Portals of Infinity: Book Three: Of Temples and Trials

by John Van Stry

  Unfortunately, for her, she wasn’t able to hit me. If I didn’t have my champion’s speed, I would have had to redirect or block most of her shots, but with it, I simply slipped out of the way of each strike. She was telegraphing a lot of her strikes, and the madder she got, the more she telegraphed. I simply retreated around the sparring space, bobbing and weaving, letting her punch herself out.

  Our Sensei had to call time twice, and the second time he did, he stepped between us, pushing Marti back and yelling ‘time’ at her. For a moment I thought she was going to take a swing at him, but I guess she realized that wouldn’t be a good idea.

  “Fucking faggot!” she grumbled.

  Sensei stopped and looked at her, raising an eyebrow. “Oh? Who is panting and tired and sweating? Who is calm, cool, and barely breathing hard?”

  Marti didn’t say anything, but glared at the floor.

  “Will had control of the fight, from the moment it started, until it ended. He let his opponent tire themselves, and chase him around the floor. He got one tap in early, then simply let Marti outfight herself. She never got a score on him, so all he had to do was wait it out.”

  “That would never work in a real fight!” Marti protested.

  Sensei Jim turned and looked at her, “Once you were tired enough, he could either retreat or attack at his leisure. Or simply wait for the police to show up.”

  He looked around the room at the rest of the class, “Meditate on what you saw. Dismissed!”

  I made a beeline for the locker room, I knew Marti would be looking for revenge, but I figured it could wait until next week. But I did enjoy the laughs and high fives of the other male students once we got inside. They were all pretty tired of Marti’s antics, but they all knew better than to stop pulling punches and hit her back. Class or not that could still get you in serious trouble.

  That I had showed her up without striking back impressed and inspired them. Sometimes you can win a fight without ever throwing a punch. A lesson few of us ever really learn.

  Business at the bar was hopping that night. There was a new act in town and they started their show at nine instead of ten. Madam Smith had the staff add several more tables to the floor, which made it a little more crowded, and those of us on the wait staff found ourselves getting a lot more discreet pats than normal as we squeezed through the tight spaces.

  I was a little surprised, and embarrassed when Jane showed up with Ria and Melissa and a few other women I didn’t recognize at all. I had a table opening up, so I flagged the host who saw me and nodded and brought them over.

  “William!” Ria said smiling as I brought them menu’s.

  I smiled, “Ria, Melissa,” and then stopped by Jane’s seat and helped her sit, “Jane,” I said rather warmly.

  The looks on the women that I didn’t know were priceless as Ria and Melissa laughed and Jane blushed.

  “May I take your drink orders Madams?” I asked, and then took their orders going around the table.

  “Jane, you lucky...” I heard one of the women start to whisper as I went off to get their orders filled.

  It was too busy to spend any real time at Jane’s table; I was being constantly pulled away by the other tables and the orders. But I did flirt with Jane a little bit and I could see she was enjoying it and the others were all rather envious.

  “You still off at midnight?” Jane asked about ten minutes before my shift ended.

  I nodded.

  “Feel like going someplace quiet for a few drinks?”

  I smiled, “After the night I’ve been having, that sounds like a great idea.”

  “I’ll be waiting out front,” Jane said smiling.

  Fifteen minutes later, I came out of the front in my street clothes and walked over to Jane I got about halfway there when someone grabbed me and everything slowed down as I was spun to face Marti, who was standing behind me.

  “Show me up in class! You’re going to pay for that asshole!” She growled.

  I took a step back and readied myself, “This isn’t the time or place Madam Marti,” I growled.

  “Hey! Take your hands off my Boyfriend!” I heard Jane say as she walked up behind me.

  “Boyfriend?” Marti said looking from Jane to me and back again. “I think your boyfriend here needs a lesson!”

  “Jane, better let me...”

  “Shush Will, this is women’s work.” Jane said stepping up next to me. “You have three seconds to turn around and leave my boyfriend alone. After that, you’re going to be face down in the street. Understand?” Jane said in a loud, but calm, voice.

  Marti laughed at her, “I’ll break you in half bitch!”

  “Two seconds.” Jane said calmly.

  Marti took a step forward and I heard a pop followed by a loud buzz and Marti’s body locked up and she fell over, face first.

  I looked at Jane, she was holding a taser, the type that shot out a couple of probes with wires leading back to the unit in her hand.

  “I warned you,” She said and shocked Marti two more times until she stopped trying to do anything more than twitch on the ground. Jane looked at me and smiled, “I know the type. Just another estrogen fueled misandrist.”

  I just looked at her stunned as she popped the electrodes off the taser, reloaded it, grabbed my arm and steered me down the street and into a waiting taxi.

  “Maybe we should have those drinks at my place,” she purred and leaned into me.

  “You’re amazing,” I said and put an arm around her.

  “Brains over brawn, works every time.”

  I learned quite a bit about Jane over the weekend, her past was a lot more interesting than anyone would have suspected. She grew up an orphan and was in street gang by the time she was eleven, she’d actually been to juvenile detention twice having been arrested a number of times for petty crimes and even assault. What had turned her around was her musical ability, one of her parole officers had introduced her to her favorite recording artist, and at the age of seventeen she suddenly found herself adopted and moved to New York and involved in the music scene.

  She’d learned better ways of dealing with problems than by force, but as she’d show with Marti, she wasn’t afraid to use it when she needed to; she was just smart about it. But for all of her rough upbringing she was polite, and rather kind.

  When Monday came I showed up at class early, and sure enough, Marti was there in the workout room. She came at me and took a swing. I caught it, which shocked her, then twisted her arm behind her back and slammed her up against the wall.

  “Don’t you get it? I was sent here to test you, and you failed. It isn’t your physical condition, which is excellent, or your fighting skills, which are well above par.

  “No, it’s your attitude. Instead of hating men, you should try loving them. You’re supposed to be our protector, our guide, our leader – not our biggest fear or nightmare!”

  She looked at me over her shoulder, confused. “Tested? For what?”

  “For something you’re not ready for obviously,” I said. “I don’t know why you hate men, and I honestly don’t care. But you need to let go of that now, it’s holding you back. Goodbye Marti.”

  Releasing her, I turned around and left.

  I stuck around a few more weeks after that, but I didn’t go back to the school and I quite my waiter job after a week. I dated Jane quite a bit over those two weeks, I liked her, she was a nice woman and Aryanna did have a few more things she wanted me to find out. But eventually I told her I’d been summoned back to England and that I had to go.

  “Well that was different than what I went through,” I told Fel. I was sitting in his bar and in the morning, I’d be leaving Treow and its version of New York.

  “Different jobs, different people, different tests.”

  I nodded, I hoped Marti didn’t get picked up by anybody, but I could definitely see where some would love her type of personality and hateful mindset. Jane was more the type person I would want t
o see as a champion, she seemed more compassionate, more level headed, and smart enough to win.

  Fel nodded, “My sentiments exactly.”

  I sighed. “You know I hate when you do that.”

  Fel smiled, “Okay. So where are you off to next Will?”

  I shook my head and sighed again, I knew he already knew. “Home to my New York for a week or two, being here made me a little homesick. So I thought I’d drop in for a short visit and see family. Then see Darlene for a while before picking up on the spring campaign.”

  Fel nodded.

  “I am curious however,” I said looking at him. “Was the whole reason for my checking out Marti, only to get her and Jane to have a confrontation and see what Jane would do?”

  Fel shrugged, “I don’t have the ability to see the future like Aryanna does. It’s possible; you’d have to ask her.”

  I nodded, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to know. Stephanie had told me that Aryanna played the game well and could manipulate us rather well, and I accepted that. It came with the job after all.

  But sometimes not knowing really is best.

  Twelve

  (Earth – New York)

  I pulled up in front of my parent’s house in a rental car. I had called and told them I was in town and I’d be stopping by later to visit. It was nice to spend some time with them, and I got to see my siblings as well. My oldest brother had three kids now, the next oldest had two. My younger sister had just gotten out of the Army! She’d gone in after getting her two-year degree and thinking that college wasn’t what she really wanted to do.

  “How was the Army Nikki?” I asked giving her a hug.

  “It was fun, but all the prohibitions on combat took a lot of the fun out of it. They let you take the courses, but even if you pass them, you still don’t get the chance to use what you learn,” she grumbled.

  I nodded, “So what are your plans now?”

  She shrugged, “I’m not really sure right now. My XO, well former XO now, has a friend that does bodyguards for celebrities and stuff like that. I’ve done a few jobs for them in the last month. Thinking if I want to make a career out of it.”

  I laughed and looked at my sister; she was about five eight, pretty trim and kind of cute. I could see a lot of guys discounting her, growing up all my friends had quickly learned not to do that. She had a right hook that could loosen your teeth and wasn’t afraid to use it. Growing up in a family of boys, and being the youngest, she’d learned to fend for herself fairly quickly. She was actually the one that got me started in martial arts, because she needed a ride to the dojo.

  “But?” I asked her. “There seems to be a ‘but’ on the end of that line.”

  She smiled at me, “But I’m not sure I want to spend the rest of my life babysitting spoiled rich kids with over inflated self-opinions.”

  I nodded.

  “So what about you? Mom and Dad say you’ve been living out of the country with some gal you met?”

  “Pretty much. It’s pretty provincial there, and not exactly an easy place to get to.”

  “That doesn’t tell me where it is you know,” she said looking at me.

  “Funny that,” I smiled at her.

  Nikki punched me in the arm, “Tell me.”

  I shook my head, “This isn’t in one of those places where people can just show up.”

  “The only places in the world I know about that are like that are in Asia or Africa.”

  “Well it’s not Africa,” I grinned, “I hope that narrows it down.”

  “Idiot!” she said and punched my again. “So, how is she?”

  “She’s wonderful. Why do you think I left?”

  “Because you hated working in an office?”

  I looked at her surprised.

  “Oh please Bro, I know you. You should have become a civil engineer, then at least you’d have been outside more.”

  “Yeah, you may be right on that. So what about your social life?”

  “It’s been pretty dead since I got out. By the way, have you come across anything strange in your travels of late?”

  I laughed, “Strange is a pretty easy definition when you’re traveling out of the country.”

  “I mean strange as in, not of this world strange.”

  “Tell me what you saw,” I said looking at her seriously.

  “Better yet, I’ll show you,” she said.

  The next day found us out at Montauk Point on the far end of the island, near the old nuclear missile base that the Air Force had only recently decommission.

  “I was out here about a year ago; the Army borrowed the facility for a few specialist exercises, seeing as it was mostly abandoned at that point.”

  I nodded; I could feel the portal already.

  Nikki parked the car off the road and struck off into the trees, I followed her. “Anyway, while I was playing opposing force for the trainees I came across something, I’m curious if you’ve seen anything like it. I asked a few guys in the unit if they saw something funny when I brought them by, but they thought I was crazy.”

  “Okay.”

  “You know what it is, don’t you?”

  I looked at her, “What makes you say that?”

  “Because when I start to head away from it, you track back towards it.”

  I laughed, “Guilty as charged.”

  “So what is it?”

  “Exactly what you think it is. Now let’s take a closer look at it.”

  We walked another ten minutes and we were there. I went up to it and put my hand on it.

  “What are you doing?”

  “All portals have a feeling to them. The feeling is unique to what’s on the other side, and if it feels bad, don’t go through, cause you’ll probably die.”

  “So where do they go?”

  “Different places. Did you go through this one?”

  Nikki nodded, “Yeah.”

  I nodded, “Well this doesn’t feel like anyplace I’ve ever been, so let’s take a look,” and I stepped through.

  I looked around, we were closer to the shore now, and the trees were a lot shorter, smaller, and stunted here. The wind was also stronger and I could see the ocean if I peered between the trees.

  Nikki stepped through behind me.

  “So where are we?” She asked looking around.

  “No idea. There are hundreds, if not thousands of these all over the Earth. They lead to different realities. All of which have more portals that lead to other places. All interconnected in an infinite series of different spheres.”

  “Why?”

  I shrugged, “No idea. The gods call it ‘The Infinite’, well at least those I’ve met.”

  “You’ve met Gods?” Nikki laughed.

  “And Goddesses. If I get the chance I’ll introduce you.” I looked around. I couldn’t really see or hear anything, and I didn’t see any signs of civilization, though that didn’t mean much. “Well let’s go back.”

  “Don’t you want to explore?” She asked looking around.

  “Not without weapons and supplies. Besides, we told Mom we’d be home for dinner and it’s a two hour drive back to the house.”

  Nikki nodded and I had her check the portal from this side, then we went back through and walked back to the car.

  “So, why could I see it, but not any of the others I brought by it?”

  “Well I was told only a very small percentage of the population can, and that it’s an inherited ability.”

  “So does that mean Rob and Kev could see it?”

  “Probably, and either Mom or Dad, maybe both. But I wouldn’t go telling them about it.”

  “Dangerous?”

  “Yeah, a lot of it is. Though sometimes that’s just because everything is different.”

  “Different how?” She asked looking at me curious.

  “A medieval type world with Goddesses and magic? A place a lot like this, only women run everything and men aren’t even allowed to vote? Or maybe a place wher
e the dominate race is that of large two legged cats?” I shrugged. “Take your pick; if you can think of it, I’m sure it’s out there somewhere.”

  “Oh, tell me more about the one where women rule!” She laughed.

  “You probably wouldn’t like it,” I told her.

  “Why’s that?”

  “Because only the men are supposed to fight,” I grinned.

  “Ah, spoilsport. So I take it that’s where your girlfriend is?”

  “Wife, we’re married. Two kids, an inn,” I told her.

  “Woah. Two kids? Does mom know?”

  “I can’t very well take pictures; at least I don’t think I can. Plus it’s not like I can bring them here or vice-versa, it would be too shocking an experience.”

  Nikki nodded and thought about it a while as we got into the car and drove back, eventually we talked about other things for the rest of the trip home and later that evening as well.

  I was getting ready to go to bed in the guest room, which was my old bedroom when Nikki popped open the door.

  “I want to go with you when you leave,” she told me.

  I thought about it a moment, anyone else I’d refuse, but Nikki wasn’t the type to take no for an answer, plus she was probably a lot better prepared for this sort of thing than I was the first time.

  “Okay. Tomorrow we can do some shopping, then on Sunday we’ll head out. Expect to be gone a while.”

  Nikki nodded and closed the door, so I went to bed.

  The next day I took her out and found a place that sold old-fashioned cloaks, then some clothing that wouldn’t stand out. Then I picked up two dozen of the bows I had traded before, a couple rolls of silver dimes and had her turn a bunch of her money into gold and silver rings and showed her how to tie them up in a scarf.