of the adults in the palace. She was always out in the fields, roughhousing and trying to sneak into the silver city of Midgar. But, then again, his aunt was last in line for the throne and she seemed to know that the crown was not her destiny, even as a small child. His aunt was content in her adventures and she came and went as she pleased.

The human boy groaned then and opened his eyes. "Where am I?" the boy croaked hoarsely, his unfocused green eyes searching the room. "My glasses... I can't see..."

"We'll get them for you," Lindsay said, rising from the chair. She quickly put down her book and moved towards the bed.

Raphael followed her, his curiosity piqued.

"Here you are," the water master smiled, placing the round-framed glasses on the human boy's face.

Slowly, the human boy reached up and adjusted his glasses. Blinking, he sat up in alarm. "Where am I? Who are you?"

The silver-haired prince gave a friendly smile. "You're in my family's palace. I'm Prince Raphael Majere, by the way. What's your name?"

"Your highness, he's just woken up! Give him a moment," Lindsay scolded, wagging a finger at him. She handed the human a quickly conjured glass of water. "Drink this."

Hesitantly, the human boy complied and then spoke softly, "My name is Harry."

Raphael looked at the human curiously. "Just Harry? Or do you have a last name, too?"

The human boy nodded, slowly, his black hair falling into his eyes. "Potter."

"Hmm," the water master narrowed her eyes at the human suddenly, as though calculating something about the boy.

Harry merely gazed back at them in a childish bewilderment. "Where exactly am I? Last I recall, I was in Surrey."

The silver-haired boy blinked. "This palace, it's in the centre of Kalm Plains, to the east of the ancient city Midgar. I've never heard of this Surrey... Lindsay, have you heard of it?"

"I believe it's a city on another world," she answered, preoccupied. "Earth, I think. In any case, I'd have to ask the librarians. I don't know much about other worlds."

The human boy had gone several shades whiter. "Other... worlds?"

Raphael nodded and rather matter-of-factly explained, "You're on the planet Krynn. Fortunately, you landed here, with my people. We know about the other worlds outside our own. If you had landed anywhere else, you'd be straight out of luck."

"We can actually get you back to your world," Lindsay said, truthfully. Then, she smiled, adding, "Why don't you two talk a bit, while I go tell the Queen about the situation. We can get to work on finding you a way home, okay?"

The human boy smiled shyly and nodded.

Giving the water master a pleading look, the prince asked, "Can you ask mum if he can stay a while? Please, Lindsay? Please?"

"I don't know," she replied, staring at the human boy. He stared back at her, silently daring her to accuse him. Reluctantly, she smiled. "I'll try my best. I can't guarantee anything."

After all, she had to tell the Queen that the boy sitting in the healer's rooms was none other than the eight-year old form of a wizard from Earth that disappeared about four hundred years ago.