Identity Crisis - Arden's Story

448 Pages·2001·4.98 MB·English

by  Mike Regan

Identity Crisis - Arden's Story
By Hikaru Katayama
Story (c) 2000 - 2003 by Keith Dickinson. All rights reserved. Characters Sabrina the
Skunkette, Amy the Squirrel, Tabitha, Carli, Tammy Vixen Shiela Vixen, Clarisse, and
Carrie Squirrel (c) Eric W. Schwartz. Character Roxikat (c) John Barrett. Characters
Chris Foxx, Susan Felin, Cindy Lapine, Debbye Squirrel, Clarence Skunk, Mr. Canis,
Dexter Collie, Angel Collie, Sarge and Endora Mustelidae, Wendy Vixxen, and Wanda
Vixen(c) Chris Yost. Character ZigZag (c) Max BlackRabbit. Character James Sheppard
and Marvin Badger (c) James Bruner. Eric W. Schwartz (c) Mr. and Mrs. Schwartz.
Arden Eastridge (c) Keith Dickson. All rights to additional characters reserved by their
respective owners.
Cover art by Joe Turtle.
CONTENTS ACT III
Chapter 1 - A Journey Begins......................................................................1
Chapter 2 - The long and winding road.......................................................7
Chapter 3 - Rest stop on the road to hell....................................................13
Chapter 4 - A deadly encounter.................................................................21
Chapter 5 - Let the hunt begin...................................................................29
Chapter 6 - Here comes the rain again.......................................................36
Chapter 7 - Great Escapes..........................................................................43
Chapter 8 - Transitional States...................................................................50
Chapter 9 - Out of the frying pan...............................................................56
Chapter 10 - Neo-Genesis..........................................................................62
Chapter 11 - Hello, I must be going...........................................................67
Chapter 12 - The sleeper has been awakened............................................72
Chapter 13 - A victory of sorts..................................................................80
Chapter 14 - Blindsided.............................................................................86
Chapter 15 - Pieces in motion....................................................................92
Chapter 16 - When making a human sacrifice to a dragon,.......................98
Chapter 17 - Someone else's problem......................................................104
Chapter 18 - Betrayal...............................................................................110
Chapter 19 - Like clockwork...................................................................123
Chapter 20 - "A short segue" or "I'll smell you later"..............................130
Chapter 21 - Death of a Short Order Cook..............................................134
Chapter 22 - Good help is hard to find....................................................144
Chapter 23 - Female Troubles..................................................................150
Chapter 24 - About Friggen Time!..........................................................156
Chapter 25 - The eye of the storm...........................................................166
Chapter 26 - We had to destroy the village to save the village................173
Chapter 27 - Undesirable secrets shall, whenever possible, be ..............185
Chapter 28 - Team Spirit..........................................................................191
Chapter 29 – The sprit hits the fan...........................................................198
Chapter 30 - Pushed to the breaking point...............................................204
Chapter 31 - I was blind, but now I can see ............................................216
Chapter 32 - A mouse in the worxx.........................................................223
Chapter 33 - Why ask why?.....................................................................232
Chapter 34 - Putting on a Happy Face or Marry Kay Gone Wrong........239
Chapter 35 - The Manchurian Candidate.................................................245
Chapter 36 - Things that go bump in the night........................................252
Chapter 37 - Let’s play the blame game! Come on, it’s easy and it’s ...259
Chapter 38 - It’s time for your wake up call…........................................270
Chapter 39 - Welcome to the machine, part 2.........................................280
Chapter 40 - Drastic times demand drastic measures..............................289
Chapter 41 - Alliances are made to be broken...........................................29
Chapter 42 - Bubble, bubble, boil and trouble!.......................................302
Chapter 43 - A clean start........................................................................313
Chapter 44 - Exit: Stage Left...................................................................322
Chapter 45 - Never count your chickens before they hatch.....................331
Chapter 46 - Knocking on Heavens Door................................................339
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CONTENTS ACT III
Chapter 47 - The Ultimate Question to Life, The Universe and .............354
Chapter 48 - Bang, Bang Maxwell's Silver Hammer Came Down ........368
Chapter 49 - Your Dogma Ran Over My Karma.....................................384
Chapter 50 - Beware Celestials Bearing Gifts.........................................405
Epilog - Seeing is believing, or is it?.......................................................437
Epilog 2 - Old Friends and New Gifts.....................................................440
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Chapter 1
A Journey Begins
Sheila
Sheila let out a low moan as she rolled over onto her back. Blinking at the bright sunlight,
she reached up to run a paw through her hair only to stop when she saw it. "Oh wow," she
commented to herself. "I'm back to myself! The wish worked!"
A groan escaped her muzzle as she sat up and began checking herself over to verify that she
wasn't harmed. A quick inventory by her paws verified that she wasn't injured, although she
was a bit heavier than she had remembered. "You pig!" she complained as she examined
her expanded waist. "How the hell did you manage to gain all this weight?" Not receiving
an answer, Sheila turned and hit the prone body lying next to her. Failing to get a reaction,
she grabbed the shoulder and shook. "Arden!"
Still not getting a reaction, Sheila became more agitated. "Damn it, Arden," she complained
as she grabbed the shoulder and heaved, rolling the body over. "NO!" she screamed as she
got a good look at the mummified corpse. The body that she had once inhabited was now
reduced to skin and bones.
Screaming in denial, Sheila backed away from the body, unable to accept what she was
seeing. Her eyes locked on the amulet that hung around the neck as it flashed in the
sunlight, its smiling face mocking her horror.
"NO!" Sheila bolted upright in bed. Her pulse raced, echoing the pounding of her heart as
she gasped for breath. The first rays of dawn were filtering through the slatted shutters that
covered the window.
"Hey, baby. Are you ok?" the man lying next to her in the bed sat up and put his hand on
her shoulder. He was a thin man with a robust, weathered look to his skin. His bald head
was covered with mystical tattoos that extended down his back and along his exposed arms,
creating a tapestry of magical glyphs that would occasionally glow or sparkle in the dim
light as he moved.
"Yah," Sheila replied nodding in the morning light, "It was just a dream."
He gave her shoulder a little squeeze. "Was it the same one?" he gently asked.
Sheila nodded in reply, still upset at the nightmare that had haunted her.
He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to him and holding her tight. "You never
have to worry, my love. I'll guard you. I swear my life on it."
"No!" Sheila said harshly as she forced herself away from him and stood. "Don't say that,
Ross," she pleaded across the dust-filled shaft of light that leaking through the crack in the
shutters. "Please don't say that."
He threw the covers back, revealing his lower torso and legs that ended at the knees. With a
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gesture the tattoos began to glow with an eerie, blue light as he floated up from the bed to
hover before her. "It's not for us to choose," he replied in a calming tone. "The fates brought
us together for a reason. The second I saw you I fell in love. That's why I saved you from
that rogue mage."
Sheila turned and leaned heavily against the wall next to the shuttered window. In a vain
attempt to escape her situation, she reached a free hand up to ratchet the slats open and peer
out at the sunrise. "I... I... just can't right now, Ross," Sheila stuttered out as a tear soaked
into the fur under her eye. "I can't give up on Arden. I know he'll find a way back to me."
She turned and looked at Ross as he floated near her. "He's my only hope of going home."
Ross maneuvered himself back over to the bed and settled down on the side. From the table
by the headboard, he took out a bandage and began to wind it about the lower portion of one
leg. "I know, Sheila, but it's been almost three months since I first saw you. How long are
you going to keep hoping against all odds that he's going to turn up?" With a bit of a
flourish he finished wrapping the cloth around where his lower leg and foot would have
been, creating the illusion of a limb. He flexed the knee, ankle and foot, satisfied with the
result, he then began working on the other leg. "We've talked to every stranger passing
through town, and nobody knows anything about this Arden of yours. Even our inquiry to
Castle Terindell didn't turn up anything. They were as clueless as we were concerning his
whereabouts. What was it Ruddygore said--- I have no idea who this Arden your are
searching for is, nor any clue as to his whereabouts.
His second bandage now complete, Ross stood and walked up behind Sheila, wrapping his
arms around her waist and placing his chin on her shoulder. "It's time to stop looking back
and start looking forward, Sheila," he suggested with an encouraging tone in his voice.
"You've got a whole new life ahead of you and a child coming to boot. Why not make a
new start of it with me and settle down here?"
Sheila turned and looked deep into Ross' eyes for a moment before wrapping her arms
around him and kissing him deeply. Sheila then laid her muzzle on his shoulder and
murmured in his ear, "Thank you. You've been a good friend. You've even made me forget
about my troubles once in a while and I'll always be in your debt for that." She pushed
herself away from his embrace and began to get dressed. "But I won't abandon my search
for Arden. I can't. I know he would never give up on me."
Ross hung his head and let out a sigh. "All right," he finally acknowledged, putting a hand
on her shoulder. "I can wait for as long as it takes you to find him, if he's really out there. I'll
be right beside you in your search."
Sheila stopped lacing up the armor, looked up at him and smiled as she gave his hand a
squeeze.
"So," he sighed as he retrieved some clothes from his pack, "what's on our agenda for
today?"
Sheila finished lacing the armor up and began to arrange the Japanese swords in the
waistband. "I heard a group of wagons come into town late last night. From the sound of the
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horses I think they stopped at the Red Gargoyle, down at the other end of town."
Ross reached over and tickled one of Sheila's ears, causing it to twitch. "I knew those were
good for something other than tickling," he commented, laughing.
Sheila spun around and pounced on Ross, driving him backwards and down onto the bed.
He let out a small shriek as Sheila softly growled and sank her teeth into his ear.
"Hey!" he exclaimed, putting a hand to his injured ear. "You bit me!"
She sat on top of him and smiled down, mocking him. "Quit whining. I didn't even break
the skin."
"That's not what I'm complaining about," he said, returning the smile. "My complaint is that
you stopped." Ross reached up and grabbed Sheila by the shoulders, pulling her down to
him.
She took his hands and pinned them to the bed, preventing him from doing anything further.
"No." It wasn't a comment or a suggestion; it was a statement of fact. "Now is not the time
for that." Sheila climbed off the bed and double-checked her outfit to ensure that everything
was in order. "I want to go and talk to that new group that came into town last night. Maybe
I can get a lead on Arden."
Ross flopped his head back on the bed and sighed heavily before sitting up. "Outside of the
council itself, you are the most stubborn person I think I've ever met."
Sheila picked up a small backpack, saddlebag and a bedroll from the corner. "That's
probably why you find me so intriguing," she said with a smile. "I'm not one of these
females that will just melt into your arms every time you smile at me." Laughing, Sheila
opened the door and turned back to Ross. "I'm going to go settle our bill and get the horses
ready. I'll meet you in the stables."
"Right," he replied, pulling a shirt on. "I'll be right down."
After he got dressed, Ross walked around the room and collected his effects, piling them on
the bed. After he repacked his backpack he pulled out what appeared to be a mirror. Gazing
into it he saw Sheila in the stables, cinching up the straps on her horse's saddle. He gestured
at the image, which caused it to ripple and change. Moments later he saw the face of an
elderly, fair skinned man who bore tattoos similar to his own.
"What do you have to report, Ross?" the old man demanded in a gruff voice.
"She still insists on searching for Arden, Father. However, she has yet to obtain any leads as
to his whereabouts."
The old man nodded. "Good. Keep me informed." The image in the mirror glowed for a
second before the image vanished, leaving only Ross' reflection.
Ross slipped the mirror back into his pack, then picked up the rest of his belongings and
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headed down to the stables.

Sheila approached the table at the inn where a matronly woman sat examining some
paperwork and drinking a mug of coffee. As she neared the table, a tall, thin elf took up
station behind the woman. He was almost six feet tall, with an elongated look to him that
made Sheila think of a cartoon she once saw of a wolf that had been stretched out on a rack.
His ears were long, thin and sharply pointed, framing his face. The eyes were similar to
Arden's eyes, with black pupils floating on a see of red where the whites should have been.
This, combined with the yellowish tint of his skin and the talon-like claws at the end of each
finger, made him the most unusual person Sheila had seen to date.
The woman looked up as Sheila took up a casual stance across from her. "Can I help you
with something?" the woman inquired politely.
Sheila gave her a small smile that didn't show too many teeth. "If you don't mind, I'd like to
ask you a few questions about your recent trip."
Her look suddenly guarded, the woman asked, "Just what kind of information are you
looking for?"
"I was recently separated from my traveling companion," Sheila explained. "I'm trying to
locate him. I'm hoping you may have heard something that could lead me to him."
The woman's guarded expression softened somewhat as she waved for Sheila to a chair.
"My name is Isabella. I certainly wish you good luck in locating your missing friend, but
I'm not too sure what I can do to help. I have neither seen nor heard of anyone of your
species before. Believe me, if your friend had been anywhere along my route, I would have
heard about it."
Sheila nodded after making herself comfortable in the chair. "I understand that; however my
friend was human," she commented lightly, "and I'm sure you can understand how that
makes my search all the more difficult."
Isabella's brow furrowed at Sheila's statement. "He was human?"
Sheila gave a sheepish smile. "It's a long story, but we use magic to travel. Each time we
have done so, he has changed shape. That's why I'm not at all sure what he could look like
at this time."
Isabella nodded and started to speak, then her expression hardened again. The elf guarding
Isabella scowled at something behind the vixen. Turning, Sheila saw Ross approaching.
"Can I get you anything, dear?" he inquired cheerfully as he put his hands on her shoulders.
Sheila smiled up at him. "Sure. I'd really like some of that wine we had last night at dinner.
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Chilled if at all possible."
Ross laughed. "I'll see if there's any left. If so, I'll be sure not to damage it with the spell."
He nodded to Isabella and her guard before moving off to speak with the innkeeper.
"You travel with a painted mage?" Isabella challenged, still scowling in Ross' direction.
Confused by their reaction Sheila glanced at Ross before answering, "Yes. Why?"
Isabella looked up at the elf. "Privacy," she commanded.
He made a few gestures in the air and then nodded back at his patron.
"Good. Now we can talk," Isabella stated. "What do you know of the Painted Mages?"
Sheila shrugged. "Nothing, really. Why?"
The woman squinted at Sheila for a second before continuing. "How did you meet him?"
Still confused, Sheila was becoming worried by the interrogation. "He saved my life. I was
being attacked by a mage on the road and he rescued me. Why?"
"He killed the mage, didn't he?" Isabella demanded, ignoring Sheila's question.
Sheila shook her head for a second. "Yes! But---what does that have to do with him being a
painted mage?"
Isabella glanced over at Ross to ensure that he was occupied with the innkeeper. "Listen to
me well, girl, for your life depends on this. The painted mages do nothing without good
reason, and their reasons are never obvious. You can't even count on greed, as they have
little use for money and even less use for morals, scruples or a conscience."
Sheila was dumbfounded by what she was hearing. This was a total contradiction to what
she had come to expect from Ross. The mage was so kind, so gentle. He was always
worried about her welfare, and he made sure that she got anything she needed or wanted.
What possible motivation could he have other than love? "I find your words hard to
believe," Sheila finally stated.
Isabella glanced again to ensure Ross was still busy. "Be that as it may, girl, you must trust
no one. Everyone in Husaquahr has his or her own agendas. Never assume that someone is
doing something simply because it is in your best interest."
Sheila scowled at the old woman. "What about you? Why should I take your word for this?
Why should I trust you?"
Isabella laughed. "Absolutely no reason other than the fact that it's good advice," she said as
she lowered her voice again. "But I would also advise you to ask others about the Painted
Mages. They will tell you the same thing I have." She glanced over at Ross as he began
casting a spell on the drinks. "Do not assume that, just because he is elsewhere, you are
safe. Painted Mages carry a magic object to scry with, usually a mirror or a crystal ball.
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