The Immortal Realm

Chris's Chronicles Book 1: Part 2:
The road to recovery and understanding...
London: 1667-A few days later

Duncan MacLeod, and his lover Amanda Darieux were walking down the streets of London, when they received the buzz. They looked around and saw a young woman in her mid twenties who had appeared to have been beaten. Amanda was the first to realize she had just become one of them and cautiously approached her.

The young woman was frightened as Duncan approached with Amanda and started to run. It was the first time she had received that funny feeling, after waking up two days ago in an old warehouse. She had no idea what had happened, other than she knew she and her fiancŽe had died.

"Wait!" Amanda said. "I am Amanda and I'm like you."

The girl hesitated for a moment and turned around. "What do you mean, like me? I do not understand."

"It's ok, come and we'll explain. This is Duncan MacLeod, my friend." Jordan looked at Duncan cautiously and wasn't sure if she should trust him. He was after all, a male and that was how she had died.

"I am Jordan Christine." She said looking at Amanda. She refused to look Duncan in the face as she could sense he was doing to her.

"We'll help you get through this, come."

The three walked a few blocks where Amanda and Duncan had rented a one room flat for their stay. Amanda knew whatever had happened to Jordan had been done by a male and by the way she looked at Duncan, most likely one she did not know. She thought it would be easier for Jordan if she walked between the two. When they got to the flat and walked in, Jordan looked around at the swords hanging from the wall.

"I need to go." She said quickly turning around and heading for the door.

"What is it? Is it the swords you're scared of? It's ok, we won't harm you." Jordan nodded. "Duncan, please move the swords away from here. Let's sit down and you can tell me what you know."

"Does he have to be here?" Jordan said pointing to Duncan.

"Would you like him to leave?" she nodded. "Duncan, why don't you go to the dress shop and pick out some clothes for our guest. I don't think she should be walking around town dressed in those rags."

"But..." he said started to protest.

Amanda stood up and walked him to the door. "Don't you remember how traumatic your first death was?" she whispered. He nodded. He could remember as if it were yesterday. The feelings of fear, confusion and isolation still haunted him at night. "Could you trust anyone at first? No. Imagine how she feels about now. Trust me. By the time you come back, I'll have her opened up and out of her shell. I can tell somewhere beneath all that grime and dirt, there's a beautiful young woman under there. Just give me time ok?"

"Ok, but be careful, you never know." He said as he kissed her and walked out the door.

"So, let's start from the beginning." Amanda said turning back towards the couch. She sat next to Jordan and pushed a strand of loose dark hair out of her face. "What do you remember?"

"Is he a friend of yous? Will he harm me?"

"Duncan? Duncan is my friend, and he won't hurt anyone unless he has too. You are safe with us, you just happened to find two of the best."

"The best at what? I still do not understand why I am here. A few days ago I was at home a day away from my wedding. I met my fiancee at the shore, and he drowned. I went for help, and I found this cabin... this man... " she stopped and a tear rolled down her cheek.

"This man did what? Did he hurt you?" Jordan nodded. "Did he beat you?" another nod "Did he rape you?"

Jordan looked away from Amanda. "He said he had seen me and Alexander together several times and why should I waste my time trying to save someone that could not be helped when I could have a lover that would last forever. He kept mentioning something about a Game, but I never heard of a Game that involved what he did to me."

Amanda realized the man that had done this to her was one of them. "The Game..." Amanda said trying to find a way to explain it. She had found many new Immortals and had trained them, but most of them had been men and eventually her lovers. She had little experience dealing with female Immortals. That was more of Duncan's style. She wished he was here at the moment. "Did this man, kill you?"

"How could he?" Jordan asked. "If I was dead, I would not be here with you."

"When Duncan and I found you, did you feel this ringing in your head?" she nodded. "That is a way to know when others like us are near. It's sort of like protection so no one can sneak up on you. It comes in handy. "

"But why did I get it now and not before?"

"This man killed you, but when I refer to one of us, I am talking about Immortals. We can't die in the ways mortals can. Well, we can *die*, but we come back to life. Unless..."

"I do not understand. I can not die? But I thought you said this man killed me. I am confused."

"You died yes, but you came back to life. That is call Immortality. You can live for hundreds of years. I'm over 800 years old."

"You must be a witch then!" Jordan said as she got up and headed towards the door. She had heard about a witch in her village at home, but she had never seen one.

"No, I'm not. You're not either."

"But how is it possible? I can die but not really? This is all part of a Game?"

"Let me explain the Game to you, and maybe you'll understand this better. Inside each Immortal, is a power known as the Quickening. It's our power that keeps us alive. Part of the Game is to keep that power. At one point in the future, there will be what is called The Gathering where those who have survived will fight till the end. For in the end, there can be only one."

"But how can there be only one if we can not die?"

"The only way we can die is if we loose our head. When that happens we loose our Quickening and the other Immortal gains it and grows stronger. Does this make any sense?"

"I am confused. I do not know how to fight, so how will I make it in this Game?"

" It's quite easy once you learn how. Swords are quite easy to use once you know how to handle them."

"Swords!" Jordan yelled as she turned pale.

"Why are you so afraid of them?"

"The man.... In his cabin there were swords everywhere."

"They're the best tool we have to fight. Here," Amanda said as she pulled her broadsword out from underneath the bed where she kept it as a spare. "Try this."

Jordan stood and looked at the sword for a second, and then reached for it. It was a lot heavier than she expected, and dropped it cutting her leg and foot. "Ouch!" she yelled out in pain.

Amanda picked the sword up and helped Jordan back on the couch propping her leg and applying pressure to stop the heavy bleeding. "Watch your leg, and you'll see the power."

Jordan watched her leg and was amazed how quickly it healed. Sparks covered the wound, and within minutes the only remaining evidence that there had been any injury at all, was the dried blood on her leg. "Are ya sure I'm no witch?"

Amanda laughed, "Yes I'm sure. You'll get use to the broadsword. Try it again, although lift it slowly and let yourself adjust to its weight. Let it become part of you."

Jordan did as she was told, and began to adjust quickly and easily. She swung the sword around more and more as she began to get comfortable with the movements Amanda was showing her with her rapier. About an hour later, Jordan was in mid swing when the buzz hit. She let go of the sword and Amanda ducked to avoid loosing her head.

"That would be Duncan." Amanda said laughing. She picked up the sword and handed it back to Jordan. "This is yours now, you're getting pretty good."

"I could never accept tis from you."

Amanda was about to insist when Duncan walked in the door startling Jordan. She swung the blade towards the door, this time able to hold on to the hilt with both hands.

"I see you wasted no time, Amanda." He said as he grinned and laid the packages he had brought with him down. "Here, let me show you an easier way to hold it." He said walking towards her.

"Get back!" she said aiming the sword at Duncan. She had swung it so hard and fast, she lost her balance and fell forward. In one large stride, Duncan caught her and helped her back up. She struggled to break free, and Duncan let her go.

"Jordan," Amanda started. "Why don't you go and clean yourself off while I talk with Duncan." Jordan nodded and walked out the door.

"She doesn't trust me yet?"

"I don't think she will for awhile either. The man that killed her was one of us, and he beat and raped her. I don't think she'll be able to trust a guy for a long time. And I don't think she understands what she is quite yet. I tried explaining to her the best I could, but she still has a lot of questions."

"Don't we all." He said as he kissed her. "Does she seem like a quick learner?"

"She's getting there, once she gets use to the weight of the sword..."

"Did you have to give her a broadsword, they're so heavy."

"But her inner strength, will guide her until she has physical strength. I think this is going to be a challenge for us, but we can do it."

A few minutes later, Jordan came back to the flat all cleaned up. Amanda had been right, under all that dirt, and grime, there was a beautiful young woman. She had dark Auburn hair and the darkest brown eyes, that were filled with so much pain and confusion. She was still awkward around Duncan, but at least she would look at him.

"You're looking a lot better." Duncan said.

"Thank you." She said looking at him. "Amanda tried to explain this Immortality thing to me, but I do not understand it completely."

"You will, give it time." Amanda said going over to her and hugging her. "Duncan and I will help you through this."

"Everyone feels the same as you do when it first happens." Duncan said.

"Speak for yourself Duncan MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod." Amanda said as she laughed. "Why don't we get you some food and let you rest, then we can begin your training tomorrow. Ok?"

Jordan nodded and headed to the kitchen and started to look for things to cook. "What can I fix you?"

Amanda walked over to her, "As long as you are a guest here, you don't have to cook or clean. Just be comfortable, you may be here awhile."

"But I am suppose to clean, that is my job."

Duncan looked confused for a moment and then realized she was brought up in the style of women being barefoot and pregnant cooking an cleaning while the men did nothing to help out. "Not here, your only job is to learn to survive."

Jordan looked confused for a moment and then sat down on a chair. "But how will I earn my masters' respect?"

"The only Master you need to respect in that way, is yourself. Duncan and I are only your masters in training, that's all."

"Ok," Jordan said as she stood back up and headed back to the cooking area. Duncan and Amanda just looked at each other and shook their heads.