71 Alliance Portal (part one)

The dark woman held the swirling water staff in one hand but handed it to an older woman when Robin approached. She stared expressionlessly at the beautiful Songbird, measuring her up while the same was done to her. Ra bowed deeply. "Honored sister, my name is Sierra Sandhealer." She presented a gold chain with a small medallion. 

"Sister Sierra," Robin smiled at the younger woman. The water wielder had smooth, perfect skin, the color of coffee. Her dark hair was tied in three braids that were then interwoven to hang down her back. The Songbird bowed her head while the chain was slipped on. 

[Ravenwood: Sasha] This is a ceremonial gift, an acknowledgment that you are a high-ranking member of their family. 

[Ravenwood: Robin] Unload the crate and find somewhere suitable to set it up. I will speak with Ra.

"Thank you," Robin studied the medallion; the image of a bird had been skillfully etched on its surface. "It's beautiful." 

[Ravenwood: Sasha] She did it herself, linked the entire chain, and etched it by hand. 

Ra glanced at the group she was standing with. "Give our guests  whatever aid they require to set up this device." She paused and held out her hand. "Would you come with me?" 

Robin followed Ra through a set of double doors that led into a comfortable sitting area. She gestured for the Songbird to seat herself while she poured them a drink from a serving tray. 

"There is no reason to look so alarmed, little sister. Although I am here to activate the portal, my real mission is to ensure your safety."  Robin sipped the drink; it tasted like lemon tea but was transparent like water. 

"My safety?"  Ra took a deep breath to calm herself; up close, it was as bad as she figured. The woman named Robin was quite lovely. "Did QJ assign you to protect me?" 

Robin shook her head. "You have married into a family that cares deeply for its members; regardless of how you arrived, you are now part of that." 

Ra stared at the ground, her dark fingers gripping the glass tightly. "He innocently stumbled upon our water ritual, and instead of explaining, I did something unforgivable." 

Robin laughed, her white teeth flashing a smile. "Don't be silly; nothing is unforgivable. QJ is mine, and I can be quite flexible regarding the greater good." 

"The greater good?"  Ra thought this woman would hate her, but the feeling she was getting was the opposite. "What is that?" 

"Whatever it takes to ensure that QJ's influence continues to grow." Robin let her words seep in, Ra seemed more surprised than anything else. "QJ is the most influential figure on the Berg continent, despite only being here a few months."

Ra took a long drink, her throat suddenly dry. "His reputation for getting things done is without precedent. That's why I initially summoned him to help me."

Robin sat her glass down and gripped Ra's hand in hers. "You must have many personal questions you'd like to ask." 

Ra nodded in agreement. "I do. His family are off-worlders, but I know nothing of them besides that."

"I don't want to say too much. You should get to know them without my influence."  Robin laced her fingers in Ra's and leaned back on the soft cushions. It had been more than a day since she last slept. "His father is incomparably strong; no existence in this world could threaten him."

"He is Q, right?"

Robin nodded fondly. "With him are three very formidable women, soon to be four. Years ago, they started with nothing and built a peerless empire together. I would do the same thing with QJ; obviously, I can't do it alone."

"I have never sought power or influence, yet fate continues interceding on my behalf." Ra felt the mysterious woman squeeze her hand. "If I had been a commoner. Would we be having this conversation?"

Robin laughed suddenly, a beautiful sound, clear like a ringing bell. "Are you asking what I would have done if some goatherder tried to steal my man?" 

Ra laughed at the words. "I suppose you would have buried me in the desert." 

Robin shook her head slightly. "Probably not, but I might have kept you for myself. You're as beautiful as Leah Fintree." 

Ra's dark lips curved in a smile; this was not the conversation she envisioned. She didn't know who Leah Fintree was, but it was obviously a compliment. "You aren't angry with me?" 

Robin shook her head, "it would be pointless to pursue anger here. Your actions have made us sisters. Shouldn't I make you feel welcome? Lend us your strength, Sister Ra."

Ra stared at her for a long moment. "Would you come and meet my family?" 

Robin nodded, "of course, since we are sisters, it is expected."

************

QJ stretched in bed a moment before he heard the distinct sound of knocking. Opening the door brightened his sour mood. "Jinn!" 

Jinn was standing there with her twin daughters, Rohas and Tai. All three of them had the same blond hair and slim builds. "Can Ro and Tai hang out for a while?" 

QJ nodded, "I only have an hour, but I can extend it a bit without problems." He made a face at the two girls. "Fifteen and too cool to greet me?" 

Ro smiled first, "Heya QJ."  She offered him a quick hug. 

Tai bobbed her head once, "Sup QJ,"  before walking by him without saying anything else. 

Jinn's normally pleasant face turned chilly. "How can twins be so different?"  She hugged QJ close and kissed his cheek. "Somehow, we have ants, and the exterminator is setting up a few traps for them. You don't have to watch them or anything." 

QJ shrugged slightly; he got along well with both daughters.

"So...  Who was the better student? Me or dad?" 

Jinn laughed at the question. QJ had been asking it since he was a teenager. Her loyalty to Q made her refuse to speculate. "You both had positive qualities." 

"That's fine, Jinn. I understand you don't want to hurt Dad's feelings. "Hey... you look really nice!" QJ just noticed that Jinn wore a pretty blue dress and matching heels. 

"We have an Education Conference in town. I thought they'd have more fun here than at your parent's house." 

"No worries, Jinn, cya later." 

When QJ returned inside, the twins were sitting at the kitchen island with Breeze and Lotte. Ro was chatting happily with Breeze while Tai looked bored. "Wu is setting up at the Painted Lady. It shouldn't be long before we have a feed." 

Breeze grabbed three cokes from the fridge and gave the girls one. "Why did you take Sato instead of me? I would have kicked ass! I hope he didn't embarrass himself."

QJ raised an eyebrow. "He didn't tell you what happened?"

Breeze shook her head. "He's been oddly quiet about it."

QJ shook his head in amazement. "I'm surprised. Horse riding, rope swinging, bodies falling from the top of buildings; it was utter chaos."

Tai's face showed the first hint of interest. A habitual frown normally offset her pale blond hair and blue eyes. "I heard Sato tackled someone right off the edge of a building. And that you swung in on a rope and saved Barti." 

QJ nodded while he rummaged through the fridge. "The first part is true, but the second isn't."

"Wait..."  Breeze cocked her head to one side, her dark eyes showing confusion. "Sato took someone off a building? My... Our Sato?"

"Can I join your guild, QJ?"  Tai was pretty straightforward; QJ heard that she had been playing GnG. 

QJ picked up some take-out from a few days earlier; after a quick smell, he nodded in satisfaction and grabbed a fork. "Aren't you on the Legends server?" 

Tai was playing GnG while her sister was in TAP. "I'm only level 14. It isn't a big deal if I jump now. I keep dieing anyway." 

"Mom said it was rude to ask that Tai!"  Ro scolded her sister; unlike most twins, they argued constantly. Neither wanted anything to do with the other.

"I will invite you into OP myself. Shouldn't take you long to catch up." 

Ro frowned at his words. "Shouldn't you make her try out? What if she's complete crap?"

"You're complete cr..."  Whatever she was about to say was cut off when QJ put a hand over her mouth. 

"I don't think the daughter of Jinn and Bo Jangles has anything to worry about." QJ released Tai and stepped back. "Any more arguing, and you will hang out in our backyard until Jinn returns." 

During lunch, Lotte and QJ were back in the pool. 

QJ shook his head when she leaned against him to rest. "You really are working hard." 

Lotte nodded, "those crutches of mine are still difficult to use. 

Eventually, I would like to move on from them."

QJ knew she had only recently been getting EPO treatments for her damaged muscles; her old medical insurance didn't cover such expensive procedures. "I do need a running partner." 

Lotte laughed at the thought, "I'd give anything to run with you." 

She smiled when she said it, but QJ felt his heart squeeze. "I'll do my part as your trainer." 

Lotte finished the last set and hugged him close while he supported them both. She always did that for a few seconds. "Thanks, QJ."

A short while later, QJ sat comfortably at his desk. Wu was finished setting up at the Painted Lady and had routed the feed through the hud in the kitchen island. Unexpectedly, Robin called, and he went to his room so they could speak privately. 

QJ could hear Ra's voice in the background. His girlfriend was going out of her way to make the Water Wielder welcome.

Robin smiled sweetly at Ra, "Would you excuse us for a moment, sister Ra?" 

Ra nodded. "Of course, Robin, I shall run a bath; we can relax with my mom and sister."

The rogue waited until she left, then she focused on QJ. "She is very impressive, hun. Ra gets full marks in every category I can think of." 

QJ needed to determine the proper reply, so he didn't comment. 

"She's a bit unsure of herself, QJ."  Robin smiled warmly. He was obviously in his room. "She can use that staff to see things, hun...  Remember when we camped out?"

"I see... so she saw us?" 

"It crushed her, QJ."  Robin pursed her lips slightly; he was hard to read. "If you don't do the manly thing here. I will keep her for myself." 

QJ snorted, but his girlfriend never bluffed. "How close are we to being ready to activate?" 

"A few hours," Robin blew a quick kiss. "We'll talk again when we are ready to go." 

QJ nodded. "Sounds good. See you soon."