*     Eagle of Arabia     *
     The day was falling, quickly, as they reappeared from the
realm of the Castle Gorebash. The two gargoyles touched down on
the top of the anceint pyramid, and Eagle took a deep breath of
the Guatemalan air. 
     "It has been a most plesant talk brother." she thanked him.
"Until tomorrow."
     "Until tomorrow then, sister." He replied, and they hugged
each other in parting.
     First Eagle, then Obsidiana, stepped down onto the wide
terrace surrounding the upper part of the pyramid. Instead of
flaring his wings, and standing outside to meet the sun, he
walked inside and stood in a corner with his wings wrapped
mournfully around him. 
     Obsidiana kissed him rapidly and stepped back as Eagle
turned to stone. She pondered the pendant around her neck,
wonndering if her brother had ever seen daylight....
     It was then she noticed the tear seeping from the stone
where his eyes had closed when the stone closed around him.
Curiously, she touched his stone face, taking that tear onto one
talon. Truly, she would have to ask him.
     With a bit of a touched mood, she leapt from the pyramid to
find her morning meal. She paused for a moment, on the limb of
one of the taller trees, looking out across the canopy of trees
of the rain forest.
     Her companions had not yet returned from Avalon. She
wondered what quest kept them from her. Yet, she was content with
her companions in the other Realm, whose company she appreciated.
     The rays of the morning sun touched the forest gently, with
sparkling crystal shards of multi colored light. It really was
too bad Eagle missed this.
                            *   *   *
     Obsidiana read over the last page very slowly. The spell was
designed to be used to learn the truth from someone. Although it
could be a very useful spell, she was not thinking of using it.
In the back of her mind, Eagle's presence still concerned her.
They had grown up together, with the entire rookery from Castle
Gorebash, an unearthly realm outside of the world where they
returned every night after Obsidiana checked the forest.
     Eagle had never told them how he had wound up with the
tattered human caravan so many years ago. He had been adopted
into the clan by a group of seven year old children who didn't
know any better. They had teased him, picked on him, like so many
birds of prey. Yet, there had always seemed to be something
strange about the bird-gargoyle, besides his appearance.
     Obsidiana remembered clearly one day, years past, when she
had caught him staring out at the sea for an hour without pause.
     "What do you see out there?" she had asked. Eagle looked
away from her with a touched voice.
     "Memories... fading memories..."
     His voice had a lot of pain in it.
     She couldn't really blame him for his trepedation. She
hadn't told him her story either. But, perhaps...
     Obsidiana checked under the table where the small leather
bag lay with books from the Castle. She replaced the magic book,
and looked through the other titles Eagle had chosen. Most were
about magic, but one was unlabeled. She opened it.
     It had a feather in it, one of Eagle's. Inside, in a
scrawled handwriting -- hen scratches more like -- Eagle had
written his own story. He had been touching up the wording in
places.
     With instatiable curiosity, Obsidiana read.
                            *   *   *
     After the sun set, Obsidiana was hard put to put the book
down. Before she realised it, she had finished the book and only
a few minutes before it would become too dark to read.
     She replaced the unfinished pages inside, and replaced the
book in his leather pouch. When she looked in the corner, he was
not there. He'd probably gone off into the forest.
     After making her rounds of the east side, she found Eagle
sitting on a tree bough, doing something in his paws.
     "Good evening, brother Matthew." she greeted him, not
realising until too late what name she had called him.
     "Evening, midear." he replied, not even noticing her slip.
"I caught some dinner." He said. He kissed her in greeting, on
the forehead. She returned the greeting.
     "Eagle, you didn't have to."
     "I know." he grinned, "but I did."
     Obsidiana perched on the limb he was sitting on. "What are
you doing?"
     Eagle held up his creation. There was a small bundle of
feathers in his paws, which he unraveled, to reveal a woven crown
of his of feathers. "It's for you!"
     Obsidiana gasped, and took the small crown, and carefully
fit it over her hair. It fit just right, not surprisingly. She
twirled with it. "How do I look?"
     Eagle smiled. "Like a wild woman!"
     Obsidiana laughed. Together, they glided off into the night.
                            *   *   *
     There was a sudden burst of lightning, and Obsidiana and
Eagle appeared over the balaustrade of Castle Gorebash. They
landed without much of a display. Lysander was nearby, and met
Eagle with a friendly smile.
     "Greetings, sib. How goes the night?"
     "It goes well. You and Fox are well, I trust?"
     "Indeed. Until Later, brother." she bade him, as Eagle
turned to go down to his room, the pouch of books hung over his
shoulder.
     Obsidiana watched the disply with longing. Lysander knew his
past. They had been companions for time out of mind. About a year
ago, they had been trusted to guard Castle Gorebash from an
unthinkable fate that fate held for it. Since then, neither had
aged a single forsaken day. Lysander had somehow gotten herself
involved with a fairy, and now possessed fairy magic. She even
had a daughter, little Kitsune who roamed around on her paws and
knees on the parapet as Obsidiana watched.
     Lysander turned once to see her watching. She noticed the
crown of feathers. She turned back from Obsidiana to Kit.
     "He gave you those?"
     "Yes." Obsidiana replied.
     "They were moulted."
     Obsidiana's eyes narrowed at her. "Thanks."
     Lysander smiled.
     Frustrated, Obsidiana fumed, going inside.

     Obsidiana had her own room, in fact it was right next to
Eagle's. That was probably how they had becoming friends, more
that just siblings. They had been next to each other every day.
Whenever dinner was called, they arranged seating in a certain
order, and they had been placed next to eachother every time.
Lysander had accomplanied him most of the time for the last few
years, up until recently, when most of her time was with Fox and
Kit.
     Since they had already eaten, Obisidiana was not surprised
to find Eagle in his room. Before she knocked, she caught him
writing in the book. When she knocked, he closed the book
hurridly.
     When he saw the look on her face, his blood drained out of
his face (behind his feathers). "What is it?"
     "Oh... Lysander. I really think she doesn't like me."
     "Perhaps it's only her unusual style." he suggested.
     "No... something in her voice..."
     Eagle scowled, but sighed. "Come on in."
     Eagle's room was a hodgepodge of things. He had a bookshelf
on one side filled with books. On another side was an enourmous
stained glass window with a fantastic white unicorn with wings
engraved into it. A figure stood off to one side in the scene,
with her hand held out to the white creature. Another wall had
many filing shelves with scrolls and papers. His writing. A note
from a friend was stuck in one of the cracks in the stone wall.
Obsidiana removed it, opened it, and read it.
     "Eagle,
          It doesn't matter one bit of difference wether or not
you CAN see your family. The problem is you HAVE to. If you don't
do something, I'll see to it personally."
     The note was signed Sharm.
     "Who's Sharm?"
     Eagle looked at the note. "She's a fey -- friend of my
sister's."
     "You're sister?"
     "Christine. She lives on Avalon."
     Obsidiana picked up a tablet and coal off one chair, and sat
down in it. "Tell me about her."
     Eagle sighed. "She's pretty -- I mean really beautiful.
She's nice... a lot of fun too. She can get really obnoxious at
times. Forgetful, even."
     "I never knew you had a sister."
     Eagle sat down on a stool. "Long story."
     "Go ahead. You can tell me."
     "You sure you want me to?"
     "I wouldn't have asked, otherwise."
     Eagle pulled open a small enveloped of sketches. Inside, on
a peice of paper, was a life-image of a human family. There was a
tall, lovely human woman, the mother. The father was moderately
good looking, wore glasses, and about of medium height. Three
children were in front. An eleven year old girl with a lot of
freckles, a five year old boy with messy brown hair, and a
newborn baby.
     "Who are they?"
     "That's my family."
     Obsidiana looked at Eagle in astonishment. "You... come from
a human family?"
     Eagle tapped his talon on the boy in the middle. "That's
me."
     "You... were *human* once?"
     Eagle sat down on a stool, looked away sadly, and did not
reply.
     "What was it like?"
     "I was young. Mother died horribly not long after this
picture was taken. I missed her a lot. Then Christine vanished...
turned into a gargoyle and living on Avalon."
     "Then how...?"
     "After she 'died', we tried to get our minds off her, and
went on vacation someplace. I caught my first glimpse of a
gargoyle there, late one night. I found her later during the day,
on a mountainside, stone. A slide was started, and she could have
been smashed, but I somehow managed to move her to safety. After
saving her, I fell off the mountain. A combination of the fall,
and the weight of a gargoyle statuette falling onto of me before
had caused my human body to stop functioning by the time night
fell. The gargoyle, a little girl named Tigris, found me, and
took me before her fey leader, Cassandra. Tigris had discovored I
had saved her life, and she pleaded with Cassandra to save my
life. She only could, at the price of turning me into a gargoyle.
She gave me this... eagle curse as a reminder of being human
before. She told me the curse could be broken when my heart was
'eternally shared with another'. I... don't know what it means."
     Obsidiana nodded. This is what was written in the book. But
he was only telling her the simple part. He didn't want to tell
her the difficult part.
     Eagle silently cursed. "Back to Avalon again. I am not
looking forward to this. Ever since Tanya was born, I have to
babysit."
     "Babysit?"
     "Do you know what it's like to babysit a baby gargoyle with
the power of the Phoenix Gate?"
     Obsidiana's eyebrows raised. "Can I help?"
     Eagle blinked. "Sure... I don't see why not. We can talk
while we're there."
     Obsidiana nodded. She'd never been to Avalon. Perhaps Zafiro
was there. This would be exciting.
                      *     Obsidiana     *
     Obsidiana peered through the fog trying to get a glimpse of
the mystical island known as Avalon
     "This is the your first visit to Avalon sister?"
     "Yes, though I wish this fog would clear..." Her words were
cut short as they cleared the fog bank abruptly and she gasped in
awe at the landscape. Eagle only smiled, he had felt the same way
when he had first set eye's on the Peruvian rain forest a few
years ago.
     Various mountain peaks towered over lush valleys and
forests. Obsidiana grinned recognizing several familiar tree
species' from her home land. Zafiro and Turquesa had been working
a lot, anxious to see them again Obsidiana glided down as fast as
she could.
     "Hey wait up sister!" called Eagle. Obsidiana only motioned
him to go faster. She couldn't slow down, it had been months
since she'd last seen them. Though her light weight proved to be
a disadvantage at combat, she was able to fly at a faster speed
than most gargoyles. Cutting through the wind currents expertly,
Obsidiana directed herself to the castle ahead. The castle's
architecture was similar to that of Castle Gorebash's. It had
taken her a while growing accustomed to the large and cold rooms,
but the many friends she had, made the castle a welcoming home.
Her thoughts were cut short as she caught a dark shape coming
towards her from the corner of her eye. Obsidiana slowed down
only to see Eagle zooming past her.  She laughed catching up with
Eagle. 
     Upon landing they were greeted by an elderly lady, who
radiated great confidence and authority. 
     "Let me present to you Princess Catherine, Princess
Catherine Obsidiana" introduced Eagle
     "It is an hon..." Obsidiana never finished as a large ball
of flame appeared above their heads revealing a small gargoyle
cub. 
     "Eagle! You've come to play with me!" said the child as she
literally fell in Eagles arms from the ball of fire. Obsidiana
stared in utter disbelief. The child was no more than a cub and
yet she could talk and  control the phoenix gate seemingly
perfectly."
     "I believe you'll  have your hands full," said Catherine
smiling knowingly, "so if you'll excuse me I have matters to
attend." She rapidly cleared the court yard and left the two
gargoyles standing with an extremely energetic child.
     "Eagle, you didn't tell me Tanya could talk."
     "Well she kind of warped forward her speaking abilities
thanks to the phoenix gate" said Eagle struggling to hold on to
Tanya who seemed to slip away from his grip every minute. "Uh,
Tanya, I want you to meet a friend of mine. This is Obsidiana."
     "Have you come to play with me too?" asked Tanya
     "Yes,... though I don't think Eagle will like it if you pull
his feathers out"  She said smiling at Tanya's curiosity for the
ebony feathers. Tanya grinned from ear to ear as she held a
handful of Eagle's feathers. Eagle, realizing what his little
friend was doing brushed her hand away from his head. But Tanya
only grabbed another handful with the other hand.
     "Tanya, you really shouldn't....OUCH!"
     Tanya laughed as she held up her prize,  several black 
feathers. Obsidiana couldn't  help but laugh as Eagle rubbed his
head annoyed.
     "Let's play hide and go seek!" cried Tanya. Still waving her
prized feathers in the air, she let go of Eagle and chanted some
words.
     "Tanya no!" cried Eagle leaping for her just as she
disappeared in a ball of flame. "This is going to be a long
night", sighed Eagle slowly rising to his feet. Obsidiana started
to appreciate Eagle's dilemma and couldn't help but wonder how he
managed to deal with a child like this. "Eagle, where do you
think Tanya could have hidden?"
     "She usually keeps to the castle, though it will take us an
eternity to search it over, room by room"
     "Maybe it's just a matter of following her trace."
     "What trace? she just vanished in mid-air"
     "All magic leaves some sort of energy trace in the air and
it's surroundings, if she used the Phoenix Gate Power for
transportation we could follow the energy trail to Tanya's
hide-out"
     Eagle smiled, nodding. Obsidiana closed her eyes  and
started casting a simple spell designed to reveal all which is
invisible to the gargoyle eye. When she opened them a clear
yellow trail could be seen suspended mid air.
     "Now it's just a matter of following the yellow brick road"
said Eagle. The path lead to the forest beyond the castle. Tanya
had never left the castle alone and Eagle wondered why she had
teleported beyond the castle walls. It was going to be a long
walk.
     They both walked in complete silence for a while, each
submerged in their own thoughts. Obsidiana kept on wondering what
was Eagle hiding. She was still trying to piece his life
together,  to understand the mysterious eagle-gargoyle. She
understood the hardships he faced as a child, being different is
never easy, but still there seemed to be something else. 
     " I see something over there" pointed Eagle. 
     Obsidiana strained to see what Eagle was pointing at, but
couldn't make out anything. "You'll have to lead then for I see
nothing. I'm afraid my vision is not quite as good as yours" 
     Eagle moved through the dense vegetation, Obsidiana
following closely behind.  To their surprise the vegetation grew
thicker as they advanced becoming more jungle like. Obsidiana
recognized Turqueza's and Zafiro's work all around her and
couldn't help but wonder where they were. 
     Eagle paused listening carefully to a faint sob ahead of
them. Obsidiana also noticed it and both rushed forward through
the brush and vines to the origin of the sound. Sure enough it
was Tanya, crying next to a tree. Obsidiana picked her up
comforting the cub. Soon Tanya was smiling again as she explained
she had made an error and landed in the forest instead of the
kitchen as she had intended. On their  glide back to the castle
Eagle wondered where the other gargoyles were. He hadn't seen
anyone but Princess Catherine and Tanya since his arrival.  
     Obsidiana and Eagle cleared the forest and the castle came
into view.
     An Ear-piercing scream cut through the silence of the night,
followed by a blinding light. Both gargoyles crash-landed on the
ground below. Obsidiana covered them both with a force field upon
hitting the ground to give them a chance to regain their sight. 
     "Are you all right sister?" asked Eagle blinking  his eyes.
     "Yeah fine, and Tanya is she..."
     "I protected her from the fall, she's o.k." Eagle was the
first to regain his sight. Beyond the blue force field  hundreds
of men riding flaming metal creatures approached them. They rode
them in the same way the humans got on skate boards.  But these
flew and had animal heads in front on them. Green flames sprouted
from the sides propelling the object forward at an incredible
speed. 
     "It must be some sort of magic" contemplated Obsidiana next
to him.
     "I've never seen anything like this. The men are wearing
ancient warrior clothes yet the flying  creatures must be some
machine."
     Across the field stood a large man directing the warriors on
a dark green creature. His voice was gruff and hard. "Kill them
men! The lord has no use for more workers. The first lot was
enough." he shouted. The barbarians hit the force field with
their weapons and even tried smashing into them. The commander
gazed surprised through the semi-transparent field, looking at
the gargoyles within the barrier. A wry smile crossed through his
face.
     "Com'n men! That force field won't last for ever. I will pay
ten pieces of gold for ever gargoyle and twenty for the one with
the one with a eagle head!"
     With renewed strength from the promised reward the soldiers
doubled their intents.
     "He's right Eagle, I won't be able to keep this up for ever.
And I can only teleport  another person other than myself." said
Obsidiana
     "Then you take Tanya and get out of here."
     "I am not going to leave you behind" she responded fiercely.
     "You can take Tanya to a safe place and then teleport back
for me"
     "You won't last than long Eagle, there must be hundreds of
them out there!"
     "Is there a choice?"
     Obsidiana looked down. Tanya, sitting on the floor, stared
at all the action going on beyond the force field,  smiling
happily. Obsidiana bent down and picked her up just as an arrow
hit the ground where the cub had been. Startled she saw the weak
spot through which the arrow had passed. 
     "Elementos protejan nos" she muttered under her breath
strengthening the force field. "It  wasn't supposed to weaken so
rapidly" said Obsidiana worried, " we've got to get out of here,
together."
     "Maybe we do have a way out" said Eagle looking at Tanya.
     "You mean her?"
     "She should be able to transport us somewhere else with her
abilities"
     "I'm not sure" she said slowly, "Tanya miscalculated the
last time she used her power and ended up in middle of a jungle."
     "This was the first time she ever miscalculated, plus we
have to take a risk if we want to get out of here in a piece. "
Eagle turned  to the cub in Obsidiana's arms, "Tanya could you
take all of us away from the castle?" asked Eagle
     "But princess Catherine said I should never go away from the
castle" said Tanya
     "I know, I know but we have to get out of here" insisted
Eagle
     "I don't want to leave!" wailed Tanya still intent on the
ongoing battle out side the force field. 
     "Let me try." said Obsidiana " We want to play a game with
you Tanya but we won't be able to until you teleport us somewhere
else."
     "We can play with them" persisted the cub, pointing at the
attacking men. 
     "Those aren't good play mates Tanya, plus wouldn't you want
to somewhere new?" insisted Eagle
     "Where would that be," asked  curiously Tanya.
     "Anywhere away from here, the force field is weakening again
for some reason." An arrow passed by Obsidiana barely missing
Eagle.  More weak spots were opening on the pale blue field.
     "Des la gratea u murae temp e intervallia it is!" said
Tanya, suddenly deciding that the men outside weren't fun any
longer.
     The flames wrapped around them just as the force field
collapsed and they disappeared  to the surprise of the
barbarians.
     Obsidiana felt slightly disoriented as she landed on a
landscape unlike any she had ever seen.  The rocks were jagged
and seemed out of place next to the  hillsides. The terrain was
rugged and harsh, the cliff sides standing imperiously above
them. A striking contrast to the lush greenness of  the forest
behind them. Next to her she read a sign 'Camping Ground". Was
this the place where humans went when they wanted to get away
from their cities? Lex and Eagle had told her about  places like
these but they had never seemed real. Why would someone want to
escape their homes? 
     "Brother, do you know where we are?"
     "Sequoias" he whispered.
                   *     Eagle of Arabia     *
     "The where?" Obsidiana asked, confused, shifting Tanya in
her arms.
     "Sequoia National Park, in California. I know it well. The
question is *when* are we?"
     "Why don't we have a look around, then?" Obsidiana asked.
     Eagle nodded, and referred to a certain direction. "That
way."
     Eagle and Obsidiana unfurled their wings, leapt from the
cliffface, and began to soar off in that direction. Tanya
squirmed in Obsidiana's arms, trying to get free. "I want to
glide! I can glide better now, Eagle. Watch me!"
     "Alright, Tanya, but if you have trouble, ask for us to
help, alright?" Eagle insisted. Obsidiana let Tanya jump into the
air, spread her wings and coast between them.
     Obsidiana watched her carefully, to gauge how well she could
glide. She wasn't bad for how young she was. She was a pristine
light green color from head to toe, with the promise of
magnificent triple-finger wings.
     Eagle drifted closer to Obsidiana. "Actually, I don't worry
all that much. I doubt she could fall if you threw her. I'm
always concerned about her, though."
     "I understand." Obsidiana smiled. "Does she have a long name
like humans do? I mean, her mother *was* human..."
     "Tanya Destine Phantom." Eagle replied. "Just wait until you
meet her father." There was a bit of laughter, and silence for a
moment. "Who were those men, on Avalon, I wonder."
     Obsidiana sighed. "I have never seen them before."
     "Nor have I. I hope the fairy will deal with them."
     "They seemed very interested in you."
     "Yes... our clan seems to draw a lot of attention to itself,
doesn't it?" Eagle laughed.
     "Yes." Obsidiana smiled. "I always thought as we were
growing up, that you would marry Lysander. Suddenly, she tells us
that she is marrying Mirror Fox, and began to wonder what you
talked about on all your glides together."
     Eagle sighed. "There was never any time to be romantic.
Something was always going on."
     "Have you ever been in love?" Obsidiana inquired.
     Eagle's expression changed, becoming nervous. "Umm..., I
think we should try a bit to the left -- that way."
     Obsidiana followed Tanya, who followed Eagle's sudden course
correction. She became suddenly suspicious if she had not just
hit on the chord she had been searching for.
     As the trees began to close tighter, Eagle suddenly flared
his wide wings, and came to perch atop an outcropping limb.
Obsidiana caught Tanya in her arms, and perched next to him.
     "Ooooh! Pretty!" Tanya exclaimed.
     Before Eagle was a wide city, hidden in the branches, of
buildings woven into the hidden canopy above the forest floor.
     "Eagle!" Obsidiana breathed in amazement. "Is this where you
live?"
     "No," Eagle laughed, "but I know someone who does."
     "Cassie! Cassie! Cassie!" Tanya burbled in Obsidiana's arms.
"I want to play with Cassie!"
     "Cassandra!" Eagle called out. "Are you in?"
     Eagle led the way inside, folding his wings, and walking
into the room built of living trees and leaves.
     Suddenly, there was a 'Ho-Ho!' sound, and a large white owl
suddenly flapped into the room, perching on one limb, looking at
them oddly.
     "Cassie! Cassie! Hello!" Tanya exclaimed.
     Found out, Cassandra appeared in the place of the owl, on
the floor before them.
     Tanya would have leapt out of Obsidiana's arms, but
Obsidiana restrained her.
     "Greetings, Cassandra. We have just fled from an enemy's
attack, and importune your favor of shelter for a day."
     "Oh course, Eagle. I'm so *glad* you came back." Cassie
said, stepping up to him, and huggin him.
     The hug was not very long, as Cassandra suddenly broke off.
"Who is your friend?"
     "This is Obsidiana. She is my friend, and adoptive rookery
sister."
     "Adoptive Rookery, hmm?" Cassandra asked, her eyebrows
dancing. "Sharm's is going to want to hear about this."
     Eagle appeared nervous again, looking down at the floor.
"Yes... I suppose she would at that."
     "Greetings, Obsidiana. You are welcome here. Eagle, I have
someone here who is simply dying to see you."
     Eagle looked up, astonished. "Who?"
     Cassandra led them through several chambers, across a wide
room with many gargoyles in it, that must have been a central
plaza of some sort, to another antechamber, where a gargoyle sat
in a chair with her back to them.
     Cassandra tapped her on the shoulder. "I found him." was all
she said.
     She turned around. "MATTHEW!" she exclaimed.
     She would have rushed up to him, but she stopped, looking
between Eagle, Tanya, and Obsidiana.
     Obsidiana got a good look at her. Dressed in a modest
outfit, she was all blue in color, with wild sapphire hair, arm
wings, and a dagger on her waist. She was very tall, and a very
well built woman.
     Her thoughts were plain on her face. She thought the child
that looked so much like Eagle, was Eagle and Obsidiana's child.
     Tigris's face and excitement fell.
                      *     Obsidiana     *